 Fellows and lutions, I speak with you about an important change to the protocols which will start from Sunday, November 7, 2021. But before I tell you about this change, I crave your indulgence as I share some personal thoughts with you. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the core concern of governments around the world has been to ensure that the virus does not overwhelm the capacity of the healthcare services to cope. The steps that governments have taken to contain this virus have not been popular as in the main people feel the constitutional rights and freedoms are being infringed upon. The idea that we should be confined to our homes when we should be at the beach with our families on Sundays or enjoying a night out with friends is always going to be hard to accept. Some of the most liberal governments in the world have been forced to do what their constitutions require them to do in exceptional circumstances to protect public health and safety. The policies they have put in place aim at achieving a delicate balance between personal rights and freedoms on one hand and the lives and livelihoods on the other hand. Governments sometimes got things wrong. When this has happened, some have acknowledged their mistakes and adjusted the policies in the hope that these new policies will work. I acknowledge that allowing visitors to move about the country, even with restrictions while the rest of us don't have that privilege, is never what we intended. It is exactly what we campaigned against. It is not right and requires review. While we were keen to give a little financial relief to our taxi drivers and workers at bubble sites and attractions, we do not want to create the perception of two St. Lucia's, which a continuation of this situation will create. On behalf of the government of St. Lucia again, I apologize to you for this oversight. The government has always been sensitive to the concerns shared by the COVID management centre about the effect of the protocols on our mental health. Like COVID-19, mental health is an issue for us all. Consider the case of our frontline personnel who work 12-hour shifts and are being asked to stay at home. They too would like the same relief that the rest of us are clamoring for. It is with these twin concerns in mind that the government had earlier announced the relaxation of the protocols for Sundays with confinement to start from 1pm on the last two Sundays of this month. Our tracking data has consistently told us that high-risk behaviour by a small but statistically significant number of our people happens on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons even during confinement periods. Despite the best efforts, the police have not been able to fully enforce the protocols because they too have indicated that they are overburdened, some of the members are sick, and there is a lot of pressure. There are those among us who willingly take the risk that they will not be caught by the police when they ought to be more afraid that they may catch and spread the virus to their families and loved ones. To remove any perception of one set of standards for visitors and another force inclusions, the Cabinet of Ministers acting on the recommendations of the COVID-19 Management Centre has decided to introduce a 5pm start time for home confinement on Sundays, effective 7th November 2021 through the end of November. This change will also be applied to the time when cruise visitors return to their ships. This change is being introduced with the condition that the sale of alcohol on beaches and in public places will not be allowed. The Royal St. Lucia Police Force has been instructed to take the strongest action to ensure compliance with the protocols, especially in high-risk areas. The Cabinet of Ministers continues to encourage everyone to follow the protocols to avoid penalties by way of ticketing. I say to all St. Lucia's that we need to prevent this COVID-19 pandemic from escalating. We note an increase in the number of vaccinations, but we are concerned as a government that our vaccination rate is still way behind that of other Caribbean countries. This means that St. Lucia is in a significantly weaker competitive position compared to these countries. The optics of the situation are also of concern to institutions like the IMF and PAHO and other institutions. We should all be concerned that our actions and inactions do not lead to a 5th wave after the festive season. If that should happen, Kwaapo will smoke our pipes. We should now be in no doubt that COVID-19 stills lives and ruins livelihoods. It is all up to us to shape the future we want. Government can and will do all that it can do to stop the spread of the virus. But government does not have your power to avoid catching COVID. Your health is first and foremost your responsibility. Your health is our responsibility. Vaccination is the most effective tool we have now to live, work, learn and recreate while keeping COVID-19 under control. The government through the COVID-19 Management Centre will step up its engagement to continue to encourage vaccination and we are hoping that more and more solutions take the vaccine. I thank you for your attention and in anticipation of your full support when this change in the protocols comes into effect. I thank you.