Barbadians can expect to see the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit out in greater force soon.
Head of the unit, Ronald Chapman, said they started with ten officers, but their ranks would soon swell to 50, as announced recently by Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic.
Chapman said this would allow the unit to increase its scope.
“We started with ten officers and we actually added ten more two weeks ago and now we are about to add another 30.
“The extra officers are due to the volume of work now. To kickstart our tourism product, it is vital to approve a number of villas, which must meet a certain criteria before they can be used.”
Chapman said the unit had been “inundated” with requests to inspect villas and other quarantine zones, noting this resulted in a scaling-back of the rest of their operations.
“At first, we were very visible and we were doing well before things quietened down as it was necessary to pay attention to the villas. Now, with the additional staff, I’m sure you will see a significant presence of the unit across the island.” (CA)
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