by Arley Gill
The global coronavirus pandemic is sweeping across Europe and most of North America. As leaders struggle to find solutions to manage this global crisis, those of us living in the Caribbean must applaud the proactive steps taken by our political leaders to curb the spread of this deadly virus in the region.
Fortunately for us, our elected officials did not take lightly the many threats Covid-19 posed to the Caribbean. As the coronavirus continues to spread around the world, we can safely say: timely decision-making — difficult as those decisions may have been — slowed down the spread of the virus in the region. The relatively small number of people currently infected with Covid-19 in the Caribbean today, can be attributed to both individual and collective leadership actions by our elected officials.
However, as grateful as we are that Covid-19 is not wreaking havoc on our region — we cannot ignore the glaring reality that the threat of the coronavirus has drastically changed the way we live in the Caribbean.
Covid-19 has made life difficult for us. We enjoy being outdoors: we fish and farm and lime. Together, we are adjusting to this “new” normal. Schools are closed, businesses are shutdown, and, our once bustling streets have become ghost towns almost overnight.
It is a small sacrifice each of us can make to protect ourselves, as well as our loved ones from this deadly virus. Hopefully, in the end, we will all agree that the disruption to life as we knew it — just weeks ago — the lockdown and around-the-clock curfew were necessary precautionary measures to protect us from the coronavirus.
From afar — we continue to watch the deadly impact that Covid-19 is having on countries such as Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States; countries with the financial and medical capacity to handle almost any crisis — natural or man-made. However, the response from major western leaders compared to the response by Caribbean leaders is like day and night.
Unlike major western leaders such as Donald Trump in the United States and Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom, our leaders took the Covid-19 threat seriously and followed-up with clear and concrete plans to slow the spread of the virus in their respective countries.
I must admit that the lax response to Covid-19, especially by the so-called “leader” of the “free” world, Donald Trump, to me is a reflection of the absence of real world political leadership. Trump, too, had ample warning to protect Americans from Covid-19 while the virus was creating havoc in Wuhan, China, but he failed to act quickly and decisively on the matter.
Not only did Donald Trump not act, he dismissed the seriousness of Covid-19 and its potential to sicken and kill thousands of Americans. Trump and his supporters instead chose to pivot from the seriousness of the issue to that of name-calling and finger-pointing. In failing to take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously, Trump squandered precious media moments that could have saved American lives.
Instead, Trump and his supporters used the media to label Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus” and for blaming the Chinese government for lack of transparency and for even manufacturing and spreading the disease to benefit the Chinese economy. Similarly, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson — now infected with Covid-19 and recently released from the hospital — also failed to act in a timely matter and his citizens are now feeling the brunt of his indecision. A similar case can be made for the leaders of Spain and Germany and the rest of the European Union.
Major leadership failures on the part of Western leaders to the Covid-19 pandemic is its own matter. What has become crystal clear to me is that while many of us in the Caribbean admire the healthcare systems in developed countries — specifically the United States — Covid-19 has revealed to our region and the world that all that glitters is not gold. Thankfully, regional leaders recognised the limitations within and the fragility of our own healthcare systems, and responded appropriately by shutting down work and schools and closing ports of entry to commercial traffic.
The United States spends billions on healthcare. This year it is projected that healthcare expenditure is: $688 billion for Medicare, $423 billion for Medicaid, $16 billion on its children health insurance program and $53 billion on premium tax credits and other related healthcare spending. The US spends more on healthcare per capita than any other country in the world and it still performs worse in common health metrics like: life expectancy, infant mortality, unmanaged diabetes and unmanaged asthma than most developed countries. The lack of investment in preventative care is even more evident now during Covid-19, where the majority of Americans dying from the virus are Black or poor and had one or more underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma.
According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, United States military spending was approximately $700 billion in 2019 and is forecasted to reach approximately $725 billion in 2020. The United States spends 3-4 times more than China and 10 times more than Russia on its military. With such high level of investment in its military, the United States will always have the arms and ammunition it needs to win any war. And this includes its recent military threats and aggression made toward Venezuela.
