NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames said yesterday he has “every confidence” law enforcement agencies will be ready to police any new measures for fully vaccinated people once implemented.
He noted that officers will utilise technology to verify vaccination cards and crack down on forged documents when the new protocol comes into effect.
He spoke after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis suggested to reporters last week that fully vaccinated people could soon begin experiencing a variety of new benefits, including permission to go out at night after the 10pm curfew and also to host parties.
Dr Minnis is expected to provide more details about the vaccination perks when he wraps up the 2021/22 budget debate in the House of Assembly tomorrow.
Some critics called the plan “discriminatory” and others questioned the science behind the decision and how police plan to enforce it.
Phillip “Brave” Davis believes the new privileges will only create confusion.
However, Mr Dames did not share the same viewpoint yesterday and insisted officials will plan in advance and make adjustments as necessary to ensure the policy is enforced.
“We plan. We plan. Anytime an action is taken, and in this case by the competent authority, we have to plan around it,” he told reporters before going to a Cabinet meeting. “And, these agencies like the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Defence Force, planning is what they do and so they have to adjust accordingly, and I have no doubt that they are capable of doing that.”
He also said he doesn’t believe the new rules will create confusion.
“...It won’t cause confusion,” Mr Dames added. “The RBPF and RBDF have been able to adapt to these changing times so I don’t expect anything will be different. I mean once the competent authority rolls out new emergency orders or new laws are enacted, the police and those agencies responsible have to adjust and this is nothing new.
“This is all a part of governance and I have every confidence that the Commissioner and his team and the Commodore and his team will be ready for anything.”
Asked how police plan to enforce the measures, the Mount Moriah MP replied: “We’ll have to see how it’s rolled out and we’ll plan accordingly. That’s not an issue and if you’re fully vaccinated then you should have something in your possession saying that you’re fully vaccinated. RBPF and RBDF are very good at that and we have the aid of technology to assist and so I am not concerned about that.”
However, it is believed that policing the exceptions might still prove difficult, amid rising concern about the possibility of people using fake vaccination cards.
To this, Mr Dames said the police’s record speaks for itself, pointing to the many instances where persons were caught and dealt with for using fake COVID-19 tests to travel.
He said the same situation will apply for people who are not fully vaccinated seeking to “circumvent” the law and also warned against obtaining forged documents, insisting that officers will be on high alert for such instances.
He said: “You see that they’ve been doing an extremely great job in cracking down on those persons who were producing false travel visas right and that’s what they do and they’re there to ensure that we abide by the law.
“…At the end of the day, in all of this, what it requires is discipline on behalf of the Bahamian people right and that certainly will go along with helping to mitigate any issues in relation to any decision that is forthcoming.”
Asked if anyone has been caught for using fake vaccination documents to date, Mr Dames told reporters: “Umm, no not to this point but as you would’ve mentioned earlier, anytime you have situations like this it creates opportunities for those seeking to circumvent the law and the police will prepare for that as well.
“…At the end of the day, in all of this, what it requires is discipline on behalf of the Bahamian people right and that certainly will go along with helping to mitigate any issues in relation to any decision that is forthcoming.”
According to Mr Dames, there have been 1,940 violations to the COVID-19 Emergency Orders to date, resulting in over a $1m worth of fines.
Comments
John 3 years, 4 months ago
DUMB and DUUMBER! two covid-19 vaccine retards! Will the police now shoot and kill Bahamians who do not have the covid-19 vaccine?
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
Why isn't Dames locking up the Covid authorities that have us locked in unconstitutional home jail for 455 days without end after ten.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
Coercion and armed forces medical bully taktics to further cause pain on the Bahamian people. The Nazi well worked fear agenda, of force, buy loyalty or if you don't become a Nazi you are shot. Hitler's history is alive today.
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
Marvin Dames must not be re-elected, period.
Like Minnis, Dames is much too comfortable with the idea of The Bahamas being transformed into an authoritarian police state.
bahamianson 3 years, 4 months ago
Sure you have every confidence. That means you have my confidence as well, and I want.it back.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
But just who the f are they targeting for vaccination. Guess?High school graduates. For two years the young have not moved onto social life. According to Israel the vaccine damaged the hearts of those under 25 years of age. This little sneeky Centapede. Kids home from college are packing bags and moving back to the USA.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
A REASON WHY THEY MAY WANT Y O U VACCINATED: US authorities are now admitting that the Covid-19 virus was in the US before February or March of 2020. In fact they now believe the corona virus entered the United States as early as November or December of 2019. And like it happened here, doctors were treating this ‘strange flu’ but they didn’t really know what it was. Now this begs at least three questions or concerns; 1. The virus did not originate in the Chinese market as Dr Fauci had the world believing for the past 16 months but was created in a lab. 2. The Chinese were not covering up the disease, like was originally being said. It’s just that they were able to identify it quicker than most of the world. And so they brought their cases under control. Now what has authorities concerned is if it was just a leak from the lab in Wuhan, how did the virus spread around the world so quickly? As you know Dr Fauci was involved with gain-of- function research with the corona virus in the lab in Wuhan. This lab was ordered to discontinue this research in 2015 because it was considered TOO DANGEROUS. But in 2017, Dr Fauci was able to bypass this ban on the corona research and it was started again. Remember they made several trips to Alaska where they dug up graves of persons who died with the Spanish Flu. So not only did they attempt to revive this virus ( which apparently was successful) but the lab also experimented with trying to make the virus more deadly and more easily spread. Apparently this was also successful and the results are the Covid-19 virus. So the question now is WHO LEAKED THE VIRUS? Was it an accident or was it done on purpose? Records show that several of the scientists doing the research at the Wuhan lab got ill with lung infections and breathing difficulties around the same time the Covid-19 started to appear in China. So since they claim they don’t know who leaked the virus or who has access to it or to the research notes on how it was revived and ‘mutated’. They are trying to GET the entire world population VACCINATED to starve off Covid-19. One fear is i rather than die off after infecting a given portion of the world’s population , it may continue to mutate into a SUPER virus that cannot be controlled. Another concern is if the first dose of the virus was intentionally leaked on the world’s population, it may be done again. And despite the new and not fully tested vaccines, the beliefs are that these vaccines will be the best defense against any future ‘attacks.’ The vaccines are merely an antidote that may prevent infected persons from getting seriously ill, but they don’t prevent the disease. And as in the case of the UK they may be less effective against future strains of the virus. The Delta strain for example. Or this may just be the hype to get more people to take the vaccine.
