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Who believes Barbados is ready to treat Ebola?
Who believes Barbados is ready to treat Ebola?

It is interesting to observe how Barbados has reacted to the Ebola threat. In spite of the assurance from the Barbados government that surveillance measures are in place at the airport and the seaport, in real terms, we know the surveillance is NOT a robust method to screen Ebola affected travellers seeking to enter Barbados.

Given the importance of tourism to Barbados and service economies in the region, a decision to ban incoming non Barbadians who have visited Africa in the last 30 days should have been axiomatic. The region should have acted in concert given our vulnerability as a tourism destination. The fact that St. Lucia, St. Vincent and a few neighbouring islands have banned travellers from visiting who have visited Africa means nothing if the region is perceived by the outside world as one space.

BU is of the view  individuals who have visited Africa in the last 30 days should not be permitted to enter Barbados (and the Caribbean space). The embargo should also extend to imports vulnerable to the virus.


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355 responses to “Impose Ban on Travellers from Africa NOW!”


  1. LOL BU

    Better late than never.


  2. BU take a BOW ! NOW! oops


  3. Its our pompous colonial mentality at work here.The “low islands” can do what they like but we better than them so we dont have to.I bet the experts outside the region will make the call for us and we will comply.


  4. I guess there should be a ban on anyone that resides on the American continent because as we know it, Ebola, has reached American shores.


  5. And/or passes through the American continent (Canada, USA, Latin America).

  6. John Hanson 1781-1782 Avatar
    John Hanson 1781-1782

    Well ban all flight from American then , They closer to Barbados than Africa , Oh sorry so far it not killing white people,,

    Patent Application Publication
    Tower et al.

    Pub.No.:US 2012/0251502 A1

    White Man made shit to kill black , remember 1 Billion people must die , the killing has started,

    We need no more oil , so no more boots on the ground , just bombs in support,


  7. Oh…and what about cases of Ebola on European continent.?Ban them also.


  8. The US Government is so interested in Human Ebola Viruses (various strains) that they secured a patent on the viruses, various mutations, testing, treatments, and reproduction of the viruses. The US Pub No: US 2012/0251502 A1 was issued Oct. 4, 2012. The CDC is also concerned with Lassa Fever Virus from West Africa. – See more at: http://www.libertynews.com/2014/10/exclusive-was-ebola-designed-as-bioterrorism-weapon-and-is-already-airborne-texas-nurse-provides-terrifying-report-breaking-exclusive-report/#sthash.gP9E2tsK.dpuf


  9. @caribcanadian

    Do you understand that West Africa is the host country for Ebola?

    Do you understand what risk mitigation means?

  10. Easy Squeeze (Make No Riot) Avatar
    Easy Squeeze (Make No Riot)

    The Long Way

    http://www.barbados.org/history1.htm#.VERY0eAWwRk

    1644 . 1700 . Sugar and Slavery

    Barbados slaves came from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana,the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon.


  11. David | October 19, 2014 at 8:31 PM |
    @caribcanadian

    Do you understand that West Africa is the host country for Ebola?

    Do you understand what risk mitigation means?

    +++++

    Yes, I do.

    A ban on Africans means a ban on people from the entire continent and not just the affected countries. So…by extension, were ever Ebola spreads, people from those locations should be banned as well. It has reached the American and European continents…so just as you want to ban all Africans, regardless of the country they hail from ( so far about 4 countries out of approximately 55) then so should you ban Canadians, Americans, Latin Americans and all Europeans…I don’t understand your issue with my comment.


  12. oh come on guys barbados cannot be compared to the big international countries that can withstand economic doldrums,, some of u guys need to get hold of that rebellious nature and harasser it (in) and in the meanwhile let reality take control of your commonsense
    Do You understand what one case or perceived case can do to the Barbados economy, now just for one split second think about that? before trying to make asinine assumptions and comparisons of any kind that flys in the face of reality,a reality that must be guided by facts and not emotionalism


  13. If you understand what risk mitigation s that your emotional rant is moot.


  14. ac | October 19, 2014 at 8:42 PM

    oh come on guys barbados cannot be compared to the big international countries that can withstand economic doldrums,, some of u guys need to get hold of that rebellious nature and harnessed it (in) and in the meanwhile let reality take control of your commonsense
    Do You understand what one case or perceived case can do to the Barbados economy, now just for one split second think about that? before trying to make asinine assumptions and comparisons of any kind that flys in the face of reality,a reality that must be guided by facts and not emotionalism


  15. Chuckle…Ban Africa!!!…..BU,when will you and the rest of the so called pan-Africanist understand who and what comprises “Africa”….wear your gowns,rail against being taken from your homeland and yet you all have not a clue…………….by the way the whole world is exposed to Ebola.

