Public health crisis needs strong leadership from Gov’t

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is suggesting that only decisive leadership and good judgment by the Mia Mottley Administration will restore public trust in the Prime Minister’s decision-making in managing the surge in COVID-19 cases.

In a statement issued on Thursday issued before the Prime Minister’s address to the nation, DLP president Verla De Peiza said political posturing would not resolve any erosion of public trust in her decision-making.

“Let’s be real; we are facing a public health crisis that has caused an economic crisis. Yes, we have to strike a balance between lives and livelihoods, but where there is a conflict between the two, the scales of decision-making should be tilted towards the best available medical advice in favour of the wellbeing of our people. That is, and will remain the focus of the Democratic Labour Party,” De Peiza declared.

Using December 2020 as a reference point, the party leader contended that Barbados was “right back here again” in a position where the country has reached a critical stage in its fight against COVID.

“We courted short-term tourism and paid a heavy price for it: an overburdened and overwhelmed health service; burgeoning spill over to schools, negatively impacting the delivery of education to our youth; and hubris of government turning a blind eye to realities until it was too late,” she suggested.

“The tourists are not grateful for half measures. Their test results are delayed when they arrive and when they attempt to leave as the Best dos Santos lab struggles to cope; their holidays are ruined and they vow never to return. Last time, the Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins threw money at the problem, while the Prime Minister belatedly locked down the country,” De Peiza added.

“We are right back here again. What will the government’s response be? The citizens of Barbados have been met with vacillating positioning, as the government scrambles for popularity; they court the tourists, invite the vaccinated and unvaccinated in full knowledge that our people are vulnerable, having not reached anywhere near herd immunity,” the DLP head argued.

De Peiza said the government also courted the business sector, “hell-bent” on pushing through the pending disaster of rising infections and positivity rate in a desperate attempt to save an economy. “It has no interest, energy nor desire to diversify or digitize,” she added.

The political leader noted that the Mia Mottley administration also pandered to the popular vote by resisting the policy decision of mandatory vaccination despite expensive and unnecessary legal opinion.

“Only belated effort was made to educate our people as to the usefulness of the vaccine. Hopefully, it is not a little too late, with hardened minds to the learning.

“This is not just about having vaccines as another weapon in the arsenal to fight COVID. All Barbadians know this. It is about following the science and the example of other countries. When UK and Canada were at 35 per cent vaccination they still relied on restrictions to flatten the infection curve. BAMP too has called for tougher measures. This Mottley administration is not learning from its policy blunders and remains behind the eight-ball,” stated the DLP president.

“On the seminal decisions of stronger travel protocols in December last year and lockdown in January, education on vaccines and vaccine choice, the Prime Minister and her government have been leading from behind – behind public opinion, behind best available medical evidence and behind the DLP,” De Peiza claimed 
(EJ)