The ongoing eruption of the La Soufriere volcano has prompted mass evacuations of nearly 20% of the population and any travelers in the “red zone” of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. Cruise ships have been sent to aid in the evacuations to take thousands of people to neighboring islands. There’s one catch. Only those who have been vaccinated for Covid-19 are allowed to board the ships.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said in a press conference that only vaccinated people from the island would be eligible to board the cruise ships to take temporary refuge on another island. https://t.co/ljorDpXLkh
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) April 10, 2021
The requirement was agreed upon by St. Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and the various islands in the area that are taking in evacuees. In an emailed statement, Carnival said it was not making vaccinations a requirement for this humanitarian mission. The vaccination requirements are coming directly from the governments.
“The chief medical officer would be identifying the persons already vaccinated so that we can get them on the ship,” Gonsalves said, reiterating that “those that are vaccinated, she can get them going on the vessel.”
According to InfoWars:
But what’s to become of the unvaccinated individuals on the island? Are they simply supposed to roll over and die? That certainly appears to be the message the Vincentian government is sending.
“Those who are not yet vaccinated but who would be vaccinated, you wouldn’t send them immediately after vaccination,” Gonsalves said, because of the possible side effects like “wooziness in the head.”
The Friday eruption was the first in decades as plumes of ash and smoke were sent 20,000 feet into the sky. Streets and buildings are covered in ash, prompting major concerns over air quality.
BREAKING: Volcano erupts on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent; evacuations underway pic.twitter.com/Epe2oAG4fM
— BNO News (@BNONews) April 9, 2021
Those who want to be evacuated but who haven’t been yet will be given an opportunity to receive the vaccine. This is ludicrous on multiple levels. Nick Arama at RedState highlighted three of them:
First, maybe in the middle of a volcanic emergency, that should be the first concern — getting people to safe shelter. Seriously. The pandemic shouldn’t be holding up anyone from getting to safety or to shelter. If a hotel is holding up sheltering you if you’re not vaccinated, they should examine their soul.
Second, if you get the shot now, and it doesn’t matter which shot it is, then go on a ship or to another island, you’re still exposed to whatever, because it takes a couple of weeks to build up any protection and you will still need a second shot for the Pfizer and the Moderna to reportedly get the full protection. So, this seems a lot of action over something that wouldn’t even provide protection for two weeks and even then, not full protection until the second shot, if it’s Pfizer or Moderna, when you’re going to be traveling right now.
Then, what about the kids… if they aren’t giving vaccines to kids? Are they just out of luck? They have to stay outside in the ash?
Chances of death from Covid-19 infections are minuscule. Chances of death for those caught in the path of an erupting volcano are exponentially higher. Society in 2021 is proving it has no understanding of priorities.
