No more social distancing

The three feet physical distancing protocol will be discontinued next Monday.

Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill made the announcement on Friday, even as he said Barbadians still have a responsibility to ensure their own safety.

“Effective August 29, there will be another change to our COVID-19 directive number 11. We are going to be relaxing the three feet distancing rule,” he said during a press conference at the Grantley Adams International Airport following the arrival of 14 400 doses of the paediatric Pfizer vaccine from the British government.

“Notwithstanding the change, we are going to be encouraging Barbadians to maintain their social responsibility and to ensure their personal behaviour reflects what we are doing. We have come a long way and we are trying our best to move to a position of normalcy over time.”

Chief Medical Officer The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George added that coming out of two years of tight restrictions and protocols, it was important for Barbados to move forward.

He said the removal of the protocol was a “good thing” but stressed that it was crucial for people to still exercise good judgement.

“With respect to moving forward, you can’t use an environment of fear or restrictions to combat a respiratory disease. Therefore, when we say we have removed the three-feet requirement, we are putting the onus on the Barbadian public with respect to responsibility and to be taking care of themselves,” the chief medical officer said.

Dr George added that Barbados could not afford to be stuck in a restrictive environment and public health officials had to examine the evidence and guide accordingly.

He asserted that the COVID-19 vaccination effort and mask-wearing requirement would get the country through the fifth wave of the viral illness.

(sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb)