SUNDAY UPDATE: Acting Minister of Health Jeffrey Lloyd announced that a 61-year-old female resident of New Providence who does not have relevant travel history is the first confirmed person with COVID-19 in The Bahamas - FULL STORY HERE
SATURDAY UPDATES:
• According to the latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard seven people are now in quarantine in the Bahamas, 30 have been released, but there are still no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.
• Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line today announced a voluntary and temporary pause to its cruising schedule, canceling all sailings from March 15 through April 8. Grand Celebration will resume operations with its April 10 cruise. The official statement from CEO Oneil Khosa is as follows:
“At Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, the health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew is paramount. At the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our sailing schedule. All cruises have been canceled from March 15 through April 8, 2020. Grand Celebration will resume operations with its scheduled April 10 departure.
“We are in communication with all guests booked on a canceled sailing, as well as with our travel advisor partners, who have a variety of options available to them under our recently updated Sail with Ease policy. Those with specific questions should call 800-374-4363. We look forward to getting back to business as usual and welcoming travelers onboard our Bahamas cruises very soon.”
As a result of the change to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s sailing schedule, the shipping of bins to the Bahamas will also pause. Those with bins must visit the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line warehouse to collect their items.
FROM FRIDAY:
By Earyel Bowleg
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard has revealed that four people are now in quarantine.
Posted on Health Minister Dr Duane Sands’ Facebook page on Friday, the dashboard also showed a total of 30 people had been released from quarantine. That is an increase compared to what the dashboard reflected on Thursday, which had three in quarantine and 28 were released. Thus, implying three new people recently went into quarantine.
The dashboard had zero confirmed or suspected cases of the virus.
The Tribune tried to contact Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands to confirm whether there were in fact three new cases and whether they had arrived from outside of the Bahamas, but failed to get a response. However, Dr Sands had stated earlier that officials had expected quarantine numbers to increase.
The health minister had said last week: “We have other people that are going to be coming home over the next week or so that we are aware of and now people have been in Italy or are currently there…So it is possible that the quarantine numbers will go up.”
He also predicted this week a possible worst-case scenario of 400 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in The Bahamas, but less than 100 people would be hospitalised.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic with US President Donald Trump declaring a National Emergency over the outbreak.
The Bahamas government implemented travel restrictions that apply to four countries. Non- Bahamian residents travelling to the Bahamas from Italy, South Korea, China, and Iran in the last 20 days will be denied entry. On the other hand, Bahamian citizens and residents will be subject to quarantine for a maximum of 14 days if they are returning from those countries.
FROM FRIDAY:
By Earyel • According to the latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard seven people are now in quarantine in the Bahamas, 30 have been released, but there are still no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.
•
Bowleg
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard has revealed that four people are now in quarantine.
Posted on Health Minister Dr Duane Sands’ Facebook page on Friday, the dashboard also showed a total of 30 people had been released from quarantine. That is an increase compared to what the dashboard reflected on Thursday, which had three in quarantine and 28 were released. Thus, implying three new people recently went into quarantine.
The dashboard had zero confirmed or suspected cases of the virus.
The Tribune tried to contact Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands to confirm whether there were in fact three new cases and whether they had arrived from outside of the Bahamas, but failed to get a response. However, Dr Sands had stated earlier that officials had expected quarantine numbers to increase.
The health minister had said last week: “We have other people that are going to be coming home over the next week or so that we are aware of and now people have been in Italy or are currently there…So it is possible that the quarantine numbers will go up.”
He also predicted this week a possible worst-case scenario of 400 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in The Bahamas, but less than 100 people would be hospitalised.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic with US President Donald Trump declaring a National Emergency over the outbreak.
The Bahamas government implemented travel restrictions that apply to four countries. Non- Bahamian residents travelling to the Bahamas from Italy, South Korea, China, and Iran in the last 20 days will be denied entry. On the other hand, Bahamian citizens and residents will be subject to quarantine for a maximum of 14 days if they are returning from those countries.By Earyel Bowleg
ebowleg@tribunemAccording to the latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard seven people are now in quarantine in the Bahamas, 30 have been released, but there are still no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.edia.net
THE latest Ministry of Health COVID-19 dashboard has revealed that four people are now in quarantine.
Posted on Health Minister Dr Duane Sands’ Facebook page on Friday, the dashboard also showed a total of 30 people had been released from quarantine. That is an increase compared to what the dashboard reflected on Thursday, which had three in quarantine and 28 were released. Thus, implying three new people recently went into quarantine.
The dashboard had zero confirmed or suspected cases of the virus.
The Tribune tried to contact Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands to confirm whether there were in fact three new cases and whether they had arrived from outside of the Bahamas, but failed to get a response. However, Dr Sands had stated earlier that officials had expected quarantine numbers to increase.
The health minister had said last week: “We have other people that are going to be coming home over the next week or so that we are aware of and now people have been in Italy or are currently there…So it is possible that the quarantine numbers will go up.”
He also predicted this week a possible worst-case scenario of 400 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in The Bahamas, but less than 100 people would be hospitalised.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic with US President Donald Trump declaring a National Emergency over the outbreak.
The Bahamas government implemented travel restrictions that apply to four countries. Non- Bahamian residents travelling to the Bahamas from Italy, South Korea, China, and Iran in the last 20 days will be denied entry. On the other hand, Bahamian citizens and residents will be subject to quarantine for a maximum of 14 days if they are returning from those countries.
