3,000 security workers to get covid19 vaccine on Sunday

As the national vaccination programme continues, 3,000 security officers are expected to get their first dose of the covid19 vaccine at the Divali Nagar mass vaccination site on Sunday.

The Association of Security Companies of Trinidad and Tobago (ASCOTT) announced this in a release on Friday.

ASCOTT said the mass vaccination is being led by the Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, and undertaken by the Security Owners and Managers Association of TT (SOMATT) and ASCOTT.

The government allocated 5,000 vaccines to the private security firm. Of these, 2,000 security officers got the vaccine last Saturday.

Vice president of ASCOTT Imshah Mohammed told Newsday the association contacted 43 security companies, which then submitted a list of those willing to be vaccinated.

“These are our employees and we want to keep them safe. We are told as soon as more shipments come we will get more. We have covered a significant (number) of people in the industry and we are happy and prepared to continue to support the government in the vaccination programme.”

He said around 45-50 per cent of officers in the association have been vaccinated. The goal is to encourage all workers to take the vaccine.

“We want to vaccine everybody, once we can. And what we have seen is more enthusiasm as the days pass. We are seeing more demand from officers…We are happy and prepared to continue to support the government in the vaccination programme.”

ASCOTT has organised three pan players from the MHTL Starlift Steel Orchestra to play “uplifting melodies” on the stage of the Divali Nagar to help security officers waiting for the vaccine relax.

SOMATT president Ibn De Leon also applauded the ministry for recognising the role security officers continue to play as frontline workers in the pandemic.

De Leon told Newsday there has been a genuine interest in the vaccine among the 30,000 workers covered by the association.

“What is of significance to me and noteworthy is how the minister approached it by including the private security industry in the sectoral vaccination programme. Before you get into the hospital and the buildings with essential workers, people first pass the security officers, so I think this approach taken by the minister demonstrates a level of empathy and recognition for the security officers.”

He said the association hasn’t singled out the security industry for vaccination.

“We have to look at it in the context of the national community with a focus to reach herd immunity as a country, not just as a sector.”

The vaccination takes place between 8 am and 4 pm.