The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

SINCE the establishment of the COVID-19 Command Centre in August, more than 2,888 calls have been received to report various Emergency Powers Orders infractions, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed yesterday.

In a nationally televised address, he said eight out of ten calls made to the centre were to report businesses where mask and social distancing protocols were not followed.

To date, statistics reflect that 67 percent of citations issued by the COVID-19 Enforcement Unit referred to the failure to wear masks away from a residence, and 27 percent referred to breach of curfew.

This excludes the COVID-19 Enforcement Unit’s immediate shutdown of social gatherings and business establishments found in breach of the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Orders.

“As part of our COVID-19 response, the COVID-19 Enforcement Unit has dispatched personnel to follow-up on reports of mass social gathering and incidents on isolated breaches,” Dr Minnis said.

“Eight out of ten calls made to the COVID-19 Enforcement Unit’s hotline were related to various business establishments of individuals not wearing masks or social distancing.

“I once again ask all businesses establishments to ensure that your employees and customers are abiding by health measures. If we work together to do this, we will be able to keep various areas of the economy open. It is in all of our best interest to follow the health measures.

“It is better for business and it is better for the country at large.”

He said the number of calls to the unit has been steadily increasing in recent weeks for breaches of the 24-hour weekend lockdown.

Shortly after Dr Minnis’ address, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis criticised the Killarney MP for failing to reveal that COVID-19 testing is down while touting a decline in recorded cases.

Dr Minnis spoke of the decline as he lifted some restrictions in New Providence and Abaco.

The Progressive Liberal Party leader said: “On Sunday evening, the competent Authority took credit for a decline in COVID cases, while failing to disclose that the number of tests conducted daily has also fallen.

“Yesterday, The Bahamas conducted 345 tests. Experts at the Harvard Global Health Institute recommend a daily minimum of 600 or more tests for a population our size.

“Everyone is relieved that some of the restrictions are lifted – for this week, at least. But it is only because the competent authority’s July reopening plan was weak and full of holes that lockdowns and curfews were required in the first place.

“He wants praise for lifting restrictions, but no scrutiny about why they were needed. The competent authority did not have a strong testing, tracing and isolation policy in place, and a few cases predictably turned into a few thousand. Many of our Caribbean neighbours have fared much better.

“He is much more comfortable admonishing Bahamians about their behaviour, and much less inclined to examine his own,” Mr Davis said.

“Minnis congratulated himself for his willingness to take tough measures against the business community. He should not be so pleased with himself. His lockdowns and curfews, which have indeed crushed many small Bahamian-owned businesses, were a sign of a failed COVID policy, not a sign of strength. Lockdowns are a blunt instrument, necessary when you don’t have enough testing in place to keep up with COVID spread.”

Mr Davis said the PLP was concerned that some of the same “mistakes” committed months ago were once again happening.

“We urge him to surge resources now and increase testing for Bahamians. A strong COVID plan now would end the threat of lockdowns and curfews.

“The competent authority keeps warning Bahamians to get used to loosening and tightening restrictions – but he should spend time talking to our tourism partners and to local businesses, all of whom are suffering from the uncertainty created by his weak, zig-zagging COVID policy,” Mr Davis said.