TCI’s protection plans for cholera among discussions at NSC

His Excellency the Governor, Nigel Dakin, and the Premier Hon Charles Washington Misick were among those briefed by the Ministry of Health on the cholera situation in Haiti and mitigations to prevent its spread in TCI.

The senior political figures cochaired a meeting of the Turks and Caicos Islands National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at the Premier’s Office in Providenciales.

The Ministry, it was noted, has preparations in place such as a supply of personal protective equipment, a mobile hospital, and can activate testing protocols.

The Ministry of Health was asked to develop a smart screening programme for cholera and the sourcing of vaccines, to be called on if required.

Also, in attendance were, HE Deputy Governor; the Hon Deputy Premier; the Hon Minister of Immigration and Border Force; the Hon Attorney General; the National Security Secretariat (NSS) Permanent Secretary; NSS Deputy Permanent Secretary and the National Security Threats Lead, and the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) who represented the Commissioner who was out of the jurisdiction at the time.

Members also received an update from the Attorney General on the progress of the multiagency Informal Settlement Unit, which has been established to address the challenges posed within and by such settlements.

• They were also updated by the Attorney General on The Memorandum of Understanding between the National Security Services Association and the NSS. The final agreement is to be signed.

• Members witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Lieutenant Colonel Grant of the TCI Regiment and the RTCIPF, which agreed to joint protocols for working on land and sea.

• They were provided with a Border Security update from the Ministry of Immigration on: joint activities to intercept migrant vessel landings (Immigration, TCI Regiment and the Maritime

Police arrested 690 migrants at sea over December 2022 –January 2023); cooperation with the US; charges against an Officer for harbouring; disposal of seized goods; and clearance systems.

• They also received an update from the Deputy Commissioner of the RTCIPF on the state of crime across the islands. The RTCIPF will receive further assistance from the Royal Bahamas Police Force in 2023.

• The members were also briefed by the NSS on the following:

• Completion of recent research on informal settlements and root causes of crime in TCI; this will inform future policy planning;

• Progress discussing maritime delineation with the Government