Can’t Have Your Cake & Eat It Too-Premier
Premier Hon. Andrew Fahie believes that some residents want to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to the issue of opening the economy.
At a recent press conference, the Finance Minister rejected claims that the cruise ships will contribute to a spike in COVID-19 cases. He said the cruise ships are not even here as yet but cases are rising.
He lamented that it's all about the behaviour of some residents.
“…You are going to have persons asking you to open up the economy but yet they don’t want to be vaccinated and even if they are not vaccinated, they don’t want to take care of their immune system. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” Premier Fahie said.
He said, “those [persons] who would have that fear that it’s [cruise ship] going to increase COVID-19 [cases] when we restarted the cruise industry, and when we got that spike in June/July the numbers were already expanding without the cruise industry. So, there were no statistical data or any evidence to point that it was the cruise ship created that spike. It was happening long before it reached.”
The Premier argued that it is clearly something wrong they are doing.
“Right now we just move from 25 to 68 [COVID cases] and we are worrying if the ship comes in what would happen but we are doing certain things that is happening now and the ship is nowhere near to come. It is up to us to change our behaviour and understand that we have to not only protect ourselves by the wearing of masks, and sanitizing surfaces and the washing of our hands and six feet apart and for us to be vaccinated.”
He added, “it is for us to understand that we have a role to play. We have to participate in our progress, we have to participate in our success. We cannot be bystanders with this, it will not happen with this, it will not happen like that for us in this era of living and working with COVID-19.”
Premier Fahie stressed that unless each of ‘us’ take that personal responsibility things will not change.
“And then you want to open up and they don’t want to shift their personal or business behaviour, making the change with the change that is upon you with COVID-19. The government cannot do this alone,” he lamented.
Last week the government announced its decision to allow fully vaccinated cruise ship passengers to enter the BVI without having to test for COVID-19 upon arrival but a bubble will be created for select passengers.
He lamented that it's all about the behaviour of some residents.
“…You are going to have persons asking you to open up the economy but yet they don’t want to be vaccinated and even if they are not vaccinated, they don’t want to take care of their immune system. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” Premier Fahie said.
He said, “those [persons] who would have that fear that it’s [cruise ship] going to increase COVID-19 [cases] when we restarted the cruise industry, and when we got that spike in June/July the numbers were already expanding without the cruise industry. So, there were no statistical data or any evidence to point that it was the cruise ship created that spike. It was happening long before it reached.”
The Premier argued that it is clearly something wrong they are doing.
“Right now we just move from 25 to 68 [COVID cases] and we are worrying if the ship comes in what would happen but we are doing certain things that is happening now and the ship is nowhere near to come. It is up to us to change our behaviour and understand that we have to not only protect ourselves by the wearing of masks, and sanitizing surfaces and the washing of our hands and six feet apart and for us to be vaccinated.”
He added, “it is for us to understand that we have a role to play. We have to participate in our progress, we have to participate in our success. We cannot be bystanders with this, it will not happen with this, it will not happen like that for us in this era of living and working with COVID-19.”
Premier Fahie stressed that unless each of ‘us’ take that personal responsibility things will not change.
“And then you want to open up and they don’t want to shift their personal or business behaviour, making the change with the change that is upon you with COVID-19. The government cannot do this alone,” he lamented.
Last week the government announced its decision to allow fully vaccinated cruise ship passengers to enter the BVI without having to test for COVID-19 upon arrival but a bubble will be created for select passengers.
