Anguilla COVID-19 Response: A Model for Island Nations

Anguilla COVID-19 Response: A Model for Island Nations
Anguilla COVID-19 Response
Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

Last month, Anguilla’s Ministry of Health & Social Development launched “The Anguillian Response” campaign via the beatcovid19.ai platform, designed to serve as a central space for all official news and updates related to COVID-19, providing the public with timely information on the Government’s response to the pandemic. The Ministry collaborated with Thoughtful Digital Agency on the development and launch of this Anguilla COVID-19 Response platform; the ensuing public-private sector collaboration has generated interest across the globe.

March for Science is the world’s largest grassroots community of science advocates, organizing for a more sustainable and just future.  Their mission is to fight for science-informed public policies, and they have organized advocates for science in more than 600 cities around the world. To mark this week’s Earth Day, March for Science has organized a series of virtual events online, in the absence of being able to hold physical marches.

Anguilla is one of only seven (7) countries in the world that has not reported a new COVID-19 case within the last fourteen (14) days. In recognition of Anguilla’s extraordinary and effective success in mitigating and containing the spread of the deadly virus, March for Science, has invited several representatives from Anguilla to participate in two of their international forums this week.

On Wednesday April 22, the Hon. Evans M. Rogers, Minister of Health; Mr. Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health;  Dr. Aisha Andrewin, Chief Medical Officer  and Ms. Tahirah Banks, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Thoughtful Digital Agency, will join the “Flatten the Curve Forum: Pandemics and Public Policy.  They will speak on their work in Anguilla to beat COVID-19 and how important it was for the island to implement a multi-pronged approach of both Medicine & Messaging. The Forum starts at 10:30 AM EST.

On Saturday April 24, the Hon. Victor Banks, Premier, along with Ms. Tahirah Banks, will kick off the “Island Resilience Forum: Climate Crisis from the Frontlines. They will share what Anguilla believes it means to be resilient and how the Anguila’s response to COVID-19 is a clear demonstration of the island’s  commitment to resilience. This Forum starts at 10:00 AM EST.

Both Forums will be LIVE streamed across multiple networks, including Facebook, to the March for Science Following of close to one million advocates. Join the forum at the March for Science Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/marchforscience/  Visit the March for Science Website at

marchforscience.org for more information on this remarkable organization.

March for Science also works collaboratively with a number of international partners around the world to move their mission forward. One of those partners is The Island Resilience Partnership, a public-private partnership that accelerates climate solutions on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable communities, the small island developing states and coastal regions that are on the front lines of climate change. As a group they are particularly impressed with Anguilla’s response to the COVID-19 threat, the Public-Private collaboration that brought it together, the positive tone of the messaging and the responsiveness of both the Government and Private Sector teams involved.  They believe that Anguilla can serve as a model for other Island Nations around the world and propose to expand the exchange of ideas to other issues.

Anguilla’s beatcovid19.ai platform extends beyond health-related concerns. The site features updates from the Department of Education, on the status of all learning institutions; the Ministry of Tourism, on travel in and out of Anguilla; functionality for persons to apply for funding, a feature that provides the Government of Anguilla with key data on the impact of COVID-19 on the labour force and their needs; the Financial Institutions, on the latest financial relief measures;  and other key stakeholders that serve large segments of the population.

Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world. A fantastic culinary scene, a wide variety of quality accommodations at varying price points, a host of attractions and exciting calendar of festivals make Anguilla an alluring and entrancing destination.

Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and appeal. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from two major gateways: Puerto Rico and St. Martin, and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away.

Romance? Barefoot elegance? Unfussy chic? And untrammeled bliss?   Anguilla is Beyond Extraordinary.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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