Forget concerns about the bubble, we don’t use the beaches anyway
Talk show host Pastor Claude Skelton Cline has urged residents to temper their concerns about government’s proposed tourist bubble that will be rolled out for the upcoming cruise tourism season.
The bubble concept – which proposes that an isolated group of persons (fully vaccinated cruise tourists and industry stakeholders) be allowed access to pre-designated areas – is being employed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the territory.
But the outspoken clergyman, addressing the issue on his Honestly Speaking radio show yesterday, argued that the bubble should not overly concern residents.
He said there is no need for concern since locals do not utilise the beaches and other similar tourist hotspots during the times that cruise tourists are expected to populate the areas.
“Some of you are getting sidetracked about whether or not they’re in a bubble or the beach is closed,” Skelton Cline said. “I want to encourage Virgin Islanders – first of all, we don’t even go to the beach during the day, we ain’t even on no beach, we’re at work, trying to make a living.”
“So what if the cruise passengers go out to Cane Garden Bay, go to Smuggler’s Cove, go to Long Bay between 10[am] and 3[pm] – we ain’t there anyway,” he argued.
He continued: “We need the benefit that they’re bringing so our parents and our uncles and our guardians can have food on the table and keep a shelter over their head and don’t have the banks calling them about payments that are three months old.”
COVID-19 is all about risk management
According to the host, the ‘bottom line’ about the virus and its variants is risk management. He said the stark contrast that ultimately faces the BVI is either dying of hunger or managing the risk that COVID-19 brings while opening the local economy in a meaningful way.
The underlying benefit, he argued, was having shelter over the heads of residents and food on their tables.
Skelton Cline urged residents to stop fighting the wrong fights and getting caught up in semantics that will kill the economy.
“Nobody’s stopping you from going to the beach, we’re trying to stop the collapse of an economy,” he noted.
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“Nobody stopping you from going to the beach”
That’s exactly what you’re doing. What about those of us who retired? I been using the beach every day since I was a chile.
Just cause he busy all day doing what he shouldn’t don’t mean I am!
Exactly, I can be found on the beach at least twice a week sitting on a lounge chair reading a nice novel.
This “bishop” keep yapping when none ask he for his opinion.
Another self pumped up chile man who got more w**kedness
In he soul than Oral Roberts.
this guy needs a muzzle asap
Stop giving this m**on a platform. Do we have no other influencers worthy of mention then this bottom feeder. Of course we do. Try again.
He is talking the doggone truth. I hardly use the beach and when I do, it is after the sun gets cooler around 4 or 5 when the ships would have already gone. Other regular beach users go early in the morning before the sun comes up and before the ships arrive. We locals don’t like hot sun. The man is speaking the truth. Not because you don’t like the man, his message is on point.
I have no grid with he but what he saying is foolishness.
All those tourists will be sitting in the same bars we sit in an passing the disease. He live in a different world to we. Sitting up there in his big ole house doing his “thing”.
Just think… this guy is supported by your tax dollars !!!
Mey sun CSC cart yuh backside go sid dung! When it ain’t He, it’s the self proclaimed Bishop, or the self esteem ed arrogant One! They ain’t see wha she name back down quickly! Bunch of contrary nanos.
Band all dogs from the beach
Even if you accept this i**ots claim what about all the other tourists who may want to access the beach, the baths etc? So we will close these areas to all but the cruise people who dont spend any money here? And if not closed to them then how exactly is there supposed to be a bubble? Lastly does anyone honestly expect these taximen to observe bubble protocols???
First – this is a matter of principle! The beaches are public. Is the pastor familiar with principles?
Second – Higher spending charter and villa guests should not be excluded for the benefit of cruise ship tourists. I suspect there will be tickets to the Baths, which will be snapped up way in advance by the shore excursion company. This will effectively exclude everyone else. Very bad idea.
Was going to the Baths long, long before there was such a thing as a tourist industry.
I am not paying a penny to go to no Baths. Don’t even bring those words no where close to my ears.
Some ah ya all to friggin money hungry, and won’t even help people who need help.
The ancestral s[irits are very unhappy.
Utter foolishness!
Everybody DOES NOT work everyday to make a living. Some of us PAY others to work for us, so we can go to the beach, and do, among other things, when we want!
So yes, Bubbles can affect many of us, who do want to go to the beach!
I understand the necessity and I believe a compromise could be had to benefit all affected by such decisions.
CLAUDE SKELTON please speak for and of/about yourself when you want to open your mouth. You know not one thing about our family life and our livelihood. If Andrew is paying you to speak for him so do,but let us talk for ourselves. Thankyou.
This pastor doesn’t get outdoors much. BVI folks use the beaches from dawn to after dusk everyday for your information. Rain is the only deterrent to beach use. Now the untested cruise ship guests will be the new beach use deterrent thanks to the Premier’s bubble plan.
am just wondering if this guy realized what he has said , oh boi ,is he missing some scense
The man’s point sounds agreeable enough but he is ignoring simple principle. My objection is having any beach in the BVI sealed off from the public, when legally we can all access all of them any time, so that one particular cruise ship agent family beginning with R can make 1000s of dollars while trashing our islands’ natural resources.
Agree we need an economy that works but not one that involves literally privatizing our beaches so that if one family makes a million from destroying our natural beauty, we little people might make a five dollar if we lucky.
Economics 101: “Trickle down economics” begins with the word “trick”.