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PM announces ban on import of non-medical masks to help develop local industry

As of Thursday, April 9, 2020

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER:

The importation of non-medical protective face masks will be prohibited, effective 8am Friday 10 April 2020, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis announced today.

This does not apply to the importation of medical-grade masks for health care workers.

“The move is an effort to protect the local mask manufacturing industry that has sprung up overnight as a result of the COVID-19 virus,” said Prime Minister Minnis.

“We are working to protect and encourage small businesses and to create and promote jobs. I am happy to see so many seamstresses and tailors involved in this growing industry.”

All mask orders made before Friday 10 April will be allowed. Proof of the date that masks were ordered is required.

Orders of 10 masks or less for personal use are also allowed.

Requests for special exemptions may be made in writing to the Competent Authority, Office of the Prime Minister.

Under the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No.2)(Amendment), every person who leaves their residence must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth while away from their residence.

Comments

mckenziecpa 4 years, 7 months ago

What happens when its over how will sells fare

moncurcool 4 years, 7 months ago

Here we go again. Another day another order. Can't make this up if you tried. Honestly I'm getting tired this.

BBurrowsII 4 years, 7 months ago

Let’s protect the local mask manufacturing industry that never existed prior to last week (sarcasm).

Why must we prohibit local importers / wholesalers / retailers from supplying the product they have access to, in order to protect an ‘industry’ that formed days ago, and will be gone in a few months.

Can our local ‘mask industry’ supply 300k+ masks to an entire nation (that is now required to wear masks in public) suffering a 24hr curfew?

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

… umm the assumption you are making is that the one making the decisions has a rational mind. The cumulative evidence thus far says otherwise!

ohdrap4 4 years, 7 months ago

He reads the Tribune and makes orders.

TalRussell 4 years, 7 months ago

Meaning no disrespect but seriously, is it some Joe Monk's like mentality calling the ever changing mindbogglingly switcharoo coronovirus response shots to what could kill 1,400 of PopoulacesOrdinary?
Regardless of the whomever, that individual needs to be immediately rushed by side riders escort from out Churchill Square to head up to The Crazy Hills** to be registered as an on ward patient of the distinguished legendary head fixer Comrade Dr Henry Podlewski. Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

akbar 4 years, 7 months ago

So what happen to the local suppliers who selling masks they ordered from abroad to resell! These emergency orders while good seem to be getting to his head.

Economist 4 years, 7 months ago

Is this man mad??? First, without warning you tell everyone to wear a mask. Then, before production is organized or even started in a meaningful way, you, without warning, stop the importation of masks. So how are you supposed to get ready made masks when there are not enough locally?

So having forced us all together by shorting the food store days from 7 to only five and reducing the hours, except for Thursday, you now make it impossible for us to get masks

Man, you can't be serious about the health of Bahamians.

Do you have an interest in a funeral home, hospital, or cemetary???

TalRussell 4 years, 7 months ago

Ma Comrade Economist, strangle the PM, didn't include fabric shops selling cloths and required sewing tools stuff on his can remain open list essential businesses?
Besides, we have 700 islands and cays with maybe a combined total of 3 cloths and sewing stuff shops. You haven't been able buy masks - nor much of decent quality required sewing cloths and tools stuff anywhere in colony for much past 2 months. Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

@Economist - The answer to your first question: "Yes!"

Bonefishpete 4 years, 7 months ago

Ban all imported food. Get Hatchet Bay up and running again.

BahamaPundit 4 years, 7 months ago

Will he ban imports of toilet paper next, so locals can sell banana leaf?

buddah17 4 years, 7 months ago

Good one. (And a good idea!) Dn't forget the "seagrape leaf!"

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Please don't encourage Minnis....he possesses a most delicate and fragile state of mind right now; bordering on the imbalanced.

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

@BahamaPundit… you don't need banana leaf if you have grass in your yard! Preferably tall grass!

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

I have all kinds of things growing in my backyard but nothing anywhere close to Charmin's softness.

DDK 4 years, 7 months ago

Seems like 'the virus' has infected someone's brain🤣

hj 4 years, 7 months ago

All of a sudden we have a "mask industry". In the next few months and years people around the world will keep buying Bahamian masks. Add to that the "whistle industry" which is our weapon against crime and the economic future of the Bahamas looks bright indeed. Who needs tourists

Topdude 4 years, 7 months ago

Please let’s hold our comments until pundit Know it All Mudda sic chimes in.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Even sarcastic flattery will get you nowhere.

