Police are on the scene of a shooting at Graham Alley, Beckwith Street, Bridgetown, St Michael.

(More details as they come to hand.)

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The COVID-19 death toll has reached 275, following the death of a 91-year-old man today, Saturday, January 22.

He succumbed to the viral illness at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility and was unvaccinated.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has extended condolences to his loved ones. (BGIS)

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The public is advised that on Sunday, January 23, the Information Technology Department of the Ministry of Health and Wellness will be carrying out emergency maintenance on the Shape App at the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

The Ministry anticipates that the work will be completed in a reasonable time frame, such that there should be no delay in the return of COVID-19 test results on that day.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness thanks the public for its usual patience and cooperation. (BGIS)

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The Immunisation Unit advises the public that tomorrow, Sunday, January 23, the vaccination site at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mile-and-a-Quarter, St. Peter, will no longer operate as previously scheduled.

Vaccinations will only be administered on that day at Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St. Michael, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Any inconvenience caused is regretted. (BGIS)

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SOURCE: edinburghlive  —  Holidaymakers have had their Caribbean dreams crushed after Scotland’s only direct flight to the destination was grounded three months after starting operations following “subdued bookings” during the pandemic.

Virgin Atlantic has cancelled all reservations on their Edinburgh to Barbados route from late February to the original cessation date in April amid low uptake among passengers.

The airline launched the “hugely exciting” transatlantic crossing in December, but said the “changing travel restrictions and arrival testing requirements set by the UK and Scottish governments” had affected customer numbers.

The final flights between the Capital and Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown will now depart Edinburgh on February 16 and return on the 22nd before returning to service in December.

Passengers who have booked dream breaks to the paradise island after those dates until April 23, when the flight route was to shut down over the summer and autumn months, have been offered the opportunity to re-book on services from Manchester or London as an alternative.

A statement released to customers said: “Following careful review, we’ve taken the difficult decision to shorten the existing Edinburgh – Barbados schedule, with the last flight of this winter season now departing to Barbados on February 16 and inbound to Edinburgh on February 22.

“This winter, changing travel restrictions and arrival testing requirements set by the UK and Scottish governments led to subdued bookings on the route.

“We know our customers love travelling to Barbados, and sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused to those due to travel on services from mid-February up until April 23, 2022, which will unfortunately be cancelled.

“If re-routing is a suitable option, customers can be rebooked on alternative Barbados services from Manchester or London Heathrow.”

It added: “Edinburgh is an important new gateway for Virgin Atlantic and we’re fully committed to serving our Scottish customers and this much-loved Caribbean destination, which we know has long-term viability as Scotland’s only direct route to the Caribbean, offering an idyllic winter sun destination.”

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More than 6 000 cricket-crazy English fans are set to descend upon Barbados within the next three months.

Between 500 and 1000 members of the Barmy Army are currently on the island for the five-match T20 series between the West Indies and England, with a further 5 000 expected for the three-match Test series, which kicks off in March.

Barbados will host the second Test match at Kensington Oval from March 16-20.

The Barmy Army is a company that provides tickets and arranges touring parties for some of its members to follow the English cricket team in the UK and overseas.

During a reception at Copacabana Beach Club Saturday afternoon, Adam Canning, Commercial Director of the Barmy Army, told members of the media persons from England were excited to finally be able to watch some cricket.

“It has been a long time since we’ve had a Test cricket tour or overseas tour. England fans couldn’t travel to Australia for the Ashes series, so the demand for coming overseas has been enormous. So, we have a lot of people here for the T20 series this week. A lot of England fans have travelled over and combined it with the holidays … people are just excited and happy to be back out doing cricket tours and no better place to start business as normal than coming back to Barbados,” Canning said.

“We anticipate that there will be at least 500 to 1 000 England fans in the stadium [for the T20 series] but we will be bringing at least 5 000 here for the Test series in Barbados in March, so very much a warm up for what’s to come later on.”

Canning admitted that while there was still “a bit of nervousness” in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had become accustomed to the restrictions and protocols.

Richard Haynes of South Central Entertainment, who helped to organize the event, which was also sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Management Inc (BTMI), Banks and Mount Gay, said Copacabana would be available to the Barmy Army for the duration of their stay in Barbados.

He said their presence would bring some much needed business.

“Today is the first day of the T20 series and I think you guys are probably aware that the English are very fanatic about their team so they travel in numbers. So, basically what we have done is to have a headquarters here at Copacabana for the Barmy Army where they are welcomed every day before cricket, during cricket and after cricket, where they can warm up for the game and enjoy Barbados in its most beautiful form on the beach,” Haynes explained.

“We’ve all been through a very tough period over the last two years so this is welcomed business for Copacabana,” Haynes said.

