Barbados will not be returning to the alphabet system for shopping and banking.
That was one of the decisions coming out of Saturday’s meeting of the Cabinet COVID-19 sub-committee. Prime Minister Mia Mottley mooted the idea during Friday’s COVID-19 management update from Ilaro Court, promising to hold discussions with the relevant stakeholders.
There was a full meeting of the Social Partnership the following day, which included representatives from the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), who were advocating restrictions on movements in light of increasing COVID-19 cases.
“The sub-committee deliberated and came to the agreement – after examining all of the matters raised and the issues and the concerns – that the introduction of shopping utilising the alphabet would not be introduced at this time; that it wasn’t necessary at this time to do that,” said sub-committee chairman Senator Jerome Walcott during the Saturday evening update.
BAMP also called for more assistance from the business community in the area of contact tracing by asking people to record their names and telephone number. They said temperature screening had disappeared at some places and only hand sanitising was being done, and asked that more attention be aid to the six feet (two metre) rule for social distancing, mainly in supermarkets and restaurants. The medical body called for more online shopping and curb side pick-up, especially for the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
Walcott said there was no conflict between BAMP and Government, with members from the former expressing an interest in helping the Ministry of Health and Wellness with the dissemination of reports and playing a more active role. (SAT)
