Barbados Advocate
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Established October 1895 Sargassum to blame for Green Pond fish kill PAGE 2 Tuesday April 6, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive COVID IMPACTING MENTAL HEALTH AN international Adolescent children and adolescents in the Health Specialist says the Latin American and Caribbean prolonged nature of the region last September, found COVID-19 pandemic, pres- that among the respondents, ents an opportunity to 27 per cent reported feeling build new mental health anxiety, 15 per cent reported and psychosocial support depression, while one in two re- services that children and spondents reported feeling less adolescents need for the inclined to do activities they future. normally enjoyed. Dr. Joanna Lai, who is based She added that the survey in the Health Section of the also showed that three out of UNICEF Headquarters in New four respondents felt the need to York, added that mental health ask for help regarding their and psychosocial support have physical or mental well-being been highlighted as a priority during those preceding months, for the United Nations in the but only about half actually global COVID-19 pandemic re- were able to ask for help. The sponse. She further indicated Adolescent Health Specialist that emphasis is also being further indicated that according placed on a whole-of-society to the study, 43 per cent of young approach, such that there is col- women and 31 per cent of young laboration across all sectors to men felt pessimistic about their also promote and protect the future. mental health of this population “And with the reopening of group. school and return to school, it’s Her comments came as she important that a very high pro- was speaking about the nega- portion, 79 per cent, felt worried tive impact of COVID-19 pan- about COVID-19 infections demic on the mental health and around them, stress about get- well-being of children and ado- ting infected or bringing it home. lescence in Latin America and I think it is understandable that the Caribbean, during a recently these are the things that they’re held virtual panel discussion, feeling and when we asked what hosted by The UWI’s COVID-19 is it they were hoping for when Task Force. it came to their mental health, According to Dr.Lai, about one we heard a lot of them talking year ago, young people reported about wanting safe spaces to negative feelings including help- talk about how they feel; to be lessness, anger, surprise, shock, able to know that it’s okay to fear, loneliness and sadness as a feel this way – validation of their result of the pandemic. She went mental health needs and the further, indicating that a survey way they’re feeling. carried out by UNICEF among MENTAL HEALTH on Page 4 Adolescent Health Specialist with UNICEF, Dr. Joanna Lai. National Vaccination Programme to resume on Thursday CURRENTLY on pause, rive on these shores since the dose phase on Saturday April 17 formats as to when and ing those over 70 and those be- the National Vaccination India government donated and run this until we complete where their second dose will tween 18 and 65 with non com- Programme is expected to 100 000 doses in February. the just under 64 000 occur. municable diseases who had restart on Thursday, as the is- Co-coordinator for the pro- persons who have received “We will be communicating previously registered, were still land is set to receive the first gramme, Major David Clarke of the first dose already,” he with all those people who re- awaiting their jab, and said batch of purchased AstraZeneca the Barbados Defence Force, explained. ceived their first doses via our these along with frontline work- doses from the Covax facility therefore revealed that on April When the campaign paused, SHAPE app, so they will receive ers would be placed at the head today. 8, first dose vaccinations – which 63 738 persons were vaccinated an email, a text message or a of the line. The 33 600 doses from the were on pause due to the delays – 26 344 males and 37 394 fe- telephone call confirming where “We also have people in the global vaccine purchasing pro- in shipments – will recommence males. Clarke advised those their second dose will be given,” education system that we will gramme are scheduled to land and run until next Wednesday. who have already received the he added. also be concentrating on in order in the early morning, and will be “We will cease doing first first dose that they will Last week, Clarke disclosed that they can get back to school,” the second largest batch to ar- doses then, and start the second be notified through various that near 10 000 persons, includ- he noted. 2 • Tuesday April 6, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Sargassum to blame for Green Pond fish kill THE Sargassum sea- explain exactly how the Barbadians live, where weed invasion on our oxygen would have been Barbadians normally go to eastern beaches has depleted. swim, where the tourists proven to be more than “Of greater significance visit and so on. In this par- just a nuisance. Most for us is the fact that this ticular instance, we now recently, it has been area here, because of its obviously have to repriori- named as the culprit nature as an ecosystem, is tise because of the issues behind a fish kill a brackish water ecosys- affecting the pond and to at Green Pond, St. tem and forms a transi- make sure that we are Andrew – the victims, tion point between some able to maintain the biodi- mostly tilapia and of the freshwater/brackish versity that is in the mullets. water species that live pond.” When a rapid response here and their process for Noting that Barbadians team from the Ministry of getting out to the sea. should expect to find sea- Maritime Affairs and the When the seawater comes weed on the beaches from Blue Economy, headed by in and is trapped behind time to time as it comes Minister Kirk Humphrey, that, obviously the salt in everyday, Minister went to the scene yester- water will stagnate the Humphrey said that there Mullets and tilapia were some of the species found dead at Green Pond. day following reports fresh water and just to- are expected to be discus- made, it was revealed that tally reduce all the oxy- sions with members of the to manage. the personnel would come Barbadians to bear with the Sargassum seaweed gen.” engineering community in “This year I am going to from the areas that are af- us and to partner with us. had found its way into the With the first order of Barbados to find a fix for be requesting for the next fected and that is what we I’m also asking for some pond and caused a rapid business being the re- the issue. He also urged four, five months that we are going to be working Barbadians, if they want depletion of oxygen in the moval of the Sargassum, beachgoers to report any- can employ a few more on. This is going to be a to come and take some to water,starving the marine releasing some of the salt thing unusual, stating personnel to be able to re- constant conversation for use in their gardens,” he life. water and the reintroduc- that Sargassum is some- spond more effectively. I the next few months. So said. Speaking during a brief- tion of oxygen into the thing we will have to learn think it makes sense that I’m asking early for (MP) ing at the site, Director pond, Minister Humphrey of the Coastal Zone said that manual removal Management Unit of the seaweed is ex- (CZMU), Dr.Leo Brewster, tremely crucial and is set explained that the sea- to begin on Wednesday. weed was introduced into “We have been very the pond by high swells. careful in all the instances “There is a weak point where there was seaweed here at Green Pond at the to make sure that we, in mouth of the entrance to our efforts to maintain the the watercourse, and the system or protect certain waves actually over-tuck parts of the system, do not the berm, which is the destroy one eco-system in highest point on the our efforts to protect an- beach, and they pushed other ecosystem. So we the Sargassum into the normally use manual water body and therefore, labour to maintain the that caused the stagnation beaches when we do so.” and depletion of the oxy- Stating that this gen in the water body.A lot particular beach is very of Sargassum got pushed susceptible to Sargassum in here and it has ex- inundation due to the high tended pretty far inland swells normal for the area, in terms of the amount of Minister Humphrey said Sargassum that was that there is a long-term transported by the tide plan in place for the man- upstream, and that also agement of seaweed. contributed to the fish “This particular beach kill,” he said. forms part of our Sar- Pointing out that a gassum Management number of other lifeforms Plan. We have a plan for in the ecosystem could all the beaches based also be adversely affected, on different priorities in Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey (LEFT) speaking with Director of the Dr. Brewster went on to relation to where Coastal Zone Management Unit, Dr. Leo Brewster. COVID-19 update: Six new cases, three recovered SIX women were identi- There are 109 persons in ratory has so far con- fied as COVID-19 posi- isolation.