HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville. (File photo)
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has made a strong appeal for better adherence to COVID-19 protocols, noting concern about the lack of compliance to health measures at Independence celebrations.
“From some of the social media sites that I’ve seen, there was quite a bit of people at events without the appropriate masks,” Dr Darville said ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting yesterday.
“For me, we are once again pleading to the Bahamian people that COVID is still in our country. The cases are still of concern and it’s important for us to execute the proper protocols to ensure that we eliminate or minimize the potential of spread and prevent clusters of infection in the country.”
His plea came after thousands of Bahamians flocked to Bay Street to celebrate the return of the people’s Junkanoo rush over the weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
While mask wearing is not required in outdoor settings, people are still advised to socially distance at least three feet between those who are not of the same household.
However, little to no social distancing was seen in some instances at the celebratory parade.
Asked yesterday if the government was considering tightening restrictions on gatherings in view of what took place recently, the minister said health officials have not recommended additional restrictions at this time.
“We meet every Wednesday to discuss the challenges that we face,” he said. “We look at the numbers and, of course, COVID is very fluid. There’s always the possibility that you may have to tighten certain restrictions, but I can say as of today, that is not the intent of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, but with that being said, things can change.”
“We had a lot of independence celebrations over the holidays. I believe that from the videos that I’m seeing, some of the mask mandates and rules and regulations were not completely adhered to.”
“That can create some potential spikes. The outcomes, we will make the final determination of what needs to be done, but our job is to protect Bahamians’ wellbeing and try to minimise the risk of spread and eliminate and reduce the possibility of clusters of COVID-19 infections.”
Dr Darville also explained that what was seen at the Independence junkanoo parade this year will not take place at the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades, which will be more structured.
“Well, what’s different with this parade is this was the people’s junkanoo parade. There were no barriers. There was nothing really in place. It was really individuals just having fun,” he said. “With our parades that come in, Christmas and New Year’s, it’s properly structured.”
“We have seating capacity, barricades and we’re looking at it because if the cases in the country begin to rise, we would have to execute some additional protocols and let’s hope and pray that we hold where we are today and that we don’t see these heavy spikes of cases coming into the hospital that require ICU care, but in the event that our Junkanoo celebrations in the Christmas and New Year’s need additional protocols, we will make those recommendations and work very closely with the Ministry of National Security and our COVID police to make sure that we’re able to adhere a bit more to the rules and regulations that are laid down by the ministry. But I want to make it clear that it’s not the Ministry of Health that’s responsible for enforcing the rules. We make the rules.”
When asked to respond to concerns about lack of COVID enforcement at this weekend’s parade, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe insisted that the unit responsible for policing COVID rules was still active and carrying out their duties.
“The COVID enforcement unit is still active,” he said. “They’re still funded. I think that outdoor events, there is no mask mandate. The social distancing matters are to be a matter for COVID enforcement. I’ve seen personally only the video of a stabbing and there was curiously, social distancing for that and that should be because of what was happening.
“But the COVID enforcement unit is still active. I received reports from assistant Commissioner of Police Dames at least two or three times a week about their activities.”
As of July 10, there were 526 active COVID cases in the country with 48 people in hospital with the disease.
Dr Darville said officials have planned “emergency assistance for our facilities in the event that things get even more out of control”.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 9 months ago
We need to get serious. Take a position and stick to it. You cant have a big fan fare just 6weeks ago signaling that you intend to eliminate protocols, have the DPM openly stating its time to get rid of them then come back today saying you're concerned that people aren't following protocols. You can "ACT". Go down town, not one tourist is wearing a mask Chose.
User1234 1 year, 9 months ago
So at what point do you go back to normal...like most of the rest of the world has...set a target or do something. The reality is NOTHING that has been done has stopped covid, because its a highly transmissible and now fortunately less fatal disease. Its been over 2 years now, of course people are fed up...they want normality back. You can look to China...massive restrictions...still outbreaks...ya masks do nothing, your sanitizing makes no difference to an airborne disease. Its crazy that these guys still think they can control disease like this.
tribanon 1 year, 9 months ago
It seems this idiot has absolutely no idea how big a fool he makes of himself each time he talks about the so called "protocols".
It's as if Darville can't accept the fact that the people have repeatedly told Cruel Davis in no uncertain terms that their fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed under the Constitution of The Bahamas trump all emergency protocols that any authoritarian dictator may attempt to wrongfully impose on them.
carltonr61 1 year, 9 months ago
Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids. Every doctor on Earth privately admits that Covid Vax 100% could never support immunity to children or adults but only may support you if you are old and week. Covid illness is embraces having at least four to three flu illnesses out of six. The count of natural immunity antigen covid fighting titers is higher among those who naturally overcame and fought off Covid over the past thee years. Those who took the genetics machine vaccine to artificially create covid within their bodies ended up having only 8% antigen anti virol titer count as apposed to natural immunity 93% anti covid titer antigen blood immunity count. Alk viruses are dead proteins. The covid spike protein injected into your body feeds from your living tissue cells to reproduce other spine proteins until too much of it causes your body to over heat producing Police T cell antigen to fight the needle intruder now called an immune response or fever. First sign of a healthy body working as it should. However mRNA protein viruses quickly mutates to omicron 1.2 3.4bcd but the old 2019 vaccine was designed for Delta now dead over a year. The process of pills to to inhibit the entry of viral proteins into living cells of life are are Protease Inhibitors. That living cells allow only say viruses the the size of one to enter your living cells in order to multiply covid virus sized two cannot divide into one and one to become small enough to drop into the narrow hole in order to enter your body's cells. Simply dead end, study how Protease Inhibitors places the Covid virus into a Sandilands straight jacket steel wrap so it cannot V, split then dive to cause infection. Once the spike protein mRNA vaccine begins to surge in your body your breath becomes one if death to your elderly family or those obesity sufferers. The vaccine produces covid spikes then spreads it also gives you covid cough. Beware of snake oil doctors for profit only.
carltonr61 1 year, 9 months ago
The vaccine is no more than a Covid alpha Delta spike cell generator that works within the parameters within in your cellular gorgi bodies, mitochondrion, RNA to induce artificial symptoms of fever, muscle ache joint pain but more, bursting cells coagulation within the narrow passages of if your heart or brain brings on heart attacks and strokes check out the huge amount of healthy middle aged active Bahamians in the obituary. There is an attack if greater normal severity upon the special lining of the lungs unseen in all human ancient history that only vitamin D3 Zinc, C, along with a Protease Inhibitor like Hydroxychloroquine or ivervectin. It is just sad that as scientists cracked the genetic codes of death and life some billionaires are living long and covid is tiring out the BEC power mitochondrion electricity generation plant of each body cell that they call long covid tiredness. Simple go attack and hack the energy source to cause weakness. Nuclear virology.
bcitizen 1 year, 9 months ago
People are tired of this crap. Just let it go.
DDK 1 year, 9 months ago
Silly man! Enough already! JUST LET IT GO!
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