UK Government Honours Commitment To Support St Helena With Covid-19 Preparations

Baroness Sugg, the Minister for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development, has responded to a letter from Elected Members sent on behalf of the people of St Helena regarding concerns around support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her letter to Members, Baroness Sugg reiterates the UK Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Overseas Territories have the resources they need at this difficult time in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes working with Public Health England and Crown Agents to source and supply Personal Protective Equipment, testing equipment, test kits, medical equipment and medical staff.

Since the letter to Elected Members on Monday, St Helena Government (SHG) has received positive news of an additional £2.5 million of budgetary support from the Department for International Development (DFID) for the Island’s preparations to prevent COVID-19 impacts. SHG has also received confirmation from the FCO that COVID-19 test kits and a PCR machine needed to analyse the samples have been acquired and other items are being gathered together. All are planned to be dispatched on the charter flight to St Helena scheduled in the coming days (date subject to final confirmation). The charter flight is being supplied through DFID.

A copy of Baroness Sugg’s letter can be found here.

SHG

9 April 2020

St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh