NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – The following is a statement by the Premier’s Ministry in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA):
The Premier’s Ministry would like to address the recent social media postings and images which purport to concern mould at the High Court Registry and other government facilities. We assure the public that we take these issues seriously and are actively working to promptly and effectively address any legitimate mould-related concerns raised by our staff.
In response to the situation at the High Court Registry, we have hitherto relocated staff and engaged in remedial work at the Registry. We only returned staff to that site once the testing showed it was safe to do so.
We recognize however that mould is a naturally occurring phenomenon and that old buildings are especially prone to mould. As a result, we have since engaged professional remediation services and have been coordinating regular air quality assessments in partnership with the Bureau of Standards on St. Kitts. Additionally, following the recommendations of these experts, we have already installed five dehumidifiers in the High Court Registry offices to enhance our remediation efforts.
The health and safety of our staff are of the utmost importance to the Ministry and the wider Nevis Island Administration. To this end, the Cabinet has taken the decision that all government buildings and offices will now be subject to regular deep cleaning and testing for mould with test results to be shared with staff.
We remain committed to taking all necessary actions to ensure the well-being of all workers of the Nevis Island Administration.
We thank our staff and the public for their understanding and patience as we seek to address this issue at our High Court Registry.