The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis says an increase in COVID-19 deaths and cases on some Family Islands has nothing to do with the early general election held last month.

He said the outbreaks have come too far after the election to be attributed to that event and the campaign season.

“The infection occurs five to six days after exposure, so this is not related to any activities by the FNM,” he said yesterday.

 The early election was held on September 16. Political parties did not always adhere strictly to health protocols at rallies and political events leading up to the election, prompting criticism from top health officials.

 Between October 2 and October 15, the Ministry of Health recorded 133 cases on Family Islands.

 Dr Minnis said: “Throughout the entire COVID we have utilised the science. We’ve followed the science and when there were changes, because COVID was very fluid, we would make the necessary changes. When individuals are saying that the flare up or the infections you are seeing in the Family Islands are a result of the election on the 16th, when you look at the science and individuals being exposed, infections do not manifest themselves for at least five to six days.

 “So let’s assume all the rallies were on September 16. If every rally was on the 16th and they were exposed at the events then according to science the infection would manifest itself by the 22nd or 23rd, not this late. What I would suggest is they need to send down a medical team, a contact tracing team and a vaccination team to these islands and vaccinate as aggressively as possible. Once they use the contact tracing team they would be able to tell exactly where the infection comes from, which bars, which homes, etc. I would hope they would release such information.

 “We were able to say where clusters started at press conferences. The travel visa provided a lot of information with respect to contact tracing, but they have dismantled it and thrown away a great weapon in terms of contact tracing.”

 While the average person who is infected with COVID-19 will display symptoms five to six days after exposure, the incubation period for the virus is 14 days, according to scientists. Some people can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, helping to form clusters by infecting others without showing symptoms.