Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
NINE confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Andros and a COVID-19 positivity rate of 58 percent in Cat Island helped push the government to implement a two-week lockdown of those islands which began at 8pm yesterday.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the lockdown on Sunday during a national address, saying only essential workers will be allowed to visit those islands during the specified period. In-person activities and burials are not permitted.
In locking down the islands, Dr Minnis stressed their limited health resources.
“Because of these limits, as a government, we cannot allow Family Island outbreaks of the pandemic to get out of control,” he said.
Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, special health adviser to Dr Minnis and chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, said there are 33 active cases of the virus on Cat Island and 109 residents there are in quarantine.
She said seven people have been airlifted to New Providence for urgent medical care so far and six remain hospitalised.
Dr Dahl-Regis emphasised the changing profile of COVID-19 in the country as younger people increasingly take ill with the virus.
“This is no longer a virus that only affects older people,” she said. “It is now infecting younger persons. Many young people are contracting the virus. More young people are becoming seriously ill. More young people are being hospitalised and are dying from the virus.”
Dr Dahl-Regis noted that in the past week, 76 percent of people receiving their first dose of the vaccine were between the ages of 18 and 50, a trend she expects to continue in the coming weeks.
As for Andros and Cat Island, Dr Minnis said: “Every agency, business or establishment, shall remain closed, except for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, government community clinics, and COVID-19 vaccination sites. No individual, other than an essential worker, shall leave his or her place of residence, for any purpose other than, for the purpose of seeking urgent medical attention, to go to a vaccination site, or on prescribed days, to purchase food, water and other essential items. The administrator or a designee, is permitted to distribute food and water on behalf of the government.
“Food store owners may be permitted to restock their stores, after the arrival of the respective mailboat, and the Seacor. Food stores may be opened for two days, between 6am and 6pm after the mailboat has arrived. Residents may leave their homes to go to the food store during the two days immediately following the arrival of the mailboat only.”
Farmers are permitted to water their crops between the hours of 5am to 9am.
“Subsistence fishing is permitted,” Dr Minnis said. “The respective commercial banks may reload their automated banking machines. Gas stations may open on Fridays from 6am to 6pm for government agencies only. Customs and immigration (officers) will be able to fulfil their duties as needed. Security guard services will be permitted. Hotel workers carrying identification, will be permitted to traverse, to and from their places of employment.”
Hotels on the respective islands are able to continue operations providing their guests do not leave the property.
Residents of North and Central Andros will be allowed to harvest crabs during the lockdown from 8pm to 5am. Dr Minnis said if the officer-in-charge on the island allows, people can harvest crabs outside these hours if the weather is favourable for harvesting.
Dr Minnis said AUTEC’s Navy Base will be allowed to operate and Emile Knowles Construction Company will also be allowed to work on the government’s bridge project in Stainard Creek between 6am and 6pm.
On Cat Island, water delivery will be permitted by Donald Newbold from 6am to 6pm and ISD construction’s work on the government’s water project can continue between 6am and 6pm.
Travel into and out of the respective islands is prohibited unless the person has written approval by the competent authority; has a medical emergency; is transporting goods as specified in the lockdown order; in respect of a provision of an essential service as noted in the order or the person is an international tourist.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has already dispatched officers to Cat Island and North and Central Andros to ensure that residents are not leaving these areas, and risking the greater spread of the COVID-19 virus, to other communities and islands,” Dr Minnis said.
His national address came after the Office of the Prime Minister announced in a statement on Friday that Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands were to be placed under a 14-day lockdown effective Saturday at 8pm in order to slow and control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in those communities.
The Bahamas recorded 28 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 25 in New Providence, bringing the nation’s case count to 11,579. At last report, the Berry Islands had 85 cases, Cat Island had 50 cases and Andros had 141; those islands did not report new cases on Sunday.
The lockdown for Cat Island and Andros comes to an end 5am on Tuesday, June 8. The complete lockdown orders can be seen at opm.gov.bs.
