The junction of Westmoreland on Highway 2A will shortly see the completion of a new traffic light system, an answer to the call of residents of the nearby communities to bring safety to those navigating the junction.

Yesterday, Minister Dr. William Duguid, Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance (MTWM), along with Minister Peter Phillips, Minister in MTWM and Edmund Hinkson, Minister of Home Affairs and MP for St James North addressed the media at the site of the new traffic lights. Minister Duguid explained that the lights at the Westmoreland junction was part of the Junction Improvement Program of the government and after stock audit was done, it was decided that everything needed to complete the project was available.

“We have looked at about twenty junctions all together and we have selected five that can get improvements. You would have seen the one down by the Garfield Sobers Roundabout, that was the first one, with the second one being this one here at Westmoreland,” said Duguid.

Minister Phillips highlighted that the other items which were found sitting in the warehouse during the stock audit were lights, cones, rubble strips, cat eyes and other infrastructure with an approximate dollar value of 2 million. Senior Technical Officer in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance Jason Bowen gave next week as the tentative timeline for the completion of the lights.

“By the end of this week, we should have all the signals installed, we still have to put in the detection loops and that will be done this week. So more than likely by next week we will be looking to have the lights energised, but that is dependent on us completing minor things with Light & Power,” explained Bowen.

Residents Anstey Haynes and Evette Blackett were present during the press conference and both thanked the Minister Duguid, Hinkson and Phillips for providing the lights and creating

safer conditions at the junction. Haynes, who has been a Westmoreland resident since 1996, explained that it had always been difficult to exit the Westmoreland and St. Silas minor roads at the junction.

Blackett was very thankful and explained that it would be a huge relief to residents who needed to cross the road for the bus on mornings. She highlighted that in her case, she cared for a young lady who was physically challenged and the lights made for a safer and less stressful crossing.

“I would like to give a special thanks to Minister Hinkson and the ministry for erecting the lights here at Westmoreland and allowing us the peace of mind for crossing,” said Blackett. (AS)

With the island now in possession of 33 new electric buses which will be soon augmenting the nation’s fleet, a few members of the Transport Board’s Quality Assurance Department are now armed to take on any maintenance and repair issues they may encounter in the future. That is because 12 technicians completed and graduated from a course in Electric Vehicle Maintenance Fundamentals yesterday from the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI).

The programme, which was a joint initiative between the SJPI, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance and the Transport Board saw the Transport Board and Barbados Light and Power technicians undergoing 30 hours of theoretical and practical training over two weeks. When the vehicles, which were heavily circulated on social media yesterday upon arrival at the Port, hit the roads, the graduands; Christopher Boyce, Andre Callender, Robert Carrington, Dwayne Gregory, Neil Hope, Kern Jemmott, Raymond Kirton, Shakir Roach, Antonio Seale, Antonio Sealy, Kirk Walcott and Marlon Weekes will all be ready to ensure the smooth running of the buses throughout their lifetimes.

Delivering the welcome remarks, SJPI Principal Ian Drakes said that the Institute welcomed the opportunity to step up to the plate to assist the island when it was announced that the fleet would be arriving and went on to note that they were excited about what they can deliver.

“We are showing you what possible as we have these partnerships with the Transport Board and other industries because SJPI is driven by the demands of the industry. Not what me standing here in a nice jacket is all excited about. But we are driven by the needs of the industries – private and government sector – and we want that to be always understood. We as educators are led by these technologies, we are driven by these, these are what keep our doors open. That’s why even under these trying times, I can stand without any fear of conviction that these are exciting times at the SJPI.”

Never one to miss an opportunity to sell the new-look SJPI, Drakes said that the Institute would continue to ‘positively disrupt’ the education landscape and was also willing to stand up and offer services throughout the region.

“When we have to answer the calls, we will put our hands up like the Trinidadians and we will answer the call, not just in Barbados, but regionally. So we are not just here for us locally. Electrics is part of the landscape for the new norm and we have adjusted. And we will continue to adjust as we move these technologies in the region and internationally and these are part of the visions and foresights that we have seen at SJPI.”

Going on to say that it was their mandate to arm themselves with tools and technologies to deliver the requisite training to move the nation forward, Drake said that there was a greater need for local investment and stated that it was time that public and private sector entities recognisedit.

“My definition of a partnership is not a handshake. The private and the public sector, understand that you have to invest as well. In other words, when I say I want a piece of equipment for twenty or thirty thousand dollars, I expect that we will have that partnership. That you will say ‘You know what, in 2020 you need to upgrade and we are here to assist you in upgrading,’ and not just a wonderful handshake. Handshakes are a thing of the past now,” he said.

Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance Dr. William Duguid was also on-hand at the graduation and highlighted the fact that the move to purchase the electric buses was a step in the direction.

“The decision to purchase these buses, after detailed planning, has now resulted in the most modern fleet for public transport being right here in Barbados. We are leading the way in renewable energy in this sector. But that initiative cannot stand alone, partnerships such as this one between the transport Board and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, where knowledge sharing is one of the foundational tenets, is paramount to achieving our objectives.” he said.

Commending the SJPI on the specific course offering and the pivotal role it is set to play in the development of the industry, Dr. Duguid charged the technicians to be most responsible with what they have learned.   