    Prof.Lucas (A melanin rich Cawmerian) on another post sought to educate on Ebola…..chuckle….a bunch of brass bowls decided that a melanin poor individual with a bunch of books in the background is more knowledgeable than this descendant of of western Africa…..these are the same individuals who rant and rave about the bastion of knowledge being in Africa…….lol


  16. David | October 19, 2014 at 8:43 PM |
    If you understand what risk mitigation s that your emotional rant is moot.

    +++

    Not sure if you are speaking to me but ‘my emotional rant’ is not moot.

    You are saying to ban people from places where Ebola is found…Okay. Well it has spread to other regions of the world. So I suppose banning all the people from one of the places it is found will protect you and you won’t get it from an American or European…yet it has spread there too.

    If you had said ban people from all affected countries, it would make more sense than to ban only from one of the affected regions. But I guess I am being too emotional and not logical. My bad.


  17. No problem with the ban idea but it is most important that Barbados is ready to isolate and effectively treat an ebola infected person.


  18. If Barbados had banned travelers from Ebola countries before the low islands did you can bet your last cent the writer of the lead article would have hammered the government for acting prematurely with indecent haste.


  19. The following may serve to deflate the emotion pumping this issue:

    “Of all the people that will land in this country, they are the ones that will have a medical certificate that they have no diseases. No other visitors will land with that,” said St Hill who is in a venture to bring the Nigerians to Barbados for hospitality training as part of an economic diversification programme with the Nigerian Delta State where the prospective BCC students live.

    “Some two or three days before they travel, they will do the specific EVD [Ebola virus disease] check on our healthy students who have been nowhere near an outbreak,” she added, noting that the EVD test was an added precaution to satisfy the people of Barbados.

    http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2014/09/17/plea-for-nigerians/


  20. So…if there is a case of Ebola in Montreal….when next I travel to Barbados, I won’t be required to provide a medical certificate?


  21. truthfully there are two sides to this story an ecnomic side which ties all countries together with africa and a philosophical conundrum that by looking from another perspective cast a veil of hypocrisy that cannot not be denied or ignored,, however taking all that (as a given) with assumptions Facts and perceptions included, sifting out the wheat from the chaff is not going to be easy as the lingering years of doubt and suspicion surrounding the way Africa has been used and abused and literally ignored by All will reemerge casting aspersions shadows and doubts in the way with further divisions and chants of racial injustices representative of a past that have now being reignited by a virus that does not have any political leanings or a desire to discriminate.

  22. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    David;

    I think that for such a decision to be taken a proper detailed Risk Analysis and Risk Assessment should be undertaken asap. The analysis would determine the conditions under which entry by West Africans could be accomodated without exceeding a scientifically predetermined risk threshold and a thorough analysis of the likely effects, economic or social, of taking or not taking any particular risk mitigation action. The process starts with determining the various pathways through which the Ebola virus could enter Barbados and sets out the methods through which the risks could be eliminated or managed. The maximum risk threshold could be set at zero in which there would be outright banning of the entry of persons who live in or have visited West Africa and propose to visit or return to Barbados within 30 days of leaving West Africa. The thresholds could then drop through various levels to the least restrictive but yet effective one which would be excluding any resident or recent visitor from any of the countries in West Africa or elsewhere that have recorded a recent outbreak of Ebola, and who presents with a fever above 100 deg C and has been in contact with someone who has died from an Ebola infection while ensuring that people who do not fall in this category could, with certain safeguards including surveillance, be allowed entry on arrival here.

    It should be noted that there are a number of Barbadians who live in West Africa in some of the currently affected countries. One of these, who AFAIK, lives or used to live in one of the highly affected countries, is the sister of a current Minister here.

    For a country like Barbados and Jamaica or Trinidad, it is not a simple process of just banning the entry of all persons from a country that has officially recorded an outbreak of Ebola. International conventions that we have signed ensure that one has to go through a standardised scientific process before such banning can be effected.

    I would be most surprised if there have not been top level Technical interministerial meetings (eg. Agriculture, Health, Customs, International Transport, etc.) discussing this topic and determining the best strategy for protecting Barbados from Ebola.