Comments
John 3 years, 7 months ago
Will they ever admit unreservedly that the vaccines are contributing to the spread?
‘Of the Seychelles, Israel, the UAE, Chile and Bahrain—respectively the world’s five most vaccinated countries—only Israel is not fighting to contain a dangerous surge in Covid-19 infections.’
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
uneducated silly comments. please don't
John 3 years, 7 months ago
obviously you mean your comments..because OBVIOUSLY they are silly and likewise you sem uneducated, very
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
https://theweek.com/articles/978228/5-b…
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 7 months ago
In the Seychelles none of the vaccinated are seriously ill, nearly all are mild and none have died. The vaccine works.
GodSpeed 3 years, 7 months ago
Is that why they needed to lockdown? because the vaccine is working? how dumb are you? lol Seychelles was doing fine until they started handing out the vaccine. then cases exploded like never before.
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
because people are generally not well educated as evidenced by the various comment streams across the world wide web. because they thought that since half the population got a shot they other half thought they were safe and free to go about their business, they stopped taking the precautions they should have. the immunization can't protect someone who hasn't had the shot. the general population misinterpreted the situation and started big parties and fundraisers and weddings and guess what happened to the ones who did not get an innoculation?
GodSpeed 3 years, 7 months ago
Notice how cases exploded once the bioweapon shot arrives 💉🧬
ohdrap4 3 years, 7 months ago
Was there a cluster in an orphanage? Is that going to be revealed and listed as a contributing factor in an imminent lockdown of NP?
Anyway. The full vaccination or PCR test will be no good if you travel interisland and it is locked down without notice.
This has affected a lot of people who commute interisland.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Was reviewing and blogging with Victoria, Australia today during their regular winter flu season authorities launched lockdown in the same cycle as global script the Bahamas has been ordered to follow by the reset ingeners at Darvos. Following an artificial pattern. 🙏
JokeyJack 3 years, 7 months ago
You could have noticed that for a year now. Same phrases, same timing of lockdowns and openings and vaccine availablity - all of it. Continue to observe. Amazing how their are so few people who notice it. But, of course, Bill & Melinda are getting divorced and so we have to pay attention to that - and did Beyonce recentley say anything? What about Oprah, you know she said she regretted a certain question in that interview. Lots of flashing lights to look at.
DWW 3 years, 7 months ago
stick to russia mate. english is not your best language
JokeyJack 3 years, 7 months ago
"“It is now infecting younger persons. Many young people are contracting the virus. More young people are becoming seriously ill. More young people are being hospitalised and are dying from the virus.”"
Really? Which children? On what islands? With what symptoms? How many in hospital? How many died? Names please. People are no longer scared by these numbers - and now threatening our children will be forced to vaccinate to return to school unless we ramp up the adult numbers to produce herd immunity???? Some mothers become peeved when their children are threatened - well at least that is true of wild animals, maybe not cow-milk fed ones.
tribanon 3 years, 7 months ago
Dahl-Regis has no answer to your very pertinent questions because she has once again fallen victim to being bullied by Minnis into talking his political talking points rather than the science and the facts as they are. To put it more bluntly, she's allowing herself to be Minnis's chief health scaremongerer.
johnmcntsh 3 years, 7 months ago
So you want the medical records of all who have been infected? Do you want all the medical records of everyone who has gone to a hospital? How about everyone who has medical records anywhere in the world? Where will you people stop?
tribanon 3 years, 7 months ago
Dahl-Regis, like Minnis, now has zero credibility.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Her very script was used last week in the uasA about younger people says Chicken Little 'The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The sky is falling.' then younger children in the USA started being vaccinated. BAM. YOUNG KIDS DEVELOPED HEART ATTACKS. BAM.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Sad that Brave spinning on top Minnis top. Saying a lot and not saying anything.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
WHO head warned the world that according to his magic diabolical looking glass, like Gates predicted through his looking crystal this summer expect a far deadlier virus that will make Covid look like child's play. Already the Chinese and Russians prior to WHO future palm reading held a bioterror drill in China seems in the event Gates and Thedros releases the krakan. What steps are our government taking in regards WHO latest blackmail threat yesterday?
