The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AFTER pointing out the yeoman’s effort made by healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19, Senator Darren Henfield said a bipartisan approach is the only way to survive the pandemic.

The Free National Movement senator made those remarks while presenting his contribution to the debate for the COVID-19 Pandemic Special Provisions Act 2021 which was passed in the Senate last Thursday.

Former minister of foreign affairs, Senator Henfield told the Senate that at the onset of the deadly pandemic, there was no manual issued on how to deal with the health crisis.

He said, “I am convinced that the only way for us to survive and win this war against COVID-19 is through a bipartisan approach. In so doing I believe it’s important for the record that we contextualise how we got to this point in the COVID war.

“When the novel coronavirus hit our shores sometime, officially around March of 2020, just six months after Hurricane Dorian the world was still grappling with how to (deal) with this deadly pandemic.

“There was no play book. And worse than that there was no vaccine.

“We had to act urgently and decisively. We knew that uncontrolled spread would put the country in a very bad position as we simply don’t have the facilities or personnel to adequately defend against an out of control outbreak,” he said.

Continuing, he spoke to those responsible for caring for the people stricken with COVID-19.

“You know I still don’t believe that we have enough tongues to thank sufficiently our healthcare workers and security forces for the yeoman’s effort they made and continue to make in the fight against COVID-19,” he said. “May God continue to bless them and their families.

“We did so by invoking Emergency Order Protocols as provided for under Article 29 of our Constitution, which was enacted for the specific purpose of addressing public emergencies such as those presented by the pandemic.

“None of this was done flippantly or lightly. Invoking the emergency provisions enshrined in Article 29 of the Constitution represents a dilemma with no ready solution. The test is in balancing individual rights with the duty of care owed to the collective by the state.”

The former administration met much criticism from the Bahamian public when it applied restrictive measures in an attempt to curtail the spread of the virus. Months of curfews and lockdowns are believed to be a part of the reason for the FNM’s defeat at the polls recently.

“Even though the Constitution provides for it, we knew that arresting fundamental rights would prove challenging,” Senator Henfield said on Thursday. “Countries all across the world, large and small, acted similarly, shutting their borders and restricting the movement of their citizens.

“All in an effort to balance the health and wellbeing of citizens alongside economic survival. Our efforts were applauded by external bodies as evidenced by the IMF Executive Board’s 2020 Article IV Consultation report on The Bahamas.

“I quote: ‘The authorities introduced timely measures to sustain public health, protect the most vulnerable and cushion the impact of the pandemic on employment,’ end quote.”

As of Saturday, the state of emergency and emergency orders which governed the country expired.

Senator Henfield noted that it was always the former government’s intention to do away with the orders when they expired on November 13.