Pay monthly lockdown allowance

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced seven ‘no-movement days’, which come amid confirmation of the presence of the Delta variant and the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Jamaica. The health sector is suffering, and hospitals are reporting that they are well beyond capacity – some as much as over 100 per cent.

Instituting a curfew is the Government’s main way of responding to the spread of the virus. But while the Holness-led Cabinet argues strongly for the enforcement of stay-at-home orders, perhaps they should also give Jamaicans a monthly lockdown allowance.

This will assist households to manage their expenses. The Government should provide this allowance in tandem with its vaccination drive. The fact that the virus is spreading does not negate the fact that bills have to be paid.

Jamaica is at a critical juncture. Perhaps Holness should go full steam ahead with a four-month lockdown plan that includes giving Jamaicans a stay-at-home allowance. If after three months there is no improvement, then some other thing should be tried. If we are to weather the storm, Jamaica needs to be creative.

I don’t know how the Government would institute this allowance. The Government could launch an application that allows you to electronically upload your Tax Registration Number and a form of identification, a picture and banking information. Once the documentation is confirmed and your tax contributions verified, then your ‘lockdown allowance’ would then be transferred to your account.

There are more than 300,000 beneficiaries of PATH cash payments. It is important to note that there is a sizeable portion of the population whose main source of income is remittance or relying on help from family. What is the Government doing for workers who earn less than J$40,000 per month? How are they to survive under the current circumstances?

The US dollar has gone past J$150, and based on the current trend, there may very well be another lockdown later in the year. Crime and poverty are on the rise, and we are going through a global pandemic.

RHEUMI