The island’s students will resume online classes when the new school term resumes on Monday, January 10, the Ministry of Education has announced.

In a statement, the Ministry said as a result of the presence of the Omicron variant confirmed here by health authorities on Thursday, discussions will continue on the phased return of face-to-face school.

It advised principals, staff, students and parents to continue to prepare for the resumption of in-person classes on Monday, January 24.

Below is the full text of the statement:

The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training wishes to inform all principals, staff, parents, students and members of the public of the phased face-to-face return to school for Term 2 of the Academic Year 2021-2022.

In light of the information shared at the press briefing by the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Wellness, as it relates to the presence of the Omicron variant in Barbados, school will begin online from Monday, 10 January 2022.

As you are aware, the Ministry of Education has prepared a roadmap for the reopening of school that guides preparation for teaching and learning in the online, blended and face-to-face environments. In light of the new Omicron variant, further discussions must be held with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to determine whether additional precautions must be taken for safe face-to-face reopening.

It is against this backdrop that principals, staff, students and parents should continue to prepare for the phased return to face-to-face school.  The new proposed date for this modality is Monday, 24 January 2022.

Please be reminded that the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training continues to be guided by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as it relates to ensuring the safety of our staff and students during this pandemic. As such, please be mindful that the situation remains fluid.

If there are any changes to the plans for the safe face-to-face reopening, the public will be notified through the Ministry’s website, the School Alert App, GIS and various media houses by Thursday, 20 January 2022.

The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training thanks you for your understanding and cooperation.

Best Wishes for the Season and a Prosperous New Year.

Please stay safe.

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory recorded 255 new COVID-19 cases – 113 males and 142 females – on Thursday, December 30, from the 1,372 tests conducted.

Of these, 48 persons were under the age of 18, and 207 were 18 years and older.

There were 151 people in isolation facilities and 996 in home isolation.

As at December 30, there were 260 deaths from the viral illness.
The public health laboratory has carried out 470,449 tests since February 2020, and recorded 28,565 COVID-19 cases (13,550 males and 15,015 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 155,918 (68.3 per cent of the eligible population).

The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 143,621 (53 per cent of the total population or 62.9 per cent of the eligible population). The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older.

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The Ministry of Education’s decision to commence the Hilary term on January 10, 2022 with online instruction is receiving support from the island’s two major teachers’ unions.

Both president of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) Mary Ann Redman and general secretary of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Herbert Gittens have backed the ministry’s call amid the presence of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron in Barbados.

This decision comes a day after Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kenneth George confirmed a single case of the variant on island confirmed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency Laboratory.

In response today the ministry issued a release that the second term, scheduled to begin on January 4, would be delayed by a week and that principals, staff, students and parents should continue to prepare for the phased return to face-to-face school, with the new proposed date on January 24.

Redman in an interview with Barbados TODAY said her union was in full agreement with the continued online instruction at this point.  While she acknowledged the need for children to return to the school plants, the union leader maintained that due to the present reality, virtual school was the only real choice.

“We have a lot of members too that have comorbidities and we know that lots of children carry the virus even though that they themselves might not be ill. I know that parents want to get back their children into schools, that is clear, but realistically you can’t do so at the risk of overwhelming your medical services. The children were out – and this is a question we have to ask ourselves – to what extent would our experience with Delta been worse if children were already back out in schools? Our health system was almost overwhelmed just a few months ago and the children were at home . . . we forget very quickly,” she said.

Highlighting the issue of learning deficits resulting from the lost teaching time, Redman believed that when things return to normalcy, creative initiatives will have to be put in place to deal with the problem. She said that the BSTU had put forward recommendations to the ministry, which included an extended period both at the primary and secondary level for children over the next two to three years, in addition to the introduction of a shift system in schools. The latter could accommodate more students in the school day when face-to-face- teaching is possible again, she added. She gave the example of 8-12 and 1-5 shifts with some provision made for sanitization in between shifts.

“Of course, that would take a total re-organisation of the schools’ timetable and both of those recommendations would mean that you have to increase your teaching complement. . . . The whole thing about this is we cannot approach efforts at dealing with the challenges of COVID as we normally approach challenges in ‘normal’ circumstances because there is nothing normal about COVID. Therefore, we have to start thinking in ways that are ‘outside the box’ and come up with recommendations and possible solutions to deal with these anomalous circumstances that we are in. Most importantly too, we have to be able to evaluate them and where they are not working, either amend or change entirely,” Redman explained.

The BUT’s Gittens in addressing the proposed January 24 phased return to face-to-face school, said his organisation supports the re-opening of schools but only if it is done safely.

He said: “The discussions will continue, the BUT will continue to work with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Wellness. All the stakeholders will determine at the right time if the conditions are safe for reopening. I believe that the 24th is a possible date that is set but it is not a definite date because discussions will have to continue and the conditions that exist at the time would be used to determine whether or not schools can reopen.”

Included in the ministry’s roadmap to reopening schools was the goal of at least a 70 per cent vaccination rate for the staff of each school. Records indicate that about 10,000, or less than half of the approximately 21,000 children in secondary schools, have been vaccinated.

“I believe that most persons would want to see schools reopened but . . .  under very strict and safe conditions and the BUT will support reopening once it is safe to do so and that also will depend on the various benchmarks that were outlined in the roadmap that is currently and still being discussed for the reopening of schools,” Gittens added.
(KC)

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The Ministry of Education on Friday announced six scholarship winners, 36 exhibition winners and a sole recipient of an Award of Excellence this year.

Two of the scholars are from Harrison College (HC), while the remaining four are from Queens College (QC); while 25 of the exhibition winners are from HC, four from QC, one from Christ Church Foundation Secondary School, one from The Lodge School and five from the Barbados Community College (BCC).

Graduate of the Office Administration programme at the BCC, Kelly-Ann Skeete was the only Award of Excellence winner.

The scholarship winners are: Nathan Chee-A-Tow and Vinati Melawani from Harrison College, and Megan Best, Meladee Carter, Ella-Jean Evelyn and Khaleel Kothdiawala from Queen’s College.

