Minister of Health and Wellness Jeffrey Bostic had a special word for hoteliers a short while ago.
“Tourism is your business and we need you to play your part, but in more ways than one. While you have attracted and welcomed visitors to our shores, please pull your weight and make sure they respect and adhere to our protocols . . . .
“Quarantine is quarantine. There is nothing ambiguous about the word. Persons who are in quarantine should remain in quarantine until the relevant authority says otherwise.”
Bostic was giving a pre-Christmas COVID-19 update on Sunday, where he also mentioned six positive cases of novel coronavirus that were recorded in the COVID-19 update for Saturday, December 19.
In relation to these six cases, Bostic said three involved a single non-Barbadian family. They had been in contact with a known case, according to the Ministry of Health update.
Bostic said there are potential developments in this matter and the country would be updated if necessary.
The minister also urged hotel workers to speak up if they saw something, repeating his well-known “we are all in this together”.
“With the opening of our borders to air and cruise traffic and the accompanying increase in visitor arrivals for the winter tourist season, it is expected that our surveillance and testing will pick up more cases. We must continue to be ever vigilant and not drop our guard. It is therefore important that every Barbadian plays his or her part and cooperate with public health officials so as to ensure that we do not have local or community spread, especially during the Yuletide season,” the minister said. (KG)
