Barbadians Facing Pressure During National Pause LIVING Alone, Staying at Home, Alvin Cadogan, Who Is in His 60S, Is a Part of the Is- Land’S Most Vulnerable
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Established October 1895 See inside Monday February 8, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive VACCINE SOON HERE! BARBADOS is expected to “There are certain stipula- not white. It is done in South get 100 000 doses of the tions, of course, we are not doing Africa and all of them are not Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine people under 18…, but as far as white, so it has been tested in this week. race, ethnicity or sex, it is safe many different ethnic people. So Public Health Specialist and for everybody. Of course, people far as I am concerned, it is safe Co-ordinator of the National who are allergic to its compo- for anyone except those cate- COVID-19 Vaccination nents or people who have severe gories that I told you about just Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth allergies will not be given the now for us.” Ferdinand revealed this as she vaccine.” President of the Barbados spoke during last evening’s tel- As it speaks to those persons Association of Medical evised COVID-19 press confer- with allergies, she said people Practitioners (BAMP), Dr. ence focused on the topic, who use an EpiPen for emer- Lynda Williams stated, “The ‘Barbados and the COVID-19 gency adrenaline will be ex- people who have the chronic dis- Vaccine’. empted. eases, the people who have the Ferdinand explained that She further shared,“When we poorly controlled diabetes, though “safe and suitable for look at the vaccine itself where hypertension, strokes, those everyone”, each individual will phase trials were done, they are the people we want to not be given the vaccine. were done in Brazil and they are VACCINE on Page 3 Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand Barbadians facing pressure during National Pause LIVING alone, staying at home, Alvin Cadogan, who is in his 60s, is a part of the is- land’s most vulnerable. In December 2018, this resi- dent of Clevedale, Black Rock, St. Michael made headlines when he lost his home to fire. Today,he lives on the same plot of land where his house was situated, but he has no furni- ture, no appliances (stove or re- frigerator) or electricity, and shelters in a small shed. Cadogan, known as “Parts”, is a handyman and before the national pause would do odd jobs to survive. However, with all village shops closed, he is dependent on the help of kind neighbours. Yesterday, a good Samaritan brought him a meal for which he was appreciative. He told The Barbados Advocate that he has not re- ceived any assistance (nonper- ishable items) since the na- tional pause. This paper sought to highlight his situation to the relevant authorities and con- tacted the hotline of the Government’s COVID-19 Relief Programme office, but was unsuccessful. A family of eight in the Cave This shed is home for elderly Alvin Cadogan, who lost his home in a blaze two years ago. Today, he is a part of the island’s Hill community is also in need most vulnerable trying to survive during the national pause. of assistance as the family members rely on local village of the large family spoke to The able to speak to anyone Minister Mia Amor Mottley in process of preparing 60 000 shops and mini-marts to access Barbados Advocate, expressing through the hotline. a press conference announced care packages to be distributed food. Last week, the patriarch frustration because he was not Late in January, Prime that the government was in the between February 9 and 12. 2 • Monday February 8, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Safety measure in place By Marsha Gittens THE Transport Board has placed hand sani- tising dispensers in its terminals and on board some buses, a measure to mitigate the spread of COVID- 19 and ensure riders and bus drivers re- main safe. Transport Board’s Chief Operations Officer, Lynda Holder, said in time the units will be in all of the Transport Board’s fleet. “What Transport Board has also done, we have placed hand sanitising dispensers at every gate. So before you board the bus, you are able to sani- tise your hands. We have our drivers reminding persons to do this. Then on some buses as well we have actually placed sanitising units on those buses, so persons who are boarding the buses from somewhere on the route, they would still be able to sanitise and that is a project that we are going to move throughout all our fleet. But at this time, it is not on every single bus.” Transport Board’s Chief Operations Officer, Lynda The Chief Operations Holder. Officer said persons “have definitely been Advocate recently, said there being less persons wearing their masks the