COVID 19 UPDATES

The following comment inspired the blogmaster to expand the focus on data collection and discussion about the COVID 19 pandemic. Thanks to @Lyall@Amit

Blogmaster

David; re. your 4:41 am post;

You are correct but I have indeed considered that cohort of the population.

The reason that the US experts are beating the drum for testing, testing and more testing is to get a handle on what proportion of the general public has been compromised by the virus in any way and has left its signatures in body fluids including blood in the population. The virus is shed from the infected body as the disease is brought under control. When it is controlled it has been found that it takes around 7 days for all particles to be shed from the body. Infected persons are released back into the community when they test negative twice over a period of 2 days.

Barbados, like all of our island neighbours, did or does not have access to large numbers of tests and had to use what we had very sparingly. Thus, the only measure that we had for gauging the incidence of the virus in the population (and a very imperfect one, at that) might be by comparing the evidence of infection levels hinted at by a comparison of the graphs of the progress of the various Covid-19 outbreaks in our Islands.

Most of the world was in the same position as the Caribbean and used the data obtained by the minimal testing of infected people and their contacts and their contacts to produce the graphs we see on such sites as WHO and Worldometer etc. All these graphs give an imperfect picture and significant underestimation of infection levels in the county or country in which the tests are carried out, but, since they are carried out in the same way in each country they might provide some rationale for guesstimating the comparative levels of the infection in various groups of countries.

The data shows that, starting out at essentially the same levels, there was some divergence in relation to the rate of infection and therefore progress of the various outbreaks in various countries. The graphs for Barbados showed low and declining levels of infection from the beginning, peaking at the level of 13 positive cases per day and thereafter showing a slowly declining trend. The individuals who would have contributed to the declining trend would have been primarily from the contact testing but should also have included other individuals referred by Health professionals or who presented themselves to Government institutions because of concern that their symptoms might point to untimely death due to the dread Covid-19.

Amit, in an earlier post on this blog, reported on his initiative of graphing Covid-19 incidence over weekly periods throughout the epidemic, in several Caribbean Islands. If David thinks it is appropriate and Amit agrees I can post a subset of graphs clipped from his data for 6 Caribbean territories which I think could illustrate some of what I have presented above.

Covid 19

There was 1 more positive case announced today as well as 1 death. A slight uptick of the daily cases line is indicated in the graph by the blue line. The total cumulative number of positive cases from the tests carried out yesterday is 76 – Llyall Small

COVID 19

Attached is the updated C-19 graph for 2020-04-23. There were no additional positive cases from yesterday’s tests and therefore cumulative positive cases remain at 76 – Lyall Small

covid10

covid12

Two new positive cases were identified from yesterday’s tests. There are now 5 cases of contacts with a previously identified individual. The 5 cases are workers from a Government Institution. Tests are ongoing today (25 April 2020) – Lyall Small

Covid11

Updated graph for 26 April 2020. No new +ve cases were found. Cumulative count is still 79 – Lyall Small

covid13

There was one additional +ve case identified today (27 April 2020) from the last tranche of NAB workers moving the cumulative total cases to 80. The graph is still essentially trending downwards – Lyallsmall

Covid-Cumulative 1

Graphing Covid-19 incidence in several Caribbean Islands – Source data: caribbeansignal.com

3,449 thoughts on “COVID 19 UPDATES”


  1. Jamaica 2020 population is estimated at 2,961,167 people at mid year

    Barbados 2020 population is estimated at 287,375 people at mid year according to UN data

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  2. @ David,

    In Ontario here I live.

    ” As of tomorrow, residents will have to stay home except for essential purposes such as grocery shopping, accessing health care and exercising.”

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  3. It’s very difficult to get a grasp of how things are in Barbados.

    However, I still have confidence in the team.

    Let me use a silly saying… Things will be out of control until we get them under control.

    Come on guys.

    Reply ↓

  5. Pingback: Fighting the Good Fight Against Covid 19 | Barbados Underground


  7. David;
    The authorities appear to be having some difficulty in disseminating cogent information on the spread and development of the pandemic in Barbados. Here are some suggestions whereby this might be improved:-

    Develop a new dashboard that would reflect the same info on the current daily GIS dashboard as they are discussing on the “every-other-day” press conferences. i.e. the data being discussed would be the last data generated.

    Use the new dashboard to give some clarity to the often bewildering data from different experts at the press conferences; i.e. use the dashboard as a backdrop for the information being discussed.

    Segregate and publish the incidence of local and imported cases . This would, in one fell swoop, give some indication of the dynamics of daily and running totals of case incidence in these 2 very different locales.

    Consider adding the following info to the official dashboards:
    Date of test reporting;
    Imported vs. Local cases;
    Active cases
    Number of available beds per covid quarantine site, ventilator equipped beds, PPE equpment,
    Clusters (by name); New daily cases; cumulative cases; number of cases released from quarantine.

    The Regular Press conferences should be no more than half hour preceding the News at 7:00:PM unless. Press conferences for discussion of policy and new information could be in any format necessary but if data on case incidence is being presented the Dashboard for that date should be used.

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  8. Talks ongoing with suppliers
    Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Attorney General Dale Marshall and Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic are among the first few people in Barbados to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
    This was announced yesterday evening by Mottley during her public address, in which she said Government was in serious negotiations with suppliers and groups to get the drug.
    “I am happy to report that in the course of last few days five medical people at the front line have taken the first dose of the vaccination and myself, the Minister of Health and the Attorney General are the three other people who took it, and I am due to take the second dose in a few weeks’ time.”
    She said Government had meetings this week with different suppliers and groups about accessing the drug.
    In addition, she pointed out that Government was working with the Covax Facility to get initial
    doses of the vaccine but said it would only be for 20 per cent of the population and the supply would be given throughout the year, with the initial vaccinations being given to only three per cent of the population.
    Those would be for front-line workers and vulnerable people and should be on island at the end of January, she reported.
    However, Mottley announced that the African Medical Supplies platform, which had secured 270 million doses for African states, had contacted Government yesterday to assist Caribbean nations.
    Mottley noted that the Caribbean community had two weeks to determine whether or not they wanted to participate.
    Recognising the scepticism of some people about the vaccine, the Prime Minister said a public education exercise would be rolled out over the course of the next few weeks.
    She also assured Barbadians
    that Government was in a heightened state of negotiations to secure the drug “so that some level of normalcy can come back to Barbados as soon as possible”.
    (MB)

    Source: Nation

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  9. Diabetes body worried about positive cases
    The spike in positive cases of COVID-19 has become a concern for the Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados (DHAB).
    Public relations officer of the association Kim Clarke said there was an association between the coronavirus and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
    “While no detailed information regarding the seven deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Barbados has been released by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, it has been established that all of the persons had at least one NCD and were 59 years and older,” she said in a statement.
    “This is of concern to The Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados as it has been reported based on other countries’ experiences with COVID-19, that persons who have a non-communicable disease may have worse outcomes. We encourage all persons living with non-communicable diseases to continue their self-management to control their blood sugar and blood pressure as well as engage in healthy behaviours, take medications, engage in physical activity and seek medical attention when appropriate,” she said.
    The DHAB also provided other tips for individuals living with NCDs.
    • Establish and maintain strict personal hygiene.
    Sanitise hands with soap and water or with alcohol based hand rub as per current guidelines.
    • Avoid touching your face if your hands are
    unclean Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a disposable tissue, which must be disposed of immediately after use.
    • Minimise physical interaction with others.
    • Minimise contact with individuals outside your household.
    • Purchase sufficient food, supplies,
    and medication.
    • Minimise the number of times you have to leave
    home; get items delivered if you can
    • Make work as safe as possible.
    • Work from home if you can or if your
    employer allows.
    • In work settings, maintain the recommended
    distance from work colleagues and customers
    • Minimise risk when out in public.
    • Maintain a distance of at least two metres/
    six feet from others.
    • Wear a mask or face covering to cover both your
    nose and mouth.
    • Adjust schedules to avoid busy times in
    public places.
    • Take advantage of dedicated shopping times
    for vulnerable individuals if available.