CatIslandBoy 4 years, 7 months ago

You all are such whiners and cry babies. Here is an embattled PM desperately trying to save Bahamian lives, and you are letting your pettiness cloud you judgement. How many of you, with your vast corona virus handling experience could do a better job? Giving the PM some credit, whether you like him or not, for stepping up to the challenge each day.

bogart 4 years, 7 months ago

@Catisland boy ...ABSOLUTELY CORRECT...!!!!...Just recent history Bahamians uses to use the cloth bags containing flour to make just about any clothing. CNN doctor even shows how to fold rectangular cloth use two rubber bands and fold over ends and there is a mask. Nation is indeed serious trouble if people cannot locate a suitable cloth material, from closet to make a mask and have to wait on store opening hours to buy a piece of cloth..!!!!!!

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

It's not whining. I think what everyone is saying is there's a better way.

Dr Minnis doesn't have to sit with 2 or 3 loyalists to put out an idea they believe is brilliant. They also came up with the shopping schedule that put thousands of Bahamian lives in danger. He's already said that he intends to engage a panel of leading economists. That should have been done in 2017. I am almost certain they would not have encouraged this move. Not because it was a bad idea but because the market was already moving in that direction. Persons were already making masks and selling them. Persons who wanted to buy were buying. Let demand and supply do it's job. I can guarantee you that this will not force anyone to buy a mask who didn't want to. People who didn't want to pay before the order will make their own.

The panel of economists will provide Dr Minnis with even greater/deeper insights into what short-term and long-term economy building solutions could be put in place. The longer he puts that initiative off the further we are behind.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

What's the matter? Trump can take it but Minnis can't? That certainly doesn't say much for Minnis. Nor your appreciation for the need of people who have been cooped up for weeks in their home to vent their frustrations with silly, contradictory and/or confusing orders.

C2B 4 years, 7 months ago

You see the issue is this: Local production for local consumption does not add to the GDP of the Nation. The people don't have jobs to make money to pay for masks. Making them pay more for a temporary industry is just moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. So if there was an export market for the masks, this would make some sense.

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

@CatIslandBoy... when a disease is spread by person to person contact you are not trying to save lives when you make a decision that causes panic and drives people out of their safe homes to grocery stores on long lines where they become exposed to infection. Can you not see that?

DWW 4 years, 7 months ago

may not know about battling a Dis-Ease pandemic, but i do know some basic economics and supply chain to demand logistics.

B_I_D___ 4 years, 7 months ago

...but wait...this home grown mask makers aren't meant to be selling anything...businesses are shut down with the exception of those exempted from the order...so what you are really saying is, you can still sell on da side as long as you slick enough to not get caught selling...

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

… but while the mask makers are making their masks we on lockdown! When we get off lockdown, everybody will be running to the grocery store and water depots again with the masks they already have before the next lockdown, which can happen at any time. So who will the mask makers be selling masks to?

avidreader 4 years, 7 months ago

The Nassau Guardian online is reporting that fish sales proceeded at Potter's Cay dock yesterday. What happened to the lockdown requiring people to stay off of the roads? Where were the police roadblocks? This type of slackness is not going to improve the confidence of the general public in the effectiveness of the preventative measures inconveniencing so many people.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Did you really think for one minute that Minnis was going to go without his fish stew on Good Friday?! Get real!

wngriff 4 years, 7 months ago

That's a great decision. Think about it, because of the outbreak, many persons are out of work, great opportunity for some to join the bandwagon and take advantage of the opportunity a hand. An excellent way to earn income during this crisis. Dr. Minnis is indeed looking out for the people

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Anyone know which one of Minnis's muck-a-muck cronies has been given a business license and his permission to go into the large scale local production of masks?

Makes absolutely no sense that in the middle of a life-and-death crisis for our people he would announce a ban on the import of non-medical masks to help develop local industry. Unless of course the Minnis-led government has once again done something to royally piss off our good neighbours to the north and caused them to ban the export of all such masks to the Bahamas. I very much suspect the latter. We need a leader who knows how to win the right friends and influence the right people rather than cozy up to bad state actors.

bcitizen 4 years, 7 months ago

So basically we will be buying reusable masks. Have they issued any guidance as to how to clean and sterilize these?

B_I_D___ 4 years, 7 months ago

Of course not, people will be walking about with germ infested masks, that likely allow your breath to push through the cloth, and spew out those germs trapped in the nasty mask for days on end.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Now that's a truly horrifying thought, but probably very much on point.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

They said they wanted suggestions:

They need to start putting out the message that masks are not invisible forcefields. The few times Ive stood on a line Ive seen persons leaning against walls and holding onto and sitting on railings. Some of them had on masks but completely unaware that their hands and clothing could still be picking up the virus.

