Established October 1895 No rush at supermarkets over long holidays PAGE 2 Tuesday January 5, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive NEW PROVISIONS Hotels to be designated for specific purposes AS the Government capacity at Harrison’s Point continues to put measures in is adequate, and not yet full place to battle the COVID-19 as has been rumoured, they pandemic, Barbadians have are ensuring that there are been told that the Admin- alternative sites for persons istration intends, as early needing to isolate. She made the as this week, to designate point while indicating that the hotels for specific purposes, Government is being proactive including for isolation. in this regard. As such, she said That’s the word from Prime Blackman and Gollop School is Minister Mia Amor Mottley.She again being prepared, should it made the disclosure yesterday need to be pressed into action evening as Government officials to provide accommodation for updated the public on the latest asymptomatic patients. regarding the pandemic in “Similarly,we also believe that the country, since the super- persons who want to be able to spreader event on Boxing Day. stay in isolated facilities and who “One of the areas that I have are prepared to pay on their own, asked the Ministry of Tourism should be able to do so, without to work on, which they have not us affecting them, and that is yet completed for this evening’s available to either Bajans or address [Monday] is the notion visitors should the need arise. that we want to be able to But those designated facilities designate hotels for specific have to be settled tomorrow,” she purposes. So if a hotel is said. taking regular visitors who Mottley added, “This is out of have already come through an act of precaution because we quarantine; that is what you are need to make sure that in the doing. Another one can have event we have the need, we can focus on dedicated quarantine accommodate all persons.” measures; another one would Meanwhile, given the current have focus on dedicated isolation circumstance in relation to the measures in the event of persons COVID-19 cases, PM Mottley being asymptomatic, in other reiterated the call for persons words without symptoms and to work from home wherever not feeling poorly.And those are possible, especially during the available to all persons and not period of the current COVID-19 just guests should the need directive. arise,” she indicated. Mottley said while the HOTELS on Page 3 Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley speaking last night. Align travel protocols with int’l recommendations: Dr. Worrell FORMER Governor of the industry of Barbados sunk to travel is essential for reviving He also added that the adequate to minimise the risk Central Bank of Barbados, levels we have not seen in the tourism and without a revival Government should become of COVID spread. Dr. DeLisle Worrell, has urged modern era. The most urgent of tourism, an increasing more active in the councils and “The events of the past few the current administration of need is to set in place number of domestic businesses decisions of these international days are testament to the need Barbados to align the protocols arrangements for all aspects will join those that have organisations, saying that the for upgrades to our systems. It for all aspects of travel and of travel and the visitor already gone under in international organisations was inevitable that we would all social interaction with the experience, sufficient to restore Barbados. provide the best platform for encounter difficulties, given the recommendations of recognised tourism to pre-COVID levels, “Therefore, the most urgent Barbados to have a voice in weaknesses in the design and international bodies. in the current circumstances. priority for the Barbados the decisions that affect our implementation of Barbados’ Worrell, now an international We do not have the liberty of Government is to align our tourism. health management responses economic consultant, made waiting until there is herd protocols for all aspects of The international economic to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the recommendation in his immunity from COVID-19 in travel and all social interaction consultant also recommended he said. January economic newsletter, North America and the UK,” with the emerging that the Barbados Government Worrell ended his statement the first of 2021. He stated in stated Worrell. recommendations of recognised needs to contract with by addressing the people of the newsletter that he had The former governor international bodies – the reputable international Barbados, “In order to get made certain suggestions to the explained that the World Health Organisation, the companies to devise and through this crisis we must all Government before COVID-19 international protocols, which International Air Transport implement suitable act responsibly, and we must appeared and brought are needed for the resumption Association, the World Travel arrangements for the reception also insist that those who international travel to a of cross-border travel, have not and Tourism Council, and other of visitors, testing, quarantine administer our health services, standstill, but now priorities yet been agreed. He however authoritative bodies,” the and tracing, social protocols and public services in general, must be made urgently. put forward that despite this, governor stated in the economic and upgrades to our health up their game to an acceptable “Overnight, the tourism a resumption of international letter. system, arrangements that are standard of performance.” (AS) 2 • Tuesday January 5, 2021 The Barbados Advocate No rush at supermarkets over long holidays DESPITE the two crisis, Barbadians and quate access to super- will be opened from 7 stages of the pandemic, mode of delivery. public holidays and visitors were given two markets and other food a.m. until 6 p.m. during several supermarkets Although there is more curfew, there was no public holidays. This was suppliers. This time, su- the January 4 and 5 pub- have implemented plat- shopping convenience evidence of panic buy- expected to facilitate permarkets are opened to lic holidays. forms and systems to re- for customers, The ing or extreme com- persons who needed to ease this problem. With the impact of the spond to their customers. Barbados Advocate has mercial activity at the visit the polyclinics for Over the weekend and pandemic affecting per- During the brief ex- observed slow business local supermarket testing. Monday, The Barbados son-to-person interac- change with Bynoe, he activity for local super- chains in the Black Advocate visited several tion, many of the food highlighted that the busi- markets since the start Rock and Cave Hill Supermarkets operat- supermarkets in the St. suppliers have adopted ness recently launched of the new year. This has communities. ing over public holidays Michael area. In Black delivery curbside pick-up its A1 supermarket app, resulted in businesses With the recent surge One major issue for citi- Rock, Director of A1 and online ordering which gives customers making adjustments to of COVID-19 positive zens and food business Carlton Supermarkets, options. While many of the option to order and their operating hours cases and the owners during the last Tomlinson Bynoe, indi- these businesses dealt pay for their groceries as this trend from 2020 Government’s efforts period of curfew in 2020 cated the urban branch with several challenges online and arrange the continues. to mitigate the health was the demand for ade- and Emerald City branch during the nascent Calculating pay for work WhatsApp messages about A&E Department false THE Board of (AED) have been “struck” of a contact tracing exer- firmed as COVID-19 pos- done on a public holiday Management of the by the coronavirus. The cise aimed at identifying itive, they will be trans- IN light of January 4 and for persons who work on a Queen Elizabeth contents of these voice the primary and second- ferred to an isolation 5 being declared Public public holiday but are not Hospital wishes to as- notes are false and mali- ary contacts of all known facility for further care. Holidays under the Public engaged under the Shops sure the public that the cious in nature. COVID-19 positive indi- We are therefore Holidays Act Cap. 352, the Act. However,some work- management and staff We recognise that viduals. If any employees asking the public to be Labour Department has places use the principle of of the Queen Elizabeth there is heightened anx- of the Queen Elizabeth mindful and stop the advised employers and double time as set out in Hospital stand ready iety surrounding the Hospital are identified as dangerous practice of employees of the follow- the Shops Act as a guide to serve the people of spread of the coronavirus primary contacts of a sharing false information ing: and apply that rate. Barbados, even in these within our communities, known COVID-19 posi- particularly during this • Persons who are em- Workplace custom and most trying of times. and acknowledge that tive case, these individu- time of national crisis. ployed under the terms of practice, contracts of em- At present, there are like else where there als will be removed from Additionally, for official the Shops Act, Cap. 356A, ployment, and any exist- multiple voice notes in may be patients and or active duty until cleared releases from the Queen must be paid no less than ing collective agreements circulation on WhatsApp staff who may unwit- to return to work by the Elizabeth Hospital twice their ordinary rate must also be examined to which allege that various tingly be COVID-19 relevant public health please visit www.qehcon- of pay if they perform du- determine whether there departments including positive.