Despite investing hundreds of billions of dollars in developing its military power — the United States is now losing an invisible war with Covid-19. The soldiers fighting on the frontline — doctors, nurses and other essential workers — are lacking the most basic personal protective equipment in their battle to save lives during Covid-19.
I am saddened by the lack of preparation by leaders of the developed world to take precautionary measures to save more lives from this deadly virus. I was not expecting perfection — I had a “basic” expectation: essential workers in so-called First World economies would have the basic equipment they need to protect themselves on the job.
And, the seemingly inhumane decision by certain western leaders to value capital over human lives represents the worst of capitalism and the worst of humanity. Shutting down countries hardest hit by Covid-19 to reduce the spread of the virus was the right thing to do, regardless of economic impacts. Valuing human lives over profit is always the right decision.
Caribbean leaders’ response to Covid-19 and their quick actions — saved lives. In addition, Cuba’s stellar healthcare system should be a model for the rest of the world. I survived 4 hurricanes in the Caribbean and was not alive during World War II — Covid-19 is the worst experience I have had in my lifetime. I am hopeful that we will weather this invisible storm together and I am confident that we will be better and stronger than before because our leaders valued its citizens lives more than the economy and profit.
And, I am convinced — there is a lesson that the rest of the world can learn from the Caribbean region — especially Cuba. The Cuban government persists in investing in healthcare and its people, despite years of unjust and inhumane blockades that continue to put its citizens at risk. The lesson is simple: Capitalism as an economic system has not served us well during this global pandemic.
The Cuban people continue to face many challenges — as a result of economic sanctions imposed on the island by the United States; but, despite Cuba’s political and economic isolation, the Cuban government has always responded to calls for help in times of crisis.
Maybe, it will take a global pandemic for the rest of the world to re-evaluate, reconsider and finally appreciate Cuba’s invaluable contribution to humanity.
Specifically, I call on America to find it within its soul as a nation — and on Americans to search their conscience as fellow human beings — to advocate for an end to the decades-long economic blockade against Cuba. I believe — the God they serve will be proud!
I am English and am ashamed of our response. Our public services including the NHS have been broken for years as a result of the Tories austerity measures, which were quite rightly criticised by the WHO for causing greater poverty and hardship. At least the Caribbean closed their borders. Ours remain open and people are not checked when they enter the Country. NHS staff have been deprived of protective equipment for weeks with many of them losing their lives. The government has appealed for retired NHS staff to return and many have answered the call. The same government cheered in parliament when a proposed increase in salaries for health workers was voted down a couple of years ago. As sorry as I was to have to cancel my trip to Antigua and Barbuda, I applaud the Caribbean for taking a more robust stance. I am ashamed of England, this the 5th richest nation in the world
This is absolute nonsense.
Many European countries including Spain and Italy started their lockdown before Grenada. They were just unfortunate to have a large portion of their population infected before other countries. The main reasons most Caribbean countries are doing well now is: 1. Less internation travelers, especially from Asia, 2. Luck.
The lack of protective equipment in the western world is not as common as rumored, but it happens occationally due to disruptions in the supply-chain. Main causes are:
1. Limited local stockpiles due to just-in-time manufacturing.
2. China, the main manufacturer, stopped shipping protective equipment until they had their own situation under control.
No western leader is actively valuing capital over human lives! Shutting down a country has a unknown but large cost in human life. It is incredibly difficult to find a good balance between protecting against the pandemic while also protecting against the dysfunctions of a more closed and restrictive society.
The lockdown and around-the-clock curfew were NOT necessary precautionary measures to protect against the coronavirus. At best they are measures to buy some time to figure out what to do in the future. The curfew is unwarranted unless the leaders think that most of the population is not to be trusted.
