The Tribune

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

LOCAL and regional health officials are calling on travellers to be responsible this holiday season to prevent a spike in COVID- 19 given that a vaccine will not be available for months.

Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director of the national HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases programme, said there is a possibility of a spike, but it can be prevented.

“It’s fully possible,” Dr Forbes said. “When persons travel, they should keep in mind that they take the risk of contracting COVID- 19 during their travels and they can spread it to other persons when they return home after the travel.

“What we usually see is that after an event then, if there is a spread or an uptick in spread it is going to be two to three weeks after that event happens. A spike can be preventable if we follow the public health measures and try to minimise travel to essential and emergency. We can reduce the chance of having a surge if we follow the public health measures and the emergency orders.”

Local COVID-19 figures have declined in recent weeks, with only nine cases recorded nationally on Tuesday. Eight of those were in New Providence and one was in Grand Bahama.

Dr Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO assistant director, said people can enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with their loved ones, but they must bear in mind the risk they take of contracting and transmitting the virus.

“Definitely this spike can happen, but the idea that we, the authorities, are encouraging is to try to prevent it,” said the PAHO official during the agency’s weekly regional press conference. “We can enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year with our families and our communities, but we need to keep in mind that it can be very risky, including travel. So it is important to prevent the spikes and the spread of the virus, generally.”

Dr Barbosa said people should continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and ask themselves if travelling is really necessary.

“We cannot predict that there will be an outbreak after the holidays, but we know it can happen because more people are traveling and gathering together and more people going to enclosed spaces,” he said. “So we need to be very vigilant about preventing this kind of situation.”

Many Bahamians have traveled this week to the United States, Canada and other regional countries for Thanksgiving and plan to do the same for Christmas. Dr Barbosa gave an idea of what is happening with COVID-19 in those countries.

“Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 25 million cases and more than 700,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in our region,” he continued. “Since our press conference last week, more than 1.5 million cases were reported in the Americas – the highest weekly numbers since the start of the pandemic.

“And while a rapid surge of infections in the United States has been a major driver, cases are continuing to accelerate in some countries of North, Central and South America as part of a mosaic of different epidemiological patterns we’re seeing. In Canada, infections are rising, particularly among the elderly. The virus is also reaching high numbers among indigenous communities, which are especially vulnerable due to their remote locations and challenging access to health infrastructure.”

Two weeks ago, it was announced that Pfizer pharmaceutical company had achieved success with a COVID-19 vaccine, however it is awaiting the approval of the US Federal Drug Administration. Dr. Barbosa said, although this is good news, there will still be some time before this is ready for use.

“Many people are understandably encouraged by recent developments in the search for an effective COVID-19 vaccine, but we must continue to be patient and cautious because it will be months before a vaccine is widely available,” he said.

“After months of staying at home, many of us are weighing difficult decisions about whether to see friends, gather with family or travel to see loved ones during the holidays. So today, I’d like to provide some advice on how to celebrate responsibly this holiday season.”

Dr Barbosa urges everyone to weigh their options carefully, and follow the guidance of national health authorities.

Up to press time, The Bahamas had 7,469 recorded