Prime Minister Mia Mottley issued an invitation to Canadians to “come home” to Barbados and the Caribbean to get some relief from the stress of COVID-19, but that country is still advising its citizens against international travel.
Mottley appeared on CBC (Canada’s) Power & Politics with Vassy Kapelos on Tuesday evening and used her final seconds on the programme to issue the invitation.
“Barbados and Canada have had long relationships as I said at the beginning, and I want Canadians to feel that you can come home to us, not just in the winter when it gets cold, but all like now.
“I know everyone needs some relief from the mental crisis that has been brought upon us by the pandemic, . . . come home and enjoy your time in Barbados; we’ll wait for you with open arms,” she said, also including other areas in the Caribbean.
In response, Kapelos read a statement from the Canadian Government which said in part “we understand the importance of tourism to our Caribbean partners and how best we can help them manage the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic but our clear advice to Canadians is to avoid all non-essential travel outside of the country. People returning to Canada from abroad are subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine. Any decision regarding international travel will be made based on the best advice of the medical experts from the Public Health Agency of Canada.”
Canada is seeking a seat on the United National Security Council and Kapelos asked whether they had Barbados’ support, to which Mottley replied in the affirmative.
The vote will be held on June 17, 2020. (SAT)
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