Nostalgic stories that embraced the centuries-old connection between Barbados and the West African nation of Liberia and discussion of the extensive social and economic potential that could be tapped into with greater cooperation unfolded at Ilaro Court on Friday afternoon.

The occasion was a courtesy call on Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley by retired Liberian ambassador Lorenzo Witherspoon, who is visiting the island to continue an extensive research project and connect with his Barbadian roots.

Witherspoon, the great-great-grandson of John Albert Porte, who migrated from Barbados to Liberia in the mid-1860s, told the Barbados delegation that included Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Dr Jerome Walcott, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s office with responsibility for Culture John King, that the warmth of Barbadians and the many similarities with Liberia made him feel at home.

The former diplomat, who has written extensively about the Barbados-Liberia connection, was planning to visit the island with his family for We Gatherin’ 2020 when COVID-19 struck. He revealed, though, that with the world starting to settle and the interest among Liberians to learn more about their Barbadian roots growing, there were already initiatives taking shape to facilitate visits.

Prime Minister Mottley assured Witherspoon that the resources of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. would be made available to assist in making these visits a reality, as well as facilitating Barbadians who wish to make the connection.

The former diplomat also complimented Barbados on its maintenance of the world’s second-largest archive of slavery-era records, second only to the United Kingdom’s, and urged the Government to take steps to preserve it in a manner that would make it available to future generations using modern technology.

The Prime Minister assured Witherspoon that the archives project was a priority of the Government, and considerable discussions had already taken place with a view to digitizing the records.

Witherspoon presented the Prime Minister with the results of one of his research projects, a paper titled: Portes Find A New Home in Liberia — Story of the Post-Emancipation Emigration of The John Prince Porte Family from Barbados to Liberia, West Africa in 1865.

In the document, Elfric K. Porte, Sr., the eldest great-grandchild of John Prince Porte, wrote: “Coming 150 years after the arrival of our forebears in Liberia from Barbados, the family is proud of this initiative, which firmly and finally connects the dots of our family’s origins and paves the way for the reunion with our living relatives in Barbados.”

From the hundreds of Barbadians who returned to Liberia in the 1860’s that country has produced two political leaders, including President Arthur Barclay, who, as a boy, spent the first dozen years of his life in Barbados.

Settled by returning, formerly enslaved Africans from the United States in 1822, Liberia is bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.

Recognised by the United States in 1862, it was settled by the daughter of Black business luminary and abolitionist London Bourne, Sarah Ann Bourne Barclay.

Together with husband Anthony Barclay Jr, the two led the 366-person Barbados Company of Barbadian immigrants to Liberia in 1865.

The Historical Preservation Society of Liberia maintains active links to the West African nation’s Barbadian heritage. (BT/PMO)

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In just over a year, Jabari Barnett has risen from the position of relief orderly at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) to the rank of orderly supervisor for the country’s main isolation facilities.

For months, the 29-year-old was only being called in when orderlies were either on vacation or sick leave. Then the country recorded its first COVID-19 cases in March 2020, resulting in an opening for new healthcare workers, but under the most trying and uncertain conditions.

This was the opportunity that Barnett had been waiting for.

In addition to a full-time job, the ambitious young man has been on the receiving end of the type of training that would prepare him for a career in infection control. As part of his job, Barnett was required to oversee the movement of patients, furniture and equipment, and set up temporary isolation facilities in highly infectious environments.

“COVID came in and I got some hands-on training because I didn’t know what COVID was, and the training helped me to understand what was really going on so I could step up and play my role,” Barnett told Barbados TODAY.

“At first it had me studying, because I live with my grandmother, but when I got the call and I explained to her what it’s going to be, she said ‘go ahead’, because it’s an opportunity, a door opened, and a way for me. So I took the opportunity and stepped with it one time.”

The young man recalled starting last April at the makeshift facility at the Blackman and Gollop Primary School, before working at the Harrison Point Isolation Centre, Savannah Hotel, Sunbay Hotel, Barbados Beach Club, as well as during outbreaks at the New Dawn Senior Citizens’ Home and the Psychiatric Hospital.

“Some of the most difficult experiences were trying to get the facilities organized…but we got hands-on help from the chairman of the Board of the [Queen Elizabeth] Hospital, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland and the director of the facilities, Dr Corey Forde. We got more men to help with the oxygen, moving of patients and different other things that other people weren’t able to help with,” Barnett explained.

“Right now, there are not many cases but guys are still needed because you never know what might happen. One day there are a few cases and another day it might pop and we have a huge amount. So, we still have to be prepared for that.

