$46 million spent on covid19 relief

Social Development and Family Services Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said her ministry has spent a total of $46 million on measures to help vulnerable people and families who have been affected by the covid19 pandemic, Robinson-Regis made this statement at a virtual news conference on Wednesday.

She estimated that approximately 75,600 families have been benefitted from the measures implemented by the ministry to date. Robinson-Regis said this included the distribution of $510 food card to families of each pupil in the National School Feeding Programme, to be topped each month.

On March 23, Robinson-Regis said the first batch of these cards were issued to MPs for distribution to these children. Each MP, she continued, was given 50 cards "who were in dire need of covid19 pandemic. Another batch of 47 cards was issued to MPs on March 25. On April 2, Robinson-Regis said MPs received an additional batch of 100 cards.

"The next batch of 3,323 cards will be delivered to MPs on Tuesday of next week (April 14)." Robinson-Regis also said the ministry will provide income and food support for retrenched, terminated or people with reduced income as a result of covid19. She said 4,000 applications have been received from people with respect to this measure.

Robinson-Regis said the Labour Ministry collaborated with her ministry to verify these applications. She said, "Payments will commence tomorrow." Robinson-Regis added,"This is an area that requires urgent and immediate action if we are to get it right. Saying over 5,000 forms have been printed, Robinson-Regis said these forms will be available on the ministry's website and at police stations.