THE Public Health Emergency proclamation in Barbados has been extended until August 31 2020.

This was revealed late on Tuesday night by Minister of Health and Wellness (MOHW), Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, who tabled a resolution for the extension, which he reminded was first issued on March 28 of this year and expired on April 27. It was then extended until June 30 and has not yet been revoked.

Minister Bostic says the extension ironically comes at a time when Barbados is marking precisely one month since recording its last positive case in terms of local transmission.

“You would have recalled that we would have had five cases that were repatriated persons, who on arrival would have been tested and the positive results were issued by the lab on the following day. But we have now gone about one month without having a case.”

He stressed however that this does not mean that Barbados is in the all-clear. “I want to make it very clear that yes we have not had a case in about a month, but that should not be taken to mean that there is no longer a problem. That there is no longer an international pandemic and that we no longer have a public health emergency.

“I say that because we are not operating in a silo and we do not live in a bubble. Barbados has a close and intimate relation with the OECS and two, we are part of the Americas. If you have been following the news recently, you would have recognised that the Americas is now where the epicentre is for COVID-19.

“Out of the 9 million cases confirmed of COVID globally, approximately 50 per cent of those cases have been recorded in the Americas. If I can bring it a little close to home, almost 4.5 million cases have now been reported in the Americas. The Americas also is now the place for the most new cases and within a 24-hour period, for example, out of 152 000 new cases, 90 000 of those cases were recorded in the Americas.

“Those of us here who know our ge-ography, would know that a CARICOM country called Guyana shares a common border with Brazil and also Suriname. All of that is to say to you and to all those persons in this Chamber that as long as this situation continues, not only globally but in the Americas and although we consider Europe is kind of levelling off at the moment but still the UK with 306 000 cases, our source markets and the areas of the world, Europe and the Americas, Canada and USA, we still have to be extremely vigilant. That is why we are seeking to extend the Public Health Emergency because admittedly, we are in a good position at this point in time.”

He stressed that being in this “good position” is a result not only of the hard work of public health officials and all of those other agencies and NGOs, the Social Partnership, Labour and the churches, but it is equally because of the co-ordination and collaboration of the majority of Barbadians.

“There are very few people who have been flouting the protocols and so on, but we are satisfied that Barbadians for the most part have been disciplined, have been sensible and have co-operated with us at this point. But all of that could easily go through the window by a few imported cases if we do not have the right protocols in place and the extension of this Public Health Emergency will allow us to escalate if we need to escalate in terms of the measures we are adopting and it also facilitates the operation of several areas of our response to the pandemic.

“For example, the nurses we have from Cuba are under and as a result of the Public Health Emergency declaration because that gives certain powers to the Ministry of Health to do that. Even with the QEH, there are some regulations that have been enacted in this House to allow the QEH to add various compounds and facilities to the hospital infrastructure for the management of the pandemic. So for example the Blackman and Gollop School, that came under the QEH; the Harrison Point at the moment is functioning as a QEH facility for obvious reasons. So there is every good in what is being done here.

“All this is, is to allow us to continue in what is still a public health emergency and a pandemic. There are going to be ebbs and flows, there are times when we will scale down our response as we are doing right now, but while we are scaling down our response, we are now preparing for what could happen later on, so that we are able to manage our response and to stay on top of things and I dare say the passing of this revolution will continue to provide that extra teeth to the MOHW and by extension the Government and the country to continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Health Minister said he recently participated in an executive meeting with the Pan American Health Organisation where a number of challenges related to COVID-19 came to the fore. “Of all of those challenges, there is one that stood out in my mind. It is the fact that it is said that there is a gap which exists between authorities communicating the risk associated with COVID and the interventions that are required to mitigate those risks against the perception of those risks, by the general public.

“And I want to posit, Mr. Speaker, that the extension of the Public Health Emergency here in Barbados is the cornerstone in our efforts to close that gap between public perception of the risk and communicating the risk and the mitigation of those risks by the authorities,” he said.

With more than 100 days passing since the people went tobthe polls in Guyana, Barbados Prime Minister and Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chair Mia Amor Mottley has called for a speedy resolution to the impasse. In an address made yesterday, Prime Minister Mottley has called for cooler heads to prevail as more than three months have passed since the people went to the polls without a victor being announced.

Speaking from her office on the issue which has become increasingly volatile, Mottley said that it has left something of a stain on the region’s image.

“From the very beginning we have been clear and said consistently that every vote must count and every vote must be made to count in a fair and transparent way. Regrettably, we have seen a level of gamesmanship that has left much to be desired and has definitely not portrayed our Caribbean region in the best light. This is definitely not our finest hour and we must not shy away from that reality,” she said.

Stating that the Community was concerned about reports that the Chief Elections Officer has submitted a report to the Guyana Election Commission which is contrary to directions given by the Commission and does not reflect the results of recount process, Mottley outlined why the results of both the initial count and the recount should be valid.

“These numbers and the certification of them were also witnessed by our Caricom observer team. They traveled to Guyana in spite of the pandemic and the risks to themselves and they scrutinised the recount process. The Caricom observer team was of the unshakable belief that the people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box on March 2ndand that the results of the recount, certified as valid by the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission, led to an orderly conclusion on which the declaration of the results of the election could and would be made,” she said before going on to add.

“Therefore, we must ask on what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Elections Officer determine that he should invalidate one vote, far less over 115,000 votes when the votes were already certified as valid by the officers of the Guyana Elections Commission in the presence of the said political parties.”

Reminding stakeholders that if there was any evidence of fraudulent practices or corruption that the recourse involved an election petition to an election court, Mottley stated that confrontations such as the one presented to the people of Guyana could lead to dangerous conditions in society.

“Any attempt to provide numbers different from those certified by the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission has left many in shock and wondering what next will happen to frustrate the will of the Guyanese people. The role and focus of political parties must be useful and not obstructive, and embracing and promoting the clear and expressed will of the people. And when we confuse and frustrate that will is when we begin to sow the very seeds of discord and acrimony that we are sworn to dissuade and discourage,” she said.

