Tobago hotelier: 'Time to plan for life after covid19'

Cognisant of the attempts being made to stem the rate of new covid19 infections, Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association vice-president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James says the Government must now discuss ways to prepare the island for life after the pandemic.

During the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference on Saturday, the Prime Minister announced the restrictions currently in place to curb the rate of new infections will continue until October 11.

Dr Rowley said the ministry has reported an average of 40 new covid19 infections a day, a statistic he does not believe is alarmingly high.

But he said attempts must be made to reduce that number to 20 infections a day or fewer.

Rowley said only then will the Government consider an easing of the restrictions so that life can return to some semblance of normalcy.

Birchwood-James observed Tobagonians are adhering to the covid19 protocols with respect to the wearing of masks, sanitising and gathering in public spaces.

“When I look at what is happening in Tobago, most people have on their masks, they are doing their social distancing and people not going to any functions really. You have to watch funerals on television. So, I think people are obeying the rules.”

However, she believes the time has come to plan for the future, particularly Tobago’s struggling tourism sector.

“If things go good, what should we expect on October 11. That is what we should be saying now.

“How do we plan our future tourism industry, our Tobago economy, our agriculture, our bars that have to be opened? These are the kinds of things we should be speaking about in anticipation of October 11.”

Birchwood-James noted the budget is also being delivered on October 5.

“So, during that time we should be talking about the future of our economy. This is the kind of thing that we should be encouraging now, especially in the tourism sector that is more or less dead at this time.

“When will you be opening the borders and what are you going to do when it is open to foreigners? What are the kinds of protocols we are going to have so people can star to prepare?”