    I suspect however, that the outbreak in the USA will be quickly brought under control and that outright banning of persons visiting affected countries without conducting further tests and instituting other measures will be recognized as being possibly counter productive and that our Government will hopefully put sensible measures in place to control Ebola quickly and efficiently if it enters here.


  23. I am not even looking at it as racial.

    I just don’t understand banning people from one of the affected regions while giving a pass to people from other affected regions. How does that protect anyone. Banning people from all affected regions is more logical.


  24. My question is this. How is it that this CSME thing is instituted only sometimes? Selective application of this one Caribbean nonsense. Why is there no set policy that gives universal coverage to the region? Mark my words, Barbados will end up as it usually does. CARI-CLOWNS.


  25. @are-we-there-yet

    Has St. Vincent, St. Lucia and the other countries signed the protocols/agreements to which you referred? What about Belize telling Belize to fly a kite when asked to allow a suspected Ebola exposure to disembark?

    The bottomline is this, West Africa is a high risk region because of a lose health infrastructure. You and all sensible Bajans on the rock know we don’t have the capacity to manage Ebola. This is the only consideration that matters to inform a ban.


  26. so lets say no one is ban from africa or for that matter any of the infected countryies how does that reduce the risk of the infection reaching barbados shores? or does it? just asking a logical question., the bottom line should be about PREVENTION instead of fingers being pointed in every direction.

  27. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    If there were something to kick back in certain people’s coffers, the ban would be in place already. That being the case, this lethargic government will wait for the first case of Ebola .


  28. David | October 19, 2014 at 9:32 PM |
    @are-we-there-yet

    Has St. Vincent, St. Lucia and the other countries signed the protocols/agreements to which you referred? What about Belize telling Belize to fly a kite when asked to allow a suspected Ebola exposure to disembark?

    The bottomline is this, West Africa is a high risk region because of a lose health infrastructure. You and all sensible Bajans on the rock know we don’t have the capacity to manage Ebola. This is the only consideration that matters to inform a ban.

    ++++++

    Although the above is not addressed to moi…..

    I believe that rational people understand the need to protect the country, any population, from deadly diseases. My exception to this article was that a ban on the population of the entire African continent was being sought as opposed to only those from affected regions. However, I do note that you refer to West Africa in above comments. People use the term Africa as if it is 1 country. It irks me. We should know better by now. Sheesh…

    Perhaps the title of the article should have been “Impose Ban on Travellers from affected Ebola regions NOW!”. I’m just saying……….

  29. are-we-there-yet Avatar

    I forgot to mention above that the Ministry of Tourism is one of the key Ministries that should be discussing this topic and assisting in developing policy initiatives, asap.

    Someone mentioned the true fact that most of us in Barbados came from West Africa as slaves during the period of Slavery. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about Ebola recently and one of the ideas that have been coming up is that perhaps very long ago Ebola maintained a steady state low incidence in the forest areas of that part of Africa, broken only by sporadic low level outbreaks (that quickly dissipated naturally) when someone inadvertently broke the unwritten laws of coexistence in those communities. A certain level of genetic resistance to the disease developed in West Africans and became the norm. (i.e. We Bajans might therefore have some level of genetic immunity to the Disease if this is indeed so) Changes in life styles and the activities of some external forces then led to this current huge and atypical outbreak which has now spread outside West Africa.

    But, think of it, We are proposing the outright banning of our cousins from entering Barbados, without due process. Interesting! But of course in this case we may have some justification for thinking that the ends justifies the means.


  30. some people always would find a way to stick there rear ends up every nook and cranny to break yardfowl gas, the govt might have legitimate reasons to hold strain,just because two little islands decided to take the initiative does not prove nothing ,except that they are first in line to abandon their brothers and sister out of fear and homegrown political dogma .political yardfowlism needs to be isolated and quarantine, at a time when pertinent and hard questions need to be ask affirming and confirming that what methods of actions necessary taken are well founded and correct, only a yellow belly creepy crawling imbecile like a :CASWELL” would take political potshots at a time in history when a virus of apocalypse portions have left the biggest and brightest brains in the scientific and economic world in dreadlock

  31. are-we-there-yet Avatar

    David; Re. your 9:32 pm post.

    There are usually emergency exceptions and safeguards in such protocols or agreements and Independent Countries, being sovereign, can declare an emergency and do what is necessary to protect their country.