As part of the reception, the visitors were given a taste of Barbados’ culture with performances by the tuk band, stilt walkers and dancers dressed in Crop Over costumes. (RB)

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A total of 415 people, 191 males and 224 females, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, January 21, from the 1,542 tests carried out by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

The cases comprised 91 persons under the age of 18, and 324 who were 18 years and older. There were 125 people in isolation facilities, while 6,676 were in home isolation.

As at January 21, there were 274 deaths from the virus.

The public health laboratory has carried out 514,541 tests since February 2020 and recorded 38,586 COVID-19 cases (17,947 males and 20,639 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 157,854 (69.1 per cent of the eligible population).

The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 146,319 (54 per cent of the total population or 64.1 per cent of the eligible population). The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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More important than a new president, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) needs a complete overhaul.

That is the view of political scientists, Dr Kristina Hinds and Dr Tennyson Joseph, who have maintained that Verla DePeiza’s resignation as president of the party was always on the cards.

DePeiza handed in her resignation on Friday, two days after the DLP’s humiliating 30-0 defeat at the hands of the Mia Mottley-led Barbados Labour Party (BLP) at the January 19 general election.

While neither Dr Hinds nor Dr Joseph chose to speculate on who they thought would be the best person to replace DePeiza, they both agreed it was not the DLP’s biggest concern.

“The DLP needs a lot of things that are new. They need a new face, they need a new image, I think they need a new DLP. In the UK we saw that Tony Blair did this with Labour and what they did was they reimagined what that party was to mean for the time period and the DLP needs to do that,” Dr Hinds, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus said.

“I am not certain that any of the persons who were involved in the 2008 to 2018 administration may have the vision or the energy to do that, so I think that they do need someone that can bring some ideas about how to revitalize the DLP, bring it and its message into the 21st century so that it is more appealing to many groups of people and so that it is different from that 2008 to 2018 lot.”

Meanwhile, Dr Joseph, head of the Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work at the University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, said DePeiza’s resignation was “standard and expected.”

“I don’t think the problem of the DLP is a question of who the leader is or in this particular context the problem is not solved by a particular leader. There is a much deeper philosophical and capital and internal rethinking and rebranding and so forth that needs to be done that goes beyond just a leader,” Dr Joseph maintained.

“The party has to define its philosophy. If you remember the party’s defeat in the last two elections have their basis in the way they governed between 2008 and 2018 and that is where you have to start. Between 2008 and 2018 they were governing during a period of global economic crisis but their response to that was to go into an extremely neo-liberal way of solving the problem. So, if you recall they basically cut off students’ fees, they stopped the free education, they figured the State couldn’t get involved in social entitlements, they were attacking the university and the trade unions, so the social democratic party of Errol Barrow in 2008 began to almost reverse itself on its original philosophical principles.

“So if you are the DLP what you have to do is make sure that there is no way in which any other party can be more social democratic than you, because you were the party of social democracy … The discussion is not about leadership, the discussion has to be about a kind of molded social democratic agenda that they have to define and lead on. Once it cannot do that the door is open for some other party to do it and the BLP is doing it,” Dr Joseph added. (RB)

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A 21-year-old man is being treated for multiple injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital following a shooting incident that occurred just after midday along Grahams Alley, Beckwith Street, St Michael

Police said the man who was standing along the road suffered a gunshot wound to his groin and other injuries to his right leg, and the left side of his face and mouth.

Investigations are continuing.

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness and the National Insurance Department (NIS) are working to streamline the processing and provision of NIS “sick benefit” claims for persons in home isolation due to COVID-19.

The Ministry is aware that there has been a delay in persons receiving the appropriate forms.

Affected individuals are advised that sufficient time will be allowed for them to receive their forms and have them submitted for processing by the NIS. Additionally, persons should only submit the completed sickness certificate to the NIS for processing.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness regrets any inconvenience caused and thanks members of the public for their patience and understanding in this matter. (BGIS)

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Barbados recorded 626 cases of COVID-19 (281 males and 345 females) from the 2,194 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory on Saturday, January 22.

Of these new cases, 119 individuals were under the age of 18, and 507 were 18 years and older. There were 122 persons in isolation facilities and 7,073 in home isolation.

The death toll has risen to 275, following the passing of a 91-year-old man at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility on Saturday.

Since the start of the pandemic, the public health laboratory has recorded 39,212 cases (18,228 males and 20,984 females) from 516,735 tests.

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, 157,969 persons (69.2 per cent of the eligible population) have been inoculated with at least one dose.  A total of 146,438 individuals (54 per cent of the total population or 64.1 per cent of the eligible population) are fully vaccinated.

The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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Former Opposition Senator Crystal Drakes is keeping any future plans for elective politics close to her chest but says Barbados has not heard the last from her when it comes to economic matters.