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  10. Attached are graphs for the most recent data. For Barbados, positive cases are fluctuating and seem to be trending downwards but it is too early to make such a call definitively especially since the data might not accurately represent the situation on the actual dates to which the cases are attributed. A clearer picture should be available in a few weeks time – Lyall Small

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  12. You try to put words in people’s mouth and then try to pedal way from your lying words

    You take the smallest point and then act as if you have Gideon’s trumpet

    You will not let a ‘debate’ die a decent death. You carry-on until only your voice is heard (last word, in your mind, you won)

    You update your resume every few weeks on BU.

    I will not mention name calling/dropping.

    I spent some time on you this morning. Hopefully, you will mend your ways.

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  14. @lyallsmall January 14, 2021 1:44 PM

    I fully agree with you on the structure of the press conferences. The presentations should be mostly prepared as the various speakers can tend to get carried away sometimes.

    I also agree in principle with your assertion of needing a new dashboard however your dashboard is still too detailed for my liking and should be focused on active cases. Showing Total Cases confuses the numbers and scares people.

    1) The dashboard should show numbers in columns as follows
    Today’s Changes – New Positive Cases, New Recoveries, New Deaths, Outstanding Tests
    Active Cases Breakdown – Mild Condition, Serious Condition
    Total Cases Breakdown – Imported Cases, Local Cases, Community Cases, Under Investigation

    2) The historical statistics can be left to Worldometer like (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/barbados/) which are already taking our official numbers from the GIS website/facebook page and providing wonderful histograms.

    3) Definitions, Frequently Asked Questions and Current Health Guidelines

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    • @CA

      What is your view of the utility of a dashboard with the backlog we have? It means by the time active cases are know the quarantine/isolation terms have been served?


  15. @David January 17, 2021 12:31 PM

    What is your view of the utility of a dashboard with the backlog we have?

    Dashboards work extremely well but only when they show the correct stats. Showing the backlog number under Today’s Updates in my dashboard solves the trust and confidence problems the authorities currently have since everyone the world over can see the backlog numbers and how they change on a daily basis over time.

    It means by the time active cases are know the quarantine/isolation terms have been served?

    Test delays become less of an issue if they properly prioritize tests according to a risk stratification process like what Dr. Zelenko used to figure out which of his patients to treat and monitor closely when he encountered testing delays of several days.

    Our authorities said they prioritize based on job and exposure level. Commonsense would also dictate they treat symptomatic people awaiting test as level urgent but I don’t know if that is being done since they have not specifically stated if that is done as part of their initial assessment at testing sites.

    Our sole focus must be on identifying and treating symptomatic people and monitoring their blood oxygen levels to catch them in the early in case they are on the road from mild to serious condition. I bet the only reason we have not had anyone die since last March/April is because our isolate and monitor all positive cases policy has allowed them to catch persons and quickly treat them while they are on the decline.

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  16. Our authorities are only going to regain their credibility if they use a simple, robust, daily case statistics reporting standard.

    All the fancy speeches and interviews mean nothing to people like me and Hal who use what and how you choose to report your statistics to gauge your credibility.

    Political and PR spin does not work in any pandemic, only honest up-to-date and accurate statistics do. Good, bad or ugly does not matter, only numbers because people are basing their decisions on those numbers. Sooner or later you will be found out if you try to hid.

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  17. Covid-19 death probe
    HEALTH AUTHORITIES are investigating a possible COVID-19 death of an elderly man while a non-national is in critical condition with the virus.
    Last night, Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic informed the nation about the death of the 84-year-old, revealing that he went to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) not feeling well and died while being evaluated in the Accident & Emergency Department. The man, he said, had a long history of lung disease and chronic noncommunicable diseases.
    His passing is possibly the eighth since the first death was recorded on April 4, 2020, when another elderly man went to QEH feeling unwell. The last recorded COVID-19 death was in May.
    After the death of the 84-year-old, “exercising an abundance of caution and thoroughness”, the medical staff took blood samples for COVID-19 and the results were positive, Bostic said.
    “I wish to caution the public that at this stage we can only say that the death may be COVID-19 related as the precise cause of death, whether from COVID or complication
    from his other illnesses, cannot be ascertained until the completion of a post mortem,” he said.
    Precaution
    The minister assured Barbadians that every precaution was being taken and all recommended safety protocols were being followed, while contact tracing was in progress for the medical personnel who handled the case as well as with the deceased’s family members.
    “Evidence available to the ministry at this time indicates that the source of the case will be easily traced,” said Bostic.
    He also delivered more bad news, announcing that a young non-Barbadian female was in critical condition at the isolation facility at Harrison Point, St Lucy.
    “Having recorded no deaths from COVID-19 in Barbados in recent months, this is indeed sad news,” he said.
    Bostic renewed appeals to follow the safety guidelines to wear masks properly, sanitise and stay six feet apart.
    Barbados was maintaining
    a steady but low number of COVID-19 cases following the reopening of the country on June 15 after a two-and-a-half month shutdown. However, the number shot up from 383 cases at December 30, 2020, to 1 095 as of last Friday.
    (AC)

    Source: Nation

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  21. Critical AnalyzerJanuary re. your post of 17, 2021 12:27 PM

    There is now a new dashboard by the Barbados Government’s Covid Communication’s Unit that has been in Barbados Today and the Nation on last weekend. The Dashboard standardises the information being given by Government on the incidence of Covid-19 cases in Barbados and also provides standardised text boxes that could allow a structured presentation by the experts. Current information has only been provided to the 16th January so far, This information is also on the Worldometer site (in their format) to 16th January so I presume that GIS will update the dashboard to at least yesterday’s data for today’s Press Conference.

    The new improved Dashboard essentially addresses the concerns I had about the old dashboard as It provides relevant additional information on clusters, including totals, as well as a breakdown on local as compared with imported cases.and available resources. It would be even better if it gave a breakdown of active cases into the severity categories you mentioned earlier.

    The Dashboard is divided into sections which isolates data according to interest. That feature should take care of your concern about too much data. You only have to look at the section which is of interest to you.

    You said in another post above I bet the only reason we have not had anyone die since last March/April is because our isolate and monitor all positive cases policy has allowed them to catch persons and quickly treat them while they are on the decline. Dr Forde made exactly that point in the last Press Conference and it made absolute sense.