I also see people constantly moving and adjusting the mask. One lady had her hand on the mask covering her month as additional "protection". If her hand was contaminated the mask was literally useless.

This order may reinforce the belief that once I have on a mask I'm protected. The mask is as much protection as a broken condom provides for unwanted pregnancy.

The mask only prevents the infected from spewing droplets. If we dont know whos infected but everyone wears a mask then we've afforded ourselves some protection from droplets from the nose and mouth of an infected individual. But a mask doesnt stop the infected person from touching a public surface that hundreds behind them will also touch. It doesn't stop them from hugging a relative. They need to make this message clear.

C2B 4 years, 7 months ago

Prohibit foreign viruses!!!! Only Bahamian viruses or those with proper work permits are allowed. Have a green bus with the military arresting all those viruses that violate the order. Problem solved.

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

.. and there are those who believe Minnis is doing a good job with his erratic imbecilic decision making! Thank God this will all be over soon because due to his decisions everybody has already been exposed. We just have to wait and see who gets sick or dies over the next two weeks. Within one month things should have bottomed out and we can get back to work!

CatIslandBoy 4 years, 7 months ago

There's just no reasoning with some of you who have all the answers. Maybe you should offer yourselves for the position of Prime Minister.

BONEFISH 4 years, 7 months ago

Obviously, you and a lot of Bahamians don't know how our system of government works.The Prime Minister is not an elected position.He or she is the leader of the party who wins the majority of seats in the parliament.An English man told me that.The Bahamas don't have political parties,they have mainly two tribes,one gold and one red.

joeblow 4 years, 7 months ago

@CatIslandBoy… I hope you can appreciate that there is a vast difference between becoming a party leader and leading a country. They require different skill sets. The person who can become party leader will become PM whether they are qualified to lead a country or not, and we do not get to choose from the best because of the nature of politics.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

Unfortunately there are some who believe once you've cast your vote you've had your say and must keep quiet until the next election. It's as if they believe the voting citizenry are somehow not entitled to express their personal views and opinions about the conduct and performance record of a government between elections. They are wrong and you are right so I suggest you just leave it at that whenever they throw darts your way. In any event, 9 out of 10 of them have at one time or another been allowed a seat on the government's gravy train which usual tends to taint their view of any voiced opposition or criticsm targeted at the hand that has fed them and may feed them again.

Honestman 4 years, 7 months ago

I hate being critical of government during a crisis like this but the strategy of forcing people to herd together to queue for hours on end for shopping has been a disaster. It will have caused hundreds of COVID infections. Also there is not enough enforcement of social distancing. I have no doubt that there there will be many house parties throughout New Providence this weekend especially in the over the hill communities. Many Bahamians simply don't get it. The way we are going right now this virus will run its course right through New Providence and many will die.

SP 4 years, 7 months ago

The PM gets high marks for promoting local masks production. However, we need to understand the purpose, proper etiquette, and limitations of various masks.

Homemade face masks Homemade face masks only offer a small degree of protection. While they may help prevent the spread of Covid19 from asymptomatic people. They are simply a barrier to prevent droplets from "exiting" and infecting others......They do not protect against smaller respiratory droplets, such as those containing Covid19.

Surgical masks Not only does the mask not filter out smaller aerosol particles, but air leakage also occurs through the sides of the mask as you inhale...... They do not protect against smaller respiratory droplets, such as those containing Covid19.

N95 respirators N95 respirators can protect against smaller respiratory droplets, such as those containing Covid19.

https://www.livescience.com/cloth-masks…

https://www.healthline.com/health/coron…

Why should people that want to pay for the added protection of an FDA approved virus protective mask that is not being produced locally be denied the opportunity to do so?

Why should people be denied the option of protecting themselves against covid19 to the best of their ability?

Allowing the importation of non-medical protective face masks that protects from viruses will encourage local producers to improve their skills and make products of export quality.

I hope the PM revisits this prohibition and makes the necessary amendments to allow Bahamians the opportunity to protect themselves!

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

Look at Patricia Ellis' response in the story where the PM.announced he was instructing the sbdc to give money to seamstresses to produce masks.

I know you're a Minnis supporter, I support competence, if he displays it I support him. But Mrs Ellis' reply was very telling. She said why didn't he ask us? She went on to talk about the weight of the fabric that should be used, fabrics that should not be used, special medical grade fabrics, she asked what was the goal? If it was to protect then what was the standard? She said rather than money the govt could have helped organize a bulk order of medical grade fabric. You have to ask yourself why didn't he ask? It seens to me tgat we are doing alot of political gimmickery. I hope not because lives are at stake, but thats the sense I get.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

Completely off topic, I wonder if we will continue with this marijuana push in light of this disease that kills persons with compromised lungs...

