Established October 1895 PM clears the air on incident at Deacons Farm PAGE 4 Wednesday April 7, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive COVAX VACCINES ARRIVE ON the eve of World Health Day, shipment of 33,600 doses were met Americas have been vaccinated in that access to vaccines should not be a Barbados was given yet another by a delegation which included what is one of the most significant privilege for a few, but a right that we lifeline in its fight against the high-ranking government officials, undertakings in public health in the share regardless of who we are, where COVID-19 pandemic as the first representatives from the Pan- history of the region, with Barbados we are and where we come from. Going tranche of AstraZeneca vaccines American Health Organisation accounting for just over 60,000. on to reveal that PAHO would be arrived in Barbados via the (PAHO) and heads of mission from Speaking during the short ceremony supporting countries in the distribution COVAX facility. With the Northern the United States, Japan, United held in the departures lounge at the of vaccines, Dr. Gebre reiterated that Air Cargo flight landing at the Kingdom, European Union, airport, PAHO/WHO Representative the vaccines are safe. Grantley Adams International Canada and the United Nations. for Barbados and the Eastern Airport at 7:00 a.m. yesterday, the To date, 700 million persons in the Caribbean, Dr. Yitades Gebre, noted VACCINES on Page 3 Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley inspects the shipment of vaccines on the tarmac just after their arrival yesterday morning. Put a check on crop and livestock theft CHIEF Executive Officer of the Barbados but it could very well put those already of them by legal means. He made the sourcing the produce from. Certainly, this Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul, operating in the sector out of business. He point while noting that the vendors is not a system that calls for any rocket is again raising concern about praedial spoke to this while pointing out to The themselves may not have stolen the science. All it means is that we need to larceny in this country, expressing the Barbados Advocate, that even during produce, but may have purchased it from have people who are frequently going out desire of the agricultural sector to see it the various periods of lockdown that had someone who did and so, Paul is adamant there checking the persons who are brought under control sooner rather than been introduced to help curb the spread that a paper trail is imperative in selling produce in the various market later. of the COVID-19 virus, crop and livestock safeguarding the livelihoods of local areas, because we know that stolen Paul, contending that praedial larceny thieves did not let up, and remained farmers. produce can end up at these locations, continues to cut into the profits of the focused on profiting from someone else’s “We need to put in place a stringent and the public then unwittingly buys farmers and is putting the sector in hard work. system where we monitor the persons stolen produce,” he stated. jeopardy, stated that if allowed to go on He is therefore of the strong belief that who are selling in the farmers’ markets, In that vein, Paul is appealing to unabated, not only could it discourage steps have to be taken to ensure that wherever they are located, to try to get a Barbadians not to buy stolen produce,by those interested in getting into those who are selling various agricultural better understanding as to how they are agricultural production from doing so, produce in this country are in possession sourcing the produce and where they are PRAEDIAL LARCENY on Page 4 2 • Wednesday April 7, 2021 The Barbados Advocate CARICAD official: Time to adapt RECOGNISING the mented. placed a premium on the value, through assign- myriad challenges “We are living in un- safety of its staff and an- ments for and interaction associated with the precedented times.We are cillary personnel and fol- with member states. It COVID-19 pandemic, travelling through un- lowed all the directives also focused on re-devel- the Caribbean Centre charted waters.The times from the Government of oping its website and for Development in which we are living are Barbados and all relevant social media pages to Administration (CAR- uncertain, complex, inse- protocols. The Centre also facilitate improved and ICAD), which is based cure and anxiety-induc- identified the priority expanded contact and in Barbados, has been ing. The COVID-19 crisis areas of work in the engagement with stake- doing its part to adapt has greatly intensified the COVID-19 environment, holders, and also reviewed and meet the chal- uncertainty, complexity upgraded technology to and revised the opera- lenges head on. and anxiety.The crisis