Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Bostic.
The Lower House has approved a $1 180 500 supplemental to carry out remedial work on the island’s quarantine facilities.
In his address to Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Bostic stated the quarantine station at the St. Lucy District Hospital would be retrofitted to ensure that persons placed there would be comfortable for the 14-day mandatory coronavirus quarantine.
He reminded the public, “By quarantine, we are not speaking to persons with the symptoms of the virus, but for persons who do not present with symptoms but who because of their travel history or interaction with persons from areas affected by the virus, it would be necessary to ensure there is no risk.”
Bostic insisted this is part of a comprehensive and flexible plan in place by his ministry to address the coronavirus outbreak overseas.
“If in the unlikely event we have persons presenting with symptoms, persons would be removed from this station and placed at Infection Control Centre at Enmore facility of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” he said.
The minister added that the Best-dos Santos laboratory would be used to test for the presence of the virus, while noting international health organisation PAHO has sent a virologist to train persons here in how to test.
According to the minister, mitigating measures included examining existing protocols that were put in place for SARS and Ebola and making necessary adjustments for the 2019-coronavirus; educating the public on steps to reduce risk; engaging aid from regional and international partners; and providing more personnel at ports of entry to monitor and screen arriving visitors through the use of handheld thermal detectors, to name a few.
He once again urged Barbadians not to panic but to become sensitised as to what is happening overseas and to continue to practise proper hygiene.
“Have confidence in the local personnel, whether on front line, the workers at the ports of entry or those working at the quarantine stations or Best-dos Santos laboratory,” he stressed. (JMB)