Going on to say that the Community holds a strong view that no voter must be disenfranchised and that she had four other Prime Ministers accompany her to Guyana to speak to both sides in a bid to quell the animosity, Mottley encouraged the people of Guyana to hold strong in these trying times.

“As you await the finalisationof this process, we urge again that you be patient and that you be committed to the fact that no electoral process can replace the life of any Guyanese, or anyone for that matter. There must be room for all, regardless of who wins and who loses. I assure you that the Community remains committed to the people of Guyana and remains resolute that the report of its observer mission was very clear in its conclusions as to the will of the Guyanese people as reflected in the recount which they monitored,” she said. (MP)

Sagicor has no intention at this time of closing any of its branches
or retrenching workers.

That assurance came yesterday from Ravi Rambarran, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Sagicor Life Inc.

During a virtual press briefing to provide an update on the company’s
performance for the first quarter of this year and projections for the
remainder of the year, he said that the company has kept the promise
made to staff in the initial stages of the impact of the covid-19
pandemic, that there would be no change for the first three months.

“...And we have honoured that promise. Now subsequently, we are
looking at how we reconfigure in those areas where business may have
fallen off. But let me make something very clear, we have no intention
of closing down branches, we have no intention of any wholesale or
material changes in our staff, because the messaging we have given is
this, and it is a very simple one that we believe in – any material
adverse changes would be a shared one, it would be a shared sacrifice,
it would be a shared burden. But certainly that’s the principle we
have operated, and we will operate as we monitor the situation. But
absolutely not – no material retrenchment, no material changes in our
branch network etc. – absolutely not,” he maintained.

His comments came as he said that within a week of the pandemic making
itself felt in the region, 100 per cent of the Sagicor employees were
allowed to work from home, and as the countries have gradually
reopened, so too have their offices. But, he pointed out, such
reopenings have been under “very strict health and safety protocols”.
He added that as part of that effort, only frontline or client-facing
staff are physically at work.

Meanwhile, asked about the financial impact of the pandemic on their
clients’ ability to meet their various commitments, Rambarran
disclosed that less than 50 per cent have actually taken up the offer
of the moratorium, adding that the company still stands ready to work
with any client who is unable to meet their commitments.

“Once there is a willingness on the part of our clients to work with
us, we will work with them... Certainly the principle that we have
been operating to date and will continue to operate is – we will work
with you, simply because it is far easier to have and maintain an
existing client, than to lose that client and reengage them later on,
particularly in the context where our region remains underinsured and
under pensioned,” he said.

Rambarran added, “It should only be an absolutely last resort that
someone should not have their insurance policy or their mortgage
policy or their health policy, because these are times when they need
it more than ever. So we are making that extra effort to work with our
clients”.

The President and CEO made the remarks while adding that though he
foresees some reduction in sales, it is early days yet to get a true
sense of what will happen going forward.

“But at the same time there is still a large pool of people who can
pay that we have not engaged and who are not covered, that we have not
engaged. It is a combination of two forces – one negative and one
positive - and we remain optimistic that we will find a way. As I
said, we have quite a range of solutions to fit many pockets and we
believe now is the time to be covered, rather than be uncovered,” he
insisted. (JRT)
 

The Ministry of Education is heartened that the Ministry of Health and
Wellness, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation
(PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), is developing a
National School Nutrition Policy for Barbados.

Joy Adamson, Chief Education Officer with the Ministry of Education,
Technological and Vocational Training, acknowledged the above as she
delivered remarks yesterday during the virtual Opening Ceremony for
the Stakeholders Consultation for the Development of a School
Nutrition Policy for Barbados, hosted by the PAHO/WHO Office for
Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

“My Ministry is pleased to be involved in this partnership, as we too
continue to be very concerned about our children’s dietary habits and
even more disturbed about the number of school-aged children
encountering non-communicable diseases in Barbados. I was at PAHO when
we first started such discussions in 2015, and five years on we are
hoping that we will have a final document that we will be able to
share with our schools and our students,” she said.

“It is now a well-known fact that a third of all Caribbean children
are obese or overweight. I can safely say that all of us today are
aware that to address this problem, we must therefore change our
children’s dietary habits. To do this, we  the adults must change what
we provide for them to eat. We the adults must educate ourselves so
that we can educate them. We the adults must work with manufacturers
and suppliers to reduce the salt and sugar in prepared food and
beverages,” she further commented.

Adamson noted that with some students returning to school recently in
the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for the upcoming Common
Entrance Exam, based on interactions with some parents, the need for a
nutrition policy has become even more evident.

“Now over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had some interaction with
parents as we prepare the Class 4 students for their return back to
school, and the main thing that a lot of parents were saying is that
they don’t think their children could fit into their uniforms anymore.
Now the students would have been home since March 18th. That is 12
weeks. What were they eating? What were they snacking on? Who was
providing it for them?” Adamson asked.

As such, she noted that educational institutions must not only provide
knowledge to the island’s children, but also influence their attitudes
and behaviours, to positively promote and support healthy eating
habits.

 “It is hoped that this policy will address all facets of school life,
whilst equipping students with the requisite knowledge and skills to
make better decisions regarding their physical and dietary health” she
indicated, even as she pledged the Ministry’s support in the fight
against childhood obesity.
 

Local dairy farmers are under tremendous pressure at this time, President of the Barbados Beef and Dairy Producers Association, Annette Beckett has revealed.

She explained that high water bills have been extremely taxing on the farmers, with some in the industry paying as much as $10,000 monthly.

“The water bill is extremely challenging at this time, and we are continuing to talk with the Ministry of Water Resources to see if we could get some sort of ease,” she said, pointing out “There are farmers whose water bill has gone from $2,000 to $4,000 - $5,000. There are some farmers who are paying $10,000. The smaller farmers water bill went from about $700 to about $1700. And these are increases in expenses that would not have been budgeted for, and at the same time your milk production is down.”