The 25 exhibition winners from Harrison College are: Safiyyah Adams, Amber Austin, Jaleah Barker, Dana Begg, Dominique Bryan, Laila Chin-Clarke, Soumaya Callender, Vienna Cozier, Alexander Dent, Joshua Desir, Thelema Grannum, Raanan Hackett, Jade Jackman, Pritika Kandamaran, Keturah Kellman, Kaia Moseley, Leonard O’Garro, Madihah Patel, Saydiah Russell, Kyle Seales, Teshara Walton, Aisha Waterman, Josh Dayo Weekes, Kyle Yearwood, and Sasha Zephrin.

The four exhibition winners from Queen’s College are: Mikkel Boxill, Jana Scott, Lianna Williams, Justin Yearwood.

Gaziyah Bentham from Christ Church Foundation and Maya Graham from The Lodge School were also the recipients of exhibitions.

“I wish to remind all of you of the great financial investments that this republic is making to your development,” Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw told the award winners. “I encourage you to use this investment wisely as you continue to strive for academic excellence and bring credit to your nation in your chosen fields.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Betty Alleyne-Headley said this year’s winners were announced late this year because Barbados had requested that the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) review the grades of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency (CAPE) level, following the release of CXC results in October 2021.

She said CXC only completed the review this month, further delaying the usual process of streamlining and policy approval at the level of the Ministry and Government.

Alleyne-Headley, who commended the winners for their achievements despite social and economic hardship, urged them to offer themselves to be a part of Barbados’ education reform drive.

Archer-Bradshaw acknowledged that the review of the results took longer than anticipated and was a source of anxiety for many, but said the Ministry wanted to give CXC the opportunity to make things right.

She said it was hoped that parents, students and educators could now put that behind them and celebrate the achievements and acknowledge the hard work, dedication and resilience demonstrated by the students and the support they received from stakeholders.

“Though not receiving awards, many students have worked hard under very trying circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. I, therefore, encourage all students to continue to strive for excellence undaunting by these trying times,” Archer-Bradshaw said.

She said those students disappointed in not obtaining the required grades to be awarded a scholarship or exhibition can be assured that the Ministry is committed to justice and fairness for all students, and will continue to collaborate with CXC and stakeholders for the benefit of Barbadian children.

The education chief also indicated that the Ministry had implemented a learning development and examination success preparation team to support students who deferred the writing of CXC examinations in 2021, and aims to complement the work being done within public secondary schools to mitigate learning loss resulting from the pandemic.

She said the Ministry also held the first of a series of sessions organised by the team, on December 15, which focused on study skills and habits that contribute to examination success.

Archer-Bradshaw indicated that at the session, people identified a need for assistance with resources and also mental health support.

“Consequently, the recently established mental health committee will be working in tandem with the learning development and examination success preparation team to cater to the full range of students’ needs as they navigate these challenging times,” she said.

She added that the Ministry has also set up a help desk for students to communicate their challenges.

In 2020, HC took the bulk of the awards with 11 scholarship winners and 12 exhibition winners, while a Christ Church Foundation student won an exhibition and two BCC students were also exhibition recipients, along with three students from QC.
anestahenry@barbadostoday@bb

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The Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) campaign is pushing back hard against claims that a seemingly hasty decision to call a general election is based on panic, disunity, or other negative factors.

Moments after all 30 BLP candidates paid their deposits ahead of nomination day on Monday, campaign manager, Dr Jerome Walcott declared that the party members all were united behind one leader.

Dr Walcott, who headed the Cabinet COVID-19 sub-committee, dismissed suggestions that citizens’ lives would be at risk because of the timing of the poll, pointing out that the new Omicron variant is considerably less virulent than the three previous strains.

Dozens of political supporters decked in red, lined the premises of the National Housing Corporation (NHC), as the party’s full slate of candidates arrived in coaches.

“First of all, in terms of the parody of us not being united, clearly, you can see that for yourself that we are totally united and we are not disputing at this stage and we are united behind one leader. We are not deciding who is to be president and who is to be a political leader. We are clear, so I discard that,” Walcott told reporters.

He was responding to rumours that discord within the senior ranks of the ruling administration may have prompted Prime Minister Mottley’s election call on Monday. Similar questions were also raised by Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley.

St James Central MP, Kerrie Symmonds, St James North MP, Edmund Hinkson and St Michael East MP, Trevor Prescod all told Barbados TODAY that the suggestions were unfounded.

Responding to allegations that the hosting of an election campaign at this stage of the pandemic could be detrimental to the health of voters, Dr Walcott declared that over some of the most deadly waves, people all over the world were afforded the opportunity to exercise their democratic right.

“In the great United States of America, in the great United Kingdom, in Canada, and in this region, we’ve had elections in Suriname, St Kitts, in St Lucia, in Trinidad, in Jamaica and in the Bahamas, and indeed here in Barbados, we had a by-election last October and all of these parties participated, and there was no talk about recklessness. They were out in their numbers,” said Dr Walcott.

As a result, the campaign manager explained that the Electoral and Boundaries Commission would seek World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and the guidelines from other countries about the staging of elections.

He added that the emergence of vaccines has significantly improved the outlook, along with the rise of Omicron, which, according to him is mild. He noted this progression was much like the Spanish flu, which lasted just over two years and ‘petered out’ after four phases.

In fact, he suggested that the high number of positive cases could be considered a positive for both vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens, who could build up natural immunity from Omicron which, in his view, is akin to the common flu.

“The good thing about it is because of the rapidity with which it is multiplying, it allows those who have been vaccinated to get an additional, normal, natural immunity from the virus. Those who have not been vaccinated like some here, if they get Omicron, they will get natural immunity too and this natural immunity defends them against getting the delta variant subsequently,” said Dr Walcott.

“In other words, this virus, with its weak symptoms and often asymptomatic, nullifies the effects of the Delta virus. So it seems, in the long run, it could be a good thing and it could lead to the end of the COVID pandemic globally and we all hope and pray for that.

“You’re going to get an increase in numbers. It spreads rapidly, but I say it is not as virulent as the Delta or the Alpha that we have had to deal with and that is where we are and that is why we think that an election can be called. And we look forward not only to having elections but to getting people out and about and getting children back to school. That is what we want to do,” the campaign manager added.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb

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The man who came within ten votes of defeating Member of Parliament Santia Bradshaw eight years ago is returning to challenge her for that St Michael South-East seat once again.