“This certification clearly shows my government’s commitment to training and to vehicle electrification in Barbados as a whole, you now have the signal honour of probably being the first quality control team in CARICOM to be trained in EV Maintenance Fundamentals. I implore you to use this training to ensure that the Transport Board’s electric fleet is well maintained in order to ensure that commuters are provided with safe, reliable and efficient public transport. It is also your duty to pass on the relevant knowledge to your colleague drivers to ensure that they fully understand the dynamics of driving an electric bus,” he stated. (MP)

There was not an increase in persons either wanting to come into residential care or referrals relating incidents of child abuse during the recent COVID-19 lockdown.

Director of the Child Care Board, Joan Crawford disclosed this while adding however, there was an increase in calls regarding custody and access arrangements.

“With regard to the lockdown and during that period, the Child Care Board’s numbers, we did not see an increase in the number of persons that either wanting to come into residential care or referrals. The majority of referrals that we received were with respect to wanting food stuff and we also had some concerns with regards to custody arrangements because you know that the lockdown would have changed the visiting arrangements so that we had an increased on calls in that area.”

She linked the pattern seen to the fact “persons were more interested in ensuring that children were fed, they had the shelter, those basic needs but we did not get a high number of referrals.”

She added, “I am hoping that is a positive note and that persons took care of their children as best as they could, and they sought our assistance when it was needed.”

Crawford, who spoke on the side-lines of a presentation by UNICEF and USAID of supplies for children in state care at the Warrens Office Complex, said since government’s national restrictions have been removed and the Board’s office reopened, more individuals have been visiting this location.

“When persons were able to come out, our numbers for last month went up a bit. So I am not sure if people were not travelling because of the fear and they didn’t call because we have a walk-in [system], so sometimes they prefer to walk-in and talk to us. So we are now seeing those walk-in numbers coming up.”

She also stated the Board during the COVID-19 lockdown engaged in a lot of training of its staff keeping them up-to-date on what is happening so that they are better equipped to address the situations they have to handle. (MG)

Barbados received a visit from the largest cruise ship in the world as Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas made dock at the Bridgetown Port yesterday. However, it was not for a courtesy call nor to bring visitors to enjoy the pleasures ashore.

The spanking new vessel, which was completed in March of 2018, docked in Barbados in order to transfer 300 crew members to another ship.

The West Coast of the island has served as home to numerous ships over the past few months as Barbados has played a major role in aiding to have crews and passengers repatriated to their homes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

OUT of the COVID 19 pandemic there has been a renewed respect for science.

So says Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley who noted that prior to COVID 19 persons doubted the validity of science. She pointed out that science informs policymakers.

She was speaking during a an online discussion hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) entitled Walking Together Toward the Future, which focused on climate change and sustainability which also featured IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno and IDB Sector Manager for Climate Change and Sustainable Development Juan Pablo Bonilla.

According to the Prime Minister, “We have now the opportunity as you would say, to reset and rebuild,” she said, recognising that resources are scarce worldwide. “The Governments have had to step in and provide multiples of what they would otherwise provide to be able to keep businesses alive and to be able to keep the vulnerable safe.”

She said the question must therefore be asked, “Is every dollar given equal?”

“Can you say that you should be now financing car companies that are still building combustible engines at this stage in time or do we start to reduce the reliance by saying, look, we are either not giving you or we are giving you half of what we would otherwise have given out as an incentive for you to be able to turn to other mechanisms in order to power your vehicle.”

“Can we say that we should truly be given fossil fuel subsidies any part of the world, or should we not be looking at being able to take some of those subsidies and to put to subsidise renewable energy (RE) because in some instances, the cost of RE is still not exactly where some countries may need it to be in terms of its effectiveness and its economic multiplier effect given the fact that especially the small states, the numbers and the import costs and the various other costs associated with it are a little higher than we would like.”

“Can we say that we are prepared now to take developmental decisions to allow us to have planning gains? If you want to build properties on the coastal communities, are you going to have a planning gain attached to it that says you have to take care and rebuild the coral reefs... especially if it is a major investment that you are making within the region?”

She said these are just examples of how the “power of the pen” can be used as it relates to the allocation of resources for enterprises to be able to move to the next level.

The Prime Minister said there must be a level of cohesiveness in order to achieve the required goals. “I am not sure we are on the same page... If we were on the same page what we would also be doing is recognising that the inherent vulnerability of this region to 1. climate 2. the pandmeic as we now see it and 3. because of lack of size, the high debt and low growth and the whole question of social ramifications, violence... public health disorder.”

She opined that consideration must be given to the country’s debt and its vulnerability. “We have countries and I am grateful that representatives of the US government have encouraged us now to go forward for exceptional access in the context of COVID 19, but besides COVID 19 you are here talking about the climate crisis.”

The Prime Minister queried why a country would be able to borrow from the World Bank as a result of COVID 19 but not for the climate crisis.

“I know that the Bank has been committed and I want to salute the Bank that you would take 30 percent of what you are doing in your operational approvals and relate it to climate financing. I want to urge you as you do that, that it not only be for mitigation but it rather be for adaptation and resilience,” she said. (JH)

AGRICULTURE Minister Indar Weir has given the assurance that the
government is continuing to work on the transformation of the
agriculture sector, and recently reported on one of the areas that has
already shown success.

Speaking during the debate on Fair Trading Commission (Amendment) Bill
and the Utilities Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2020, which were debated
jointly in the Lower Chamber, the Minister acknowledged the link to
the agricultural sector and the renewable energy sector and the
agreement in principle by Cabinet to change the sugar industry into a
value chain industry.