“That I will not disclose. I will not disclose that at this time,” the former senator told Barbados TODAY in an interview on Sunday regarding her future on this island’s political landscape.

“At the moment I have no future plans, I am living my private life. The role that I had was one that was selected, not elected,” she said of her three and a half years in the Upper House.

“So, I can only tell you I will live my private life as best as possible and be a good citizen,” said Drakes, who described her stint as opposition senator as “instrumental”.

“The role that I played at the time I think was instrumental. The country needed some kind of alternative view even if it was for constructive criticism or if it was to augment what were the government’s plans at the time so that it would be better for the country.

“I never really saw my role as being purely opposition because I am of the view that Barbados needs to move forward in a way that is progressive for all and in order to do that some of the older styles of politics we have to find a way to strike the balance where we recognise that we have to have unity and then where it is necessary to have criticism, so I think that was my main position, what was always best for the country whenever any type of legislation was being passed in the Senate,” she explained.

Drakes was selected as one of two opposition senators by Bishop Joseph Atherley who crossed the floor to become opposition leader following the 2018 general election in which the Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats.

However, in the recent general election of January 19 Bishop Atherley failed to win a seat in Parliament with his Alliance Party Progress (APP) and neither did the main opposition Democratic Labour Party, leaving the country with no elected opposition member in the Lower House.

Despite this Drakes tells Barbados TODAY that the country has not heard the last from her in her capacity as a trained economist given her interest in sustainable development.

“I am involved in several organisations – an NGO (non-governmental organisation) that I started back in 2015 called Blue Green Initiative Inc and I am also a part of Regenerate Barbados – those are two organisations that are committed to environmental and social sustainability in Barbados. One of the things that we have to look at is how do we redesign our economy that it is better purposed, one; for environmental health and for the wellbeing of all. So, you haven’t heard the last of me in that regard,” she said even as she touched on her economic vision for the country.

“We all know that we are coming to the end of an IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme and we have all heard that we are going to have some difficult decisions to make and I think those difficult decisions were facing us even in 2018. I think one of the first things I said to the press when I was named to be opposition senator is that we have to make sacrifices and I think we are in a more dire situation at the moment because we have to find our way out of the economic hole that COVID has placed us in.

“So we have to find a real comprehensive plan on how we bounce back to where we came from and then to move forward, if not we face stagnant growth for the medium term, which will not be good for the country because it will be a drag on things like foreign reserves.

“It will then beg the question on things like if we go back into a new IMF arrangement after this extended fund facility and then also looking at things like the public sector. The public sector as you know it has to be transformed, there is no question about that. How it will be done that is not my decision, but it has to be one that is more effective and more efficient and utilizes a lot of the skillset that we have … in Barbados that we have invested heavily in, in terms of the education at the University of the West Indies.

“So, lots of changes to come. I don’t know how the Prime Minister and her Cabinet will go about implementing those changes but what they will have to do is bring Barbadians along with them because with any change there will be resistance,” she added.

Asked whether she would consider serving in the Senate again if considered, Drakes responded: “that is not something I have thought about. I served for three and a half years and I think that I served well, I think so, I did my best, and that decision is not up to me.”  (FW)

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Re-elected Member of Parliament for Christ Church East Wilfred Abrahams believes he and the ruling Barbados Labour Party have been “blessed”, given the “confidence” placed in them by the electorate.

“With such great blessings comes great responsibility and we must never take for granted what it is that we actually have and we must never underestimate the confidence that the people have reposed in us. The best thing we can do right now is to honour that, to justify it and to make Barbadians comfortable that they made the right choice,” Abrahams told the media moments before he went to worship with his team at the Sons of God Apostolic Church in Christ Church.

He added: “I believe that we have been blessed as a party, we have been blessed as a government, blessed as a country and I have definitely been blessed in Christ Church East.

“So, before things get out of hand and before the reality of it sinks in and we go back to normal work then it is important to pause and give thanks to your team, give thanks to your supporters, give thanks to the constituents and above all give thanks to God.”

On January 19 voters gave the Mia Mottley-led BLP a resounding victory at the polls with all 30 seats in the country’s Parliament, reminiscent of the May 2018 general election when the BLP made a clean sweep of the polls.

Abrahams explained that the BLP administration asked the people to “assess” its work as a first-term government and decide “whether or not they want you to go forward” and voters “spoke with one voice”.

He said: “It shows that despite all the naysayers and despite all the noise, that we are pretty much on the right track as a government. It also shows that people respect what it is that we are doing and believe that they have confidence in this government to take them through what is a difficult period.

