HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville.
By LETRE SWEETING
DESPITE the recent decrease in the number of active cases, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said there won’t be any further relaxations of COVID-19 restrictions.
Between Friday and Sunday, the Ministry of Health reported that the number of active COVID-19 cases decreased by 17, going from a reported 156 on Friday to 139 on Sunday.
Only 12 new cases were reported during that time period.
“There has been significant relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions,” Dr Darville said when contacted. “The ones that remain reflect the bare minimum that are required to remind persons that we are still in a pandemic and that we are still vulnerable to increased numbers of cases because of our number one industry with source markets with decreased restrictions and testing rates.”
While remembering the surge of COVID-19 infections brought on by the Delta variant of the virus last year, Dr Darville said though the more recent Omicron variant is less deadly, that is still not cause for further relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.
“COVID-19 remains a global pandemic. While we are happy that this version of the virus seems to cause a milder disease, we can never forget the challenges we have faced with the Delta variant. We do not know when the next variant will arise, nor if it will be mild like Omicron or deadly like Delta,” Dr Darville said.
The country saw a surge of COVID-19 infections in May, after more than 200 cases were confirmed in the middle of the month, and the number of COVID-19 related rose to 800. Today, the death toll remains at 823 fatalities related to COVID-19, according to weekend reports from the Ministry of Health.
In June, the government eliminated the COVID- 19 test requirement for vaccinated travellers.
The travel health visa, which was implemented under the previous administration in 2020 to record the COVID-19 status of visitors and residents at the pandemic’s height and ensure compliance of other travel requirements, was no longer required as of June 19.
A COVID-19 mask mandate for most indoor spaces remains in place.
Comments
User1234 2 years, 2 months ago
dude....the rest of the world has/is moving on....let it go. Your decisions are no longer based on scientific reasoning...just 'What Ifs' the restrictions did not prevent the previous waves so what makes you think it will stop the next one? lunatic
whogothere 2 years, 2 months ago
two words - "stupid" and "stubborn"
Dawes 2 years, 2 months ago
No one is following the current covid laws, but thats like most laws here, so who cares.
immigrant 2 years, 2 months ago
but wait...we were all wearing masks during the Delta surge that you reference...if they work, then why were our numbers out of control. Quit being an idiot and catch up with the rest of the world for once.
carltonr61 2 years, 2 months ago
Gambling boys invested millions in medical profits. So the testing fakes must go on here in The Bahamas. Even though CDC has demanded lowering covid restrictions in the face of non deadly Omicron B4/5 to the point of non pandemic status. CDC has stopped using Delta vaccine but is rolling out binaries Delta/Omicron o e shot once a year. The problem is that come Autumn 2022 persons would have over powered their immune systems with shot 1/2/3/4/5 with binaries in 22 being shot 6. Many are questioning the non safety of this non medical live human experianent deserving among others Nuremberg hanging. Autumn 2023 would be a safer time, and politics of mandate vaccination is not medical as all vaccinated persons git covud after vaccination then spread it. In May 2020 we had 88 deaths. By September 2020 we had nearly 700 after vaccination.
whatsup 2 years, 2 months ago
One word.....MONEY. Why can't we be responsible for our health and what we put in our bodies and on our faces If stupid people want to still drive around in their car alone and want to wear a mask, let the fools do it. People are not dying from the virus...they are now dying from the vaccine
realfreethinker 2 years, 2 months ago
Stupid is as stupid can be . There is no scientific data to support this moron's assertions. We just as well have the competent authority because we now have an incompetent one. At least the previous gov had an excuse what's the current gov excuse for these mandates?
bcitizen 2 years, 2 months ago
Just let it go. There is no covid emergency. I am sick of these stupid useless masks that all scientific studies have shown are useless. How many people getting sick from grabbing that mask around their face all day with all the germs and moisture from their breath creating a breeding ground for other respiratory diseases? How the hell are children being tortured in schools with those masks and for what? No one damn good scientific piece of evidence for those kids to have those things on.
DDK 2 years, 2 months ago
Big fool!
carltonr61 2 years, 2 months ago
The computer guy just released a new batch of children vaccines for childhood deaths even admitting in the same breath that childhood mortality is down. guess WHO/PAHO voodoo witch doctor will demand Bahamian children become test monkeys again then further add to our high autism population caused by unknown sources. Vaccines tested and used in parts of Africa cannot be used in Europe. Wanted some regional tools to safeguard our future generations from medical degrees that only treat computer illnesses.
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