Bostic: COVID-19 cluster at one business

One local business accounts for six of the seven new COVID-19 cases reported for Tuesday, June 22.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, indicated today that one case from the business was already identified recently and the number could possibly increase as three other persons from the same business were currently being assessed at the Harrison Point Isolation Facility in St. Lucy.

He was speaking this morning at the Pan American Health Organization in Dayrells Road, Christ Church, during a donation of 500,000 medical masks to Barbados from the Federal Republic of Germany.

Minister Bostic said the cluster of cases at the institution suggested that people were dropping their guard and were not strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.

“At a time when our cases are low, and we are having those numbers in one business place…I want to re-emphasise the call to all persons in this county not to be fooled by the fact that we are having a low number of positive cases.

“This enemy is still with us. It does not always raise its head for us to see, but it is a clear and present danger.  And, there is a requirement for all of us; all business places, all institutions, to follow the protocols and make sure that staff, clients and customers do the same.  If you do not continue along that path, then we will start to see some cases creeping up and some numbers that we do not want to see at this point in time,” the Health Minister implored.

He added that while the National Vaccination Programme was doing “quite well” with regard to the administering of first and second doses, the non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as mask-wearing, sanitising and physical distancing, were the “bedrock” and foundation that would keep people safe.

Minister Bostic also used the occasion to urge those persons who had not yet been vaccinated to do so. He said once the vaccines were available, Government would continue to vaccinate those who were desirous of being inoculated against the virus