Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune staff
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis confirmed on Wednesday that there are two new cases of COVID-19 – both in Grand Bahama. Contact tracing is underway. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 106 – with six of those active.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Dr Minnis also defended the move to close beaches in New Providence, Athol Island, Rose Island, Paradise Island, Grand Bahama, and other cays surrounding New Providence over the July 10th holiday weekend, saying, “This is being done out of an abundance of caution.
“This is being done because prevention is better than cure. During holiday weekends there is a natural tendency for people to have mass gatherings on beaches and parks. Such mass gatherings are where there can be a super-spreading of COVID-19. We cannot take this risk!”
The Prime Minister added that he understood the disappointment this decision might cause.
“I understand people’s disappointment of not being able to go to the beach on the holiday weekend,” he said. “I was once young also. However, our decisions are for the protection of Bahamians, residents and visitors to our shores.”
Comments
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
Hate say but there's good sound logic for suspicion could it be that the red coats regime.might've knows of the new virus-positive cases...beforehand the new Beach Closures?
thps 4 years, 4 months ago
i only came for proudandloud's repsonse.
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
He is either insane or dumb as a bag of hammers.. Prevention is better than the cure???? YOU OPENED THE BORDERS YOU MORON.....
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
dumb as a bag of hammers
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
Anybody know when the PLP t-shirts coming??? I ga be the whitest most FNMest PLP ever!!!
VOTE THESE CLOWNS OUT!
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
MaComrade Proud, the real threat Mr. Minnis's growing demented slippery grip on absolute power is about to get that more slippery with the rise to nine-strong in numbers red MP's on the floor the House of Assembly...Free, free, at last, The Nine-strong goin' shed their red coats in opposition to Mr. Minnis's leadership...Free at last. Nod once for Yeah, Twice for No?
K4C 4 years, 4 months ago
The Bahamas has a history of making poor choices, to re-elect the PLP is the same as making 2 choices, one poor the other just as poor
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
Actually I'm confident the PLP would do a better job than these clowns....
K4C 4 years, 4 months ago
asking for a friend, what does the world look like when you wear rose colored glasses ?
moncurcool 4 years, 4 months ago
So rather than come to the public with a press announcements on the 2 new cover cases like Minister Sands use to do, The PM/Minister of Health/Competent Authority gets up and announces it in the House of Assembly that nobody listens to?
The FNM needs to hurry up and elect someone else as party leader. We cannot do another 5 years with Minnis and Davis is not even an option.
Dawes 4 years, 4 months ago
I watched some of his speech, that was a speech written by an idiot. He kept going on about needing to stop this virus, but then saying he opened the borders as the economy needs it. So somehow stopping Bahamians who stopped the virus from going to the beach is a necessity whilst opening the borders to people who can bring the virus in is not (as a note i believe both should be open, but if you say beach closed due to virus then close the borders to). Then to make lies up throughout was an insult. He kept saying all we had to do was give up 3 days to save people (this weekend no beach). Lies we have given up 3 months and counting. And no doubt on monday his illegal curfew will still be in place and at the next bank holiday (August) he will shut the beaches down again. He is a moron who i yet again apologize for voting for. But lesson learnt i never will again.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
You realize we been open for one week? Literally one week. 7 days. And his justification for opening was the wonderful job he'd done eradicating corona virus from our shores. no cases fir 2 weeks!. And within 7 days of his ill advised reopening he has to shut down. again. It says to me you werent ready to handle the cases you got. You certainly aren't ready for the hotel and cruise line traffic.
Hoda 4 years, 4 months ago
Are these imported cases? Did they recently travel or contracted here? So no one has seen the string of videos everyone weekend coming out of port lucaya, west end, that bar in the back of the bazaar, just to name a few, every weekend with tons of people crowded together partying like any normal day - no masks, probably no hand sanitizer lol. Is there a visible increase in tourist on gb?
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
Only an idiot like Minnis would even suggest these latest two cases of the deadly Covid-19 virus were not imported as a result of his reckless decision to pre-maturely re-open our borders for a few tourist dollars.