Reverend Patrick Tannis, who works in career banking and wealth management confirmed to Barbados TODAY that he paid in his deposit just after noon on Friday, December 31, and will be seeking to unseat Bradshaw in the January 19, 2022 General Election.

“I have returned to politics. I will be contesting with God’s help, at the next General Election in Barbados. And I will be doing so based on my convictions which are centred on my Christian beliefs,” Tannis said.

Though he did not indicate for whom he will be contesting the seat, indications are that Tannis is likely to be running on the newly formed coalition party called the Alliance Party for Progress (APP) ticket which is being led by Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley.

Back in February 2013, as a first-timer on a Democratic Labour Party (DLP) ticket, Tannis scored 2 393 votes while Bradshaw scored 2 402 votes. So close were the scores that the votes were recounted almost four times in a marathon 10 hours before Bradshaw was declared the winner around 5:20 a.m.

Tannis, who said he is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday, January 3, which is also Nomination Day, indicated that he intends to make Barbados the crypto currency centre of the world, resulting in zero unemployment.

President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Pedro Shepherd will be contesting the St Michael South East seat on behalf of the DLP. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Former Parliamentarian Hamilton Lashley says a collaboration with former Government Senator Lucille Moe as a campaign strategist for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) would be a major boost for the DEMS camp.

Lashley who served as Member of Parliament under the DLP and the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) told Barbados TODAY that he has worked with Moe on at least three occasions and considers her one of the best campaign strategists in the Caribbean.

He said he can personally testify to her success as it relates to organizing successful political campaigns.

“She is absolutely astute. She is absolutely meticulous and she is one person that is absolutely reliable. So, with those three major components in play during any election whether it is by-election or general election, she is a formidable opponent and a formidable person in ways that could very well be the catalyst to determine the fluctuating fortunes of any political party,” he said.

“She is not a Johnny-come-lately. She is a person that I would fear tremendously if I had her working against me in those days in St Michael South East. To me, she is an equal, even to Hartley Henry. She is on that level in my view because of the things that she could get to do and how she operates. I cannot find a strategic flaw or operational flaw in the way she operates,” Lashley added.

On Thursday, the DLP General Secretary Derek Alleyne confirmed that while Moe, considered to be a personal friend of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, would not be serving as the DLP campaign manager for the January 19, 2022 elections, she is assisting the party with strategic operations.

However, when contacted by Barbados TODAY, DLP President Verla De Peiza did not confirm or deny that Moe had joined her campaign team. But,  De Peiza who is running for the St Lucy seat noted that her team has strengths that “we draw on from many different spheres”.

Lashley, who stressed that he is also awaiting official word from the DLP that Moe is working with the campaign, said she has the ability to boost the party’s chances of presenting a formidable campaign programme and organized platform. The DLP was soundly defeated in the 2018 general elections 30-0.

“If it is true and if I were Prime Minister Mia Mottley, then of course such a lieutenant general in my camp I could not afford to lose her. Whatever differences that I might have with her or she might have with me, I would have to heal those wounds for the benefit of the party and certainly for the benefit of the political process in Barbados.

“It would be a tremendous loss and it would have serious implications for the strategic operations during these next three weeks for the Barbados Labour Party. And I think that the best thing that could happen is if there is a rift that that rift be healed at this time. If not, then the Democratic Labour Party is going to benefit,” he said. (AH)

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Barbados Labour Party (BLP) campaign manager, Dr Jerome Walcott, on Friday cast a shadow of doubt over an announcement that former Government Senator, Lucille Moe has been retained as a political strategist for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

When asked whether the appointment, which was first reported by this newspaper, would pose a challenge to the BLP’s campaign, Dr Walcott replied: “As far as I am aware, the person that you might be speaking about was at Ilaro Court for several hours yesterday afternoon.

“So if she is working with the DLP, I don’t know what she would be doing at Ilaro Court at the same time,” the BLP campaign manager added.

News of Senator Moe’s appointment with the DLP was confirmed late Thursday evening by the party’s General Secretary, Derek Alleyne, as well as numerous sources within the party.

However, DLP president, Verla DePeiza, has continuously stopped short of confirming the appointment. (KS)

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Despite a busier than expected Christmas season, some clothing retailers are now feeling the pinch of slow sales.

On the final shopping day before the close of the year, when Barbadians can normally be found doing last-minute shopping for special outfits for Old Year’s Night events, minimal crowds were seen in The City.

Owner of Jayson’s clothing boutique, Chandru Thani, told Barbados TODAY that although the month of December had been a lot better than the rest of 2021 sales wise, the normally hectic Yuletide season was unusually slow overall.

“Thank God we survived it. It was not as bad as it was in the beginning of the month, things picked up with the grace of God so we are very grateful for that, and of course that big VAT-free day made a difference.

“For the Old Year’s Night, people are a bit conscious today and we did not do as we expected … for the four days, but the day is still young and things will pick up, I am sure, later down as a lot of people are last-minute,” he said.

Thani admitted that tourism in many respects has been helping with sales, as visitors continue to make their way into Bridgetown to shop; however, with supply chain issues still persisting for many retailers, 2022 sale predictions are currently unclear.

“We have not seen much of a trend yet, no change so far, but maybe slowly. There is a lot of tourism [coming back] to the island now; had quite a few tourists coming in. Maybe in January as things start to pick up, things should go better.

“Getting our supplies was a real problem. A lot of suppliers that used to send us things on time, they themselves did not have the stocks. So it is a chain that passes on – we bring stuff from nearby, we don’t go to China, but that affected everybody. There is no way to get away from it, and a lot of shipments got delayed. We have Christmas stuff that will be coming in in January.”

General Manager of Men’s Room at City Centre Mall, Rodney Alleyne, echoed Thani’s sentiments, saying that though sales did improve slightly for the month, and in particular on the VAT-free day, the overall outlook into 2022 continues to be uncertain.

“The VAT-free day was quite decent, not as explosive as we expected it to be, but it was quite decent. A lot of stock we would have liked to have gotten, we were unable to receive, and it did hamper us a little bit in our sales,” he said. (SB)

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Despite the challenges they endured studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Barbados Scholarship and Exhibition winners are pleased their hard work and dedication have paid off and are looking forward to bright futures.

