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St Helena Government have received a further consignment of 3,360 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine. These arrived on the Charter Flight on 24 March. 

The Health Directorate are now in possession of over 3900 doses. This means there are sufficient doses on-Island for the entire eligible population to receive their second dose in addition to those persons who have not yet come forward to receive their first dose.

Provisional numbers indicate that 93% of the total eligible population have received their first dose thus far. The Health Directorate anticipates that further first doses will have been administered at the drop-in clinic today, 25 March.

Information regarding the start of clinics to administer the second dose will be provided in the coming weeks.

SHG
25 March 2021

A Consultative Poll on Governance Reform was held on St Helena on Wednesday, 17 March 2021. The results from the Poll indicated that, out of those who voted, the majority wanted the Current System of Governance to be changed. Out of those who voted on a preference of system if the will was for a change, most votes were for a change to a Ministerial System of Governance.

Chairman of the Social & Community Development Committee, Councillor Anthony Green, will seek to lay a Sessional Paper during Friday’s formal meeting of Legislative Council, formally reporting on the results of the poll. He will also, subsequently, propose a Motion to endorse the results and action the mandate of the poll. Councillors will be free to debate and vote on the Motion.

The Motion to be proposed reads:

“That this House resolves to endorse the results of the consultative poll conducted in St Helena on 17th March, 2021, and that the Constitution of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha be amended to change the governance system of St Helena to a ministerial system of government.”

#StHelena #GovernanceReform #ConsultativePoll #FormalLegCo #Motion

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SHG
24 March 2021

The St Helena Research Institute is pleased to announce that Gareth Drabble has been awarded the first prize of £5,000 towards the cost of study in the Bridging the Digital Divide Research Competition sponsored by SHG’s Fibre Optic Cable and Satellite Ground Station Board.

The competition sought to attract research to help St Helena assess change and understand the impact of the introduction of high-speed broadband on St Helena, focusing on the social objectives of the European Development Fund (11th Round) project to enable fibre optic connectivity to St Helena through the Equiano cable.

Gareth, who won a Chevening Scholarship, has been studying for an MA in Digital Technologies, Communication and Education at the University of Manchester. He returns to the Island on the flight this week to complete his studies and resume his work as a Graduate Teacher of Computing & IT at Prince Andrew School. 

Gareth will be conducting the research with Dr Drew Whitworth of the Manchester Institute of Education. The work will use the ‘mapping’ technique developed by Drew in his 2020 book Mapping Information Landscapes: New methods for exploring the development and teaching of information literacy.

Gareth commented:

“I am extremely pleased that our research proposal was awarded first prize in the Bridging the Digital Divide Research Competition. This research will be done at a significant period in St Helena’s history and her socio-economic development.

“The landing of the Equiano undersea cable this year and, once live in early 2022, will open up many prospects for advancements in governance, education, health, business and voluntary.”

Drew added:

“This is an excellent opportunity to research this community before and after this single moment of change. It’s small and very self-contained, which controls a lot of variables, something any researcher is happy to experience.”

Dr Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Coordinator of the St Helena Research Institute, concluded:

“We are delighted to be able to award Gareth and Drew funding to support their research to help the Island to interpret the changes that significantly increased broadband capabilities can have on people, how we live, learn, manage health and conduct business.”

The study will begin towards the end of 2021, and will continue until after the cable has been landed and the Island benefits from changes in service. The study will significantly support the value for money evaluation which is a requirement when receiving EDF funding from the European Union.

Note to Editors

Further information from Gareth Drabble:

“The title of the research is ‘Mapping the Information Landscapes of St Helena’. In this research project we aim to provide snapshots of these ‘information landscapes’ from the various sectors of Island society before and after the cable goes live. This is done in order to identify the socio-economic impacts of the cable in terms of education, health, business and voluntary sectors.

“When the Equiano cable is fully operational, new sources of information will become available; increased bandwidth will allow the use of different media, whether in telemedicine, learning or entertainment. Therefore new pathways will need to be found and different judgements made regarding quality and relevance. St Helenians’ ways of navigating the information landscape will change, and the Island community has a collective educational task ahead of itself. Hence, in addition, this project, once the data gathered is analysed, will include the designing of materials and short programmes of information literacy education that will be offered via participating institutions. 

“I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to play a part in the Island’s development. This research also perfectly aligns with the dissertation project of my master’s degree in Digital Technology, Communication and Education at the University of Manchester, where I am currently studying. This research will also bring good exposure and publicity for both my University and St Helena as a whole.

“I would like to thank my University academic advisor, Dr Drew Whitworth, for his immense support in preparing our research proposal and for his enthusiasm to partner with me to undertake the actual research work. I look forward to undertaking this research and am greatly interested in analysing its findings, both in a personal and professional capacity.”

