The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AN engineer at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the BCB to once again close its doors to the public for cleaning.

Yesterday, executive management at ZNS said the BCB’s headquarters at Harcourt “Rusty” Bethel Drive confirmed the station had been hit by the virus.

“While this staff member has not been on duty for several days, management will have the concerned area(s) cleaned and sanitised as a precaution measure. The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, will reopen fully for normal business on October 9, 2020,” ZNS officials said in a statement.

The engineer, who is mostly assigned to the House of Assembly ensuring that ZNS broadcasts the proceedings of Parliament seamlessly, contracted the virus and is said to have responsibly informed his co-workers.

“Thank God that our co-worker was responsible enough to inform us that he has COVID,” a ZNS source said.

“I believe he got the virus...at the House of Assembly because I heard there (are) a lot of cases (there). He works so hard that anything is possible. Now to fill the void is going to be a problem because he truly runs this place, whereas engineering is involved. We hope he makes a full recovery and we wish him well.”

Yesterday Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union president Dino Rolle said the union realises COVID-19 has to be dealt with for the foreseeable future.

“The idea is really to sanitise after you would have experienced these cases to mitigate against any further spread because of the exposure,” Mr Rolle said. “And, once you do the proper isolation of those persons who may have been exposed also everybody else can return to work. We realise for the foreseeable future we have to learn to live with it.

“To be shutting down operations because you are experiencing exposure, is unsustainable for a long time economically on any business. So while I am concerned about the safety of my members, I, too, have to be cognizant of their livelihoods. So it is a balance that has to be struck and I try to work within those parameters to make sure that there is no undue strain that is placed on the corporation, but at the same time making sure that they do what is required of them. I think after we would have had our meeting on the hill, they seemed to have been abiding in that regard.”

Asked about outstanding matters in the industrial agreement between BCPOU and the Broadcasting Corporation that he and his team were very concerned about, Mr Rolle said they are working them out with the chairman.

“I do understand, too, that these are challenging economic times, not only nationally, but globally and management has identified those things that are outstanding. We are having meetings and we are working with the chairman and others in management to see how best we can satisfy those things that are outstanding,” he said.

In a previous interview, Mr Rolle was irate and said he and his members were sick and tired of alleged disrespect shown to them by management at ZNS. At the time, he called for the resignation of general manager Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs, accusing her of bullying staff by threatening in August to downsize because workers were concerned about being exposed to COVID cases in the headquarters where they work.