Established October 1895 Regionalism discussed Page 2 Saturday June 19, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive TEN HONOURED IT was a special To be Ordinary Officers moment for ten in the Civil Division of the Barbadians on Friday Most Excellent Order of when Governor the British Empire were: General, Her Dr. David Byer for his out- Excellency Dame standing contribution in Sandra Mason pre- the field of emergency sented the Insignia to medicine, Sandra Field- the recipients of Kellman for her sterling awards in the 2020 contribution in the field of New Year Honours. Early Childhood This occurred at Education and the Girl Government House and Guide Movement and the day’s honourees were Condé Riley for his signif- recognised for their con- icant contribution in the tributions in fields such field of sports and in par- as sports, medicine, ticular cricket administra- healthcare, education, tion. music, law and the media. Meanwhile, to be In attendance at the Ordinary Members of the proceedings were Prime Civil Division of the Most Minister Mia Amor Excellent Order of the Mottley and Minister with British Empire were: responsibility of Foreign Arthur Blackman for his Affairs and Foreign Trade, significant contribution to Senator Dr. Jerome broadcasting and mass Walcott as well as rela- communications, tives of the honourees. Desmond Crichlow for his The Queen was gra- dedicated service to terti- ciously pleased on the ad- ary education and his con- vice of Her Majesty’s tribution in the develop- Barbados Ministers to ap- ment of information tech- prove that the ten hon- nology and Jean Holder ours be given. During pro- for her sterling contribu- ceedings, Barbados’ tion to nursing, particu- Governor General, Dame larly in the field of obstet- Sandra conferred the hon- rics and gynaecology. our of knighthood, Knight Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason conferring the honour of knighthood, Knight Addressing the gather- Commander of the Most Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George on Sir Cuthbert Gordon ing, Her Excellency Dame Distinguished Order of St. Greenidge. Sandra congratulated the Michael and St. George on recipients and she encour- Sir Cuthbert Gordon Most Excellent Order of given to: Bernell Arrindell Marshall for her out- Professor Velma Newton aged them to continue to Greenidge. This was pre- the British Empire to be for his outstanding contri- standing contribution to for her outstanding con- do the work that they sented for his exceptional an Ordinary Commander bution to the the development of local tribution in the field of have started. She also en- contribution to cricket and of the Civil Division of the International Business gospel music and promo- legal education and the couraged them to con- the development of sports. Most Excellent Order of Services and the Private tion of Christian values development of law li- tinue to be proud Appointments in the the British Empire were Sector, Margrita through music and braries. Barbadians. (MG) Skills and education reform crucial MINISTER in the told the Caribbean (NTI), Government’s en- While my government was needed to drive the new of people do not under- Ministry of Economic Development Bank (CDB) tity commissioned to equip pleased to be able to return economy does not require stand investment and how Affairs and Investment, seminar ‘Reimagining every Barbadian with the to free tertiary education three- and four-year de- they can remove their sav- Marsha Caddle has em- Caribbean Economies in knowledge, skills, and val- for Barbadians, and that’s grees, it requires a differ- ings from earning 0.01% phasised the need for in- the Wake of the COVID-19 ues to be citizens of good been important, and that’s ent kind of skill”. in the bank and invest it in vestment in skills, and ed- Pandemic’. character and competence seen an increase in enroll- Minister Caddle also more productive things”. ucation reform in the Caddle highlighted in a digital world. ment rates at The UWI. said that life skills and fi- “And hopefully, one of Caribbean. Barbados' government lat- “We realised that we are But there is a huge seg- nancial literacy must be the things that we'll see She believes this is est collaboration to offer not going anywhere with- ment of the population embedded in the curricu- some investment in in the needed now, more than thousands of courses free out a reskilling of the pop- that is not inclined, not lum. She explained, region is growth and re- ever. of charge.The partnership ulation,” she stressed, also motivated, not incen- “We are now realising silience bonds -if we're able “This is something that is between Coursera, one revealing government’s tivised to go sit at UWI that one of the reasons we to structure those kinds of we've been saying over and of the world’s leading on- focus on micro- credential- getting certain qualifica- are seeing such under in- instruments so that we over. But the moment has line learning platforms, ing. tions. Micro- credentialing vestments, in terms of peo- can use local and regional arrived where there is no and The National “A lot of young people is the way of the future be- ple using their savings to savings, to invest in devel- stepping back from it,” she Transformation Initiative are not going to university. cause a lot of what is invest actively, is that a lot opment and resilience”. 