UPDATED: Most New Providence businesses can open on August 31, no hard lockdown needed

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaking Monday. Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

As of Monday, August 24, 2020

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS he announced that most businesses in New Providence will be allowed to reopen on August 31, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said new COVID-19 data suggests no hard lockdown is needed at this time for the island.

However, Dr Minnis said the lockdown provisions now in place will remain until 5am next Monday in a bid to continue the slow of the deadly virus in the capital.

It was a sharp reversal for Dr Minnis, who just last week announced an immediate seven day near full lockdown for New Providence in response to the COVID-19 crisis - his strongest restrictions yet.

That decision was reversed in less than 24 hours after public outcry.

Asked what warranted the change from then to yesterday, Dr Marceline Dahl-Regis - special advisor to the prime minister - said new data that had just been analysed within the last 48 hours painted a different picture.

According to Dr Dahl-Regis, sifting through the backlog of cases also shaped the decision to reopen on August 31 and a recommendation that residents in Nassau did not need to be severely restricted.

Effective August 31, New Providence restaurants can provide outdoor dining, curbside service, take-away and delivery.

Both the Fish Fry and Potter’s Cay Dock will be allowed to offer curbside, takeaway and delivery. Construction activities and hardware stores will continue as usual while other retailers will be permitted to offer curbside and delivery services.

Dr Minnis also said offices and other businesses will be permitted to operate with physical distancing restrictions.

Individuals will be permitted to exercise outside from 5am to 9am while beaches will also be open for a short window—from 5am to 9am daily.

When asked if he had regrets about imposing the immediate lockdown, Dr Minnis said the data available last week suggested the need for the tough restrictions.

This data showed that in the month of August, there was a 195 percent increase in the number of COVID positive cases, Dr Minnis said.

He said the data also showed there was a 107 percent increase in the number of deaths, with a 337 percent increase in hospitalisations in August.

“…All of that is concerning,” Dr Minnis said yesterday. “…But my concern would have been first and foremost lives. Then we were faced with another situation.

“Individuals would have called me stating they were not given sufficient warning. There was no notice, no preparations etc and I would have been called everything except a child of God.

“Then we had a similar situation and the decision was made to lockdown Grand Bahama and therefore because of the first experience we decided to give the appropriate notice,” he said, referring to the lockdown placed on Grand Bahama nearly five weeks ago.

“We gave the appropriate notice and the data clearly shows that as a result of the mass migration from Grand Bahama, Abaco would have been infected, Baker’s Bay would have been infected, Moore’s Island would have been infected, the Biminis would have been exploded, the Berries would have been exploded and New Providence would have had a second impact not only from the travel to the northern hemisphere but the travel of these individuals into New Providence.

“Therefore recognising what would have happened it was always my intention to prevent such migration and to protect the Family Islands. It was essential to protect the Family Islands because there are older residents and they do not have the infrastructure in healthcare facilities as we do in New Providence.”

Dr Minnis also said: “It was felt that, and it was great debate between ourselves, it was felt that if warning or notice were given (of the New Providence lockdown) then there would be mass migration to the Family Islands by boats even though we would have taken the necessary precautions to try and minimise it hence Acklins would have become infected and Crooked Island.

“Acklins and Crooked Island have still been infected but let’s look at the history. A lockdown on inter-island transportation was being stopped on the 28th of July, hours before that order came in, that order came into effect at 7pm to stop inter-island flights.”

The prime minister said hours before that order came into effect, 157 people left New Providence on a charter flight to Acklins and spread the virus.

“That is how Acklins and Crooked Island became infected. One hundred and 57 people. I call it totally irresponsible knowing that your inter-island flights were being canceled in a matter of hours.”

He said Crooked Island residents also called him on July 28 with similar concerns about domestic travel.

“The rest is history,” he said. “That is how Acklins became infected. That is how Crooked Island became infected and I am advised that individuals are trying to run from those given islands to Mayaguana and if that happens Mayaguana will subsequently become infected.

“So I was thinking first and foremost of saving lives and I was thinking first and foremost of protecting the family islands because I know they have comorbidities.”

For her part, Dr Dahl-Regis also explained how the last 48 hours altered the government’s direction and recommendation to allow businesses to operate in a week’s time.

