EDITORIAL: Decisions, decisions on tackling Omicron

As of Monday, December 6, 2021

IT IS two years this month since the COVID-19 virus was discovered. That 19 in the name refers to the year in which it was discovered. Since then, we have learned a great deal about the virus itself, but one thing has also become clear – we don’t know what to do about it.

Last week, there was a flurry of activity across the globe as a new variant appeared. Omicron, which sounds like a villain from a sci-fi movie, is the latest version of the virus to appear.

Shutting everything down was the kneejerk response, and there was a rush to ban travel from countries in Africa. Except, as it turned out, the variant was already in plenty of places – it’s just that South Africa found it before other countries.

Here too, we blocked travel from a number of countries – including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

There were dire predictions of what this new variant might do, concerns over new waves of deaths. Here at home, Dr Duane Sands has warned that we must not make the same mistake with Omicron as we did with the Delta strain, and saying we should tighten travel restrictions.

Meanwhile, new FNM leader Michael Pintard says instead of travel restrictions, we should change our testing requirements to require PCR tests rather than the antigen tests, for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, 48 to 72 hours prior to travel.

The PLP, meanwhile, came into office on a pledge to tackle COVID with free testing. We still haven’t seen that appear yet, even though they’ve lifted a number of other restrictions.

COVID, meanwhile, has not gone away, and the number of deaths from the virus have now gone past the 700 mark, after another 20 deaths, some dating back as far as September, were reported over the weekend.

Across in the US, Dr Anthony Fauci, the top advisor on the virus, sounded hopeful yesterday when he said that the evidence showed that perhaps the new variant might not be as deadly – though we still have to wait for more data.

So here we are, shutting down travel from countries that are good enough to spot the variant in the first place, talking of tightening restrictions, changing restrictions, not putting in promised measures and not even knowing yet if this new variant is more dangerous or not yet. If you’re looking for a coherent plan of action, whose do you choose? We’re not the experts, we don’t know who is right and who is wrong.

What we do know from the past two years is what we have to do individually. People can argue all they like about changes in testing or availability of testing – but we can carry on doing our part. That means wearing masks, using sanitiser, keeping our distance, and remembering we’re doing it all to protect those we love. There would be nothing worse than to know you were responsible for passing on the virus to someone you care about, so keep on being careful.

The answers for what to do about the next variant will come. Until then, we just keep on keeping on.

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

World Health Organization already sent out warning to the vaccinated. Still the unvaccinate are being made the scapegoat or just a missing piece of robbery profit plan.

https://www.rt.com/news/541216-who-he...">https://www.rt.com/news/541216-who-he...

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Seems the nation is back under the control of money loving conspirators lead by politicians controlled by the medical mafia hell bent on leeching every single dollar from the tourist industry to feed their fat cows whole the poor Bahamian hardworking hotel maid with family gets the crumbs from the floor. There is lots of evil grin chest behind those coatsuits this Christmas

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Even while WHO does not require PCR testing for travel neither the USA where our tourists originate why then are our mafia medical coup political leaders enforcing a solely profit for themselves regime without any medical or science behind it only politico medical bandits riding the backs of tourism under the guize of We Care about you and are protecting our nation. Is the government getting this money? No. Yea. We just a bunch of JA$$e$. Norther PAHO CDC FDA WHO declared PCR for tourists travel. It was invented by our pirates as even as PAHO gas tamed down Omicron our money scientists is scare politicizing us to obey and let them get away with this criminal robbery.

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

https://m.theepochtimes.com/mkt_break...">https://m.theepochtimes.com/mkt_break...

Even as new medical means to tackle covid are discovered our medical teams insist on reinventing covid fear 2020 I guess it was profitable.

FreeportFreddy 2 years, 4 months ago

Put your tinfoil hat on!!!

How do you keep track of all those (random) thoughts bouncing around in your head??

MEDS ... you should be taking them!!!

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Bahamas alone with this. It's a mystery.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southe...">https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southe...

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Accordingly, African scientists record Omicron as the mildest Covid to date and is replacing the harsher variants.

https://sputniknews.com/20211206/top-...">https://sputniknews.com/20211206/top-...

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

Just foiling my head Freeport. According to pharma, 4C, CDC FDA for fully vaccinated persons, by six months after last vaccine dose you become fully unvaccinated needing a booster vaccine. Gates already declared vaccines don't prevent transmission. Scientific data shows vaccinated spreads spikes to vaxxed and unvaxxed. Gates also said there needs to be a new vaccine. This omicron is appearing in the vaccinated. WHO Europe is trying to prevent a fear Crises. But the fear narrative danger script has had water thrown on it by WHO, so far at least. Some organizations dance to the highest bidder.

carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago

The old world order has gained some traction. Even USA big economy is pleading "not now. Give us a break."

ted4bz 2 years, 4 months ago

"...we don’t know what to do about it." What have you been doing all along? Doing exactly as told, right? Well, just keep doing just that! That's all.It's all engineered, there is no smart thing that anyone can come up with to get out of any part of this, it's engineered. There is no way out.

John 2 years, 4 months ago

Does anyone know how many new cases were on the last dashboard for The Bahamas? THREE. The point isn’t that it was only three but that they didn’t publish it as much. But two weeks hasn’t passed from thanksgiving yet, when f there was to be a surge from increased travel and social activity, it would surface by then. And the new cases now rema mostly New Providence and Grand Bahama. And current deaths (from Covid) remain close to zero even though figures for previous times are being released and leading to some confusion as some believe they are current deaths.

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