“However, it is not only the dairy farmers that are suffering like this, the vegetable farmers are also hit by the drought and the water rates...There must be a way that the rate they are charging agriculturists generally, cannot be the normal commercial rate and that is where the problem is. We are charged the normal commercial rate and then 100 percent on that to cover for the water and sewage tax.”

Her comments came during the presentation of Pine Hill Dairy milk to The Hub and Living Water Community, which are both organisations within the Roman Catholic Church committed to assisting persons in need.

“We didn’t let our problems deter us from helping. We recognise that there is a need out there and we thought that we would chip in and help this arm of the Roman Catholic Church,” she told reporters gathered at the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) Headquarters, yesterday.

“We understand that we are operating in some very strange circumstances now and going forward. But, the Barbados Beef and Dairy Producers Association decided that at this time we will make a contribution to an arm that is helping to ease some of the pressure and the tension among some of the persons who are most needy.”

Administrative Manager at The Hub, Cheryl Fitzpatrick-Payne expressed appreciation to the Association for the generous, timely donation.

“Our role is to help those who are in need. It may mean assisting someone who has lost their job to reorganize and look for another job; it may mean assisting someone to get labels for their products; also in this stage of the pandemic someone has indicated an interest in making masks so will help her to source the materials and equipment…There is a wide range in terms of people that we assist and the aim is to make them self-sustained.”

“Also, with the help of the Living Water Community we distribute food hampers every other week to assist with basic needs. And of course milk is very nutritious and we are very grateful for this specific contribution,” she said. (TL)

Pulling down statues will not fill anyone’s belly.

Instead, according to Minister of Tourism and International Transport Kerrie Symmonds, focus must be placed on empowering working class people.

During Tuesday’s session of Parliament, the MP for St. James Central expressed the view that he was neither for nor against the removal of the controversial Lord Nelson statue as there were more important issues to deal with.

“I am now at an age and stage in life where I am not interested in the optics. You could pull down a thousand statues and it will fill nobody’s belly. I am interested in filling people’s bellies, I am interested in making sure that people have comfort when they sleep at night, that their children have satisfaction that they are going to inherit something in the land of their birth, and until we come to that point we are having an artificial debate.

“So let us come to the point where we are dealing with the substance. Psychologi-cally, it might make things better in terms of the optics, it may make people feel there has been an achievement. That can be debated. I am neither for nor against quite frankly, but my feeling is that we cannot take our eyes off that ball called substance. That substance is how do we economically empower the working class people of Barbados so that they and their sons and daughters can be those people who are the guardians of the commanding heights of this country’s economy,” he added.

Caddle supports removal

In her contribution a few moments later, Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Marsha Caddle however expressed her belief that the statue should be removed, saying it served to “honour white supremacy”.

“And if your countrymen and women in their overwhelming majority tell you that a statue erected to serve to honour white supremacy disturbs them deeply in their souls, why would you want to hold on to it? If you are an ally of the equality project with respect to race in your country, why would you want to hold on to it?

“This notion that it erases history sir – I wake up with this skin every day in this country and when I go to different parts of the world I see the reaction that it gets. I see the reactions that it sometimes gets right here, I don’t need a statue to remind me that Barbados was the site of the great slave experiment in this region. Here was where they wanted to create the perfect slave society and then the perfect post-colonial society. There is no possibility of forgetting that,” she insisted. (JMB)

The burden of non-communicable diseases and their complications, has reminded us that we need to plan for the health of our children.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kenneth George pointed out the above recently, even as he noted that children living in households where obese adults are present, are likely to be overweight and obese themselves.

He was at the time delivering remarks during the virtual Opening Ceremony for the Stakeholders Consultation for the Development of a School Nutrition Policy for Barbados, which was hosted this week by the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

“Barbados has gone from under-nutrition and mal-nutrition, to over-nutrition in seven to eight decades. Obesity has emerged as one of the most serious public health concerns in the 21st century. The dramatic rise in childhood obesity closely parallels the rapid increase in the prevalence of adult obesity. Obesity and NCDs lead to more obesity and NCDs,” heasserted.

“Research indicates that in households where one parent is obese, there is a 50 per cent chance that children will be obese. In households where both parents are obese, this probability increases to 80 per cent. Obese children and adolescents are at high risk of becoming obese adults. In essence, they are at higher risk for developing non-communicable diseases, at an earlier age,” he further commented.

“Complications of obesity you may well know,  include cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemias and Type II Diabetes. Indeed, poorly controlled NCDs and their consequences increase the risk of severe COVID-19 complications and possible death,” Dr. George added.

He meanwhile noted that in an effort to tackle childhood obesity, several evidence-based interventions intended to create  healthier environments, have been developed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Pan American Health Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

CARICOM Heads of Government and Member States have also recognised the need for an urgent response to the childhood obesity crisis facing the Caribbean and have repeatedly pledged their commitment, taking action which supports the creation of a healthier nutrition environment.

He further stated that in 2019, the Government of Barbados successfully advocated for the inclusion of school-based health promotion interventions for childhood obesity, as well as teacher training on NCDs and across the various national, regional and global recommendations, there are a set of core evidence-based policies recommended to tackle childhood obesity, which can be followed.

“These policies include the promotion of exclusive breast feeding, including the baby friendly hospital initiative; making it harder to consume excessive amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages, including an aggressive national pricing policy; helping persons know what they consume by having high visibility labelling for pre-packaged foods; continued public education for both  adults and children, so as to improve nutrition literacy and finally, the acknowledgement that children spend  a significant part of their time at school and therefore there is a need for a healthy school environment,” Dr. George remarked.

