Three months after re-opening Barbados’ borders to commercial flights, Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic is satisfied with the island’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Bostic said while he understood the initial concerns about welcoming tourists back to the country, he always knew health authorities were in a position to properly handle the expected increased cases of the novel virus.
Before Barbados’ first post-shutdown commercial flight to Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) on July 12, health authorities had recorded 103 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 90 recoveries and seven deaths.
Statistics as of Monday showed 215 confirmed cases, 192 recoveries and seven deaths.
And while authorities reported five new cases today and against the backdrop of a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in countries such as the USA, India, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and France, Barbados has managed to control the spread of the respiratory illness.
Bostic said even though questions had been raised surrounding the effectiveness of the travel protocols that were implemented, it was evident they were working.
He revealed that with additional technology expected on the island soon, Barbados would be in an even better position to deal with the pandemic.
“Yes I am satisfied. The protocols have been working and it is as a result of the protocols that we have been able to contain the situation.
“I must say that I can’t wait to get hold of the digital equipment and items that we will be getting in a few weeks’ time, including wristbands and COVID apps and so on, that are going to significantly increase our capacity to be able to deal with visitors coming into the country. But we have been doing quite well so far and we have been able to contain any situation that has arisen,” Bostic said.
“There have been one or two challenges here and there but we have been able to overcome those challenges and we will continue to do so.”
Government had been widely criticized for its move to re-open the borders after Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the resumption of commercial flights from July 12.
Canada-based economist Carlos Forte was among those who disagreed with the decision then, describing it as “premature” and possibly “counter-productive”.
He cautioned that the arrival of tourists to the island could put a strain on Barbados’ healthcare system, leading to deaths and economic calamity.
“The risks associated with COVID-19 are as alive as they were in March. Nothing fundamentally has changed. Indeed, in some ways the risks are greater today than they were two or three months ago.
“The Mottley administration’s recent decision to re-open Barbados’ international borders to facilitate international travel reflects the Government’s haste to reboot the local tourism industry. This is premature and may prove to be counter-productive,” Forte said at the time.
“The Government of Barbados is playing Russian Roulette with the lives and livelihood of Barbadians. As the world is currently witnessing, the United States’ rush to re-open its economy too soon and too liberally, has compromised, not just the healthcare of Americans, but also the prospects for America’s economic recovery.”
(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)
