Sunniebgi

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has issued a call for all persons who arrived in Barbados from the United States or the United Kingdom between March 15 and 22 to contact the Ministry.

They may do so by calling 832-6171 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. They may also convey the information by WhatsApp or text messaging.

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Anton Best, has advised that the measure is being taken so that the Ministry can establish a register of those persons and make regular contact to ensure they remain well.

The policy to quarantine all travellers entering Barbados from the United States and the United Kingdom went into effect on March 22. (BGIS)

posted by The Nation Newspaper Barbados

Pulaski

That seems a bit narrow. ...... What about anyone from Spain or Italy?

Sunniebgi

Pulaski. There are technically no direct flights to Barbados from Italy or Spain. and i think what they are looking for are any persons who would have come into Barbados via the UK or the US. regardless of their original departure location. Flown on whatever flights that were still flying during that time period. I can't remember when Lufthansa actually stopped flights from Frankfurt, but they aren't including them... they are looking for anyone who would have been on a British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines or Jet Blue flight.

Pulaski

Ah, OK, thank you, that makes sense.

Sunniebgi

yep. almost ALL of the persons who have been tested for COVID-19 have been through contact tracing from the first set of individuals who first were diagnosed... we don't have, as far as I'm aware, what would be considered community spread at the moment. .but. that could change.. WE KNOW. there are others out there who entered the island and never were checked, haven't "turned themselves in".. sounds harsh but.. and unfortunately, I know someone who entered the island, not sure if she arrived from the UK or the US, but she is a US Citizen, on the either the 20th or 21st March. I asked her why she was here and when was she leaving. She replied to another person, on her facbook page , what a better place to be "isolated".. OK THEN.. . anyway. I tried to contact her this morning to advise her of the request to call the health department,.. and she has blocked me on Facebook which was my contact to her. I have other ways.. just haven't gone there yet.. so. . there you go.

Our borders are not closed, that's not really a problem because the commercial flights have stopped (feels a little weird not hearing jets go over my house and knowing there really is no way for me to get off the island. which is fine. .been here 27 years.. soo.. this is home) . the problem would be private jets etc.. but.. the officials are controlling what comes in and out. We have several large cruise ships off our south and west coasts. .just hanging out.. minimal crew only.. the receive some supplies and they have medical staff onboard checking for anyone who may be sick..

Pulaski

Interesting times.

BEVS

Hey up you.
She sounds a right idiot. Hope she is rounded up if she will not behave responsibly.

Hope all you guys stay clear of the wretched virus and remain safe.

All the best to you
M

uk_grenada

IMHO, anyone who arrived from anywhere could be outwardly healthy and carrying it and give it to people locally for quite a while. Here there is a claim that everyone who might be carrying it has been traced, but since one of them was a taxi driver and it was mostly happening in the countryside up north, i find this unlikely. Once you have community spread its not going away - again imho. HOWEVER suppose you completely eliminate it and have zero infections, what then?

You sit isolated and getting financially poor and the poor die [quote from john hopkins article on managing the pandemic - the virus kills but so does poverty, you can kill people by being overly zealous too. Then one of a few things happen, either at some point you get the bug imported, either by accident or because you relaxed restrictions after riots or death [as is already happening in south africa] and go through the pain then - after all the other pain, or you come through while the rest of the world gains herd immunity. The rest of the world is already looking at immunity passports - prove you had it and lose restrictions and gain the right to travel, except as a country at risk to itself and others, who wants to open borders with you? The hope of a vaccine exists, but most experts say 2 years minimum and if it changes, a lot longer. NB there are 4 varieties of dengue, they have been looking for a vaccine for a decade. One exists for 3/4 types, this tetravalent vaccines ok, but the manufacturing cycle alone is 2 years....

so horribly, maybe trump and the swedish [and the bajan govt?] have got it right, invite the disease in, try to slow its spread, protect the old and infirm, till the population protect them with herd immunity....

Sunniebgi

well... as usual UK Grenada.. you had me up to the last line.

you know.. I wrote something and decided to not post it .. Hope you are enjoying Grenada..

BEVS

Trump has actually heavily criticised the idea of a herd immunity plan. Just sayin'

One of many articles reporting this.

Meanwhile Sweden is now in debate over whether their approach should be scrapped.

uk_grenada

Well known method - trump always supports/funds and criticizes everything, its part of the hyperreality method he employs, like putin - support both sides, make them more powerful, you can then make any argument you choose, and if you actually dont like either argument you empoweer them to fight each other. He and the swedes dont like the herd immunity phrase but thats scientifically what it is. Theres a bbc documentary about it - hyperreality, goes nack to when the cia spread ufo stories.

Sweden - well that boat has sailed, they are there now. Barbados, i couldnt understand why they delayed so long with open borders, unless.....

Sunniebgi

Unless what UK .. keep going.. Unless what?? we aren't government by the US. .. so please .. enlighten me..... cause obviously I have no clue..

uk_grenada

Sorry for confusing, i meant - i couldnt see why Barbados left their borders open for so long, given what neighbours were doing, unless it was a conscious decision, and that would inviting it in - controlled - which no government here abouts could admit to, or of course maybe they just couldnt make their minds up or were slow to implement it?

Sunniebgi

it was a conscious decision but not one based on herd mentality of letting it in.. Not slow in making a decision. .not FAST at locking the island down ..not wishy washy about weather to or not.. Lots of students overseas, lots of Bajans in the US/Canada/UK wanting to come home.. can't deny them that. (unlike Trinidad, who still has citizens in Barbados they refuse to allow to come home.. but will allow the deputy PM of Venezuela to fly in and out for a face to face meeting.. begs the question which has gone unanswered.. )

Humanitarian effort to assist cruise ship passengers. .and yes. .for the sake of goodwill , which is fine by me. our port agencies and the people that deal with fly cruise are very well schooled in the handling of ships and large movements of passengers between the seaport and airport (and vice versa).. been doing it for years. (the company that handled this, Foster & Ince Cruise Services, was the first ever fly cruise operator in the Caribbean for Fred Olsen Cruise lines years ago.. ) and you can bet, knowing the owners, took every precaution available. and we still have ships with crew hanging out in our waters..

our government has made mis-steps, like the closing of grocery stores for 4 days after making a very hurried decision to do so and causing much more panic buying than was happening in the first place.. but we have also been praised for the handling of the virus. .keeping it out of our Main hospital, making other facilities to be used.. and the list goes on..

uk_grenada

For now - touch wood etc - we seem to have stopped at 12 cases but there are a lot of pending tests. We also had some knee jerk closures that are still doing harm.

Still begs the question though - what if we are still here but poor with the real poor starving in a year? A respite like this (won’t call it a cure) can be more harmful than the bug in a poor country if it’s not funded. I want to hear a politician answer that one and attempt to be honest.