Established October 1895 BPSA ready to tackle Development Goals Page 7 Saturday March 7, 2020 $1 VAT Inclusive TALKS MUST START NOW DIRECTOR of the Pan Disease in the Region of laboratory. American Health Organiz- the Americas at PAHO According to the Director, ation (PAHO) Dr. Carissa Headquarters in Washington “PAHO has adopted its Etienne says that the DC, Thursday. regional flu surveillance region must be prepared to However, she reported that platform that now includes slow transmission of strong political commitment is COVID-19. We have developed COVID-19 and for this a being seen in the region, a hospital readiness tool which multi-sectoral approach is and indicated that “this com- enables hospitals to assess and needed. mitment has begun to lead the evaluate their preparedness “Discussions must start now,” multi-sectoral response to for a potential imported she declared, pointing to protect citizens and to invest case and all member states education, transport and civil in the response.” have been using these society. Since January, PAHO has tools.” “We must be able to deter- trained and equipped 29 “PAHO has provided mine the public measures that laboratories throughout this training and risk communica- will be activated including region to be able to carry tion for Ministries of Health to school closures, cancellation of out testing and diagnosis ensure that they are prepared mass gatherings, teleworking of COVID-19. There are to defuse real time, lifesaving and others.” 32 countries in the region information on COVID-19, to Dr. Etienne was at the with this capacity, with populations to enable people at Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), time addressing a media the CDC in Atlanta serving Dr. Carissa Etienne. briefing on the Coronavirus as the regional reference PREPARE on Page 3 Education in action By Cara L. Jean-Baptiste today they put into practice many of the skills which have WITH the opening of the been taught in the classroom Entrepreneurship Extrava- alongside industry profession- ganza yesterday, students of als,” he said. Ellerslie Secondary School, “As Ellerslie School cele- parents of students and a few brates our 54th year of business persons got the existence, this activity show- opportunity to display their cases the best of Ellerslie,” he craft. added. Speaking during the Following the opening cere- Extravaganza, which was mony, Brathwaite told media hosted by the Ellerslie that he believed the purpose of Secondary School, Principal of school was to prepare students the institution, Lieutenant for the future and teach them Colonel Errol Brathwaite the basics, however, he believed explained that yesterday’s that it was equally as showcase was their way of important to give them the transitioning several of the opportunities to “bring their skills taught in the classroom education alive” into reality. He stated that the extrava- “It is ‘education in action’. In ganza was their way of addition, it provides our allowing the students to put students with an opportunity Lieutenant Colonel Errol Braithwaite, Principal of Ellerslie Secondary School as he delivered to engage in action learning, as REALITY on Page 5 opening remarks. 2 • Saturday March 7, 2020 The Barbados Advocate Cancer Foundation donates to Paediatric Ward By André Springer Griffith along with Carson Grazette, the children with us. They need a space The Carrie-Lynn Grazette Cancer father of Carrie-Lynn thanked the efforts where they can relax and have down time Foundation will be looking to host the THE Department of Paediatrics at of the ward and the dialysis section and grab something to eat,” said yearly fund-raising ‘Barbados Day’ in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) within the Professor George Nicholson Jennings. Jonesboro, Georgia just south of Atlanta. received a timely donation recently, Artificial Kidney Unit. Grazette let the The televisions which were donated Subject to any Corona virus concerns courtesy of the Carrie-Lynn Grazette public know that his daughter was doing would be used to soothe the children which may arise, the date set is May 24, Cancer Foundation. well, despite conditions not being ideal for presently on the ward and Jennings 2020 and the foundation expects in excess The donation of chairs, tables and a teenager, and would have been present thanked the foundation for the of 500 people in attendance with the televisions which are now on the ward but had an appointment in the same thoughtfulness that went into the entertainment coming from sons of the will be utilised by the children, parents of dialysis unit.The foundation has donated donation. soil Red Plastic Bag and Mr. Blood. the children and staff. Liaison Officer of to the QEH before and Grazette the foundation, Henderson Griffith announced plans to donate to the local outlined the vision of the foundation of renal unit in the near future. raising funds yearly through events, Receiving the donation on behalf of the which allows