Drinking age to move up to 18 PAGE 3 Wednesday May 12, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive TIME TO JOIN FORCES PRIME Minister Mia Amor Mottley is once again calling on world leaders for a united front against the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday to officially receive the second shipment of 33 600 doses of vaccines through the COVAX facility,Mottley said it is unlikely that societies and economies would see any meaningful progress any time soon unless there is cooperation. Stating that prolonging any such partnership would provide the perfect environment for mu- tations to outstrip any progress made, the Prime Minister said that there is still time to act. “This is a reminder that this world is always strongest when there is partnership.And I want to use this opportunity this morning to not only speak to Barbados and Barbadians, but to speak to the global commu- nity.I have heard many say that the time for global coordination and partnership has passed in this pandemic – that the horse tries and not by single countries has already bolted from the sta- – one by one by one. I therefore ble. I want to say definitively this use this opportunity this morn- morning that in our view that is ing to remind us at the global not the case and there is never a level that there is nothing stop- wrong time to do the right thing. ping us from a global summit The fact that globally we con- other than us. If ever there was tinue to run this race, trying to a need for political will in the fight it up and to beat it against post-1945 world, it is today as mutations and variants, tells us we speak. And I trust and pray that there is still a great need for that there will be movement global coordination and partner- among those of us who have the ship,” she said. responsibility to have the charge With vaccine equity highest on of our population under our con- the list of priorities in the pro- trol as governments for us to do posed coordinated strike, the right thing and to do it to- Mottley made an impassioned gether,” she added. call to heads of government to Pan-American Health come together as they did in Organisation/World Health 1945 to give birth to the United Organisation Representative to Nations. Barbados Dr.Yitades Gebre was “We cannot wrestle COVID-19 also in attendance, and he stated Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic (left) and Pan-American Health to the ground unless there is vac- that it is an important day for Organisation/World Health Organisation Representative to Barbados Dr. Yitades Gebre look on as cine equity and unless there is Barbados and the Eastern Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley speaks during yesterday's event. AT TOP: The second shipment coordinated action across coun- JOIN FORCES on Page 2 of COVID-19 vaccines on the tarmac upon arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport. Denny: Tech can be used to keep youth on right path TECHNOLOGY is one way tion portrayed by these instruc- “We therefore have to go for- people out there to save…Let us able.” youth in this island can be tors tells us that if we put this to ward with this and see how go forward and see how in work- The educator was speaking at pulled away from crime. our students in the very same many young people we can bring ing together, we can help young the wrap up of the instructors’ So says Director of Education way we are likely to get the on board and get interested, as people to achieve good and sus- presentations during a virtual Reform, Dr. Idamay Denny, as same kind of response from if not, they have time to engage tainable employment, and if we workshop held by the Erdiston she lauded the work done by 19 them, and an enthusiastic and in the activities we have been can help them to do that, then I Teachers’ Training College. tertiary level school instructors committed student is one who is seeing a lot of this week – a lot may be able to sit in my veran- Pointing to the negative in the area of coding recently. going to be less of a discipline of crime and violence,” she said, dah on my rocking chair at 2 impact COVID is having on “The enthusiasm and dedica- problem. adding: “We have a lot of young p.m. or 2 a.m. and feel comfort- TECH on Page 2 2• Wednesday May 12, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Equal access to vaccines important JOIN FORCES from wards the fight in the re- Sharing the sentiments ploy to ensure that we are ernment has chosen to lo- how we relate to each other, Page 1 gion, Dr. Gebre said that of Dr. Gebre, Minister of safe and that we can get cate its battle. That is whether we wear masks, Caribbean as vaccines there is vaccine hesitancy Health and Wellness Lt. back to a state of normalcy.” where we believe we can whether we sanitise.What are fulfilling their purpose worldwide, but that the Col. Jeffrey Bostic called Highlighting that we achieve wellness, and I ask are those things we must by reducing deaths and se- uptake in Barbados is en- vaccination the last line of have done well as a nation Barbadians to work with do at an individual level so vere illness. Noting that de- couraging. defence in the island’s fight and should not drop our the persons in our health- that we are not counted as spite a rapid increase in “The shocking global sit- against the pandemic. guard, Prime Minister care system to make their one who has contracted cases and deaths in South- uation still is disparity of “I know that the govern- Mottley said that we need lives easier, remembering COVID or as one who has East Asia, Dr. Gebre re- vaccines – availability and ment of Barbados has done to do better.Citing the pre- that the first choice to be- suffered from some form of vealed that numbers are on access – and we cannot end everything possible to en- vious day’s reopening of the come well lies not with the chronic non-communicable a downward trend across the pandemic unless we sure that we have enough St. Joseph Outpatient community health practi- disease that we could have the Caribbean and the have equal access to these vaccines available for Clinic, she said that com- tioner,but lies with each of prevented if we made dif- Americas, with over 1.4 bil- tools.Vaccines prevent dis- everyone on-island. It has munity healthcare is pin- us as an individual in what ferent choices in our lives.” lion doses administered ease but they can also pre- not been easy. It has been nacle in the fight and that we eat, how we exercise, (MP) and 55 million doses dis- vent infection.This is based very challenging.This is be- that is where government tributed through COVAX on our new information. It cause we do believe that will be placing major em- to 122 countries. can also reduce transmis- this is now the ultimate phasis, focus and energy. Calling it a good start to- sion.” measure that we can em- “That is where this gov- Wanted men THE Royal Barbados Police Force is seeking the assistance of the general public in locating two wanted men. They are Nicholas Andre McIntosh, 21; and Dontai Doren Harding, 22, both of Sargeant Street, St John. They are wanted for ques- tioning in connection with a number of serious matters and should be considered armed and dangerous. McIntosh is of dark com- plexion and slim build. He Nicholas Andre McIntosh has a flat forehead, small ears, small brown eyes, a bulbous nose and thick mouth. Harding is 6 feet tall, of dark complexion and of slim build. He has a promi- nent forehead, small ears, small dark eyes, broad nose and thick dark lips. Any person, who may know the whereabouts of these men is asked to con- tact the Northern Division Criminal Investigations Department at telephone number 419-1737 District Dontai Doren Harding F/Belleplaine Police Station at telephone num- Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS ber 433-1540, Police (8477), or the nearest po- Emergency at 211, Crime lice station. ‘The perfect solution’ TECH from Page 1 nomically.So we are on the right trajectory,” Denny employment in the is- noted. land, she insisted it is time During the presenta- to provide sustainable op- tion, instructors show- portunities for young peo- cased their skills in ple, as well as a number of ‘scratch’, developing, people who have lost their amongst other things, a jobs and need to retool. math game for all ages, a “Coding and robotics ap- quiz to test persons’ pears to be the perfect so- knowledge on ecology and lution. Not only will the a how to dress appropri- persons who participate in ately for a job interview the training that you now game. are able to deliver be able Denny outlined that to equip themselves with these works showcased new forms of employment, critical thinking in ad- but they will also be able to dressing a problem occur- put themselves in a posi- ring in the environment tion to generate new em- and providing a solution ployment. Whichever to it, and stressed this happens, the country will is what education was benefit socially and eco- about.