Even though some of them have already begun their studies at tertiary institutions locally, regionally and internationally, several of them indicated that upon completing their studies, they intend to contribute to the development of Barbados.

On Friday, via livestream, the Ministry of Education announced the names of six 2021 Barbados Scholars – two from Harrison College (HC) and four from Queens College (QC) –, 36 exhibition winners, and one Award of Excellence recipient from the Barbados Community College (BCC).

Vinati Melawani of HC, who is studying engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada, said she intends to contribute to improving infrastructure in the Caribbean when she becomes a civil engineer.

Megan Best of QC said she was undecided on a career path and noted that she was taking time off from studying at this time. However, Best said whatever path she chooses, she intends to contribute to the development of Barbados and the region.

Meladee Carter, who attended QC and is pursuing a Bachelors in Business Administration at the Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, said she intends to give back to Barbados through marketing consultancy and helping entrepreneurs understand their brand is not just their business but also how they present themselves to their target audiences.

Ella-Jean Evelyn, also of QC, is currently enrolled in the Mathematics programme at the University of Waterloo, Canada, majoring in Actuarial Science. The scholar said she intends to work for a local insurance company or perhaps provide consultancy services.

Scholar Khaleel Kothdiwala who has made his presence felt in the political arena from a young age, thanked the Government for demonstrating a commitment to education by awarding scholarships despite difficult circumstances.

Kothdiwala, who congratulated all the award winners, is studying law at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus.

“With respect to my own particular passion in terms of the ability to give back to Barbados, I feel like it is important that we increase the level of public education in respect of our legal system. Many of us are daunted by the law and it need not be so, because it plays such an integral role in our lives,” Kothdiwala said.

Exhibitionist Soumaya Callender, who attended HC, is currently pursuing studies in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Cave Hill. She said as a doctor she intends to improve the physical, mental and emotional health and wellness of Barbadians and others, whether she works in the public or private sector.

HC graduate and exhibition winner Vienna Cozier, who is enrolled in the commerce programme at the University of Toronto, Canada, said she will be returning to Barbados to start her own business in an area that would contribute to the country’s development.

Former student of Christ Church Foundation School, Gaziyah Bentham, who thanked all those who pushed him towards academic success, said he hoped his accomplishment of attaining a 2021 exhibition will act as a source of encouragement for those students he left behind at the Christ Church school.

“Currently, I am at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus and I am pursuing a double major in computer science and accounting. I wholeheartedly intend to contribute to the socio-economic well-being of Barbados,” Bentham said.

Exhibition winner from the Lodge School, Maya Graham said she is in the process of applying to two international universities where she intends to study sustainable agriculture.

“I hope that this education will help me to come back to Barbados and further innovate the agricultural industry by hopefully trying to incorporate more sustainable techniques into our agriculture so that we can really get more foreign business,” Graham said.

Nekoda Ellis, one of the five graduates of the BCC who won an exhibition, will be attending the Cave Hill campus from January where he will be pursuing the Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. Ellis said his ultimate goal is to become a drama therapist.

“Drama therapy, in a nutshell for those who are wondering, is basically using drama techniques to allow persons to articulate their feelings through role play, singing, dancing, acting, among other things. And with my knowledge in therapy, I do believe that this unconventional form of psychology will very much assist with diversifying psychology in Barbados and our exploration of mental health,” Ellis said.

Kelly-Ann Skeete, who studied Office Administration and Management at BC, won the Award of Excellence. (AH)

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Hours after Barbados became host to a cruise ship that was turned away by another destination because of positive COVID-19 cases on board, another vessel has extended its time in this island’s waters.

Passengers on the will spend New Year’s Eve docked here, following an announcement by its captain on Wednesday that it would be making an adjustment to its itinerary, to await additional crew, resulting in the extension of its time in Bridgetown.

The Queen Mary 2, which was on a 28-day round-trip itinerary, arrived in Barbados on Tuesday and was scheduled to leave for Dominica the following day. Also on the itinerary were St Maarten and New York on December 30 and January 3, respectively.

However, in a letter to guests, the captain announced that as a precautionary measure, the vessel would be extending its stay in Barbados for additional “manning” until the evening of January 2, following which it would head straight back to the UK.

“Having spoken to the relevant authorities and to our head offices in Miami and in Southampton about our long onward itinerary, we have concluded that as a precautionary measure, we will need to take on additional manning in essential roles onboard before we continue our voyage back to the UK. Given the current international travel situation, this will take a few days so we will remain here in Barbados until the new crew members can join,” the correspondence read in part.

According to some reports, when the vessel first arrived in New York on December 10, there were about 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases, which amounted to roughly 0.7 per cent of the ship’s capacity, and guests were being isolated. There were just over 1,470 passengers on board.

The Queen Mary 2 is coming on the heels of Barbados welcoming Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas on Christmas Eve, after the ship, which had some 48 COVID-19 positive cases, was reportedly denied entry to the port in St Lucia.

Earlier that week, Odyssey of the Seas was denied entry at Curacao and Aruba after dozens of COVID-19 cases were discovered onboard.

Barbados became host to several cruise ships and thousands of passengers in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted several countries to close their ports of entry.

Several ships have been denied entry at several ports in the Caribbean and Mexico since cruising restarted.

With some ports tightening entry requirements for passengers, more cruise lines are either cancelling cruises or making adjustments to their itineraries.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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Solutions Barbados and two other budding political organisations have been privately making headway on a plan to join forces in an attempt to capture at least 22 seats in Parliament.

And in an unprecedented move, Solutions president Grenville Phillips II has pledged to support candidates from other political parties particularly in constituencies where representation from his coalition is absent.

On Friday, Phillips paid deposits on behalf of 10 Solutions candidates who he expects will run in the constituencies they canvassed during the 2018 General Election.

However, the well-known engineer would neither disclose the names of his candidates nor the other parties involved.

“I am still not running but I came to ensure that we have 10 candidates that are going to run, because once you have a minimum of 10, then you are recognized and allowed on CBC,” Philips told reporters at the National Housing Corporation’s headquarters.

“We are going to have a coalition of three parties, we expect to have over 20 candidates, we are hoping there are going to be 30, but if they are not, we know we will definitely have about 22 candidates and then we will endorse eight who agree with our policies and know the Lord,” he further disclosed.