Funding:

The prize was set by the Fibre Optic Cable and Satellite Ground Station Board and funded by EDF11. The competition judging panel included a variety of people across the Island namely Chief Economist, Nicole Shamier, Chief Executive of SURE SA Ltd, Christine Thomas, Deputy IT Manager, Nicole Richards, Chief Environmental Officer, Isabel Peters, and Senior Manager within the Children and Adults Social Care Directorate, Gavin Thomas.

#StHelena #SHRI #BridgingThe DigitalDivide #EDF11 #UniversityOfManchester

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SHG
24 March 2021

FRIDAY, 26 MARCH 2021

A formal meeting of Legislative Council will take place on Friday, 26 March 2021, at 10am in the Council Chamber. This is the first sitting of the twenty-second meeting of Legislative Council and will be broadcast live via SAMS Radio 1. The meeting is also open to members of the public who wish to attend.

The Order Paper includes ten Sessional Papers and four Questions for oral response.

There are also eight Motions relating to the Second Supplementary Appropriation (2020/21) Bill, 2021, and withdrawal of moneys from the Consolidated Fund, the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Public Accounts Committee Report, the excess expenditure for the financial year 2019/20, the Consultative Poll on Governance Reform, UK Financial Aid and economic business ventures, and prioritisation of travel to St Helena.

The meeting will conclude with the customary Adjournment Debate, giving each Elected Member the opportunity to raise various Island issues.

A copy of the Order Paper is available on the SHG Website at: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/st-helena/government/legislative-council/order-papers/

#StHelena #LegislativeCouncil #FormalLegCo #OrderPaper

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SHG
24 March 2021

The following Bills have been approved by Executive Council for presentation as Government business at the next formal meeting of Legislative Council, commencing Friday, 26 March 2020:

These Bills can be found on the Bills for an Ordinance page on the St Helena Government website: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/legislative-council/bills-for-an-ordinance/.

Notes to Editors

Second Supplementary Appropriation (2020/21) Bill, 2021

To increase the amounts provided for the services of the financial year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2021

To amend the Income Tax Ordinance, 2012, to make provision for the taxation of certain allowances and for connected and incidental purposes.

#StHelena #BillsforOrdinances #LegislativeCouncil

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SHG
24 March 2021

The Health Directorate would like to advise the public that there will be a vaccination clinic held at the Flu Pod at the General Hospital, Jamestown, on Thursday, 25 March, from 10am to 1pm. 

The clinic will be operated on a drop-in basis – no need for a booked appointment. 

Persons who have not yet received their first dose, and who have now made the decision to do so, are strongly advised to come to the Flu Pod on Thursday as this is a last opportunity to receive the vaccination.  

If there are persons who are departing on the flight scheduled for Friday, 26 March, that have received their first dose, but are concerned once they are back in the UK whether they will be able to obtain their second dose within the recommended timeframe, you are advised to contact the Health Directorate on tel: 22500 and ask to speak with Dr Kamar Tanyan or Pharmacist, John Woollacott, for further advice. Alternatively, email: kamar.tanyan@sainthelena.gov.sh or john.woollacott@sainthelena.gov.sh.

SHG
23 March 2021

Maundy Thursday falls this year on Thursday, 1 April 2021. As per tradition, members of the community will spend this time fishing at various locations around the Island.

In the interest of safety, the Sea Rescue Service offers the following safety advice:

If you’re planning a fishing trip, please inform family members of your intended location and time of return. In addition, the Sea Rescue Service advises the community to consider taking the following items on their fishing trip:

Please do not fish alone.

Throughout Maundy Thursday night, the Sea Rescue Service will be patrolling various fishing locations. If any assistance is required, please use VHF Channel 16 which will be monitored at all times by the Emergency Services Call Centre (call sign – St Helena Radio). The Sea Rescue Service can also be signalled by flashing or waving a light and, as usual, will still be contactable in an emergency via telephone number: 999.

The following tides are expected during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday:

Maundy Thursday

High tide: 5.11am

Low tide: 11.23am

High tide: 5.43pm

Low tide: 11.54pm

Good Friday

High tide: 06.01am

Low tide: 12.15pm

High tide: 06.35pm

The Sea Rescue Service team would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Easter.

SHG
23 March 2021

The public is advised that the Jamestown Wharf will be closed to all members of the public on Thursday, 25, and Friday, 26 March 2021, due to the arrival of the MV Helena and subsequent cargo operations.

Access to the Jamestown Wharf will be strictly prohibited and is limited only to those who have made prior arrangements with Port Control.

The public is also advised that the whole of Lower Rupert’s, including the beach area, will be closed to the public whilst the ship is in port.