The orderly supervisor is also keen on transferring the knowledge acquired over the last 14 months to work at the country’s main general hospital.
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)

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Barbados is working hard to ensure access to water resources for agriculture to withstand the longer periods of drought that are likely due to climate change, explained Indar Weir, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of the Caribbean country, during an interview with Agro América, a program broadcast on the Brazilian TV channel AgroMais.

“Water is a serious problem for food production in Barbados and one of the greatest challenges facing farmers. To combat this, we’re building reservoirs across the island to ensure the availability of water during the dry season”, explained the minister. In Barbados, the dry season is the boreal winter and spring, after which hurricane season sets in.

“If we can improve water catchment during the rainy season, which starts in June, we can improve the water supply for the next dry season. In urban areas, we are installing a reservoir system to harvest 80 million liters of water. On the east side of the island, we’re building two dams—one for 27 million liters and one for 88 million liters—to ensure a permanent supply for farmers. In the north, the most rural part of the island, we’re cleaning sweet water wells and are considering building another dam for farmers. Obviously, that would mean a significant investment and we’re analyzing how to guarantee it”, explained Weir.

The minister revealed that the Barbadian agricultural sector grew by 1.9% last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, mostly due to good planning. However, that hasn’t been the case in 2021: “We were hit by another strain of Covid-19 and were forced to pause economic activity in the country. Tourism is far from its usual levels, which has impacted our farmers who started to reduce their crops”.

Weir also commented on the impact on Barbadian agriculture of the eruption of La Soufrière on neighboring Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in April of last year. He said that while agriculture was suspended for a few days and crops were lost, the minerals and nitrates brought by the ash could improve the long-term fertility of the soil.

“We’re lucky because there are positive aspects to the ash. In the short term, the impact is worrying, as the sugarcane and cotton crops were affected, but in the long-term, we could see an increase in production. The ash integrates into the soil and improves its acidity. I think we’ll see the benefits of the ash as soon as next year. Scientists and technicians agree that it is good for agriculture, like another form of fertilizer. We ran some tests and we’re satisfied with the results”, he said.

The minister also commented on the role of technology and innovation in improving agricultural production in Barbados: “Our farmers are interested in technology. We’re considering using drones for spraying and to monitor crop conditions”.

To that end, Weir underscored the support the agricultural sector in Barbados has received from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA): “We have received a lot of technical support. The Institute has been involved in training our young people and in developing apiculture—we have many more beekeepers today. They are also working on sanitary and phytosanitary measures”.

“IICA is at the forefront and we are now developing an Innovation Center within the Ministry of Agriculture—a project led by the Institute—to provide technical assistance for the Ministry to operate at the high level required in the 21st century”, he added.

Barbados is paying special attention to the impact of climate change on agriculture, placing an emphasis on achieving climate-smart agriculture that is resilient to extreme climate events and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re analyzing how our production can be more resistant within this complicated scenario. Part of that is moving toward hydroponic systems and farms powered by renewable energy. We’re also trying to promote a transition from open-field agriculture, which often uses irrigation systems in Barbados, to vertical farming. Freight farming can ensure shorter cultivation times and increased yield. We’re looking to attract young people to agriculture and we’re doing that through opportunities with contemporary farming and technology”, explained the minister.

Weir believes that hydroponics and freight farms hold special value for Barbados, as they use less water, thereby contributing not only to the environment, but also to lowering costs for farmers, and, ultimately, for consumers.

The official maintains that once Barbados is able to increase agricultural production, “the next step would be to establish a manufacturing sector. We want to move into agri-processing to expand our activities. For that, we need to train and empower our farmers and create new forms of entrepreneurship in agricultural communities”.

The minister also commented on the Farmers Anthem (A World of Farmers), where Barbadian singers joined IICA’s campaign in 2020 to recognize the farmers and workers across the food chain who helped to guarantee the availability of food throughout the pandemic.

“We felt it was right to honor our farmers, to motivate them and to help them grow and inspire others. Often, those working in agriculture go unrecognized”, concluded Weir.

Agro América is a program broadcast by the Brazilian network AgroMais TV (owned by Grupo Bandeirantes) and the result of an alliance with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The program presents the reality of the agricultural sector and rural areas in IICA Member States with the aim to promote an exchange of experiences and a discussion on the challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean in the area of agricultural and rural development.

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Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Corey Lane, has reminded clients of the Adopt Our Families Programme that it is currently under review, and they should re-register for it by Wednesday, June 30.