it to make donations every Department of Paediatrics of the QEH year. was Head of the Department, Dr.Angela “We have kind of adopted the paediatric Jennings.The doctor expressed happiness ward and we plan to continue to make at the example the Grazette family has donations to make sure they get better for set in the care of a loved one with cancer. the kids and others who would be here, “We get equipment and stuff like that the staff etc., on this ward to utilise these but we need to look at the parents who services,” it was pointed out. are here day in and day out looking after The Carrie-Lynn Grazette Cancer Foundation donated furniture and televisions to the Department of Paediatrics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital recently. From left: Stetson ‘Red Plastic Bag’ Wiltshire, Carson Grazette, Liaison Officer Henderson Griffith and Dr. Angela Jennings, Head of the Department of Paediatrics at the QEH. INSET: The plaque placed on the wall in paediatric ward by the Carrie-Lynn Grazette Cancer Foundation during the donation event. Health Minister: Follow precautions issued in relation to coronavirus THE Ministry of Health and Wellness is were used for H1N1, which have been In noting the Ministry’s response to strategy has been working very well, advising members of the public to follow adjusted and adapted to help execute COVID-19, the Health Minister because we’ve been able to enhance our the prescribed regulations governing what is required for Covid-19. meanwhile stated, “The staff of the surveillance and screening regime at the protective measures to be taken against “We believe that these plans and the Ministry of Health and Wellness have ports of entry,” he stressed. the new coronavirus, also referred to as forward thinking of the staff of the been tracking this from January. Early “But we have gone beyond that, to the COVID-19. Ministry of Health and Wellness,will give January we were monitoring the progress establishment of quarantine protocols for Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. us the capacity to be able to cope with of this virus throughout the world and we self-quarantine and mandatory Col. Jeffrey Bostic also suggested that the whatever comes our way. I will say to you started by doing a programme to sensitise quarantine and we have gone to the public should trust in the capacity of the that for the average Barbadian and for all and train front-line persons in this extent of establishing some facilities for Ministry of Health’s staff, to deal with citizens and residents, I would like to country, who we believed needed that this and we are in the process of having any outbreaks of the disease. His encourage you to take the precautions training before the rest of the population a larger facility at Harrison’s Point. We comments came on Friday evening during that have been promoted and advertised and (we engaged in) enhanced have also decided to expand our isolation the continued Estimates debate, where he by the Ministry of Health and Wellness surveillance and screening,” the Health facilities at the moment. There is one sought to inform Barbadians that the through the GIS (Government Minister remarked. isolation facility located at the Enmore Ministry is on top of things, where the Information Service) very seriously and to “We felt that had to be the major effort Complex and we are in the process at disease is concerned. have confidence in the ability of the staff and it continues at this time to be the Harrison’s Point, in expanding the What is being pursued at the moment of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to major effort, in our quest to ensure that capacity to be able to provide greater in the Ministry he said, is the National be able to deal with this situation,” the we did not have the importation of the coverage, in the event that it is required,” Pandemic Plan and Protocols, plans that Minister remarked. virus into Barbados and so far that Bostic stated. (RSM) The Barbados Advocate Saturday March 7, 2020 • 3 CCTTF focused, alert Collaborating Caribbean tourism dents and visitors to mitigate the impact our visitors, remain safe from this viral and health sectors are implementing of the COVID-19 threat to the Caribbean; threat,” read the task force’s statement, readiness and response measures to and further recognizing the importance of which adds “our ability to quickly contain prevent and contain the COVID-19 building upon the collaborative efforts any outbreak will be determined by how virus. which are already underway,and the need efficiently we can pool information and ca- Due to the current increased risk of im- to pool organizational resources to do so; pacities – this agreement allows us to portation of COVID-19 to the region, the we have agreed to formalise our plan for an emergency and move our Caribbean Public Health Agency efforts and messaging through the resources rapidly.” (CARPHA) has upgraded the risk of establishment of the COVID-19 Dr.