CMO cautions Bajans to expect additional COVID-19 outbreaks
By Emmanuel Joseph
The island’s Chief Medical Officer has put Barbadians on guard to expect more COVID-19 outbreaks but is assuring there is no need for alarm.
Dr The Most Honourable Kenneth George said on Thursday that while the recent outbreak of cases at the Geriatric Hospital on Beckles Road, St Michael came to an end a couple of weeks ago, the rate at which the virus is currently spreading will result in future outbreaks, especially among vulnerable populations such as the elderly.
He has therefore encouraged members of the public to revert to the health protocols that the Ministry of Health had introduced during the height of the pandemic, such as mask-wearing, where necessary.
“Our COVID cases have been increasing, we have seen the trend. It’s about between 30 and 33 per cent of all the samples. Outbreaks come and outbreaks go. The outbreak at the Geriatric Hospital was brought to an end a few weeks ago but we expect that there will be outbreaks in the future because once the level of infection in the population is that high, there will be from time to time an outbreak,” Dr George told Barbados TODAY.
“I think Barbadians are encouraged to do the things we had started in the earlier part of the pandemic, particularly for elderly persons, because they are the vulnerable ones and they are to use masks where necessary,” he recommended.
However, Dr George pointed out that the ministry has taken “a very pragmatic approach” to COVID.
“We have to be looking forward. It is no longer a disease of public health concern. We continue to monitor the cases, we continue to share information with the public, but we realise the challenge is with elderly persons because we are still having deaths among persons who are elderly and those with chronic non-communicable diseases,” the Chief Medical Officer said in light of 10 deaths that occurred between June 10 and 23 that pushed the island past the 600-mark, and 419 new cases from 1 301 tests.
“At this time, we are going to engage the public but we are not in a position to alarm persons. We know too much about the disease and we know too much about how to protect [against] the disease. For example, I have never had COVID, so there must be ways for persons to protect themselves and we continue to ask Barbadians for their cooperation,” the Government’s top public health advisor added.
Official statistics show that between March 17, 2020, and June 23, 2023, Barbados recorded 108 899 COVID-19 cases, including 606 people who died.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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