“We have now sold molasses this year at almost double the price we
were selling it at before, during even a COVID period,” he revealed.

The minister said the decision was made to go from sugar, molasses and
into renewable energy.

“And that is the reason why this project contains a component for
biomass. And that when we transition to the new factory, we will have
sugar, molasses and renewable energy, giving ordinary Barbadians as
well a chance to invest and buy shares in that new entity.

“So all around, when we speak, we are speaking about securing economic
enfranchisement for Barbadians to make ordinary Barbadians a part of
the ownership structure of this country.”

Minister Weir, noting the move towards solar farms, said a policy
decision was taken by his Ministry that all of these “farms” would
carry a component of agriculture. He said this could include the
rearing of Blackbelly sheep, forage to feed animals or even to put on
the additional pieces of equipment to capture the rainwater run-off
which could be harvested and used for farming. “This is a revolution
that is taking place in Barbados,” he exhorted.

With a number of Barbadians moving towards poultry and pig farming, he
reminded the Chamber that the waste could also be used to generate
energy.

“So that in the coming months, we would then start to look at how we
can capitalise in this mix in energy options that are available to do
biodigesting on pig and poultry farms; and it has already started. All
we have to do is build on it,” he said, revealing that a successful
experiment has already taken place at the Ministry of Agriculture.

He said all of the work being carried out in this sector is fulfilling
a Barbados Labour Party Manifesto promise of removing the carbon
footprint of the country.

Minister Weir said while the process has begun, now is the time to be focused.

“I know there are times when people may feel as though they are not a
part of it because they don’t understand. And I am not one who is
prepared to believe that we should say things and not follow up with
proper communication. I think communication is the key. So that people
start to understand what it is that is laid before them and they can
benefit from it.

“There are people who will not read, so don't expect them to know from
reading. There are people who do not follow the news, so don't expect
them to know from following the news. There are those people who will
hear and do not understand, so do not expect them to get it right, but
the one thing we can do is remain on message. If we remain on message,
regardless of what happens, repetition, repetition,
repetition...eventually they will start to get it,” he said. (JH)
 

Minister of Home Affairs, Edmund Hinkson, has urged Barbadians to be vigilant as the peak of the hurricane season has yet to arrive.

Speaking to the media recently at a press briefing regarding the new traffic lights at the Westmoreland junction, Minister Hinkson also used the time to encourage Barbadians to be prepared for the hurricane season.

“The reality is that we are very far from the height of the season and that Barbadians and residents must remain vigilant as to what can happen and nothing beats preparation,” stated Hinkson.

The minister highlighted that for the first time, Barbados would be preparing for the season in the midst of a global pandemic. He explained that the current administration, through the National Advisory Committee, has been making preparations for the hurricane season and the committee has met five times over the last six weeks.

“We would have met with social welfare, whose responsibility it is to ensure that people are protected socially, the most vulnerable. We have been involved with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that there will be food supplies to each area of Barbados in the event that any district in Barbados is cut off and that there would be sufficient food channelled to that area,” explained the minister.

Hinkson also mentioned meetings with the Housing Ministry where stronger arrangements were made for the supply of building material, if there is a need for swift repairs for the houses of any residents impacted. The availability of hurricane shelters and the complex situation of physical distancing during any serious weather activity was also discussed with the Ministry of Education, who is responsible for the shelters.

“Clearly that is a possible and potential challenge with COVID-19 and the issue of social distancing, but we have worked out a system for that, in terms of not having to

decrease the amount of people in the hurricane shelter, but also looking at getting more hurricane shelters available,” said Hinkson.

The Minister of Home Affairs also asked Barbadians to do what was necessary to individually prepare because the administration could not do it alone. He told the public to stock food and supplies such as batteries and flashlights, along with anything that would assist in time without electricity.

“Make sure your personal properties are secure, look around and make sure the surrounding areas are free from debris. Make sure wells and drains in the neighbourhood and that there are no potential flying objects around your property and get together in the community and assist with the clearing and make sure you have your hurricane kit,” stated Hinkson.

Minister Hinkson also made the suggestion for people to insure their homes and cover personal items and also have a backup in case of disaster.

“While of course your precious personal items cannot be replaced, insurance will assist in making sure you have a foot up to start again.”

Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance, Peter Phillips, also chimed in, saying that drains had been cleared to help with drainage to prevent flooding in certain areas. However, he urged persons to help the Government by reducing litter and not dumping garbage.

“We want you to help us by not dumping your old beds, stoves and all sorts of garbage within waterways and along the streets. When the rain comes, it picks up all those containers, those plastic bottles and carries it wherever. That, as a result, can block up drains and culverts and cause flooding to take place in various communities,” said Phillips. (AS)

“I wish the Union well.”

Words from Sean Spencer, who recently resigned from his post as the president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) at the end of June, just over a month before the Union’s August elections.

In a move which shocked the entire country, Spencer, in a Facebook post on Wednesday while also thanking his “detractors”, outlined a “toxic” environment which he had to confront during his tenure.

He drew reference to the no-confidence motion brought against him in February of this year and remarked that he did not deem much of what transpired at that time to be respectful of the mandate secured by voting members nor was it complementary to the officers of the Union.

“I acknowledge that as an imperfect human being, I have made mistakes during my tenure. I can be extremely intense and while that may be casually misinterpreted as being dismissive or arrogant, it is no excuse for persecution. Being prepared is not a bad thing. Being assured in that knowledge is nothing to apologise for...

