Established October 1895 Friday March 26, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive DON’T DROP COVERAGE WITH the hurricane season quickly approaching, an insurance executive is urging Barbadians not to eliminate insurance coverage from their budgets as they reassess finances during this challenging COVID-19 environment. General Manager of Co- operators General Insurance, Anton Lovell, offered this advice, while reiterating that the island is not immune to disaster, and fire is an ever- present hazard. He was at the time speaking to the media on the sidelines of a presentation ceremony to long-standing policyholders in the Training Room of Co- operators General Insurance, Upper Collymore Rock, St. Michael headquarters, yesterday. “Barbados is located within the hurricane belt – that means storms and floods during the season, which starts very soon from June 1st and goes to November 30th,” he pointed out. “So we keep educating and informing persons not to drop their guard in terms of dropping the insurance, because you never know when something will occur.” Recognising the impact of the pandemic, which resulted in job losses and reduced hours, Lovell said that Co-operators General has been working with policyholders to ensure that they maintain coverage. Yesterday, some religious organisations received some assistance from one local insurance company. Pictured, Rev. Ezra Parris, “We find that persons are Superintendent of the Moravian Church, accepted a donation to the organisation from Sabrina Howard, Business Development & heeding our advice, and what Marketing Officer at Co-operators General. we have done when persons find it difficult to pay their indicated, also noting that their are hoping that Barbadians suffering as a result of COVID- here to ensure that does not premiums, we have extended premiums have remained would try and secure and insure 19 and certainly another happen by affording persons the the payment terms to make it steady for many years. their properties. disaster would probably push availability and affordability to more affordable for them,” he Lovell further stressed, “We “A lot of persons are already us over the edge. But we are insure properties, etc.” Doctor discourages use of masks with vents or valves PERSONS are being asked vents were inefficient in local authorities have even “When you alight from the else you are touching. So to desist from using masks preventing the transmission spoken and advised that those public transportation, sanitise sanitise your hands because with vents or valves as these of droplets. should not be used, consistent your hands. So walk with that is a big way of reducing can lead to exposure to “Since the vent is there,it with what has been said by a readily accessible hand taking contamination to your COVID-19. means that there is actually other health authorities,” she sanitiser, which is at least home,” she stressed. During yesterday’s episode some sort of filtration and there stated. 60 per cent alcohol-based in Harewood urged commuters of ‘COVID Queries’, Lecturer is direct contact with the Speaking on how persons the absence of soap and water. to use their judgement, noting in Public Health and environment to and fro and should be protecting So there are those you can that with public transportation Epidemiology, Dr. Heather is seen as a higher risk of themselves while on public clip on your bag and your belt, allowed to carry up to 75 per Harewood, said advice coming transmission of the viral transportation, Harewood said so you can use it because you cent, not to put themselves from the World Health particles through droplets, so using hand sanitiser after do not want to be rummaging at risk by boarding when it Organisation (WHO) and other those are not recommended. touching rails or handing off in your bag looking for was already at capacity and health organisations showed The WHO, CDC and other money was an important step the sanitiser and then therefore ending up being too these masks with external authorities and even our in reducing transmission. contaminating everything close to another individual. 2 • Friday March 26, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Help for religious organisations Share the roads! PRESIDENT of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen, is encouraging all Co-operators General gives back Barbadians to share the roads. CO-OPERATORS General this company. We are happy that you She made this comment as Barbados Insurance has stepped up to lend have chosen a locally-owned insurance recorded its fourth road fatality and some assistance to religious organ- company to look after your insurance third cyclist death for 2021. isations. needs. Co-operators General is owned by Roland-Bowen, who spoke to The Well aware of the challenges they are 26 local credit unions and a number of Barbados Advocate via WhatsApp call facing since the onslaught of the COVID- them, in fact, are associated with your on Tuesday, said that it is important for 19 pandemic, the insurance company organisations and are shareholders in motorists to think of others before they yesterday made financial contributions this company.” think of themselves. For the cyclists and to five longstanding policyholders – Lovell also commended the recipients bicyclists, she advised them to wear their The Moravian Church, The Wesleyan for their efforts to maintain insurance helmet and “to be safe and to be seen”. Church, Barbados Diocesan Trustees, coverage for their organisations during The BRSA President said motorists The Church of God, and Codrington these challenging times. He said they should drive slowly and maintain a safe College. are setting a very good example for distance from cyclists, giving them at “We fully understand how COVID-19 Barbadians. least three feet and stressed that they negatively impacted your financial “So, here we have religious organisa- should not infringe or abuse their rights situation, and in our view during this tions who take the wise decision to insure on the road. challenging time in the country, the and not to rely on the belief that God is She also appealed to motorists to think presence of religious organisations is in- a Bajan, and that we will forever escape about the cyclists who have a family that deed needed more than ever,” General natural disasters and other perils.” need them and they should allow those Manager,Anton Lovell, expressed during Rev. Ezra Parris, Superintendent of individuals to go home to them safely. the presentation ceremony in the the Moravian Church, expressed sincere She acknowledged that pedestrians Training Room of Co-operators General appreciation to the management of are also vulnerable on the road and care Insurance, Upper Collymore Rock, St. Co-operators General Insurance for the should be taken when they are there. Michael headquarters. timely injection of funds. Roland-Bowen noted that in cases Last year, Co-operators General “We are in difficult times. It’s the real- where motorists have caused road fatal- Insurance also provided supermarket ity for many of us, particularly as an or- ities, the offence is treated as a traffic vi- vouchers to a number of vulnerable per- ganisation that receives its revenue from olation with a minor fine in the courts. sons in the neighbouring community and the membership through their gifts and She believes that there is a need to send other organisations, including schools. donations. You could well understand a message to Barbadians and make an “We do take our corporate social re- that in this time being impacted by example of those who take a life on the sponsibility very seriously,” he stressed. COVID-19 that things are not in the best road. “We also want to take this opportunity shape. And so, as we receive this gift, we “All lives are precious.A vehicle can be to thank you for your support over the do say ‘thank you’, and that it will go a General Manager of Co-operators replaced, but not a life,” said Roland- many years that you have insured with long way,” he expressed. General Insurance, Anton Lovell. Bowen. The Barbados Advocate Friday March 26, 2021 • 3 Phased return to school IN four weeks, stu- Common Entrance, that ensure that they still con- we have all of the requisite dents and teachers there are already high lev- tinue their classes,” she materials in place, all of across the island will els of anxiety that these disclosed. the sanitising equipment head back into class- students face,” she said. Nursery school students and therefore, they have rooms for face-to-face Bradshaw noted that by and those within the been assisting us with a learning. allowing these students nursery units of primary specially dedicated team Delivering a Ministerial to return first, teachers schools will also be al- to Education to guide us Statement yesterday would be allowed to assess lowed to return on April through this process.” evening, Minister of where the students were 20 in a phased approach, Questioned as to Education Santia not only academically,but and the minister said the whether the various Bradshaw announced also socially, psychologi- schedule of those classes teachers’ unions had Term Three will see teach- cally and emotionally. will be determined by the agreed with the decision ers and ancillary staff She noted the other stu- Ministry in consultation to return to face-to-face reporting for work on dents’ return to school will with the respective school learning, Bradshaw said: Monday, April 19, and be phased with a blended principals. “This is not about getting Class Three and Four pri- structure. In addition, to reduce consensus, but stating mary school and Fifth and “With respect to all the amount of time stu- the obvious.” Sixth Form secondary other students, the posi- dents will have to wear “Most people deep down school students heading tion we have taken is that masks, the school day will understand that our chil- in on April 20.