Hoda 4 years, 4 months ago
Lol, perhaps, it is certainly a high probability. Do you acknowledge that bahamians are also treavelling to and from the US on these commercial flights. Yes, they are also taking their covid tests, i thought tourist also were required to. Maybe the tests are not reliable. Hopefully, the news will have more facts. I think its important to know where they deem contraction of the virus occurred - if a tourist is the source did they come via plane, was it a boater. Is this all the info that was given in parliament.
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
Who said anything about tourists vs Bahamians bringing Covid-19 to our shores upon the foolish re-opening of our borders to international travel? What's the damn difference?! Is it okay for Bahamians returning from the US to infect us at home but not tourists from the US? Please, give it a break!
Hoda 4 years, 4 months ago
If the country is open and you are able to travel, does that mean you should go? Is your position that we should be on lockdown so we dont even have the option of going any where and no come here? If so, why were all complaining a few months ago. So if Bahamians are consciously and willingly travelling to florida. Are they not to blame if they contract covid? Are we children who need to be micromanaged to make reasonable decisions ? Perhaps, as we seem to be complaining about not going to the beach, spend our weekends in crowded nightclubs, talking about this oppressive lockdown, boaters having to clear customs and tourists being allowed in from the usa but are hoping on the planes travelling and blaming minnis for the hotels being closed. As for your first question, read the comments under the article.
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
LOL
Hoda 4 years, 4 months ago
Oh and by the way, talk on the ground in gb is two of these people had travel history, recently traveling to florida on the baelaria. I say talk cause ppl say alot of things so, who knows.
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
Hello shoutout to all 34 sensible thinking House elected red coats MP's!
Would you 34 MP's, not have been put be ashamed of any other individual but Mr. Minnis, who could've, would've stood up today on the floor of the House of Assembly to have lectured on and on, and on like a damn fool uttering forth such babble talk crasiness, likes someone's who had just landed in shiny sliver capsule from some unknown planet - should ever be left alone make the life and death decisions required to be made for The Colony's PopoulationOrdinary at large POAL Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
WTH is this? Bannister standing and thanking the PM for having vision to close the borders in March and sparing the Bahamian people. Is this for real???? Because I am certain in March The PM spoke about taking advice from the medical team which was at that time headed by Dr Sands. In fact it was Dr Sands who predicted a worse case scenario of 200 cases. We got to 102. It was Dr Sands along with Dr Dahl Reghis who put together the response plan.
How low will these people stoop to lap from the food tray?
Let's remember what the PM was responsible for: -Alphabetical shopping schedule.
thps 4 years, 4 months ago
104 confirmed cases. You can bet we had many more cases. If some places are testing much more of the population they are going to find lots more asymptomatic cases. If in the run-up to 104 confirmed we tested say 10k persons the numbers would be different. the focus has shifted around the world from confirmed cases to hospitalized cases now..
birdiestrachan 4 years, 4 months ago
I doubt there are any new cases The story is made up to justify his bad decision He made the decision to close the beach then he comes up with this story after wards Persons on yachts are they swimming and going on the beach?,
What about Lyford cay are they on the Beach? is doc punishing the poor Bahamian people. He certainly is.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 4 months ago
The opening of the border is more dangerous and more likely to spread the Virus than going to the beach
But he opens to countries that have millions of cases . How smart is that??
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
There's resounding majority support for Mr. Minnis's opening The Colony's borders and beaches..but this isn't exactly The Ten Point Safer Opening Plan that The Resounding Majority had in their focus. Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
joeblow 4 years, 4 months ago
Saying how stupid the PM was for opening the borders and how mentally slow he is with making decisions and how much he lacks common sense would be like piling on . So I just won't say anything!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
good thing you didnt say anything :-|
SP 4 years, 4 months ago
PM Minnis's decision to close the beaches "out of an abundance of caution" is part of a very difficult balancing act with a global pandemic situation that no one has any hands-on experience with, and the right move!
It is more painful and less comfortable but abundantly more preferred to have our country adapt the most cautious routes in every circumstance than to risk unnecessary COVID19 outbreaks which would result in going back to extended periods of shutting down the country and lock-downs.
