Peter Ram in COVID-19 safety plea

Soca star Peter Ram has joined the plea for Barbadians to follow the protocols to prevent coronavirus spread.

The All Ah We singer is not known generally to comment publicly on issues of the day, but he made an almost two-minute video urging people to follow the measures put in place to keep them, their families and their wider communities safe.

Ram said: “Wunnah got to wear wunnuh mask [and] sanitize; COVID does not discriminate against race or social class, yuh hear wah I telling you,” he warned.

He went on to encourage anyone who might be afraid to take a COVID-19 PCR test out of concern that it could be positive to go ahead and do it because “at least you will be protecting yuh family and yuh loved ones. So go and do it”.

“Another thing, I want wunnuh to follow these protocols – physical distance, mek sure you put on your mask and please, sanitize,” he pleaded.

“If you keep yourself safe you keeping them safe – you safe, you keeping the whole family and whole household safe. So you being safe, them safe and everybody safe. We [are] in this together.”

The number of positive COVID-19 cases has been on the rise over the past two weeks, which authorities have linked to a Boxing Day bus crawl event.

Last Friday, while announcing an immediate curfew effective until January 14, Prime Minister Mia Mottley issued a stern warning that she was not afraid to “press the brakes” by ordering a lockdown of the country.

Monday and Tuesday were declared public holidays to allow officials to carry out “aggressive” contact tracing.

But health officials have since reported that the situation is now under control even as the numbers of positive tests climb.

Just Wednesday, there were 37 COVID-19 cases, a mixture of nationals and visitors, according to officials.

In his message beseeching Barbadians to obey the rules and cut down on public gatherings, the Ragga Soca performer said he was confident that the sooner the protocols were adhered to, the sooner people would be able to party again.

“So people, please, be safe. Stay in your house. When curfew time comes, stay in the house. Please, sanitize, wash your hands [and] put on your mask. We be safe, them be safe, everybody be safe,” he said.

“Let us work it together and the sooner we deal with this, we could get back out in the streets and do we thing and party and have a good time. So leh we follow the protocols, leh we follow the instructions,” he pleaded, as he encouraged residents to call the COVID-19 hotline at 536-4500 if they needed help. (MM)