A South Coast branch of Republic Bank called in the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit yesterday after an alert teller spotted a visitor, who should have been in quarantine, doing business.
The revelation sparked a chain reaction that included notifying officials and a thorough sanitisation of the business.
In a statement, the bank in Worthing, Christ Church, said it strictly adhered to the protocols from the Ministry of Health, including the provisions for the wearing of masks on its premises and the sanitising of hands and spaces for customers.
“The bank also thoroughly sanitises all high-traffic touch points. Republic Bank remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of all customers, staff and the community,” it said.
Reports are that the British visitor sneaked out of the nearby property where she was staying and used the bank’s services but her quarantine armband gave her away. Visitors straying from has been a sore point with Barbadians of late.
Residents have been on edge recently with the news that flights were coming in for the winter season, but became particularly worried after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a shutdown of parts of the United Kingdom because of a rapidly spreading strain of the coronavirus. Some social media commentators have been pressing for a ban of flights out of the UK, in keeping with the stance of some other Caribbean countries.
During a press conference yesterday at Ilaro Court, Minister of Tourism Senator Lisa Cummins said while she had not heard about the incident, the Ministry of Health, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association and the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit had been informing hotels of what was required of them. She said the ministry was confident that the Ministry of Health, through the Monitoring Unit’s enforcement mechanism, would ensure that the protocols were complied with. (AC)
