During a call to the Shake Up program yesterday, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves disclosed that persons from Rabacca to Owia have given the all clear to go home; going on to say that they will be leaving the emergency shelters – most of which are schools- by this Monday, August 23rd, in order to facilitate the preparation of schools for reopening in October.
“We took a decision yesterday at the National Emergency Management Council meeting, which I chair every week; that persons north of the dry river—from Rabacca right up Owia—it is now safe for them to go home”. The Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that the Director NEMO Ms. Michelle Forbes will be issuing the necessary public statements on the matter.
Prime Minister Gonsalves made it clear that all the necessary utilities such as electricity and water will be available to the resident upon their return.
“The electricity is back up, the water is back up. Before the end of the month the water will be back up in Fancy by the end of the week”. He said.
He went on to explain why it is necessary for the evacuees to leave the shelters by August 23rd.
“We are asking that they move out of the shelters by Monday the 23rd, that is Monday coming, a lot of them might move out over the weekend.
“I also want to say to everybody that we want you to move because we have to get the schools in order to do the repairs and everything for the schools for the children to go back on the fourth of October, we have to get that done, so that’s vital. We can’t have the children affected in an adverse way.” He said.
Persons moved into shelters earlier this year following the explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano that left nearly 20,000 people with little choice to evacuate their homes.