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  22. It is an improvement but it still makes the stats look bad.

    We need information on the number of serious cases and not just cases to calm the population and tourists. Who cares how many are male vs female.

    As opposed to Barbados id or non-Barbados id, we need whether the cases were identified before the visitors left quarantine and mixed with the local population or not

    You said in another post above I bet the only reason we have not had anyone die since last March/April is because our isolate and monitor all positive cases policy has allowed them to catch persons and quickly treat them while they are on the decline. Dr Forde made exactly that point in the last Press Conference and it made absolute sense.

    They should have been telling people every since about how COVID works and explain the coined term Happy Hypoxics.

    Reply ↓

    • Have you not been listening to the reports by the doctors when they mention the odd person who maybe under watch? How many deaths have we had to make listing serious cases a priority reporting issue?


  23. @David January 19, 2021 6:50 PM
    Saying it at a press conference does not get the information out there. A dashboard’s purpose is to put the most frequent info you are interested in in one place. The dashboard needs to say how many are serious. If it shows 0,1 or 2 as a serious count in addition to cases, that would be seen as great news and instill confidence in everyone that things are not bad and we are in control.

    Using seasonal flu as an example, knowing how many people caught the flu in any one year is less important than knowing how many needed to be hospitalized and died.

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  25. In the UK, if anyone dies within 28 days of being diagnosed with CoVid, it goes down as a CoVid death.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    @ Hal

    IN THE UK, US AND CANADA THE GOVERNMENTS ARE BLOCKING OR RESTRICTING PEOPLE FROM CERTAIN COUNTRIES FROM COMING IN SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO LIE OR COVERUP.

    ON THE 2 x 3 ISLAND WHICH DEPENDS PRIMARILY ON WHITE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THOSE SAME COUNTRIES TO APPEASE THE LOCAL WHITE HOTEL SHADOWS KNOWN AS OWNERS HAS TO COVEUP THEIR NUMBERS TO KEEP ENCOURAGING VISITORS THAT ALL IS SAFE.

    EVEN THOUGH THE LOCAL BLACK MASSES SUFFER FROM A DOUBLE WAMMY.

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  26. Bostic: Fewer than 1 000 to go
    MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic says there are fewer than 1 000 COVID-19 test results still to be cleared at the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.
    The minister said the lab was in the last stage of erasing the backlog which was caused by technical issues and overwhelming numbers in late December and early January. Without giving a timeline, Bostic assured the public the backlog would soon be a thing of the past.
    “We have made considerable progress and we will be in a better position to report to the country at the next press briefing but I can tell you that we are in the final stages of mopping up the balance of those outstanding tests. When I say we are in the final stages, I am speaking in relation to less than 1 000 tests that are outstanding. The aim is to finish this exercise in very short order,” he said.
    Not missing
    The minister also sought to allay any fears that results had gone missing, noting that any appearance of this was due to issues arising from improper input of information at the swabbing centres.
    “The results have not gone missing but rather it is a problem with an identification of samples. This work starts with those people in the field who are doing swabbing and you would appreciate that during the initial period within the current surge, there were several people being swabbed. For example, the entire prison population, which was over a thousand, and then we had a number of businesses that took it upon themselves to close and have people swabbed. If the input of information at the swabbing centres is not accurate and there are issues in terms of identifying names, then that is going to cause a long delay,” he explained.
    Bostic was speaking shortly after receiving a donation of medical equipment from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), which included 20 000 rapid antigen tests, resources which Bostic pointed out would help Barbados stay abreast of demand for tests.
    Government has moved to facilitate rapid antigen testing since the United Kingdom (UK) last week announced measures to protect against the new coronavirus variants. Starting yesterday, the UK passengers returning home were advised to go to the Best-dos Santos Lab, where the rapid antigen test would be facilitated before departure.
    However, the minister said Government only had a very limited supply of this type of test and, therefore, PAHO’s timely donation was being regarded as a lifesaver.
    Steep slope
    “We recognise the steepness of the slope that we have to climb but we remain confident that we will overcome. . . . We have been relying on the assistance, both technical and material, from PAHO over the last several months. We had discussions with representatives of PAHO and we were given recommendations on how to proceed with the challenges that confront us. We have had challenges in terms of returning test results in time and that had to do with the fact that the surge was bigger than the capacity we had,” he said.
    Bostic added: “The antigen rapid test is most timely as that has been a recommendation from PAHO to help us out of the current situation. We have already started using the antigen test, but we really didn’t have enough supply. This donation will take us a long way until we are able to purchase additional stock, so this is really timely and very much appreciated. We are here to win this battle and there is no time where there would be a retreat or surrender.”
    (CLM)

    Source: Nation

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  28. New Covid-19 data was released yesterday by GIS. The data would normally suggest that there were 120 new cases between 16th and 20th January for Barbados. But they cannot be so interpreted because of the backlog in testing experienced over that timeframe here. An interesting occurence re. data from some of our neighbours is that Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and Barbados each experienced very steep spikes in the incidence of Covid cases in the first 2 weeks of 2021. Happenstance? effect of some unknown regional factor? Anybody, eg. CA, JK, RL have any ideas?

    Reply ↓

    • @Lyall

      There is a report in the press that samples were sent to Trinidad for testing. There is a reasonable position to take that one of the new strains afflicting the world has infiltrated Barbados. As you know the mutations have penetrated most markets.


  30. @lyallsmall January 21, 2021 11:08 AM “… data from some of our neighbours is that Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and Barbados each experienced very steep spikes in the incidence of Covid cases in the first 2 weeks of 2021. Happenstance? effect of some unknown regional factor? Anybody, eg. CA, JK, RL have any ideas?”

    Very likely people moved around more at Christmas. I certainly did. I had not gone to church since February 2020, but I went to church on Christmas morning, and then decided to take the risk to spend about 2 hours in Queen’s Park on Christmas morning, then went to a family lunch where people from 4 households, nine people in all gathered. We sat in an area of the church which can hold 90 people but only 7 sat there. Contact information was taken, hands sanitized, temperatures taken, and 6 foot social distances were maintained. I did not take communion. Some other people did, bread/host only. No communion wine offered. Indeed I may never take communion wine from a common cup again. At the Park several hundred people were gathered but it seems to me that most people wore masks and in this big outdoor space it was easy to maintain social distance. All 9 of us are still well. Is is “good luck” or is it because protocols were observed?

    P.S The younger people in my family went Christmas shopping as it happens at several stores in Holetown, but all of my family has been consistent is mask wearing, hand sanitizing and social distancing from the beginning of covid19.

    In my opinion this huge spike in covid19 cases was caused by people, firstly foreign, and secondly local, who erroneously believed “there is no covid ’bout here” and so refused to stick with the protocols which work well when used consistently, and which can still work well.

    None of us are safe from covid until all of us are safe from covid, so:

    Wear masks
    Wash/sanitise hands
    Keep your distance

    Cuhdear Bajan
    Completely, completely absolutely non-partisan

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  31. @Hal Austin January 19, 2021 7:43 PM “In the UK, if anyone dies within 28 days of being diagnosed with CoVid, it goes down as a CoVid death.”

    So what happens if a person has covid19, recovers by day 13, goes back to work by day 15 and dies in a traffic or industrial accident on day 27?

