by Mike Meranski, La Sagesse Hotel and Restaurant
Friends, Colleagues
When I tune into the MOH YouTube presentations or the PMs speeches and log into on-line other media publications (NOW Grenada) and social media interaction (Facebook), there seems to me to be a lot of recommendations from the public commentary, first and foremost, asking for revenge and imprisonment and fines when problems arise.
This is unfortunate and should represent just a small component of what is needed for successful Covid operation.
To be honest, I think Grenada, with its limited healthcare resources, has developed as good, reasonable and achievable plan as any country. First and foremost, they had to balance a Risk vs Reward assessment when deciding if and when to reopen our borders. We all have learned that this requires a constant balancing act that demands an almost daily or weekly adjustment based on the facts on the ground.
To pull this off the MOH and the MOT/GTA had to devise/revise plans that your average Grenadian would not fathom how much hard work, thought and study, scientific and medical expertise and public health awareness was required. Once they had a general consensus, you can imagine the challenges to implement the plan and protocols with the tools and personnel available. Most importantly, you must then get the entire population to cooperate and comply; otherwise, there is little chance for success.
Unfortunately, in the USA, as the entire world knows only too well, they have had more spread, sickness, hospitalisations, and death than any country in the world because they have had a colossal failure of leadership from President Trump by deciding to turn this into a political issue, calling it a hoax, not following the science, inciting division, spreading misinformation, causing confusion on best practices and treatments, while trying to convince us that Covid-19 would just magically disappear.
To this very day, every country is still learning what are the best practices and treatments to mitigate sickness, viral spread, and death. Nobody, no country, has had a plan that did not have problems nor need adjustments.
Just look at how each one of us has personally navigated this pandemic over the past year. Risk vs Reward has not been a constant for us. Things that we would not do in the Spring, we did throughout the Summer and Fall. Now that Winter has come, and the accurate forecast for a 2nd and 3rd wave has materialised, we are all revisiting our Risk vs Reward behaviours once again.
Grenada may be closing some more business, and more widespread lockdown may be necessary given the spike of new cases. I have absolutely no doubt that the Government of Grenada wants to do its very best, and no doubt we all want them to. Our lives and our livelihoods depend on us all staying united in this fight.
The virus does not play politics. We are all in this together, whether you’re working or laid -off or unemployed, in school or in prison, local or foreigner, “Lock them up and fine them,” should not be our only focus now. Penalties for breaking the rules are necessary, no doubt. However, “A Blame Game” mentality will not get us through the pandemic more safely.
We need to communicate all that we learn, adjust our policies, work together, cooperate, and most certainly rise above any pettiness that tends to confuse us and compromise our efforts.
I think Mr Meranski makes some very thoughtful and considered comments on Grenada’s management of the Corona virus.
Grenadians are rightly concerned with this unprecedented incease in the number of positive COVID cases identified at Sandals and need to be reassured that the COVID -19 protocols are being adhered to and they expect accountability for the failings.
The government needs to identify the source of the outbreak quickly to maintain the confidence of Grenadians or the rumour mill will spin out of control as people look for ‘someone to blame’. The suggestion that the government has colluded to allow so called ‘exclusive guests’ to enter the country without a negative PCR test result has circulated very widely even though the government has strongly denied it and pointed out that airlines require a negative PCR test certificate to board the aircraft.
The workers at the Ministry of Health deserve our thanks and praise for their tireless work in tracing and testing of thousands of suspected cases carried out since the outbreak.
The government has a thankless job, it has made the safety of the public its primary responsibility by enacting timely protocols to control the spread of the disease and has taken measures to trace, isolate and control outbreaks, and it has attempted to incrementally facilitate economic activity. Critics have condemned some of the restrictions but blame the government for outbreaks that inevitably arise when restrictions are eased. The government has also failed to exercise effective control measures to secure positive or suspected cases under quarantine. The reports of seven positive cases leaving the island without being detected and risking the spread of the disease is deeply worrying, it seems that nothing has been learned since a man that was under quarantine left the island in April although the Health Minster said it had taken steps to prevent it happening again.
The government needs to retain their principled policy of following the best scientific and medical advice available from countries that have successfully managed the pandemic.
I dont support political parties in Grenada, but the government has done a good job in controlling the corona virus and should not be undermined on this issue.
Normal politicking can resume after covid-19.
Meranski, we don’t even want you in Grenada. Our ancestors are rolling in their graves because in previous years they would have already torched any foreign enterprise; they would have made it expensive and cost prohibitive for any invader. You do not belong here and will never be accepted. Go back home and leave us alone, we never invited you here to destroy our environment.
meanwhile your country will suffer in poverty with no tourism. you will be found as poor farmers like africa and north korea. countries have tourism which is good. it brings in lots of moneys for the people. not for people like you. they wont destroy environment. your own greed and selfish people will. go take a look at some mt.hartman. you will see all kinds of garbage being dumped from furniture to snack papers. you make no sense. leave grenada when the tourism comes because we dont want you here.
In your country you are deemed a failure. Why are you here? The people of Grenada are better than cleaning poop and saying yes mam and no sir on our soil. Grenada needs to treat foreigners like Bermuda does. GTFO! Poverty is temporary, the you need to be educated. Look at Rwanda, Ghana and Tanzania. Those countries have transformed through education. Tourism is a fool’s dream as it is the result of having a discretionary budget, therefore, only a very part of a very select few will have the disposable income, let alone come to Grenada.
The people of Grenada need to be provided with better educational outlets. It is only that way we could keep undesirables, who actually look own on black people away from us. The interests of non-blacks will always be diametrically exposed to a non-black and that is a fact.
and your own people cant even build a hotel. even if they did they will fall apart in days to come.
I’m not in the Hospitality or Tourism industry, nor am I looking for handout/support given by government to their cliques within the industry.
Yes, Grenada has been fortunate in dealing with the effects of Covid-19 pandemic, but more by luck than strategic planning. Basically, any Government worth one’s salt should have a strategic plan that’s well prepared, documented and under constantly review to combat the threats in our ever-changing world…Does this exist in Grenada? Given out dependency on tourism, this should be out top priority.
Look at our current situation today. We are told that avoid misinformation and get information from a reliable source i.e. “The Ministry of Health”. Based on past experience, how many of us believe that information released from this reliable source is, the whole truth and not a little bit economically challenged.
Grenadian’s are angry because they have seen and experienced the “two tiers” system over the past months. One for the affluent and well heeled, the other for the rest of us. As we say in some quarters “money talks”.
Why is it that people feel that we should not have a tourism industry because Guyana, Trinidad and St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not have one! You don’t want the south to be tourist less. LONG LIVE TOURISM!