Lane said only those persons who had completed the assessment and were approved for the programme would receive funds.

“Therefore, clients are advised to complete the survey as soon as possible and await a response from the programme directly.  They should not approach the banks with queries,” he stated.

The Special Advisor stressed that to re-register, persons may call or message 535-5329, 535-5523 or 535-5530, so that they can receive details on the questionnaire, which is to be completed.  Persons may also re-register by clicking on this link.

He noted that the Adopt Our Families Programme, designed to provide a social safety net for vulnerable households receiving zero income, has been assisting close to 5,000 people.  He explained that it was now necessary to review the programme again to ensure it was still reaching those it had been created to assist.

“We continuously examine our records to ensure that we are assisting the most vulnerable in society; if clients are getting some kind of assistance elsewhere, whether it is from the National Insurance Office, the Welfare Department, or someone from the household is working; we are asking that clients allow some other household that may be in a worse position to get that assistance.

“So, if members of the public know of anyone whose situation has improved, please ask them to reach out to us at the Household Mitigation Unit at 535-5329, and let us know so that more vulnerable families can be assisted,” Lane urged.

The Special Advisor emphasised the importance of the programme, stressing that it has greatly assisted many households.  He said some clients had expressed concerns about whether the programme is coming to an end.  However, he has given the assurance that the Prime Minister’s Office would officially communicate such details to clients whenever that decision is made.  (BGIS)

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By Morissa Lindsay

Fitness enthusiasts in Barbados and the world can look forward to a unique and exciting workout program called Zombie Fit being launched in early August.

Olivia Gittens, a business development consultant and the brainchild behind Zombie Fit said they have already launched an online gym store and by summer the public can expect videos of the workout routines.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will be sitting down and doing different types of routines that anybody can do.

In the sense that you don’t have to go and get a gym membership, you don’t have to go buy equipment.

“Obviously in these hard economic times one of the things is staying mentally healthy and physically healthy and a lot of people wouldn’t have money to go to the gym.

Also, a lot of people wouldn’t even have the money to buy weights or even the extension bands. So, we want to create a platform where people could watch these videos and do the exercises while having fun,” Gittens said.

As she described how the idea came about and the reason for launching this online fitness program, Gittens explained, “It is funny how I registered the brand Zombie Fit because I was talking to my friend and I was like you know they got fit, then they got Paro Fit and Zombie Fit.

She was like what you mean by Paro fit and Zombie Fit? I was like, I saw a Paro being run by the police and this man was knee-high, not panting and the police were behind him panting. I was like that is a level of fitness no one can get.

“Then I was like there is a Zombie fit because you have to be like mentally strong. When you watch these Zombie movies you see people chopping off people’s heads and running all the time.

So, I like the idea of Zombie Fit and said you know what, I am just going to register it. So, I did that and I know it sounds weird but this is a level of fitness that is not normal.”

She added: “I met with my friend and I said I know you are really into fitness and I want to design a fitness routine for people that is not boring.

The reason being one of my struggles with fitness is that I end up having to pay
to go to a gym because I know if I don’t pay to go to the gym I don’t go.

And the only reason I pay to go to the gym is that I spend this money, I ain’t got no choice but to go exercise. But I don’t enjoy it. “Even though they got all these other options like Crossfit, Zumba, it never really appealed to me because I didn’t have a fun aspect to it.

But as I was talking to him about how funny these Zombie pictures are and how these people are running, so he was like, you know what, we could create a routine that is fun and would get more people into exercise.” In addition to finding a fun way for people to train, Gittens also shared how people can be part of Zombie Fit.

“The way the website is set up, we can upload the videos to the website and also social media. So social media would have shorter clips but the website will have longer videos. So, we would put up longer videos that are free so anybody could go watch. But then a person can also sign up for a small fee to have at least twelve videos a month sent to them that they can exercise.

“People are working remotely, they have funny schedules and they still have to take care of their children. So, we realised everyone is not going to be able to leave home. And because you can do it online, it is a fun concept and the whole family can take part in it.

“The reason I am working with two trainers is that we want to have a training manual so that if someone is interested in having this in their gym, they can come to us.

Schools could send their physical education team to us so we would train them and it would be a more exciting way for children to train,” Gittens said.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation (BEF) $20 Challenge, has announced that it will be launching a new pilot series in collaboration with the Optimist Clubs of Barbados under the theme Igniting the Entrepreneurial Mindset which will focus on enabling innovation and embracing more technology.

