PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. (File photo)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis warned the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will seriously affect unvaccinated people in the coming months.
His comment during a national address on Sunday night came as COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket. The country recorded 1,458 cases from January 7 to January 9, including a record 818 cases on Friday.
Hospitalisation numbers, meanwhile, reached the triple digits over the weekend and now stand at 110 with five people in the intensive care unit.
“With several million new cases recorded globally every day, we are going to see very high case counts here, too,” Mr Davis warned.
“The vast majority of vaccinated Bahamians will experience Omicron either as an asymptomatic infection, or a bad cold, or suffer through a few days of aches and pains. “However, a tiny percentage will require hospitalisation. Nonetheless, our hospitals face a very serious threat. That’s because there are still many thousands of unvaccinated Bahamians, and many will become infected with Omicron.
“This virus is going to hit our unvaccinated population very hard. Even though a smaller percentage will require hospitalisation than with previous variants, remember how extremely contagious Omicron is; a small percentage of a very large number is still a lot of people, and can overwhelm our hospitals. Indeed, on Thursday of last week, the director of the World Health Organisation warned that a ‘tsunami’ of cases was overwhelming health systems across the world.”
Mr Davis noted that the government’s free testing programme was launched last week.
One thousand people are expected to be tested today.
“The 400 slots we offered daily were filled very quickly, so we expanded the number of free tests to 800 today and we will offer 1,000 a day beginning on Tuesday,” he said.
“We will also, of course, be expanding free testing nationwide. We have also started the distribution of free medical-grade masks at clinics and at vaccination sites in New Providence. In the coming week, we will also be distributing these masks at schools, for the teachers who are working there now, and in churches as well. Properly worn medical-grade masks are far more effective in blocking transmission of the Delta and Omicron viruses.
“Cloth masks alone are just not effective enough. We are working with NEMA to expand the distribution of free masks to Grand Bahama and the Family Islands as well; we expect to have more details for you later this week. Until you receive your medical-grade mask, I urge you to double mask and to make sure the material of the masks is tight across your mouth and nose.
“The importance of masking goes up when you are indoors where there is no fresh air to disperse virus particles. When someone with COVID breathes, or talks, or coughs or sneezes, they exhale small infectious virus particles that can hang in the air for hours indoors – long after they’re gone — if the space is not ventilated. If you wear the right mask and you wear it properly, you are reducing the amount of virus particles you inhale substantially.”
Mr Davis referred to tightened requirements for entry at the country’s borders. A negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of arrival is now needed to enter The Bahamas.
“While we preferred to require PCR tests, the testing shortages and delayed lab reporting in many countries, including in the United States, made this – for the moment – unworkable for returning Bahamians and visitors alike,” he said.
He added that officials have been expanding hospital capacity to meet the expected increase in hospitalisations.
“We have opened four tents at Princess Margaret Hospital, and we have successfully recruited 50 additional nurses and 12 doctors. We are expanding both our infrastructure and our human resources. We are also expanding our vaccine and booster access and outreach,” he said.
He said due to the contagious nature of Omicron, many people will face multiple exposures to the virus in the coming weeks. He encouraged people to get vaccinated and those who are vaccinated to get booster shots.
“If you are vaccinated, and especially if you are vaccinated and boosted, you have given yourself an excellent chance at experiencing the virus merely as an inconvenience, rather than as a life-threatening disease,” Mr Davis said.
As of January 8, 156,777 people have been fully vaccinated in the country, officials said.
Comments
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
I rise only because of de Increased Jib chatter being monitored that points rise in fear spreading' among Abacoians falling sicker by hour and de absence monitoring and tracking' is resulting in noticeably social psychological unrest occurring and everything else like this and that knowing it is not cheap on de pockets to come down sickly when it falls on de pockets residents who must make they own way to Nassau or Freeport for hospitalization kinds sickness.
Healthcare isn't cheap on de pockets if living on a Abaco island, town, settlement or cay.
More de so why the turnout for de Local Government Elections that will be held on Thursday, January 27, 2022, makes it even more important who gets elected, ― Yes?
rosiepi 2 years, 11 months ago
Secure vaccines for children! This gov't cannot say they are committed to education without vigorous testing and vaccinations. There are simply no excuses for this delay to protect the children of the Bahamas-and their teachers.