Unfortunately, residents and visitors alike will be inconvenienced. The Bahamas' decision to be overly cautious and responsible regarding safety can only work to our benefit!
1000 times better safe than sorry!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
better safe than sorry??? He went on and on about how safe we were, no new cases in weeks no deaths in a month...so much so that as a Minister of Health he announced that testing was unnecessary!. This was a week ago. One week. Now one week later we back to fear mongering stay in yuh house? I don't accept this. Sit down come up with a cogent strategy..strategy implies a long term communicated plan, that plan will of course have caveats based on predefined performance indicators. This herky jerky I wake up in the east when I thought I gone home in the West is crazy.
licks2 4 years, 4 months ago
SP don't waste ya time with this bunch. . .truth and good sound reasoning is not where most of them are at. . .you would have to be speaking yard chickenese for them to even begin to see!! You are expected to tow their lines to even get a good morning outta them!! They don't eat "mental corn" like the rest of us chickens. . . they only eat "sheep bits" mixed with heavy doses of rank political cool-aid!! There is very little balanced thinking here. . .don't look for it. . .mostly!!
thps 4 years, 4 months ago
The issue as I said is poor public relations and messaging.
This is the issue of many govts making. If you close your borders and tell persons to keep the virus out we need to keep other people out you need an exit ramp.. The key is to explain to people what the ramp is an do so properly. Now that we need the money we have conditioned people to want to isolate.
Poor communication is part of the issue. You tell persons, that, on the one hand, you should not travel because you're going to a hotspot and can cause lockdowns to return while on the other hand welcoming people from the said hotspot.
He didn't 'recommend' you not to go to church or the movies, bars, barbers, salons, beaches, exercising, gas station after 1 pm, outside of your home for non-essential stuff, or locked down on the weekend, the food store on a Wednesday if your surname ends in J.
They ordered it, saying it would save lives. So if indeed he believes what he says and Bahamians traveling can bring lockdown to the country once more, then he would back that with an order. Of course, it will then be asked why then allow tourists to come in, but Bahamians not out.
Herein lies the box he put himself in by making the statement about the dangers to the country that travel to the US creates when he needs travelers from the US.
Economist 4 years, 4 months ago
The problem is Dr Dahl Reghis. She is scared of testing so we don't really know what is happening until the virus has spread. Cayman has tested over 38% of its population and we have tested only 0.62%. Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Dominica, Turks & Caicos, St Kitts, St Lucia, the BVI, and the list goes on, are all ahead of The Bahamas in testing.in testing.
The Bahamas is now 142, in testing, in the world having dropped each week from 123. Cayman is 4.
We have no idea what is going on which is why the PM is shutting down the beaches and parks. He hasn't got a clue where the pocket of COVID-19 are.
mandela 4 years, 4 months ago
Who are these two cases and when were they first noticed? It had to just happen since the border was opened internationally and also after the 100 Mexicans came in or else we would have heard of this new development before this. Something smells fishy here or we are being lied to and kept in the dark. Well, Bahamians be ready for more curfews and lockdowns the incompetent authority has a fresh 6 months proclamation to work with.
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
My God, can the Queen not reign-in this governing gone all mad!!
Just now, eighteen Florida hospitals regular beds are patient filled to maximum capacity. The Colony's tourism minister Dioniso James might as well open Tourist Sales Offices at all 18 of Florida's Hospitals. Nod Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
geostorm 4 years, 4 months ago
I have never seen so much ignorance in one place. Everyone on this thread is an expert on all things COVID19. I tell you my people really will make you laugh.
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
You Minnis trolls on this website are much too transparent.
licks2 4 years, 4 months ago
So why can a troll spot another troll so easily?? For whom are you trolling? And if there are minnis trolls on this site. . .HOW THAT GET YA DANG BUSINESS?? Just bring ya "A" game and de-troll this site!! And if ya don't gat the skills. . .go back home and send one of ya people who can think on their feet!
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
Friend of mine in Miami said he had a blast in Bimini last weekend. I asked him if he tested before he went, no man, nobody told me I had to test first....
tribanon 4 years, 4 months ago
Simply incredible, but I believe it.
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