Barbados Steps up to COVID-19 Alert Stage 2
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Established October 1895 Prime Minister: Disconnections to be restored – Page 4 Sunday March 22, 2020 $2 VAT Inclusive ‘WEFRUSTRATED residents WANTin President of the Democratic Labour ANSWERS’signed, to date, by well over 100 residents water,as neighbouring communities have Sherbourne and Wilson Hill, St. John Party (DLP) and resident of Sherbourne, asking for their plight to be addressed not been having those challenges. are seeking answers as to why for St. John, Andre Worrell, said the letter with the utmost urgency. He further stated that in the almost a year their taps have been will be sent to the General Manager of According to Worrell, next month will correspondence that will be emailed to virtually dry, and they have drafted the Barbados Water Authority, Keithroy be a full year since water outages have the aforementioned persons and agencies a letter to be sent to the relevant Halliday by tomorrow. Worrell further been going on in the area, which he noted no later than Monday, they are authorities seeking to have their indicated that a copy of the letter will be worsened in June last year. He went on requesting a meeting by April 3, 2020 to concerns addressed. forwarded to the Fair Trading to say that while they appreciate the hear from the BWA why the outages Speaking to The Barbados Advocate Commission, the Office of Public Counsel country is experiencing drought persist and hopefully to hear from them yesterday afternoon at a shop at and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. conditions, in December they recognised what measures will be employed to assist Sherbourne No. 2, where several Also, he stated that accompanying that that the areas of Sherbourne and Wilson the residents. residents had gathered, the 3rd Vice letter, will be a petition that has been Hill were the ones consistently without WATER on Page 6 Third from left: 3rd Vice President of the Democratic Labour Party and resident of Sherbourne, St. John, Andre Worrell, along with other frustrated residents of Sherbourne and Wilson Hill, St. John who are plagued with prolonged water outages. Barbados steps up to COVID-19 alert Stage 2 BARBADOS is officially in Stage 2 of its number of persons who would have been for a visitor who tested positive,” Minister “Contact tracing is one of the cardinal fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. into direct contact with some of the Bostic revealed. things we do in public health, in order to This upgrade comes after the island’s confirmed cases that we have identified Though any increase in the numbers of contain the spread of contagions such as COVID-19 cases reached double digits, a few days ago. As a result of that, the cases is troubling, the Minister also the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. with 14 individuals testing positive to Public Health Laboratory was able to stressed that numbers are expected to We have many different public health the virus as of Saturday. Minister of conduct about 20 tests of which eight rise, as officials fervently conduct contact teams based at the polyclinics Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey tests returned as positive. So there are tracing amongst those who were close to throughout the island who are engaged Bostic, gave this update during a brief now eight new cases in Barbados, as a persons who are known to have the virus. in contact tracing. So you take your index press conference held at Ilaro Court, with result of the testing that has been The Acting Chief Medical Officer stressed case, and you find out all of the persons COVID-19 Czar, Richard Carter, and conducted. Of these eight cases, seven that contact tracing in such a situation who that one person came into contact Chief Medical Officer (ag) Dr.Anton Best. are directly related to two of the was critical in the efforts to slow the with,” Best stated. “We have been able to identify a previously confirmed cases, and one is spread of the coronavirus. STAGE 2 on Paga 5 2 • Sunday March 22, 2020 The Barbados Advocate The Barbados Advocate Sunday March 22, 2020 • 3 Residents desperate for water “WE need water!” unable to bathe them as needed, wash community as a matter of urgency. The That’s the desperate cry of the down their pens and give them adequate St. John resident also noted that the residents of Sherbourne and Wilson Hill water to drink. distance persons have to walk to get to St. John who have been experiencing “All that little money is what was the tanks and back to their homes with prolonged water outages since April last helping to pay the same water bill. Now buckets of water,was too far especially for year. The residents voiced their you ain’t seeing no water, but you seeing the elderly member of the communities. frustration at the lack of access to this the bill coming in all the time and I seeing According to Searles, the tank at the top basic human right, contending that it it in red, due for disconnection. Now you of Sherbourne No. 1 was frequently was not only disrupting their daily lives, ain’t seeing no water but you seeing it due running dry, as the demand for water but their livelihoods as well. for disconnection. It is hard up here in St. was high and they need to refill that tank Some residents who were gathered at John, it ain’t easy,” McCollin lamented. on a more consistent basis. a shop at Sherbourne No. 2 yesterday Another resident, Selwin Searles also Meanwhile,Wilson Hill resident, Faith afternoon, were willing to share their expressed his frustration contending that Smith described the situation as experiences over the last several months. the situation is unfair. He said that with ridiculous, explaining that she is forced One resident who preferred not to give the Covid-19 threat, persons should be to leave home every weekend in order to his name, indicated to The Barbados constantly washing their hands, but the wash her children’s clothes for school. Advocate that it was now too much to residents of these two rural communities She also expressed frustration that the bear as he could not get water for his five do not have the running water necessary water tankers come during the day when cows, and his persistent back pain made to do so. Searles also said many residents residents are at work. Smith is also it difficult for him to carry buckets of were forced to stay home from work concerned about the spread of the water to and from his home. because there was no water for them to coronavirus in this country and in Fellow Sherbourne resident Cudjoe bathe. particular that community, should the McCollin said his household is He went further, maintaining that the water outages persist. struggling. Many days, he said, he goes to three water tanks in the area are not When The Barbados Advocate was work only to come home and hear the sufficient to meet the demands from leaving the community, a water tanker water tanker passed when he was out. residents and as such, he called on from the Barbados Water Authority was Wilson Hill resident, Faith Smith says McCollin said he was also forced to get rid government to place additional in the area supplying residents with the lack of water is taking a toll on her of the pigs he was rearing, as he was community water tanks in the water. and her family. The community water tank which has been placed at the top of Sherbourne No. 1 This Sherbourne, St. John resident had their buckets lined up outside awaiting which residents say frequently runs dry. the arrival of a tanker. The Barbados Water Authority tanker providing water for a resident at Sherbourne, St. John yesterday. 4• Sunday March 22, 2020 The Barbados Advocate Prime Minister: Disconnections to be restored THE over 3 000 persons Word of this has come debate in the House of discussions she had with PM Mottley said that talk about money, when in this country who have Prime Minister and Assembly on the the Minister of Energy and these persons have been people are at risk, as a had their water service Minister of Finance, Appropriation Bill to a close Water Resources, Wilfred disconnected for a variety result of the rapidly disconnected, will have Economic Affairs and on Friday night. Mottley Abrahams and Chairman of reasons, but she said her spreading coronavirus that service reinstated Investment, Mia Amor indicated that the decision of the Barbados Water Government is the view around the world. with immediate effect. Mottley,as she brought the was taken following Authority,Leodean Worrell. that now is not the time to However, in making the announcement, PM Mottley said that the service would not be restored indefinitely,but for the next three to six months.With that in mind, she is urging those customers to make payments, no matter how small. “Fair is fair,fair is fair and even if it is a little piece and a little piece... We accept that in some instances people can’t pay the full amount, but you got a 20 dollar, go and put it down there for me at the Water Authority and let us perform even if we are not asking you to clear you arrears, at least stay current in the months going ahead,” she urged those who will benefit from the measure. Earlier, she told the House of Assembly that the Barbados Water Authority will be undertaking major work to replace mains across the island, to reduce the 50 per cent of non- revenue water that is loss on a daily basis.