Chinese vaccines for 15 000

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is pleading with Barbadians and residents who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine to consider doing so to save lives, save the economy, and put more people back to work.

Delivering remarks at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), where Government today accepted a donation of 30 000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China, Mottley said it was important to note that all of the more than 20 plus people diagnosed with the virus since June 22 were unvaccinated.

The Prime Minister said that while it is known that persons can still catch COVID even when vaccinated, there is also strong evidence that with the vaccine the chances of contracting the virus, dying or becoming seriously ill, are significantly reduced.

“I ask the people of this country who I love dearly to please consider these things,” Mottley said. “I don’t have the capacity to order anybody to do anything when it comes to a vaccine. But I also want you to know that you have to pick sense from what is going on. All of the conspiracy theories and all of the fake news that is out there on the internet, the question is in whose interest is it?

“Those of us who take the tools that exist to minimize sickness and to minimize death know the worth of the vaccine. Like with everything else in life, there is always a small risk, but the truth is, that the risk of not taking it is far greater for you to get ill and for something to happen to somebody that you love, than if you take it.”

She indicated that because Barbadians have the capacity to reason and “to pick sense from nonsense”, they must recognize that they must also pay attention to the fact that COVID-19 spreads easily, and some, including the elderly, have caught it without even leaving their homes.

Mottley said: “By taking the one thing you can take, you can make a difference to the quality of your life, that of your children, your parents, your aunt, your uncle, your family, all of you. And the only thing standing between you and protecting your family and yourself is the decision to take the vaccination.

“I took it, I’m good, nothing ain’t happen to me. Jeffrey [Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic] took it, nothing ain’t happen to him. The majority of people in the room have taken it, including the majority of you in the media.”

At the same time, Prime Minister Mottley also urged Barbadians not to drop their guards as the local COVID-19 fight continues with Barbados preparing to fully lift its curfew restriction on Thursday. She pointed out that Australia, which up to last week was recognized as a model for its management of the pandemic, is currently struggling to contain the spread of the virus in parts of the country.

She also noted that a few weeks ago, St Kitts was also a model in the Caribbean, but today that island is going through what she has described as perhaps one of the most comprehensive lockdowns for days at a time.

She said, even though Barbados may have turned the corner from the worst moments of its COVID-19 fight, “we must not let down our guard”.

“We must not let our guard down at all because we are as good as the action that we take in the next minute, whether it is with respect to wearing masks. I am happy that the WHO [World Health Organisation] has come out and made it very clear that even vaccinated persons should continue to wear masks, especially in the absence of herd immunity.”

The Prime Minister thanked the People’s Republic of China for the donation of the vaccines which will allow 15 000 Barbadians to be fully vaccinated.

Chinese Ambassador Yan Xiusheng said China, which has pledged to support developing countries with their COVID-19 fight, provided more than 290 billion masks, 3.5 billion protective suits and 4.5 billion testing kits to the world, by mid-June 2021.

Furthermore, the Ambassador said China has donated and exported more than 400 million doses of vaccine to more than 90 countries, and has joined the WHO-initiated COVAX Facility and pledged 10 million doses of vaccine to meet the urgent need of developing countries.

Xiusheng said: “While opposing vaccine nationalism and immunization gap, China announced support for waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, with a view of making vaccines more accessible and affordable in developing countries, promoting fair international distribution of vaccines and building a global shield against the virus. China will remain committed to supporting Barbados in its ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic and restore normalcy.” (AH)