Barbados yesterday recorded its twelfth death from Covid-19. Once again, the victim was an elderly Barbadian. The 84 year old female died at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from complications of Covid-19, which were exacerbated by pre-existing co-morbidities. 

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic extends condolences to the bereaved family. The Minister cautioned the public not to let their guard down and to exercise extreme caution when dealing with elderly relatives. “I want to be clear. Seniors and persons suffering from sugar, pressure, strokes, and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable to the complications of Covid-19. Those of you who have family members with these heath challenges must protect them.”

“While we feel safest among those we love and with whom we are familiar, that is when we must be the most vigilant. If we contract the virus and take it home to our families, we may survive but someone in our family may not. That is the reality with Covid. The only way to safeguard our families is to restrict our social activity and if  we do go out, to wear our masks the right way, wash our hands often or sanitise and stand six feet away from other people.”

Minister Bostic indicated that the deaths of these elderly persons emphasised the need for  “Operation Seek and Save”, a recently announced community based intervention aimed at seeking, identifying and saving every vulnerable Barbadian, those at risk and those who are infected with Covid.