 And the official launch of the program serves as a precursor to a number of high-level discussions with key representatives of the health and tourism sectors on the policy direction for the program. The ministries of health and tourism cognizant of the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry's sustainability welcomed such a timely and critical intervention. The Tourism Health Program follows a regional tourism policy framework established in 2014. The program's aim is to ensure the health and safety of visitors and locals in the Caribbean tourism sector. The Caribbean Public Health Agency as part of the implementation of the program in St. Dusha on Friday, 17 September, engaged key representatives from the ministries of health and tourism in discussion on the policy direction for the program. Donalyn Vite is the permanent secretary in the ministry of tourism, investment, creative industries, culture and information. The idea today is for us to come together and regroup and ensure that the incoming ministers are very well aware of the program, the benefits of the program, how we can partner with CARFA and how public health plays a major role in tourism's recovery and continuation even post-pandemic. We also meeting today with the objective to determine what are the policies or what are the guidelines that we need to keep on our radar. So the ministers are very aware of a framework of safety to work within for tourism as well as for us to ensure the public health of our country, St. Dusha. Minister for tourism, investment, creative industries, culture and information, Honourable Dr. Ernest Hiller-Priest CARFA's intervention as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect St. Dusha's tourism industry. I think it's a really valuable addition to the work in this region, especially when you consider the significance of tourism to our economies and how critical it is to our development and our progress as a region for us to be able to ensure that we can protect the health of our populations and to protect the health of visitors coming to the country. This is an invaluable intervention and of course COVID has probably highlighted just how critical having such an intervention is. The tourism minister says the government will play its part to ensure the success of the program. I think the more we speak of making tourism integrated in the communities to have home accommodation of visitors, the more we speak about authentic local experiences in our tourism sector, the more we will have visitors, you know, integrating and interacting. And the earlier we can see risk and other potential issues arising, the better it is for everyone. And I think this is a very necessary program and I'm delighted that we've done so much work and there is a lot more to be done but we are progressing quite nicely and to be assured that the work will continue and we will do all that we have to do to make sure the success of the program. One of CARFA's objectives in country is to provide training on conducting activities in the tourism sector safely. Training to be provided includes a three-day advanced food safety training certification workshop for environmental health workers, hoteliers and restaurateurs from Tuesday 21 September to Thursday 23 September. Tourism industry operators will be resensitized on the tourism health information system and stakeholder consultations will be held on cruise ship surveillance assessment on Thursday 23 September. The stakeholders anticipate that the various consultations will engender a greater level of understanding of the importance of the benefits of the tourism health program and the tourism health information system. The agencies will also identify a clear roadmap for strategic marketing to allow for healthier, safer and more sustainable tourism industry. For further government information service, I'm Hermione Mock reporting.