#BTEditorial – COVID-19 will affect both ‘Barbadoses’

As eminent Barbadian sports and family physician Dr Adrian Lorde recently stated publicly, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has not gone on vacation. It is still very much with us and our responses at every level should reflect the clear and present danger which this pandemic still poses. This is not the time for pandering to special interests, sending mixed signals to Barbadians or displaying flimsy leadership. It definitely is not the time for lots of sound and fury signifying little and seemingly directed at one segment of Barbadian society. But alas, within the past few weeks we have had all this in more than a bushel.

We appreciate the Catch-22 situation in which Government finds itself. Only this week, the admirably efficient Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, whose stock has risen tremendously during the pandemic, again emphasized Barbados’ dependency on tourism. It seems that this sector will be forever symbolic of our structural deficiencies and vulnerability. It is within this context that the Barbados government is seemingly taking mighty risks with travel openness that could have severe repercussions in the short and long term. Relying on certain visitors to show up on our shores with authentic certification of their negative Covid-19 status is akin to assuming that one cannot arrange contrived marriages in the USA or that it is impossible to purchase a masters or doctorate degree during a five-week vacation in Uncle Sam’s country. We have lapsed at our ports of entry.

But that is not all. In mid-April government made the correct decision to cancel the 2020 Crop Over Festival. Most countries across the region did similarly with their carnivals. Now this week Minister of Culture John King has indicated that his ministry is working in conjunction with the National Cultural Foundation to host an event to replace Grand Kadooment. He said his ministry would be encouraging all the parishes to participate and the event would be held throughout the day. Had he made that comment during the month of March or on April 1 perhaps one could point to March madness or an April Fool’s moment as the spur. But why are we testing fate? If economics is dictating that Barbados be reopened, we must still take all steps to prevent avoidable calamity. Instead, after seemingly high-level talks and an agreement with Covid-19, government has decided to relax public gathering numbers on July 24 and August 1. Thus, on these two days, gatherings of more than 500 persons will be allowed to participate in whatever public and/or private spectacle that will be allowed by the state. We will not join the chorus of those who are suggesting that these days are to facilitate money-making ventures by special interest groups. Suffice to say that Barbadians must walk carefully on these days and are under no obligation to leave their homes to expose and endanger themselves among gatherings under or over 500.

Czar Richard Carter last night sounded a stern warning to business owners who fail to observe protocols put in place to control the spread of Covid-19. He advised that their enterprises could be shut down. We believe his heart is in the right place but we are also interested in what is in his head. He spoke specifically to vendors in public markets not wearing masks, operators of public service vehicles not wearing masks, and similar infringers in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and the like. Tough talk and no one can quarrel with him. But one hopes that his warnings were meant for both plebs and patricians. Over the past weekend major fetes held on the south and west coasts were reportedly staged by patricians, not plebs. These parties were attended by hundreds of unmasked visitors and indigenous patricians who were served by Barbadian plebs who subsequently went home to their families. Covid-19 will treat patricians, plebs, whites, blacks and Asians with equal disdain.

Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II was of the opinion that he was God’s chosen one, that decisions he made were through the will of the Almighty and therefore could not be questioned. Our Czar Carter was chosen by the government but must be guided by conscience and what he believes is best for Barbados. He must not view the will of the government as the will of God, and must be similarly forthright in rebuking transgressors in Barbados’ Cabinet as he would the proprietor of a rum shop. Our leaders are not insulated from this pandemic and must set the example by deed, not by words.

Recently, in what many deem an effort to ingratiate themselves further with the public, a number of Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s Cabinet took some mask-less photo opportunities with 11-year-old schoolboy Keishawn Thomas. He had been the subject of a moron’s attempt to embarrass him for a fleeting grammatical error that he quickly corrected while being interviewed by the media. Though the young lad understandably seemed to enjoy the attention, the politicians’ self-serving moments had the potential to do more harm in this Covid-19 environment than the doctored video. Czar Carter must be prepared to chastise his employers when they flout safety protocols in like manner to when he calls out ‘lesser folk’.

Indeed, only hours after the Czar’s national threat, Prime Minister Mottley, Attorney General Dale Marshall, MPs Edmund Hinkson, Colin Jordan, Kerrie Symmonds, Sandra Husbands, John King and Speaker Arthur Holder, ignored his warning from the floor of the Lower House with respect to the wearing of masks. However, we do not subscribe to Mr. Carter shutting down our Parliament.