Ministers provide update on tracking bracelets, vaccine

MINISTER of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, has given the assurance that thousands of electronic tracking bracelets to be used to monitor certain categories of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic, are on the island.

In fact, he revealed that they have already been tested on some visitors, but noted that the process of officially rolling them out has hit a snag.

Speaking during a Cabinet COVID-19 Sub-committee press briefing hosted at Ilaro Court on Monday evening, the Health Minister said: “We were depending on Google and Apple in terms of getting the apps approved. Google has done so but up to around December 23, and this is four or five times Apple has asked for additional information, which we have provided.

“That is the reason why we have not rolled out those bracelets in full as yet. We are hoping that once we can get some assistance in terms of getting the approval from Apple, that we will be able to roll out the bracelets. But we have thousands of bracelets on island and they have been tested on some visitors,” the Minister assured.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Cabinet COVID-19 Sub-committee, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott, spoke briefly on when the vaccine should be arriving on the island.

“I have been informed that we could have vaccines in Barbados towards the end of the first quarter of 2021. Persons might say, ‘How come in North America and Europe, they have started the vaccines? What about us?’

“We are going through the World Health Organisation COVAX system in terms of procurement of vaccines for countries. 190 countries are part of this process. We are one of the 92 less developed and middle-income countries as part of the process. It is being funded primarily by the developed world in terms of provisions for vaccines to countries like ours. We have paid for it of course. It is subsidised however.”

He said there is an upside to not being first in line for the vaccine. “If there is anything good about waiting, might be that while we wait, we will notice if there are any serious side effects, reactions to the vaccine that has been given; that is an advantage,” he said. (JH)