Established October 1895 See Inside Sunday June 6, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive FURTHER EASE THE calls for an ease in doing business on Sundays have been Shops, automarts to reopen on Sunday under new directive answered. Minister of Home Affairs, Information held with the prior permission of the with restarting their domestic and Public Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, COVID Monitoring Unit. competitions. And we would be able to made the announcement yesterday “With the exception of those changes, give them guidance and advice and also during a press conference as he revealed all of the directives, all the provisions in to be able to inspect facilities and so on, that changes will be made to COVID the last directive – Directive (No. 10) – so that we are all on the same sheet of Directive (No. 10), which expires still remain in force.” music. tomorrow,Monday,June 7, with the new As it relates to sporting events, “But it is our intent to return to a Directives coming into effect on Tuesday. Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. normal state as possible [in regard to] One year later – As such, supermarkets, mini-marts Col. Jeffrey Bostic, reiterated that this sports in this country, and that is the and village shops will be allowed to relates to competitive sports that would guidance that the Ministry of Health Remembering reopen and gas station automarts will attract spectators. and Wellness has provided for the be allowed to provide full services on “And we are not saying for one national sporting associations as well Sir Anthony T. Bryan Sundays. moment that this cannot take place. But as the COVID subcommittee. In relation He revealed that spectator-less sports we have not opened it up in a general to Crop Over, that’s another matter that – Page 4 are to be fully allowed, subject to the sense, because we believe that the we cannot answer at this point in time, COVID-19 protocols. sporting associations and organizations because that involves another ministry “Competitive sporting events, need to meet with us, so that they can with responsibility for Culture,” he said. including horse racing, may only be explain exactly how they plan to proceed (JH) Celebration time for centenarian Iola Henry – Page 7 Science Lab Technician at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, Paul Grant, speaking to persons present about the VEX Go. Steps being taken in preparation for coding and robotics programme in September Local author tackles By Marsha Gittens Education Reform Unit, Dr. Idamay manufacturers, doing the order for the Denny, who spoke to The Barbados rest of the primary schools and we expect sexual abuse in PREPARATIONS are ongoing to ensure Advocate on Friday at the conclusion of that equipment is going to be delivered to the smooth rollout of the coding and a robotics demonstration session at the us sometime in August for a September captivating novel robotics programme, which is being Education Ministry’s headquarters. implementation. In the meantime, we are introduced in public schools from “We have received all of the equipment taking the teachers through the training.” – Page 24 September. for the pilot programme and we are Word of this came from Director of the actually now in discussion with the TRAINING on Page 3 2 • Sunday June 6, 2021 The Barbados Advocate – From: Anthony Jr, Alvin and Allan The Barbados Advocate Sunday June 6, 2021 • 3 Cruise tourism returns on Monday FOR the first time in over 15 All passengers 100 per cent vaccinated, assures Tourism Minister this stage. Because despite our best ef- months, Barbados will be welcom- forts, and despite the level of rigor that ing 630 cruise visitors to our shores. partners around the globe. And all of the Barbados, people are going to be flying we have put into developing these pro- Yesterday Tourism Minister, Senator tourism ministry officials and the port in, so they’re going to have to meet the tocols, this is still the first ship. We need Lisa Cummins, announced during a officials in many instances as well, from requirements first when boarding an to take small, confident, but careful press conference that the Celebrity across the Caribbean.” aircraft, which would be a negative PCR steps. And so we’re not opening the Millennium will be making a transit Recognising that primary concern will test before they land in Barbados and doors and the floodgates immediately, call on Barbados from St. Maarten with be what happens when passengers ar- they’re taken by a sterile corridor di- we’re just doing this deliberately,slowly passengers disembarking around rive in Barbados, Minister Cummins rectly to the port, where they then have and gradually. 11 a.m. tomorrow. said the first basic parameter will be the to be subjected to further screening in “By the time we have the first call on The Minister stressed that this has existing entry protocols. “We already order to embark on the ship, which is Monday, we’re going to be in a position been a long process, one that has not know people are required to come into home ported in Barbados. to review where we are. Are we going to been taken lightly. the country with the valid negative PCR “But what’s most important is that so be 100 per cent satisfied? I’m hopeful “It has been over a year of discussions, test three days prior to arrival. For far, what we have begun has been vac- that we’re going to be pretty close. But negotiations, engagement at the level of ships, it is going to be the same thing. cinated-only cruises. So 100 per cent of what we’re going to be doing is review- the CDC, the EU Healthy SAIL guide- “There is testing that is going to be the persons on these ships will be vac- ing how this goes. lines, working through the Americas taking place on board the ships that cinated; they did not hesitate, they de- “So what this means now is that we’re Cruise Task Force, which is as you know, will make sure that people are continu- cided to vaccinate.” going to be looking at the various tours chaired by the President and CEO of ally kept safe. The Minister further explained that that they will be taking. We have been Royal Caribbean, Mr. Michael Bayley, “There are at least three different there will be “bubble tours” when the meeting with the taxi operators with and Prime Minister of Barbados, Prime types of parameters that we needed visitors arrive on Monday. “What that various tour operators, making sure Minister Mottley, and has represen- to consider for cruising, one for home means is that we’re restricting what that everyone is aware of what the tation from all of the cruise industry porting for ships that are based here in types of activity can be undertaken at arrangements are, and the protocols are being followed at every single step of the way. “And I want to give Barbados the Bostic makes special plea to the youth assurance that in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, with all of the HEALTH and Wellness Minister, Lt. partners involved in this process, every Col. Jeffrey Bostic, has specially ap- single protocol is going to be followed. pealed to students to continue to follow But most importantly, you are dealing the COVID-19 health and safety proto- with 100 per cent fully vaccinated cruise cols while off and on school compounds. passengers,” she reiterated. (JH) He said a challenge for the Ministry has been some students not observing these protocols while off school prem- ‘We will be ready,’ ises. His appeal coincided with his announcement that one student from the Lester Vaughan School has tested says Erdiston’s positive for COVID-19. “I am satisfied that within the schools acting principal and during school time, things are quite good. In fact, in most cases very good in TRAINING from Page 1 relation to protocols, but I want to make a special appeal to you students and to Dr. Denny added that 247 teachers are the parents of the students because you presently accessing training online and all of us as parents, we do have a re- with VEX, the company which has sponsibility to make sure that our chil- manufactured the robotic kits. dren get it in their heads to be able to “When they have completed it, they deal with this situation, and so the chal- are going to have a globally accepted lenge that we are having is that the qualification. So they cannot only teach post-school activities and interactions, robotics in Barbados, but any place that that is where we are most vulnerable the VEX qualification is accepted, they and we continue to be most vulnera- can go and teach robotics. So we are very ble.” happy with where we are in terms of that Bostic, who spoke during a televised timeline.” press conference yesterday, said he has Present at the day’s session was Acting personally witnessed pupils at bus Principal of Erdiston Teachers’ Training stops and bus shelters not wearing their College, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw. masks and not observing the correct She too gave an update on the state of physical distance from each other. He readiness for the implementation of the reminded students that avoiding such programme at the start of the upcoming is key. academic year. “It is vitally important that you do Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic. “We will be ready. We have purchased this, especially when you are not being a number of kits already for distribution monitored at school.