Volcano Rescue Efforts Do Not Exclude Unvaccinated Evacuees
The Claim
Rescue efforts for evacuees fleeing the volcanic eruption on St. Vincent Island exclude people who are unvaccinated.
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Emerging story
After the eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano on St. Vincent in the Carribean Islands on Friday, the prime minister issued an evacuation order for people in the island’s red zone. Stories soon began to circulate among news organizations and on social media claiming that only those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 were being moved to safety, leaving the rest, as one user stated, “to fend for themselves.”
Misbar’s Analysis
While the ongoing pandemic has complicated evacuation efforts, unvaccinated citizens are not being excluded or left to fend for themselves. Rescue workers and government authorities are evacuating residents in the “red zone,” which constitutes just the northernmost part of the island. Over 3,000 people have taken refuge down south in government-run shelters that regularly test for COVID-19. Anyone testing positive is placed into isolation. Citizens have also fled on ships to nearby islands. Carnival, Royal Carribean, and Celebrity have all sent ships as part of their humanitarian efforts.
In an emergency press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that hotels and cruise ships have been asking that people be vaccinated and tested for COVID-19 prior to admission, “which is not unreasonable,” he added. “'The chief medical officer will be identifying the persons already vaccinated so that we can get them on the ship.”
Despite Golsalves’ statements, in an email to Bloomberg, Carnival said that it would not make vaccinations a requirement during their rescue efforts. ABC reported that it was local health officials who made the decision to only board evacuees who’d already been vaccinated. They reported speaking to one of the ships who said they would not turn anyone away. In a press release, Royal Carribean said, “All precautions will be taken to protect the health and safety of the crew and passengers who board our ships,” but did not mention any vaccine requirements.
According to the World Health Organization, out of a population of about 110,000 there have been only ten COVID-19 related deaths and just 1,790 confirmed cases. Just under 11,000 vaccine doses have been administered.
