Montserrat

Governance and the Rule of Law

• When cases appeared on the island in mid-March, the government took swift action by shutting down borders and ordering limited citizen movement. There have been only 20 cases in total. As of April 2021, there have been no new cases in Montserrat. 
• Montserrat is a participant in the COVAX effort for vaccination. As of April 16th, Montserrat has administered 1,751 vaccines.
• Montserrat is offering year-long visas, known as “Remote Worker Stamps,” for online workers to boost tourism amid the pandemic. 
• Montserrat was case-free from April to mid-July, when one case was confirmed in an individual who has been on the island since March, perplexing local government. As of February, Montserrat continues to have little to no cases.
• As part of its phased border reopening, the government will require tourists to register with them as the economy opens.
• The United Kingdom’s armed forces have provided hurricane and COVID-19 relief that will help mitigate the effects of the pandemic, with hope of increasing response capacity for Montserrat and surrounding nations.
• The Ministry of Health and Social Services announced on August 3 that patrons of banks, businesses, restaurants, government offices, hospitals, and grocery stores must wear masks while conducting business. The mandate comes after another sporadic case of COVID-19 was found on the island. 
• Minister of Health and Social Services, Charles T. Kirnon, requested medical assistance from Cuba’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda, in March, who sent a team of 13 doctors to the island on July 21 to support efforts to combat the virus. 
• The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs, and Sports has released guidelines online and on Facebook for reopening schools, which include information on social distancing in classrooms, face coverings, transportation, and other accommodations. The country plans to reopen schools for the year. 
• As of Thursday July 23, after extensive medical training, some hospitals and laboratories on the island are prepared to administer free testing for COVID-19 locally. 

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Growth and Innovation

• In order to maintain COVID-19 containment, travel to Montserrat is limited to Montserratians and dependents. Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result can be submitted to the government as part of a special request for entry. 
• Despite delays, the construction of a fiber-optic communications cable between the island and Antigua and Guadeloupe was completed, increasing technological capacity for the increase in digital necessity that comes with COVID-19. 
• The Ministries of Finance and Economic Management have set up small business relief grants for businesses that employ fewer than five people to counter financial hardships caused by COVID-19.
• The Trade and Quality Infrastructure Division conducted a business impact report that found $3.6 million in economic disruptions to the economy, particularly in the local private sector, due to COVID-19. 
• The Tourism Division released a new promotional video in late July aimed at showcasing tourists and members of the Montserratian diaspora the tranquility of the Caribbean, a place where they can avoid crowds and release stress caused by the pandemic. 
• The Government has updated its website functionality to include a section dedicated to a coronavirus tracker, information about the virus, and COVID-19 news that provides clear access for users that was not accessible before.

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Social and Cultural Inclusion

• Standardized testing for school-aged children was delayed until July 13 for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE), denoting the pressures on the educational sector.
• The Ministry of Education, along with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has put out public service announcements on positively disciplining children in order to encourage parents to mitigate traumatic side effects of the global pandemic.
• Online platforms, like the government website and the Montserrat Reporter, have featured awareness material and creative content—such as Jus Wonderin’—that brings attention to the pandemic.
• Amidst the pandemic, the island declared July 15 a day of reflection for citizens to remember how volcanic activity has shaped the island since the 1990s.
• Many residents have reported that the pandemic will have a severe impact on their livelihoods due to loss of income, movement restrictions, and tourism shutdowns.

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Select resources for Montserrat:

Governance and the Rule of Law:

Caribbean and Latin America Daily News. (2020, November 13). Caribbean Travel News. https://www.newsamericasnow.com/caribbean-travel-news-round-up-nov-13-2020/.

Dunkley-Malcolm, J. (2020, May 6). Montserrat COVID 19 Update – New measures for phased reopening. CARICOM Today. https://today.caricom.org/2020/05/06/montserrat-covid-19-update-new-measures-for-phased-reopening/. 

Government of Montserrat. (2020, June 12). MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PUBLISHES GUIDELINES FOR THE PHASED REOPENING OF SCHOOLS. https://www.gov.ms/2020/06/05/ministry-of-education-publishes-guidelines-for-the-phased-reopening-of-schools/. 

