Continued from previous page In fact, residents from certain areas in the Red Zone have to be relocated. Access to some area has been problematic. Eighty-five shelters were initially established, not including private houses and hotels that were used to accommodate evacuees. Today due to a call for those in the Yellow and Orange Zones to return, 62 shelters now exist. Within the Marriaqua area (where I reside, in the Green Zone), 12 shelters were set up, including community centres, schools and churches. This has now been reduced to 10 shelters. The extensive level of ash coverage throughout the country, including our neighbour Barbados was unprecedented. The cleaning exercise has bee tedious and ongoing especially with water restrictions in place. The high level of community spiritedness and volunteerism cannot be overlooked and must be commended. All with a view to making our visitors at home. The return to “normal life” for a large number of evacuees will be a acted process. Even the entists are uncertain when such an “All-Clear” can be en. An ongoing effort to eplace lost or damaged onitoring equipment to ovide more accurate entific information that worked so well in the events eading up to the explosive eruption is ongoing. We (Vincentians) will be orever grateful for a job well done by our dedicated scientists, the Honourable Prime Minister, Cabinet, and the entire NEMO machinery of thousands of volunteers. The labour of love continues. May God bless us all. Ash in Sandy Bay. The eruption of the La Soufriere has however resulted in various challenges including the Dengue Fever outbreak, further, descriptions to the Education System, but moreover, an increase in COVID-19 cases in shelters. The reluctance to wear a mask and to be tested or vaccinated are cause for concern. Despite the all-clear being given to residents in the Orange and Yellow Zones to return home on the May 24th, the difficulty of the Red zone exists. There is a need for extreme repair work on homes that collapsed due to heavy ash fall, cleaning and repair work to roads and bridges. Damage to a building in the Red Zone. Mr. Godfrey Pompey, BSc., MA, OBE is a former Permanent Secretary, Director of Training, Senior Assistant Secretary, Qualified Assistant Teacher – St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 7
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