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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 14/April/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday 14th April, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

CAUTION FROM WORLD BANK – The World Bank expects the Barbados economy to bounce back from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic next year once the crisis is “short-lived”. But Martin Rama, the international financial institution’s chief economist for the Latin America and the Caribbean region, urged that this forecast be taken “with a grain of salt”, given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19’s final impact. Rama also said it was still unclear if Barbados, which was graduated from funding because of its high income status, would be able to access World Bank financing given the current situation’s unprecedented nature. In its semi-annual report for the region, titled The Economy In The Time Of COVID-19, the World Bank forecasted that the Barbados economy would contract by 7.7 per cent this year but grow by 4.9 per cent in 2021 and 2.5 per cent in 2022. (DN)

NO POLITICAL REVIVAL FOR SINCKLER - Former Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler’s appointment to a special advisory group for current and post COVID-19 Barbados will not revive his political career, says political scientist Peter Wickham. The director of Caribbean Development Research Services said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s selection of the former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) representative for St Michael North West was a way to form a unified position as the country deals with the virus. “The Prime Minister is having a challenge with the percentage of Barbadians who are still actively supporting the DLP. In a situation like this, you need to speak with one voice which is apolitical. I think in a situation like this we need to have a unified front and clearly [DLP president] Verla De Peiza is not that person that can help bring that to the fore.” He added: “His [Sinckler’s] utility is less about the economic knowledge he brings and more about the legitimacy he can bring to hard decisions that have to be taken. This is not a way to resurrect Chris or pick him up and scrub him off and present him to the public. This is a crisis situation and I think he will help respond to the crisis. His political career is no less dead than it was before and that is something to be clear about,” Wickham said today. (DN)

CZAR’S WARNING – The man in charge of Barbados’ effort to stem the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease is warning Barbadians not to be complacent during the extended national lockdown. In fact, COVID-19 czar Richard Carter says he expects more infections and even a few more deaths from the flu-like virus before Barbados can grapple the public health crisis to the ground, especially because of the prevalence of pre-existing medical conditions within the elderly demographic.Carter, a social scientist with experience in handling the impact of a viral pandemic in Sierra Leone, said Barbados’ early plan, which was instituted in January to prepare for the disease reaching these shores, and which moved to Stage 3 before many Eastern Caribbean countries, had served the country well. (DN)

BAJANS HABITS HARD TO CURB – COVID-19 CZAR Richard Carter has admitted that trying to curb the behavioural practices of Barbadians has been his biggest challenge. The island has been under lockdown since March 28, when an initial 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew was implemented. It has since been extended to a 24-hour curfew and Carter said it has been extremely difficult trying to keep people inside their homes during that period. “This has been perhaps the most difficult aspect of what we’ve tried to do. We’ve tried to remind people that even when you yourself may not be at serious risk in terms of a young person, for example, who gets affected by COVID-19, we know that about 80 per cent of the cases are mild, so mild that large numbers of people are asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic and may not even know they have COVID-19, but you have a mother, you have an aunt, you have a grandmother or grandfather and the risk for them is considerably elevated. “All of the deaths we have seen of COVID-19 in Barbados are of elderly people and in one or two cases infected by persons younger than themselves, so that is part of what we have tried to communicate,” Carter said during an interview on various media platforms this afternoon.

“Disobedience and the natural tendency that some people have to try to flout rules, that is not simply putting yourself at risk, it is putting members of your own family at risk. We saw from very early, as soon as the restrictions were announced videos of young people stating their intent to disobey and so that is a message we have tried to communicate to young people.” Carter, who worked in West Africa during the Ebola outbreak, however, said this was not the first time he had encountered such stubborn attitudes. He said during the Ebola outbreak it had also been difficult in trying to curb the practices of Africans, especially as it related to treating the dead. “They’ve been lessons from Ebola. Under Ebola, persons were not allowed to touch their own relatives who died because it was immediately after death that the body was at its most infectious. So here you had a society that believes that if you don’t send off your ancestors or your loved ones in an appropriate way by washing and preparing the body, that body roams in the afterlife forever and torments you,” the Czar explained. “How do you get people to a part where they don’t touch their dead bodies, where they don’t touch their children if they are ill? “That was a huge battle and similarly in Barbados we are asking people to do things that are not in their natural instinct, we are asking people to do things that are contrary to what they’ve had and enjoyed for a long period of time. We are fortunate to live in a society that provides us immense freedoms, but those freedoms are the very things that something like the coronavirus can exploit,” Carter maintained. (BT)

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO RE-OPEN ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 – The Central Bank of Barbados and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) advise that all deposit-taking institutions and/or businesses facilitating domestic or international payments can open under the extended 24-hour curfew, which runs from April 15 until May 3. The Bank and the FSC acknowledge that during this period financial institutions may reduce the number of their branches that will operate. The regulators advise, however, that financial institutions, including commercial banks, credit unions and money service remittance firms must:

· Enforce the requirement that their clients use their services on the day assigned by their surname or special circumstance;

· Accommodate, by exception, during the shortened weeks of April 13 and April, 27 clients assigned to Monday and Tuesday, and Tuesday and Friday, respectively

· Take the opportunity during this period to encourage their customers to sign up for ATM cards and/or internet banking, where feasible

· Adopt protocols for dealing with persons who, for the protection of their health, wish to enter the banking premises wearing masks. Such clients must temporarily reveal their full face on entry to the institution and when they approach the customer agent for the purposes of security and customer identification.