TalRussell 4 years, 7 months ago

DEVELOPING STREET RUMOUR: The Tribune's serious crime reporter should be investigating the developing strong rumuor of an Eastern Road homeowner who is scheduled to appear in magistrates court after the long Easter weekend - after his nosy neighbour called the Royal Constabulary about the weird behaviour going on next door.
The comrade man's is said be awaiting an appearance in magistrates court on a charge of attempting to tunnel he self out shelter-at-home forced isolation. The individual is said to be from a family well-known local Bay Street merchants. Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

in da name of Jesus stop it. lol

SP 4 years, 7 months ago

Retraction......My apologies to the Prime Minister on this mask issue.

The PM stated, "The importation of non-medical protective face masks will be prohibited". However, the importation of medical-grade protective face masks will continue to be allowed.

Thank you, Mr. P.M., for moving swiftly to protect Bahamian entrepreneurs. Had the government applied the same protectionism for Bahamians across the board in the past, our country would have been in a much stronger position today with fewer people needing to depend on the government for everything during this situation.

Hopefully, these entrepreneurs have also adopted best practices, and are using different color fabric to identify the inside of masks from the outside. Otherwise, wearers may at times put the masks on backward and self-contaminate themselves. Secondly, masks should come with care instructions and warnings about washing.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

there you go...the "standards" Patricia Ellis talked about.

Topdude 4 years, 7 months ago

The saying “Damned if you do and Damned if you don’t,” is applicable to every action our well meaning Prime Minister takes. And when you throw in envy, jealousy and PLP hatred you will continuously come up with the level of bile, filth and vomit that permeates these columns.

There are a group of individuals who derive some form of perverted pleasure from belching bile and vomit on a daily basis. It would be helpful to our National Development if these individuals were to turn this negativity into constructive suggestions.

Chief among this miscreants are mudda sic and Tar Russell. It is quite clear that these individuals need psychiatric help . May I respectfully suggest the names of a few psychiatrists who could extricate them from the gutter where they exist.

ohdrap4 4 years, 7 months ago

Please do. List all who treated you and report on their success rate, if any.

Topdude 4 years, 7 months ago

I did not say proctologists. You would have a better idea about utilizing the skills of this specialty.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 7 months ago

You can learn alot from your critics if you listen to what they say. I dont mean to imply that its easy... it is the hardest thing not to lash out at a critic, but leaders do the hard things.

The govt hasn't been listening. The things they are asking for now are items that have been hashed out over and over and over again in these posts. Tgeyre repeated over and over and over again on talk radio. Do you know how msny times per day people have cried for the govt to reduce the dependency on tourism? To invest in Bahamians? To send the CEB bill back to the depths of hell from which it came and invest in Bahamian tech startups?

on March 9(?) 2020 they asked for suggestions. Do you know what I posted on May 10 2017? I said the govt should immediately call a public symposium, get regular people together to hash out ideas for how we can move this country forward. I went into quite a bit of detail on how the symposium should be structured. That was the day of or day after they took power. They've had 3 years to listen.

If they had taken the time to listen and not brand people as sick and vile and PLP haters they could have been a few steps ahead. And you know what would have also happened? those "PLP haters" would be saying...hmmm they're listening...I can work with them

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 7 months ago

@Topdude - I sincerely hope the PM is not really in need of your tireless efforts to protect him from my views, opinions and criticisms.

Topdude 4 years, 7 months ago

Well Mudda sick bile, filth, trash and ad hominem comments do not qualify as being constructive,

His Excellency the Prime Minister will go down in history as one of the greatest leaders in our nation’s history. He would have steered the ship of state through such stormy seas like hurricanes and a once in a lifetime pandemic and delivered us to a safe port of progress and prosperity.

As we reflect on the sacredness of this Easter weekend please remember for his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a life-time: weeping May tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.

You and your types may attempt to continuously crucify our Prime Minister but his place in our Father’s kingdom is a foregone fact. Let us hope yours is there as well.

Rise up, rise up and abandon the filth and bile of envy and jealousy. God Bless you. Happy Easter.

DWW 4 years, 7 months ago

Simply assinine. So dust masks or banned? how about spray painting masks. no order everyone to wear a mask but... do we have a million masks available? Minnis has just about lost all of my confidence now. who is telling him to do this stupid crap. This an extremely poorly thought out move.

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