It is reasonable to assert, we believe, that the COVID-19 global pandemic has so upended most aspects of our lives, that a return to old norms is unlikely to occur any time soon.
From our homes, we had an opportunity to peer into the American political scene, bemused by the foibles of a system that was once the benchmark for measurement of a democracy’s strength. We have also been concerned about the simmering march for social justice there by African Americans and their like-minded comrades, while also perplexed at the horror that nearly twice the size of Barbados’ population, has been killed in just 12 months by this disease in a country renowned for its excellent health care provisions and scientific achievements.
But as we try to reconcile how the world’s wealthiest nation found itself in this pitiful place, we must now come to terms with another reality of the pandemic – a most indecent vaccine grab by mostly rich nations.
These countries are securing for themselves the one thing that is sure to protect the health of their citizens, and easily provide the jumpstart their economies require after a year of historic turbulence.
At the same time, we in the lesser developed world, with very little political capital or wealth, are forced to wait at the back of the line, or put aside our pride and literally take our begging bowls to the doorsteps of those who may look kindly on us.
It has become a most distasteful feature of the pandemic, as countries are left to the horse trade, while others like the European Union bloc, order vaccine manufacturers in the Union to stop selling COVID-19 vaccines to countries outside the EU.
This decision by the world’ biggest bloc of industrialised nations to turn inward, at a time when the pandemic requires a global approach, is a telling sign of how nakedly transactional our international relations have become in these COVID times.
When we compare the stand taken by the socialist Government of Cuba through its humanitarian outreach to both rich and poor countries, one is forced to question just who is providing global leadership during this time of crisis.
For us in Barbados, the recent comments of the Mottley Administration’s economic advisor, Dr Kevin Greenidge, provides a sobering assessment of just how far back the island’s economic progress has been derailed by this disease.
“If the economy was like a man standing, he would be dead; it was that rough . . . . We have never seen a decline like that in the history of Barbados. We are talking about a triple decline compared to the downturns that we had before. COVID completely decimated our economy in 2020,” Greenidge has revealed.
It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that COVID-19 has been the Caribbean’s Category 5 hurricane. This would have been the perfect analogy, were it not for the fact that “Hurricane COVID” refuses to move on but has been on a perpetual path of destruction for nearly 12 months. It refuses to dissipate and allow us a chance to clean up and salvage what we can from the ruins.
Wednesday marks the first day of our two-week “national pause”. However, one cannot help but pause, not only to limit the spread of COVID-19 but also to reflect on the state of our country, and to determine whether the centre is strong enough to hold, while we battle on several fronts.
Our tourism sector is battered. Our social security system requires significant shoring up after more than $155 million in unemployment benefit payments. Our health care system is on the brink, there has been a dramatic fall in corporate and personal income tax collection, and a near 20 per cent contraction in economic activity. Furthermore, a substantial portion of the population is on the breadline as Government prepares the national budget, in the middle of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural adjustment programme.
All of these are converging to form a depressing state of affairs.
President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mrs Trisha Tannis’ comments, about the spectra of further job losses in an already constricted economy, was not the kind of news any of us wants to hear.
And as we undertake a two-week pause, it is important to remember that these are extremely difficult times and note that there are some businesses that have not reopened since the last lockdown in 2020. This will be a time to take stock not only for our Government but for every individual who calls Barbados home.
