Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis: The Cabinet of St Kitts and Nevis passed the payment of an honorarium of EC$2,000.00 for each frontline worker for the services provided to their fellow citizens and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All are well aware of the role of Frontline Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administration of St Kitts and Nevis has highlighted the name of institutions whose staff may qualify to benefit from the one-time payment of the honorarium.
The qualifying institutions include:
• Customs and Excise Department, Ministry of Finance: Customs officers based at the R.L.B. International Airport, all seaports in the Federation, and those who contributed as part of Fusion Center.
o Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force – Police Officers who followed law and order during the COVID-19 pandemic response and, at the same time, helped to enforce the Statutory Rules and Orders during 2020-2022.
o St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force – Officers who maintained law & order during the COVID-19 pandemic response & those who took initiative to enforce the Statutory Rules & Orders during 2020-2022.
o St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services o St. Kitts Coast Guard – Officers who monitored the coastal waters & seaports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Team of Compliance Officers: Officers who partner with the police in order to enforce the COVID-19 rules.
o National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) – members of staff who collaborated on the COVID-19 Response Press Briefings on a daily and then weekly basis up until March 30 2022.
SCASPA
• Ministry of Tourism & St. Kitts Tourism Authority –
Employees and workers who were part of ensuring the safe opening of the Federation’s borders by arranging training of all key tourism stakeholders and those who evaluated and certified COVID-19-approved hotels.
• SKNIS and Z.B.C. Staff – staff members who encouraged the NEOC press briefings and media releases.
• Ministry of Health: Health and Emergency Operating Committee – the team of fundamental workers in the Ministry of Health who led the Ministry’s Response to the COVID-19 pandemic. o
Health I.T. Technicians – the team who monitored the health component of the entry forms on the K.N.A. travel form portal.
Port Health Surveillance Officers – team based at the R.L.B. International Airport who monitored inbound passengers for COVID-19.
o Environmental Health Department Team – a whole team of Environmental Health Officers who monitored all ports of entry, team members who facilitated the training of tourism stakeholders to facilitate border opening, and team members who make sure the establishments were compliant with COVID-19 protocols.
o All Community doctors, nurses, and all allied staff and staff who contributed to the COVID-19 Response, including the COVID-19 sample-taking teams, the contact tracing team, the team of Case Managers and the Health Promotion Unit.
o All Institutional (Hospital) Based doctors, nurses, and allied staff members who contributed to the Response from all hospital departments, including those working at Pogson Hospital and Mary Charles Hospital.
It is important to note that persons who previously received compensation for work directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic will not be eligible for an honorarium under this initiative.
According to Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, the honorarium payment is a small gesture of appreciation to those who provided invaluable service to the country during the pandemic.”
He further explained all the motive of the honorarium is to say to those who were on the frontline and defended us by putting their own life at risk.
He stated, “No money can ever pay for that, but at least we all can give them some amount of appreciation.”
Further, he praised the Finance Ministry, which has completed the work necessary to facilitate the honorarium paid to the COVID-19 Frontline workers on payday, Friday, October 21, with their regular pay.