Increasing COVID-19 Clusters Worrying Authorities
Faced with a situation of over 80 family clusters across the island, as a result of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has reiterated that such a situation is “nothing to be trifled with”.
Speaking during a nationally televised press conference at Ilaro Court today, Ms. Mottley emphasised the need to get the message across to all Barbadians in light of a trend, especially over the last two weeks, where health authorities had been seeing an increasing number of families being affected by the Delta variant.
“Indeed, the numbers show that since the first of September to yesterday [Sunday, September 12] 84 families in our country have been affected, with numbers ranging from as low as two to as high as eight. In these circumstances, we felt that there has to be an approach that refines our capacity to have a whole of nation approach, and to be able to reach Barbadians irrespective of where they are,” she stated.
The Prime Minister continued: “We recognise that not everybody watches television, and not everybody reads the newspaper. And not everybody listens to radio, but we have to reach everyone. And we also have to change our behaviour in terms of how we relate to each other, particularly those with whom we are most comfortable and see most often. And that sense of knowledge and awareness needs now to inform all of our actions if we are going to…get to the task of helping and finding Barbadians where they exist.”
The Prime Minister implored Barbadians to “get on board and bring others on board” and pointed out that Government had done all they could do at the policy level and had included key partners when warranted.
Imploring Barbadians to spread the message of getting vaccinated, Ms. Mottley underlined: “I know within my soul of soul that Barbados can win this battle without us having to be draconian or literally put measures in place that are draconian and that give people little opportunity. We know that there will always be a few who will not take it, but in this society, the majority have always acted to protect the whole.”