    What I’m trying to say is that an outright ban of travellers from West Africa might be counterproductive and not achieve the desired objective of exclusion of all persons who are carrying infective ebola virus that would destroy our society and economy in almost no time flat. We would have to institute such a ban on every country (or for large countries areas of countries) that have officially recorded a case of Ebola. Thus in your formulation countries which have demonstrably eliminated an outbreak would be banned as well as those in which the disease is wreaking continuing havoc. As someone mentioned, why are you excluding the USA or Germany or Belgium? In their formulation of their banning exercise St Vincent left out the names of at least 2 of the countries in which Ebola is now rampant. I’m certain it was by mistake but I think Barbados does not have to make an unforced error like that.

    We need to use a scalpel and not a blunderbuss.

    Doing a pathway analysis will identify exactly who should be targeted in any banning exercise and with a problem of this urgent nature could be quickly assembled in a matter of days.


  32. Thursday, 16 Oct 2014 07:44 AM
    Nearly every African nation has instituted travel bans on West African countries with significant Ebola outbreaks.

    List of nations with bans or significant travel restrictions:



    Angola

    Botswana

    Cameroon

    Chad

    Colombia (South America)
    Congo (DRC)

    Equatorial Guinea

    Gabon

    Gambia

    Ivory Coast
    Kenya

    Lesotho

    Madagascar

    Malawi

    Mauritius

    Morocco
    Mozambique

    Namibia

    Nigeria

    Rwanda

    St. Lucia
    Senegal

    South Africa

    South Sudan

    Swaziland

    Tanzania

    Togo

    Zambia 

    Zimbabwe


  33. @are-we-there-yet

    Don’t want to be blunt but the only pathway analysis relevant is from West Africa to Barbados.

  34. are-we-there-yet Avatar

    David;

    Feel Free to be blunt. You are probably right.

    But while you are closing that one pathway there may be several others which people with the virus might use to get to Barbados.

    BTW, “Pathway” is just a term of art used in some aspects of epidemiology to denote a means by which a disease organism can enter a country, region or area eg. It could be an animal or a rat or a boat or a vial of serum or a plane, etc., it is not necessarily the pathway of common parlance.

    Colonel Buggy; Noted that Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria are among the countries that have banned or put significant travel restrictions on West African Countries with significant ebola outbreaks. These countries have had ebola cases themselves. Also noted that Senegal is not on your list.

    David;
    Please also note that I am not saying that bans shouldn’t or couldn’t be instituted by Barbados only that we should be absolutely clear what we are banning and what is the purpose of the ban and that we shouldn’t have any false comfort that a ban will definitely stop the entry of the disease and relax on instituting other measures.


  35. @are-we-there-yet

    Understand what you are putting forward, the issūe of banning is a risk mitigation one whích replaces doing nothing.

    On Sunday, 19 October 2014, Barbados Underground wrote:

    >


  36. Of course a ban will not inevitably prevent catastrophe here. Of course a ban would have to be part of a fisculus of measures. Given the international adoption of ban mechanisms what can possibly be the problem? Or is the risk of catastrophe worth taking to satisfy some nebulous principle? Stop fiddling.

  37. are-we-there-yet Avatar

    David; Colonel Buggy; I forgot to mention above that a pathway analysis would identify those animals or plants or other materials that could carry the disease and the relative importance of the actual “pathway”. Thus, in countries in or near to the current epicentre of the Ebola outbreak they would have had to factor in to their decision to ban travel from a neighboring country if, eg. such a ban would actually stop the movement of people who traditionally move in and out of their country informally or how they could curtail the movement of animals, monkeys, bats, etc., which have been shown to be hosts of the virus, etc.

    The process does not have to be a long one as the serious import of the disease would justify any reasonable action. Eg. If the pathway analysis identifies a lab provided and run by an external donor country as a possible pathway for the virus, such an operation could be banned as an official action to assist in curtailing entry of the virus

    That is why the expression “significant travel restrictions” is important. Such travel restrictions could be informal quarantines; requiring people to check in at a clinic on a regular basis for say 21 days, etc. rather than outright banning.


  38. A ban seems to be the logical measure the Barbadian government ought to implement as a means to arresting the spread of Ebola, but it will not prevent West Africans from entering Barbados and the other Caribbean islands.

    I have spoken to several West Africans particularly from Ghana and Nigeria, who have informed in no undercertain terms that their have enter Barbados, Cuba and several of the Caribbean islands illegally, via the United States of America.

    So therefore, this so called ban on travellers from African would provide a fault sense of security, if these Africans are allowed to travel to South America which their will used to gain entry into the Caribbean, on to their desired destination the United States of America.


