The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force only had about eight active cases and 31 people in quarantine as of a week ago, RBDF Commodore Raymond King said yesterday.

He added the force is managing the situation well amid the country’s third wave of infections.

“With this third wave, I don’t want to become elated too soon or too quickly, but we’ve managed this third wave in terms of numbers within the organisation,” he told reporters.

In April, the Cabinet Office revealed in a statement that the Commodore was exposed to COVID-19, was experiencing mild symptoms and had entered quarantine at home, however his COVID-19 status was never publicly announced.

The incident also caused Commodore King’s immediate members of staff to be placed in quarantine. The commodore said it was “unfortunate” that there were a few people from his office who were also exposed.

“I think we got caught up in a bubble, a false bubble, that we work together in a small confinement — that we are safe. But the reality of it is persons when they leave the workplace and they go to their various homes they have their own circles and (sphere) of influences.

“And so the policies would’ve been relaxed somewhat with that false sense of comfort. Thank God everyone has recovered. They’re doing extremely well, but the weight of my office requires me to be in a number of meetings, briefing sessions with internal and external stakeholders.

“But having a number of my close staff members being also exposed that sort of told me that there was a small cluster within the office and so now we have to adhere to the health protocols and I’m sure I certainly have even more so now having been exposed.”

When asked if he tested negative for the virus, Commodore King answered: “I wish not to disclose that medical information.”

The commodore explained the force is adhering strictly to the Ministry of Health’s COVID protocols, but the RBDF has taken other precautions.

He said: “Before any deployment, before any vessel proceeds at sea, persons will be tested prior, about up to five days prior to, and once they are cleared then our ships will proceed. “Persons will go on deployment because for us, our largest ship carries a crew of some 60 persons and it takes just one case onboard and now you have 59 persons who must be quarantined and so it impacts us even greatly and that is why we have taken those proactive steps to test before they move out to sea.

“So if we could detect any sense that someone may be exposed to address it immediately. Even during the first three days at sea if anyone falls ill due to the abundance of caution, that vessel will be returned and everyone tested. Placed on quarantine.”

He also said the force has a “robust medical plan”.

“We are satisfied that if we were to test those persons before they actually enter training — they’re tested, they’re kept in a bubble, and we keep the entire training staff, and once we adhere to the medical protocols of wearing masks (and) social distancing we should be fine.”

Asked about vaccination hesitancy or concerns, he commented: “We still have a level of hesitancy amongst the membership but slowly persons are going to be vaccinated they have but there was a high level of hesitancy early on but it has somewhat eased and persons are now going to be vaccinated.”