GRENADA ’ S Post-Covid Vision
Dr . The Right Honorable Keith Mitchell on the trials and triumphs of the Spice Island during the pandemic
By : Elysia Bryan-Baynes
Getting out and meeting the public face to face is one of the Honourable Dr . Keith Mitchell ’ s favourite roles as Prime Minister . But like the rest of the world , the leader has been relegated to virtual meetings and phone calls as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on .
Grenada has fared relatively well over the last 18 months , with only one recorded death and at the time of writing , no active cases . Their hospital ICU hasn ’ t needed to be used for coronavirus care in months , and the 161 cases they did have were manageable .
THE START OF THE PANDEMIC When March 2020 hit , Grenadian leaders had to decide how to take action and what means it would take to try and prevent the spread of Covid-19 . “ It ’ s been a difficult time for everyone , but of course we had to put the health of the people first ,” said Mitchell . Two major decisions would set the stage for the current mode of recovery and momentum the country is now in . Leadership put a lockdown in place ; asking residents to stay home . The borders were initially closed but have reopened over time , with a series of rules and protocols to help protect the public , while minimizing the economic impact .
While there was some minimal pushback on stay-at-home-orders , Dr . Mitchell says the general population complied with the COVID-19 regulations .
THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT Even with the decision to allow cross border movement with testing and safety protocols , the pandemic took a big bite out of the Islands ’ economic fortunes . Grenada ’ s economic activity depends heavily on tourism , agriculture and the thousands of jobs linked to the international students at St . George ’ s ’ University . “ The students left the country and that created a serious economic dent , both for the country and for the providers of ancillary services ,” explained Mitchell .
By mid-2020 , Grenada lost close to 50 % of it ’ s annual revenue . Not to be deterred , the government continued working with its partners ; the trade unions , the church , and business leaders to see how those most vulnerable could be supported . What impressed
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