National Pause has out and about. when travelling on board been a quiet period for Holder said the the bus that has now be- that organisation so far, Transport Board has not come mandatory”. since there has been a re- made any changes to its However, as it relates to duction in the number of services and members of persons observing physi- persons travelling on the the public are still able to cal distancing protocols, buses. access its buses. she said commuters have She said the decline in “We are still running to be constantly re- the number of com- our scheduled services, minded to do this. muters is not only linked just that instead of fin- Though this is so, “by and to the requirement that ishing at midnight which large most people are un- the Transport Board has is the norm, we are now derstanding and they are to operate at a maximum finishing our last service following the protocols”. of 60 per cent capacity, at six. Between six and Holder, who spoke to but owing to a number of six, we are still running The Barbados places being closed and the scheduled services.” COVID-19 update: 33 new cases, 51 recovered FIFTY-ONE persons re- Facility undergoing as- 362. Of these, 358 have covered from COVID-19 sessment to determine recovered and the re- on Saturday, February 6, whether their positive maining four inmates are and 33 new positive cases PCR test result showed included in the active were recorded. that they were in fact cases. The new positives were newly positive,or To date, Barbados has identified from the 693 whether they had recorded 1,709 confirmed tests conducted by the COVID-19 in the past and cases - 709 females, 1,000 Best-dos Santos Public were no longer infectious. males - and 1,400 persons Health Laboratory.There Of the other 29 cases, have recovered. Eighteen are now 291 active cases. there were 26 Barbadians persons have died from Sixteen men and 17 and three non-nationals. the viral illness. women made up the new The total number of per- The public health labo- cases. Four of them had sons diagnosed as posi- ratory has completed already been at the tive at Her Majesty’s 106,949 tests since Harrison Point Isolation Prisons Dodds remains at February 2020. (BGIS) The Barbados Advocate Monday February 8, 2021 • 3 Countries warned, ‘Don’t rush to re-open’ DO not rush to re-open! back, like a forest fire that highest jump in cases, and of the virus”. ducing the chances of more He said that the latest That’s the advice to gov- has found new fuel. as a result, St. Lucia has “Individuals must con- variants emerging. And it edition of the Essential ernments from the World Positive trends can easily implemented a ten-day tinue to take precautions,” helps to ensure vaccines, Diagnostics List which in- Health Organization be reversed, and hard-won ban on non-essential activ- he stressed, explaining treatments and diagnos- cludes tests for the (WHO) Chief Dr. Tedros gains can be lost”. ities and social gatherings. that this means doing tics remain effective.” COVID-19 virus, expands Ghebreyesus. Across the Caribbean As vaccines begin to roll what it takes to ensure Dr. Ghebreyesus also the suite of tests for vac- He told the virtual press most nations are seeing a out, the WHO Director safe working conditions, urged Member States to cine-preventable and in- conference recently that reprieve in COVID-19 in- General went on to insist implementing manage- use the Essential fectious diseases and non- many countries responded fections, although larger that they will not control able quarantine condi- Diagnostics List, a basket communicable diseases to a decline in coronavirus islands like the Dominican this pandemic. tions, and safely re-open- of diagnostics that WHO such as cancer and dia- cases by easing public Republic, Haiti, Puerto “It is vital that govern- ing schools and other es- recommends should be betes, and introduces a health and social meas- Rico, and Cuba continue to ments do not rush to re- sential services. available at point-of-care section on endocrinology, ures, and individuals let drive new infections. open, and that they con- “Controlling the spread and in labs to improve which is important for re- down their guard. This week, St. Lucia and tinue public health meas- of the virus saves lives now timely and life-saving di- productive and women’s “The virus came roaring Barbados reported the ures to prevent the spread and saves lives later by re- agnosis. health. Guidance for providers conducting Rapid Antigen Testing for COVID-19 THE Ministry of Health COMBO Rapid Test and Wellness has advised • Sinopharm Rapid that Rapid Antigen Antigen Test (for out- Testing for COVID-19 bound travellers to the may be performed in spe- UK and USA) cific circumstances and by • SD Bioscience providers sanctioned by Standard Q the Ministry.