Chairperson of the BEF, Celeste Foster said: “Having recognise the need to grow the program beyond direct school recruitment and move into community engagement, the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation has this year refashioned and re-imagined the $20 challenge.

This partnership with the Optimist Clubs has presented an opportunity to explore this new direction, with a view to utilising what we have learnt in our 10th Anniversary Edition of the $20 Challenge.”

She added that the $20 Challenge this season has also brought on new partners in Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business (SCHSB) and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES). The $20 Challenge would have already held its first event at the SCHSB as it returns to its beginnings and will also sponsor the location for the launch and the graduating events. YES is sponsoring the training as well as providing the facilitators for said training.

“We are extremely grateful for the returning sponsors who have stayed by our side over the years – including title sponsor Scotiabank, who without them we could not have advanced as far as we have to date; and NSR Ltd – management of Sky Mall – who hosts the pop-up Market Places. Both entities along with the two new sponsors – SCHSB and YES – recognise the void in experiential entrepreneurship training for tertiary students. This pilot will allow us to explore a framework for making this an annual initiative,” she said.

This pilot will feature only one face-to-face Marketplace, which will take place on August 14, 2021 at Sky Mall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other trading will be done virtually, similar to the last cycle’s new Pivot Edition which essentially sought to foster business innovation and helped the students explore non-traditional pathways in business.

Foster added: “Despite the pandemic and all the curve balls it has thrown at all of us, these students who participate in the $20 Challenge continue to be resilient and empowered and so it encourages us to continue setting this important agenda to teach the students who participate the essential life skills which are even more imperative as we see what the world of business is going through during the COVID pandemic.

The earlier they are introduced, the bigger the impact on their lives. And with these new and important partnerships with the Optimist Clubs of Barbados, Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, the skills that the students develop from their collaboration can set the stage for them to thrive despite anything that comes their way, including a global pandemic.”

The $20 Challenge is a part of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s (BEF) national initiative that aims to promote and support entrepreneurship in Barbados. The competition is targeted at thousands of young Barbadians, drawn from secondary and tertiary educational institutions across the country.

The challenge’s main purpose is to give young people the opportunity to be enterprising. It aims to increase their ability to respond positively to change, take reasonable risks, create and execute new ideas and new ways of doing things, and to act on their plans confidently.

For more information about the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation $20 Challenge, visit www.barbadosentrepreneurshipfoundation.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube. (PR)

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified eight new COVID-19 cases – four males and four females – on Friday, June 25, from the 796 tests conducted.

There are currently 29 people in isolation.

Since March 2020, Barbados’ confirmed COVID-19 cases have reached 4,074 (1,974 females and 2,100 males).  The death toll from the virus is 47.

The number of tests carried out by the public health laboratory is 183,343.

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, 94,514 first doses have been administered, while 68,960 people are fully vaccinated after receiving second doses of the vaccine. (BGIS)

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Soon Barbados will have its first cohort of massage therapists internationally trained and qualified to offer touch therapy treatments to cancer patients.

The therapists are currently receiving an internationally certified Oncology Massage Training being presented by SRB International Training Spa and TVET Council Barbados.

Medical Massage for cancer patients’ specialist Christine Clinton came in from the United States to teach the classes, which began last week Thursday at TVET’s Hastings House West, Balmoral Gap, Hastings, Christ Church.

In light of Barbados’ cancer statistics, students are receiving necessary theoretical and practical training in touch therapy which is known for helping cancer patients to relax, particularly through lymphatic drainage to assist patients with pain management and decreasing swelling.

As part of the training, live case studies will be invited to classes to allow students to have practical experiences.

During the six-week course, guest speakers, including a gynecologist and oncologist, will be invited to give students an insight on cancer treatments in Barbados and the overall care of patients. Students will also be treated to presentations in areas such as human resources, the correct way to start a business, how to handle finances, liability insurance and customer service, among other topics.

Organizers of the course have noted that local businesses have pledged a contribution to sponsor or donate funds to students to help them cover their course cost.

Rosita Coble from SRB International Training Spa, stressed that the course is necessary and needed considering that cancer patients cannot tolerate a regular massage, and are in need of specifically targeted touch therapy technique.

“Anyone can have it, but it’s what we do to give back to cancer patients. Actually, the SRB International Spa has a look good, feel good programme, which helps them with makeup, eyebrows, eyelashes when they lose them and they don’t know what to do.

Coble said: “Make-up, because sometimes the chemotherapy darkens you about three or four shades than you were before. You can sometimes get mouth sores and we help with that. In terms of chemo, we give you some stuff before you get constipated.