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  32. Cuhdear Bajan

    Nice! Go to the top of the Class! In fact, Just stay at the top of the class.
    A most insightful post!

    I agree totally with you. The Christmas holiday season could almost totally explain those “coordinated” spikes especially when there was a similar spike in Jamaica that entirely turned around a six-week downward trend in their results.

    David; I had’nt heard of the samples being sent to Trinidad. I suspect that you are also right. The increased cases could also have been due to an increasing expression and content of the new Strain in the region. Nice!

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  34. Wear masks

    Wash your hands with soap and water, or sanitize with alcohol

    Keep your distance, 6 feet away from other people

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  35. @David

    Sorry to tell you but that mask, wash hands and 6 feet is not what is mostly protecting us. Sure it slows down some transmission or gives you a smaller dose of the virus when you come into contact with someone that has it but It is really our climate and clean air that is protecting us. We have a 365 day summer which keeps our vitamin D levels up for those not afraid of the sun, our clean air and UV from the sun is hostile to the virus viability.

    We need to get off the foolish vaccine track the rest of the world is on and concentrate on the cheap outpatient treatments for the newly symptomatic people with COVID. We should be conducting studies and trials on the various safe medications various doctors have been using with success. Our doctor in charge of the isolation facility should already be publishing a paper or two.

    Monitoring positive people and praying they don’t escalate while praying a stick from a new technology miracle vaccine that may not and will probably soon not be effective against the future mutations the longer this goes on.

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  36. I am not going out a lot, but on Tuesday I had to go to the doctor and pharmacy and made a quick stop at a village shop to pick up toilet paper–only 6 rolls, not a whole bale–lol! Today I went to a west coast fish market and a nearby village shop, to pick up bread. I’d called ahead about the fish, so the exchange with the vendor took less than 3 minutes. The bread purchase was also very quick. It was an old time shop with 3 large open front doors. Some people were in the little attached restaurant towards the back eating their lunch. We came within 25 feet of each other. Everybody has stepped up their compliance with the protocols, including the mask wearing “tourist couple” who were also buying fish. I sanitized my hands after each transaction.

    I don’t believe that I picked up anything but will report back in 10 days.

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  37. CA and David

    I think that the difficulties that Barbados has been experiencing in dealing with the new clusters over the last 3 weeks or so is going to be very important in showing the way towards developing additional home grown or regional methods for combating the virus, especially since the cost of the new vaccines might be somewhat prohibitive and indeed that new mutant strains could make some of these vaccines ineffective.

    I saw a report recently that the new english mutant of the virus is not only more infective than the older variant but was also likely to result in more deaths. In addition, there was a suggestion that the existing vaccines might not be effective against one or more of the new variants. If this is true we might have to take a new tack and use a new suite of methods to exclude and control that new strain when it gets here. If the effectiveness of vaccines is compromised other methods may have to be developed and used to control the virus.

    High Relative Humidity has been claimed to be a low-level environmental deterrent to high infectivity levels of the virus. High temperatures has also been claimed as being a factor that operates in a similar manner. So too have been Sunlight (high UV levels) and consequential Vitamin D levels. I have not seen the research which has fully demonstrated these effects on the virus but the claims of the efficacy of these factors could be researched and the results incorporated into protocols for control of the spread of the virus in combination with the tried and true use of masks, social distancing, washing of hands and even exclusion.

    The work that has started with the Electronic GPS bracelets on monitoring and control of the movement of visitors suggests to me that Government might be able to significantly reduce its overall Covid-19 quarantine costs by introducing a system where non-symptomatic locals who have been in contact with positive cases could be also fitted with these bracelets and be self-quarantined at home with regular visits by the Covid-units Doctors and Nurses instead of immediately being put in an expensive Government quarantine or isolation facility once they test positive for the virus.

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  38. Public health authorities last night revealed the country recorded 35 new cases from 902 tests on Tuesday, and another 52 positive results from 2 355 tests conducted on Wednesday.

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  39. Pingback: Preparing for the COVID 19 Mutant | Barbados Underground


  40. David;
    Last night’s GIS figures (for the 19th and 20th January) do not match with the Worldometer data even if it is recognized that the new data from GIS contains numbers that are bundled into the backlog of tests. There are still some numbers missing. I will update my weekly charts when the data provided by GIS settles down.

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    • @Lyall

      Inthe last press conference there was mention made that the dashboard was being reformatted. Not sure what that means as it relates to final numbers. This is where our esteemed journalists, opposition voices must be more strident and targeted. The government surrogates monitor the blog, let us see if clarity emerged on your concern in coming briefings.


  41. David; There appears to have been 2 reformattings over the past week or so. The main problem is not the reformatting of the dashboard but the populating of the dashboard with consistent data. I suspect that the problem will be sorted out soon.

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    • @Lyall

      We are saying the same thing, the dashboard was reformatted to present different data, maybe they will revert based on what the PM said in the last press briefing.


  43. Not getting what I expect when I try to google for the dashboard and ended up in a link with strange symbols.
    Surprised at this as google usually works well …
    Could someone post a link to the GoB site.

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  45. Ontario Canada

    “Coronavirus: London-Middlesex reports death of teen – youngest in the region”

    Few details on the teen’s death are known, the MLHU has said the case involved a male not in their early-teenage years but has not confirmed if they were over or under the age of 18.

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  48. Community spread has now been officially declared in Barbados and the testing backlog has been fixed. Attached are current charts up to 22nd Jan. We should now get a clearer picture of the dynamics of the virus in Barbados and the other 4 Caribbean countries we have been tracking. Panic now seems to be the general reaction here so far but I think that is unwarranted. I think that in about 3 weeks we should have a clearer picture of how the outbreak will likely progress here. In the meantime be very careful – Lyall Small
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  50. Belize, population 419 thousand, 11,750 covid cases, 290 deaths. 722 deaths per million.
    Bahamas, population 393 thousand, 8,101 covid cases, 175 deaths. 443 deaths per million.
    Maldives, population 383 thousand, 15,102 covid cases, 51 deaths. 93 deaths per million.
    Iceland, population 368 thousand, 5,990 covid cases, 29 deaths. 85 deaths per million
    Vanuatu, population 304 thousand, 1 covid case, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million.
    BARBADOS, population 288 thousand, 1,401 covid cases, 10 deaths. 35 deaths per million.
    French Polynesia, population 278 thousand, 17,352 covid cases, 128 deaths. 454 deaths per mi
    New Caledonia, population 271 thousand, 44 covid cases, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million
    Sao Tome, population 214 thousand, 1189 covid cases, 17 deaths. 77 deaths per million
    Samoa, population 204 thousand, 2 covid cases, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million.

    Vanuatu, population 304 thousand, 1 covid case, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million.
    Samoa, population 204 thousand, 2 covid cases, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million.
    New Caledonia, population 271 thousand, 44 covid cases, 0 deaths. 0 deaths per million

    Source: worldometers

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  51. For BAJE and others
    “As the coronavirus swept the globe early last year, Mexican officials made an unusual decision: They wouldn’t impose “coercive” measures to force citizens to obey pandemic restrictions. No curfews. No arrests. No fines…Mexico had lived through 70 years of authoritarian rule. The country had “a sad, unfortunate, shameful history” of abuse by security forces, said Hugo López-Gatell, the coronavirus czar. And half the population lived in poverty. Clashes between the police and poor laborers could spread the virus — and tarnish a government built on leftist credentials.
    Nearly a year later, Mexico is battling a severe epidemic. Hospitals are at the breaking point.