“Judging a book by its cover after having it in your library for five years does not make you an authority on that book, neither literally nor figuratively. Likewise, regularly sitting in meetings with someone for five years does not qualify your opinion(s) to be licensed as statements of fact.

“Speaking truth to issues, in measured tones, does not sell newspapers and make for sensational sound bites. Fighting for what teachers needed always framed my goals. Volubly and consistently making comments which are noticeably uninformed or under-informed, perceptibly devoid of substance or evidence of prior thought are not my hallmarks.”

Spencer said he was compelled to shed some light on the factors behind his resignation, explaining that it was not as a result of an isolated incident. He made it clear that he did not take his leadership of the Union lightly. “In the same vein, I did not take my resignation from that position of leadership lightly.

“During my tenure I sought to serve the Union with integrity, courting neither headlines, applause nor a pat on the back for any gains which the Union doggedly fought for and deservedly secured for its membership, the teaching fraternity and education system. I loved what I was doing. Until recently, I enjoyed it immensely and willingly sacrificed my time to advance the cause.”

He noted that by June 29 when he handed in his resignation, he could no longer function in circumstances where he would rather “tackle” the Ministry’s representatives, than be “constantly embroiled and entangled with divisive forces within the ranks of the Union”.

“The energy required to move forward in earnest would instead have been compelled, for example, to dispel propaganda and address lamentable falsehoods.

“Propaganda is a powerful tool and being in opposition is easier than it is to lead. Hopefully, the energies dedicated to propaganda and resistance efforts can now be aligned to the advancement of the Union in my absence.”

He said while some might see his resignation as a sign of weakness, a lack of fortitude or giving up, it is simply not continuing to allow what he deems to be “toxic elements” to contribute to him becoming whom or what he needed to become.

“Some have queried my decision to resign before the elections rather than after. To have gone through the motions of campaigning while feeling as I did, would have been an exercise in deceit directed toward myself and those who would have supported me during the run-in to the conference and during the elections,” he said.

Hawkers at the Berinda Cox Fish Market in Oistins will have a space to call their own in the near future.

Member of Parliament for Christ Church South, Ralph Thorne, told the media earlier this week, three new stalls were being built to ensure that these self-employed individuals could comfortably ply their trade out of the elements.

“These are being built for those who have laboured in the sun for many, many years. We have had hawkers coming here selling vegetables and they have not had the luxury of being under a roof. That is being built for them now,” he said.

Speaking on the work being done on the facility, he pointed out that it would also benefit from a drastic reduction in its energy bill through the use of photovoltaic panels.

“On top of the roof, the Ministry is installing solar panels, which would reduce the electricity bill tremendously,” he added.

Pointing to the work done by the Blue Economy Ministry in changing out the countertops for the fish vendors recently, Thorne insisted that such changes would redound not only to their benefit, but also that of their customers and the wider country.

“I always say a place of work must be a place of dignity and we are allowing these fisherfolk to work in absolute dignity. So Government has spent a lot of time, energy and money here to improve the lives of fisherfolk,” he commented.

Barbados and other countries across the globe must invest in better management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

President of the Diabetes Association of Barbados (DAB), Trudy Griffith, made this point as she highlighted a lesson that can be learnt internationally and locally from the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was one of the panellists at Tuesday’s webinar by the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, United Kingdom Overseas Territories and French Departments which focused on the topic, “NCDs and COVID-19: Building Back Better Services”.

Griffith noted that achieving this will “require intersectoral collaboration which [is] not limited to health, finance, transportation, education, agriculture and urban planning. We really do need all sectors involved to ensure that we are not going to fall through the cracks and we need to tackle NCDs through a public health approach which emphasises prevention, early detection and timely local treatment at the primary healthcare level.”

Speaking directly about how COVID-19 has impacted service delivery within her organisation, Griffith shared some of the challenges faced. She said the Association had to postpone its fund-raising events, close its headquarters, and halt face-to-face meetings and mass gatherings. The Association additionally had to postpone any educational training, all testing and all other service provisions had to be cancelled.

Giving an even greater picture of the impact, Griffith stated in terms of testing trend over the last 12 months “up to March, we have been averaging under 100 persons a month in some cases and then for the months of April, May and June of this year that has gone all the way down to zero. So you can see the impact of COVID-19 in terms of one of our services that we offer.”

Looking ahead, the President outlined the lessons to be learnt at an organisational level. These included the “need to be responsive and relevant”, the need to look “at implementing contingency planning for all of our areas of operation”, the “need to evaluate additional options for delivering services not just to our members but for the public”. She additionally stated COVID-19 highlighted the “need to pursue alternate means to communicate with members”. In relation to this, Griffith said the Association started a radio broadcast called ‘For The Health Of It’. This will be used to communicate with its members and improve health literacy across the nation.

IT doesn’t matter where you come from, with great focus and determination and the requisite motivation, you can achieve your goals.

This was the advice coming recently from noted sports personality Dwight Yorke, a former footballer who left Trinidad and Tobago as a youngster to pursue his dream of playing professional football in England and who now has a stadium named after him in Tobago. Yorke was selected to address students across the region, who gathered online yesterday for a virtual Faith and Confidence Ceremony held by the Caribbean Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (CAPSS), set up for students soon to set examinations.

