Established October 1895 ILO Director-General: 2021 a year for action PAGE 4 Friday February 12, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive School closure a concern A REGIONAL Gender Advisor at UNICEF’s Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Office has warned of the impacts of school closure on students during the coronavirus pandemic. Shelly Abdool- Zerezeghi pointed to teen pregnancy; adolescent girls increasingly drawn into caregiving, limiting their time for their own education and free time; decreased (if any) access to school feeding programmes, menstrual and sexual health information, as well as school protection systems. In addition, she emphasised that the longer marginalised children are out of school, the less likely they are to return. “This prompts such questions – who are the most marginalised girls and boys in the Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason (right), received her first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday. Public health offi- Caribbean? Will they cials from the Maurice Byer Polyclinic were on hand to brief the Governor General and to administer the vaccine. return to school – whether in-person or online? And if they are not returning to school, how do we still reach them through out-of- school programmes,” ‘TAKE THE VACCINE’ she said in her contribution to GOVERNOR General, vaccines were coming,I Wednesday’s launching Dame Sandra Mason, Governor General gets first jab publicly informed the authorities of Comprehensive received the first that I wanted to be, if not Sexuality Education dose of the Oxford- personal protection and to their physicians if they which I hope is to take the first in line, the third or Activities in the AstraZeneca vaccine for your future well- had any questions about vaccine,” she continued. fourth or fifth,” she said, Caribbean through the in front of rolling being, it might be a very being inoculated. Reflecting on her adding that she looks Spotlight Initiative cameras, yesterday good idea if you were to “And at 72 years old, I experience on finding out forward to receiving the Webinar, hosted by morning. take the vaccine,” she think that anything that a member of her staff second dose. the United Nations The Barbados emphasised. I can do to help to prolong had tested positive for The Governor General Population Fund Government Information Dame Sandra also my life, I am prepared COVID-19, Dame Sandra also took the opportunity (UNFPA) Caribbean. Service was on hand to explained why she to do,” Dame Sandra said she kept her wits to thank the Government “And then there is of capture Dame Sandra decided to take the “jab” asserted. about her and informed of India, which gifted course the mental health and her household staff for all to see. “I chose to do “I am ecstatic almost the entire staff that Barbados with the first impacts… We still don’t get vaccinated against it publicly because people to have received the everyone would need to 100,000 doses of the have a full picture of the COVID-19 by a team are generally doubtful... I vaccination and I hope be tested for the viral Oxford-AstraZeneca full impact of COVID-19 from the Maurice Byer wanted everyone to trust many Barbadians will illness. vaccine. in terms of mental Polyclinic. my word that I had it. follow suit... In any She explained that they “I know our honourable health. But we do know Calling the experience It was a seamless and instance, you will have were tested and had to Prime Minister has done that the separation “effortless” and painless exercise,” she your ‘for’ and you’re going move out of Government it already, [but] I want to from peers impact “amazing”, the Governor noted. to have the ‘against’ House to self-isolate. add my thanks to the socialisation skills, General urged She said that after situation. After you have Fortunately, their first Government of India particularly within the Barbadians to follow suit. consulting her healthcare mulled it over and you tests were negative. because we are a little earliest ages, as well as “In instances like these, professionals, she was have listened to your “Having had the second speck in the ocean and for isolation/depression in it is a question of personal satisfied that it would health professionals, and test and it proved them to have thought older ages.” decision. But if I had be to her benefit if she you’ve listened to your negative, I could breathe that we could be in line to give anybody advice, was immunised and conscience and your God, a sigh of relief. And for this, we are forever IMPACTS on Page 5 I would say for your encouraged others to talk do what you want to do, having heard that the grateful,” she said. 2 • Friday February 12, 2021 The Barbados Advocate COVID-19 update: 47 new positives, 43 recovered THE island recorded 47 new termine whether their positive diagnosed as positive at Her positive cases of COVID-19 PCR test result showed that Majesty’s Prisons Dodds is 363. on Wednesday, February 10, they were in fact newly positive, Of these, 361 have recovered from the 690 tests conducted or whether they had COVID-19 and the remaining two inmates by the Best-dos Santos in the past and were no longer are included in the active cases. Public Health Laboratory. infectious. To date, Barbados has There were 43 recoveries and Of the 42 other cases, 39 are recorded 1,904 confirmed cases the number of active cases now Barbadians and two are non- – 813 females and 1,091 males – stands at 337. nationals. and 1,547 persons have recov- The 47 new cases comprise The 42 cases include 22 per- ered. There have been 20 deaths 20 men and 27 women. Five of sons from a nursing home – from the viral illness. them had already been at the three staff members and 19 Since February 2020, the pub- Harrison Point Isolation Facility patients. lic health laboratory has com- undergoing assessment to de- The total number of persons pleted 109,836 tests. There have been 20 deaths from the viral illness. Messages on COVID-19 via public address system well received COVID-19 messages trans- can keep themselves and their around their homes to avoid dents were able to hear the mes- Government would use the pub- mitted via public address families safe during this time mosquitoes breeding. sages. In the case of densely lic address system to communi- systems throughout Barbados’ without panicking will continue Information on how to access populated communities, the cate the messages in relation to 11 parishes are being well over the next few days between the care packages is also being trucks stopped to allow the mes- COVID-19 because not every- received. 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. shared, along with the contact sages to be played at least twice. one could be reached through Director of Public Affairs in During an interview with number. However, she noted that the press conferences and tradi- the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Barbados Government The Director said during the truck drivers were sensitive tional and social media. Information and Public Affairs, Information Service, Ms. Parris exercise, persons had reached to the fact that there may be Logistics on the ground for Patricia Parris, stated: “The re- explained that nine privately- out to the truck drivers giving teachers conducting online the exercise were co-ordinated sponse has been very good... owned trucks traversed them information about the classes in some communities by Dalton Tyrone-Lovell. People are commending the Barbados delivering messages help needed by some house- and once that was communi- The initiative, which began at effort.” from Prime Minister Mia Amor holds and seniors. cated to the driver, they would the start of the national pause She said the effort to sensi- Mottley about staying safe dur- She explained that the trucks move on. period on Wednesday,February tise the public about COVID- ing the period of national pause moved slowly through the com- The Prime Minister an- 3, is expected to end on 19, the protocols and how they and using the time to clean munities to ensure that resi- nounced last week that Wednesday, February 17. The Barbados Advocate Friday February 12, 2021 • 3 Banks reopen BANKS in some specific areas reopened to the public yesterday after being closed for a week in accordance with the Directive related to the ongoing National Pause. AT RIGHT: The scene at Republic Bank in Broad Street. BELOW: The scene at CIBC FirstCaribbean in Warrens. Operation Seek and Save campaign successful By Cara L. Jean-Baptiste has, to date, reached during the recent COVID- 37 034 households. 19 press conference that THE Operation Seek Ambassador Elizabeth focused on the Roll Out of and Save Campaign Thompson revealed this the COVID-19 Vaccination in Barbados. Dr. Anton Best, Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, stated that he Volunteers fanned out across various constituencies to conduct Operation Seek believed the project was and Save as the period of National Pause entered its second week. This effort successful in terms of continued as the first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has arrived on meeting many house- island. The Barbados Advocate was on hand to witness members of this team in holds. action in Maxwell, Christ Church yesterday. He said that they will continue testing and using tionnaire about symptoms new and if the cough they and agreed to be tested by the outreach component and signs in keeping with had was new or not.