    Residents flouting stay-at-home messages fueled a new explosion of cases during the Christmas holidays. Deaths have soared past 150,000 — the fourth-highest total in the world, and 19th-highest based on population, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. On Sunday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that he, too, had tested positive for the coronavirus…

    As Mexican officials watched the virus’s global march, they decided in February not to adopt such coercive tactics. Nearly 60 percent of workers — street vendors, gardeners, construction workers — lived off their daily earnings. Dispatching police to keep them home would “exacerbate social unrest, and this unrest could limit our ability to control the epidemic,” said López-Gatell, a Hopkins-trained epidemiologist. López Obrador voiced another concern: Poor workers squeezed by police could “swell the ranks” of crime cartels, López-Gatell recalled in a recent interview… Mexico City’s mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, an ally of the president, ordered stores and public transit to require patrons to wear masks. But there were no fines for citizens walking around without them. Instead, they were blitzed with wear-a-mask posters and stay-at-home banners. Health brigades have made more than 4 million home visits in the capital offer information about covid-19. “We don’t believe in repression,” Sheinbaum told reporters this month. “We believe in education.”… “It’s not fair that those who are following these measures have to pay for those who aren’t,” said Enrique Alfaro, governor of Jalisco state. In April, he announced security forces would impose fines and even jail terms on residents who violated pandemic restrictions.
    But weeks later, a young Jalisco man died in police custody after reportedly being detained for not wearing a mask. Protesters took to the streets and set fire to police cars.
    ,,,Then came the Christmas season. A combination of cooler weather, a crush of holiday parties and shopping reignited the pandemic, particularly in and around Mexico City. By mid-December, authorities were forced to announce a new lockdown in the capital.
    Mauricio Rodríguez, who leads the coronavirus response team at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, said it would be difficult to use Mexico’s notoriously corrupt police to enforce pandemic restrictions. But the government’s policy of persuasion also proved to be flawed…In nightly news conferences, López-Gatell warns of the lethality of the virus. But the president has often downplayed the pandemic, going so far as to call lockdowns “dictatorship.”
    Meanwhile, politicians have been criticized for not practicing what they preach. The president rarely wears a mask. After exhorting people to stay home over the holidays, López-Gatell was photographed at a Pacific beach resort, provoking outrage. Some people, fearful of costs, or wary of rumors about poor care, wait until they are in serious condition before going to the hospital…Mexico’s problem “is not an absence of mandates or enforcement,” said Carlos del Rio, a Mexican-born infectious-disease specialist at Emory University. “It’s the absence of leadership.” …that Mexicans have been “anesthetized” to death by years of rising homicides.
    Source: The Washington Post
    More here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/coronavirus-mexico-lockdown-lopez-obrador/2021/01/25/8d6311aa-50fc-11eb-a1f5-fdaf28cfca90_story.html

    Reply ↓

  54. Pingback: COVID 19 Update – 25.01.2021 | Barbados Underground


  56. David
    Last night we heard Mugabe brag how she to rebuild the economy again.

    However, we are less than certain. The stars only align the way they were in 2018 twenty six thousand years from now.

    Reply ↓

    • @Pacha

      Have not seen enough to be confident that any cataclysmic policy directives/strategies have been implemented to be so convinced.


  57. Jamaica widens vaccine net
    KINGSTON – The Jamaica government has started discussions with China, Cuba and India regarding obtaining COVID-19 vaccines for Jamaicans when they become available, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has disclosed.
    He said on Monday that those countries were well advanced in the research and clinical trials of their vaccines and the government was interested in securing some. Earlier this month, Tufton announced that the administration was exploring access to safe vaccines outside of the World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility. He said then that Jamaica would enter bilateral meetings with the three nations to ascertain their level of support and to determine the best arrangement for acquisition and distribution of safe vaccines to the population.
    “Further to the announcement that cabinet had given approval for the ministry to source safe vaccines from other facilities outside of the COVAX Facility, I am pleased to announce that meetings have been held with the ambassadors of China, Cuba and India,” he said Monday.
    “During these meetings we have expressed Jamaica’s interest in obtaining vaccines from these countries, once they become available and are safe for our population.
    “Our No. 1 priority remains the safety of our people, and the government, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, will continue to seek out all avenues to ensure the best health outcome for every citizen,” he added.
    The deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in the Caribbean and the Americas under the COVAX is anticipated to get underway at the end of March.
    Two billion vaccine doses have been secured from Pfizer Inc. under COVAX for distribution globally in 2021, with another 1.3 billion programmed for 2022.
    (CMC)

    Source: Nation

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  58. Anybody want to leave Barbados and go live in Mexico?

    Time to stop behaving like Barbados is a terrible place to live?????

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  61. Attached are the usual 2 charts showing progress in Covid incidence up to 29th Jan. The data was taken from the latest (last night’s) Worldometer updates. There have been major developments re. Covid-19 incidence during last week. The Barbados authorities reduced Active cases by 360. The rationale for the underlying major releases from quarantine was explained in Government’s Press releases. A new shutdown starting from 3rd February for 15 days was announced. The Barbados Chart above shows significant fluctuations in daily cases that might be primarily reflections on major problems encountered in the last 2 weeks in testing. Those problems seem to have now been corrected. However, the overall picture seems to be that there has been a trending down of new cases over the past week, suggesting that the Covid contact tracing and testing teams are in the process of regaining the upper hand in the fight against Covid-19. The other major development is the announcement that the British variant is here, not unexpectedly. We all need to follow the Protocols to the utmost best of our individual situations, to have a chance of controlling Covid-19- Lyall Small
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  62. THE DIRECTIVES
    Attorney General Dale Marshall last night outlined a number of directives that will take effect from Wednesday and continue until February 17.
    During a national televised press conference he said every non-essential service shall remain closed, except the following which may open only as specified:
    • Abattoirs, hatcheries and poultry processors, will be opened between 7 a.m and 6 p.m.
    • Bakeries and bread depots for the sale of bread, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
    • Bakeries for the baking of bread, between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Banks and credit unions will be closed from Wednesday to February 10 (no face to face services).
    • From February 11, banks and credit unions will resume retail banking;
    • Bill payment services such as SurePay, can operate between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday to Friday only.
    •
    Cleaning services that clean for essential services and businesses as well as any commercial properties that require cleaning for environmental purposes, will operate between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
    • Delivery services for groceries, fruits, vegetables and medical supplies, can operate between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
    • Distributive traders supplying goods to essential services and businesses will work between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m..
    •
    Farms will operate between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
    • Fuel manufacturers, fuel storage facilities and fuel distributors can work the entire day.
    •
    Gasoline stations will open for the sale of products relating to motor vehicles, petroleum products, including liquefied petroleum gas and for the sale of top-ups for mobile telephones and pharmaceuticals (but not for the sale of products for human consumption, including liquor), between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
    •
    Hotels, villas and other rental accommodation (excluding gaming rooms, spa, gyms and discotheques), restaurants will open for room service only, for the entire day.
    • Manufacturing companies for the production of goods for export, will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    •
    Pharmaceutical manufacturers, manufacturers of beverages and dairy products, food processors and food distributors, can operate between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m..
    • Pharmacies for personal shopping and the filling of prescriptions, can open between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
    •
    Minimarts, that are exempted from this directive, can open operate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Minimarts that are not exempted and those shops commonly called “corner shops”, “rum shops” and “village shops” shall remain closed. A list of the exempted minimarts shall be published in the daily newspapers circulating in Barbados.
    •
    Private veterinary services can as needed;
    •
    Sugar factories can work for the entire day;
    • Supermarkets can operate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for in-store shopping, Monday to Friday only.
    •
    Swimming pool services, as needed.
    • Tyre shops, wrecker services and emergency personnel for vehicle response only.
    •
    Sporting activities are prohibited.
    • A person may only visit a beach or a park for the purpose of swimming or exercise.
    • Beaches and parks will open between 6 a.m. and
    9 a.m.
    •
    Persons may exercise outdoors between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. but no more than two people shall exercise together physically distanced, unless members of the same household.
    •
    Persons who are in public places shall wear a face mask.