CAPSS has meanwhile noted that the Caribbean Association of Principals of Secondary Schools has a history of over 50 years of pioneering educational initiatives in the Caribbean. It comprises some 14 English-speaking territories throughout the Caribbean Region, from Belize to Guyana. The Association’s flagship event is a Biennial Conference of School Administrators, with the next conference scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago in July 2021.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were forced to close their doors, which mitigated against providing the usual rites of passage for 110,000 students who will sit examinations this year. To fill this breach, CAPSS noted that it organised the virtual Faith and Confidence Ceremony, “to bless our students as they enter their examination phase with spiritual confidence and purpose, even as they traverse the challenges posed by the pandemic”.

Speaking under the ceremony’s theme, “Today’s Struggle; Tomorrow’s Strength”, Yorke pointed out that it was an honour to have a stadium named after him, as it means that his legacy will live on, long after he is gone. He however told students that his success did not come easy, as he had to work hard, persevere against numerous odds and make many sacrifices. Noting that he came from a family with many brothers and sisters, he however stressed that he set goals for himself and used academics to set him on his journey of becoming a professional footballer. He noted that once he got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his dream come through, he gave it his all and ensured that he was discipline and focused at all times, even though he often missed home and often thought about returning to the Caribbean, when he met certain struggles.

“It just goes to show you that with great focus and determination, you can succeed, but you have to work hard. The future is very bright for young people today. You can do anything you want to do. It doesn’t matter where you come from. I hope to inspire you to achieve your goals for the future,” Yorke told those gathered.

CAPSS President, Ronald Mootoo, also addressed the students, wishing them well in their exams, whilst the Roman Catholic Bishop of Grenada, Bishop Clyde Harvey, pronounced a blessing on them. President of the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS), Juanita Wade, in moving the vote of thanks, encouraged the students to draw from the example of Mr. Yorke, who capitalised on his talent to reach the peak of success. She too encouraged them to work hard and to follow their dreams. (RSM)

THE Class 4s of the Gordon Greenidge Primary School have been encouraged to give of their best in Tuesday’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE).

This advice came from Labour Minister, Colin Jordan and Home Affairs Minister, Edmund Hinkson, who jointly visited the Rock Dundo, St. James school yesterday. Following the motivational talks, students received stationery kits to ensure they are ready for the upcoming 11-Plus exam.

In his remarks, Jordan reminded pupils the test is one in a series of examinations they will have to take throughout the course of their life. He also asked them to give their best and to view the exam as part of the “growing up process, part of what will make you a good woman or a good man, a good person, a good citizen of the world”.

“On Tuesday, you have a test; at the end of first form, you will have another one; at the end of second form, you will have another one; [and] you will have tests all throughout life.”

He added, “On Tuesday, do your best. Do your best not just for those around you, but do your best for you. See life as continuous improvement, so that if there were areas that you did not do well on before, as you go forward make the decision in your mind that you are going to do better. Life is about improving.”

Echoing similar remarks, Hinkson too reminded the Class 4s that although the BSSEE is a very important aspect of their life, it is “but one aspect of your life in terms of the tests and examinations you go through”.

He encouraged them to say a prayer ahead of the test asking God for help, not to be busy cramming work leading up to the big day, to get adequate rest the night prior and to have a very good breakfast before leaving home to go to the examination centre.

He further told them to “read the questions well, focus. Don’t let your parents or grandparents get you nervous; sometimes they are more nervous than you most of the time, that is the truth”.

Friday was the last day of four weeks of face-to-face interaction with the Class 4s ahead of the July 14 Common Entrance Exam. Prior to this, students attended classes through online platforms. This year’s BSSEE was originally supposed to be on May 5, however it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (MG)

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is seeking to allay concerns of potential visitors on the ability of this country to handle the risk of COVID-19 cases.

“We can’t close off from the rest of the world. Barbados, like many small island developing states, has to keep open in order to be able to trade and to be able to earn. What we have done, however, is to prepare ourselves for any eventuality and to be able to manage the risk. Preparing ourselves to be able to accommodate visitors means that we have to be assured that we have the capacity both for our population domestically and for those who may join us,” she said.

She made the comments ahead of tomorrow’s welcoming of the island’s first international commercial flight since the COVID-19 pandemic grounded most commercial flights due to the closure of borders months ago.

The PM pointed to the island’s handling of facilitating thousands of cruise crew members in getting back to their home states following the shutdown of the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What is little known to the rest of the world is that we have literally repatriated over 21,000 crew members from cruise ships, so we have managed to be able to handle the risk of not only our own population, but of those who are in serious need of assistance or in the case of the cruise ships to do the tests for the rest of their crew,” she stated.

In addition, Mottley pointed to the infrastructural work done in creating a medical facility to handle positive COVID-19 cases.

“In February, within five weeks, we repurposed an abandoned and derelict US Naval Base and turned it into hospital giving ourselves 38 primary ICU beds, 40 secondary ICU beds and 120 tertiary care beds, so you see how we have significantly expanded capacity,” she said.

Engaging in an intensive campaign to promote the island’s 12-Month Welcome Stamp – a visa which allows visitors to stay and work remotely from here for

a year, she told several news outlets including the BBC, the island had the capacity “between the hotels, the Airbnb’s and the villas to accommodate quite a significant number” of visitors.

Admitting the island was still fine-tuning the details, Mottley revealed these visas will cost US$2,000 for a single individual and US$3,000 for a family. (JMB)

Home Affairs Minister, Edmund Hinkson, says measures have been put in place locally to ensure the COVID-19 test result submitted by travellers to Barbados via their online ED card is authentic.

