The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan yesterday expressed full support of the new health regulations drafted by the Davis administration to replace the current COVID-19 emergency orders, noting it is a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s on a continuum,” she told reporters yesterday. “Transitioning from the emergency orders directly into the health rules which my minister would’ve tabled, I think is a positive thing in that there will be no gap and we sought to give the guidance to the rules that speak to many of the things that was included under the orders but now we have it in a way where it’s actually (written) in legislation, full legislation without the emergency orders so I think transitioning into that will be positive and it will help us to continue to maintain the measures that’s required to manage this pandemic.”

The 2021 Health Services Rules tabled in Parliament on Monday will allow the government to continue managing the pandemic after the Emergency Powers Order ends on November 13.

Under the new rules, many of the existing restrictions are set to still remain in place, including mandates of mask wearing, sanitisation and COVID testing for travel. Limitations on social gatherings will also remain, with only 20 people allowed to attend a private social event indoors under the condition that they are fully vaccinated.

For outdoor events, all attendees must also be vaccinated and adhere to public health measures.

However, curfews will no longer be enforced after the November 13 deadline.

Still, this could change if the COVID-19 situation worsens, according to Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville.

“There (are) no curfews mentioned in these orders,” Dr Darville told reporters on Tuesday. “As you can see, that with our plan, you’re beginning to see changes where the numbers are falling. It’s very important to understand that we’re trying to regulate COVID-19 via rules by way of the Health Services Act through amendments to Section 29.

“This is a new way. It is very well laid out, but I want to let the country know that the rules are very fluid. As the cases begin to rise and God-forbid it doesn’t, we will have to make additional adjustments to those rules.”

Yesterday, Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis branded the government’s decision to remove the curfews as “reckless”. “We are still in the COVID-19 pandemic. There are still spikes. We’re still experiencing issues as it relates to COVID-19 and I think it’s a very reckless decision that was not well thought out,” Mr Lewis told The Tribune.

The move away from the emergency orders comes as local infection rates appear to be trending downward, with only 39 new COVID cases reported on Tuesday.

Yesterday, Dr McMillan said the country was doing well in keeping COVID-19 infections low, attributing it to increasing vaccination rates.

She said: “I would say that we are in a position now where we are pleased with the positive trends in the country as it relates to new cases, hospitalisations and even deaths, we seem to be trending down. However, I would say we should not rest on our laurels. We have to continue to practice all of the measures, the protocols and all of the public health measures and certainly we adhere today to receive additional vaccines because we realise that vaccination is the way to go.

“And we have reason to believe that some of what we’re seeing is related to a pretty good uptake of vaccines in the country so far, so we have to continue to encourage persons to come out and get vaccinated.”

For the long term, she said: “There must be an ongoing awareness and individual responsibility for maintaining the measures as well as I go back to why we’re here today. Let’s get vaccinated because the more persons we get vaccinated, we decrease the chances of the surge and even if you get COVID, you’re less likely to be hospitalised and less likely to die.”