“Some people get rash and breakouts. Your nails get dark and so we use a nice bright colour to hide it. It is about making that individual, even though they are going through that, but still look great when on the outside”. (AH)

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There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases due to two large family clusters and cases at a manufacturing business.

Today, during a COVID-19 update press conference, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George, said authorities are concerned that Barbados has had just over 20 positive cases since June 22, which he said is an example of continued local transmission.

Dr George also indicated that there were positive cases at the Princess Margaret and Ann Hill schools.

Giving further details on the clusters, Senior Medical Officer Dr Leslie Rollock said 12 persons connected to the manufacturing establishment tested positive, including nine from the workplace and three persons associated with the business.

Dr Rollock said the situation with the manufacturing company is an example of what happens when employees get comfortable and believe that they are in a bubble with their colleagues.

The Senior Medical Officer said the second cluster being monitored is a family cluster, including eight family members testing positive thus far. She said the positives in this particular family cluster impacted another manufacturing establishment where persons had to be tested and quarantined.

Meanwhile, Dr George said that while Barbadians were told in January that there was community spread, they were never told that community spread had stopped.

The CMO said there are in excess of 100 people related to the cluster cases in quarantine at this time and most of them have completed one test and are awaiting a second before they will be allowed to go home.

He said because Barbados has travelled this road before, authorities have been aggressively involved in contact tracing, which he said has reached an advanced stage, with several primary contacts being placed in hotel quarantine to contain the spread of the virus.

Dr George said with over 92 000 persons receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and an estimated 64 doses counted as fully vaccinated, he is encouraging members of some special groups, including health-care workers, to come forward to get the jab.

He said: “At this point in time, we are looking to increase the lot of persons who are vaccinated in the younger age group, because we know that that population is still a vulnerable population”. (AH)

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Three people are in critical condition at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility, and two of those individuals are fighting for their lives.

Head of the facility and Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr Corey Forde said the two Barbadians are on ventilators and can be classified as severely ill, while the other individual, a young female, is stable as she receives required care.

During today’s COVID-19 update press conference, Dr Forde said he was concerned that out of the three individuals in the general Intensive Care Unit (ICU), two are in the 40-plus age group.

He also stressed that over the past week there has been an increase in the number of young people being admitted to the facility, and one of them was a male in his 20s who just a few days ago was being closely monitored because he was quite ill. He said, the people who are seriously ill in isolation, have no underlying health conditions.

One non-national is in secondary isolation and she is recovering well, Dr Forde said, adding that one pregnant woman, six children and two males, and two females between the ages of two to 15 years old are at the facility.

Dr Forde said: “What is important about that information I just give you is that COVID has gone nowhere. And I think that Barbados is at this particular point, we are at a strategic cross road, and we desperately need the help of the public to help us in this particular respect.

“We need people from the heights, from the terraces, from the blocks, from the middle class, to the children, to the adults, those in the rural areas to help us to calm this particular situation. But additionally, I need not only Barbadians, but I need all the residents across this country and visitors to work with us.

“If you have a cough, a cold, a fever, if you have shortness of breath, if you think your sinuses gone off, if you have a headache, if you have diarrhea like some of the patients presented with it, I am asking you, I am pleading with you as we try to figure out and get things together back into this country where we were a few weeks ago. Go and get tested”.

The specialist noted that a number of people, who were recently diagnosed with COVID-19 since June 22, had symptoms and remained at home, and were still going about their daily activities.

Dr Forde said many young people being diagnosed with COVID-19 are citing the uncertainty of the symptoms they experienced, as the reason they waited late to seek medical attention.

“We are having young people between the average age of 25 and 27 and that is worrisome. They all had symptoms. If these people presented to the health-care system or went to their doctors, things probably would have been different,” he said.

Dr Forde urged Barbadians to be proud of what the country has accomplished in its COVID-19 fight dating back from January to present, as there are still many countries struggling to get here. However, the physician stressed that in order for Barbados to remain in this position, all citizens and residents must play their role.

And with the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign in full swing, Dr Forde informed the press conference that not one person who has been fully vaccinated has gone to the isolation facility to be treated for the illness.

“And that alone speaks volumes. I don’t even know what evidence I can give you to encourage those to be vaccinated. Nobody can force you to be vaccinated, but I really expect you after this press conference to use a bit of common sense,” he said. (AH)

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Head of the COVID Monitoring Unit Ronald Chapman is reporting that 19 COVID-19 related matters were brought before the law courts in the last week.

Chapman said of those 19 matters, there were seven convictions, eight adjournments, and four persons not showing up for court.