He further stated Barbados’ Immigration Department reserves the right to check the authenticity of the laboratory where the test was taken, still question individuals and based on their responses, state that they “should still be tested here”.

“We are doing our best to ensure that the possibility of a dubious or fake result is minimised by putting the systems in place and that is why of course, we want the test result at least 24 hours before you come, between 24 and 72 hours, but we also have in place the reservation to ask anyone for a test when they come here, regardless of what they show us in terms of negativity of a COVID-19 result.”

Hinkson spoke on the sidelines of Friday’s presentation at the Gordon Greenidge Primary School.

On Sunday, July 12, Barbados will reopen to commercial flights. The first flight set to arrive will be coming from Toronto, Canada.

Hinkson underscored it is critical that individuals visit  www.travelform.gov.bb and complete digitally the online embarkation and disembarkation (ED) card. He said this must be done 72 hours before planned travel to the country.

“The card is similar, but not fully in conjunction with the previous physical card that you used to fill out. Obviously, you put in your name, your date of birth, your contact details, your intended address in Barbados and of course, you will put in health information as is demanded by the times we are in.”

He added the bio-page of a person’s passport as well as the result of their COVID-19 test must also be submitted in the online card. He also said individuals should walk with their test results and the two receipts they will receive after the necessary information has been submitted online.

“Those receipts will be sent to your mobile phone or you can print them out … and walk with them as well. So you will show your mobile phone to the authorities, Immigration and Customs, when you arrive and the relevant information would be there…”

Hinkson stated individuals who were unable to complete the online ED card will complete it as is customary at the kiosks at the airport. They, however will have to have their COVID-19 test conducted upon arrival.

“There are 48 kiosks at the airport. We still have the possible utilisation of some in case an individual does not use the online platform to book, but we are limiting their use because clearly that could be a possible source of transmission [by] touching a surface. We know that, so we are encouraging everyone to book online and obviously those who may have to use a kiosk, the drawers will be cleaned down after every use. We are ensuring that. The airport has that platform and facility in place.”

The Home Affairs Minister assured, “There is nothing to fear, Barbadians, from us essentially resuming commercial flights. We never closed down our borders, but we are ensuring that all top standard protocols are in place and we are doing it with efficiency and effectiveness, because that is what we are about and it has taken a combined effort of Govern-ment to bring us to this platform where we now have the convenience of an online ED form.” (MG)

Family, friends and colleagues turned out in their numbers yesterday to pay their last respects to veteran journalist and publisher, Patrick Ricardo ‘Pat’ Hoyos.

The life and achievements of Hoyos, who passed away on July 1 at the age of 67 after a short battle with cancer, were remembered during a service of celebration held at the Chapel of the Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens where Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, several Ministers of Government and members of the business community were among those gathered.

While widely known for his journalistic prowess, his best friend Tony Cumberbatch noted that Hoyos was also a talented artist and musician. Delivering the first of two eulogies, Cumberbatch spoke glowingly of the man he dubbed his “little brother”, who he first met when they both were employed at The Barbados Advocate. It was Hoyos, Cumberbatch explained, that was instrumental in changing the format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid and introduced new publications to the media house.

His friend of 35 years explained that on leaving The Barbados Advocate, Hoyos returned to the “comfort” of Hoyos Publishing, where he would bring to life new publications, the likes of The Broad Street Journal and Who’s Who in Barbados Business – both “standards of excellence on the local business landscape”.

“Pat himself became the business guru, not only in Barbados but across the Caribbean – the one everybody turned to for information or analysis on anything from balance sheets, to start-ups to conglomerates,” he said.

Cumberbatch added, “As a journalist, Pat was not afraid to ask the hard questions. If you didn’t like it, the follow-up was even harder. Neither did he hesitate to speak his mind; he would let you know exactly what he thought – be you his peer or the CEO of a large and powerful company.”

He went further, speaking of Hoyos’ kindness and generosity to friends and staff. Cumberbatch added that the “family man” was devoted to his children, grandchildren and wife Sophie.

Friend and media executive, Vic Fernandes, also reminisced Hoyos, who he called the “maverick”. Delivering the second eulogy, Fernandes said that he and his friend from childhood, thought of the need to regulate the re-lationship between the media and the advertisers and with the help of the late Sir Fred Gollop, formed the Media Association of Barbados – with Fernandes as President and Hoyos as Vice President.

Fernandes also spoke of Hoyos’ stint as the host of ‘Down to Brass Tacks’. Fernandes, quoting Dennis Johnson who was his producer on the show, noted that Hoyos, while on the show, always maintained balance despite “intense pressure” from the “professional talk show agitators”.

“Never, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be one day standing at a mic in Coral Ridge paying tribute to a man I loved and respected for his intellect, his work, his work ethic and his great friendship,” Fernandes said.

There were also tributes in song delivered by his daughter Mandy Cummins, Operation Triple Threat, Tamara Marshall and Alan Sheppard.

Hoyos leaves to mourn his wife Sophie, children, step-children, grandchildren and brothers. (JRT)

Although they are yet to sit the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, the Class 4 students of Luther Thorne Memorial School said their goodbyes to staff and faculty members as they were celebrated during their Farewell Ceremony. Just days away from the exam, which is set for this coming Tuesday, all 86 students were honoured and toasted as parents, guardians and family members beamed with pride.

With the school’s administrators forced to take a different approach to the ceremony after the original plans for the graduation were doused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the proceedings were held on the school’s lawn with all attendees taking the recommended protocols to heart.

