Focus on Food Safety
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Established October 1895 PSVs hoping to operate at full capacity PAGE 5 Friday June 11, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive FOCUS ON FOOD SAFETY Proper hand hygiene vital in preventing foodborne illnesses SENIOR Environmental Health Officer, Ryle Rock, is urging Barbadians to wash their hands to avoid foodborne illnesses. This information was shared during the Food Safety and Vector Training session at the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic yester- day. During his presentation on “Food Safety and Its Importance to the Consumer”, Rock high- lighted the cases of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Norovirus, Staphaureus, Shigella and Rotavirus – all deadly and highly contagious foodborne diseases – between 2013 and 2017 in Barbados. He spoke about the high num- ber of foodborne illnesses in a specific year due to clusters around the island. Rock noted the source of some of the cases was due to the poor preparation of meat, lack of water where the food was prepared, poor hand- washing hygiene, and contami- nated tamarind snow cone syrup. According to Principal Environmental Health Officer Maurice Gaskin, who also presented yesterday,60 per cent of these illnesses could be prevented by using good hand- Participants in the Food Safety & Vector Control Training Session at the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic learn about the dangers of washing hygiene. improper food handling practices and foodborne illnesses. INSET: Senior Environmental Health Officer, Ryle Rock, presented on FOOD SAFETY on Page 2 ‘Food Safety and Its Importance to the Consumer’. Monitoring Committee worried about government’s ability to meet target By Cara L. Jean-Baptiste down 18 per cent according to the UK and Canada; the expec- humanitarian response transformation of the SOEs the latest Central Bank tation that the over perform- in light of the continued in order to improve the finan- THE Barbados Economic report, continues to be the ance of corporation tax seen in elevated levels of unemploy- cial reporting, operating Recovery and Transformation principal risks to the pro- the current fiscal year is un- ment and continued implemen- efficiency and service levels Plan Monitoring Committee gramme. likely to be repeated in 2021/22 tation of the vaccination across these enterprises,” it (BERT MC) is expressing con- The report highlighted that due to a combination of the programme.” said. cern with the Government of the Committee was worried EU tax blacklisting, inhibiting Additionally, the report out- The report highlighted as Barbados’ ability to meet the about the ability of the new business, the reduced lined that the Committee is well that despite the impact primary balance performance GOB to meet the primary profitability anticipated looking forward to seeing the of the COVID-19 pandemic, target for the 2021-2022 fiscal balance performance target by businesses in 2020 due to results of the new MAU the GOB has managed to year. of zero per cent for the the pandemic, and a number Dashboard, which will be used achieve the majority of its The recent BERT MC public upcoming 2021/22 fiscal of large transaction-based to publish the financial report- performance targets and, in report #10 explains that the year in light of the following tax payments that are ing information of the country’s particular, the primary balance severity of the impact of factors: unlikely to be repeated; and State-Owned Enterprises surplus of minus 1% of GDP COVID-19 and the significant “The quarantine restrictions the additional spending that (SOEs). and the growth in Net levels of unemployment, on those travelling from the GOB will need to incur “We also look forward to fur- International Reserves to lev- coupled with the shrinking Barbados to major tourism in its continued response to ther progress being made in els well above the programme of the GDP, which was source markets, particularly the pandemic, including the the planned review and target. 2 • Friday June 11, 2021 The Barbados Advocate One new COVID-19 case A FEMALE was the health laboratory has car- doses. The number of per- lone positive case of ried out 175,046 tests. sons who have received COVID-19 identified Under the National second doses and are on Wednesday, June 9, Vaccination Programme now fully vaccinated is from among the 459 for COVID-19, 85,175 61,861. tests conducted by the people have received first (BGIS) Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory. The number of persons in isolation is 20. Barbados has recorded Live firing at sea today 4,033 confirmed cases (1,952 females and 2,081 males) of COVID-19 since and next Tuesday March, 2020. There have FISHERMEN and clear of the area and been 47 deaths from the mariners are advised that maintain a distance