December 19, 2021

T&T Chamber of Commerce lauds government vaccination initiative

By Shirvan Williams

The T&T Chamber of Commerce has commended the government’s decision to ensure that government workers are vaccinated. According to a statement from the Chamber, the country is facing very difficult times as the death toll continually rises and statistics indicate that most hospitalised patients are unvaccinated.

They added that it was the duty of the government to protect the citizenry and that sometimes meant making difficult decisions.

Take a look at the full statement below:


“We commend the government for taking a firm stance on the issue of vaccination in the workplace. The country is in a very difficult situation, with approximately one person passing an hour, to personalize this it means that every hour one of our families lose a loved one.

The majority of hospitalizations (around 90%) and deaths are occurring in the unvaccinated population. The current level of deaths from COVID is extremely troubling and we know there are very few solutions to reduce the hospitalization and death rates. These facts, along with the low vaccination rates of the public sector has left the government with no choice but to create the environment to have the public sector vaccinated and therefore as a responsible employer and as a responsible Government they must take decisions deemed to protect their employees and the population.

Our Government has made a bold decision with a single-minded purpose to do what is right for
Trinidad and Tobago, our citizens and economy. The point of these interventions is not to restrict personal freedoms. It is to preserve them and prevent lockdowns or heavier restrictions. The government has taken visible leadership on this next phase of dealing with COVID in the workplace, cognizant that we are in the throes of a worldwide pandemic.

As the single largest employer in the country, they have set the framework for other employers to follow. This approach must be a joint effort and we are committed to assisting in whatever way we can. We see this as a key imperative to address the level of vaccination. We are comforted by the Government opening the beaches which will help balance mental
stress.

This adds to the realization that further lockdowns will not be the course of action pursued. The T&T Chamber firmly advocates on behalf of the over 650,000 citizens of the country who have been compliant. We are pleased that the actions taken are directed at the unvaccinated to encourage vaccination and to protect those who legitimately cannot be
vaccinated.

We can overcome this challenge but we need every citizen, every business and every politician working together with a single minded focus on protecting our people and our economy.”

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