Acknowledging that the school environment provides opportunities for meaningful interventions and policies to create behaviour change, he stressed that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is hoping to add to the significant work that has been done by developing a National School Nutrition Policy, which aims to make the school environment a healthier one. (RSM)

Fifty families whose financial situations were thrown into peril by
the COVID-19 pandemic, received assistance from the Soroptimist
International of Barbados (SIB) club recently.

The club purchased $5000 in groceries and supplies to assist families
led by non-national women suspected to be former victims of human
trafficking. The donation followed through on a commitment made under
the club’s Immediate Past President, Lisa Toppin-Corbin, which she
announced at the club’s Annual General Meeting in April.

She said, “What is clear is that before, during and after this …
pandemic, women and girls will continue to need assistance and support
from organisations such as ours.”

The women’s plight was brought to public attention by anti human
trafficking specialist Dr Olivia Smith, who shared in the press that
they had lost jobs due the impact of the pandemic and were essentially
stranded in Barbados with little in the way of family support systems
here.

During the height of the pandemic restrictions, her group – the
Caribbean Anti Human Trafficking Project – identified 55 women and 40
children who were in desperate need.

SIB sprung into action to assist, purchasing 100 pre-packaged grocery
bags from Popular Discount and working with the retailer to customise
the bags for women by replacing some of the items with feminine care
products.

President of SIB, Krystle Maynard, noted that anti human trafficking
advocacy is a focus area for the club both locally and globally, with
much of their work coming under their Purple Teardrop campaign.

“When we saw this story, as a club, we felt compelled to help. From
our Purple Teardrop work, we are well aware of how financial
difficulty can make women vulnerable to human trafficking attempts. So
we had to do our part to ensure that these women and their families
could be fed and safe,” she stated.
 

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is giving the country the assurance that even as the Government seeks to get tourism going again, they will at no time make human life secondary to the economy.

The Prime Minister spoke to this in an address yesterday morning from Ilaro Court, as she said concerted steps are to be taken to breathe new life into the tourism sector. Her remarks came as she made

it abundantly clear that the safety of Barbadians is paramount.

“I want to share with you that any plan to welcome visitors to our shores again and to allow tourism-based establishments to reopen, must and will put the safety of Barbadians first. I’ve said it too many times – it is non-negotiable. To be able to live up to the commitment will require practical, efficient protocols; consistent flows of communication from the Government to you as we

have been doing and just as important from you to the Government agencies, so that we can effectively monitor our progress and at the same time solve any issues as they occur,” she stated.

To that end, suggesting that it cannot be business as usual, she also spoke of the ‘Tourism Reboot Exercise’, through which she explained that over the course of the last few weeks they have invited ideas and participation from a “wide and varied think tank of creative Barbadian minds” to help the sector. She said among the questions they have sought to answer is what does the best of Barbados look like, feel like, sound like and taste like.

“This is our perfect opportunity, Bajans, to put in the time and the effort to rebrand and reboot our tourism sector and engender a renewed national respect and appreciation for tourism. From public education and training as you have heard me say through the National Training Initiative; to branding and signage which we need to improve; to the attraction and entertainment activities; to a national clean-up and beautification campaign, you have heard me speak of this over and over since Independence last year – all of these will be reviewed and refreshed under our Tourism Reboot Programme,” she said.

She went on to say that the new tourism thrust will reflect three pillars of excellence – national pride, pursuit of excellence and universal tolerance.

“Barbados will get itself ready to welcome visitors and we will start with the reopening of restaurants, hotels, attractions, and entertainment centres and sports, not merely for our citizens to enjoy, but eventually for the visitors who will be coming back gradually, to experience our culture and hospitality,” the PM stated.

She further indicated that the tourism authorities will launch the new Barbados Tourism Brand Identity Campaign, inviting the world to come, see, taste and experience “their perfect home away from home”. She made that point while stating that steps will be taken to not only welcome visitors warmly, but safely; reiterating that the safety of Barbadians remains vital.

“My Cabinet and I commit to protecting you, protecting jobs and protecting livelihoods. There can be no Barbados to experience, without Barbadians,” she said.

With that in mind, she said that the tourism industry depends as much on tourists as it does on Barbadians, noting that “the first tourist is a Bajan”.

PM Mottley added, “No economy will survive if its people do not have the spending power. So as we go about our daily lives, I urge all of us to remember that every dollar we spend in Oistins, or in a restaurant, or in a supermarket, or in a village shop, or boutique, or in a gym, or in a pharmacy or a street vendor means another Bajan remains employed, allowing each of us to feed our families and to keep this economy afloat.” (JRT)

HIT hard by COVID-19, this country’s economy is expected to shrink by double digits, according to Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston Haynes.

Speaking on Thursday night’s 2020 Caribbean Economic Forum entitled ‘COVID and Economic Policy: Protecting Jobs, Businesses and the Economy’, he said projected growth for the year had been halted by the pandemic.

“Over the last two years, we worked very diligently to restore the situation to the point where our reserves had been built to comfortable levels. We had some debt restructuring which has brought our debt levels down and the only thing we really wanted to do now was to get the economy to grow.

“We had anticipated for 2020 that we would get some modest growth backed by investments from investors and COVID came and threw all of our plans askew, so rather than getting modest economic growth, we now expect to have a double-digit fall in the output for 2020. This has led to significant

loss of jobs, loss of revenue for Government. The one thing that has stood out is that our reserves are now steady, not only have we been able to get resources from the IMF, but we have not really had to sell foreign exchange to shore up our reserves in the past three months and that I think is a positive sign in terms of the development that we have,” he continued.

Haynes said one major redeeming factor was that Government’s foreign reserves were close to $2 billion, which was shoring up the island’s handling of the current situation.

Speaking on measures implemented by his facility, Haynes stated that in addition to encouraging commercial banks to provide moratoria to the private sector for their loans, it had lowered discount rates, reduced securities ratios for banks and supported social safety nets for the private sector.