“It also shows that Bajans’ memories are not as short as people would have you believe. Three and a half years is not too long to actually forget what was going on in 2018; to forget where we were as a country; to forget the feeling and; to forget why they moved in such numbers to remove the last government. Three and a half years later they have said that you have done the best you could in the difficult circumstances; we can see where you are going; we are confident that you are the people to take us through and; we are going to put you back there in the same numbers again and what happens now is up to us.”

Speaking with respect to Christ Church East the newly re-elected MP said there was still a lot to accomplish in his constituency.

“There are a lot of things that we didn’t get done because health health the first draw on the public funds. There are a lot of social things in the community that we want to do, wanted to put lights on all the playing fields, we want to upgrade the facilities, we wanted to provide more entrepreneurial opportunities, we want to have a vending hub in Christ Church East, we wanted to convert the pavilions to community centres, have free Wi-Fi, have self-improvement classes, there are a lot of things that we could not do and I think people actually understood that. People understood that and it is now for us to find the space to actually do those things and make a difference to people,” Abrahams added. (FW)

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The Immunisation Unit encourages members of the public to take advantage of the COVID-19 vaccines which will be available at various sites from Monday, January 24, to Sunday, January 30.

The locations and times are listed below.

Monday, January 24

• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• St Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St. Philip – 1 to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, January 25

• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sandals Royal Conference Centre, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church – 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.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 2 to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, January 26

• St Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St Philip – 9 a.m. to 3 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.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St Michael – 2 to 3 p.m.

Thursday, January 27

• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sandals Royal Conference Centre, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St George – 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Friday, January 28

• David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex, Glebe Land, St John – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Building No.2, Harbour Industrial Park, St Michael – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sandals Royal Conference Centre, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Alexandra School, Queen’s Street, St Peter – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, January 29

• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Masonic Centre, Salters, St George – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sandals Royal Conference Centre, Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday, January 30

• 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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Political strategist Hartley Henry has described as “madness” the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) decision to defer electing a president until April.

On Friday Verla DePeiza handed in her resignation as party president, two days after the DLP’s crushing 30-0 defeat at the hands of the Mia Mottley-led Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in the January 19 general election.

Following that announcement the DLP’s first vice president Steve Blackett told the media that a special conference would be convened in mid-April for an internal election for the post of president.

But speaking on the local current affairs programme Down to Brass Tacks on Sunday, Henry questioned that decision saying that the issue of leadership must be addressed now.

“The whole question of differing the question of leadership to April of this year is madness and anyone who is remotely connected will tell you this is the moment you must seize. You cannot allow the party to go into paralysis between now and April and don’t exist. You need to solve the issue of leadership now and the constitution does not provide for you to solve the issue of leadership because it does not provide for you to elect a political leader. In 2022 the constitution must be clear.

“The current constitution of the DLP does not provide for a leader to be elected and that is one of the fundamental problems I am trying to explain there,” he said.

Henry maintained that the DLP’s constitution needed to be amended in order to have “a popular mass based political leader elected”.

He added: “So that persons know what they are buying. You keep selling a product locked up in a brown paper bag and you do not know what is in there until you have purchased it.

“So the Prime Minister and Her Excellency the President are neither in a position next week to say John Brown is the political leader of the Democratic Labour Party. I am willing to approach John Brown to provide the names of two persons to serve in the Senate of Barbados because once again the Democratic Labour Party is operating in a 1958 mindset whereby you have now to go and elect a president … what you need is a political leader.”

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The Eagle Hall Post Office is closed today, Monday, January 24. It will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25.

MeanwThe Eagle Hall Post Office is closed today, Monday, January 24. It will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25.

Meanwhile, the St. James Post Office will be closed today, January 24, and tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25. It is expected to reopen on Wednesday, January 26.

The Postmaster General apologises for any inconvenience these closures may cause. (BGIS)

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Police report that three houses are on fire at Phillips Road, Lightfoot Lane, The City.

(more details as they come to hand.)

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The Brittons Hill Post Office has reopened for business and will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the St. Joseph and Eagle Hall Post Offices will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

The Postmaster General thanks the public for its patience during the recent closures. (BPS/BGIS)

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There were 497 new COVID-19 cases, 208 males and 289 females, recorded on Sunday, January 23, from the 2,017 tests carried out by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

The positive cases comprised 84 persons under the age of 18 and 413 who were 18 years and older.

The number of people in isolation facilities was 125, while 7,321 were in home isolation.

A girl, aged 17, died from the virus on Sunday, at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility.  She was fully vaccinated.

As of January 23, there were 276 deaths from the viral illness.

The public health laboratory has carried out 518,752 tests since February 2020 and recorded 39,709 COVID-19 cases (18,436 males and 21,273 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 158,055 (69.2 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 146,527 (54.1 per cent of the total population or 64.2 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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