A St Michael Central sports academy and an academic programme are just a few of the plans Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate Courie Cox has in store to improve the lives of residents living in that constituency.

Rolling out some of his plans at a spot meeting in St Michael Central on Thursday evening, Cox said he has at least eight developmental programmes listed to implement in that constituency.

He said that despite competitive sports not being played at this time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sporting programmes should be introduced to harness the skills and talents of the youth in the meantime.

“We might not be able to play a cricket match, but we can teach cricketing techniques. We can create cricket nets, we can create soccer nets, sports are a very big opportunistic area. Mathematics and English are not going to work for everybody. And those who want to excel in the avenue of sports must be given that opportunity and that is why we are going to launch the St Michael Central Sports Academy.

“It doesn’t make any sense that we just got a pasture down there and sheep running across it, bush running across it and everybody coming and putting a little something on it. Just now we aint gine got no pasture,” he said.

Cox also intends to introduce a job counselling placement programme in the constituency. He said, while canvassing, many people have pointed out that they want jobs but noted that they are in need of help putting together their resumes.

The candidate said some constituents have informed him that they have lost employment opportunities because they were not prepared for the interview process.

“We will also be establishing in conjunction with someone in the constituency, a St Michael Central Orchestra. Those young people who are interested in instrumentation, bands, singing, etc. Ladies and gentlemen, I have about eight here listed and as I go along, I will be bringing more programmes.

“These programmes are not from the brain of Courie Cox or the mind of Courie Cox. These are the programes that have been brought from canvassing in this constituency,” he said.

Cox told constituents to ask themselves what their Barbados Labour Party (BLP) representative Arthur Holder, who they elected in 2018 as their parliamentary representative, did for the constituency.

He has accused Holder of doing limited things for constituents over the past three and a half years.

“One or two people have even been selected to work in the debushing programme and the ash programme. But I want the representative and the rest of the ministers in the Government to stop taking advantage of the young people even in that same ash programme.

“You giving people a little pay, fantastic. But pay some NIS [National Insurance Scheme] on behalf of the young people because if any of them go out there and they break their hand or they break their finger, not a cent they can’t get from the NIS. If a lady becomes pregnant and she wants maternity leave she can’t get it,” Cox said. (AH)

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At least one candidate representing one of the small political parties in the upcoming elections as well as one independent candidate feel slighted by their exclusion from the coalition Alliance Party for Progress (APP).

Member of the Barbados Sovereignty Party (BSP), Philip Catlyn, who will be contesting the St Thomas seat, and independent candidate for the City of Bridgetown, Fallon Best on Thursday spoke about being left out of the mix.

Catlyn, who will be going up against incumbent St Thomas MP Cynthia Forde of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Rolerick Hinds of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), and independent candidate Samuel Maynard, complained that his party was shunned by APP leader Bishop Joseph Atherley.

APP is the coalition party that was created when Atherley’s People’s Party for Democracy (PdP) and the United Progressive Party (UPP) joined forces after Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the elections for January 19.

Best, who ran for Solutions Barbados in the 2018 general elections, expressed disappointment that he was not chosen to be on an APP ticket this time around.

“What is happening is that the members of the so-called coalition do not understand coalition politics,” he said as he accused the APP of acting “more like a decoy or controlled opposition”.

“They serve the very interest of the BLP that they are running against. Atherley should have held back and just endorse existing members. You [would] think Atherley would have endorsed me but he didn’t endorse me, he just stick somebody in to run against me. In coalition politics that makes absolutely no sense. If you don’t endorse me then [ask] what is the policy to see if I could change it or drop it,” added Best who will be competing against APP’s Marva Lashley-Todd, the DLP’s Kemar Stuart and the BLP’s Courie Lane.

Catlyn pledged that the BSP would involve people more in decision-making processes if given the chance to represent St Thomas residents.

