DLP calls for ‘more rigid’ travel protocols

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) on Monday said it was “gravely concerned” that Barbados recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases in two days. And DLP spokesperson on health, Simon Alleyne, has called for Barbados’ COVID-19 protocols to be “more rigid”.

“While the Democratic Labour Party understands the urgency to repatriate citizens as well as kickstart our economy with visitors, we are gravely concerned that 24 new cases have been reported in the last two days. All of which were imported since our borders reopened.

“What is noteworthy is that nine of those testing positive were from among the Ghanaian nurses,” Alleyne said.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George announced on Saturday, August 1, that of 248 tests conducted by the Best-Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory the day before, 12 returned positive results. All of the individuals are asymptomatic.

A day later – Sunday, August 2 – Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic notified the country of an additional 12 cases. He said the six women and six men testing positive were all citizens or residents of Barbados who were returning home. All 12 are asymptomatic.

Alleyne said the DLP has several questions they want answered.

“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. What steps did the Barbados Government take to ensure that those travelling here were negative?

“We question the wisdom of Government officials in engaging in a social activity. Why was it necessary to host a welcome function risking the exposure of our Barbadian workers, high level officials and ministers to COVID-19? These are different times and any welcome could have been postponed to a safer period,” he said.

Alleyne also questioned why Barbados was “still relying on the honour system of home isolation when there are known incidences of citizens integrating into society on landing”.

“We welcome that the Government has tightened arrival protocols today but they need to be more rigid to avoid further breaches of health and safety like those mentioned if we are to safely open Barbados to international flights. We would also wish to remind that Barbados is more than an economy, it is a society,” Alleyne said.

As of August 3 the country had recorded 132 cases of Covid-19. Twenty-seven people are in isolation, 98 have recovered and seven deaths have been recorded. The Best-Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory has conducted 11, 711 tests so far.(AH)