JokeyJack 3 years, 4 months ago
The Wuhan Lab is very likely designing a totally new virus they will call Corona Epsilon. They have TONS of data from phone location history and whatsapp messages to know where the sheep live all over the world. It will be released there and the sheep people will be ordered to lockdown inside again to ensure maximum spread in small closed settings. The Epsilon will cause over 4 billion deaths worldwide from November 1st to March 30th. That's my prediction.
The sheep will willingly walk to the slaughter house when the CDC tells them to.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
G7 gangsters of 7 breaking bad news. CureVac of Germany MRNA vaccine to save the world including us was 47%. It's shares dived from PI Bridge and drowned. There goes the Industrialized wht power nations with big mouth lackeys here, great blk hope. Deap before arrival.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.rt.com/news/526778-curevac-…
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
@john. Fact remains. 99.9%of us infected recovered without vaccines around the world. You did not mention Gates warning it would come and the world would Ned vaccination speech. A worst one he promised would be upon the world come August. But his German vaccine just failed. Hope Putin and Biden figured something out during their meeting today.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.rt.com/usa/526764-fauci-cov…
Very latest as Fauci is caught in his own web. But what a darling he is to our truthful gov.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
The fact is Fauci should have been brought in snd grilled under oath . He became obsessed with this Gaia-of-function research. After he could not do it on US soil, he funded it through the Wuhan lab. Was he doubled crossed by the Chinese . For certain the lab has been cleaned up and prepared for inspection. Most likely the Chinese military now have notes with all the experiments. And the samples? Fauci continues to mislead and deceive the whole world while millions died and millions more became infected. Was he trying to buy time to develop the vaccines or did he want the virus to continue to spread? In 2012 Fauci had discussions (or fascinations) of what it will be like if a virus was leaked. Now he’s pumping more fear into the equation about this Delta virus. Is the Delta virus a natural variant of Covid-19 or a new release? They knew Fauci’s claim that the virus jumped from bats to humans was false because of the thousands of animals tested, NONE had Covid-19. This virus exists only in humans. As for Bill Gates, how involved is he in this plot? Do they have a truly effective vaccine that they will only administer to the elites and the ‘chosen’?
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.rt.com/usa/526754-eu-states…
Covid is over. Guess Minnis did not get the memo.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 4 months ago
I hope you can handle it Dames. Time for this curfew crap to end, 2 weeks away from my second shot. Yessss....
John 3 years, 4 months ago
This is starting more and more to fit the ‘mark of the beast’ spoken of in the Bible. Dr Fauci has already deceived the whole, entire world. They are not only giving away millions and Billions in cash and prizes to take the vaccines along with other incentives, but now they are trying to take away more and more rights and privileges from persons who don’t receive the mark… err vaccine. So you cannot buy or sell (do commerce) unless you take the vaccine. Nothing good can come come out of something that was created out of such evil.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
And if this is the dreaded ‘mark’ you better believe that more and stronger viruses will come. And threats of new viruses. And rumors of virus and how it is devastating populations. And more and rewards and benefits will be offered and given to persons who take the vaccines and reco false hope ( fake salvation). And more pressure and persecution will coy to those who do not take the vaccine. So much so that time will have to be shortened, else no flesh shall be left alive. They will either be deceived or they will di be killed (become infected with the virus ).
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
This week according to TASS a new powerful virus strain has hit Russia medications once successful are now useless. Something like a Gates blackmail on the world using virus for control is going on.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
A generation of anti establishment Bahamians full of hatred for the state is fomenting around the world from political inhumane response to Covid. Young people are the least affected by Covid yet Dames is sending them into social isolation. Not good at all.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
Expect more police assisted suicides by persons mentally blocked in and caged constantly by never ending restrictions and being treated like animals. Sooner or later persons will act like one. There is total insanity in this latest pressure threat move. by the state. Already with no school social life kids are forced into block territorial gang enclaves. No beaches for the whole of 2020, now threats to the youths after ten, there is bound to far reaching negative consequences. The Covid response is grooming kids to shoot down like target practice.
quietone 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/health/medica…
SEEMS THAT THERE IS NO PROPER VACCINE FOR COVID 19
quietone 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/health/medica…
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
A most grotesque abuse of power. Those unvaccinated who refuse to have mRNA gene therapy so called vaccine alter their God given DNA structure to produce antibodies and God knows what else from this non FDA approved substance are Bahamian subhuman species and cut away from this evil state of affairs.
JokeyJack 3 years, 4 months ago
We need to drop the "not FDA approved" from our argument. It doesnt matter if its FDA approved or not.
M0J0 3 years, 4 months ago
My thought is if its good it shouldn't have to be forced nor should be one be tricked or fooled into taking it. People are saying this is discrimination but we have been discriminated from the beginning of the pandemic. Rules for locals and no rules for visitors, rules for the inner city but non for behind the gates.
M0J0 3 years, 4 months ago
The million dollar question will be who will be to blame when the vaccinated spread covid.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
They already have.
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