“It is time for change. It is time to make a change. We must be sovereign and we must be heard and we must have representation that represents us, not giving our proxy to people who take care of their own business once they have our proxies for five years,” said Catlyn. “If we are given the mandate to govern the country the people have the final say.”

Catlyn and Best were speaking during the protest march by nurses through Bridgetown on Thursday.

They were accompanied by the BSP’s candidate in St Peter, Michael Thompson who said he would seek to correct a number of “errors in the system” and ensure that nurses get a better deal if he wins a seat in the House of Assembly.

Among his concerns are the challenges with water supply and sewage, transportation and poverty.

“The intent is to bring that to the forefront so the people of Barbados understand that St Peter, like St Joseph, like St Lucy, they are all suffering under a serious situation,” said Thompson, who indicated that his party has already been reaching out to people overseas to put systems in place to assist the less fortunate. “That is our mandate to ensure that we help our people.”

Thompson will compete against Colin Jordan of the BLP, the DLP’s Alwyn Babb and Lynroy Scantlebury of the New Barbados Kingdom Alliance for the St Peter seat in the upcoming polls. (MM)

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Toni Moore is heading into her first general election even more sure of victory than she was in the November 2021 St George North by-election which she won with almost 67 per cent of the vote.

And her predecessor, Gline Clarke, is just as confident, saying he has no doubt that with the work she has done in the constituency in just over a year, she will keep the seat that has been in Barbados Labour Party (BLP) hands for the last almost three decades.

In an interview after being officially nominated for the January 19 polls, Moore said while she did not have a full term to work, she was pleased she had fostered relationships and was able to execute some of the projects planned for the constituency.

It is on the basis of what she has done so far that she is sure when the votes are counted, she will be returned as MP for the area.

“I think my chances are even better than they were [in the by-election],” she said, noting that she was entering the upcoming polls “more seasoned” after having touched base with more of her constituents since defeating former West Indies cricketer Floyd Reifer 3,154 votes to 1,327.

“There are about two polling districts that we have not covered in the post-2020 campaign canvas. That was definitely our intention but the bell was rung early and we now have the opportunity, during the next two weeks, to make good on that, and I am sure that the will of the people of St George North will be to keep Moore in St George North for the Barbados Labour Party, so we look forward to it.”

Moore added that she was “most proud of” her relationship building in the community.

“All during the 2020 campaign, people of St George North all said repeatedly –whether we were in Ashbury or Newbury or Bridge Cot, Superlative or down in the Glebe, Lower Estate – ‘Gline was a people’s person and we want another people’s person’. And so, building relationships was one of the things that I committed to and that I’ve been proud of. While I’ve not completed going to all areas, the process has started and we are more than 70 per cent there and that is something that I am extremely proud of,” she said.

“One of the things that we have done, whenever opportunities presented themselves we have been able to place a number of young people in employment and that is something that I’m also very proud of,” added Moore.

The trade unionist also pointed to a new pavilion and multipurpose facility at the Glebe and “giving residents of Bridge Cot a road they waited over three decades for”, as among her accomplishments, although acknowledging that there were other roads that were in need of repair across the constituency.

“We will be giving attention to those, systematically, over a next term, and we can only do that if there is a next term,” she said.

“My time here was very short – 20 per cent of what a normal term would be –and I am exceedingly proud to be standing here, in the name of the people of St George North, knowing that a good job has been done so far and knowing that they will honour my commitment to continue to work on their behalf,” Moore added.

Clarke, who represented the constituency for 26 years – from 1994 to 2018 – will be watching from the sidelines for the first time since entering active politics in 1991.

He said he believes Moore “will definitely win the seat” for the BLP once again.

“It’s still a good batting wicket for my successor, Toni,” he said. “I will be around to help her, to guide her; I will do my best. And I’m sure that with this support that she has maintained – she has a number of young people who are helping her and, of course, the older ones are at her side as well – I believe that she has about an 80 per cent chance of winning this seat and continuing this path of growth for the Barbados Labour Party, and the people of St. George North.