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
While the Biden hee haws with Big Pharma, MSM shock and awe virus hype talking points, WHO, Fauci and CDC Vax script, there seems to be an unexpected eagerness in him to get the world economy back up and running. But that goes against our Covid gangsters here and their masters at Devos.
GodSpeed 3 years, 7 months ago
Funny how things got worse when the bioweapon vaccine arrived. Guess it's doing its job.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Of greater significance to the Gates and dem divorce is the fact he was primed to receive a Nobel Prize, by his WHO. This was all set up by Epstein. Some sick criminals minds running this world with lower minions like our Covid universal script repeaters following. Maybe our MPs also took a plane ride on Lolita air to Epstein's pedophile Island. We will give them their Covid hero boot honors come election day.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
https://www.rt.com/usa/524720-project-v…
https://www-nbcchicago-com.cdn.ampproje…
Your child developing heart problems after vaccination advises Bahamians to turn reckless blind eye to child endangerment. Our Covid leaders hide their murder behind emergency rule.
TalRussell 3 years, 7 months ago
Comrades, as the cloud slowly begins lift surrounding the like a thief in the Sunday night way this authoritarian red regime, moved in by demonstrating a total disregard for the out islanders and their local governments, and for their on the out islands, stationed officials - is it mere tittle-tattle, or is it yet more signs of the combative rule practices by the majority House-elected 35 red MPs.
Are we left now to wonder. if even the Comrade Sister, Dr. Merceline, was left scrambling for a somewhat sketchy catch-up response, and only after the office of the prime minister, brought the Sister, late into the Tuesday morning needs to know's, loop,** yes?
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
https://www.rt.com/news/524698-future-p…
WHO warning yesterday so listen for his parot to jump into frighten Bahamians out of our wits gear. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The Bahamas has our very own Chicken Little Covid team. Fear of death, control, vaccinate. Fear control vaccinate. Fear control vaccinate. Fear control vaccinate.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 7 months ago
Damn you are dumb...
JokeyJack 3 years, 7 months ago
My friend, in a few short months reality will allow you to see who is dumb and who is not. Maybe he is dumb. We will see.
johnmcntsh 3 years, 7 months ago
I have one question. What will you say when there is no oxygen nor hospital space to treat your mom, your dad, your son, your daughter, your grand daughter, your grandson, your siblings? Will you say "oh well, they deserved it"? Just asking for a friend. Like people in India, Nepal, Seychelles and other countries who have no hope to look forward to? Will you say to your family today, "I do not care"? Just curious. Please include your actual name, not a nom de plume.
carltonr61 3 years, 7 months ago
Dame Joan Sawyer just roasted this Constitutionally illegal Covid gangsters. She called them short of going to hell saying God knows what to do with them.
John 3 years, 7 months ago
The facts are the vaccines seemingly prevent persons who take it from developing critical and life threatening symptoms of covid disease in the short term. But at the same time persons who take the vaccine seem to develop long term and long lasting effects of the virus, like heart and long damage, blood clots and other organ damage. And this is only after a few months of taking the vaccines. What happens six months or a year down the road. What happens if they have to take a third booster shot in a few months?
DDK 3 years, 7 months ago
Don't mean to be rude, but does not the lady in rhe caption photo look a tad over weight? Perhaps setting an example in this medical issue would be helpful to rhe population ar large (no pun intended)....
SP 3 years, 7 months ago
Anybody missing Pindling, Ingraham, and Christie yet? ....... Just asking.
tribanon 3 years, 7 months ago
Minnis makes every one of them shine in comparison to himself. He even makes Davis shine.
Never before have we had a PM who is anywhere near as arrogant, vindictive, nasty and evil as Minnis is; not even Pindling who was well known to display a terrible mean streak on occasion or Ingraham who just plain enjoyed frequently being biggity. But it's the downright evilness within Minnis that just sets him apart as by far the worst PM ever.
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