Barbados Advocate

Established October 1895 SEE INSIDE Sunday April 18, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive Psychiatrist: Vaccinations DLP: INVEST IN vital in mental health battle By Cara L. Jean-Baptiste ACHIEVING herd immunity is an important step in clean- DESAL PLANTS ing up the aftermath of the mental health disaster that THE Democratic Labour Mia Mottley government to this administration – through unit, so if we bring more desali- COVID-19 has caused. Party strongly believes that retract its political stance and the then Minister of Water nation plants online, our annual This is the view of Dr. cries for water should be a invest in desalination plants Resources Wilfred Abrahams – water supply expenses would in- Ermine Belle, who spoke dur- thing of the past in 2021. and additional water storage ruled out the possibility of more crease by over $100 million, and ing a webinar hosted by the Vice-President and capacity. desalination plants. we simply cannot afford that’. Barbados Association of Spokesperson on Agriculture In a press statement yester- “At that time, Abrahams said, “The Democratic Labour Psychiatrists, titled: ‘The and the Environment, Andre day,Worrell recalled that within ‘Desalinated water sourced di- Party disagreed with the cost Mental Health Storm in the Worrell, is therefore urging the a few months of taking office, rectly from the sea costs $4 a DESAL on Page 3 COVID Pandemic’. “We have to look at things like vaccination. As many persons as are willing must be vaccinated. The more persons are vaccinated, the less persons will be infected. The less persons infected, the less persons anxious; the less persons anxious and stressed, the sooner we will be able to re- gain our composure, focus, motivate ourselves and others and become more able to create and sustain a new normal existence,” she said. “We are in a storm and right now we are all in it together and we have to pull our weight.” Belle also shared a few tips to help people with their mental health during this time. “Share your feelings. Find someone to share what you’re worrying about – it doesn’t have to be a counsellor or a psychologist, it could be a friend who has a listening ear because you want people who are going to hear you out,” she said. “Maintain some level of FLYING HIGH regimes. We had the situation of lockdown and curfew and AGAIN: not being able to work and Air travel has resumed being at home and becoming in Barbados as the couch potatoes, and this is not Grantley Adams good; you still needed to main- International Airport tain some level of routine. We officially reopened on need to enjoy hobbies and cre- Friday evening, after ate new ones.” being closed for nearly a Additionally, she stated week due to the that it is also important to en- volcanic ash from the sure maintain your physical ongoing La Soufriere health, because an absence of volcanic eruption in good physical health means St. Vincent and the the presence of poor mental Grenadines. health. Pictured at top, a view “We have to look after our of the first flight to land physical health, we have to after the reopening. look after our mental health INSET: Passengers and we have to look after were happy to be able our spiritual health,” she to fly again. stressed. 2 • Sunday April 18, 2021 The Barbados Advocate An ash covered car in Georgetown. AT RIGHT: Residents taking part in the cleanup on the streets of Byrea. (PHOTOS COURTESY LUCANUS OLLIVIERRE PHOTOGRAPHY) La Soufriere eruption – Through the eyes of residents ST. VINCENT and the Soufriere volcano major eruption of April human and economic toll Many have been on the newspaper,either through Grenadines has suf- which erupted last 1979. continues to develop for frontlines of catastrophe first hand accounts or pho- fered another major weekend, some 40 plus The tragedy is unfold- our CARICOM brothers and continue to tell their tographs of the challenges disruption from the La years after its last ing in stages and the and sisters. personal stories to this facing their country. The North Union Gas Station with wet ash and no gas. (PHOTO COURTESY LUCANUS OLLIVIERRE PHOTOGRAPHY) Ray of sun through the clouds in Georgetown over this ash covered house. (PHOTO COURTESY LUCANUS OLLIVIERRE PHOTOGRAPHY) Water distribution in New Grounds. (PHOTO COURTESY LUCANUS OLLIVIERRE PHOTOGRAPHY) The Barbados Advocate Sunday April 18, 2021 • 3 COVID protocols still in place for visitors THE May 8 commencement numbers are expected from the that between now and May 8 we June may be a little bit challeng- of new protocols for visitors island’s main source markets. will very much be in position, in ing when we’re talking about vaccinated against COVID- The news would be a welcome collaboration with our partners the Canadian and UK market, 19 is still in place. one for