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  63. Barbados recorded 25 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday, January 29, out of 488 tests conducted by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

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  65. Medical racism in action.

    White New Yorkers received 48% of the nearly 300,000 vaccine jabs given to residents so far, according to new city data.
    Black and Latino residents made up 11% and 15% of vaccine recipients, respectively, as of January 31.
    The CDC found Black and Latino Americans have gotten hospitalized with COVID-19 at 3.7 and 4.1 times the rate of white people, respectively.
    Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
    New data from New York City shows white people have gotten nearly half of COVID-19 vaccines so far.

    White New Yorkers received 48% of the nearly 300,000 vaccine jabs given to residents so far. Black and Latino residents make up 11% and 15%, respectively.
    Non-New York City residents have received 25% of the city’s vaccines. Among non-New Yorkers who got vaccinated in the city, white people got 59%, and Black and Latino 7% and 10%.
    White people have made up fewer cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 in the city in comparison to Black and Latino residents, who have been hit hard by the virus. The rate of death among Black and Latino residents is 269 and 291 per every 100,000 people; the rate of death among white residents is 150 per 100,000.
    New York City — where white residents make up 42% population and Black residents make up about 24% — has given out just over 500,000 vaccine jabs total as of January 31. The city does not have the race or ethnicity of 40% of adults who received at least one dose in NYC.
    The city’s data are consistent with reports from other areas in the US that show a racial disparity between who is getting first access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Insider’s Shelby Livingston analyzed data from six states that found white people gotten access to vaccines ahead of Black Americans and other racial minorities.
    In North Carolina, for instance, Black people comprise 22% of the population but just 11% of vaccine recipients, while white people make up 68% of the population and 82% of those vaccinated, according to The Associated Press.
    The CDC found Black and Latino Americans have gotten hospitalized with COVID-19 at 3.7 and 4.1 times the rate of white people, respectively.
    White New Yorkers who are above 65-years-old had gotten vaccinated at a higher rate, while Asian, Latino, and Black vaccine recipients skewed slightly younger. Healthcare workers got first access to the vaccine in New York City.
    About 148,000 people got both shots needed for the full Moderna and Pfizer vaccine in New York City.

    Johnson & Johnson, which just reported a 66% effectiveness at preventing COVID-19 from using its single-dose vaccine, is expected to file emergency authorization with Food and Drug Administration within weeks.
    Experts warned Black Americans and other communities of color might be hesitant to get vaccinated in the US due to a history of racist medical experiments or overall mistrust of the healthcare system, Insider’s Aria Bendix reported.
    Latino Americans who communicate in Spanish, for instance, have missed crucial information on the vaccine due to the language gap.
    Residents of Washington Heights, a predominately Latino neighborhood, said a nearby vaccination meant to service the community gave many doses to white people from other parts of the city and state, according to The City. Some people who work out outside the site could not communicate with the Spanish-speaking residents.

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  66. White New Yorkers received 48% of the nearly 300,000 vaccine jabs given to residents so far, according to new city data.
    Black and Latino residents made up 11% and 15% of vaccine recipients, respectively, as of January 31.
    The CDC found Black and Latino Americans have gotten hospitalized with COVID-19 at 3.7 and 4.1 times the rate of white people, respectively.
    Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
    New data from New York City shows white people have gotten nearly half of COVID-19 vaccines so far.

    White New Yorkers received 48% of the nearly 300,000 vaccine jabs given to residents so far. Black and Latino residents make up 11% and 15%, respectively.
    Non-New York City residents have received 25% of the city’s vaccines. Among non-New Yorkers who got vaccinated in the city, white people got 59%, and Black and Latino 7% and 10%.
    White people have made up fewer cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 in the city in comparison to Black and Latino residents, who have been hit hard by the virus. The rate of death among Black and Latino residents is 269 and 291 per every 100,000 people; the rate of death among white residents is 150 per 100,000.
    New York City — where white residents make up 42% population and Black residents make up about 24% — has given out just over 500,000 vaccine jabs total as of January 31. The city does not have the race or ethnicity of 40% of adults who received at least one dose in NYC.
    The city’s data are consistent with reports from other areas in the US that show a racial disparity between who is getting first access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Insider’s Shelby Livingston analyzed data from six states that found white people gotten access to vaccines ahead of Black Americans and other racial minorities.
    In North Carolina, for instance, Black people comprise 22% of the population but just 11% of vaccine recipients, while white people make up 68% of the population and 82% of those vaccinated, according to The Associated Press.
    The CDC found Black and Latino Americans have gotten hospitalized with COVID-19 at 3.7 and 4.1 times the rate of white people, respectively.
    White New Yorkers who are above 65-years-old had gotten vaccinated at a higher rate, while Asian, Latino, and Black vaccine recipients skewed slightly younger. Healthcare workers got first access to the vaccine in New York City.
    About 148,000 people got both shots needed for the full Moderna and Pfizer vaccine in New York City.
    Johnson & Johnson, which just reported a 66% effectiveness at preventing COVID-19 from using its single-dose vaccine, is expected to file emergency authorization with Food and Drug Administration within weeks.
    Experts warned Black Americans and other communities of color might be hesitant to get vaccinated in the US due to a history of racist medical experiments or overall mistrust of the healthcare system, Insider’s Aria Bendix reported. Latino Americans who communicate in Spanish, for instance, have missed crucial information on the vaccine due to the language gap.
    Residents of Washington Heights, a predominately Latino neighborhood, said a nearby vaccination meant to service the community gave many doses to white people from other parts of the city and state, according to The City. Some people who work out outside the site could not communicate with the Spanish-speaking residents.

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  67. CoVid, as a recently discovered disease, is proving an incredible challenge to medical authorities. The symptoms of long-CoVid are now over 30, both physical and mental, including hearing loss, attention disorder, red eyes, chest pains and skin changes.
    Over the last 48 hours the Brits have discovered the South African variant in Surrey and the victims had not travelled outside their village, far less outside the country. Expert also expect there will be other variants.
    Now Dutch researchers have found that CoVid may be transmitted through the toilets; every time we flush we release the virus. The sewer is no the vehicle of transmission. They recommend that households should use strong, concentrated bleach.
    The lesson from all this is that we must be very careful and cannot treat the transmission of the virus casually. The lesson is that the experts, like the rest of us, are learning as they go along.
    Be careful out there.

