PNP: Gov't must assist 43 Jcans abandoned at sea

The People's National Party (PNP) says the statement issued by the Government yesterday on the 43 Jamaican ship workers aboard the Marella Discovery 2 provides irrefutable evidence that the state failed to act in the best interest of the Jamaicans when they begged from Jamaican waters to be landed on April 2, 2020.

Fitz Jackson, opposition spokesperson on national security said it is clear that the State did not offer even a slither of hope to the Jamaicans and the failure to respond to the landing request within 24 hours was heartbreaking.

He said having been assured that there was no new incidence of COVID-19 on board the vessel upon making enquiries of temperature checks, the government had the option of approving landing and placing the workers under quarantine.

"Here you have 43 Jamaicans, in your territory, for whom you are constitutionally responsible, whom you can easily quarantine and monitor, and you choose to turn your back. This is in stark contrast to allowing 5000 persons travelling from coronavirus ravaged places, whom you choose to allow entry through the airports with no thought of quarantine and then running around in a frenzy, begging them to self-identify." Jackson said.

"The Government is clearly attempting to obfuscate and cover up a failure to respond timely to the ship's request for the Jamaicans to disembark. How difficult was it to just indicate that the request is being considered, or not? To blame this long delay in responding to their search for 5000 persons the Government allowed entry three weeks earlier without proper health checks and monitoring, is gross dereliction of duty," Jackson continued.

Meanwhile, opposition spokesperson on labour and social security, Horace Dalley, is calling on the government to make arrangements to immediately repatriate the Jamaican workers to their homeland.

"It is over ten days later, the 43 Jamaicans and others in similar situation along with their families are still awaiting to know whether or not, or how their government will facilitate their return home. Other countries around the world facing the same COVID-19 pandemic have been effectively facilitating the return of their citizens," Dalley said.

He said proper arrangements must be made for their well-being in the interim and they need to be facilitated as soon as humanly possible for their return to their families.

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