Phillips promised to hold a press conference to more formally present the coalition.

When pressed about his promise to endorse eight other candidates, he explained that they would come from among his political opponents.

“We also have to select out of the others in the UPP, the BLP, Atherley’s party, those who we can endorse. There will probably be about eight, so we will have to select those…Every Barbadian needs to have a choice in this election,” he stressed.

Later in the day, General Secretary of the Barbados Sovereignty Party, Michael Thompson said his party would join the coalition.

Meanwhile, the newly formed Alliance Party for Progress, which is a merger of the People’s Party for Democracy and Development and the United Progressive Party, turned out to pay their deposits clad in their party colours of green and orange respectively.

However, the leaders, Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley and Lynette Eastmond said they were uncertain how many candidates were on the slate.

Eastmond promised to provide a more comprehensive update at a later date. (KS)

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Officials at Preconco Limited were busy assessing the impact of a fire that ravaged the office of the main building at Lears Road, Jackman, St Michael on Thursday night.

A Barbados TODAY team was not allowed to enter the compound on Friday morning, but several company personnel were on site surveying the damage.

Efforts to reach Preconco officials were unsuccessful.

However, fire officials disclosed on Friday that they received a call about the blaze around 11:44 p.m. the previous night and the first team arrived on the scene within 15 minutes.

A 23-member crew which included Acting Chief Fire Officer Henderson Patrick, two divisional officers, two station officers and two leading officers responded to the call.

Investigations are continuing. (BT)

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COVID-19 once again dominated the headlines of 2021.

While there was much hope by Government and Barbadians alike that 2021 would have been the year in which the pandemic was defeated, the situation in fact worsened.

This was highlighted by the fact that COVID-19 related deaths increased exponentially, as a result of the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Barbados recorded its first COVID-19 case in March 2020, and by the end of that year, seven people had died from the respiratory virus. However, that figure skyrocketed to 260 by December 31, 2021.

And just a day before the New Year, Barbadians got the dreaded news that the latest COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron, had been detected on the island.

While not as dangerous as the Delta variant, Omicron is highly contagious and can be spread easily by fully vaccinated or unvaccinated persons.

The latest development came just as Barbadians were returning to a sense of normalcy, with events and parties given the green light to resume for the first time in a year.

In announcing that Omicron had been detected, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George advised persons not to panic and urged them to continue following the protocols.

The news meant Barbadians were entering 2022 unsure about whether additional restrictions would be enforced in the New Year in an effort to control the spread of Omicron.

At the start of 2021, after a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and increased deaths, a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was already in place. However, following the emergence of several new COVID-19 clusters, including one at the country’s lone prison HMP Dodds, Prime Minister Mia Mottley lengthened the curfew – 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – from February 3, as part of a two week “national reset”.

During that period, only businesses deemed to be essential services such as supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies, doctors and bakeries were allowed to open.

Additionally, the PM also tightened restrictions at the Grantley Adams International Airport, with visitors to the island requiring a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. They also had to take a test on arrival and their quarantine period was also increased from two to five days.

After receiving its first tranche of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX Facility, Government rolled out its National Vaccination Programme on February 12, with frontline workers among the first to receive their jab.

Within the next month, following a decrease in the number of positive cases and with over 50,000 Barbadians taking the vaccine, Government eased the restrictions, moving the curfew back to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

It seemed as though Barbados was on the way to success, with Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic announcing that the country had reached its goal of a positivity rate of less than 25 per 100,000.

Speaking at the Barbados Labour Party’s three-year anniversary virtual conference on May 23, Bostic revealed that the positivity rate during that seven-day period had dipped to 1.04 per cent.

At that time, he said more than 70,000 Barbadians had been vaccinated – more than 51, 000 fully.

However, that ‘victory’ was short-lived.

Due to the closure of schools because of the pandemic and the switch to online learning presenting several challenges to both students and teachers, a decision was made to delay the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE) from May until July 28.

Government also made the call to scrap the Crop Over festival for a second straight year.

On June 19, the Health Minister revealed that the Delta variant had been identified in Barbados. Within a number of weeks, COVID-19 cases and deaths rose to an alarming level.

Nothing seemed to stop the deadly wave which claimed the lives of old, middle-aged and young people.

A planned resumption of face-to-face classes in September never materialized due to an increase in positive cases among students.

And while three months earlier Bostic had celebrated Barbados’ positivity rate of less than 25 per 100,000, he could only lament the fact that the statistic had now jumped to 287 cases per 100,000.

That figure eventually climbed to over 1,500 cases per 100,000.

During a subsequent press conference, Dr Natasha Sobers-Grannum, a lecturer in public health and epidemiology at the University of the West Indies, warned that the country could see between 700 and 800 positive cases daily.

With cases continuing to increase at an alarming rate, the isolation and quarantine facilities that Government had expanded because of the high COVID-19 numbers, became overwhelmed.

This led to the establishment of home quarantine and home isolation options, with persons initially required to meet certain standards to qualify.

However, most persons were eventually allowed to stay at home because the island’s medical facilities were under pressure.

In mid-November, as the number of new COVID-19 cases began to fall, restrictions were again eased, with the curfew being shortened once again, running from 12 midnight to 5 a.m. daily. The curfew was removed for Christmas Eve and adjusted to 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

In its continued efforts to fight the spread of the virus, Government began administering third shots of the COVID-19 vaccines, otherwise known as booster shots.

To date, around 57 per cent of the island’s population of 280,000 have been vaccinated, but with Omicron now among us, health authorities have once again reiterated their calls for Barbadians to get vaccinated. (randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)

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The wheels of justice continued to turn in Barbados despite the continued challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Several high-profile cases dominated headlines even as the court reduced in-person capacity by suspending jury trials and fully embracing the online portal in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus as well as tackle the longstanding backlog plaguing the court system.

And unlike the seemingly unending pandemic which has cut short lives and caused a myriad of personal and economic trials, a court challenge against some COVID-19 directives died a quick death.

After days of legal arguments and counter-arguments, High Court Judge Madam Justice Jacqueline Cornelius threw out all constitutional challenges brought by Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn and two businessmen – shopkeeper Adrian Kellman and minimart owner Benson Straker – to the directives.