“I have no doubt at all that she will win this seat,” Clarke added. “She has thrived within the year. It is true that she has not been able to see everybody but, you know, I believe that she has done yeoman service.”

The former MP, who is now High Commissioner to Canada, was also adamant that the BLP, which has been in power for three and a half years, is still best suited to run Barbados at this time.

“We’re looking forward to ensuring that we continue on a path of growth, a path of social development, and a path of economic prosperity for people. I see that this year could be a new beginning for the Barbados Labour Party, where we show the Barbadian public and the world at large that Barbados is indeed one of the best small island development states in the world,” Clarke added. (DP)

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Despite lockdowns and other restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, creative volunteers and committed donors still managed to raise thousands of dollars for cancer care charities and organisations across the region as CIBC FirstCaribbean celebrated the 10th anniversary of Walk for the Cure.

The annual event which normally features specially organised walks in September and October in the 16 territories where the bank operates, took on a different form based on the prevailing health directives in each territory again this year.

The funds generated from walks and “walk events”, staff activities as well as donations from long-standing and some new sponsors took the total funds raised this year to USD$348,357.70.

Topping the fundraising leader board was Cayman Islands which broke all of its previous records to raise USD$125 000, they were followed by The Bahamas on USD$58 000 and Barbados with USD$34 000.

This year’s funds take the overall amount raised across the region to just over $3 million in the last 10 years.

A doubly elated Walk Co-Chair and the bank’s Managing Director, Wealth Management Dan Wright who led the fundraising efforts in Cayman, thanked the various walk managers, staff fundraisers and corporate sponsors for their tremendous efforts this year.

“I thank all who have contributed to making our 10th anniversary events so rewarding and I look forward to working with you again next year,” Wright said.

He said the bank’s star charitable activity and the region’s largest cancer fundraising event was again “forced to refashion itself for the times.

The prevailing COVID-19 conditions in each territory largely dictated what was done with many virtual events taking the place of actual walks.”

However, fellow Co-Chair and Managing Director Retail and Business Banking, Mark St. Hill, noted that the challenging conditions truly brought out the creativity of staff and sponsors.

“I was truly impressed with the fundraising activities this year, from small walks, virtual events, special 10th anniversary sales, to even a walking dinner in Curacao, to treasure hunts and hikes and the usual bake sales and T-shirt sales,” St. Hill said.

Both Wright and St. Hill paid special thanks and tribute to the bank’s various walk managers who have spearheaded the co-ordination of walk activities and fundraising in each territory. They were especially full of praise for the walk managers who have been with Walk for the Cure from the very start.

The funds generated from the walk are used primarily to assist with the purchase and maintenance of equipment used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients and in Barbados, the bank works with the Breast Screening Programme of the Barbados Cancer Society.

This year among the activities in Barbados, was the production of a highly visible mural which was designed to highlight and support the strength and beauty of women who have been directly affected by breast cancer.

The mural is located on the busy highway at Lower Collymore Rock, right next to Purity Bakeries which co-sponsored the production of it with the bank.

On the actual day when there would have been a walk, participants were invited to walk around their neighbourhood with family and post the photos on the Walk for the Cure social media pages.

The funds raised are also used to provide assistance, care and counselling to patients and their families as well as to raise awareness, and stress the importance of early detection, through education campaigns across the region. (PR)

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For a second year, the Republic Group has been named as the Best Corporate Governance ‘Financial Services’ Institution in the Caribbean by Ethical Boardroom.

Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) received this award for the first time in 2019, demonstrating that the Group continues to set the tone of good governance by adopting measures that raise the level of awareness and practices in the organisation which drive value creation and long-term growth.

Ethical Boardroom, a London-based magazine and website, known for their critically acclaimed analysis of global governance issues, published the award in their December 2021 magazine.

This honour recognises that RFHL is an industry leader in the adoption and execution of corporate governance best practices.