He gave the recent statistics at today’s COVID update press conference where those convicted had to pay between BDS$500 to BDS$2000.  Chapman said the persons being taken to court is a reflection of people becoming complacent, and a victim of their own success, as COVID-19 cases continue to fall.

“I want to encourage people to continue to follow the protocols. We are in a good position right now and we want to continue that trend, we want to get better and better as the time goes by. And to do that, we have to ensure that each one of us takes responsibility for our own actions.

“And when we see each other engaging in actions which we know are not to be right, just nudge them slightly and say ‘you know what, pull the mask up’. Reinforce positive behaviours. We don’t necessarily want to be looking to punish bad behaviour, but we want to do more in encouraging positive behaviour,” Chapman said.

Chapman said too many people are not following protocols, including wearing masks. He said that there has also been lapses in protocols in the workplace where he said persons should not be dropping their guards.

In fact, Chapman said that while there has been easing of restrictions at recreational areas, persons must continue to act responsible and follow protocols.

Chapman said: “Now I know that in the past few weeks we have been talking about events, I wouldn’t call it Crop Over, but there are some parties and so on that we are going to allow. Those parties would have a maximum of 150 patrons, and the actual logistics of those parties have not been totally worked out. But what I want to say is we want to be able to treat this opportunity, just like that, an opportunity and the ability to show the world how you can provide an atmosphere of ease and recreation for a country without burdening it with COVID.

“We have an opportunity to show the world not in terms of travel protocols, not in terms of dealing with cases, how we can allow the country to return to some form of normalcy and remain safe. I want to say, COVID is completely fluid, this is something new to all of us across the world, we have never been this way before.

“And because it is this fluid, things change at the drop of a dime so we cannot afford to take our guard down. Nobody wants another lockdown, nobody wants another curfew, nobody wants restrictions, but if we don’t want those things, then we need to follow protocols”.

When asked why promoters were only allowed to host 150 persons at party events, Chapman said the decision was made to start with this number for authorities to be able to manage the risks, including the Ministry of Health’s ability to conduct contact tracing. (AH)

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Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic is not worried about the slight increase in COVID-19 cases over the past three days.

However, the Minister said the easing of restrictions is not an excuse for Barbadians to throw caution in the wind and not observe protocols.

Speaking at today’s press conference to update the nation on a developing situation where public health authorities are monitoring two large family clusters and cases at a manufacturing establishment, Bostic made it clear that all efforts are being made to keep the situation under control.

Bostic also indicated that it has never been the practice of the Ministry of Health to name private sector businesses that had employees who tested positive for COVID-19, but stated that Government primary and secondary schools and facilities have always been named.

“You would recall we never named the elderly care facilities or the day nurseries where there were cases. But we named the Government schools, primary as well as secondary, but not the private schools. This has been consistent throughout the entire period of this fight against COVID.

“In relation to the Ann Hill the Princess Margaret School on this occasion, these are recent events and this is the first opportunity really to be able to speak to these events because of all of that information, recognizing that we were dealing with large numbers in relation to the possible exposures for these two clusters, the business and the school,” Bostic said.

As it relates to authorities conducting contact tracing at the two schools, Bostic made it clear that there was no dropping of the ball and explained that as soon as information was received, it was shared with the Ministry of Education and the schools.

“I have said at press conferences that anytime we drop the ball we are going to dust ourselves off, pick ourselves up and we are going to start again. We are here to improve and do things better as we go along, but there was no ball dropping.

“As soon as information was received about a positive case, that information was communicated to the Ministry of Education, it would have been communicated to the schools and the contact tracing process would have started and is well on the way.

“And I hope that in the very near future, we will be able to come back and give you more details as to exactly how many people have been placed in quarantine. As soon as we have some details we will share those details, there is no reason for us to hide anything,” Bostic said.

The Minister reminded the nation that international countries that were previously performing well in the COVID-19 fight were suddenly thrown into severe pressure because of ill fate. (AH)

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue its mosquito eradication efforts in St George for a second week.

On Monday, June 28, the fogging team will visit Middleton, Baird’s Village, Logan Road, St Judes, Superlative, Fairview Heights, The Woods, Cottage Court, Todd’s Land and environs.

The following communities will be sprayed on Tuesday, June 29: Salisbury Park, Free Hill, Workman’s, Fairview Terrace and surrounding areas.

Jericho, Citrus Drive, Upper Workmans, Jordan and Rock Hall Park will be fogged on Wednesday, June 30.

