Volcano-ravaged St Vincent helps Trinidad and Tobago with 16,000 covid19 vaccines

SOME 16,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Trinidad on Thursday donated by the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne told the post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

Later, SVG Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Keisal Peters in a phone conversation told Newsday that after Trinidad and Tobago's help to SVG after the eruption of La Soufriere volcano, SVG had no hesitation about reciprocating to help TT face its own covid19 crisis.

Browne also revealed that within a week's time, Bermuda will send 8,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to TT.

He said the acquisition of vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) was a still top priority for the Government.

"We have benefited from a generous donation of AstraZeneca by the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

"An Air Guard flight using a C26B aircraft departed TT this morning, arrived in SVG, was efficiently loaded with these AstraZeneca vaccines and has just landed at Piarco Airport with vaccines to be immediately received and properly managed by our health authorities."

He said the donation came after significant diplomatic work and communication at the highest levels between the Prime Minister and SVG Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, plus himself and Peters. "These vaccines will expire at the end of June and the Ministry of Health has indicated that they will have sufficient time to ensure they are fully and properly utilised for the benefit of the people of TT."

Browne had more good news, in which Dr Rowley had again been centrally involved in.

"I am pleased to report that Bermuda has also indicated that they are donating 8,000 – it could be a little more but we have confirmed 8,000 – AstraZeneca vaccines.

"We anticipate they will be within our jurisdiction very early next week." He said details of the conveyance of these vaccines were being finalised as he spoke.

"So this is in addition to the diplomatic work that resulted in the provision of 100,000 Sinopharm WHO-approved vaccines which arrived on Wednesday morning, yesterday.

"And preceding all that was 40,000 AstraZeneca (vaccines) donated by the Government of India."

These were the result of diplomatic work, he said.

Browne said TT was now working assiduously to get vaccines from the US.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden promised to donate overseas 20 million doses of vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson) on top of 60 million doses of AstraZeneca already promised.

On Thursday, Browne said, "What I can say at this stage is that the feedback and signals we have been receiving have been extremely positive for Caricom as a whole and for TT in particular."

He was asked about SVG's donation, even as it faces its own volcano crisis.

Browne replied that TT and SVG have historically had an extremely close relationship, enhanced by both governments in the current period.

"You would be aware that this country – our Government and our people – were generous to a significant degree during the crisis in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and also to Barbados as well because they were affected." He said a "significant volume of resources" was transferred from TT to SVG and which "engendered some additional warmth and gratitude."

Browne added, "In addition Caricom and the Government of SVG has been mindful of the serious situation with respect to the pandemic here in TT. They have been confronted by some challenges – I don't want to go into all the details – but there is some significant vaccine hesitancy particularly in some of the smaller islands in the region.

"There is a sense of responsibility that while they work on confronting vaccine hesitancy, no island wants to end up with vaccines that would have to be discarded."

A ministry statement later thanked SVG for its "generous offer and demonstration of regional co-operation."

Peters told Newsday of her warmth towards TT, where she had once studied at Hugh Wooding Law School.

"When the volcano erupted the Caricom heads held an emergency meeting. Every country including TT pledged support – monetary, supplies, resources, personnel. Within days, each country was able to mobilise, including TT with the Galleon's Passage making two to three trips to St Vincent with supplies and personnel. We are very grateful.

"I have my saying, 'It's good to have good friends in bad times.'

"Amery Browne was in touch with me constantly, seeing how I was doing and my family and generally how we were doing here."

Peters said Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon was also regularly in touch.

"And now there's a situation where St Vincent and the Grenadines can assist Trinidad and Tobago, we did not hesitate. We were very happy to do it. Trinidad is very dear to me because I did my legal professional training there. I have lived there."

Peters recalled Browne saying the countries were linked by inter-island migration historically.

"So we were happy when the request came out...Dr Gonsalves would have been in touch with Dr Rowley at the heads of government level, and Minister Browne and I at the ministerial level. So we are happy to assist Trinidad and Tobago."