{"id":269502,"date":"2021-06-16T16:22:56","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T20:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=269502"},"modified":"2021-06-16T21:22:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T01:22:50","slug":"grenada-and-st-vincent-use-carrot-and-stick-approach-to-encourage-vaccinations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/grenada-and-st-vincent-use-carrot-and-stick-approach-to-encourage-vaccinations\/","title":{"rendered":"Grenada and St. Vincent use carrot and stick approach to encourage vaccinations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
From left: Health Minister Nickolas Steele of Grenada and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With many still skeptical about getting inoculated against Covid-19, Caribbean governments and even international administrations are launching schemes geared at providing incentives to residents to get vaccinated – albeit, some options appear to be a carrot-and-stick approach – promising some kind of reward to those who take the shots, while indirectly threatening consequences against those who do not.<\/p>\n

Grenadian health authorities recently launched a $10,000 \u201cgame of chance\u201d lottery initiative for everyone who has been vaccinated or who does so up until June 27. Each dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the only vaccine available in that country, will allow recipients to be automatically entered into the lottery draw, according to the country\u2019s Health Minister Nickolas Steele.<\/p>\n

The Grenada National Lotteries Authority and the island\u2019s COVID-19 Committee are the masterminds behind this initiative as part of a bid to increase vaccination numbers.<\/p>\n

To date, about 9,000 people have been fully vaccinated and fewer than 19,000 have received their first doses in Grenada. Approximately 80,000 people qualify to be vaccinated on the island, reports state. Vaccinations began in February 2021.<\/p>\n

The minister said that while a vaccinated person cannot opt out of the lottery, they are allowed to refuse their winnings, for which another draw will be held, or to donate it to charity.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of St Vincent and The Grenadines, Ralph Gansalves, confirmed that while it may not be mandatory to take vaccines, common law supports an employer who may decide to terminate an employee for their refusal to be vaccinated – providing that the employer does so in a reasonable manner.<\/p>\n

His comments came in response to media questions as to whether an employee can be legally terminated if they refuse to take the Covid-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n

Gonsalves responded, \u201cYou can impose the condition that if you don\u2019t take the vaccine you may be terminated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the case of both the public and private sectors, the employer has a right to have a safe place of work, including a healthy place for you to work and environment\u2026and this is recognized at the common law… and there is the obligation on the part of the employee to cooperate with the employer in having the safe and healthy place for work,\u201d he told media.<\/p>\n

He argued that a vaccinated employee who feels unsafe among unvaccinated staff, for fear of contracting the virus, can raise the issue in a workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimilarly the employer can inform the employees, [and say] \u2018listen to me, if you don\u2019t take this vaccine you may be terminated.\u2019 But they have to be reasonable in terms of the notice,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Pointing to a hypothetical situation and based on \u201cadvice we have received,\u201d Gonsalves said that the state as an employer can decide to make vaccines available to employees for a certain period and give \u2018reasonable\u2019 notice for them to take their shots. If employees reject the vaccines during this stipulated time, their refusal can be considered as an act of misconduct, which may lead to their dismissal.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the policy and procedural step would be formally put in place for that to be happening and I\u2019m having a discussion with the office of the attorney general on precisely this issue,\u201d he said while stressing that the employer \u201chas to be reasonable\u201d and \u201chas to put a procedure in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonsalves said that it cannot be allowed that when world travel resumes, travelers will not be able to come to the country\u2019s hotels and ports because staff are not vaccinated.<\/p>\n

In early May, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced that his government would amend the certification criteria to include mandatory vaccination for those involved in the tourism sector.<\/p>\n

According to Skerrit, these measures are needed for the safety of both visitors and locals and to grow the economy back to the place it once was.<\/p>\n

As of June 14, Dominica recorded 17,844 full vaccinations and 20,134 first doses.\u00a0 St Vincent has administered 22,273 doses.<\/p>\n