Regarding the possible weakening of the US dollar to which the Barbados dollar is pegged at a ratio of 2:1, Haynes expressed his belief that while the US financial market was under some strain, there will eventually be an upturn.

“I think what is critical at this point in time is really related to our trade flows. Yes, the US currency may suffer periods of depreciation, but I think at the end of the day what one will notice is that the US financial market is really a strong financial market and that while we are going through a little bumpy period now in the US because of the trade tensions, I think those will be resolved over time and the US will resume its general governance within the financial landscape,” he predicted.

Barbados currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. This was the news revealed by Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, during a media conference held by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at Ilaro Court yesterday.

With it being proclaimed by Prime Minister Mottley that Barbados was named as one of two Caribbean countries on a list of the 15 best recovering countries worldwide from the COVID-19 pandemic, the backdrop was set up for Minister Bostic to notify the nation.

“The good news is that we are now on Day 35 without any local transmission of COVID-19 and even better news, all persons who were in isolation have been discharged so there are no confirmed cases that we are still treating at the isolation facility at Harrison Point. Also important is the fact that all persons who were repatriated on flights from the United States and the United Kingdom and Canada have been discharged from quarantine and this is indeed good news,” he said.

With just over three months passing after the first case was announced on March 16, Bostic took the opportunity to thank all arms of the Government’s response to the virus and went on to say that the buy-in from Barbadians was what really made the achievement possible.

“We could not have reached this point if we did not have the co-operation and support of the ordinary Barbadian man and woman and all other persons residing here. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what really made the difference – you collaborated. We asked you to embark on a journey that you had never taken before for the most part. Most Barbadians never experienced a curfew. Most Barbadians never experienced isolation, solitude, deprivation. All of these were required and a level of discipline for us to be able to reach where we have reached today.”

Later in the conference, it was revealed that the island was now in a much better position to stand up and face almost any eventuality that could occur as there were over 30,000 kits and the requisite equipment, and Minister Bostic ended his address by stating that our people’s resilience is what got us this far and will continue to keep us moving forward.

“This is one of those situations where our destiny is not in the hands of any foreign government, our destiny is in our hands. When we come together, when we work together, when we co-operate, we will be strong. We’ve done well, but let us not become complacent. Let us continue to be our brother’s keeper and look out for each other and I am sure we can ride through any storm that comes our way,” he said. (MP)

Scheduled commercial air traffic to Barbados is set to resume on July 12. This is the news coming out of yesterday’s media briefing hosted by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at her Ilaro Court residence. With the Prime Minister addressing several developments surrounding the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, resumption of regular flights into the Grantley Adams International Airport was one of the biggest talking points

After the island recorded its first case of the viral infection on March 16, a severely crippling blow was dealt to tourism, which has been the country’s main revenue earner for many years. Speaking to the Government’s achievement of bringing the number of confirmed cases down to zero, Prime Minister Mottley said that the next large task ahead of us was the resurrection of the tourism industry.

“Inasmuch as we have been successful in the battle against COVID-19 thus far, it is imperative that we take stock and recognise that we are now at a juncture of yet another challenge. But I’m confident that together we will once again manage, monitor and overcome this crossroad, doing not only what is necessary, but that which is in the very best interest of our beloved Barbados. I speak, my friends, of the prospect of relaxing our border restrictions to allow for scheduled commercial air travel under the strictest of health protocols and guidelines,” she said.

With it being announced that there was a risk-based approach to the protection of the country, its people and visitors and that the airport never completely closed during the past three months, the PM outlined some of the major players that would be coming back into Barbados in the coming weeks.

“We will start with it coming from Canada with the arrival of Air Canada, which will be coming initially twice per week on Thursdays and Sundays. On the 18th of July, British Airways will resume flights into Barbados from Gatwick, London and these flights will initially come at least once per week, but will also respond to demand,” she said, before adding that JetBlue is slated to come from John F. Kennedy in New York at least four times a week from July 25.

Also, Virgin Atlantic is set to resume flights once a week from August 1. She also noted that they had initially expected to start on July 2 with American Airlines out of Miami, but pushed that back to August 5 due to the spike of cases there. As it related to regional travel, Caribbean Airlines is expected to resume in mid-July, while LIAT’s resumption is pending talks today with shareholders. However, the Prime Minister said that there would be a sound solution for travel within the Caribbean. “Suffice it to say that we are committed to ensuring that there will be effective, affordable, reliable and safe inter-regional travel as part of the product mix starting from July,” she said.

Speaking to the special stipulations for travel, Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds stated that before a decision could be taken to resume scheduled commercial traffic, protocols governing accommodations, attractions and people arriving into the country needed to be laid out. With the most important of these related to those travelling here, Symmonds noted that the most pressing of these directives was that a COVID-19 PCR Antigen test needed to be taken and accredited 72 hours prior to the commencement of travel for those from the highest risk points of origin. At the other end of the spectrum, such as within the region, a test needed to be taken and accredited no more than one week prior to the commencement of travel. Failing having a test, one must be administered here and any persons testing positive would be taken into isolation for care.

Minister Symmonds explained that the island needed to move forward, but in the safest way possible. “As we go forward, the reality is that we are trying to reopen the country’s tourism business in a sensitive manner and in a manner which allows for there to be business activity on one hand and the protection of people’s personal health and safety on the other,” he said. (MP)

FROM Wednesday, July 1, 2020, there will no longer be a curfew in place on weekends.

Word of this has come from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. In an address to the nation from her official residence, Ilaro Court, the Prime Minister said this will effectively bring an end to all the curfew restrictions imposed to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in this country. Her comments came against the backdrop of the disclosure earlier during the session from Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, that the country is now COVID-19 free, as the remaining five patients in isolation had been discharged.

PM Mottley also told the media present and those tuning in online, that the decision has been taken to reduce the physical distancing requirement to one metre.

“That is just about three feet or in other words, outside of the stretch of your arms and hands,” she stated.