of not virus. the Barbados Coast less than 12 nautical To date, the public Guard and the Barbados miles from the exercise Regiment of the Barbados area to its northern, Defence Force (BDF) will southern and western lim- be conducting a Live Fire iting lines. Gunnery exercise today, All mariners are urged Friday, June 11, and to take extreme care and Tuesday, June 15, in the caution while operating area west of the Cement on the west and north- Plant jetty. west coast of the island The exercise will be con- on the above-mentioned ducted between the coor- dates. dinates 13° 16’ North 059° The exercise is being 43.25’ West and 13° 18’ conducted to familiarise, North 059° 43.05’ West to train, and perfect the 13° 16’ North 059° 44.38’ skills of personnel from an West and 13° 18’ North afloat platform, while im- 059° 44.38’ West. proving the overall stan- Operators of all marine dard of marksmanship craft are advised to keep within the BDF. Vendors of food, drink need licence to sell FOOD SAFETY from who sell coconut water,it Page 1 is important for buyers not to eat coconut jelly using He added that food the “spoon”, a small piece handlers should also of coconut shell used to use personal hair scoop out the coconut restraints (hair nets, caps, meat. Gaskin explained beard caps); have good per- that rats love coconuts and sonal hygiene (wearing unwashed coconut shells clean clothing, bathing); may have traces of rat avoid wearing nail polish urine, and this can in- and strong perfume which crease the risk or exposure can transfer to the food; to leptospirosis. He added and avoid wearing sleeve- that not only coconuts, but less clothing, short pants all fresh produce bought and slippers. should be washed thor- oughly before consump- Look for labels tion. During a brief interview Gaskin also pointed out with The Barbados that the island’s polyclin- Advocate after the train- ics provide several licences ing session, Gaskin spoke to the food operators and in-depth about some of the food handlers, including concerns that health offi- those that allow people to cers have with food han- sell food and drink in front dlers and food operators in of businesses. He added Barbados. that applying for these li- He reminded Bar- cences is free. badians that drink falls The session, hosted by under the category of food the polyclinic located in and this will include Warrens, was the first homemade fruit drinks, of its kind and invited water and coconut water. representatives of 14 The principal environmen- restaurants and other food tal health officer stressed businesses within the that any drink bought on catchment area to partici- the roadside should have a pate. label with the name of the Each person will be seller, contact details and given a certificate from the the ingredients. Chief Environmental He noted that in the Health Officer, Francina case of coconut vendors Bascombe. The Barbados Advocate Friday June 11, 2021 • 3 Over $3M in severance paid out to former Harrison’s Cave staff OVER $3 million in bene- ployees were made redun- Cave of Barbados Limited fication was October 30, ments bill for the Caves of on hand at various depart- fits have been paid out to dant. have indeed received their 2020, and that person was Barbados is $2,411,409, ments of the Cave to en- severed Harrison’s Cave Responding to queries severance packages. retired under special condi- and all of those who quali- sure that there is “a smooth staff. posed by Opposition “The staff at Caves of tions given their circum- fied for severance have and efficient transition to The island’s main natu- Leader Joe Atherley in a Barbados was officially stances,” Symmonds been paid.When you add in the new operators”. ral attraction was closed recent Parliamentary ses- severed on October 31, stated during the debate vacation pay and other con- While renovations which last year when government sion on the operations of 2020. All members of staff on the Grantley Adams siderations of that nature were planned were halted passed the operations and the Cave and the status of have been paid their sever- International Airport the Caves has paid out due to the start of the enhancement of the cave to the payout, Minister of ance.There is one set of cir- (Amendment) Bill, 2021. $3,044,628 to its employ- COVID pandemic, the new Chukka Caribbean Energy, Small Business cumstances where there is He further outlined that ees,” he continued. operators have recently Adventures, a Jamaican and Entrepreneurship, a person who was certified around $2.4 million was for Symmonds noted that advertised a July 2 reopen- company, on a 25 year Kerrie Symmonds outlined to be medically unfit, I be- severance alone. currently a skeleton staff ing for the St. Thomas at- lease. At that time, all em- the former employees of lieve the date of that certi- “The severance pay- on short term contract is traction.