She said: “I would like to share with you the data that has been given to the government and that might have informed the decisions.

“Two weeks ago we had a very large number of cases. We also had a significant backlog. Within two weeks, we were able to determine in terms of an epidemiological standpoint that we had got to be aggressive with identifying and informing the cases that were positive.

“There was an effort to as quickly as possible not only to inform the cases that they were positive and there were a few hundred but to also identify their contacts.

“Recognising that we could not do this with a paper based system, we were ably assisted by so many and the OPM’s office, the unit of technology, to put in place an electronic platform to document what we were doing to monitor the progress and to revise the number of cases according to the backlog,” Dr Dahl-Regis continued.

“This was a significant effort that required no fewer than 131 persons on a daily basis without stopping and so we were able to present to the government an analysis of the cases and there were a number of corrections as you have heard. Based on those corrections that we have made and again ably assisted by so many we were able to offer them where we were in terms of this wave of the pandemic.

“Unfortunately we were only able to complete this in the last 48 hours and definitely in the last 24 hours and based on that we offered a revised recommendation to the government.”

New Providence was placed under a new lockdown on August 4.

More like this story

ISpeakFacts 4 years, 2 months ago

Hubert "Idiot" Minnis: I am happy to tell you that the health team sees positive trends developing regarding the situation in New Providence, at this time, a hard lockdown is no longer recommended for New Providence.

He says this while New Providence is clearly surging, has a lack of ICU beds, and the deaths are rising with each passing day! Major lockdown one week and reopening the next? Like usual HE is clueless and is reopening the country once again without a proper plan. Also did anyone else see those OUTRAGEOUS "recoveries and deaths" numbers given by Dahl-Regis??? Now it is more than obvious that the numbers are FAR from accurate!

17 deaths, only 14 new cases and nearly FOUR HUNDRED recoveries in the past 24-48 hours??? SOMEONE IS LYING!

Dav 4 years, 2 months ago

They did say that they had done some cleaning up of the data, so obviously part of that was identifying recovered cases. This is The Bahamas where everything takes longer that anywhere else to get done

whogothere 4 years, 2 months ago

Also doctoring data where else can one attribute deaths to a disease before they are actually investigated. Essentially doubled death count without Completing the investigation into whether they actually died of or with COVID. Crazy.

rodentos 4 years, 2 months ago

I propose better approach: just draw a number every day, if it is even = no lockdown this day, if it's odd=lockdown!

ISpeakFacts 4 years, 2 months ago

HE (Minnis) was asked why he accepted Minister of Health's resignation but Minister of Tourism only had to apologise over wedding, Minnis says it is a matter dealt with extensively in the press and he will not go down that road today.

Minnis proving once again that he has no balls and isn't fit to lead a country, Minnis and D'aguilar MUST RESIGN! The fools are reopening our country once again with no proper planning and many more deaths will now follow!

ohdrap4 4 years, 2 months ago

Lol.

They finally got a computer with micrisoft excel in it.

And they read thisisours posts.

Thanks, i need to return to work.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 2 months ago

I almost fell off my chair when Dr Dahl Regis said they were logging samples collected manually. Never in a million years would I have seen that coming. Thought they had electronic data and just didn't know how to process it.

In any event (since tgeyre reading the comments), I really really hope the administration sees the difference between age, FNM supporter, Minnis supporter and competence. The only way this country grows is if competent people are listened to and engaged. Apply this to everything. We clearly see the results when they're not. People die. forget the petty vendettas people can die.

ThisIsOurs 4 years, 2 months ago

Hey! The flamingo's pink again! Maybe the blue green purple tones were the graphic artist's cry for help. Like an international distress signal

joeblow 4 years, 2 months ago

This was well crafted political theater to save his political hide. He knew another lockdown could have resulted in an uproar and more internal stress in the FNM.

We will continue to have deaths almost on a daily basis for some time because of those already infected and it is also likely that some Bahamians will not use discretion and continue to social distance.

People still do not understand the concept of having a designated shopper. Today, I had to walk around several sets of couples strolling through the grocery store like they on vacation. It is guaranteed that the number of cases will increase. So sad!!

I can only hope business owners impose standards to ensure that their businesses are not jeopardized and forced to close again.

