'Safe zones' initiative welcome news

LOUIS W WILLIAMS

I HAVE noted with interest that the Government’s decision to implement a “safe zones” initiative has received widespread support and commendation from the business community, especially the business chambers.

However, there are some employers, including Peter George of Trent Restaurants Ltd, who have expressed concerns over some aspects of the initiative.

However, George can rest assured that this vaccination mandate will take the issue of compulsory vaccination of employees and indeed customers out of the hands of the employer, as no unvaccinated person will be allowed to partake in these high-risk activities.

I am sure this will be buttressed, presumably, by subsidiary legislation. There is no other way to implement such a vaccination mandate.

There is no quagmire. This initiative is consistent with global “best practice.” Citizens must understand that the entire world is at war with a common foe. That foe is very lethal, adaptive and invisible to the naked eye.

We are also facing a foe within, as the actions of anti-vaxxers have not been helpful, despite overwhelming scientific evidence and the reality of the lethal impact of the disease, particularly the morbidity and mortality of the unvaccinated, among other things.

It is as if we are living in some lost episode of the 1960s Twilight Zone TV series. All other employers and employees/trade unions must accept that we are living in another time and space. In this context, therefore, it cannot be business as usual.

Once there is a government vaccination mandate (ie, a change in the law), the Industrial Court will have to tailor its judgments/decisions to suit that new reality. The president of the Industrial Court has expressed a similar view recently.

Employers in that new dispensation will be protected from liability as, by law, they will be unable to assign anyone, whether from their current workforce or otherwise, who is unvaccinated, to work in the safe zones of their operations.

Furthermore, if no comparable jobs are available elsewhere in the organisation which, by law, would allow unvaccinated employees to perform their duties, the employer can justifiably lay-off/retrench such employees.

The unvaccinated, excluding those with legitimate medical and/or religious reasons, must not be allowed to hold the rest of the world, including TT, to ransom. The right to life is the most fundamental of all human rights, and no effort should be spared by governments to preserve that right.

Freedom is not anarchy. No one has the right to do as he likes with reckless disregard as to the likely impact of his actions on others. Accordingly, it is glaringly obvious what the choice would be if we have to choose between the perversity of the unvaccinated and the lives and lifelihoods of the rest of us.

Some employers have questioned the rationale for the more stringent requirements for those operating in the safe zones, when compared with the other areas of the economy, such as supermarkets, whereby unvaccinated staff and customers are allowed to transact business subject to the normal covid19 protocols.

The answer is simple. Let us take, for example, a restaurant. You cannot eat or drink without removing your mask. Obviously, therefore, the risk of contracting and transmitting the disease is much greater in that environment.

I do agree with George, and some other employers operating in the safe zones, that the curfew hours need to be relaxed, possibly to commence at midnight, in order to facilitate the better conduct of business operations, given the peak period/hours for such activities.

I also agree that the ban on the serving of alcoholic drinks should be removed. Many people who dine out have alcoholic drinks with their meals as a matter of course. Moreover, most people who frequent bars do so to consume alcoholic beverages as part of their normal routine.

Additionally, I think that if the ban is removed, then there is likely to be a serious uptake in vaccinations given our cultural norms, as most men view a trip to the bar at least once a week to bond/meet with friends over alcoholic drinks as indispensible.

Concern has been expressed by some employers about the inconvenience of their customers having to show vaccination cards in the safe zones. Don't we already have to make available other forms of identification (eg a national ID Card) when transacting certain types of businesses?

We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are living in a pandemic world and our lives are at stake. We must adopt every measure to protect our lives. I have observed, however, that the Government is considering the adoption of an electronic/digital solution.

The success or failure of the initiative will depend on the extent to which our citizens are prepared to give their unstinting support/unreserved co-operation to this venture. Remember, our lives are at stake.