May 9, 2021
Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic on Sunday announced that the St George Primary School and the Princess Margaret Secondary School are now “cleared” from a public health perspective.
Last week Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George confirmed that health authorities were investigating COVID-19 exposures at the two schools.
At a news conference this afternoon, Bostic said seven of the new positive cases of COVID-19, identified by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory in its most recent report, were attributed to two family clusters that health officials have been following for the past several days.
He said one of those family clusters had three new cases, while the other had four.
May 4, 2021
The outbreaks of COVID-19 at both the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the Psychiatric Hospital are under control, Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic declared Monday.
He said the two clusters are being handled appropriately and that he was hopeful they would soon end.
Last Friday, it was revealed that 15 of the 17 new COVID-19 cases involved patients and staff from the mental health institution and three other people tested positive Monday.
A 42-year-old male patient who was recently discharged from the hospital after a three-month stay is suspected to be the source of the infections.
Director of the Psychiatric Hospital David Leacock revealed that all 82 clients and 25 staff members on the affected ward had been tested.
Psychiatric Hospital centre of little spike in COVID-19, says minister barbadostoday.bb - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from barbadostoday.bb Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Health authorities monitor church cluster
Article by April 16, 2021
Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic is upbeat that the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Barbados continues to trend downwards.
However, still mindful of the unexpected and “terrifying” upsurge in cases towards the end of December last year, Bostic issued a stern warning to residents not to drop their guard.
Moreover, he has expressed concern at a recently discovered “cluster” of COVID-19 cases at a church in the north of the island, saying this was indicative of individuals refusing to follow the protocols.
This came as he reported on Thursday that of the 562 tests conducted the day before there were nine new positive cases – three males and six females. Eight people were released from isolation on Thursday.
April 7, 2021
Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic today assured that Government has not made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, neither will it support any employer trying to force workers to get the jab.
He said while health authorities wanted to see as many Barbadians as possible immunized against the virus, the choice to get the vaccine or not is an individual one.
The Health Minister made that clear in response to an event last Saturday when scores of people gathered at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall to sign a petition against what social activist Winston Clarke described as vaccine intimidation. Clarke, who organized the event, is advocating against Barbadians facing consequences for refusing to take the vaccine.