ISpeakFacts 4 years, 2 months ago

Minnis is now foolishly catering to the UNRULY D- average population (for sum votes) who will now "turn up" like no tomorrow without practicing any mask wearing or social distancing even though the country is clearly surging and we aren't even close to flattening any curve as Dahl-Regis would have you believe!

Minnis' "plan" for the last 6 months has been "LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN OPEN LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN OPEN!"

benniesun 4 years, 2 months ago

Is the entire population - without exception - truly D-average and cannot separate facts from propaganda? Do we have compentent officials who can understand how the PCR test works and what it should and shouldn't be used for? Do we have a scientist who can confirm that the pandemic virus has been isolated and truly exists? Can we D-average people understand all the research that prove masks do not stop viruses? And lastly, at the beginning of this pandemic we were told that with the spread will come herd immunity - obviously (according to their tests) the virus is widespread - therefore herd immunity must have been acheived - but wait isn't here a vaccine agenda?

newcitizen 4 years, 2 months ago

You are the F- student that helps bring the average down to a D-

Honestman 4 years, 2 months ago

It was explained that this complete U turn was based on new data? Sorry, it came across as if the PM has said to Dahl-Regis "Give me new data that will allow me to do a U turn". I heard nothing in that presentation that persuaded me as to the rationale for the about face. On a positive, at least the PM decided, for once, to allow questions from the media even if he did side step the most interesting question.

TalRussell 4 years, 2 months ago

The man needs to be OPM, bunkeredised!
Did Mr. Theodore Minnis who many times has unequivocally called out to the PopoulacesOrdinary at large POAL not to trust what they read and hear in the fake media - not just dismiss a reporter's question about why he fired health's Dr. Duane but not aviation's Dioniso James, of which the PM responded to the reporter, that he won't answer that question because the matter had already been dealt with in the media? Just couldn't make this stuff up. Just couldn't. Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
Footnote two-part question: Wasn't a telephone call not also made to the AG Carl Wilshire, and the Director of Immigration?

Hoda 4 years, 2 months ago

Ah well, that’s what they wanted who get it, who don’t don’t.

thps 4 years, 2 months ago

Raymond Wells came in and told them the X meant to multiply and + means to add.

The data is now fixed. At least they don't have things like a balance of payments, foreign currency reserves, 30k civil servants to pay a 10b debt to manage, 1.5b NIB fund and a 10b economy to navigate.

If i understand the PM: The data told him:

In 3 days call a press conference at 8 pm

Have an immediate lockdown

Don't give the people a chance to get essentials for a 7 day period

Disregard a potential hurricane

Don't let the persons responsible for enforcing the lockdown know to get ready

Tell them to use a hotline that wasn't ready

Don't tell the persons who were supposed to give food during the lockdown

Allow construction during the lockdown as they are immune non-carriers and more essential than water

To kill two birds with one stone, don't allow their suppliers to open this way they have no concrete to pour and no water to drink

This data is solid. It's so solid if they complain about the stupidity of it all, reverse it the next day and blame the hurricane and then wait for Raymond and Merceline to come in and tell you how it was all wrong.

thps 4 years, 2 months ago

sip sip on the grape vine: The person who was counting BahamssAir's 3.5 but actual 7m dollar monthly loss is also tabulating COVID-19 data.

whogothere 4 years, 2 months ago

So as if by magic...the Minnis brigade finally understand the consequence of economic stagnation and the wrath that will entail if not addressed. Bottom line is yes they screwed up letting folks run off to the usa and come back with out a test, but opening the country was not issue. The fact that 1% of transmission is attributable to tourist transmission illustrates there is salvation for ruins of this economy. Let’s hope it happens before too many businesses go under...

ohdrap4 4 years, 2 months ago

Also there is no evidence od people contracting covid in takeout restaurants.

Yet there are lots of cases in police and defense force.

Glad he is opening something.

But still remains to be seen if parents will pay 7,000 a year for online teaching.

rodentos 4 years, 2 months ago

so, last week a uberhard lockdown was needed, even denying to buy food? And now no lockdown needed.... ok I understand, they are geniuses

birdiestrachan 4 years, 2 months ago

This situation is becoming stranger by the minute.

DR: Dahl Regis resigned did doc bring her back to boost him up.?

roc wit doc is trying to fool the Bahamian people again. What will he call it this time surely not the peoples time.

