In response to large COVID-19 spikes at a St Michael church and local business recently, Barbados’ Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Kenneth George, is urging all local establishments to immediately re-evaluate their COVID-19 protocols.
During a COVID-19 Update and Press Conference on Sunday, George said a church and local business registered 33 and 21 new COVID-19 cases respectively, over the last few days.
He said the Ministry of Health has been made aware of businesses being slack in their current protocols, with employers and employees seemingly ditching most protocols while they are out of the eye of the public.
“What we are noticing, is that when you go into businesses across Barbados, you get some businesses doing a temperature check, you get hand sanitizer. The worrisome part of these businesses is the operations that you do not see. We have good reason to believe those operations include how people mix and mingle within the business.
“There is a feeling of comfort with your peers, and the worrisome part of this is where persons mix for example when they have their lunch break or other breaks, they are close to each other, they are not social distancing, and they are not wearing their masks. So, it looks like a facade, that what is happening in the front of the business is not necessarily what is being translated in the back of the business,” he maintained.
Referencing two separate incidences where Ministry officials were certain that unnamed establishments were clearly not following health guidelines, George implored business to make the necessary changes to their protocols, in keeping with all mandated directives.
“Businesses across Barbados must review their protocols consistently, and frequently, and make sure that their staff are practising the basic guidelines that have been given by the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” he said.
Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic, also echoed the sentiments expressed by George, and promised the COVID Monitoring Unit will step up its efforts to bring businesses in line with the health guidelines.
“I am going to be having a meeting with the management of the COVID Monitoring Unit, because we have to enforce the protocols, and where people are not doing it on their own, then we have to take the necessary action to ensure that they do, if we are going to keep Barbados safe.” (SB)