2 • Saturday June 19, 2021 The Barbados Advocate COVID-19 Regionalism discussed update WITH strength in unity, it versus national or local recom- tunately,we were able to share ple, via that route may not have is important that mendations. We have seen that in the bonanza at times, which been approved internationally. ONE new case of COVID-19, a Caribbean countries take a in variations in the recom- goes back to the first question, “So yes, all in all the regional female, was identified on regional approach to fight- mended regional protocols, and why the regionalism succeeded approach, I think, is beneficial Thursday,June 17, out of the 580 ing the COVID-19 pan- all we are saying is that some- because, as most of us recall, and preferred, but it does not tests conducted by the Best-dos demic, but an official of the times it might appear that the the initial rollout of vaccines come without some challenges. Santos Public Health CARICOM Secretariat ad- common regional approach were made available due to do- And while we have done rela- Laboratory. mits that there are some might be best, but we don’t al- nations from some third states, tively well in my esteem as- Twelve persons remain in iso- challenges to regionalism. ways have that happening,” he including India. And what hap- sessment, I think that there is lation. So says Assistant Secretary- stated. pened is that all individual a lot more to be done. And we A total of 4,040 confirmed General for Human and Social Dr. Slater continued, “For ex- member states were not bene- hope that we will continue with cases of the viral illness (1,953 Development, CARICOM ample, many of you know that ficiaries, but eventually our this regional approach. And we females and 2,087 males) have Secretariat, Dr. Douglas Slater. some countries have different member states shared among will get out to the end of this been recorded since March 2020. He spoke to this during a panel protocols and regarding the ourselves, and that was used relatively successful,” he said. There have been 47 deaths from discussion, discussing the re- quarantine, at home, or at a to start the programme. And so His comments came as he the virus. gion’s fight against COVID-19, hotel; how many days; even the that is another example of the said that the health of the re- The public health laboratory held on the first day of the testing to travel, whether you positive working of regional- gion is the wealth of the region has conducted 178,904 tests, so Caribbean Public Health do it three days before travel, or ism,” he said. and in order to be a healthy far. Agency’s 65th Annual Health five or seven days, we have One the other hand, the and a wealthy region, a re- Under the National Research Conference, hosted in variations here. So those are Assistant Secretary-General gional response is the best way Vaccination Programme for collaboration with the French some of the challenges, because some member states have ne- to go. COVID-19, 90,735 persons have Development Agency, as he ex- sometimes our common CARI- gotiated with other third “Together we should achieve, received their first dose to date. plained that challenges can COM citizens find themselves a states, but the outcome was not if we go independently, that Meanwhile, 64,688 persons have occur, because despite the fact bit confused as to which proto- as positive, because a vaccine may cause some disaster,” he received their second dose and that we are a Caribbean com- col exists in one member state that was procured, for exam- warned. (JRT) are fully inoculated. munity, we are not a homoge- versus the other”. neous union of states. Turning his attention to the “And that is very important, rollout of the COVID-19 vac- because our individual, con- cines, he said even in this re- BSSEE Booklet available online stituent member states, they spect, this matter has become still have the sovereign right “unnecessarily political” in to make decisions that they see some member states, which he THE 2021 Barbados non-national) are now load the documents from the as fit for their individual mem- maintained has not helped.