Senator Franklyn had challenged the manner in which the Emergency Management legislation, crafted by the Mia Mottley-led administration, was imposed. He contended that the Government was illegally enforcing directives that did not have Parliament’s approval.

Kellman’s court action stemmed from the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit’s closure of his popular Kermit’s Bar in Thornbury Hill, Christ Church; while Straker and his business, Benson’s Minimart, sued Attorney General Dale Marshall and Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith, alleging that they acted unlawfully and beyond their legal power of authority in enforcing the Emergency Management (Amendment) Act which governs the directives.

But during a virtual sitting in October, Madame Justice Cornelius ruled the directives were a proportionate response to the pandemic and not a breach of any fundamental rights.

The High Court judge refused the claimants’ request for declarations that the actions of the defendants were ultra vires, unconstitutional, discriminatory, null and void, or of no effect in law.

In September, after months of hearing and adjournments mainly due to the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, this island’s Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes ruled that Alex Tasker, the former Insurance Corporation of Barbados Ltd. (ICBL) executive linked to the Donville Inniss cash-for-coverage scandal, be turned over to United States authorities to stand trial.

But the extradition was stayed for 15 days from the day of the ruling, as Tasker remained on bail while his lawyers got set to appeal the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court decision.

US federal authorities want Tasker to be tried for his alleged role in a money laundering scheme that led to Inniss’ conviction for pocketing bribes to award government insurance contracts to ICBL.

Prosecutors allege that between August 2015 and April 2016, Tasker conspired with others to launder money in the US from outside the country, in violation of US law.

In November, the Chief Magistrate also closed the chapter on the long-running sedition case against President of the Prison Officers Association, Trevor Browne.

Browne had been accused of maliciously endeavouring to seduce fellow officers David Davis, Ophneal Austin, Shanell Ellis-Vaughn and Stephenson Trotman from their duties by participating in a sickout between May 1 and May 9, 2018.

But he was freed of the charges after Weekes expressed “concerns and doubts” as well as curiosity about the case.

“I must say that because of my use of the word curious, I really have not been satisfied with the prosecution’s case.

“This court will be in a strange and dangerous place given the nature of what the Prison Act says . . . . I definitely have my doubts in this matter,” Weekes said about the case brought under Section 27 of the Prison Act.

“I believe that it was partially a rush to judgment, especially on behalf of the chief investigator. And with those doubts and this court’s obligation by law . . . I am not satisfied as I should be in respect of the prosecution’s case.”

To Browne, he said, “given all of those circumstances I have found you not guilty – you are free to go”, even as the Crown stated its intention to appeal and Browne declared he would be “taking legal action as to what they did to me”.

Also in November, all eyes were again on the High Court where Justice Carlisle Greaves delivered a “long and strong” 25-year sentence on St Lucy gunmen Andre Lord Evil Jackman and his associates, Kaeron Sylvian Moore and Shane Hakeem Omar Babb, for the “tit-for-tat, gang-like” attack on their community three years ago.

The judge, in handing down the sentence, stated that the St Lucy community deserved “a long peace” from the trio.

Jackman, Moore and Babb were found guilty by a jury earlier this year of having an illegal firearm in their possession as well as unlawfully and recklessly engaging in conduct that placed Reshawn Greaves and Michael Abbott in danger of death or serious bodily harm on September 30, 2018. Moore and Babb were also found guilty of damaging a house belonging to Chrisandra Greaves.

For damaging Chisandra Greaves’ house, Moore and Babb were each given ten-year sentences, 15 years for using a firearm without a licence, and 15 years for conduct endangering the life of Reshaen Greaves.

But it was the charge for endangering Abbott’s life that the gavel came down on the convicts.

“I consider, therefore, that a sentence of 25 years is appropriate,” said Justice Greaves who said the jail terms would run concurrently with effect from October 21, 2021, minus the time they had spent on remand.

Police officer Everton Randolph Gittens walked free of three criminal charges, including murder, on December 21.

After years of hearing evidence, Magistrate Christie Cuffy-Sergeant, from the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, ruled that based on the evidence, the charges against Gittens, of Lot 1 Dash Gap, Bank Hall, St Michael, “cannot be sustained and the holding of a prima facie case has not been made out by the prosecution”.

She added: “The accused . . . is discharged from this court . . . . You are free to go”.

Gittens had been charged with the March 15, 2015 murder of Selwyn Blues Knight. He was also accused of recklessly engaging in conduct that placed the deceased’s son, Junior Knight in danger of death or serious bodily harm and unlawfully wounding him with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to cause him some serious bodily harm.

Knight and his son were allegedly shot by Gittens at Dash Gap while they were apprehending a man who had just broken into their home and stolen two tablets.

Knight’s grieving widow, who had been calling for justice, said she had been bracing herself for an unexpected verdict

“Through the six years, I braced myself for ‘what if’. I always had myself braced for anything that would happen. And the way I see things was going in the court, I knew that I had a hard task. So, I just relax my shoulders, breathe in and tek it like a woman,” she said.

The courts came to a close for the holiday break but the judicial system has been busy putting measures to balance the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and dispensing justice in the New Year.
fernellawedderburn@barbadostoday.bb

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Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to exercise their Constitutional right to vote in the January 19 General Election.

Making the announcement Saturday morning, Head of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit, Ronald Chapman said that it was “a hard pill to swallow” for anyone who wants to be a part of the electoral process but “we have to be our brother’s keeper”.

His comments were made during a news conference hosted by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to give an update on its election preparedness.

“Persons who are tested positive for COVID we are asking those persons who are in home isolation to please stay at home. Persons who are obviously in isolation at the Harrison Point facility or any other facility, those persons are required to stay in those facilities,” Chapman said.

“We understand that voting is the cornerstone of our democracy [but] we are still in a pandemic and those persons are highly infectious and we wouldn’t want those persons to go out to a polling station where we know we have all cadres of Barbadians there. So, we still want to be safe and we are asking persons if they know they are feeling ill please stay at home. If you know you have a confirmed diagnosis for COVID and you are in isolation, that is what isolation is and you stay put,” he said, while noting that there will be no testing sites at nomination or polling stations.