tourism sector players both here in Barbados and our but for the US market as they Minister of Tourism and as the industry continues to flag tour operators and airline part- continue with an aggressive vac- International Transport, under the weight of the COVID- ners abroad in new markets, cination programme, as they Senator Lisa Cummins, told 19 pandemic. that we will very much be in a continue to see reductions in the members of the media during a “We spent the early part of position to re-open Barbados to number of cases, we will con- recent press conference that (Friday) morning meeting with traffic for vaccinated passen- tinue to see strong demand. government will push ahead over 60 tour operators out of the gers,” Cummins stated. “The latter part of the with the new protocols, despite markets and many of the major The Senator outlined that year, the early part of 2022 is the recent six-day closure of the airlines, going through the pro- there are a combination of fac- looking extremely strong. The airport due to ash fall from the tocols, getting a sense of what tors in the source markets based demand is very strong but there La Soufriere volcano. the market has been saying in on their own domestic regula- is that latent uncertainty re- Speaking on the forecast for response to the protocols, what tions set by their governments maining around the May – June visitor arrivals with the imple- the demands and projections are and regulators, as well as the period, but then we see a moder- mentation of the protocols, looking like for the rest of the protocols here in Barbados and ate picking up in July – August Minister of Tourism and Cummins stated for the 2021- season. And we continue to re- how these two will coincide. through September,” she contin- International Transport 2022 winter season, increased ceive feedback and we expect “The period between May and ued. Senator Lisa Cummins. Damage assessment to be done tomorrow MINISTER of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams says an intensive damage assessment and needs analysis will be conducted locally tomorrow. He said this will be led by the Ministry of Economic Affairs along with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Speaking during a recent press conference, he also provided an update on the cleanup activity that has been occur- ring locally following the ashfall from the La Soufriere volcano. “The ashfall has triggered a post-event damage assessment and needs analysis and this is being led by the Ministry of Economic Affairs along with the Ministry of Home Affairs. This will provide both a qualitative and financial costing of the im- pact of the hazard, identifying the detail or resource needs and This Barbados Water Authority (BWA) truck was seen in Gays, St Peter, as residents in several rural parishes have been facing dry allow us to be very specific in our taps since last Monday and some even before that time. request for assistance to deal with our post event recovery. “This is an intensive rapid assessment for which we have al- ready started gathering critical Government called upon information. It covers agriculture, infrastructure, technology, utilities and every sector that we expect to be affected by the ash- to invest in large reservoirs fall.” He said the taskforce conduct- DESAL from Page 1 said seeking a loan to construct filled if we increase our access to a bucket of water on the ash, as ing the assessment draws on assumptions which were the desalination plants should potable water through desalina- they have none,” Worrell said. both public and private sector made by the Minister then and be part of the stimulus package, tion.” The DLP is also appealing to experts, noting that the UN sys- we still disagree now. The gov- and advised that these projects Moreover, while supporting the BWA to continue to do what tem is “providing technical ex- ernment simply needs to look at would be labour intensive and the appeal by the Barbados they can to assist residents in pertise so the team can hit the the desalinated water cost glob- would help to eradicate a major Water Authority (BWA) to per- these areas by sending out the ground running on Monday”. ally. These costs vary within a developmental challenge. sons not to waste water as they tankers and filling community The Home Affairs Minister range of US$0.50 to US$1.20 However, he admits that the try to clean up the ash, the DLP tanks. In fact, he is of the also spoke about an exemption per cubic meter.In any case, the plants alone are not the solu- Vice President said that at the view that government should which has been granted for lack of access to potable water is tion, also calling for government same time, they empathise with immediately look at subsidising today.

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