PSOJ Calls on Gov’t and Opposition to Collaborate on Joint National Vaccination Policy

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, PSOJ, is calling on the government and the Opposition to unite and form a joint national vaccination policy.

It also wants the government to explore implementing what it calls safe zones where only vaccinated people are allowed.

The PSOJ says with less than 20 per cent of the country fully or partially vaccinated, Jamaica’s Covid-19 vaccination programme has underperformed.

The PSOJ says Jamaica is in an economic and health crisis and cannot afford for the vaccination programme to become politicized.

Stevian Simmonds reports.

According to the PSOJ, continued restrictions and lock downs are unsustainable.

It says there’s need for political maturity and collaboration on the national vaccination programme.

The PSOJ notes the Parliamentary Opposition recently announced it’s not in support of vaccine mandates, while the PSOJ says the Prime Minister has signaled that a policy will be implemented after the Government’s public education campaign.

PSOJ President Keith Duncan says the Government, which includes the Opposition, should demonstrate the required political maturity to consult and determine a unified approach to salvaging the vaccination programme.

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According to the PSOJ that collaboration is necessary to accelerate the country’s social and economic recovery.

The PSOJ says a joint approach is needed to establish a national COVID19 vaccine policy.

The PSOJ says if there was ever a time for a unity and bi-partisanship, it’s now.

The PSOJ says in moving towards that direction, it’s recommending the use of what it calls creative strategies such as the introduction of ‘safe zones’.

It says a similar policy exist in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados where only vaccinated people are allowed in the designated safe zones.

It says private sector leaders and entities have started to take what it calls uncertain but necessary steps to introduce vaccination workplace policies to protect the health and safety of employees and customers.

But the PSOJ wants the government, which it says employs some 120-thousand Jamaicans, to also implement a vaccination workplace policy for public sector employees.

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The PSOJ says it?welcomes the formation of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Operationalisation Task Force and looks forward to the its recommendations being implemented in the shortest possible time to increase the vaccination rate.