Prime Minister's Address to the Nation 26th June 2020 (Friday)

Prime Minister's Address to the Nation 26th June 2020 (Friday)

Posted by Barbados Government Information Service on Friday, June 26, 2020
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s address to the nation – June 26, 2020. (PMO)

For the first time since March 16 when Barbados recorded its first two cases of COVID-19, there are no confirmed cases of the viral illness in the island.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, informed the country today that everyone who had been in isolation and quarantine had been discharged.

These included five people who left the isolation facility at Harrison Point, St. Lucy, on Wednesday and all those persons who had been in quarantine since being repatriated home from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada in recent weeks.

Speaking at a Press conference at Ilaro Court, the Health and Wellness Minister said the achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation and discipline exhibited by the Barbadian population.

“In spite of the financial and other support and the leadership of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, in spite of the efforts of the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Medical Officer and the hardworking staff at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in spite of the all-of-Government approach, we could not have reached this point unless we had the cooperation and support of the ordinary Barbadian man and woman, and all other persons residing here.”

He noted that the authorities asked the population to embark on a journey that most people had never undertaken before …. “Most Barbadians never experienced a curfew; most Barbadians never experienced isolation, solitude, deprivation, and all of these were required, and a level of discipline, for us to reach where we have today.”

MHW-Barbados-COVID-19-Dashboard-June-262020

In thanking residents, Minister Bostic observed: “This is one of those situations where our destiny is not in the hands of any foreign government, our destiny is in our hands.  When we come together, when we work together, when we cooperate, we will be strong.

“And so I say, we’ve done well, but let us not become complacent.  Let us continue to be our brother’s keeper and look out for each other and I am sure we can ride through any storm that comes our way.”

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley praised Minister Bostic’s leadership and also had high praise for the Barbadian people.

“We did what we have done for generations. We faced our challenges head-on, we talked through our national concerns and the varying opinions, we supported each other, especially those most vulnerable in our society, and showed true resolve and resilience.”

She was confident that as Barbados prepared to relax its border restrictions to allow for scheduled commercial travel that the country would again successfully rise to this challenge, making “tough but cautious decisions, while balancing our need for much needed income, along with maintaining the security and safety of all Barbadians”.

joy.springer@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest