By: Staff Writer
February 2, 2021
Less than two weeks ahead of the Turks and Caicos general election the island’s premier hails the frontline healthcare workers for their work in managing the COVID-19 pandemic while also promising more investments if elected again.
Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, premier of the TCI, speaking on a Facebook telecast over the weekend, said after the re-nomination of her minister for health, Edwin Astwood, for Grand Turk South, that he has “shown leadership” during a very difficult time in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also said: “I don’t want it to just get locked in the minister of health role, he’s been awesome as the minister of agriculture, and awesome as the minister of sports, and he’s brought a number of important health policies that we continue to benefit from and see roll out.”
She added: “But we know him in this pandemic to have led with a steady hand. And the honourable Edwin Astwood has been again nominated for EDI-2, which includes his home district where he’s from, and we’re excited about having him back on board.”
Ms Cartwright-Robinson also spoke about the other healthcare professionals on the frontline and said, “I don’t think people really, really appreciate what team health and all the frontline workers really mean for us. I’m not even going to start naming the agencies. And we put health because they are literally on the frontline, even in the hospital situations.”
“What we have seen recently is them even being more stretched. They’ve been working nonstop 10 months, when we’re in bed, they’re up there writing, they’re doing what they have to do, and so I really want to shout out to all of our frontline workers, particularly team health who’s been doing an awesome job.”
Since the end of January, the TCI had 1,459 cases with 1.094 recovered and eight deaths from COVID-19. The TCI began vaccinating the local population against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on 11 January 2021. Governor General Nigel Dakin and Ms Cartwright-Robinson were amongst the first to receive the vaccine in an effort to encourage persons to take the vaccine.
Ms Cartwright-Robinson then turned her attention towards the investment she has brought into the TCI where she said, “I’ll tell you, our very last cabinet, released just two days ago, was for the community roads for North Caicos, and the Raymond Gardiner technical block. “
“So we just approved two contracts again for North Caicos. Yes, so they’re going to get a further investment of about $3m or $4m. No Island left behind. There’s no reason for ED-4 e to even think of supporting someone else when they see the investment that is coming, and we’re about to sign a development agreement. We’ve already agreed a resort for Sandy point.”
The investments into ED-4 will “continue” as Mr Cartwright-Robinson “trusts” the people of ED-4 to not “but into” other politicians who only show up once in a while and offer very little.
Investment into the country have steadily increased since 2015 and peaked at just over $42m in 2018 in 2018 says the World Bank, but has made a slight decline in 2019.
Elections in the TCI will be held on February 19, 2021 where Ms Cartwright-Robinson’s People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) will go up against the main opposition Progressive National Party (PNP) led by the country’s former premier, Washington Misick. Both parties have fielded 15 candidates to contest all seats up for the election.