Commenting on the award, President and Chief Executive Officer of RFHL, Nigel Baptiste said: “This award recognises our dedication to excellence, accountability, fairness and transparency in all interactions with our stakeholders.

“It also demonstrates the Group’s professionalism, ethical behaviour and adherence to global best practices and standards, all of which can be attributed to management and staff collaboration.”

This award comes on the heels of an outstanding year for the Group, which has been heavily involved in climate financing while also being a driving force for a sustainable future in the region.

The Republic Group signed on to the Principles of Responsible Banking (PRB) in 2020; the first signatory in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Notable projects that the Group were involved in include: the Entrepreneurs Business Builder (EBB) Programme for Women, and partnering with the Ministry of Education and Pennacool.com for the “Adopt-A-School” Programme where tablets and laptops were distributed to schools/children to facilitate online learning

Subsequently, the Group joined the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a global agreement in which financial institutions commit to having zero net carbon emissions by 2050. As part of the NZBA, the Group has also pledged US$200 million to climate financing initiatives.

In November 2021, the Republic Group and New Energy hosted the first Caribbean ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and Climate Financing Summit with the aim of bringing together Caribbean borrowers, lenders and investors and act as a catalyst in the creation of a new financing ecosystem.

The Republic Group is honoured to be bestowed with  such a prestigious award and will continue in all our efforts towards a better tomorrow.

The full list of winners can be viewed here:  https://ethicalboardroom.com/corporate-governance-winners-2021-the-americas-caribbean/ (PR)

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A Thanksgiving according to the IFA Orisa spiritual tradition was held on January 1, as a celebration for the children drawn from the environs of the Nelson Street community.

The IFA Orisa Houses of Egbe Orisa Ogun and Ile Atunbi Orisa led by Olori Agba Esusegun Olaifa, Iyalorisa Ogunsola supported by Awo Ohunifa hosted the traditional Thanksgiving also called
an ebo (Eh boh).

In keeping with the restriction on the number of people allowed to gather, IFA Orisa devotees and interested persons came out to sing and dance to traditional praise songs and drumming that filled the
square on the corner of Wellington and Beckwith Streets.

The traditional IFA Orisa Thanksgiving is an occasion to give thanks for the blessings received throughout the year, and in this instance, to ask for blessings for the children of the community during the coming year.

The event was well received by members of the community who were also present o participate in the celebration. (PR)

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A St Lucian national has become Barbados’ second road fatality for 2022.

The woman, who was on a visit to the island, was involved in an accident and died Saturday morning.

The accident happened in Gibbons, Christ Church around 10:30 a.m.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the accident to contact Oistins Police Station at 4182612.

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The Randal Phillips Polyclinic Pharmacy, located at Oistins, Christ Church, is closed, until further notice.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness apologises for any inconvenience which may be caused.

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory identified 495 new COVID-19 cases – 225 males and 270 females – on Friday, January 7, from the 2,475 tests conducted.

The cases comprised 69 persons under the age of 18, and 426 who were 18 years and older. There were 173 people in isolation facilities, while 2,647 were in home isolation.

An 85-year-old man passed away from the virus on Friday, at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility. He was unvaccinated.

As at January 7, there were 266 deaths from the viral illness.

The public health laboratory has carried out 484,629 tests since February 2020, and recorded 31,499 COVID-19 cases (14,810 males and 16,689 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 156,631 (68.6 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 144,706 (53.4 per cent of the total population or 63.2 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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The COVID-19 death toll has risen to 266, after an 85-year-old man lost his battle with the virus on Friday, January 7.

He passed away at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility and was unvaccinated.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, has extended condolences to his family and friends. (BGIS)

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Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Kerrie Symmonds has promised to freeze the price of freight and remove value added tax (VAT) on some personal care products if the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) wins the upcoming General Election.

