Col Bostic News Today

The Government has sent a clear signal that we should celebrate the Christmas season with caution and sobriety in the face of the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant which has put countries around the globe on edge at what ought to be the most wonderful time of the year.Issuing the Emergency Management Curfew Directive 23 that is now in effect, the authorities resisted the tug from the business community and other interest groups to lift all restrictions, opting instead to make only minor...

A Ministry of Health official died Friday when he lost control of the pick-up truck he was driving and slammed head-on into a coach that was travelling in the opposite direction.The death of 66-year-old Richard Newton of Sealy Hall, St John jolted Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic, who told reporters on the scene that the loss has sent shockwaves throughout the health care system.The smash-up occurred along a section of Pilgrim Road, Christ Church, around 10:45 a.m. Newton wa...

May 13, 2021 Investigations into coronavirus at the Ellerslie Secondary School have revealed that only one student has been infected so far, with Health and Wellness Minister Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic declaring Wednesday “there is no outbreak at any school in Barbados”. The student also did not take public transport amid fears of possible exposure, said Dr Kimberley Philips, medical officer of Health at the Brandford Taitt Polyclinic who is managing the situation. Dr Phillips said: �...

Psychiatric hospital COVID outbreak grows, director says care affected Article by May 13, 2021 The cluster of COVID-19 cases at the Psychiatric Hospital has grown slightly by five new cases,  with 55 people now being diagnosed with the illness, the health minister said Wednesday as its chief admitted the outbreak has begun to affect the hospital’s care. But Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic insisted the situation is under control, with the rise in numb...

May 12, 2021 The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose by one Tuesday while health authorities closed yet another school after a student tested positive for the virus. The woman, a 66-year-old Barbadian, died Monday night, Health and Wellness Minister Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic announced Tuesday night. Lt Col Bostic revealed that the woman had a history of hypertension, diabetes, and shortness of breath. He said: “She was a primary contact of a COVID positive patient on the 5th o...

As Psychiatric hospital COVID cases rise, staff decline tests Article by May 7, 2021 A spike of COVID-19 cases at the Psychiatric Hospital has been complicated by a disturbing trend of staff members refusing to be tested for the virus, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George. As the cluster of cases reaches 50 – 49 males and one female – Dr George revealed: “There has been some reluctance on the part of some members of staff at the Psychiatric Hospital to ...

Restrictions to remain untouched for now, says minister Article by May 4, 2021 A 63-year-old man has become the 45th person to die from COVID-19 here, the Minister of Health announced Monday while revealing that in a separate development, eight members of a St Michael family have tested positive for the coronavirus. The minister announced the death of the man, who was admitted to the Harrison Point coronavirus hospital on April 23 and was intubated and ventilated for six day...

May 4, 2021 The outbreaks of COVID-19 at both the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and the Psychiatric Hospital are under control, Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic declared Monday. He said the two clusters are being handled appropriately and that he was hopeful they would soon end. Last Friday, it was revealed that 15 of the 17 new COVID-19 cases involved patients and staff from the mental health institution and three other people tested positive Monday....

Viral test backlog declared over – Bostic Article by February 18, 2021 The backlog of COVID-19 test results should have been cleared by Wednesday, according to Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic. He gave an assurance that operations at the Best-Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory had returned to normal following the acquisition of a chemical reagent to speed up the process. Lt Col Bostic said it was imperative that test results be brought up ...

Govt lab ‘ready to clear test backlog’ Article by February 16, 2021 The Government public health laboratory, the epicentre of COVID-19 testing, is back to full capacity, and expects to clear the backlog of just over 1,800 results in a matter of days, Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic said Monday. Barbados had finally been able to source the reagent along with a critical binding agent needed for automatic extraction to be conducted at the B...