Adding to her remarks, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Dale Marshall, said that the country is on the cusp of implementing COVID Directive No. 8, which will further lift restrictions put on Barbadians over the course of the last three months. But, he explained that the State of Emergency, which was earlier this week extended to the end of August, remains in place.

“The importance of the State of Emergency from my point of view, is that it allows us to maintain our restrictions in relation to the physical protocols, in relation to the sanitising – it is the basis on which the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit will work. They will work within the context of the State of Emergency caused by the pandemic and even though we have no cases at this point in time and we feel that we are COVID free, from a point of view of governance, it is still going to be important for us to ensure that those protocols, physical distancing, things of that sort will remain in place,” he said.

Meanwhile, giving details of the forthcoming directive which comes into effect on Monday, he indicated that matters relative to the operation of day-care facilities have been concluded and such facilities will be allowed to reopen to full functionality. In addition, he said that sporting events will also now be allowed to take place with spectators.

“Now obviously we will still have stringent protocols in relation to spectators enjoying those events, but they will largely be limited to physical distancing and sanitising. Obviously for indoor sporting activities there will be density requirements to consider, but once more our avid fans can go out, enjoy a game of cricket, watch basketball, football, road tennis and the like,” he stated.

The AG went to say that changes have also been made to the numbers allowed to attend entertainment and public events. He revealed that the numbers allowed are now a maximum of 500 people, up from the 250 that was previously stated. He said the decision was taken after discussions with the health authorities. Marshall explained where the event is indoors, then the physical distancing protocols must be applied, while outdoors would allow for “more flexibility, but still physical distancing”; adding that in each case masks must be worn.

Marshall made the point while disclosing that a decision has been taken that come July 15, Government is prepared to consider, with the support of the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit, allowing the hosting of events in excess of 500 people. He went on to say that church services will, under the new directive, no longer have a time limit and baptisms will be allowed so long as persons wear gloves.

The one thing that will not change under the new directive, the AG disclosed, is visitations to hospitals and nursing homes. He said they will continue to be limited to one person at a time. Marshall stated after consultation with the health authorities and officials of such facilities, it was agreed that the limit should remain for the time being. (JRT)

Government’s intention to “level the playing field” in the auto industry has won favour with the management of Nassco Limited.

Yesterday, Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland, announced during a visit to Nassco’s River Road, St. Michael facility that a Vehicular Policy is in the works to address the irregularities and anomalies which have been highlighted by local car dealers.

For the last 18 months, Managing Director of Nassco, Roger Hill, voiced concerns about unfair practices when it comes to the importation of vehicles into Barbados.

Hill said, “For us to bring our Hilux to Barbados and get it into the lower tax bracket, we had to remove the alloy rims, fog lamps, radio – everything had to be left out at the factory – and then we installed it when it reached Barbados in order for us to get our vehicles into the lower tax bracket.

“Yet, we could go into the port and see brand new Hilux vehicles arriving here fully accessorised, but on top of that, these vehicles were being sold for

$15 000 and $20 000 less than what we could sell our vehicles for...It is not only a situation with the importation of Hilux vehicles, but it is all various makes of vehicles,” he pointed out.

“So automatically perception is that the new car dealers are ripping off people in Barbados, but that is certainly not correct …And we are not against anyone bringing in a new vehicle – all that we are asking for that it is on a level playing field.”

Sutherland said that his Ministry recognises the need to bring the used, new and crash car market on a level playing field.

“For instance, we would have seen last year the importation of new Hilux vehicles, not by Nassco, but by other importers and we recognised that the regime for imported Hilux would have been classified as a truck. Based on regulations by government we were not issuing import licences for these vehicles because there were classified as trucks…We believe the time has come for us to issue import licences to all vehicles coming in because what has happened is that we have seen some of those vehicles landing here and being sold some $20 000 - $25 000 less than what they are being sold at Nassco.”

Minister Sutherland went on to indicate that those vehicles which have been imported already accessorised are being charged the same duty as a vehicle which comes in basic.

“We were seeing some of these vehicles with fog lights and leather seats and crash bars being charged the same duty of 47.7 per cent. Whereas, those duties should have been 65.5 per cent, so those third party dealers were able to import the vehicles and sell them at a much lower price, having attracting the same duty but they have on more accessories.

“The reality is that consumers want a fancy vehicle with the fog lights, crash bars, leather seats, but I believe we have to make the playing field level and the vehicular policy will make sure that the importation of vehicles, whether used or new, falls under this,” he assured.

Following seven years of unwavering and exemplary service to the region, former Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Ronald Jackson, had his time in the spotlight as he was recognised for his outstanding service yesterday.

Jackson has been appointed to head the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery for Building Resilience Team in Geneva, and heads of regional bodies with which he worked as well as other well-wishers came together online to bid him a fond farewell.

An appreciation ceremony was held in Jackson’s honour by the Chair of the Council of Ministers of CDEMA, the Honourable Ralph Higgs, via a Zoom meeting, and remarks were delivered by CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin La Rocque; Daniela Tramacere, EU Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, OECS and CARICOM/ CARIFORUM; and Acting Executive Director of CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley.

“It was my absolute pleasure over the last seven years to work with Ronald in a partnership, managing disaster and building resilience in the Caribbean community. The dedication, commitment and professionalism with which he has served the region has earned him great respect and has significantly lifted the profile of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

As Executive Director, Ronald has provided outstanding leadership to the agency as he went about his task of assisting member states in the most difficult circumstances,” CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque remarked.

Acting Executive Director of CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley, noted that Jackson, who was appointed Executive Director of CDEMA on April 3, 2013, has since provided outstanding leadership to the CDEMA Co-ordinating Unit and in the implementation of the Agency’s policies and programmes.

