DISCUSSIONS UNDERWAY TO SAFELY RESUME SPORTING ACTIVITIES IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 19, 2021 (SKNIS): Members of the National COVID-19 Task Force have been meeting with stakeholders within the sporting fraternity to discuss the resumption of activities in a “safe and practical manner”.

One such meeting was held with the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) on November 15, 2021.

“The National COVID-19 Task Force would have met with the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association Executive. This meeting was very fruitful and we were able to meet halfway whereby there is much support for the sporting fraternity for them to return to apply their social activity which I know is like a religion here,” said Abdias Samuel, Chair of the COVID-19 National Task Force, at the NEOC COVID-19 Press Briefing for November 17. “Subsequent to that meeting there were other meetings with the Ministry of Health… whereby there was an educational awareness session to encourage the players themselves to be vaccinated because football is a highly competitive sport.”

The Task Force also had the opportunity to meet with the St. Kitts and Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (SKNAAA).

“[Representatives] of the SKNAAA presented a very comprehensive plan as to how this particular track and field event can take place within the context of COVID-19. Equally so, they presented for their junior and senior teams and I am happy to announce to the general public that they have a high vaccination rate for their senior team and it is very commendable,” said Mr. Samuel. “They are very active in ensuring that they get their members and athletes vaccinated. So we want to commend the SKNAAA for the work that they are doing in building resilience during this time.”

Mr. Samuel said that meetings will also be held with the St. Kitts and Nevis Amateur Basketball Association, the cricket and volleyball associations, as well as the other sporting fraternities in the Federation.

“…We are going to bring everybody collectively together so that we could actually formulate the plan, policies and procedures to be able to resume sport in a very safe and practical manner,” he said, while stressing the importance of vaccination. “Again, I want to emphasize the point that at times you will have international matches and if you are aspiring to have international matches… it is best that you consider the possibility of being vaccinated to be a team player. So if you can do your best to get vaccinated, that will be a critical thing for you to do as a sporting fanatic, athlete and a team player.”