DLP concerned

While understanding the urgency to repatriate citizens as well as kick-start the economy with visitors, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is gravely concerned that 24 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the last two days.

With nine of those testing positive being Ghanaian nurses who arrived on the island last week, Spokesperson on Health, Simon Alleyne is querying whether the Mia Mottley-led Administration was aware that international news stories have highlighted the very high number of COVID cases amongst the Ghanaian nursing fraternity.

“Given that these persons were assigned to our healthcare industry, protocols for their entry here should have been extremely stringent,” he stressed, also querying what steps did the Barbados Government take to ensure that those travelling here were negative.

Moreover, Alleyne is asking why was it necessary to host a welcome function risking the exposure of Barbadian workers, high level officials and ministers to COVID-19. In light of this, the Chief Medical Officer recommended self-isolation for some who attended the ceremony.

According to the DLP spokesperson, “These are different times and any welcome could have been postponed to a safer period… Also, why are we still relying on the honour system of home isolation when there are known incidences of citizens integrating into society on landing?”

Acknowledging yesterday’s updated travel protocols to Barbados, Alleyne however further insisted “it is important the Ministry of Health tighten its procedures and policies to avoid further breaches of health and safety like these in the future as we safely open Barbados to international flights”.

(TL)