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  68. Fisher Folk absolutely right to complain
    Govt offers them peanuts
    Un meanwhile fisherfolk have thousands to loose from business and the possibility of fish going spoiled because of not having enough freezer storage

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  70. Pingback: Covid 19 Update – 02.02.2021 | Barbados Underground


  71. 100 000 vaccines on the way
    AROUND 50 000 BARBADIANS could start being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus “in the very near future”.
    During a 35-minute national address yesterday, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said a plea to world power India for help had borne fruit and Barbados should receive around 100 000 AstraZeneca vaccines from that nation.
    Barbados had requested both a donation and a chance to purchase thousands of the vaccine doses.
    Mottley said front-line workers would be the first to receive their jabs (each person receiving two), along with elderly Barbadians and those considered most at risk, who suffer from chronic diseases and any co-morbidities.
    Law enforcement and national security officers, along with other staffers considered essential workers, would be next in line.
    “We have had commitments from the government of India, and we expect to receive shortly, a supply for 50 000 persons, and we hope to start the deployment of that in the very near future,” Mottley said.
    She added she was well aware that not every Barbadian would want to be vaccinated.
    “I am conscious there are some persons that continue to have concerns, and we will meet them. But there are also a lot of persons who are ready [to be vaccinated]. We have given a commitment that the first beneficiaries of the vaccine must be frontline workers, from medical personnel to the police and national security forces.”
    She said hotel workers, particularly those who were serving guests and cleaning rooms at accommodation facilities, must also be in the first batch, along with supermarket workers. “They are going out there to work when most of us are getting the opportunity to rest and pause.”
    The Prime Minister said she had already asked the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Ministry of Health, through the polyclinic system, to identify those patients who would be considered most vulnerable to infection in a COVID-19 environment.
    “We are also going to be working assiduously to get more vaccines because we recognise that aggressive testing, vaccination, communication are the things that will help bring us back.” (BA)

    Source: Nation

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  72. Attached are updated charts for Covid-19 +ve cases and for active cases to 5th February from Worldometer data. The island wide UWI led search and seek survey has started but any linkage between that project and any resultant testing has not yet been clarified afaik. The charts for the active cases in the 5 Caribbean states show a faint suggestion of trending decreasing active cases in Grenada, Trinidad and Barbados while there is a worrying consistent upward trending in the Jamaica chart – Lyall Small
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  73. Call for private sector to help with vaccines
    By Tony Best
    Call it sharing the financial pain of COVID-19 and the costly vaccination initiative in Barbados and its CARICOM neighbours.
    With Caribbean nations facing nightmares of skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, the fallout from the lockdown and the expected high cost of buying approved life-saving vaccines, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is urging the region’s private firms to help shoulder some of the financial burden of protecting people against the ravages of the deadly disease.
    Dr Joy St John, who heads CARPHA, told the Sunday Sun that firms across CARICOM should move aggressively to extend a helping financial hand to their countries by procuring “approved vaccines” for their employees, a move that would speed up implementation of national vaccination campaigns being planned by Caribbean governments.
    “They (businesses) need to try to get access, to purchase a vaccine, separate and apart from the government,” said St John, a former chief medical officer of Barbados.
    Most vulnerable
    Such a move, she added, “would allow governments to focus on the most vulnerable and, just as important, the front-line workers. They need to try to get access, with heavy emphasis on ‘approved’ vaccines for their staffs. I am not interested in if they like the lockdown or not; I don’t expect they would like it. But I am looking to the future of the region.
    “They need to put aside funding to immunise their staff if they want to keep operating. Do not put the burden on the governments alone.”
    However, St John warned the private sector: “Do not go looking for the offers (of vaccines) that are circulating right now (in the region),” one of which was to give Caribbean countries, say, 5 000 free vaccines if buyers made an immediate “pre-order”. “Do not go that route. Make sure that you go for the approved vaccines that they can handle,” she advised.
    The CARPHA chief executive said purchasing of the medications – Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZenica, for example – was vital and Caribbean private sector firms “should come together” and “hire” experienced nursing professionals, “skilled nurses who know what they are doing about vaccinations, who know about storage” and methods to inject the medications into people’s arms so they would have the protective medical shield against infection by the virus.
    Not just Barbados
    “They should see that as a collective they could try to support in parallel with the governments’ vaccination activities. This (plea) is for every country across CARICOM, not just Barbados.”
    On the issue of affordability, availability and distribution of the vaccines, she welcomed United States participation in the global COVAX sharing plan, saying she expected vaccines to become available to the region by the end of March, something she had been saying for weeks, if not months.
    St John explained that Barbados was on the international list of “self-paid” countries which would buy the vaccines it needed to protect its citizens.
    COVAX is an international initiative known as the COVID-19 Vaccine global Access Facility that was being organised by the World Health Organisation, and an array of international and national agencies to distribute vaccines to poor states. The problem was, warned United Nations officials, COVAX was suffering from a shortage of funds and would “only reach a small portion of the population of low-income countries this year”, stated Foreign Affairs magazine.
    That explains why the South African government had already warned of a coming global “vaccine apartheid”, meaning that poor states which could not afford to pay upfront might be forced to wait several months, if not longer, for a supply of vaccines.
    Barbados is avoiding that danger.
    John said that at a recent meeting with COVAX decision-makers, the region was advised that the initiative was “fast-forwarding (vaccine) deliveries as soon as WHO finishes its approvals” so that developing countries and others should expect to receive their allocations by the end of the “quarter of the year”.
    “That is a development that I am keeping my eyes on,” she said. “That, of course, does not cover every Caribbean country. Thirteen countries (including Barbados) have signed up for the scheme as ‘self-pay’ states and they were on course to receive the vaccines as promised.
    “CARPHA paid the down payment for nine of them and there are six more (poorer developing countries) which need international support,” St John explained. “Either they would pay less money for the vaccines or they would get them free. Barbados has already paid its down payment.”
    “They need to put aside funding to immunise their staff if they want to keep operating. Do not put the burden on the governments alone.”