During her address, Principal Maria Benn noted that she was proud to have watched each of the graduands grow since coming into the school in Reception and wished them the best as they get themselves ready for the next stage in life. Stating that they were bound for the foreign lands of secondary school, Principal Benn urged them to make the most of the experiences they would gain as they go through secondary school.

“I ask you to make the coming years even better than the primary years. Remember that you don’t have to follow the crowd. Do the right thing even if no one is looking. Study hard and remember that you are investing in yourselves with every test you take and with every book you read,” she said.

Going on to drop even more wisdom by asking the students not to be in too big a hurry to grow up while urging the parents to allow them to be children and enjoy childhood, Benn asked them to do their best on Tuesday’s exam and anything they took on in life.

“Always hold before you the words of our school’s motto, ‘Strive always for excellence’. Excellence is not an abstract idea. Excellence is a way of life and once you strive for excellence, you will have your passport to success, your passport to excellence.”

The featured speaker, Rev. Dr. Adrian Smith, gave an inspiring address in which he gave the students the ABCs of attaining their own passport to success. Impressing upon them the importance of having the right ‘Attitude’, ‘Belief’ in self and others, and ‘Commitment’. Dr. Smith, who leads the Calvary Moravian and Grace Hill Moravian Churches, concluded his stirring session by encouraging the youngsters to remember to hold those three tenets dear through all of life.

“I want to say to you Class 4s, your passport to success is tied into your dreams, your belief, your attitude and your commitment to being all you can be, all that God wants you to be. There is a purpose for your life, there is a destiny that God has in store for you. And I pray this morning, on this farewell occasion, you remember the ABC,” he said. (MP)

AS the world seeks to rebuild in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries must focus on the creation of a transformative agenda with equality and non-discrimination at its foundation.

Highlighting the impact the pandemic has had on the labour force, Barbados Workers’ Union General Secretary, Toni Moore, told the International Labour Organisation’s Virtual Summit on Thursday that especially for small island developing states, the need for such an agenda was far greater than before.

“Border closures and travel restrictions have taken a devastating toll on the entertainment and tourism sectors. The impact is also felt wherever there are high levels of self-employment, as this work is typically in the informal sector, where workers are generally uninsured, and have difficulty accessing social-protection schemes,” she said.

Moore additionally pointed to the heavy impact systemically disadvantaged groups such as women, young, indigenous, racialised, migrant, disabled and LGBTI are now bearing due to the economic and social fallout created by the pandemic, stating many of these categories are over-represented in sectors that had to shut down without the possibility of teleworking and in the majority of cases, with no social protection or income support to fall back on.

“Even where they work in essential sectors, on the frontline of the crisis, high levels of discrimination, job insecurity, including zero hours contracts, low pay, poor occupational health and safety, violence and harassment at work render women and young workers, more vulnerable,” she argued.

With the home now in many cases becoming the workplace, school and day care centre, Moore stated that women, who already performed three times as much unpaid care work as men, have had to combine paid work and caring, without relief.

“The effects of this permanent double-shift are yet to fully manifest, but we can expect that these consequences will be felt in terms of mental and physical well-being, productivity and ultimately career prospects as school closures and hours of opening will likely mean that many women will have to choose their children or their jobs. The conflict between securing lives and livelihood is real,” she insisted.

The labour union leader therefore posited any prescription for building back better must be based on social dialogue and include adequate investment in public social infrastructure to achieve universal, gender responsive health and social protection coverage that is accessible to all and that is inclusive to informal sector workers, as this would help build resilience to future health and socio-economic shocks.

“A transformative agenda must aim at promoting quality employment, income security and a labour protection floor for all workers, giving attention to existing vulnerable categories of workers, whether in the formal or informal economy. Greater attention will have to be given to reconciling work and family responsibilities. Thirdly, a transformative agenda must dismantle the pernicious systemic racism, sexism, discrimination and structural inequalities that have been laid bare and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Solidarity is critical to building back better. The ILO must be instrumental in reversing the trend towards resurgent nationalism and competition betxween countries which has been observed during this pandemic,” Moore asserted. (JMB)

LECTURER in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of the West Indies Dr. Kenneth Connell says there are a number of factors to be considered in the fight against COVID 19, a virus which he noted is as confusing to the medical fraternity as it is to patients.

He was one of the panellists discussing the possibilities of a cure during the People’s Business on the island’s lone state-owned television station recently, where explained that there are two to three ways in which the virus may have to be tackled as the race continues across the globe for ways to manage or eliminate the virus completely.

According to Dr. Connell, “There are two main pockets if you want to look at how COVID 19 acts. The virus attacks your body. Your body puts up a defence via the immune system. That defence usually works and it might be assisted with things like antibiotics but usually your own body’s defence system fights the infection and you get rid of it.”

“The catch with COVID is your defence system seems to also go awry. So in its fight against the virus, it also fights against the body. The immune system is attacking various organs causing lots of problems that are unwarranted. If I had to use an example, it’s as if a fly were to land on our hand and someone took a sledge hammer to kill it. It would certainly kill the fly but your hand would be no use afterwards.”

It is for this reason he explained, that treatments must attack the virus infection and the immune response, the latter of which he said, is not an easy task.

“If you attack the immune system too early, then that means that you have no immune system to fight the virus. If you attack it too late, it means it has already destroyed many of the organs of the body. And so it is no surprise therefore that the clinical trials looking at either therapeutic agents, or vaccines, aimed at one of these boxes.”