The regulators advise that customers should check their financial institution’s website or monitor the media for the details about the operations of the financial services sector during the extended curfew.

The Bank and the FSC thank all deposit-taking institutions for their understanding and urge Barbadians to adhere to the new procedures for carrying out their financial transactions to ensure everyone’s safety. The regulators also remind the public to adhere to the national protocols and warnings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. (Central Bank of Barbados) - (BT)

ESSENTIAL CARGO DELIVERY BY APPOINTMENT – Members of the public are advised that from tomorrow, Tuesday, April 14, essential cargo deliveries will be done through an appointment system at the Bridgetown Port, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Persons may book appointments by sending an email to the following addresses based on their requirements:

For less than container loads collection – [email protected]

Full container loads collection – [email protected]

Exports (for less than container loads) – [email protected]

Exports (full container loads) – [email protected]

Appointment confirmations will be sent via return email, and all relevant documentation must be presented at the gate. However, persons may direct queries to, or seek assistance by calling 244-1823 or 434-6100 Extension 5401/2/3/5 for lesser than container loads; 832-8398 or 434-6100 Extension 5501/2/6 for full container loads; or 434-6100 Extension 5405/6/7 for exports. For more information, persons may visit the Barbados Port Inc.’s website at www.barbadosport.com. This forms part of the National COVID-19 response to ensure cargo identified as essential is unstuffed and delivered to consignees, and that exports are facilitated in an efficient and timely manner. (BT)

PAYMENT & COLLECTION OF MAINTENACE – The Supreme Court of Barbados has advised that the payment and collection of maintenance monies will be done according to the following schedule:

Payment Date: Tuesday April 14th – Boarded Hall, & District F St. Joseph Magistrates’ Courts

Collection Date/Method: Wednesday April 15th 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Payment Date: Tuesday April 14th – Oistins Magistrates’ Court, District D & F St. Andrew, District A Domestic Court, St. Mathias

Collection Date/Method: CHEQUES TO BE POSTED

Payment Date: Wednesday April 15th - Oistins Magistrates’ Court, District D & F St. Andrew, District A Domestic Court, St. Mathias

Collection Date/Method: CHEQUES TO BE POSTED

Payment Date: Tuesday April 14th – Friday April 17th – District E & Holetown Magistrates’ Courts

Collection Date/Method: CHEQUES TO BE POSTED

Payment Date: Thursday April 16th & Friday April 17th – District C Magistrates’ Court

The payment of maintenance should be made between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on the allotted days. (BGIS)

TWO SPECIAL SHOPPING DAYS – Two days have been designated for senior citizens aged 70 and over and members of the disabled community to go shopping at the supermarkets, hardware stores and fish markets, irrespective of their surnames. A press release from Government today said the days, starting April 19, are Sundays, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and Tuesdays, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesday is also the day for them to conduct business at banks and credit unions, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The measures go into effect on April 15. They are reminded to travel with their national identification card, driver’s license or passport, as they will be asked to show picture identification before entering the premises. People in these groups are advised to bring a shopping list of essential items, an umbrella, drinking water and to wear a cloth face mask in public. All shoppers will be required to observe a physical distance of a minimum of six feet. Anyone feeling ill is advised not to go out. The number of people allowed in each store at one time will be 75 for mega supermarkets, 50 in the large, and 25 in the small stores. These measures were implemented as Government works to limit the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). (BGIS)

SPECIALLY DESIGNATED SHOPPING DAYS FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED TUESDAY AND SUNDAY – Senior citizens aged 70 and over and members of the disabled community are reminded that there are two specially designated days for them to go shopping at the supermarkets, hardware stores and fish markets, irrespective of their surnames. The days set aside for these vulnerable groups, starting Sunday, April 19, are Sundays, between 9 a.m and 11 a.m., and Tuesdays, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesday is also the day designated for them to conduct business at banks and credit unions, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The measures go into effect for all groups of persons on Wednesday, April 15. They are reminded to travel with their national identification card, their driver’s licence or passport, as they will be asked to show picture identification before entering the premises. They are advised to bring a shopping list of essential items so that they can shop speedily, and to carry an umbrella and drinking water in case there is a waiting period before they are allowed entry. It is strongly recommended that persons wear a cloth face mask in public. All shoppers will be required to observe a physical distance of a minimum of six feet. Anyone feeling ill is advised not to go out. The number of persons allowed in each store at one time will be 75 for mega supermarkets, 50 in the large, and 25 in the small stores. All other persons, outside of these vulnerable groups, are advised that their shopping days are designated according to the first letter of their surnames. (BGIS)