Speaking Saturday at the launch of the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) 2022 election manifesto at the Island Inn Hotel, Aquatic Gap, Bay Street, Symmonds suggested that the cost of freight impacts the cost of goods to consumers. He explained that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic a 20 ft container could be sourced in China or Korea for about US$3,000. However, today, the same size container cannot be accessed for less than US$15,000. Moreover, a 40 ft container may even be as much as US$25, 000 to US$30,000.

Stressing that he empathised with the cries and concerns of the public regarding the cost of living, the St. James South incumbent explained that the decision was made to freeze the price of freight in the hope of bringing them down to pre-COVID prices.

He said: “People express, rightly so, the concern about the surge in prices. But every so often we’re talking about imported prices due to the fact that just transportation itself, via access to a container, has tripled and quadrupled due to the logistical challenges and disruption foisted on us by COVID. And we respond positively in that way by putting a freeze on prices by taking us to the point we were back in 2019.

“And equally ,we commit and pledge to the removal of VAT on critical items of personal care, whether they be sanitary napkins, diapers for young people and the elderly, antiperspirants, multivitamins. Those are the areas which are fundamental to personal care and where we will remove VAT,” Symmonds stressed. (KC)

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Nurses, teachers and police officers will be among those benefiting from a transformation in home ownership under a newly elected Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Administration.

This was the pledge of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who said that if her party retains government at the upcoming January 19 General Election, she will commence with what she described as a “housing revolution” beginning with the construction of 10,000 houses in five years.  Her comments were made on Saturday during the roll-out of the BLP’s 2022 election manifesto at the Island Inn Hotel, Aquatic Gap, Bay Street.

According to Mottley, this revolution, which she noted had already begun with the launch of the Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) programme in 2021, will also consist of access to land at affordable prices, access to containing the cost of developing the land and creating opportunities for people, who would not otherwise qualify, to get a mortgage by way of utilizing renewable energy to trigger economic growth.

This is on top of Mottley’s pledge that under a new BLP Government, instead of having the first $175,000 exempted from land tax, they will carry that exemption to $400,000.

“We have already announced that we intervened into the market to be able to cap the price of land. When persons with large development have come to me as Minister of Planning, we have said to them, through the Town Planning Department, ‘we want a planning obligation’. That we want you to agree that in exchange for us to give you planning to do X, Y or Z, you have to be able to put land back into a pool … so that Barbadians can benefit – particularly those who live in densely populated housing estates … and who have been ignored. And if we are going to get to the bottom of solving social problems in this country you cannot have three and four generations living in a house that was designed for no more than two generations.

“And therefore, this government is leveraging its position to be able to put at the disposal of the country, particularly the most vulnerable, lands that we can therefore cap at $12.50 a square foot, separate from what we do in the Urban Tenantries Programme at $2.50 … And I look particularly at self-employed people, whose income may be volatile, variable … and they need the stability of that revenue from the roof from a power purchase agreement with Light & Power to be able to qualify for the mortgage going forward. That is how we are going to get 10,000 houses built in short order in this country. And I am happy that the process has started and that from this year we will go full throttle in order to get it done,” she said.

The BLP manifesto dubbed “Our Barbados: Owning our Future” has two covers with one end outlining plans to further develop and transform the island and the other, highlighting promises kept over the party’s three years at the helm. 

Mottley’s pledge to transform housing in Barbados is in keeping with the value of “Bajan Ownership Matters”, which is listed among the five core values for transformation outlined. The other values are people-centred leadership matters; government must deliver for all; pride and industry through active citizenship and innovation driven opportunity. Fundamental policy frameworks were also highlighted in social, economic and governance and accountability policies. They also highlighted transforming food and security, the sugar industry, manufacturing, tourism, financial service and trade and export. (KC)

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On the eve of his 100^th birthday on Friday, Fitzgerald Brereton, BSM, JP renewed his driver’s licence.

