BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Health authorities have defended the decision to prosecute delinquent property owners noting there has been an increase in dengue cases and rodent sightings on the island.
The Ministry of Health and wellness said that 12 people have already been charged with various violations, which include, but are not limited to, overgrown vegetation, mosquito breeding, and illegal dumping.
The ministry said that it is in the process of strengthening its enforcement of the Health Services Act and its accompanying regulations and that it is “strongly” encouraging all citizens and residents to pay keen attention to their surroundings by ensuring that no violations exist on their premises”since violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Members of the public are reminded that it is an offence to wilfully breed mosquitoes on their properties, particularly if previously warned by the Environmental Health Department,” the ministry said adding that the legislation authorises Environmental Health Officers to enter all premises for the purpose of conducting inspections, which include both the interior and exterior of the property.
Earlier this week, the ministry reported that while there have been no deaths related to acute dengue here since the start of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness in November last year, there may be some early evidence that the outbreak is showing signs of slowing down.
“While there have been a number of hospitalisations, including some with severe dengue, health authorities said there were no deaths attributed to dengue for the period November to December 2023,” it said.
The ministry said there had been increased reports of clinically suspected (2,105) and laboratory confirmed (277) cases of dengue fever up to December 26 last year, compared to the same period in 2022, when there were 321 suspected cases.
“The Type 2 dengue virus was the predominant virus during the last three months, followed by the Type 3 strain. The outbreak of dengue fever began in October 2023, intensified in November, and continued into December 2023,” the ministry added.
