120,000 expected in Tobago for Easter Weekend
Tobago police expect approximately 120,000 people to visit the island this Easter holiday weekend and will station officers at both air and seaports to welcome visitors.
Speaking at the media conference for A Taste of Buccoo yesterday, ACP William Nurse warned visitors to the island to be on their best behaviour, as police will be proactive. He said while police are not event organisers, they design security plans to fit the country’s needs. The nurse said the police worked tirelessly with stakeholders and the external public and came up with a plan for the events, and the TTPS is ready to secure land, air and sea.
He said good policing brings some inconveniences, assuring the public that there will be some over the weekend.
“Not because we do not like you, but because we love you. We are expecting approximately 120,000 people in Tobago for Easter. That is about twice the size of the population of Tobago. It means, therefore, that we had to put in logistics and other resources to ensure that you are kept safe,” the Nurse said.
The Taste of Buccoo will be an attractive event for leisure seekers over the long weekend. Traditionally known as the Buccoo Goat Race Festival, the event had a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous countermeasures.
Deputy Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Sonny Craig called on people to support the event, starting at 11 am on Tuesday.
“It has come to our attention, as an Assembly, that the goat owners and jockeys and those in the fraternity have suffered immensely. They have called for the event to be held in 2022, as it represents a time when, if it is not held, the event might be lost forever,” Craig said.
Organisers had cut, watered and rolled lawn and serviced the track already, he added.
The Tobago House and Assembly began paving the roads. A team from the Unemployment Relief Programme and Solomon Contractors also began upgrading the Buccoo Integrated Facility, as there was rusting from the sea blast and peeled paint.
Craig also urged people to be on their best behaviour, not only for themselves but for those close to them.
Although the Government has lifted most of the COVID-19 restrictions, Craig said the country was not out of the woods yet, and behaviour could determine if it goes back into lockdown or rids itself of mandatory mask-wearing forever.
The nurse said that based on his statistics, COVID-19 cases began rising after the relaxation of public health measures. He urged people to exercise reason and prudence. As if anyone gets COVID-19, they alone have to fight it, despite the assistance of doctors and nurses.
Communications Officer at the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), Zyanara Llewellyn, said there is also an operations centre at the Buccoo facility, where its personnel will handle all information, logistics and store supplies in case of an emergency. Llewellyn said all stakeholders would have VHF and UHF radios to communicate all day. There will also be a medical booth and a Community Emergency Response Team on standby with the Tobago Regional Health Authority. The public can also access a Zello channel so people can share information with TEMA.
0 Comment