President of Dominica, Charles Savarin said amidst all of the challenges and fear that the pandemic has brought to the nation, great achievements were accomplished during the year of 2021.
During his 2021 Christmas message to the nation, Hon. Savarin stated the government implemented work in the areas of health, education and agriculture.
“Firstly, our Government was able to put in place an effective national response to this pandemic that leaves no one behind. Secondly, we have managed to continue our economic thrusts that have unfolded and executed in the areas of housing, health, education, agriculture, infrastructural development and tourism, and the many windows of opportunities to be derived from such transformative initiatives as green energy which is centered on our geothermal development program.”
He said Dominica has also commenced the construction of the international airport, and witnessed the commencement of operations on 8th December 2021 of the American Airlines direct scheduled flights from Miami, Florida, to Douglas-Charles Airport twice weekly and as of 10th January 2022, three (3) times weekly.
“This new direct service will become daily in April 2022 and will have a 3 great impact on the tourism sector and livelihoods. It will connect over 40 US cities to Dominica and make Miami, Florida, a connecting hub for travelers from Canada, Asia and Europe. So our prospects for 2022 are bright. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
The president went on urged all Dominicans, particularly first responders and caregivers to get vaccinated to work towards reducing the daily average of new cases to single digits and preferably to zero.
Savarin said only 27,000 persons on island are fully vaccinated which is a long way of obtaining herd immunity.
“It is encouraging to note that the rate of daily infections in Dominica is trending downwards. However, daily infections even in the 20’s is still much too high for a small country like ours. Currently, a total of 27,115 persons out of a target population of 53,281 persons are fully vaccinated. We are still a long way from attaining the level of vaccination to achieve herd immunity – the only way of returning to a semblance of normality.”
The president said there is no denying the fact that this year has been very challenging for all of us, yet we cling to hope and have come through wiser and stronger to face the challenges of the year ahead.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is now in its second year, we remain thankful as ever to God’s promise to send a Messiah into the world to bring hope, peace, joy, love and light, and to save His people. My wife Clara and family join me in this second pandemic Holiday Season, to extend to you and your household, our warmest wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Healthier, Safer, Better and Brighter New Year.”
He said although this Christmas, like last year’s, has to be celebrated differently for a second year with even greater presence of active COVID-19 cases after hoping that the pandemic would have vanished by now, scripture tells us, God’s ways are not man’s ways; things do not always work out as planned or envisaged by man.
He encouraged that even if things did not happen as persons would have liked, “we have to keep trusting God, for He is faithful and knows what is best for his people.”
“After another difficult and challenging year of much anxiety, loss and sacrifice due to the far reaching impact associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again required to celebrate Christmas by limiting gatherings to our households, by continuing to observe all aspects of the COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols, to exercise great restraint and caution, and most importantly, to take the vaccine to help curb the spread of this exponentially surging coronavirus disease…[but]if we understand the true meaning of Christmas, our celebration of Christmas should not be dampened by COVID.”
He reminded persons that last year around this time, the COVID-19 situation was not as chaotic in Dominica as it was in the rest of the world. Towards the end of the year, he noted that on December 18, 2020, Dominica had recorded a total of ninety-two (92) confirmed COVID-19 cases with eighty-four (84) recoveries, eight (8) active cases, no COVID-19 related deaths and no community spread and was further “grateful and thankful to God” for the discovery of three (3) viable vaccines thus far, the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
“Early in 2021, in February to be exact, we launched our vaccination campaign with seventy thousand (70,000) doses of AstraZeneca, which was donated by the Government of India. AstraZeneca had received provisional approval for emergency use. Owing to a second wave of infections which began in August 2021, involving the very infectious and transmissible Delta variant, as of the second week in December 2021, we have recorded a total of 6,208 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 5,768 recoveries, 398 active cases, 32 new cases on average per day and 42 deaths.”
Today, Dominica has three (3) types of vaccines at our disposal on island, namely the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Pfizer with the Moderna soon to be added to the list. He also noted the roll out of a booster shot program commenced on December 20th 2021, which has become more urgent in light of the new Omicron variant that is already triggering a new surge in global infections.
“Jesus the light of the world, has always been and will always be with us. We ought, therefore, during the Christmas Season, to treasure these remembrances of God’s faithfulness to us, to continue to believe in God’s goodness, to remain thankful and prayerful and to look to the future with confidence and hope. As we focus on the reason for the season, let us also ensure that the needs of orphaned and abandoned children, the elderly, the sick and the shut-ins continue to be met this Christmas Season and beyond.”
Hon. Savarin took the opportunity to thank and recognize all those who are engaged daily, for the past 21 months, in the fight to combat the challenges and difficulties posed by this deadly pandemic and who will be at work during the Holiday Season so that the rest of Dominicans may enjoy the season in a safe and protected environment. These include doctors, nurses and health-care workers, members of the police force, fire and ambulance services, the prison service, customs and immigration departments, sea port and airport employees and those employed in our public utilities.
“Let us be especially mindful of these heroes and act in a manner that will lighten their burden of care and service. I further wish to take this opportunity to empathize with those who have tested positive and have since recovered or are recovering from this disease, and to sympathize with all those who have lost a family member, friend and/or loved one to this disease.”
With an abundance of faith, hope, love, patience and cooperation, he asked persons to embrace one another virtually and resolve that COVID shall not defeat them and that they will not only get through this crisis together, but that will prosper in spite of any setbacks.
*Editor’s note* The full Christmas message from President Savarin will be published on Christmas Day.
If people was pigs Charli was fit to go this season but the meat would be to fat..another note my little children really use to enjoy visiting breeze mart and that moron called called president just wickidly to breezer from children… long life to you but it’s all in the opposit
If your eye glasses frame is not able to sit behind your ears (like this “president’s” eye glasses does; then you aren’t able to have any insight into where Dominica is headed. Just take a look at this man’s eye glasses! Won’t even fit behind those big ears. Food must be great behind those walls.
You are just what your name STANDS FOR, cacabeff.
The President highlighted the materialistic accomplishments of the cabal of which he’s the titular head. However development is mainly about people and the material things are meant to enhance the lives of people. He failed to mention any relief or assistance given to suffering poor people, because there wasn’t any. In one breath he calls on the name of God and not realizing that God exhorts us to take special care of the poor. His party and government was forced by bus drivers to give some assistance but what about the rest of society, and those who didn’t get anything. God don’t like ugly and this act of neglect was ugly by all measures.
Oh Jonathan, get a life. You are irrelevant.
Savarin, this piece of Skerrit propaganda, no doubt, earned you another term. You disgust me!
His Excellency, President Charles Savarin said that an AA flight to Dominica, “will connect over 40 US cities to Dominica and make Miami, Florida, a connecting hub for travellers from Canada, Asia and Europe”. I repeat, “make Miami, Florida, a connecting hub for travellers from Canada, Asia and Europe.”
The only achievement we need now is to get rid of you and skerite dam traitors
General Hypocrite. Shame on you. You triple F. Fake, Fraud & Fool
I didn’t read what mista had to say. Did you??
That is because you are illiterate. You were another drop out from High School.