COVID-19 update & plans for the management of the pandemic in Barbados for the remainder of the holiday season. (PMO)

Government is determined to treat dengue or a dengue outbreak in the same way it is addressing the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, reiterated this today during a press conference at Ilaro Court to update Barbadians on plans for the management of the pandemic for the remainder of the holiday season.

Elaborating on the expanded programmes in respect of dengue fever, Minister Bostic told media representatives it would be treated with the same level of seriousness, and the same approach with the health emergency operation centre being responsible for launching the effort.

“We have contracted about 40 additional persons for example, to assist the Environmental Unit to be able to go out there and they have been out there on the ground trying to locate mosquito breeding sites,” he said.

While also pointing out that a considerable amount of money was spent in terms of purchasing both handheld foggers as well as truck mounted foggers, he told members of the media: “We are awaiting the arrival of the foggers, and as soon as those machines are here, then we are going to be able to deploy four fogging teams – two in the northern half of the country and two in the southern half, with a fifth team that will be able to respond to any isolated incidence.

“We have been mapping information in relation to persons who have been suspected of contracting dengue, and we have been targeting those areas with the current capacity that we have, and that will continue throughout the next several months, and especially when we have the equipment that we can deploy all of the teams that we now have at our disposal.”

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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