By Caribbean News Global contributor
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Trinidad and Tobago, Minister of Social Development and Family Services (MSDFS), Senator Donna Cox announced that she is quite optimistic about recovery as the country marks one year following the first COVID-19 case.
According to the minister, COVID-19 presented to the country an unprecedented occurrence, which resulted in several challenges for both the vulnerable as well as individuals and families that experienced a loss in income, due to retrenchment, job loss in some instances and reduced income in other cases.
“Minister Cox was quite optimistic that the citizens have what it takes to recover,’ added. “COVID -19 allowed us to unearth undiscovered potential, work smartly, improve our systems and procedures and embrace technology.”
Given the demand on the government and by extension the MSDFS to provide a quick response through the various social support measures, it meant that the ministry’s staff had to mobilize and come out to work despite the associated restrictions, which threatened their personal safety.
In a press release, minister Cox stated that: “In excess of 60,000 applications for COVID-19 social support were received. To date, a total of $351million have been expended toward COVID-19 relief. Added to this, existing beneficiaries of grants from the ministry were also catered for with measures to address any challenges they would have encountered during the restrictions. Persons were also offered free counselling and psychosocial support and special arrangements were made to safeguard older persons who were most susceptible to contracting the virus.
“For this, I want to express gratitude to the executive and Ssaff of the ministry, as an essential agency, for the yeoman service they have provided for the people of Trinidad and Tobago”, said minister Cox.
New measures to be undertaken by the ministry for a more responsive, and multifaceted social support system include:
- STEP-UP – Social Transformation and Empowerment Programme, Uplifting People;
- Digitalisation of all Social Support Grants and Services;
- The Tobago Help Desk for all social services queries and concerns;
- An expanded Call Centre facility for easier access to the ministry; and,
- A Community First Responders System where the ministry will undertake outreach exercises at the community level to reach the vulnerable.
