The Prime Minister of Barbados has called on governments in the Americas region to ensure citizens employed in the tourism sector have priority access to the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.
Prime minister Mia Mottley, who co-chairs the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Americas Cruise Task Force, made the call as she addressed the 58 Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today.
“I have listened to colleagues across the region who are desperately calling for a safe restart to cruise tourism. As one of the most tourism- and travel- dependent regions of the world, and, therefore, the region whose economies have come to a screeching halt, we have to find a way to jump start them,” she said.
“But it must be done in such a way as to ensure the safety of our workers. It is for this reason that I have been advocating that workers in this sector be given priority access to vaccinations. This would allow thousands to get back to work safely and get our almost dormant economies awake again.”
Mottley added that she is thankful that PAHO is assisting small countries like Barbados to have equal access to a COVID-19 vaccine when it is developed.