Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic.
Barbados has recorded its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, gave the confirmation yesterday via the issuing of a Ministerial Statement, as Barbadians from all walks of life tuned into the live broadcast which came via the Internet and also on the radio, for a firsthand account.
“Today I am advising the public that Barbados has recorded its first two cases of COVID-19. The patients are a 48-year-old visitor who arrived in Barbados on March 13th from the US (United States) and a 39-year-old female, a Barbadian who recently returned to Barbados from the US,” the Health Minister revealed.
“Both patients were experiencing symptoms of a viral infection and were referred to the team at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, for further evaluation. The Best-Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory informed us early this morning that samples taken for these patients were positive. Both patients are being managed for COVID-19 and have been placed in isolation, where they will remain until they recover,” he stated yesterday.
“Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has initiated the process of contact tracing, to identify every individual who came in close contact with these patients. These persons will all be placed in quarantine for 14 days. Our priority now as a Ministry is to ensure that COVID-19 is contained and to do all in our power to prevent in-country transmission,” he further remarked.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, meanwhile, reminded Barbadians that whilst there is no need to panic, persons should remain vigilant and also be their brother’s keeper.
“So once again, Barbados has recorded its first two cases of COVID-19, a 48-year-old visitor to the island and a 39-year-old Barbadian female, both of whom came into the island from the United States… they will remain in isolation until they recover,” he reiterated.
“As Minister of Health and Wellness in Barbados, I am committed to doing all in my power to protect the health and ensure the safety of every person resident here. I therefore want to assure the public that there is no need for panic. This is the time for vigilance and being our brother’s keeper,” Minister Bostic stressed. (RSM)