Barbados to do house-to-house testing during lockdown

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced Tuesday night that from February 3 to February 17, a 7:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew will be in effect.

During the lockdown period, Ministry of Health personnel will be going from house to house to test Barbadians using the rapid antigen test for COVID-19.

With three recent deaths of elderly Barbadians and confirmation of community spread of the virus in the island, the prime minister told the country on Tuesday night that this house-to-house health initiative was absolutely necessary in order to save lives.

“This lockdown is going to be necessary to give ourselves a chance to go into the community house by house and do systematic household testing,” she said.

Mottley said she had consulted with medical personnel about the widespread testing.

“Doctors have represented to us that the earlier you can find persons in households who are symptomatic the better their chance of recovery,” she said, adding that the three people who recently died came too late to get medical attention.

(Barbados NationNews)