Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Barbados over the past two days bringing the total for the month, thus far, to 46. These details were revealed last night as Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic delivered a
pre-Christmas COVID update to the nation.
With the broadcast being streamed live across various platforms and media, Lt. Col. Bostic noted that as of 6 p.m. yesterday, that just shy of 10 000 tests had been administered for the month of December and that a small cluster of the latest positives could possibly have implications that could see the public addressed again.
“Already in the past 24 hours we have heard of eight new cases, and as Minister of Health and Wellness I have the authority now to notify you that already today, we have confirmed six additional cases – three of these involving a single non-Barbadian family. There are potential developments related to that particular series of screenings and these will be relayed to you if the situation warrants. What this tells us, ladies and gentlemen, is that COVID-19 is under control in Barbados, but it has not been eradicated,” he said.
With the festive season upon us, Bostic called for the approach to 2020 Christmas celebrations to be tempered with common sense and an appreciation for national responsibility. Noting that the world was coming up on close to a year of constraints, he asked that Barbadians remained mindful of the threats and risks associated with the viral infection and urged them to continue following the guidelines and protocols which have managed to keep infections to minimum.
Going on to thank and congratulate all front-line personnel for their ongoing hard work in ensuring the safety and security of all Barbadians, Bostic said that he expected the next eight to ten weeks to be a testing time due to the impending winter tourist season.
“With the opening of our borders to air and cruise traffic and the accompanying increase in visitor arrivals for the winter tourist season, it is expected that our surveillance and testing will pick up more cases. We must continue to be ever vigilant and not drop our guard. It is therefore important that every Barbadian plays his or her part and co-operates with public health officials so as to ensure that we do not have local or community spread, especially during the Yuletide season,” he said noting that the same protocols that were put in place at the onset of the pandemic are as relevant now as they were then.
Adding that the island, to date, had managed its brush with COVID-19 very well thus far and needed to remain vigilant as one mishap could create an unsavoury situation, Lt. Col. Bostic said that there was hope on the horizon with the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“The introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine gives us great hope for the future and the Ministry of Health and Wellness remains committed to having equitable and timely distribution of vaccines in Barbados when they become available,” he said.