Today, as he became Barbados’ newest centenarian, he made a plan to drive to the official residence of President Dame Sandra Mason to celebrate her birthday on January 17.

Brereton, a sharp, witty, healthy senior marked his milestone with President Mason on Zoom and surrounded by his family at his Cottage Heights, St George residence.

“I feel very, very good I have reached this milestone,” he declared.

Longevity is a hallmark of Brereton’s family. He recalled that his mother died at 99, his aunt at 102 and another relative is on the cusp of reaching 100.

The former electrician who retired at 70 after working at several companies, including the Barbados Foundry and Mount Gay, has hardly slowed down.

The devout Christian still attends church at St Luke’s Anglican and attributes his longevity to God, saying, “I can’t say [why I reached 100]. All that is left to the master.”

He is, however, grateful and intends to continue to enjoy life.

“I wonder as I go around and see other people that are younger than me, lying there and can’t say a word. I am still wondering and praising God all the time that I am yet able to move and still have my wits about me,” he said.

Brereton, a former key member in the credit union movement, lost his father at an early age and he took on the responsibility of caring for siblings.

“It was tough,” he said.

At the age of 21, he married Lilian and that union produced nine children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Brereton, who still walks around the neighbourhood, is not a lover of meat but enjoys ground provisions.

With his big day behind him, he is now looking forward to meeting President Mason in person later this month.

He quipped: “I was always planning to go and see her, whether she invite me or not.”

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The Immunisation Unit advises the public that COVID-19 vaccines will be available at a number of polyclinics and vaccination sites from Monday, January 10 to Sunday, January 16.

The locations and times are listed below.

Monday, January 10

• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George – 1 to 3 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 11

• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St George – 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 1 to 3 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George – 1 to 3 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 12

• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St Peter – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 1 to 3 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George – 1 to 3 p.m.

Thursday, January 13

• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Christ Church Parish Church Hall, Church Hill, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St. George – 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1 to 3:00 p.m.

Friday, January 14

• David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex, Glebe Land, St John – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Christ Church Parish Church Hall, Church Hill, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St Peter – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• St. Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St Philip – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St George – 1 to 3 p.m.

Mobile Units

• Amir’s Chicken, Lowlands, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Barbados Football Association, Garfield Sobers Complex, Wildey Turf, St Michael -10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, January 15

• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St George – 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Codrington College, Sargeant’s Street, St John – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, January 16

• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at the polyclinics and vaccination centres at the scheduled times only. Students 12 to 18 years may visit any of the locations listed to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Persons who wish to receive their first dose are advised to walk with their identification card.  Those eligible for second doses should also travel with their blue vaccination card.

Booster shots for the AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines will also be available for persons 18 years and older who had their second injection six months ago or longer. Persons receiving the booster may present either their blue vaccination card or vaccination certificate and valid photo identification. (BGIS)

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness is aware of the social media post, which is being circulated, regarding congestion in the arrival area of the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) in recent days.

As the new protocols which came into effect January 7, 2022 have indicated, travellers are permitted to enter Barbados with:

1. A valid negative Standard Real Time (RT) PCR COVID-19 test, done within three days prior to arrival using a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab, or
2. A valid negative Rapid PCR COVID-19 test, one day prior to arrival using a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab

Unfortunately, on the day in question, several passengers arrived with a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) for COVID-19, which is not the accepted test for entry into this island. These persons who came in with the RAT were required to have a repeat test, using a PCR test, on arrival. The number of persons presenting with the incorrect tests exceeded 300 and this occurred during a full flight schedule at peak time (2 p.m. until 6 p.m.) leading to the congestion in the arrival area.

The Ministry advises the public, once again, to familiarise themselves with the Barbados Travel Protocols which may be accessed at https://www.visitbarbados.org/covid-19-travel-guidelines-2022. The Ministry has mobilised additional resources to handle this matter and will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly. (BGIS)

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Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St Michael South Central Richard Sealy is sounding the alarm about what he sees as a rapid slide away from traditional Barbadian norms and values under the Mia Mottley administration.