    Source: Nation

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  75. Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine offers “minimal protection” against mild disease from the South Africa variant, scientists say early trials suggest.
    A new study, not yet peer reviewed, involved about 2,000 people who were on average 31 years old.
    But Prof Sarah Gilbert, Oxford lead vaccine developer, said vaccines should still protect against severe disease.
    She said developers were likely to have a modified Oxford jab by the autumn to combat the South Africa variant.
    South Africa has said it is putting its rollout of the Oxford vaccine on temporary hold, while scientists advise on the best way to proceed following the results of the study.
    The variant, also known as 501.V2 or B.1.351, is already the dominant virus variant in large parts of South Africa.
    Earlier, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC’s Andrew Marr that a booster in the autumn and annual vaccines could be required to combat variants.
    More than 100 cases of the South Africa variant have been found in the UK……(Quote)

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  76. Variant concern
    Possible link to recent deaths, say docs
    by BARRY ALLEYNE barryalleyne@nationnews.com
    STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT of its resources and now battling with a surging COVID-19 spike, Barbados could also be dealing with a more transmissible variant of the novel coronavirus.
    That’s the view of president of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr Lynda Williams, and virologist Dr Brendan Larder.
    Both doctors said they believed a more transmissible variant could be the reason Barbados has recorded 11 COVID-19 deaths in less than a month this year, compared with seven in 2020.
    In an interview with the DAILY NATION before last night’s televised COVID-19 press conference, Williams said public health authorities should ramp up investigations into whether the United Kingdom (UK) variant of COVID-19 was prevalent in the country or if other variants coexisted or were emerging.
    Mutating virus
    “All viruses mutate, and we have seen that COVID-19 mutates differently in different places. We do need to look into the variants present in Barbados. We have the capability to do it, and we need to do it to find out if we have those that are more transmissible or even more deadly,” she suggested.
    The BAMP head added that with so many deaths recorded in the new year, it was important that public health authorities determine the overall prevalence of the virus in Barbados and just how many people were sick. She added that Government’s Operation Seek And Save programme, which started last week, would assist in getting that information.
    Williams, who is part of a COVID-19 Communications Unit assisting Government, said the danger with COVID-19 was that people could go from being asymptomatic to having many symptoms of the virus in a short time frame.
    The doctor said public health personnel should know if the amount of deaths now associated with chronic disease was what they would usually see.
    “You have to keep moving, keep measuring and basing your estimates on changes occurring in a fluid situation. To get us out of this problem, we first have to understand where we are. It makes no sense acting like things are better than they are,” she said.
    “The reason we may be seeing more deaths may be due to a new variant which is more transmissible. Before, you could come into contact with someone with the virus and still not get it, but greater transmission means there is a greater probability of contracting the virus if you come into contact with an infected person. That is why surveillance for variants is paramount.”
    Larder, a locally based virologist from England, told the DAILY NATION authorities should now place their focus on finding out the true rate of infection of COVID-19 in the community, and commencing an immediate investigation into if the UK variant was prevalent or a new one existed.
    “We need to know about the variant because some research has shown that the new variant could be responsible for ten to 14 deaths in men over 60 when compared to nine or ten from the original variant,” he said.
    Regarding community spread, Larder said the higher rate of infection in the Barbadian community would lead to a higher number of deaths, which had already been seen, but, more importantly, public health authorities needed exact information on the rate of infection.

    Source: Nation

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  79. The popular Cherish Cosmetique in The City was closed for cleaning today.

    A notice posted on the door of the shuttered store in Swan Street said: “Out of an abundance of caution, Cherish Cosmetique Inc. will be closed Monday, February 8, 2021, in order to facilitate a sanitisation of the entire store.”

    COVID-19 protocols have resulted in long lines in recent times as people queued to enter the store before the February 3 to 17 National Pause

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  81. Those covid numbers are rising fast throughout the Caribbean. Jamaica recorded an increase of 400 plus today.

    It’s not looking good!

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  82. 100,000 doses of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine have arrived, enough for the two required doses for 50,000 people out of a population of 287,600. Another 100,000 doses expected in a few weeks. The vaccination program begins this week.

    70,000 doses have also gone to Dominica, enough for the two required doses for 35,000 people out of a population of 72,000. More expected in a few weeks.

    I will take the vaccine because I am old enough to remember people including a schoolmate who were left permanent disabled or dead by polio and by chicken pox because vaccines were not available or not taken. I’ve also know several people who died of tetanus because of vaccines not available or not taken.

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  87. Racist Hindus. Then we want to know why many black people are hesitant. Why should these Hindus, with their caste system, care about the health of the very black people they despise?
    Mottley is playing a very dangerous game with the futures of black Barbadians.

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  88. Further more the dam thing has not been fully tested and their are serious doubts in the medical profession about its reliance and capabilities
    Mia knows that many barbadians are hesitant to read hence she can spring any kind of trap for for them to fall into
    South Africa said Hell to No on that vaccine

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  89. What is the controversy around Covaxin?
    It all began when the regulator said the vaccine had been approved for “restricted use in emergency situations in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, especially in the context of infection by mutant strains”.

    Experts wondered how a vaccine was cleared for emergency use by millions of vulnerable people when its trials were still underway.

    Both the manufacturer and drug regulator say Covaxin is “safe and provides a robust immune response”.

    But the All India Drug Action Network said it was “baffled to understand the scientific logic” to approve “an incompletely studied vaccine”. It said that there were “intense concerns arising from the absence of the efficacy data”.

    Bharat Biotech has defended the approval, saying Indian clinical trial laws allowed “accelerated” authorisation for use of drugs after the second phase of trials for “unmet medical needs of serious and life-threatening diseases in the country”. It has promised to provide efficacy data for the vaccine by February.

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  90. Well, I put my confidencein the government’s ability to manage covid-19 with sound policies and protocols.

    It appears my confidence was misplaced. Yet, I still believe that sound ptotocols, social distancing, masking and hand washing make up awinning strategy.

    So why this failure?

    Meanwhile, some treat this sad state of affairs as a soap opera with daily twists and turns.

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  91. Lessons learned from China starting with the so called exports on goods sung the praises of China
    Well over the yeats we have witnessed the junk China have sold all over the world
    It would be foolish not to highly cautious of India vaccine produced by a 24year old in a shortened time without through insight and full transparency

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  92. 1) Covaxin is the India DEVELOPED COVID-19 vaccine that to my knowledge has not been distributed outside India, Covishield is the name of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine PRODUCED in India. Most the of the other vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik) have only been given Emergency Use Authorization in most countries (including the USA) i.e. they have not been fully authorized in the regulatory sense but after promising results after the Phase 3 trials they were ALLOWED to be distributed.

    2) South Africa stopped the distribution of the Oxford vaccine because of PRELIMINARY data stating that it is not as effective against the SOUTH AFRICA strain only

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  93. What a pity Barbados finds itself in such a critical position. Over the years, the country refused to set aside a quota of monies to cover periods of national famine.

    The government was instructed to close her borders to prevent our fragile health system from becoming over run. It is unforgivable that our government had no contingency plan to fund the purchase of vaccines for the local population. Broke and battered it has brokered a deal with a government of Hindus to receive large numbers of vaccines. What is the Indian government being given in return? I am concerned as beggars can not be choosers.

    I am not certain how many of our citizens will take the vaccine. Another issue that concerns me are the numerous bodies who are chastising and blaming Bajans for the spread of covid-19. Least we forgot this pandemic was brought in by outsiders under the tutelage of government.

    Mia also needs to switch off megaphone Bobby Clarke’s voice. Since when was he elected by the people. There are a number of
    international entrepreneurs who have a moral backbone that could replace this domestic business man and bring decency and creativity to our dying businesses communities.

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  95. If some local doctors in private practice are mis-diagnosing CoVid, are we to assume these highly qualified people need further training?
    Is anything going to happen to these doctors in terms of regulations and continuing professional development, or will it just be ignored?
    Can we also assume that many of those pressuring the public to be vaccinated are likewise not properly trained?

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