Comments
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
Comrade PopoulacesOrdinary at large are left get their coronoavirus updates by having to join the Facebook page of we Colony of Out Islands and Cays health minister. In the meantime, Jamaica's prime minister, has just this very moment - declared all of his Colony's likewise dependent upon tourism's Jamaica a disaster zone area amid the Coronavirus. Is it time to call for influential red shirts to step forward for an Intervention of the health minister? Not making this up. Just, can't.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 9 months ago
This is gross misinformation very deliberately disseminated on an untimely basis to the public by the Minnis-led FNM government in much the same way they fed us gross misinformation about the death toll from Hurricane Dorian on a most untimely basis.
What government and our healthcare officials are not telling us is that they simply do not have the means to conduct extensive testing to determine how widespread Covid-19 already is within the Bahamas and especially on New Providence. The Minnis-led FNM government made a huge misstake very early on by not shutting down all cruise ship travel to our ports.
enough 4 years, 9 months ago
Correct Well Mudda. Of course you will have 0 cases if you are not testing. This is akin to if I was a student and claim I am a straight 'A' student. If not one is assessing or testing me then no one can dispute that I am an 'A' student.
Testing is key to managing this crisis.
Chucky 4 years, 9 months ago
Relax people. Look at the statistics, this but a hoax.
Just google annual flu infection and death rate.
Then ask yourself, if this Coronavirus was never mentioned, would anyone have even noticed an increase in sicknesses or deaths.
FYI, Italy had 68000 flu deaths in the 2013/2014 flu season (nov 3013-March 2014) https://www.2oceansvibe.com/2020/03/11/…
Clearly, if this is a pandemic , then every year in modern history we have had a flu pandemic!
Look at the stats !
Think for yourselves.
Regardless how scary they say Coronavirus is, if every year there are 60 some thousand flu deaths in Italy, why are they carrying on about 500 from the Coronavirus flu?
It’s all a hoax “pandemic”
Canada has 3500 flu deaths a year
USA has 30-60000.
Worldwide flu kills over 650,000 per annum.
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main…
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.globalr…
Absolutely nothing to worry about!
Porcupine 4 years, 9 months ago
Thanks for the highly scientific medical update.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 9 months ago
As they say, ignorance is bliss right up until.......
I bet @Chucky even has a "hoax explanation" for why the healthcare systems in many developed countries like Italy have been so overwhelmed that triage is having to be practiced whereby doctors and hospitals are literally deciding who must be sent home to die because there are no available hospital beds, ventilators, etc.
Chucky 4 years, 9 months ago
Italy had 68000 , yes thousand flu deaths in 2013/14 flu season. No crisis declared No mention of triage No panic Just business as usual Only a complete bumbling idiot would consider coronavirus results in Italy today as alarming if they were not alarmed in 2013/14
650,000 deaths world wide each year from flu. But no “pandemic”, no alarm, no problem
USA leaves October with a handful of flu cases, but end of Nov averages is 8 million, by Jan 1 average is 24 million have been infected , annual deaths as high as 45000 in 2018/19 flu season
Try to use your brain and read statistics to learn what is actually significant.
All the sars hype a few years back, amounted to 774 deaths world wide
Ebola, same thing 11,000 world wide
But all the hype
Don’t you find it strange that the annual nameless flu kills exponentially more every year and goes without any mention
You , nor anyone else can make a supportive argument to justify this hype.
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
OOps!!
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
Oops!!
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
ll
killemwitdakno 4 years, 9 months ago
You did learn of the bubonic plague and Spanish flu though, right? Two years ago, scientists released that our species was due for a pandemic.
Yes, currently there are more deaths from other things but it's new and just beginning.
Ebola was only stopped because of a forced rush.
Today the stats show that it is actually 10 times deadlier. Most of that will be due to the fact that hospitals won't have availability.
Just don't call it fake.
John 4 years, 9 months ago
Experts say for every one person that test positive with Corona, there can be up to 1,000 persons in the community that have the virus by the time they get tested. Government is admitting they have been doing frequent testing for Corona and if this patient is at PHM, many may have been exposed even before she was seen by medical staff.
DonAnthony 4 years, 9 months ago
Lockdown this country! Tourists are not coming anyway. We do not want to be like Italy which had 368 deaths in last 24 hrs. Time is ticking.
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
Closed borders, won't guarantee protection against the cornoavirus. It's not the virus that crosses the border - it's people! We in Colony, knows better than most that there's no possible way to completely shutdown a country's points of entry - besides, there's always those who will devise ways to crossover.
John 4 years, 9 months ago
The thing is Bahamians still continues to mix and intermingle with the tourist that do come here. Going to the night clubs etc. so there is no safety barrier. It is confirmed to be here in the country now, in at least one island and probably two. What is the way forward.
TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago
Tribune publisher, act responsibly by blocking any and all posts that fall under being dangerously {sic} in the head category!
joeblow 4 years, 9 months ago
Those who conspired to withhold information from the public WHILE allowing flights and cruise ships from areas known to have Covid 19 into the country, WHILE not aggressively testing using the kits they had weeks ago, have endangered the lives of many Bahamians and put those working in the healthcare and tourism sectors at greater risk!
They should all be fired, starting with the Minister of Health!
killemwitdakno 4 years, 9 months ago
Keep supply chains going. That is a must. Plan for B'air to become cargo carriers.
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