Be vaccinated or lose your job...says PM Gonsalves
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- A new policy implemented by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will see all unvaccinated public servants being deemed as abandoning their jobs.
That new policy takes effect from today (Dec. 3) and will affect all classes of public servants falling into this bracket, according to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
That position comes as the island’s vaccination rate has slowed significantly and the Government has received pushbach from various segments of the public service.
Unvaccinated police officers were the first to receive the hammer when the policy was implemented within the Force last week.
Dr. Gonsalves recently revealed on NBC Radio St, Vincent and the Grenadines that the Government was submitting the names of all unvaccinated personnel within the Police Force to the Chief Personnel Officer of the Government so that their benefits could be processed as they have abandoned their jobs.
“I don’t want to see anyone lose their jobs. Losing their jobs not because I am making them lose their jobs, but because they are making the choice to lose their jobs. I don’t see any rational reason - and the science has it that they should take the vaccine,” he stated.
With the new measure taking effect along with the new SRO, which makes provision for all public servants, Dr. Gonsalves noted that requests for medical and religious exemptions have been made and are currently being reviewed, pointing to the Ancient Churcical Order of the Nyahbinghi and Thursians who have policies against vaccines.
Meanwhile, several sectors of the security apparatus currently have a high vaccination rate.
The Police Force, the Custom Department, Port Department and the Nursing all have a 90 percent vaccination rate, while teachers are said to be at just over 80 percent.
