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With the decision to screen every single arriving passenger at Barbados’ ports of entry for symptoms of COVID-19, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced today that at least two walk-through body scanners are on order and there are plans to order a third.

Speaking during an interview at the official residence, Ilaro Court, Prime Minister Mottley stated: “We need to have the walk-through scanners that will also take people’s temperatures and those orders have gone in.  We hope we can get at least one for the airport and one for the seaport.

“I’ve told them to try to see if we can get two for the airport instead of one, and that will allow us to take additional precautionary measures.”

She also revealed that while there were ventilators already in the island, more were on order, and last week about 40 temperature guns were received and are currently in use at the ports of entry.

Ms. Mottley further stated that the Barbados Drug Service was ordering pharmaceuticals, not only to treat to COVID-19, but also to upgrade the general stock since “we recognize that with panic comes panic-buying and we do not want our borders, in some instances, to be shut down from essential raw materials”.

She explained that pharmaceutical production may be affected later in the year in what was called ‘a lag effect’ … “and therefore we are trying to get as much as we can”.

The Prime Minister said that key, in respect of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Drug Service, was that the average Barbadian with normal medical conditions should still be able to continue life on a day-to-day basis without being affected by the preparation plans for COVID-19.

joy.springer@barbados.gov.bb

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