The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force officials will follow the Ministry of Health’s protocols and have an operational plan for effectively dealing with any potential incidents of the coronavirus.

Speaking at the RBDF’s media meet and greet event yesterday, Acting Commodore Raymond King told reporters the agency has been informed about the deadly virus and are taking precautionary measures.

“We’ve been a part of the briefings that were held recently and we’ve been a part of that dialogue,” he said. “We’ve asked some critical questions. We’ve gotten some good responses. We have their latest iteration of their plan.

“There’s one or two circumstances we will look at what if we encounter when it’s at sea, when we encounter (people) who are migrant status and we will have to screen those persons – how will we treat those persons? Whether it’s a matter of just shadowing the vessels and guiding them into port…”

RBDF Commander of Operations Chapell Whyms said tackling the issue of communicable disease is nothing new for the force.

“…We’ve been doing this for quite a bit,” he explained. “However, what we have sought to do was update our present standard operation of procedures so that we can accommodate not only the coronavirus — I think in recent times there was the Ebola (virus) that we had also prepared (for).”

RBDF physician, Dr Derwin Johnson echoed Mr Whyms’ sentiments.

Dr Johnson said: “Our borders are very porous and there is always a threat whether it’s a bacterial or viral threat or whether it’s a physical threat. So we’ll have to always ensure that our craft or our commanding officers of those craft, are in the know, so to speak, up to date, with all that is going.”