Chapman also indicated that no provisions such as mail-in ballots for in-home isolation or quasi polling stations will be set-up at isolation centres to accommodate members of the electorate who are in mandatory isolation. He explained that the reason for this was because the Harrison Point isolation centre in St. Lucy along with other centres are extensions of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

“At no point in time would you want to disenfranchise someone. It is one of the fundamental rights of who we are as a democracy. However, we have to recognise, and I will repeat it, those isolation facilities are extensions of the QEH. They are not institutions in themselves and I do not remember any time in the past … where provisions were made for persons who are in the hospital to vote. And a lot of those persons who would have been in the QEH and so on, those persons were not infectious. They were probably in there recovering from heart disease, trauma or something of that sort,” Chapman said.

“What we have now is a disease that is highly infectious. We have just been told by the chief medical officer not too long ago that we have Omicron here in Barbados and we know that Omicron is even more infectious than Delta. So, we have to be able to balance those too. We have to be able to err on the side of continuity of the country as much as possible,” he said.

However, Queen’s Counsel Hal Gollop, who also sits as a member on the EBC, has warned that because of the Constitutional element of the decision, it would be wise to first seek a legal opinion before any concrete decisions are made.

“I think it goes much further than passing off a definitive statement that it cannot be done because of this and because of that. I believe that is outside Mr. Chapman’s competence because it has an impact on law and I think it would be wiser to have an opinion on this so that the position of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission can be based on a solid legal opinion rather than that of Mr. Chapman. This is no aspersion on his competence. His competence is that of a health official not a lawyer and this thing has a legal element attached to it and that is my advice in this regard,” the attorney said.

Supervisor of Elections, Angela Taylor, while not speaking to whether the decision not to make provisions for voters in isolation would be reconsidered, gave the assurance that the EBC was always looking for ways to improve.

“With the advent of the COVID-19, I am sure there will be a time in the short future when we do sit down and discuss this matter of voting other than in-person voting and see where we can take that,” she said. (KC)

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Although the Barbados economy faced another uphill battle in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was some measure of recovery, as evident by two consecutive quarters of economic growth between April and September.

While foreign exchange reserves grew and government revenues started to show signs of rebounding, expenditure continued to rise, as did the country’s debt stock at the start of the year.

After a prior year of turbulence, the island’s bread and butter tourism sector started to recover, which became even more apparent during the second and third quarters of 2021, due to increased access to COVID-19 vaccines in key source markets and the gradual easing of travel restrictions.

For the first three months of this year, the Barbados economy recorded a staggering 19.8 per cent decline. The gross international reserves decreased by $86 million during the first quarter to $2.6 billion.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still having a severe impact on almost every aspect of the economy, Government was forced to fork out millions of dollars to manage the health and economic crisis, with some $166 million being spent in the first quarter.

Also in the first quarter of 2021, the island’s debt reached $12.92 billion or 153 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Of note was Government’s announcement at the end of January of a $3 million stimulus for close to 3,000 registered shop owners and vendors whose businesses would be closed for two weeks beginning in February.

Millions more in financial assistance were made available for other registered small businesses and unregistered entrepreneurs.

At the beginning of January, the island started to witness a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases with some 200 being recorded within the space of two days, triggering the Barbados Private Sector Association to express grave concerns.

The rising cases resulted in a two-week lockdown at the start of February, which is said to have cost Government some $25 million.

From the start of the year, a number of business owners started announcing closure of their establishments for ramped up sanitization of work areas, due to employees testing positive for the virus. This continued for several months.

As COVID-19 cases soared at the start of the year testing ramped up but then began the problem of delays in getting test results. This resulted in Government paying the accommodation costs for visitors who had to wait in excess of 72 hours for their results.

In 2021, Barbados’ ranking on the economic freedom index slipped to 92 out of 180 countries, placing it as “moderately free” with a score of 61.4 out of 100. Barbados was ranked 67th the year prior.

For the April to June period, the economy was estimated to have grown by 5.5 per cent, and while tourism, the island’s main economic sector, remained subdued it was around this time that it started showing signs of recovery as travel restrictions started to ease.

The international reserves by this time had increased to $2.7 billion or just over 40 weeks of import cover, while gross public sector debt to GDP was about 150.3 per cent.

COVID-19 continued to adversely impact the public finances, reducing revenue and raising public sector spending. This test of the economy would continue throughout the year.

Of note in 2021, were the repeated calls from Democratic Labour Party (DLP) spokesman on business Ryan Walters for Government to give more attention to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector.

Officials of the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority continued the buildout of the medical cannabis industry throughout the year as it processed several licences.

Work also continued in the digital economy, with Government announcing in mid-November that it would establish a metaverse or digital embassy, which would allow Barbados to recognise digital sovereign land.

An unemployment rate of about 17.2 per cent for the first quarter, fell to an estimated 15.9 per cent by the end of June.

During the review period, repeated calls were made for Barbados to urgently diversify the economy while making the tourism industry more sustainable.

By the end of September, the economy had recorded a decline of 3.2 per cent, the international reserves stood at a healthy $2.9 billion, the debt stock started its decline to reach 146.1 per cent of GDP, and both revenue and expenditure had increased.

Throughout the year, one of the hot topics in some circles was the Government’s borrowing. Having borrowed close to a billion dollars in 2020, the Mia Mottley administration continued its borrowing streak in 2021.

As a percentage of GDP, Barbados is considered one of the 10 most indebted countries.

Government was forced to borrow about $1.2 billion during the financial year 2020/2021, most of which (about 90 per cent) was foreign debt in the form of policy-based loans from international financial institutions.

Economists have argued that the increase in debt as a percentage of the island’s GDP would naturally go up since the economic base had shrunken.

However, mixed views were shared on the rising debt, with some economists saying it was not healthy given the need for repayment of external loans which will need to be done in foreign currency, while others have argued that the current economic circumstances justified the accumulation of debt even if most of it was for providing a reserves buffer.

Since entering the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, Government had received some $850 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) up to the middle of December 2021.

One of the most welcomed moves by the Mottley administration in 2021 was the implementation of a Value Added Tax (VAT)-free day, on December 20.

Both consumers and retailers hailed the one-day VAT holiday a hit, with some calling for it to be repeated.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

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The year 2021 was a tough one in all respects – from COVID-19 spikes, lockdowns, ashfall, freak storms and the first hurricane in over 50 years to sad goodbyes.

