Established October 1895 Bostic warns: Do not be complacent PAGE 3 Friday April 16, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive PUSH TO REOPEN GAIA By André Springer International Airport closed any longer and there was a considerable THE Prime Minister of Barbados, effort being made to have it Mia Amor Mottley, declared reopened as soon as possible. yesterday that Barbados could not afford to have the Grantley Adams GAIA on Page 3 Crews starting work to clean the Grantley Adams International Airport after the recent volcanic ashfall. INSET: Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley speaking at a press conference yesterday. CXC candidates allowed to defer sitting date CXC is implementing a facility CCSLC. could be transferred for use in the next sitting, and for the first time, CXC for candidates to defer sitting In a recent press release, examination sitting where the subject will accept SBAs in January 2022 examinations and submitting School- CXC explained that they reached is offered; the rules pertaining to the for candidates deferring to sit Based Assessments (SBAs) until this decision following extensive reuse of SBA scores for resit candidates examinations for subjects offered in January 2022 examination cycle consultations with regional Ministries remained unchanged; candidates that period. for CSEC, or the May/June 2022 of Education. may also submit a new SBA or delay examination cycle for CAPE, CSEC of The release outlined that SBA scores submission of SBAs until the chosen CXC on Page 4 2 • Friday April 16, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Volcano has operated in ‘classic’ way LA SOUFRIÈRE con- Seismic Research Centre, tinues to amaze the which became part of The scientific team of UWI in 1962. Moreover,he The University of the declared that The UWI is West Indies Seismic the Caribbean’s premier Research Centre (The public university,which is UWI-SRC), according here to serve. to Professor Richard “Public universities are Robertson. designed to serve their The Geologist and team communities in multiple leader said the volcano ways. Our task is to see in St. Vincent and the all the areas of vulner- Grenadines has operated ability and work to so far in a very ‘classic’ strengthen them – see way in terms of the sig- all areas where certain nals that it has put out ‘in- strengths exist and how dicating what it’s doing’. to sustain those strengths. However, he admitted, “I So, we are here in service don’t think that I would – we are here to serve the have believed that on 13th people of the Caribbean. April, it would repeat al- And this is an area of most exactly what it did service that is absolutely on 13th April, 1979.” Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies critical to the existential Professor Robertson Geologist, Professor Richard Robertson. (The UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles. reality in the Caribbean,” was at the time contribut- he stressed. ing to The UWI’s live vir- Tuesday – this specific the volcano moved to an Vice-Chancellor of The destruction, people have “All of the big challenges tual forum on the ongoing kind called a ‘volcanion ex- explosive phase following UWI, Professor Sir Hilary to deal with them and facing the Caribbean peo- monitoring and relief ef- plosion’, is very much like three months of effusive Beckles; and Pro Vice- therefore the impact is ple – we are going to be forts to support the island what it did on 13th April eruption, magma extru- Chancellor and Principal tremendous and that’s active in those issues.The in the wake of the erup- in 1979.” sion and more recently, of The UWI Open the case of St. Vincent.” climate change issues; the tion. Leading up to the April tremor and volcano-tec- Campus, Dr. Luz “So, while I’m as a scien- volcano issues; the issues “In other words, not only 9th eruption, The UWI- tonic (VT) seismic activity. Longsworth. tist glad that I’m able to around chronic diseases; did it erupt on Tuesday SRC team was on the is- “I am glad that so far The expert further provide support, I am the issues around COVID- around the same time it land since December 2020 we have to a large extent lamented, “Volcanoes are aware also of the tremen- 19; public health – in all did 42 years ago, but the when activity was first de- gotten it right,” he told amazing things, but they dous damage and destruc- the areas of concern and kind of eruption it had on tected. On that morning, the panel, which included cause destruction and tion it has done, and it threat to the people of the damage. Even though the could do – it is not finished Caribbean, The UWI will process of volcanism is yet. So, I’m glad of the develop and deploy its how life, and land and the contribution that Seismic specialist skills in those territories we occupy – could make in making a circumstances to help to the beautiful countries difference,” he expressed. alleviate, to strengthen in the Caribbean – were Professor Beckles com- and to protect – this is created… But in their mended the work of the what we are here to do.” The Barbados Advocate Friday April 16, 2021 • 3 Do not be complacent, warns Bostic THERE has been a call for the things were going statistically, based ing masks. We must be very, very people of Barbados not to become on the work that they have been vigilant as we go forward so that we complacent and to continue to ad- doing. continue in the present trajectory,” here to the health protocols, so as “I congratulate the entire country, warned Bostic. not to return to the past situation citizens, residents, the press, the many Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley from earlier this year where there team members from the various parts reiterated the words of Minister Bostic was an explosion of positive of the frontline operations who have and expressed her happiness at the COVID-19 cases. contributed to the continuous decline continued progress in the fight against Minister of Health and Wellness, in our positivity rates,” said Bostic. the spread of COVID-19, but also Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, during a press He however noted that if there stated she wished they were better. conference at the Grantley Adams was one thing he had learned from Mottley acknowledged that the island International Airport, announced that the experience of last year was that had come a long way in recovering of the 562 tests conducted for April 14 things could change in the twinkling from the significant jump in cases at at the Best-dos Santos Laboratory, of an eye, especially when people be- the start of the year and cautioned there were nine new positive COVID came complacent. The health minister Barbadians not to drop their guard. cases – three males and six females. referenced a couple situations in “The fact that this incident has hap- Eight people were also said to be re- which the ministry was monitoring. pened where people remain stubborn leased from quarantine. He highlighted the previously re- and not want to co-operate or incline Minister Bostic stated that he ported new cluster from a church in their hearts to wisdom, causes us to be continued to be happy with the way the north, which now tallies around in a position where other institutions 23 people. have been put at risk today,” said the Bostic also stated that the cluster Prime Minister. had spawned new COVID sites, im- Mottley encouraged people to AG: Citizens pacting three institutions, with one continue to adhere to the protocols having at least ten positive cases while and said that one of the only good the others had one each. The health things about the volcanic ash affecting have the right to minister explained that in his belief, the island was that everyone on the these kinds of situations fed the pan- island was now wearing masks. She demic, giving it life. also highlighted that the vaccination challenge gov’t “The arrival of vaccines and the con- programme had been affected by the tinuous decline in positivity rates is arrival of the ash, but was still part IT is the right of any citizen to chal- not an excuse for us to stop sanitising, of the primary battle going forward. Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. lenge a government in court on areas stop social distancing and to stop wear- (AS) Col. Jeffrey Bostic. they believe to be unconstitutional, says Attorney General Dale Marshall. Speaking on an episode of COVID Queries this week, he outlined that Strength of eruptions has weakened: PM previously this nation’s law courts had been called upon to deal with a num- GAIA from Page 1 “What was said is that the regularity from as far up as Gemswick, down and ber of constitutional challenges of the eruptions has decreased and the you going to have dust coming in,” she brought forward, and therefore Addressing the media at the Grantley strength of the eruptions has also weak- said. stressed there was nothing wrong with Adams International Airport (GAIA) ened. With those two things in hand, The Ministry of Agriculture, according the current situation, “where individ- yesterday, the Prime Minister was we believe that we are in a position to to the Prime Minister, would also be mo- uals are not waiting in some cases giving an update on the situation at the really ramp ahead with the clean-up bilised in ensuring that the fields which until an offence is alleged against airport and stated that it was necessary operations,” said Mottley.