Person who left quarantine before getting results charged

by Anesta Henry

One person has been charged and two others questioned by police after leaving COVID-19 quarantine facilities without permission.

Minister of Health Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic made the disclosure to members of the media today, a day after Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George disclosed that the Ministry of Health had received at least four reports of locals and visitors leaving approved quarantine facilities without permission.

“I can tell you one person has been charged so far and one of the persons that went missing, the police actually had them in custody yesterday and I believe a second one today. But the decision to charge, that is being investigated at the moment by the police and then we will see where we go from there,” Bostic told the media at the Sea Breeze Beach House on Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church.

“Fortunately, those persons tested negative on their second test, but that is not the point. The point is that we have protocols and all persons who come to this country, just as if a Barbadian goes to another country, we have to follow the protocols of that country and we expect visitors to follow the protocols that are established by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”

Yesterday, Dr George warned quarantined individuals that there would be a heavy price to pay for breaching protocols.

The Chief Medical Officer said when identified, those who did not adhere to regulations would be taken before the law courts and prosecuted to the full extent
of the law.

Today, Minister Bostic issued a reminder that anyone in breach of the protocols will be subject to a fine of $50 000, imprisonment for one year, or both.

He said the time had come for the regulations to be fully enforced, but stressed that authorities have been leaving no stones unturned in managing the situation, including bringing in people from overseas to train local information technology professionals on how to use wrist bands and other COVID-19 applications to track people in quarantine.

Bostic said the technology will be mobilised and put into use within the next two weeks.

“Once we have these, that is going to significantly enhance our capability in terms of being able to monitor persons wherever they are in whichever facility that they are in.

“Additionally, we have had discussions with the police and the Barbados Defence Force in relation to having a joint mobile patrol that is available 24/7 to respond immediately to any breaches,” the Health Minister said.

“So we will be able to detect them early based on the electronic platform that we are establishing and then we have mechanisms in place to be able to respond and deal with such persons; and, of course, the legislation is there.”

Bostic said Barbados is a relatively safe place because people have generally been adhering to the protocols, and he encouraged Barbadians to continue to look after themselves.

“Even though hotels and business places have protocols in place, it is still up to every worker and every member of staff to make sure that they look after themselves, because we cannot depend on people coming from the outside to keep us safe, we have to do it ourselves,” Bostic said.

Quarantine is a means of separating persons from the general population who may have been exposed to COVID-19, but who are not showing signs of disease.

It is mandatory for all persons arriving in Barbados from countries categorised as high risk to go into quarantine for a period of four to five days from the receipt of their first valid negative COVID-19 PCR test. At the end of the period, they are retested and if they continue to be negative for the virus are discharged from quarantine.

(anestsahenry@barbadostoday.bb)