————. (2020, July 16). Press Releases. https://www.gov.ms/press-releases/. 

————. (2020, August 6). Covid-19. https://www.gov.ms/covid-19/. 

Jamaica Observer. (2021, February 19). Caricom urges WHO to convene international conference on COVID vaccine distribution. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/caricom-urges-who-to-convene-international-conference-on-covid-vaccine-distribution_215151?profile=1754.

Montserrat Ministry of Health and Social Services. (2020, July 21). [Image attached] [Status update] [Album]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=GIUMontserrat&set=a.707782209781124.

Montserrat Radio Echo. (2020, July 24). Friday July 24, 2020 “GoM Ministry of Health Officials Provide COVID-19 Update” hosted by Viona Alexander-Smith. Broadcast. https://montserratradioecho.wordpress.com/2020/07/24/friday-july-24-2020-gom-ministry-of-health-officials-provide-covid-19-update-hosted-by-viona-alexander-smith/?fbclid=IwAR1iiAywyvlIT6oi_jTIqXJzLXJqDwt5CsKArq6gVkkuAeW8mnYAfXpURv8.

Moore, C. (2021, February 3). This Caribbean island is offering year-long visas to remote workers. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/caribbean-island-montserrat-remote-worker-visas-year.

United Kingdom Government. (2020, May 19). UK Armed Forces step up support to the Caribbean Overseas Territories during coronavirus pandemic. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-armed-forces-step-up-support-to-the-caribbean-overseas-territories-during-coronavirus-pandemic.

World Health Organization. (2021, April 19). Montserrat. https://covid19.who.int/region/amro/country/ms.

Growth and Innovation:

Discover Montserrat. (2020, May 12). 3.6 MLN Price Tag on Montserrat’s Economic Disruptions Due to COVID-19. https://discovermni.com/2020/05/12/3-6-mln-price-tag-on-montserrats-economic-disruptions-due-to-covid-19/. 

————. (2020, May 13). New Ways of Doing Business on Montserrat Needed, Says Premier Farrell. https://discovermni.com/2020/05/13/new-ways-of-doing-business-on-montserrat-needed-says-premier-farrell/. 

Government of Montserrat. (2020, July 14). $10K ONE-OFF GRANT AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. https://www.gov.ms/2020/05/29/10k-one-off-grant-available-for-small-businesses/. 

————. (2020, July 14). PHASED REOPENING OF THE ECONOMY & EASING OF MEASURES CONTINUES. https://www.gov.ms/2020/06/07/phased-reopening-of-the-economy-easing-of-measures-continues/.

————. (2020, July 18). MONTSERRAT FIBRE OPTIC CABLE CONNECTION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. https://www.gov.ms/2020/07/03/montserrat-fibre-optic-cable-connection-successfully-completed/. 

————. (2020, July 28). TOURISM DIVISION LAUNCHES NEW DESTINATION VIDEO. https://www.gov.ms/2020/07/28/tourism-division-launches-new-destination-video-4/. 

United Kingdom Government. (2012, December 19). Montserrat travel advice. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/montserrat.

Social and Cultural Inclusion:

Government of Montserrat. (2020, June 12). CSEC AND CAPE EXAMS TO BEGIN ON JULY 13, 2020. https://www.gov.ms/2020/06/03/csec-and-cape-exams-to-begin-on-july-13-2020/. 

————. (2020, July 16). JULY 15, 2020 DECLARED A PUBLIC HOLIDAY TO COMMEMORATE 25 YEARS OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. https://www.gov.ms/2020/07/01/july-15-2020-declared-a-public-holiday-to-commemorate-25-years-of-volcanic-activity/. 

————. (2020, July 18). MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES POSITIVE DISCIPLINE MEDIA CAMPAIGN. https://www.gov.ms/2020/07/03/ministry-of-education-launches-positive-discipline-media-campaign/. 

The Montserrat Reporter. (2020). Entertainment. https://www.themontserratreporter.com/category/news/entertainment.

United Nations World Food Programme. (n.d.). Caribbean COVID19 Food Security & Livelihoods Survey 2020 Dashboard. https://unwfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/761eed1a539640dcaeaefcec4c5b5a5b.