He will be going to Bains Town soon in his junkanoo custom cowbells and a cake to cut. and recite all over again his I was a poor boy story.

bcitizen 4 years, 2 months ago

According to them this is the most dire threat we have ever faced as a country, we have basically destroyed our economy based on these figures and these people can't even count to just over 1000 correctly? Who is responsible for this and will take the consequences? Seven, seven hundred thousand, seven seven million, seven seven hundred million thousand and it goes on and on.

Clamshell 4 years, 2 months ago

Who is responsible? Everybody, including me, who have for decades tolerated laziness, sloth, inteptitude and incompetence at every single level of government. It’s now come home to roost when we’re hit with a crisis that takes competence and intelligence to overcome.

ted4bz 4 years, 2 months ago

The week he set to lockdown the virus was bad, the lockdown was canceled and the virus decreased? Covid-19 is fiction and the lockdown is a game. Y’all stop the nonsense with all this.

Clamshell 4 years, 2 months ago

The previous poster asked, “Who is responsible for all this?” Well, among those responsible are the idiots who think Covid-19 is fiction and stupidly pretend it doesn’t exist. 174,000 dead Americans would nod their head in agreement — if they could.

tribanon 4 years, 2 months ago

And to think the only thing this yo-yo, unhinged, arrogant and most vindictive idiot cares about is his own political backside. He never had a plan for our country when he became PM in May 2017, never had a plan to deal with the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, and is now absolutely clueless and directionless in how to go about sensibly helping our people survive the devastating social and economic consequences of the deadly Communist China Virus. Minnis is so sorely lacking in management, communication and leadership skills that he's always in a helter-skelter reactionary mode without the ability to be proactive and plan for anything at all. Sadly, too many lives have been unnecessarily lost as a result of this man's gross incompetence. God help us, because our most trying and terrifying times are still ahead of us, which will undoubtedly be made much worse by Minnis as PM.

Topdude 4 years, 2 months ago

Seriously Mr/Ms/ Mrs. Tribanon I understand the mental challenges associated with the lockdown but it appears as if your reactions are a classic. What is that our PM has done to you? Every day your message is the same and that is to tear and rip the good man down. Clearly the Almighty is not in you. Let all that you do be done in love.

truetruebahamian 4 years, 2 months ago

Those who want lockdowns to continue might quite possibly be waiting and hoping for businesses and properties to fail so that they can be snatched up either for themselves or under instruction for clients for cents on the dollar - and walk away laughing when the all clear is given. The red chinese - owners of the British Colonal and that disgusting Pointe have been instructing certain persons to be on the look out for such properties and to persuade slash priced sale.

rodentos 4 years, 2 months ago

IMF did not pay enough for another lockdown. Lagarde is out of money

tetelestai 4 years, 2 months ago

Um, you do realize that Lagarde is now with the ECB and not the IMF right? Jus letting you know so that the next time you want to be snarky, you can at least have your facts str8. Ok, champ?

TimesUp 4 years, 2 months ago

Unfortunately it seems he has given in and given up. Opening virtually everything when the data clearly shows a need for the opposite will of course have a terrible result.

newcitizen 4 years, 2 months ago

It is already a terrible result. The virus not only kills people, it kills economies and livelihoods.

BONEFISH 4 years, 2 months ago

This is a stunning change.A week ago a strict lockdown without persons getting access to food,water and medicines.

Now this.Virtually reopening some sectors of the economy.Was the data that initial decision made on, riddled with mistakes? What changed within the week?The number of persons who died from COV-19 doubled overnight,The press did not seem to mention that.Also the recoveries have increased dramatically. Are these recoveries been verified by medical professionals? This speaks to the competencies of many persons.

COV-19 is still out there.Bahamians will have to take responsibility to prevent its'spread and transmission.

John 4 years, 2 months ago

The Dr who was calling for the hard lockdown was not at the press conference. Hopefully they fired his ass. How could you claim bro be saving lives but instructing government to lock them down without food, water or medicine. Which relative of Hitler are you?

thps 4 years, 2 months ago

Doctors saying the way to save lives is a combination of no food water and meds

Must be 2020.

Anthonydupuch 4 years, 2 months ago

I am pleasantly surprised that the government admitted they were wrong to overreact with the 7 day lockdown

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