PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has urged supporters to follow new COVID-19 restrictions, while the party examines avenues for legal recourse against government.
In a press statement yesterday, Mr Davis made a push for people to receive vaccination against the virus, adding the decision to do so remained a personal one.
He stressed that this was the only way for protection from this serious disease and hospitalisation.
“As we are all aware, the Emergency Orders restrict campaigning and canvassing to vaccinated individuals,” Mr Davis said in a brief statement.
“The Competent Authority permits many activities which pose a much greater risk of transmission of COVID. As we examine avenues for legal recourse, we ask that you follow the Emergency Orders. Candidates and their teams cannot campaign if unvaccinated.”
He continued: “However, although you are — for the moment — restricted from campaigning, the right to free speech has not been extinguished. You are free to converse with Bahamians about any topics you wish, including the economic and health crisis.
“The government has failed badly to prepare the country for the Delta variant. We are facing a serious health crisis, one that is already overwhelming the public health system and is likely to seriously worsen.
“The decision regarding vaccination remains a personal one. We continue to encourage all to get vaccinated. This remains the best way to protect yourself from serious disease and hospitalisation.”
Mr Davis’ statement followed that of party chairman Fred Mitchell who said the PLP will not change its campaign protocols to comply with new rules requiring campaigners be vaccinated and their groups be no larger than five.
Health Minister Renward Wells announced the rules during a press conference on Friday.
But in a statement yesterday, Mr Mitchell said: “The PLP encourages all persons to get vaccinated as the best protection against the COVID-19 virus. However, we also believe that the matter of taking the vaccine is one of personal choice and we do not support coercing people to do so on the pain of fines and jail terms, particularly where they have well founded objection to doing so, particularly as a matter of conscience.”
“We do not intend to change our campaign protocols with regard to door-to-door notwithstanding the change in the rules, those remain health and safety first: keep walking parties small, keep physically distant, do not go inside homes unless the voter insists, practice sanitising your hands, wear a mask.”
“We must point out, however, that as a matter of law, those who are found campaigning and are not vaccinated and are found out can face legal penalties. Therefore, the campaign workers and campaign coordinators have to balance the risks with regard to this. We believe that the law is not reasonably justifiable in a democratic society and should be challenged in court. We call on the authorities to repeal the law.
“In the meantime, all campaign workers should be aware of the law and of the risks involved in challenging the law, by methods akin to civil disobedience and the risks to your health. This is an evolving issue for the party which has grave implications for the ability of the party to carry out its constitutional and democratic functions. Please stand by for further guidance.”
Many in the country remain hesitant to take the vaccine even though experts widely believe it is the only way out of the pandemic.
On Sunday, Bahamas Nurses Union President Amancha Williams knocked Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan’s suggestion that mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers is under consideration.
PLP candidate for Freetown, attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, said yesterday that mandating that healthcare workers take the vaccine would not be legal.
“How could you justify it?” he asked. “You have a right to security of your persons, a right to freedom of movement, how can you justify doing that in the interest of public health? You can always justify quarantining infected people, but you cannot justify doing things to healthy people. Article 29.2 of the constitution is applicable only insofar as what you’re doing is reasonably justifiable.”
“Beyond that, it would be a foolish policy. Can you provide any disincentives and say oh a nurse or doctor who doesn’t take the vaccine doesn’t have a job? Let’s assume that’s 60 or 70 percent of them. Who gon’ look after the hospital people if all of them are out of a job? So, it seems self-defeating.”
Comments
TalRussell 3 years, 4 months ago
This should give a whole new meaning to that colonial term—that is, a government in waiting's lecturing of PopoulacesOrdinaries to do as we say, and not as a collection video, and still picture images have to date, captured that we own selves, hasn't exactly seen be practicing what we own lecturing selves, tells others what they must, and can't do, yes?
John 3 years, 4 months ago
THE US IS EXPERIENCING ITS GREATEST SURGE OF CORONA CASES SINCE JOE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY. Take control of our borders! The US is now recording more new cases than India or Brazil or Russia or France. More new daily cases than any other country in the world. What went wrong after experiencing SEVEN months of consistent decline in new cases and corona deaths?
John 3 years, 4 months ago
Dr Fauci told them (and us) get vaccinated, take your masks off you can dine inside and socialize and do other indoor activities, including hymns and spas as long as it is with other fully vaccinated people. Fauci was wrong. So the world suffers. Again.
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
You would think from reading some of these posts that Dr. Fauci is the only ID Specialist on the entire planet, that his word is the gospel and people the world over are incapable of making informed decisions for themselves. Certainly in the Bahamas that appears to be the case as we continue to be led by the nose, held captive by social media hysteria and home grown armchair infectious disease specialists. Bahamians have always liked to point the finger at someone else for their shortcomings and, as a people, never have and still don't take responsibility for ANY of their multitude of self inflicted stupidities.
happyfly 3 years, 4 months ago
So the US - FDA has now publicly admitted that by enlarge - the PCR tests can NOT accurately discern between Covid-19 and your average flu. For the covid fanatics, please go to https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/c...">https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/c... for evidence of all of the companies that are having their tests removed from the emergency use authorization program. They are being removed because they are giving positive results for typical flu which is probably why so many of you wonder why you have tested positive and only ever got a runny nose. So the big question here in the Bahamas is - are the PCR tests being used by our labs any better or worse than the tests being dismissed by the US_FDA? Is our government basing its lock-down decisions on a testing regime that can not differentiate between Covid 19 and the flu? Seriously folks. I am sure you have all heard by now that the flu season last winter was non-existent. Now we know it is because everyone tested positive for CV19 even if they just had the flu. All I hear is "follow the science" and the science now says the PCR tests are showing positive for the flu. So do we continue to destroy our economy and human rights because of inaccurate PCR tests? Is that science?
JokeyJack 3 years, 4 months ago
"He stressed that this was the only way for protection from this serious disease and hospitalisation."
So now we now that if he becomes leader he will also not allow clinical trials of HCQ and Ivermectin.
Why wont the CDC conduct the trials and prove that Ivermectin and HCQ dont work?
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
One is therefore left to wonder why the leadership of the PLP failed to challenge the law in court a long time ago rather than sit idly by watching most Bahamians get stripped of their most fundamental civil rights, liberties and dignities that up until the early part of 2019 were supposedly (but may no longer be) guaranteed under the Constitution of The Bahamas.
The so called 'emergency legislation' that established the so called Competent Authority with special dictatorship powers was patently unlawful and unconstitutional from the get go. Accordingly, every single member of parliament that voted in favour of the enactment of that legislation should be given the boot by voters in the upcoming national general election.
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