His comments came Saturday night as he staged a virtual gospel concert and constituency meeting in support of his bid to regain the seat, he lost in the May 2018 general election.

As the island undergoes another election campaign while battling increasing cases of COVID-19 on the island, Sealy, a former Minister of Tourism and International Transport, told his online audience those values on which this country was built, were now “under attack” and citizens were being asked to “accept behaviours” that did not “accord with our norms”.

The former Member of Parliament for the constituency now held by Marsha Caddle of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), insisted that there was now growing confusion over what was right and what was wrong.

According to Sealy, whose campaign slogan is It’s About You, contended that it was time to forge a new national identity, as he called on citizens to look inwardly and to determine a way to improve the current situation.

During his speech,  Sealy also lamented the devastating impact that the pandemic had wrought on the education of school children and that community leadership was at an all-time low.

The DLP candidate argued that detachment was also rampant in the Barbadian society, as there was a widespread belief of two parallel societies operating on the island in which those with means and wealth were not subjected to the same rules as those who were dispossessed.

To support his argument, he pointed to the differential treatment meted out to those in big business who breached the COVID-protocols while “ordinary people” were thrown in jail during the lockdowns.

According to Sealy, Barbadians needed to be clear in their minds that the current government was operating in the interest of certain people.

He contended too that while he had dismissed allegations of “despotism” he was convinced of it following the decision of the Prime Minister to dissolve Parliament and rush the country into a general election in the middle of a raging COVID-19 pandemic.

As he put it, “something has gone wrong in Barbados” and the electorate needed to right the situation by electing the DLP to office.

Barbadians will head to the polls on January 19 following a three-week campaign, just three years into the five-year term of the Mottley administration. She led the BLP to a historic clean sweep of all 30 constituencies in 2018. However, Bishop Joseph Atherley quickly defected from the BLP and formed the official opposition in Parliament.

(IMC1)

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A total of 342 new COVID-19 cases (149 males and 193 females) were recorded by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory on Saturday, January 8, from the 1,833 tests conducted.

The positive cases consist of 58 persons under the age of 18, and 284 who are 18 years and older. The number of people in isolation facilities was 115, while 2,919 were in home isolation.

As at January 8, there were 266 deaths from the virus.

The public health laboratory has carried out 486,462 tests since February 2020 and recorded 31,841 cases (14,959 males and 16,882 females) of COVID-19.

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 156,698 (68.6 per cent of the eligible population). The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 144,805 (53.4 per cent of the total population or 63.4 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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A lack of proper representation has led to sustained garbage pile up and blocked drains in Clevedale, Democratic Labour Party candidate for St Michael West Central, Curtis Cave said on Sunday.

Speaking with Barbados TODAY, as he and his team toured parts of the constituency, Cave lamented what he said was a lack of representation since 2018. 

According to Cave, though the current MP for the area, Ian Gooding Edghill, has often been seen in the frequently travelled parts of the area in the past, it is the smaller communities like Clevedale and Plum Tree Road that have been left to suffer with drainage and garbage issues.

“We have problems with drainage. We have a three-month-old baby here and other children running up and down this constituency and this particular area in Clevedale, you can see this drainage has not been cleaned in a while,” Cave said.

“You can look across the road, and see the garbage that is continuously piling up there, and we do not have any relief or representation for these issues. This road itself, any real emergency vehicle coming through this gap will have no access.”

Cave said the rate of unemployment still remains worryingly high in the area, and though jobs are indeed returning as the economy rebounds, the lack of initiatives being offered to younger persons in the area to assist them in gaining employment, is near non-existent.

“Youth unemployment is high. A lot of persons outside of the youth are unemployed, even [though] jobs are picking back up, persons generally throughout the constituency cannot pay bills, living from paycheque to paycheque… there is no ease,” he stressed.