SHG
23 March 2021

The Incident Executive Group (IEG) has agreed and approved the introduction of a ‘travel corridor’ between Ascension and St Helena, whereby passengers travelling to St Helena from Ascension, and vice versa, will be free from the mandatory quarantine requirements on both Islands.  The Travel Corridor will take effect from the flight scheduled for May 2021.  Ascension Island Government will release separate communications on the requirements for travel to Ascension Island and anyone travelling to Ascension will be informed of these during the booking process.   

On 16 March 2021, the IEG met in order to discuss the terms and conditions of approving a travel corridor between St Helena and Ascension. A travel corridor is an arrangement in which two countries agree that people can travel directly between them, with specific exemptions from the rules and controls that affect travellers from other countries. Travel corridors have been widely introduced since the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to allow safe travel whilst still preventing wider communal spread between countries. 

Travel Corridor Approved

A travel corridor is possible in this case as both St Helena and Ascension are COVID-19 free i.e. there are no cases of COVID-19 within the community. Both Islands are, therefore ‘Gold Standard’ countries i.e. countries of which there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Ascension Island has also implemented stringent measures as part of its COVID-19 response, this includes a testing and quarantine regime for any arrivals to the Island. Alongside these comprehensive measures, Ascension is also, like St Helena, in the process of vaccinating the entire eligible population.

On this basis, the introduction of the travel corridor was agreed by IEG, subject to conditions. 

Conditions of Travel Corridor

The following conditions need to be met for anyone travelling to St Helena from Ascension to take advantage of the travel corridor:

In extenuating circumstances only, passengers that may be arriving from Ascension that have not been on Ascension for what is the full quarantine period, would be subject to the following additional procedures:

The travel corridor itself, and the conditions applied, will commence with the arrival of the flight from Ascension in May.

SHG
22 March 2021   

On Tuesday, 9 March 2021, the Incident Executive Group (IEG) met to discuss and review SHG’s Coronavirus Strategy, which was developed and implemented in 2020 to guide the Island’s planning and response to COVID-19. Members reviewed the strategic objectives and agreed that, whilst the priority objective is to minimise the risk of COVID-19 reaching the general populous of St Helena, it was important that resources are now also allocated to developing plans to minimise the impact of the pandemic on the Island’s economy and to plan for the future. In light of this, IEG agreed that the priority order for the strategic objectives should reflect this shift.

Prioritisation of Strategic Objectives

Therefore, at this present time, the Strategic Objectives (delivered through effective preparedness and response plans), ratified by IEG, are as follows in priority order:

  1. To be prepared to respond in a practical way to minimise the risk of COVID-19 reaching the general populous of St Helena
  2. To minimise the effects of COVID-19 on the Island economy, assess long-term effects, sustainability of resources available, and plan for future
  3. To maintain clear communication with the organisations and people who provide key public services, those who use them, and the wider general society
  4. To minimise the risk of exposure and transmission of the virus to key workers and the wider community
  5. To minimise the risk of serious illness or death caused by COVID-19.

In order to deliver these objectives there is action planning around four phases:

Moving and Planning for the Future

Robust plans and operating procedures are in place for the first three phases, and SHG is now focussing on planning for how the Island will gradually return to normal as the Island vaccine programme is implemented, and as other countries start to open their borders to international travel.

This will start with the current immigration restrictions on air and sea travel being lifted as of 1 April 2021. The restrictions that were implemented in January 2021, mean that only St Helenians and their dependants, individuals in the service of the Crown in the right of the Government of St Helena and their dependants, individuals with long term entry permits, and transit passengers solely for the purpose of entering or leaving Ascension have been able to enter St Helena.   

Lifting these restrictions will now mean anyone who meets the immigration conditions for entry to St Helena, including those arriving on Yachts, will be able to enter the Island provided they comply with the mandatory quarantine requirements. COVID-19 preventative measures will remain in place, these include testing on arrival to St Helena, mandatory 14-day quarantine and a negative test result before being allowed to finish a quarantine period.

March Flight

The process for prioritisation of passengers for the flight scheduled for the end of March 2021 will be implemented as usual.

The flight arrangements to St Helena thereafter will continue with a maximum capacity of 96 passengers. The total of 96 passengers is to align with the Island’s COVID-19 testing and quarantine security system capacity and will therefore continue to be applied.  

With the UK still in a national lockdown and with stringent travel restrictions in place, it is anticipated that there will not be a significant increase in numbers entering St Helena immediately. 

The decision to partially open St Helena’s borders will allow Islanders and visitors to make travel plans to the Island once more, albeit with additional requirements due to the continuance of COVID-19 preventative measures in place.   

SHG
22 March 2021