has underpin remote work tional priorities of exist- Devon Rowe, Executive now gone past a year in among all staff and per- ing strategic partnerships Director of CARICAD, duration and there is as sonnel engaged on assign- to co-ordinate actions to acknowledged the above yet no certainty regarding ments, and revamped and deliver joint initiatives recently, as the Centre, its end. We, at the CARI- revised its operational in the COVID-19 setting, which is tasked with the CAD Secretariat, have plan. amongst other things. responsibility of improv- responded to these chal- CARICAD also sought “We kept abreast of the ing public services for the lenging times with cre- to define ways in which COVID-19 situation and people of the Caribbean, ativity and determina- the Centre could deliver other major develop- issued its latest Horizon tion,” Rowe asserted. value to member states in ments, such as elections in newsletter, in which a Outlining some of what the prevailing, protracted member states. We sys- number of its creative has been done, Rowe circumstances and moved tematically developed our actions have been docu- noted that CARICAD systematically to deliver skills in crisis leadership and management,” Rowe also indicated. Stating that CARICAD continues to learn lessons from the COVID-19 crisis, Rowe noted that the Devon Rowe, Executive Director of CARICAD. team at the CARICAD Secretariat wishes all its stakeholders continued persistent fallout of the member states and other safety, as we all face the COVID-19 crisis. The public health laboratory has conducted 143,597 tests since February 2020. COVID-19 update: 6 new cases, 20 recovered BARBADOS recorded six covered and were released 19. new positive cases of from isolation. There are The public health lab- COVID-19 on Monday, now 102 persons in isola- oratory has conducted April 5. They comprise tion. 143,597 tests since three men and three The island has recorded February 2020. women. 3,691 confirmed cases To date, 63,738 people – The new cases were (1,783 females and 1,908 26,344 men and 37,394 identified from among the males) from the start of women – have been vac- 271 tests conducted by the the pandemic, and there cinated as part of the Best-dos Santos Public have been 3,557 recover- National Vaccination Health Laboratory. ies. Forty-three people Programme for COVID- Twenty people also re- have died from COVID- 19. The Barbados Advocate Wednesday April 7, 2021 • 3 Co-ordinated action needed, says PM Mottley PRIME MINISTER Mia responses that we now know normal supply chain that will budget and plans to protect and even as we face the most diffi- Amor Mottley is calling for after a year, are critical if we lead to vaccine distribution.And prioritise health and social cult crisis that we have faced in co-ordinated action by the are to put this behind us.” the bottom line is that we have sectors, according to Prime a century,” Mottley stressed, global community to com- Ms. Mottley, who had only also, separately, been regarded Minister Mottley,“is truly being further expressing that these bat the COVID-19 pan- hours earlier accepted the coun- by the global community as felt by the majority of us”. She are issues which she hopes the demic. try’s first tranche of COVID-19 countries that have come out of noted that the World Bank esti- Development Committee of She was at the time vaccines from the COVAX the depths of poverty,and there- mates that global GDP would the World Bank and the addressing the World Health Facility, thanked WHO’s fore are not deserving of assis- fall about four per cent this year International Monetary Fund Organisation (WHO) virtual Director-General Dr. Tedros tance in the traditional ways with between 40-60 million peo- (IMF) can look into when they press conference in commemo- Adhanom Ghebreyesus for his normally reserved for the most ple entering extreme poverty, meet this week. ration of World Health Day, continuous intervention to en- vulnerable. This has made life “but our reality also is as a “We’ll begin to start to put our yesterday. sure equitable vaccine distri- difficult,” she declared. tourism and travel-dependent case for the need to use different “I pray that we will across the bution. “We have held on to the prom- country,the fall in our GDP last criteria for determining how world summon the courage to She however went on to point ise of COVAX and I come to you year was not 4%, 8%, 12% or countries should access serious be able to have co-ordinated ac- out that the Caribbean’s jour- this morning having received 16% – it was 18%, threatening concessional capital, most tion, not just acting together,but ney over the last year has been the first tranche of Barbados’ to take our country back more needed now in order to stave off co-ordinated action such that we “torturous”.