“This is indeed a bittersweet moment for the entire CDEMA family and in fact, for all of us who know and have engaged with Ron at some point during his service to the region. I want to recognise Ron’s contribution to the CDEMA system and by extension to the Caribbean community,” Riley commented.

It has meanwhile been noted that Mr. Jackson has provided sterling leadership of the regional co-ordination effort and responses to Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent after the Christmas Trough in 2013, the Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015, Hurricanes Irma and Maria which impacted nine of the CDEMA Participating States in 2017, Hurricane Dorian in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 2019 and in the current COVID-19 pandemic, which is now affecting the region.

His commitment and advocacy in promoting and advancing the implementation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy and Framework for the Region, has captivated many audiences across the globe, resulting in a significant increase of resources through donor financing support to the implementation of Disaster Risk Management programmes in Participating States.

Expressing his gratitude to all those wishing him well in the next chapter of his life, Mr. Jackson remarked, “I am truly honoured. I am touched, I feel blessed, even as I listened to the words of gratitude. I wish to express my gratitude to all of you, for the contribution that you have made to my own personal and professional journey and the success that I and my team achieved over my seven-year period.”

“As I look to my next journey, I will miss all of you. I will miss the personal and professional engagements, but will keep them close in my heart and mind, because I truly valued them. They have shaped my journey and will help me in my next steps as I go forward,” he told those gathered online.

There is a call for the local credit union movement to pay greater attention to things happening on the ground and its members. These are the sentiments of social activist Hamilton Lashley as he declared that credit unions should be playing a more important role in the current and post COVID-19 climate in Barbados.

Speaking to the Barbados Advocate during a telephone interview earlier this week, the former parliamentarian revealed that he thought that the movement needed to have a more positive involvement in the wellbeing and success of its members. “The credit unions across Barbados should take on a far more intrusive role in the lives of its members and the poor and marginalisedand disenfranchised members of our society. I believe that collectively, the unions, under its umbrella body, could provide that necessary protective social environment towards the members.”

Adding that he believed that they should be creating an enabling environment of investment at his time rather than keeping funds stored on commercial banking system, Lashley said that their current interests should be in investing in cooperative supermarkets, transportation services and offering more attractive incentives to members similar to the the bonds currently being proposed by the Barbados Optional Savings Scheme.

As it relates to the ongoing moratorium systems being offered by financial institutions, Lashley believes that they need to be longer to accommodate those who are still feeling the pinch of the virus. “I believe too that the credit unions should really be offering a longer moratorium as it relates to its members in this COVID-19 time who would have taken out loans and who are struggling to pay it back, particularly those members that are in the hotel sector across Barbados. I believe that rather than putting them before the bailiff and harassing them and hassling them, that they should be given extensions to their loans,” he said before addressing the ongoing issue surrounding Executive Member Henderson Williams. “In addition to that I also believe that the credit union should look at serious investment into housing to create that low-income housing towards its members instead of being embroiled, in my view, in trivial matters of witch-hunting. Particularly in the case of the City of Bridgetown Credit Union.”

Stating that he believed that at this time the credit union had to focus on more positive investments to provide opportunities and protect their members in times like these as stated in their motto, Lashley said that he saw no issue with his appointment. “In Henderson William’s case, if he is qualified for a position that is available in the credit union, then why not? He did not appoint himself. There is a sub-committee that deals with those issues, but if the sub-committee selects him and he is a member of the credit union, why not? I don’t see it as an issue.”

Harkening back to his original call for a higher level of positive involvement in the lives of members, Lashley explained that he saw it as the best way forward for the movement. “If within the scheme of things within the credit union and they are offering these kinds of protective and enhancing services towards members, then therefore the credit union in this COVID time would be playing a very positive role in the lives of its members rather than bringing the strife that I am witnessing at having matters like these played out in the press,” he said. (MP)

AS countries across the region open back up, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Timothy Antoine, expressed his belief that the business system as a whole will not improve until the vital tourism sector recovers.

He was responding to a question on how soon economies would start to recover while speaking at the 2020 Caribbean Economic Forum entitled ‘COVID and Economic Policy: Protecting Jobs, Businesses and the Economy’.

“The impact we are seeing in terms of jobs and revenues, which have plummeted to less than 50 per cent of what they were pre-COVID, those impacts were real and continuing, and until and unless tourism reopens, those impacts will continue. And because our borders are still closed for most countries and because tourism is expected to have a protracted recovery, as we are still at the very early stages in my estimation of this situation and so we are now internally in our countries, relaxing and reopening local businesses and so on, and that helps, so in that sense economic activity has picked up in the last month. But in terms of the macro economy, nothing fundamentally or dramatically will change until we are able to get tourism resuscitated or recovered and that I think is the major challenge that we all face at this time and that is why there are significant discussions going on about what are the protocols around which we would reopen our borders for tourism,” he stressed.

Agreeing with Antoine, Governor of the Bank of Jamaica Richard Byles said to a large extent recovery would be intertwined with the good management of spread of the pandemic in major source markets – the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.

He pointed out that Jamaica had reopened its borders recently and was hoping to manage the process safely.

“A lot depends on countries on which tourists are coming from if the infection rates in those countries gets and stays low and that the protocol for those tourists coming back home is sufficiently simple that it does not stop people from wanting to take a vacation outside the borders of their country,” he added. (JMB)

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) St. Michael North West candidate, Ryan
Walters, said that small businesses are still in need of support.

Walters, who made a tour of some of the small businesses in his
constituency yesterday morning, said that those he had visited
indicated that they did not take up the opportunity of receiving
assistance because of what he termed some miscommunication.

After speaking with the business owners, Walters stated that he got
the general feeling that many did not know that there was grant
funding and subsidies, and instead “some thought it was a loan and
instead used their savings”.

Walters told The Barbados Advocate that the purpose of the tour was to
assess how the businesses were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and
the subsequent shut down of the island. It was also to see how they
were coping with the reopening.