And if a negative RAT is good enough to enter this country, why continue with the farce of refusing to record positive diagnosis from the same means? There is only one conclusion, to keep the true number of cases from the public and inexplicably the healthcare workers fighting this pandemic.
ohdrap4 2 years, 11 months ago
I think you should be stopped from posting. You will come to regret your position when the number of vaccine injury in youngsters is truly revealed.
joeblow 2 years, 11 months ago
... children absolutely should not be given these mRNA jabs as the risk of dying from covid is almost zero and the long term effects of the jab on their developing immune systems is unknown!
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
@Roslepi this such an idiotic comment...I can't even..you do understand that COVID is less dangerous then practically everything else that might be a risk to a child (unless that child is immune compromised)...? You do understand that the covid vaccination protection basically fades to nothing in matter of months against delta and to nothing in a matter of weeks against omicron and the long term impact on children from vaccination is completely unexplored, but there continues to be a considerable under presented risk of myocarditis associated with vaccination particularly in young boys...?
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
ted4bz 2 years, 11 months ago
I was born to suffer and die NATURALLY, not synthetically nor stupidly. So, I would have to either be insane or stupid knowing what I see and know to do such unhealthy, toxic, immoral and unethical thing. I am vaccine-free for life, well, at least until death takes me from my path. Certainly, I have absolutely no problem with that.
CoolCatBD 2 years, 11 months ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et4r-mA…
Will they ban this "Drug" as well???
May just dancing!!!
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
We're never going to vaccinate our way out this...Vaccination doesn't prevent transmission, the protection from severe symptoms capitulates in a matter of weeks which mean vaccination status does not matter....just give up the gig...Vaccines, Masks etc should be a personal health choice not a not national health protocol. Don't waste time and money...for something that is now essentially the equivalent severity of cold..
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
Stop with de harmful lying!
Big Pharma, never, never promised any of youse that if vaccinated, it is your passport to forever avoid de Virus, ― Yes?
LastManStanding 2 years, 11 months ago
https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/sta…
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
lol you're gaslighting - No? - Mr TahRussel you be the one close to not finding the truth today unless today is 'opposites' day and I didn't know. How many times did we hear Fauci, Biden, Minnis and CDC say the vaccinated will stop the spread!? Or if only enough people were vaccinated the pandemic would be over... Remember they were so confident Vaccinated people could take off masks...Remember Vax passport meant you could join society...It was 2 jabs to stop the spread, then it went to 2 jabs to keep your job...what happened? Vaccine stopped working as the hoped it would...The promise was always that this would end with public health measures deployed (including vaccination) - it's hasn't or they don't want it too...?
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
Agreed, we've had our side's fair share misstatements but it still doesn't takeaway from de truth that science has increased its support towards de vaccinated, and so does United Airlines latest statement, confirming de science, experienced amongst their 93,000+ dedicated workers, and says IKEA, with its 225000+ workforce, ― Yes?
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
You obviously haven't noticed yet all of the hair growing on the bottom of your feet as a result of your great love for being a jabbed-up guinea pig. lol
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
Mr TalRussel did you forgot the honorer citizens of Israel that are now on the their 16th booster because the first 15 failed to protect them for than a few Days...?
I jest but the reason for the booster is because 2 doses fails to protect against severe outcomes...if last there would be no need for additional shots..
Mr TalRussel - The new 'science', the additional 'truth' is that vaccines do not protect against certain variants and now with the Omicron situation is a fact that vaccinated or not, hospitalisation are being driven by the sick and old and the fat.
Here is research from Canada which concludes : "Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to protect against infection by Omicron. A third dose provides some protection in the immediate term, but substantially less than against Delta."
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101…
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
My, my, Comrade Who, why so full of knowledge about Israel's on de ground responding coronavirus changing waves, could you have not gone deeper by taking timeout to review someone that is most on de ground, so, allow Comrade Tal, to introduce you to Prof. Zvi Fridlender of Hadassah Medical Center, who at Corvid's ground-zero as they darts amongst patients, who are no longer grasping for air, ― Yes?
Bobsyeruncle 2 years, 11 months ago
Interesting data, but I think we all know by now that the vaccinated can become infected.
The fact that the study also showed that the booster is significantly beneficial against the much more dangerous Delta strain (which is still around), is very promising.
However, if you read the discussion section of the paper, you will see that they reference other similar studies in other countries that show significantly different results to theirs.
Meanwhile in Quebec, 85% of population are vaccinated and 15% unvaccinated, but 50% of the hospital cases are unvaccinated. Now they are going to impose tax fines on the unvaccinated.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
You're obviously still very much a proponent of the vaccinated killing off the unvaccinated. The next variant is on its way thanks to the vaccinated who are biologically and financially incentivizing the creation of the weaker Vaccine Dependent Global Society. Time for all to wake-up to what's really been going on the last couple of years.