KEEP KIDS HOME – Police are asking parents to keep their children indoors to protect them from the coronavirus (COVID-19). At the same time, child rights experts are saying enough activities must be provided for the youngsters, and they should be shielded from detention if they breach public health emergency rules. Inspector Stephen Griffith, of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Royal Barbados Police Force, has questioned why parents would allow their children to be in danger of contracting the virus by riding around and gathering during the 24-hour lockdown. So far Barbados has recorded 72 cases of the illness, including a seven-year-old, with four deaths. Thirteen people have recovered. (DN)

TRINIDADIANS LEFT STRANDED IN BARBADOS CAN RETURN HOME AT THEIR COSTS - National Security Minister Stuart Young is willing to grant an exemption to a group of T&T nationals, who were left stranded in Barbados after this country closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at a Ministry of Health virtual press conference Sunday afternoon, Young said that they were free to return to Trinidad but had to arrange their own transportation. Young said: “They can make their way here but the Government is not sending a plane for them.” During the press conference, Young took the time to give a chronological account of the group’s plight and his discussions with Barbados authorities and the group’s attorneys St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar and Larry Larry over their possible repatriations. Young explained that the group landed in Barbados after the travel ban for nationals and non-nationals took effect on March 23. Young noted that while the T&T Government, through the Ministry of Health, sent COVID-19 test kits for the group, officials in Barbados still required that they serve 14 days mandatory quarantine before being tested. Young said that after the period elapsed, he was informed that the testing could still take place but was being delayed by the fact that Barbados has a shortage of testing swabs, which are not included in the test kits. Young said that after consultation with Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Roshan Parasram and other State medical experts, last Friday, the decision was taken to allow the nationals, who were asymptomatic throughout their quarantine, to be tested immediately upon their return. He explained that once the samples are taken, Parasram and his team would then decide whether they should serve the additional mandatory quarantine, under this country’s Quarantine Act, at their homes or at one of the State medical institutions being used for the pandemic. Throughout the press conference, Young repeatedly stated that neither he nor any of his Government colleagues were engaged in a “back-room deal” with the group’s lawyers. “We have always done everything above board and it can stand up to the highest levels of scrutiny,” Young said. (TRINIDAD GUARDIAN)

CHINA TO TEST EXPERIMENTAL VIRUS VACCINES – China has approved early-stage human tests for two experimental vaccines to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as it battles to contain imported cases, especially from neighbouring Russia, the new “front line” in the war on the disease. Russia has become China’s largest source of imported cases, with a total of 409 infections originating in the country, and Chinese citizens should stay put and not return home, the state-owned Global Timessaid in an editorial. “Russia is the latest example of a failure to control imported cases and can serve as a warning to others,” said the paper, which is run by the Communist Party’s People’s Daily. “The Chinese people have watched Russia become a severely affected country . . .. This should sound the alarm: China must strictly prevent the inflow of cases and avoid a second outbreak.” China’s northeastern border province of Heilongjiang saw 79 new cases of imported coronavirus cases on Monday. All the new cases were Chinese citizens travelling back into the country from Russia, state media said on Tuesday. They formed the bulk of new cases on the Chinese mainland, which stood at 89. As of Tuesday, China had reported 82 249 coronavirus cases and 3 341 deaths. There were no deaths in the past 24 hours. As China fights to prevent a second wave of COVID-19, two experimental vaccines will be tried on humans, state media Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The experimental vaccines are being developed by a Beijing-based unit of Nasdaq-listed Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O), and by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, an affiliate of state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group. In March, China gave the green-light for another clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by military-backed China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and HK-listed biotech firm CanSino Bio (6185.HK), shortly after United States drug developer Moderna (MRNA.O) said it had begun human tests for their vaccine with the US National Institutes of Health. At a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday, China’s coronavirus task force decided to deploy more health resources on its borders. It said it would build hospitals and establish isolation points in border regions, and would also strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries. (Reuters)

The world is facing the rapid spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. As we continue to do our part in Barbados please remember to stay home but on the days you have to go out wear your masks, practice social distancing (stand 6-10 feet away from each other), practice good daily hygiene, eat healthy, exercise and keep your mind active. There are 262 days left in the year Shalom! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell #coronavirusinbarbados #nationalresponse #dailynews #thechasefilesblog

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