  39. David, I do not know if you have heard or read about the American who came into contacted with Duncan, and had been isolated on a Caribbean cruise ship in Belize for 17 days? Well, I heard on CNN lasted week that President Obama as well as Secretary of State John Kerry, asked the governments of Belize and Mexico for premission to have a helicopter take this woman off the ship at they ports and the both of these governments refused. Well, this is how serious the Barbados government should also be dealing with the possibility of an Ebola exposure in Barbados.

    David, how do we prevent this hypothetical from according in Barbados? A naturalized American citizen from Africa has just arrived in the United States from visting his home some way in West Africa, and is checked out by U.S. authories at the airport and has founded to be symptom free of Ebola. And a week or so later, he book a cruise for the Caribbean with a destination of Barbados, and after docking in Bridgetown, this African travellers took sick and is rushed to the QEH, and upon examination he is found to have contracted Ebola. What then?


  40. @Are-we-there-yet

    Don’t have a problem with your line of argument, be as scientific as we can be but risk mitigation must be a part of the discussion by Barbados health authorities.


  41. The virus, per David noting appropriately, per official statements, is not airborne.

    To prove this, our Chief Medical Officer and MOH can travel to Liberia, walk around in Monrovia for two days, and come back. That should dispel fears and as leaders should lead by example and this would prove to other Nations that we in Barbados KNOW what we are doing and can demonstrate that Ebola is safe once you don’t touch.


  42. I find it remarkable that I made two replies to two posts dating back from October the 8th and 17th that went unnoticed and have now become topics of conversation. Reference: EBOLA Virus Enters the White Man’s World #2 and Dispelling a Myth About EBOLA

    Exclaimer | October 8, 2014 at 6:20 PM |
    @ Dompey,
    If you were to carry out some research on recent African emigration you would quickly establish that Africans have a presence in every country in the world. Top of this list would be are friends from Nigeria. Nigerians have a tremendous propensity to travel. You will find them in far-away places such as South Africa, China and Kuwait. The continent that gave birth to civilisation is haemorrhaging her population at an historical rate.

    The lesson for Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean is self-evident: impose a travel ban on people travelling from the African continent. The same should apply to produce emanating from this continent. We are living in a fool’s paradise if we believe that we would have the capacity to control this virulent disease should it reach are shores.

    Dompey you are right we “currently” have much to fear from the inhabitants of that continent.

    Exclaimer | October 17, 2014 at 3:52 AM |
    Breaking news!!!!!!
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-29655344
    Caribbean countries announce Ebola travel bans

    @ Colonel Buggy | October 19, 2014 at 10:37 PM | I was not aware of this development concerning African nations who have imposed bans or significant travel restrictions on those countries affected by ebola.

    The implication is clear in order to prevent the spread of this virus. We should erect a blockade around the continent of Africa until we can find an effective solution to solving this ebola crisis.

  43. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ CaribCanadian

    I agree with your rationale. What you are saying is simply (1) (west) Africa has Ebola (2) United States has (fewer reported cases of) Ebola.

    If one is using a rule of thumb to ban Ebola affected regions then the ban should be “global” or at least include the United States.

    Given (1) our dependence on the USA (2) the cuntry’s absolute confidence in Amurica’s love of Bulbados and (3) our dependence on tourism the sole pony in our dog and pony show, even if one person Lord forbid were to arrive here from Miami BULBADOS would not close our ports to amurica


  44. @are-we-there-yet

    Hope you are following the story that Duncan’s family has hit the 21 day milestone, quarantine ended.

    The point is West Africa is the host of the virus. Also note there is a clamour in the US to institute a ban. What will speed up the decision is when other countries begin to ban US airlines. Note neighbouring African countries have imposed a ban of African countries where the virus is out of control. It is called a containment strategy.


  45. @Crusoe

    Is it a case the QEH physical plant is old added to which bed space is an issue? Just asking.

  46. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Dompey

    I have not “chatted” with you for a while but note that you continue to dialogue here regularly

    Your last submission regarding Belize and the Caribbean cruise liner issue is totally the focus of any Ebola prevention strategy

    You do know that to get to Bridgetown from St Lucy you can cut cross east coast road and come the longer way instead of highway 2a

    The point that you and others have been making is that we are focusing on issues of banning natives of Ebola territories but no one is paying any attention to those people who have had interim contact with the same jurisdictions and because of the way previous travel is recorded it is now impossible to use these systems and immigration methods with any accuracy

    When the germ warmongers thought up the population culling tool like as with aids they did not think of the manner it would compromise their own.

    As Kofi Annan has gone to pains to remark, see how the international community has lagged in their aid to black African states

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