The exercise will continue on Thursday, July 1, at Eastlynne, Bulkeleys Heights and Terrace, Good Intent, Crawford Road, James Sisnett Road, Ruth King Road, Sargeant Road, Blenman Road, Eustace Lashley Road, Glen Acres and nearby districts.

On Friday, July 2, Lower Brighton, Ellerton Housing Area, Upper Brighton, Buttals Tenantry, Ellerton Garden, Bulkeley Meadows and environs will be sprayed.

The fogging exercises will be carried out between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. each day.  Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter.

Members of the public are reminded that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the control of the Vector Control Unit. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to affected communities as soon as it can.

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A new electronic vaccination certificate, which was rolled out on Saturday after being approved by Cabinet, will replace the temporary one that was emailed to most fully vaccinated persons.

According to Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, it will feature a barcode and security seal and will be used by patrons for entry into events, as well as for travel to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.  He was speaking at a COVID-19 update and press conference Saturday evening.

Minister Bostic said all persons who have been fully vaccinated would be issued with one of these upgraded certificates. He added that health officials intended to meet with event organisers “over the next few days” to explain how the process will work.

When asked about the 150 limit placed on the number of people who could attend events, Head of the COVID Monitoring Unit, Ronald Chapman, explained that figure was chosen because it was manageable in terms of the amount of risk.

“As the Prime Minister said, as we go ahead and as we do it and are sure we can get it done properly, then there may be room for us to modify and maybe increase that number. But that 150 has to do with the Ministry’s ability to conduct contact tracing, and it also speaks to the level of resources we have and the amount of risk we’re looking to take at this point in time,” Chapman stated.

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From as early as next week, the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory should be in a position to screen positive COVID-19 cases for all variants.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, made this announcement during a COVID-19 update and press conference this evening. He said equipment sent overseas to be recalibrated to facilitate the screening was returned yesterday.

“I am happy to say that there is going to be some validation over this weekend to make sure that the shipping process did not affect the calibration. Once that is successful, then the lab would be in a position from early next week to be able to screen all positive cases for all of the variants. This is a significant step in the process; this will allow us to see exactly what we’re dealing with,” said the Health Minister, who noted that the public health laboratory had already started screening for the Alpha variant.

He further added that primers received from the Pan American Health Organization would assist the lab in testing for other variants.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the Ministry had sent off more samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to be screened.

Minister Bostic also disclosed that the British High Commission in Barbados had made an offer to assist in this regard, while not going into detail.

He said the public health laboratory had been given the resources to purchase equipment which would allow persons there to perform genomic tests and sequencing, with assistance from Barbadians in the diaspora who were experts in this field.

“The most important thing, really, is the fact that hopefully from next week, once all goes well this weekend, we’ll be in a position to do the screening for all positive cases, so we will be able to do the first screening for all of the variants,” Minister Bostic emphasised.

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The Barbados Coast Guard has conducted a successful search and rescue for two Barbadian fishermen onboard fishing vessel P53 NICANNO.

The coast guard deployed the HMBS ENDEAVOUR, approximately 43 nautical miles, south west of Barbados, after receiving reports of the fishing vessel experiencing mechanical difficulties, with one fisherman sustaining an injury.

P53 NICANNO was successfully towed to the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex.

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SOURCE: CMC– Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell is leading an initiative of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to eliminate roaming charges for Caribbean nationals traveling within the region.

 Mitchell, accompanied by his Barbadian counterpart, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, along with representatives from the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, met recently with representatives of Digicel and Cable and Wireless, to discuss the issue.

The removal of roaming rates was identified as an action for CARICOM Heads of Government some years ago, however, progress on the initiative has been quite slow.

 Mitchell, who has lead responsibility in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet for Science and Technology, including Information and Communications, is now reviving that effort and seeking quick agreement on the initiative.

 “I want to indicate that there is a desire, given the history of discussions on this topic, to expedite negotiations and conclude within the shortest possible time, ideally in three months or less, with a view to implementing before the end of 2021. I believe if we can do this, all of us will benefit – the service providers will not lose and the region as a whole will feel better about what we are doing at this important level.”

The Prime Minister’s proposal is to create a “roam-like-at-home” arrangement, similar to what the European Union has done, and eliminate roaming charges on voice, data and SMS messages. 

This arrangement is intended only for CARICOM citizens and will not include international visitors.

With CARICOM working towards the creation of a Single ICT Space, the removal of roaming charges is seen as key to reducing inefficiencies, lowering costs and increasing productivity as part of the digital transformative initiative.

