Zazeannah Walker 
With the highly transmissible COVID-19 variant Omicron spreading quickly across the world, this country’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, has cautioned that it was only a matter of time before it reached our shores.
During a press conference held Monday evening at Ilaro Court, Lieutenant Colonel Bostic stated that while Barbados and the region continued to battle the Delta variant, “the reality is that Omicron could find its way in our region” in the coming weeks or months.
Minister Bostic added that he did not want to put a damper on the Christmas festivities but cited comments made by the Director General of the World Health Organisation, to emphasise the point that Omicron should not be underestimated and that health care institutions which failed to prepare would do so at their own peril.
“This region, the CARICOM region, will have to face this variant. And the numbers, according to everything else that has been happening, will continue to be higher than the Delta variant. But, we have faced things before, and we will continue to deal with what is coming,” he assured.
Lt. Col. Bostic has also urged persons to continue observing the protocols, and to wear their face masks; sanitise and maintain their social distance as the best defence against the emerging threat.
“These are the things that will help us to see through any difficulty that we face. And in this particular case, even though we can’t stop it from coming this way, we can do some things that will help us to cushion the blow…. Promise yourself and promise the country that you will try your best to do what I am asking you to do. And I say so because I am convinced that if we do that, that we will find ourselves in a position where we can fight and fight well against this variant…,” the Minister underlined.
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