When asked if he was confident about his chances at the polls on January 19, Cave said his history within the community will speak for itself, as he is no stranger to interacting and giving back to residents, even from a young age.

“I’ve always had a presence in the constituency. From 11 years old I would have organized a cricket tournament in Bellefield, so community outreach is nothing new to me. When COVID first came, through my charity, we would have done 130-plus food hampers and this is even before the MP decided to do anything.

“We acknowledged 55 front-line workers for Independence, we have a Boys in the Hood programme where the young men in the constituency come together and we take part in wholesome activities … I plan to craft policy and work with the constituents to see how we can best make sure that every single person in the constituency can raise their standard of living.” (SB)

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The Member of Parliament for St James North, Edmund Hinkson, says the Democratic Labour Party has been absent from the constituency for nine years.

Hinkson spoke with members of the media while on the campaign trail on Sunday.

When asked about his chances come election day, Hinkson said he was more than confident in his ability to retain his seat, not just because of the work he’s done since gaining office, but with the lack of attention seen for some time from the DLP in the area. He expects nothing different this time around.

“I feel confident, I’ve been a member of parliament for nine years, and I think I stand on my record. There is only one other candidate against me unlike some other constituencies,” he said.

“The reality of the situation is that the Democratic Labour Party has had absolutely no presence in this constituency since I was elected as its Parliamentary Representative nine years ago. It’s as if they do not care about St James North — never had anyone in the field, never any operational branch, and essentially that is where it is for the other side.”

Hinkson also added that unemployment, due to slowdowns in the entertainment and hospitality sectors, has hit his constituency severely over the past two years, with more than 85 per cent of the households having at least one person working within these industries.

Given the situation, a diversification of job skills is being pushed heavily by the MP.

“This is a constituency where 85 per cent of the households would have been adversely affected in terms of employment with the advent of COVID because we are plum in a tourist belt — so many persons working in tourism, hospitality, and entertainment, it has been horrendous [for them].

“We have to create a situation where people are able to employ themselves and have that confidence that they are able to gain skills to make themselves more marketable. Of course that has to do with our education and training structure.”

Residents in St James North can expect to see members of Hinkson’s team in the area over the next few days, as spot meetings and other important meetings are scheduled to take place.

“I found a way even during COVID to keep in touch with the constituents, even when we had restrictions in terms of movement and lockdowns. So, it’s going quite well, we are where we want to be at this stage, we have a mass canvass going on today in areas along the coast, we had one yesterday in areas above in Sion Hill and Upper Carlton,” Hinkson said.

“We have our teams in place, and we are preparing for the actual day itself, with our spot meeting starting tomorrow night.” (SB)

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The Immunisation Unit advises the public that COVID-19 vaccines will be available at a number of polyclinics and vaccination sites from Monday, January 10 to Sunday, January 16. The locations and times are listed below.

Monday, January 10
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 11
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St. George – 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 12
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St. Peter – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 13
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Christ Church Parish Church Hall, Church Hill, Christ Church – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St. George – 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Friday, January 14
• David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex, Glebe Land, St. John – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Christ Church Parish Church Hall, Church Hill, Christ Church – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St. Peter – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• St. Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St. Philip – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Glebe Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Mobile Units
• Amir’s Chicken, Lowlands, Christ Church – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Barbados Football Association, Garfield Sobers Complex, Wildey Turf, St. Michael -10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 15
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St. George – 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Codrington College, Sargeant’s Street, St. John – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 16
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at the polyclinics and vaccination centres at the scheduled times only. Students 12 to 18 years may visit any of the locations listed to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Persons who wish to receive their first dose are advised to walk with their identification card. Those eligible for second doses should also travel with their blue vaccination card.

Booster shots for the AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines will also be available for persons 18 years and older who had their second injection six months ago or longer. Persons receiving the booster may present either their blue vaccination card or vaccination certificate and valid photo identification.

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