DAYS after being designated a covid19 variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), omicron has already been confirmed in scores of countries around the world.
But in contrast to these fast-paced developments, the State is yet to clarify the timeline for its vaccine booster programme.
It is also yet to unveil what measures will be implemented for the holidays.
With guidelines and advisories being issued around the world in relation to households' Christmas plans, the process of public education in relation to any renewed measures is missing in action.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections are no excuse. In fact, the situation in Tobago demands action. With case numbers increasing, all outpatient clinics and elective surgeries have been suspended at the Scarborough General Hospital as the island tries to get to grips with the situation. Fewer than half of Tobagonians are vaccinated.
On Wednesday, with almost 60 countries confirming omicron, the Ministry of Health held one of its usual virtual media conferences. The relatively brief outing by the regular assortment of career public servants yielded little clarity on the Cabinet's plans for Christmas. (Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh was not present.)
With numbers continuing to rise nationally, it is not clear whether the State will revert to previous policies of partial measures being introduced over public holidays and weekends. The business community will likely oppose another state of emergency, but questions abound about what messaging will be given to people planning to hold Christmas limes and family gatherings.
Meanwhile, the omicron variant has underlined the urgency of the vaccination programme as a whole, an urgency that does not seem to be matched by the rollout of plans.
The Ministry of Health announced - more than a week ago - its booster programme would be 'coming soon,' in 'the near future.' It assured it 'has amassed a strategic stock' of vaccines.
Officials have paid attention to the issue of third doses (to the extent that there are doubts over the consistency of the implementation of this policy nationally, with reports of people lying and some getting third doses without being eligible).
While the State may wish to get third doses out of the way, and while it may be holding out hope of more first doses being taken up, it is hard to explain this in the context of a healthy vaccine supply.
Whatever the case, one gift the country seems destined not to get for Christmas is herd immunity.
It is lamentable that both islands have not achieved the benchmark that might have protected the population as a whole ahead of Christmas. That failure underlines the need for a drastic boost in our response. It is time for mandatory measures.
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