The Ministry of Health and Wellness strongly refutes a statement made in a section of the press that indicated Barbadians’ health was at risk during the recently concluded T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The facts are as follows:

During Cricket World Cup, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in conjunction with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), instituted a real-time surveillance system to capture all possible public health events that could have occurred. We received daily reports on the status of public health during all of the Cricket World Cup matches.

The surveillance started before, during, and a week after Cricket World Cup. At no time was there any infectious disease outbreak that warranted public health intervention.

The management of public health during the World Cup was commendable and the public remained safe at all times.

We deployed several environmental health and surveillance officers, along with public health nurses, to ensure our surveillance was strengthened throughout the Cricket World Cup.

With respect to Hill Milling Co. Ltd., the environmental health team in the Ministry of Health and Wellness is working with the management of Hill Milling to ensure the food supply remains safe.

There is no outbreak associated with Hill Milling Co. Ltd., and we will continue to work with the company to have outstanding matters resolved.

The Ministry encourages the public to use reputable sources and refrain from using unofficial and unverified sources to obtain their information.