Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has maintained that the THA will determine its own safe-zone policy for public servants on the assembly’s payroll.
On December 18, 2021, the Prime Minister announced that all unvaccinated public servants were to be vaccinated by January 17, 2022, or be furloughed for a period of three months without pay.
At that time, Augustine had expressed dissatisfaction with the initiative, calling it a "recipe for disaster." He said the THA should have been consulted.
During a news conference on January 15, 2022, Dr Rowley announced that the deadline date would be delayed by one month as the policy was being reviewed in the context of proposals the Government had received from some members of the trade union sector, chambers of commerce, religious bodies and other groups.
On that occasion, he said Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was also finalising legislation to give effect to the policy as it relates to categories of workers within the sector.
But Rowley is yet to make a statement on the proposed legislation governing the safe-zone initiative for public servants even though the Government’s deadline for them to be vaccinated against covid19 was Thursday.
Augustine told Newsday the THA’s position on the issue remains unchanged.
“The THA’s policy remains the same as it was when this was announced. Nothing has changed.”
He said the THA is focusing on the “wins” it has been able to attain since assuming office last December.
Tobago had just one death between February 9 to 18.
“Our hospitalisation rates are trending downwards thanks to the efforts of our medical practitioners and secretary Dr (Faith) BYisrael. We plan to keep our people out of the hospitals while at the same building out and rebuilding our economy.”
In its latest report on Friday, the Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection said Tobago has 314 active covid19 cases. it added 13 people were currently hospitalised – two fully vaccinated and 11 unvaccinated.
Last month, Augustine described as “troubling” the fact only around 30 per cent of Tobago’s frontline healthcare workers have been vaccinated against covid19.
He gave a breakdown of the statistics, thus far, of THA workers throughout the various divisions who had reported their vaccination status.
He revealed that of the 1,171 employees who have reported their vaccination status in the Division of Health, only 379 were fully vaccinated. Augustine said the figure represented 32 per cent of the staff.
Augustine had also disclosed that at the Tobago Regional Health Authority, a total of 1,813 employees had reported their vaccination status. He said only 638 of them were fully vaccinated, representing a mere 35 per cent.
He said it was against this backdrop that he rejected the Government’s plan to furlough all unvaccinated public servants.
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