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
To the contrary bobbser the studies cited English, Danish and South African studies all produced similar findings: severe reduction in efficacy on the second dose and small bump from the booster - just the absolute results varied.
"In a test-negative study conducted in England, Andrews et al. found substantial waning of VE after 2 doses, and lower VE against symptomatic infection from Omicron than Delta at each time point following 2 or 3 doses ....Similar to those findings, our results show a marked reduction in 2-dose effectiveness against Omicron infection relative to Delta"
"Our results align more closely with recent Danish data"
"Finally, a study from South Africa estimated VE against infection at 33% in the Omicron period compared to 77% in the pre-Omicron period."
Plus there stance is clear the jury is still out on the efficacy against severe disease:
"However, if the primary goal of these policies is to protect against severe illness and impact on the health system, further data will be needed to determine the number of doses required to provide adequate protection against severe outcomes caused by Omicron."
And ultimately policy based on vaccination status might be a fools errand..
"Our work adds to an emerging body of research that suggests that immunization status cannot be simply dichotomized, and that protection is instead based on a variety of factors such as type of vaccine received, age of recipient, time since latest dose, and circulating variant."
Bobsyeruncle 2 years, 11 months ago
"In a test-negative study conducted in England, Andrews et al. found substantial waning of VE after 2 doses, and lower VE against symptomatic infection from Omicron than Delta at each time point following 2 or 3 doses ....Similar to those findings, our results show a marked reduction in 2-dose effectiveness against Omicron infection relative to Delta"
Lol !! As usual, Dr. Who, you conveniently forgot to include the sentence that went between the 2 you posted. Let me add it for you
"While lower than for Delta, VE against Omicron was restored to 70% in the 4 weeks following a 3rd dose, and subsequently waned"
Telling the complete picture will give you a lot more credibility with others
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
Bobby dear you seem to have trouble with the English language...?
Your words - "you will see that they reference other similar studies in other countries that show significantly different results to theirs."
That is simply patently false... The findings of this study were:
"Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to protect against infection by Omicron. A third dose provides some protection in the immediate term, but substantially less than against Delta."
Thats is broadly what the English, danish and South African studies found. The authors state that: "the pattern of our results were similar, our absolute estimates were lower"...It's right there but you contended these 'similar studies' provided 'different' results thats incorrect bud ~ sorry.
Interesting in Ontario 76% of hospitalised are vaccinated.. from a 82% vaccinated population…hmmm
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/data/hospit…
And suddenly health officials want to talk about ‘with’ versus ‘us’ double hmmm
Bobsyeruncle 2 years, 11 months ago
Correct, I'm not disputing the findings. You know as well as I do, that for every study that shows a less than positive outcome, there is one that shows the opposite. What pisses me off is that you purposely omit anything that could be construed as slightly positive or that will detract from your one sided beliefs. Adios !!
whogothere 2 years, 11 months ago
Bobby buddy flattered I can piss you off but- the reality is most the vaccinated population were conned instead of sterile lasting protection - they got flash in the pan protection for a few months, lots of side effects, and unknown long term consequences because well there were no trials on boosters… what pisses me off is that relatively intelligent people like your self don’t stand up and recognize that most of what we ve been fed is horse shit… omicron finally exposes that
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
All too trusting Bobsyeruncle got most of it all wrong from day-one of the pandemic. He was much too quick to follow the big-pharma, big government driven 'unscientific' information right down the rabbit hole.
LastManStanding 2 years, 11 months ago
Brave needs to stop talking garbage and go break down the COVID "hospitalizations" by being hospitalized for/with all the way back to the start of 2020. Funny how all of a sudden there has been a massive shift in policy the minute the sales pitch for these shots goes sour.
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
De nerve de Guardian's News Talk's station's Zhivargo Laing's, shoutin' in his attempt at deflectin' listeners' away from chattin; about yet another frequent policeman's shooting.
Zhivargo, during' his recorded show from out his Freeport basement is bussin' up listeners to get their body language up, sufficiently to interact with him, if they're in need of advancing a need be chattin' publicly about what things they long frettin' most about families personal, romance and business matters and everything else like this and that, ― Yes?
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
WHO is advising for the creation of new vaccines as taking the same ones over repeatedly is having the same repeated effects. Of failure.
https://www.rt.com/news/545733-who-vacc…
ohdrap4 2 years, 11 months ago
Lol. The cat is out of the bag. Fauci will have to dance the bugaloo. And, no, it is not the russian bot. https://youtu.be/f3bUBiLoPJU
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