The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DOCTORS Hospital chief executive officer Dr Charles Diggiss said he believes the government is erring on the side of caution in deciding to generally maintain its mask mandate.

He added it remained important to advise Bahamians to continue with the measure.

Back in March, the government announced people are not required to wear a face mask while in a lobby, corridor or casino of a hotel or while in an outdoor setting where there is at least three feet of space between those who are not of the same household.

Disabled persons or people with specified medical conditions are not required to wear a mask provided they have in their possession a medical certificate or letter signed by a medical practitioner proving the existence of such disability or medical condition.

“I think you want to be sensible,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “If you make a decision, you make a decision based on the information… the evidence is in the environment. If the environment tells you that COVID is still a threat then I think it’s important to advise Bahamians to continue to mask in public or especially in indoor spaces where they’re more at risk.

“When overall that risk is low, then removing a mask mandate will become an easy thing to do. But the government is erring on the side of caution. I think that makes a lot of sense.”

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville previously explained that government determined it would be a bit “pre-mature” to remove the mask mandate.

“We removed the testing at our boarders. The mask mandate, our EOC made a determination that it be a bit pre-mature to remove the mask mandate. We’re looking at it. It’s a topic that comes to our meetings every Wednesday.

“We’re looking at what’s going on around the world in the Caribbean. I am travelling, so I’m meeting. Our counterparts removed it only to bring it back and we feel like it is a bit pre-mature to remove it at this time but with that being said we’re monitoring the numbers.”

It was also previously announced that testing for vaccinated people coming to The Bahamas was no longer mandatory.

Asked if it was possible for it being lifted at this time, Dr Diggiss explained: “I think eventually it’s going to be lifted for all the obvious reasons, yes. That doesn’t mean that COVID is no longer (a threat). It just means that the significance of or the value of that testing compared to the either inconvenience or the trouble of applying the test. When you look at the value maybe that value goes away. So, I think the government, just like anybody else who’s making decisions, simply weighs the pros and cons of whether they need to continue to test or not and make the best decision.”