Key points and live updates from the March 31, 2021 address to the nation by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Attorney General Dale Marshall and Minister of Labour Colin Jordan.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley
- The Prime Minister held a 5-hour meeting with the Social Partnership to address the burning issues affecting the country.
- Tourism, agriculture and most of the public sector are paying above the minimum wage.
- Some people in the private sector are not making a liveable wage.
- The minimum wage will go forward.
- To live on $48 a week is too much to ask.
- There is fatigue on the part of workers, so Sundays will be rest days.
- There was a significant reduction in positive cases from a month ago.
- Positivity rate is below 5 per cent and only 18 per cent in ICU.
- Vaccination procurement is a difficult exercise.
- The Prime Minister is not sure when the 33 000 COVAX vaccines will arrive, but in next few weeks.
- Too many variables disrupting supplies.
- African Medical Supplies platform will give CARICOM 1.8 million doses.
- 60 000 out of that for Barbados.
- President of China will donate 30 000 doses of Sinopharm to Barbados.
- Many discussions for different varieties such as Johnson and Johnson and Sputnik.
- Children need to go back to school safely.
- People in gyms are allowed to go outside and exercise from 6 to 6.
- Government met with watersports operators on Friday.
- Crop Over and other events will be considered with herd immunity.
- Mobile teams doing a few vaccinations
- Blue Ribbon Committee and Minimum Wage Board had three meetings. Judgment is April 1.
- It is not fair to let workers wait another eight months till January 2022.
- Government is giving grants and loans to support tourism sector.
- There was a meeting today on how to deal with vaccinated people coming into the country.
- The level of entertainment and even gathering of families need to be moderated this weekend.
- The last three months were difficult, but we are turning the corner.
Attorney General Dale Marshall
- An error is being repeated.
- The powers in the COVID order are not new.
- They were in every COVID order since March 2020.