The lockdown is not sustainable. The lockdown will eventually end and the coronavirus will still exist. It will most likely come back to the Caribbean many times in the future. What will the response be the 2nd time, the 3rd time or the 10th time? Repeated lockdowns are unlikely to be the answer.
The world will not look to a country that locks up all their citizens in their own private prison.
Instead they will look to a country that has made a good plan for the future. A country that that will gradually open while enforcing social distancing and implementing widespread and frequent testing. A well functioning country where new cases will be successfully isolated before they can infect others.
Kris … Agreed. This story telling by this here Arley Gill is absolute nonsense. It is really difficult to tell which end of his body he is doing all this talking with. Too much political negative to bite wrong people & to adore wrong people.
The Coronavirus, known as COVID – 19 had its orgin in Wuhan, China.
If not for the Communist Regime’s focused effort to hide the Outbreak, then cover – up of the massive true number of deaths; the world as we are in now would not suffer such horrific costly damage to life and to economies the world over. The global damage is horrific.
China is now really losing the world’s Trust.
The article “Western leaders and COVID-19″ Could have headlined too” “Western leaders ineptness soars in their handling of COVID-19”. I too am proud of our Caribbean leaders’ handling of the pandemic and pray for their continuance to the end. Thanks for the article.
China clearly has you on a leash whispering in your ear. Grenadian government obviously followed and is following the U.S. and therefore Trump’s example on how to react to this virus. Biased and inaccurate reporting at its finest. You hate a lot on these people but then you idolize them two minutes later. Of course you don’t realize how much you depend on them to save you from your self destructive behavior.
Fellow Grenadian, you are embarrassing us and ignorantly speaking on things you know nothing about. Stay in your lane.
Not sure this is correct and definitely not a fan of Donald Trump. All countries are trying to handle this as best they can when no one has total knowledge of the virus. Sweden is trying to minimise any lockdown whilst Spain has a total lockdown. Who is right? We don’t know.
Statistically if you are between 30-50 then you have a 0.4% chance of not surviving. 10-30 then it reduces to 0.2%. Of course over 80 then it increases to about 3%. Below 10 it is more or less zero.
If you are going to have a total lockdown then you have to answer the following:
– how will you lift the lockdown as the virus isn’t going to disappear? In other words as soon as you relax any lockdown the virus will return.
– how many people will die because of the lockdown due to lack of medical care, therapy etc. Possibly a higher number than will die from CV.
– how on earth are you going to make up for the economic fall out in the future which will affect younger people far more than older as they will be having to pay off the ongoing debts for many years. Will you be able to afford a decent medical system if you shoot the economy to bits.
As I say, no easy straightforward answers here. I speak as a 65 year old person by the way and am petrified on the potential effect on my children and grandchildren. Not sure any one Government has the right answer and you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Very well said! We need to see the larger picture and long term effects of our actions taken now, not profits vs human lives as put here. Every country has to find their own way that suits their population density, geography and economy. There is no universal solution that fits all but we should not underestimate the impacts and effects of a future regional recession that is created and the possibility that by lock down we are just pushing the health threat in front of us.
You’re spot on, my fellow Grenadian brother. You’ve hit the proverbial nail on the head. I’m in the epicenter of the pandemic, NYC and as everyone knows it’s very bad here. My take is that Trump was too busy fighting trade war with China and didn’t give any attention to the possibility of what could happen in the US. He needed someone from Grenada (the Caribbean) to tell him, “When your neighbor house on fire, wet your own.”
My advice is, Stay apart now, so we can be together later” and trust God that we will get through this together.
Hats off to all my Grenadian, Cuban and Caribbean people.
100% correct. The govt of grenada acted fast and correct. An example to to the so called developed world. Small is beautifull. Congratulations to the pm and his intelligent team
COVD19 Entry into Grenada and the rest of the Caribbean region came from the UK and the USA. Talking about appreciating the health and security of small islands (the likes of Grenada).
Faith, trust in our GOD and working together with our various governments, we can come through this. Remember one fall, all fall.