Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic.
THE Best-dos Santos laboratory is up to date with its COVID-19 testing following a backlog which led to a delay in the delivery of results to Barbadians and visitors last week.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, gave the update yesterday evening during a press conference hosted by members of the Cabinet COVID-19 Sub-committee at Ilaro Court.
According to Minister Bostic, “I am happy to report that over 1,000 samples were tested at the lab overnight and we were able to deliver those results at 6 a.m. today (yesterday), so that persons would have had back their results in good time and we put measures in place to continue with this because we have been doing this all along.
He said there was only one week where challenges were encountered. “As I said to you anytime we fall we will get up, we will dust ourselves off and we will start all over again. Because we are in this till the end.
“But I want you to be with us ’til the end. I know this is the festive season, and there is a propensity for people to enjoy themselves in several ways. But I want you to remember also that there is still the COVID-19 pandemic that is a threat not only to our country and livelihood, but to the region and to the globe and that we have a responsibility to continue to play our part,” he noted.
Minister Bostic said while the country has done well so far, it must be a country-wide effort. “So that some of the things I have seen over the last few days in this country, I am asking, man I’m begging you, put an end to it. Put an end to it because we cannot monitor every single thing in the country; that is not practical or possible. But you can help us to monitor. You can help us to check on others...
“I want us to end 2020 strong, so that we can start 2021 on good footing, on a solid foundation. Let us build on what we have been able to develop over the last several months and don’t let the negatives that have come into the system recently prevent us from achieving what this country is capable of achieving, because we have the capacity and we have people with the ability and I am calling on you to join together. Remember what the Prime Minister has said over and over again – we must be our brother’s keeper.” (JH)