He is hoping that when the government does its assessment of funds
used and there is any residual balance, that it can be put to help
some more small businesses.

“The small businesses have the will and the intent and I think they
will survive,” said Walters, but the objective is to do more than just
barely survive from week to week.

 “We need to be concerned with the development of small businesses so
they can grow and offer employment and support families… we want them
to thrive and not just hang on.”

For this to happen he believes that they need the support from a
formal level so they can pay NIS and Income Tax.

Walters is hoping to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset as he
believes there are a lot of people in Barbados with the skills and a
lot of artisans who can look at becoming entrepreneurs as a viable
option in the future.
 

Barbados can go further in tackling non-communicable diseases by
increasing the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages which children
consume.

Dr.Yitades Gebre, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern
Caribbean Countries, made this suggestion as he delivered remarks
during the virtual Opening Ceremony for the Stakeholders Consultation
for the Development of a School Nutrition Policy for Barbados, hosted
by his office recently.

“Overall, Barbados has been amongst the first Caribbean countries to
introduce a 10 per cent tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), to
curtail and
reduce the consumption of high sugar. The (review) of these studies
has shown that the increase in taxes has been effective in increasing
the sale of non-SSBs, in the majority of the grocery stores,” Dr.
Gebre pointed out.

“Whilst this is highly commendable, we are encouraging Barbados to go
further. From the studies, we know that when the taxation is to reach
20 per cent, then they will have the maximum benefit in reducing
obesity related to consumption of refined sugars, SSBs included,” he
said.

“There is growing evidence of the importance of (reducing) access to
SSBs, as part of comprehensive efforts to reduce sugar sweetened
beverage consumption; encouraging the consumption of healthier
alternatives; improved accessibility of healthy choices; and then
overall to reduce overweight and obesity. So the more we go with
taxes, the likelihood of the decline in consumption, which is
translated into reducing obesity and overall leading to a healthier
population,” Dr. Gebre stressed.

Chief Medical Officer of Health in the Ministry of Health and
Wellness, Dr. Kenneth George, has meanwhile acknowledged calls for the
complete ban on the sale of sugar sweetened beverages to children in
schools.

“We are aware of the calls from civil society to ban the sale and
marketing of sweetened beverages to school-aged children and ensuring
the availability of free drinking water on our school premises. We are
also aware of the calls for policies to ensure that foods marketed to
our children are not high in sugars, fats and salts,” he stated.

He also noted that the Ministry has  developed nutritious and
practical guidelines for healthy foods in schools, and recently the
Heart and Stroke Foundation has introduced a model healthy school
concept and has done significant work in promoting public awareness
about the need to better manage and tackle childhood obesity.

He however stated that personnel at the Ministry of Health and
Wellness appreciate that to effectively prevent and manage childhood
obesity requires an ever evolving health system, and key responses
from ministries outside of Health are critical, including those from
Education, Agriculture and Food Security; Youth, Culture and Sports.
Support is also needed from civil society organisations to better
tackle the issue, Dr. George indicated.
(RSM)

In the absence of effective treatments or a widely available vaccine,
it is expected that over the next two years in the region of the
Americas, countries will experience recurring COVID-19 outbreaks,
which may be interspersed with periods of limited transmission.

Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health
Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional
Director for the Americas, suggested the above as she delivered the
latest anticipated weekly press briefing on COVID-19.

“We must be realistic about the future. All of us must adjust to a new
way of life and redefine our sense of normal. The question is no
longer, “How do we go back to the way things were before?”, but
rather, “How do we move forward and build a sustainable and effective
outbreak response?” she stated.

Dr. Etienne meanwhile revealed that last week Member States discussed
in the PAHO Executive Committee a resolution that seeks to balance the
triple threat of the pandemic.

“…Our Member States discussed a resolution that seeks to balance the
triple threat this pandemic presents to the health of our people, to
our social welfare and to our national economies. Their
recommendations are not only relevant to the crisis we face today, but
also chart a course to navigate the next 24 months of the pandemic,”
she remarked.

“In the face of a fast-changing pandemic, leadership will make or
break our response. Now is the time for leaders to reach across
political divisions and geographic borders, to rally the support for a
response that is commensurate to this unprecedented crisis. Each
country will need to adjust and coordinate their COVID-19 response
based on increasingly detailed data. Governments will have to make
decisions, considering simultaneously health, economic, and social
indicators. This will allow health officials to understand where
transmission is accelerating, and which groups are at greater risk so
as to better target their efforts” she further commented.

“Flexibility will be key, and public health measures, as well as
social protection efforts, will need to be reviewed regularly, to
minimise the impact of the virus in our societies. The provision of
social, financial, and fiscal protection, especially in communities
heavily dependent on informal economies is critical” Dr. Etienne
maintained.

The PAHO Director suggested that we will not overcome this crisis,
without addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, those most likely
to fall sick and the least likely to receive care.

 “If we neglect them, we run the risk of the next two years looking
like the past few months. And this should not happen” she said.

She added, “To support effective decision making, we will need timely
and reliable data about the virus’s spread within cities, throughout
provinces and across countries. This information is vital to help
governments identify new outbreaks early and adapt responses in the
face of changing scenarios. While an active risk of transmission
remains, we must also prioritise early detection of suspect cases,
laboratory testing, contact tracing and quarantine as the foundation
of a targeted and sustainable strategy to control COVID-19. This is
now more important than ever. But ensuring this happens at the level
and to the scale that our region needs, will require investment in
human resources, supplies, improving surveillance, as well as the
development and rapid adoption of new tools”.

“COVID-19 will only be defeated through concerted regional cooperation
and action. Though we rejoice when one country successfully flattens
its COVID-19 epidemic curve, the risk of re-emergence will always
remain, unless we flatten the curve regionally and globally. PAHO is
committed to continuing to serve the people of our region with the
guidance and support they have long relied on to ensure that together,
we can defeat this common enemy” the PAHO headed concluded.