Opposition Leader takes on Chief Medical Officer on decision to host England series

Political pressure was again piled on public health officials fighting the coronavirus on Tuesday as the Leader of the Opposition challenged the Chief Medical Officer on whether he had greenlighted the first major international cricket series to be held here since the pandemic began.

The first-ever, five-match Twenty20 international series between West Indies and England is set for Kensington Oval across a nine-day period from January 22 to January 30, including two consecutive weekends of back-to-back T20 cricket.

But in the House of Assembly, Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley has questioned what advice the medical community gave the Government on hosting the English tour expected to attract 10,000 visitors to the island, even as Government moves to attract thousands here in a bid to jumpstart the battered tourism industry.

As the House Standing Finance Committee met over the fourth round of Supplementary Estimates this financial year, the Government was allocating just over $4 million to host all five T20Is and one Test of the three-match series to take place in March.

The English touring party is expected to arrive in Barbados on January 15, as Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Dwight Sutherland noted that the decision made to host all in Barbados instead of throughout the region as is traditionally done, is to avoid the teams travelling “from territory to territory”.

Tourism officials and economists generally view a tour by the England cricket team with throngs of “Barmy Army” supporters as a significant boost to tourism receipts.

Sutherland said in light of the current pandemic, it is intended that anyone entering the oval to watch the matches should be vaccinated as he urged Barbadians who want to go to the venue to watch the games to get the jab and play their role in avoiding any outbreaks at the games.

Vaccination rates among the total population in the United Kingdom have reached 68 per cent for the fully vaccinated and 74.4 per cent for those who have received at least one dose. By contrast, vaccination rates in the host country have barely nudged past 44 per cent for the fully vaccinated and 51.6 per cent for first-dose recipients.

In response to Bishop Atherley, Minister of Health Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic confirmed that Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George had given the okay for the January tour to be held and met with the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA).

But while insisting that he was not suggesting that Barbados not host the tour, the Opposition Leader said he was concerned that the visitors will be coming from a country where there are new COVID-19 variants emerging.

He declared: “I am simply asking what is the medical advice, if any so given, with respect to this tour when multiple thousands of people will descend upon this land, will make movements all across this land, intermix with the local population and other visitors to this place at a time when we are seriously threatened. What was the medical advice given if any? Did the medical community give the green light wholeheartedly for the proceeding of plans for this tour?”

Bishop Atherley commented that Barbados cannot seem to get its own annual cricket season going due to the surge in COVID cases, and noted that in a few months, the country should be ready to welcome and engage intimately 10,000 people for over two weeks.

“I hope that we are acting on the basis of the medical advice and I would like to hear what it was and if it was wholeheartedly affirmed,” he said. “The other thing I would like to ask the honourable minister is with respect to vaccines –  because he seems to indicate and I could be wrong, and I stand to be corrected if I am – are we going to make vaccines mandatory as part of [requirements for] Barbadians to enter Kensington to be spectators when this cricket comes to town?

“Is he revealing to us Government’s intention for mandatory vaccinations for Barbadians who will enter among the vaccinated visitors?”

Lt Col Bostic said the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit met with the cricket governing body here in relation to Barbados’ bid to host the tour which had to be submitted at a particular time and had made determinations of seating capacity to be allowed at the Oval as well as the management of patrons attending the matches.

“The decision was taken to give it the green light, obviously if hell had to break loose in COVID terms that is something that would have to be taken into consideration,” said the health minister. “The reality is that part of the arrangements given by the Ministry in relation to the seating capacity was yes for fully vaccinated patrons and then also for persons who are not fully vaccinated but who are desirous of attending the games to be able to have the appropriate test in advance of admission. And all of these were based on the capacity as stipulated by the COVID Monitoring Unit for persons attending the games.”

Sutherland noted that the island’s struggling economy stands to benefit significantly from the upcoming tour, and noted that micro-businesses will be given a chance to get a piece of the economic pie.

He said: “I know the Barbadian economy and my colleagues are elated. They are happy to see that at a time like now during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to successfully bid and won the bid to host the English tour. And not only to host the English tour but to have all five of the T20s and one test match.

“It is anticipated that some 10 000 visitors, persons coming out of the United Kingdom will come to these shores for each of the T20 matches. And it is also projected that some 16 to 18 000 spectators, family, in addition to players will be visiting our shores in March for the Test match. Now at a time like now when our economy needs a boost, indeed this is good news for the country.” (AH)