St Lucia’s airports have reopened after the weekend’s lashing by Hurricane Tomas and the island has declared it will open again for tourists from this Friday, a week earlier than forecast.
Cruise ships will also visit the island again as of Sunday.
Senator Allen Chastanet, Saint Lucia’s Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, said: "We are pleased to report that major roads have been cleared and the Castries-Vieux Fort and Soufrière-Vieux Fort thoroughfares are now fully motorable."
He said most resorts currently have adequate water, and water supply should be restored in short order after detailed inspections revealed damage to the water dam is substantially less than expected.
Senator Chastanet added: "Incredible improvements are being made every day to clean up debris littered throughout the island while tourism stakeholders intimated no significant damage to their properties and attractions.
“Our prayers are with our brothers and sisters here and in the Eastern Caribbean who have been affected by this storm as well as those elsewhere in the region who are bracing themselves for its arrival over the next few days.”
Hurricane Tomas has been downgraded to a tropical depression but is predicted to change direction and head toward Jamaica, Haiti, Eastern Cuba and Bahamas by the weekend, becoming a category 1/2 hurricane.
Kuoni said it was monitoring the situation closely and was in contact with agents in Jamaica and Cuba.
By Bev Fearis
