St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Sandals Grenada is refuting official reports that community spread of the coronavirus in Grenada originated at its Resort.
In an open letter, the general manager of Sandals Grenada Peter Fraser contended that the resort strictly follows the government established COVID-19 protocols.
Sandals said it is particularly troubled to find its the subject of “inaccurate and unsubstantiated information being disseminated in the very early days of this issue”.
“Much of which, we categorically refute.”
Mr. Fraser expressed dismay that the Chief Medical Officer and the Minister of Health hosted a press briefing at a time of limited facts and information, to insinuate a lapse in protocols on the Resort’s part.
He added that although investigations are still ongoing, all parties were fully aware “that we proactively initiated this process and contact tracing had yet to be completed”.
“These utterances from official sources have fueled further inaccurate reporting both locally and internationally.”
Fraser said that Sandals Grenada has been in constant communication with officials and although there has been verbal acknowledgment on a number of “these significant inaccuracies and supporting confirmation” we continue to express” great disappointment that we have not seen any official public declaration to correct any of these known discrepancies.”
He said the all-inclusive resort will continue to abide by Pure Grenada Protocols that are continuously deployed, with a zero-tolerance policy for staff or guests who cannot comply with these vital health and safety measures.
The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) also reports that the chairman of Sandals Resort International Adam Stewart as saying that the organization is involved in deeper dialogue with the government.
“We offered to show them our records, which they had not yet requested. We certainly have asked them for their records and are insisting that a full assessment be conducted in order to understand this cluster of cases and learn from it.”
Stewart reiterated that any claims repeated in local media about sources and conclusions are “completely inaccurate and represent hearsay at a time when travelers and the people of Grenada deserve facts.”
“We also did not evacuate any guests, as some media claimed, and we continued to operate the resort safely. Out of an abundance of caution, we ourselves, which is a feature of our Platinum Protocols, and with the interests of our staff and our guests in mind, have made the decision to not accept new arrivals at the hotel until this matter settles.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said the Government had launched an investigation to determine if Sandals breached COVID-19 protocols.