Over the course of this very difficult year, 260 lives were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Delta variant took hold of the country.

The country also said goodbye to some big personalities, one of whom was Sir Charles Othneil Williams.

On Friday, November 19, 2021, the outspoken construction magnate whose pioneer road-building, housing and farming developments dominated the Barbadian landscape, died at age 88 at the Bayview Hospital.

Sir Charles rose from humble origins to become the nation’s largest private owner of the land and the founder of C.O Williams Construction.

Educated at The Lodge School, Sir Charles built the Williams Group of Companies with his younger brother, Ralph Bizzy Williams, which pioneered construction, mining, dairy farming, horticulture, agriculture, housing, electrical contracting, and more.

There were some deaths that sparked a national outcry. Among them was the May 22 shooting death of Sergeant Newton Lewis.

Lewis, 46, was shot while responding to an attempted robbery in his neighbourhood of Rose Hill, St Peter.

Two other deaths rocked the country – those of a mother and daughter who perished in a house fire.

Janice Mitchell and her daughter Keisha Mitchell died from injuries they sustained in a fire at their Chapman Lane, Bridgetown home on July 10, under suspicious circumstances.

This year, the media fraternity, and the Starcom Network family, in particular, lost two veterans in quick succession – Dennis Johnson and DJ Warren ‘Jon Doe’ Forte.

Johnson, a father of three who died at his home in November at the age of 64, was a senior producer and moderator of Voice of Barbados’ Down to Brass tacks call-in programme.

He had been public about his battle with myasthenia gravis, a chronic, progressive disorder of the immune system in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscles. The illness affects voluntary movement, especially control of eyes, mouth, throat and limbs and, in rare cases, leads to death.

Days later, HOTT 95.3 FM’s Jon Doe passed away at the age of 46. He collapsed suddenly at the Starcom Network studios and efforts by paramedics and doctors to revive him were unsuccessful.

Forte, a past student of Harrison College, was trained in finance, a field in which he worked before joining Starcom Network in 1999. He was a programme assistant and supervisor at HOTT 95.3 FM at the time of his death.
kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb

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We are ready. That’s the declaration made by Supervisor of Election Angela Taylor in response to growing concerns that Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s unexpected announcement of the January 19 General Election had caught many, including the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC), unprepared.

During a press conference hosted by the EBC this morning to give an update on its election preparedness, Taylor said that their elections preparations are “on point”. In fact, she disclosed that the EBC usually begins preparing for General Elections two and a half years after the last one.

“So we had already started our preparations, we have just accelerated. I can assure you our team of election workers are in place. The list of returning officers and election clerks would have been published yesterday, so that is available for all to see. As the chairman said, we are doing the training of that cadre … today and we are ready for nomination day (January 3). We have a team of persons working this weekend and we will have all the bags packed with all the supplies needed for the candidates to be nominated at the centres. The list of nomination centres has also been published,” she said.

Taylor noted that the only difference between preparations for these general elections and previous ones was the ongoing challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, she was confident that measures taken to ensure the compliance of COVID-19 protocols on both nomination and polling days will be effective. She said to make certain of this, the COVID- 19 Monitoring Unit had developed a document to outline protocols, which the Commission is expected to observe as it carries out its election activities. According to Taylor, these protocols lay out the EBC meetings with the political parties, the media, the procedures on nomination day, special polling day, general polling day, the night of the count as well as information for the conduct of political meetings and other political activities.

“So we do have the protocols before us and we will be training our staff to be familiar with everything that they have to put in place. On this occasion we have a separate team for COVID- 19 matters so that we have enough persons at the polling stations to take the temperatures, to sanitise the hands of voters, to ensure that voters are social distancing, to sanitise the polling booth after persons have voted. We will be training that staff as well but we do wish to assure the public that we have made every provision for ensuring that the COVID-19 protocols are complied with,” Taylor said.

In terms of accommodating the estimated 514 polling stations for social distancing, Taylor said they had reduced the numbers of persons attending each polling station at a single time. And she asked for the cooperation of voters in the endeavour. 

So, whereas, persons who are working would usually flock in their numbers at the stations early in the morning or in the evening after work, she encouraged them to instead vote during their lunch hours to avoid bottlenecks. This was a sentiment echoed by chairman of the EBC, Leslie Haynes who implored employers to exercise some lenience and allow their employees a little extra time during their lunch hours.

“Someone might be working in St Michael and they might have to go to St James, let them take the time and vote so as to minimize the COVID-19 risk. It may take an hour and a half, it may take two hours, so be it, it is only one day of the year,” Haynes said.

Taylor also indicated that as customary in every general election, elderly citizens will be fast-tracked [and] in some cases a separate line may also be created for them to get them in and out as quickly and safely as possible. (KC)

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An emergency meeting has been called by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Barbados TODAY has been reliably informed that this is as a result of the controversial decision not to allow citizens tested positive for COVID-19 to vote in the upcoming January 19 election. 

A source told Barbados TODAY that this decision is expected to be amended during the meeting.

This morning head of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit, Ronald Chapman described it as “a hard pill to swallow” but also indicated that no provisions would be made for alternative voting options outside of the traditional in-person practice.

Barbados TODAY understands that Chapman’s comments sparked swift public outrage, which has now caused the EBC, led by its chairman Leslie Haynes Q.C., and vice-president Hal Gollop Q.C, to meet with its members at 2:30 pm via Zoom.

During a press conference hosted by the EBC to give an update on its election preparedness this morning, Chapman said: “At no point in time would you want to disenfranchise someone. It is one of the fundamental rights of who we are as a democracy. However, we have to recognise, and I will repeat it, those isolation facilities are extensions of the QEH. They are not institutions in themselves and I do not remember any time in the past . . . where provisions were made for persons who are in the hospital to vote. And a lot of those persons who would have been in the QEH and so on, those persons were not infectious. They were probably in there recovering from heart disease, trauma or something of that sort. What we have now is a disease that is highly infectious.”

At the time Gollop, in highlighting provisions had indeed been made in previous elections for shut-ins and people in district hospitals to vote, warned that because of the Constitutional nature of the decision, the EBC should first seek a legal opinion before making any definitive statements.

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