The Grenadian Prime Minsiter also noted that the removal of high roaming charges would help to unleash creativity among the region’s youth, foster greater collaboration and create high quality employment opportunities.

He stated that the initiative has the full backing of all CARICOM heads, citing what he called “strong political support across the entire region.” 

He added that the removal of roaming charges will send a strong signal to Caribbean nationals that leaders are committed to ensuring cost-effective access to the internet, while at the same time fostering the process of regional integration.

Mottley, in supporting this push for removing roaming charges, said, “It is one of the key pillars we see at this time to unleash growth.” 

She referenced the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly reversed the growth of many countries and spoke of the need to leapfrog development. 

“The only way to do that is through the opportunity for digital connectivity beyond the Caribbean region and integrating into the world economy.”

The Barbadian leader, like her Grenadian counterpart, is confident that the “roam-like-at-home” arrangement will allow Caribbean nationals to realise the true desire of a single Caribbean space, since high costs serve to restrict communications and limit economic activity.

She said the pandemic and the increased reliance on telecommunications clearly illustrate why this conversation is absolutely imperative at this time.

Representatives from both Cable and Wireless and Digicel have expressed a willingness to work with CARICOM in considering the removal of roaming charges and create a “win-win partnership”. Although they noted that there are many other issues to discuss apart from roaming, there were assurances that these will not delay talks on the substantive issue.

Mitchell is keen to seen negotiations begin within two weeks, now that there has been a high-level commitment from both companies and from CARICOM to pursue this initiative, and the companies have agreed to set a meeting date for the technical teams to begin discussions.

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On the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO designation of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for culture, John King, is challenging Barbadians to take pride in their history as it has shaped many of the social, political, and cultural norms we have today.

Speaking Sunday at Heritage Month celebrations held in the form of a Heritage Service at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Bridgetown – King said the church not only held much significance historically with it being one of oldest consecrated grounds in the city, but the church also contributed significantly to the cultural landscape of the island.

“This church with its rich history has always been part of the social and religious consciousness of the city – from being the first civic centre and meeting place for the Vestry in the early city, to today being a respite for many who seek shelter from the heat and the bustling city streets. Within the stratified slave society it became a designated burial place for free blacks and coloured.

“In recent history, it has contributed to the development of the entertainment sector by being the nursery for the development of some of Barbados’ best known voices – The Might Gabby and the Tenor Coco, both from nearby Emmerton,” he said

King added, “The church’s relevance within Historic Bridgetown must not be underscored. Whereas its architecture is reminiscent of Georgian architecture, this site also tells the story of the journey and achievements of the enslaved and free blacks.”

King said even though COVID 19 caused major disruptions within most sectors on the island, the pandemic did cause organizations, including the team behind this year’s Heritage Month, to invest more in technology-based initiatives, which contributed heavily to one of the most successful Heritage Month series of activities in years.

“COVID curtailed physical activity, [but] it opened the way to transfer content online and to reach a wider audience for greater collaboration amongst the various stakeholders. It has been a packed month, by far the busiest Heritage Month since the initiative was first started,” King revealed.

As one of the few sites in Bridgetown to have capitalized on the UNESCO designation from the moment it was assigned, King said it was his hope that the church membership adds even more activities for next year’s Heritage Month, as Barbados makes its way towards republic status by the end of this year. (SB)

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The Welfare and Social Service departments will soon be operating under one roof as the Government finalizes plans to create a new department in charge of these much-needed social programmes.

This announcement was made by Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey, during Sunday’s Branch meeting of the St. Michael South Branch of the Barbados Labour Party, at the Graydon Sealy Secondary School.

“Very soon what we know as welfare and the other agencies will be replaced by a new agency called the Department of Family and Children Services in Barbados that will be meant to reduce the duplication and better care to you,” Humphrey said.

“We meet regularly and the document is almost finished and we are going to pull together all of the different departments in the Ministry of People’s Empowerment and bring all of the social services originated-sectors and institutions together to be able to better serve you and to be better able to respond.”

Humphrey explained the focus of the new department will be to, “Reduce the problems in Barbados, address your needs and to give you opportunities for advancement and to bring the services closer to the people.”

According to Humphrey, after receiving much compliments about the slow and inconsistent responses being experienced by locals as they try to access Welfare and other social services, Government has taken the step in finalizing a new streamlined department for Barbadians.

“So, hold on, we have heard you, we understand that your concerns are real and we are making changes to the department … Some of these social care services have so many cases sometimes that they are overburdened,” he said.  (SB)

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