by Linda Straker
- More than 100 persons have been quarantined since 31 January at a cost of over EC$1 million to government
- To maintain a person in quarantine for 14 days costs state EC$9,500
- 100 cruise ship workers arriving by mid-June will suddenly put quarantine cost beyond EC$2 million
Tabulation of public records on the number of persons who were placed in state-funded quarantine shows that more than EC$1 million has been spent by government to ensure that returning nationals upon arrival to the island, do not mix and mingle with the general population before 14 days.
More than 100 persons have been placed in quarantine since 31 January, when Grenada implemented measures at protecting the country from having to deal with an influx of Covid-19 cases. “Most of the returning nationals to date are cruise ship workers and as you know they are all are in quarantine at a cost to government,” Health Minister, Nickolas Steele said.
The ministry is preparing to welcome more than 100 cruise ship workers by mid-June and that will suddenly put the quarantine cost beyond EC$2 million. “And again as it stands right now, it’s the state that will be bearing the cost to have them in quarantine as we ensure that all returning nationals comply with the new health protocols that are been put in place as part of measures to control and reduce the spread of Covid-19,” Steele said.
Within days of commencing the quarantine measures, the ministry disclosed that it will cost the state no less than EC$9,500 to maintain a person in quarantine for the 14 days. “So, using that as our base figure, you will realise the amount we have spent to date, more than a million dollars,” he said.
On Wednesday, 3 June 2020 Grenada welcomed a group of 21 returning nationals from the United Kingdom and most are expected to pay for the 14 days quarantine or contribute towards the cost. Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell, disclosed in a national address on 10 May 2020, after the first batch of returning nationals on a cruise ship arrived, that the management of the cruise ship had agreed to assist the government will funding for the quarantine, but then reneged. “To provide further clarity on the mandatory quarantine for returning crew members, government is now single-handedly bearing the cost of almost $200,000 to provide these facilities because the cruise lines have not accepted responsibility, despite an earlier agreement to do so.”
To ensure that the Ministry of Health has adequate funds to cope with the additional expenses that the General Hospital and the ministry will create because of this global health pandemic, an additional EC$10 million was allocated when government adjusted the estimates of revenue and expenditure in April.
The supplementary estimates provide $10 million for additional Covid-19 related health expenditure. In the original estimate which was presented in late November 2019, the Ministry of Health received EC$72, 155, 371 for recurrent expenditure and EC$17,582,613 for capital expenditure. Of the amount received for recurrent, the General Hospital was allocated EC$37,123,819.
By mid-March, Grenada announced its first confirmed case and as of 4 June, the island has had a total of 23 cases with 4 classified as active. There has been no Covid-19 death. As part of the national control measures, a state of emergency was declared in late March which restricts the movement of citizens with only essential workers allowed to move around and cross internal borders.
All areas of government revenue suddenly came to halt and resulting in a significant reduction to government income. However, by May, government began easing restrictions and though the country continues in a state of emergency, a significant number of sectors are allowed to open for business from 5 am to 7 pm.
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So you are telling the nation that to quarantine a person cost $600 plus per day. Can someone in authority break down these figures and explain to the nation how these figures came about? If these figure are accurate I think quarantine is a luxury. Simple like that!
This financial accounting is just a lie. It does NOT cost that amount of money to have people in quarantine. Who are these people supposed to be anyway? Everyone under quarantine happened well after January 2020 or why were Tourists even allowed to travel byo Grenada? Covid wasn’t much of a concern until March 2020.
Grenada need educational aid too, and a closer relation to England who is in my opinion responsible for building the economy of Grenada and should pay the approximate number of people on the island individually millions of dollars on their bank account without local politicians to steel a cent by them giving funds directly to the citizens one and one them selves .
Grenada need universities to educate the 93% of the people on the island who are dying from a high level of illiteracy due to the fight of Eric Mathew Gary for Independence from England when in those days Grenada currency was English money and Grenadians could of get a free tour to the monarch of Grenada and choose if they want to stay. In those days Grenadians was as an English citizen who had a choice to stay or go to England.
Is it possible to reverse what Gary has fight for and claim what we rightfully deserved as citizens of Grenada, England, and Africa our mother land . It is plain to see that England and the queen adopted the people from Africa and England is our adopted mother country through slavery .
there are many unsolved Mistry and our situation is not of this case and it appears to be a racist one. people hate to be burned by fire but fire is important .the bible said that god created humans and he never said what color .
Can you imagine that the time will come when the people in the caribbean will have to fight for their own belongings and their rights that is taken away from them ?
I had already predicted that bad things by word of mouth to many people what will happened. There is a chosen race of people on earth as the bible said. some of these chosen people are from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Levi.
Many of them are born with gifts that the has no knowledge of. the chosen people of the most high is advantage by all other race . they give away every thing that they own just to receive love from all the other races. this is an absolute God Like Thinking. Only a supreme deity is believed to think this way . after all the cladistics of the true living God are in them that love their neighbor as themselves and God will do any thing to save the world.
look at Santa Domingo how it is separated from Haiti to keep in line what they the people are not responsible for in history . History affect every one’s future .When you know where you came from you can know where you are going.
The Corona Virous is pointing to where the whole world is going .