“For instance they may attack the virus using a cocktail of drugs, called antivirals. Many people are familiar with cocktails of drugs used to treat viruses like HIV and hepatitis. We have been using them for a very long time. The reason why we have to use a cocktail and not just one shot of a drug is because these viruses mutate. They have various mechanisms. The best way is to attack them at several points.”

He further explained that when it comes to dampening the immune system, it must be done in a “sophisticated” way.  “And so drugs such as steroids, that kind of blunt the entire immune system... can do that. And so patients who have severe cases, on ventilatory support, dexamethasone has been stated in one clinical trial though not published, to have some benefit.”

“The problem of course is how do you predict who goes on to have a really bad immune response? You can’t look at a person and say that ‘I think you are going to give a bad immune response, let me give you a shot of dexamethasone now or take it before you even have C19’ because you can’t fight off the infection in the early.”

“So in summary the clinical trials have to be divided into two or even three pockets. Either you treat the infection or in this case a virus or you dampen the response at a particular time or  the gold-standard, what we are all hoping for is a vaccine, where you train the immune system to recognise the virus and to fight it,” he said. (JH)

There is still light at the end of the tunnel even while Barbados copes with the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This assurance was given yesterday as Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn described the country’s fiscal situation as ‘very good’, during his contribution to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, ‘Means of implementation to match the scope of the crisis  and the breadth of our ambition for 2030:  Mobilizing well directed financing’, hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

“Having just restructured our debt, our fiscal situation is very good, notwithstanding the impact that COVID-19 would have had on tourism,” he said.

“But, we have accelerated in a sense a creation of a number of instruments to focus on how do we mobilize the resources that we do have, to respond to the physical resilience building that we have to do, whilst at the same time ensuring that there are mechanisms and structures in place, to ensure that ordinary persons can benefit from that building out the physical resilience which will respond to a lot of the development agenda.”

“This week we would have launched in collaboration with our Credit Unions a Renewable Energy Co-op which as 2030 is our goal to become a fossil fuel free country, that the infrastructure that we are building out domestically will have as wide a participation as possible so that we can address poverty through the financing mechanism that we are building out, in order to finance our development agenda,” he explained.

Minister Straughn therefore signaled that Barbados is on the front lines in terms of the development and the goals, adding “And therefore, we want to see a proper integration in the sense of where the developed world is going, and how we would be able to ensure that the vulnerability of small states which depends very much on that of the developed world – that we can manage and minimize those risks going forward.”

The session engaged representatives of governments and international organizations to highlight concrete avenues for scaling up well directed financing and stressed the systemic changes needed at the global level to ensure that vulnerable countries, including SIDS, LDCs and Middle Income Countries, are not being left behind in the recovery.

President of the Economic and Social Council, Mona Juul said that as economies are slowly reopening following the impact of COVID-19, countries have the opportunity to build back better by creating more sustainable, resilient and inclusive economies and societies.

“There is significant momentum around the notion that a reversion to the pre-COVID economy, which fuelled environmental degradation, climate change and increasing inequalities, is not desirable. Many recognize the recovery from the economic fallout of the pandemic as a vital opportunity to shape a post-COVID economy that is greener, healthier, more inclusive and more resilient,” she emphasized.

However, Juul added “Yet, the context for financing this recovery is challenged and will only be sustainable if the systemic and structural vulnerability exposed by the pandemic are adequately addressed.” (TL)

There are a number of environmental health hazards that are having an impact on children in Barbados and across the region and as such, more work needs to take place to safeguard children’s rights, ensuring that they have access to a safe and clean environment.

Member of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child, Faith Marshall-Harris suggested the above, as she spoke during the recently held Global Youth Network Summit on Climate Change and Health, hosted virtually by The Ashley Lashley Foundation in partnership with UNICEF and the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative.

“We in the Committee, in exploring and interpreting the Convention, recognise that environmental harm interferes with the full enjoyment of the vast range of rights of the child. We recognise that every child has an inherent right to life and the Convention shall ensure to the maximum extent possible, not only the right to survival, but also the development of the child. We recognise that the status of environmental health, it is closely linked to all of the other rights,” Marshall-Harris asserted.

Looking specifically at the Caribbean region, Marshall-Harris pointed out that children are particularly vulnerable to certain environmental risks and hazards, and a key one is air pollution.

“I haven’t been able to establish the statistics, but a large proportion of our children in this region suffer from asthma and I am told this is directly linked to poor air quality, the air pollutants from brush fires, cane fires, the fossil fuels from vehicles and the burning of household refuse. This affects to a large extent a number of children. Many of them thankfully grow out of it, but it does hamper their development,” Marshall-Harris pointed out.

She added, “We have to remind persons that children are more susceptible to air pollution than adults, since they have smaller respiratory airways and (cannot) block the infection.”

Another difficulty noted by the Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, was that of traumatic events such as hurricanes, which can disrupt children’s lives and especially their education. There is also the impact on sanitation, which has far reaching effects, Marshall-Harris stated.

She also noted that during the years 2017 and 2018, countries in the region, inclusive of Barbados, experienced episodes of drought and lingering water scarcity issues followed, all linked to climate change and this is another environmental issue with which persons, including children, have to battle.

“We want more advocacy on these issues, because children’s rights, they’re under threat as long as climate change is an issue and we do not take care of the environment,” Faith Marshall-Harris said, even as she recommended that more children and young people be included in discussions and decision making processes that affect them. (RSM)