By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
ts-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
TWO residents of Cat Island have tested positive for COVID-19, the island’s administrator Neil Campbell confirmed Tuesday.
After presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, the two residents were sent to New Providence and tested positive on Tuesday morning, he said. They will receive treatment while in New Providence.
“Earlier we (the Cat Island Council) met with the police, Supt Munroe, we were updated and advised and after we met with health professional Nurse Elaine Stuart, we would have also sent out a public notice under my hand and seal that two COVID-19 cases were confirmed from Cat Island,” the island administrator said.
These are the first confirmed cases on Cat Island and the residents in question have no recent travel history, according to Mr Campbell. Health officials did not confirm these details up to press time.
Asked if these were two fresh cases or cases included in the COVID-19 national dashboard released on Monday, Mr Campbell said these cases were only confirmed yesterday morning.
“We don’t know the exact time they were tested, but we do know it had to be some time yesterday and early this morning,” Mr Campbell continued. “The confirmation came this morning. These are the first cases for Cat Island and we can also confirm that both residents have no recent travel history.”
He added: “They were tested in New Providence between yesterday and early this morning. . .they are living and residing in Cat Island but once they experience the symptoms and they informed the medical professionals, they dispatched someone to them and then the health protocols kick in and they spoke to New Providence. We dispatched an aircraft and they went to New Providence. To my knowledge they both have no recent travel history.”
The Tribune reached out to a member of the COVID-19 task force, who said he could not confirm the cases up to press time and directed this newspaper to the Ministry of Health’s Surveillance Unit. A member of that unit also did not confirm the cases, saying that information has to come from the task force.
Comments
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 4 months ago
He also confirmed these were the first two cases for Cat Island and both residents who contracted the virus have no recent travel history.
Community spread has already started on Cat Island thanks to Hubert "Idiot" Minnis and his "Yes Men" opening our borders to the U.S, which are still open to private air and sea crafts!!
We can now assume that many more family islands will be reporting their first few cases within the coming days. MINNIS HAS DOOMED US ALL!!!
K4C 4 years, 4 months ago
then they must have had contact with someone was is COVID-19 positive, some one in the community is COVID-19 positive
thephoenix562 4 years, 4 months ago
This name calling and blaming Pm Minnis is getting old.Try something new and constructive.
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 4 months ago
Did the idiotic PM not open our borders to the U.S? Or are you just as dumb and blind as your leader LMAO
viewersmatters 4 years, 4 months ago
Most Bahamians are saying that the PM are treating the Bahamians as if we are kids and that we are not kids we are grown adults. I agree are grown adults and we should not need any government official to spoon feed us and wipe our mouths as well. While the majority of responsible Bahamians made the decisions to cancel all of their vacations and travel abroad just to protect ourselves and our love one along with people who surround us. If we want say that we are adults we should act and be responsible like grown adults, no one force any person residing in the Bahamas to take a trip into a country that we all was full aware of had a major outbreak of that deadly virus. They would decided at their own will and freedom travelled at their own willed. Our problem as people are we never want take responsibility for our own actions but yet want blame blame blame, we are responsible for our own actions. Yes the government opened the borders but look at what many responsible careful Bahamians did, we use the God given brain we have and said no we will not travel until it's safe. Cant put your face into the lion's mouth and say oh God watches over me. When Jesus was being tempted to jump off rock did he? Knowing he has the greatest faith on earth he didnt put himself in harm's way. So who we to travel to a highly infected place and endanger not only our lives but everyone residing in the bahamas. We are the fault for our problem not the government. We travel and brought the virus back and infected our own people.
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 4 months ago
We all know that the average bahamian is stupid, hence why you don't open the DAMN borders!!! If Minnis doesn't open the borders, no one can travel and bring back the virus. SIMPLE!
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
I agree with the "theory". Don't allow something then say well even though we allowed it they shouldnt have done it
Ever heard of the phrase FOOL PROOF plan?
It literally means your planning is so thorough, you've planned for every eventuality. If you allow it, recognize a risk, then put checks in place to mitigate the risk. I've been saying over and over a sample of the population of travellers should be subjected to testing the minute they arrive.
The 70 cases in 2 weeks are irrefutable evidence of poor planning.
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
We didn't do sh-t. I never left the country but now I'm back in lockdown. And the PM asked us not travel but said its ok if we only go for 72 hours or less, so ok that he said we didn't even need to be tested. Most Bahamians stayed home so stop this nanny bout we did something. This is 100% the result of dumb decision made by a dumb leader...
bahamianson 4 years, 4 months ago
lol, now that's funny , IspeakFacts.
Shelly22 4 years, 4 months ago
Didn't the prime minister begged Bahamians not to travel to Florida but instead of listening Bahamians went so blame y'all selves for this not the prime minister
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
I wish people would stop this narrative about "he begged people not to travel". You know what a real plan would have done? Thats right, assumed people would travel against all good advice and mitigate the risk. It's called a fool proof plan. We must stop excusing this abysmal lack of planning that's being demonstrated over and over again. Its like everytime we excuse it, the universe sends us a bigger test .A real plan does not assume everything will go right. It plans for all the identifiable "what ifs"
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 4 months ago
Stop defending Minnis and just accept the fact that he is an idiot just like your average bahamian, we all know very well that bahamians are stubborn and WILL NOT follow orders, hence why Minnis and his "Yes Men" shouldn't have open our borders to the U.S!
Bahamians can't even clean up after themselves, you really think they're gonna listen to someone when it comes to partying or travelling?
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 4 months ago
He also allowed people to go spend 3 days and come back without a test.
He is to blame. Period.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 4 months ago
why were they sent to new prividence? Why couldn't they quarantine them on cat island, take the sample, bag it and fly the sample to Nassau for testing? Less people exposed on the plane, airport, transport from airport, hospital reception etc etc
Proguing 4 years, 4 months ago
So for the perpetual Minnis critics, are you saying that Bahamians are too dumb to make a decision about their movements, and that the PM should make every decision as to where they can go and not go? You guys need to move to Cuba! Nobody going to Walmart on weekends over there.
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