PM: Masks to become voluntary at ‘comfortable’ vaccine level

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis.

As of Monday, August 15, 2022

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis says when the country’s vaccination rate reaches a “comfortable” level, wearing masks will become voluntary.

With officials working to have more people fully vaccinated, Mr Davis said he was hopeful to have the mandate lifted by the end of the year or sooner.

As it stands, 170,432 people in The Bahamas have been fully vaccinated against the disease since the start of the government’s vaccination programme last March.

Last month at the rollout of paediatric vaccines, Prime Minister Davis jokingly told reporters he would hope to drop the mask mandate by next week if another 20,000 persons get vaccinated.

While in Ragged Island on Friday for the commissioning ceremony of a solar micro grid, Mr Davis told reporters that the government is monitoring the vaccination rate, therefore when it reaches a “comfortable” level the mask mandate will become voluntary.

“Well, we are monitoring the vaccination rate and when that reaches a comfortable level for us, we will be making it voluntary for persons to have the option to wear it or not,” he said at the time.

“We are working towards that and once we see the vaccination rate at an acceptable and comfortable level as the experts might advise we will move toward what they call voluntary wearing of a mask,” he also added.

When asked by reporters if he hoped to achieve this before the end of the year, Mr Davis said: “I am hoping to get there even sooner if possible.”

Last month, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said preliminary data suggested vaccine uptake was increasing in the country, despite a noted drop in vaccination rates over the past several months.

“Preliminary reports from our vaccination committees indicated that we are seeing some increased uptake,” Dr Darville said at the time. “I’m pleased at what we are seeing at the Mall of Marathon. We’re putting together a new site in Grand Bahama.”

People aged 12 and older have been eligible for doses and as of late last month, children between the ages of five through 11 are able to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

CoolCatBD 1 year, 8 months ago

What is the ‘comfortable’ vaccine level ?

Also ~

https://youtu.be/TUDqqz-qXvQ">https://youtu.be/TUDqqz-qXvQ

happyfly 1 year, 8 months ago

Oh how quickly this man has started to sound like Papa Doc. Arbitrarily punishing the majority and blaming it on a minority - and joking about it.......

carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago

Both the head of phyzer and head of USA military both of whom have received four vaccinations are now sick with covid. The jab neither prevents bit helps only if you are unhealthy, over 60 and plague with obesity, hypertension sugar or other ailments. The efficacy or life span of the shot lasts only four to five months. Once you take the spike protein generator in your body it sheds these proteins to Bo both vaccinated, grand parents, parents, other students non vaccinated then the cycle of school closures becomes reinvented. The 20000 vaccines on board have been replaced by the bivariant introduced on the market this weak that contains a small bit of Delta but a larger bit of Omicron. The French gifted us with useless junk, while the modern world has the best. Shame on PAHO.

ohdrap4 1 year, 8 months ago

the unvaxxed have the best.

There in australia, they have the pandemic of the vaccinated.

the pandemic of the unvaccinated is over.

give the man some credit. he is like the patient who tells the doctor he will be on a diet and keeps cadbury bars in the closet.

carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago

Now the wife of the USA president, Jill Biden is also sick. Kind of scary going forward for the persons who received up to one or four doses. You will get sick it seems as the Vax foes not prevent Covid no matter how much you take. The dumbest vaccine in all history.

ohdrap4 1 year, 8 months ago

one should be so lucky just to "get sick".

Many are dying or disabled from immune suppression after the vaccine that occurs months later.

whatsup 1 year, 8 months ago

No more of us are getting vaccinated...we know the truth now about the vaccine....MONEY MONEY MONEY It is plain stupid that we adults, can not make our own decision if we want to wear a mask or not. We are being forced to do something we don't want to do.

Madness!!!!!!

carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago

Yup. It is true. Sorry. PAHO cannot interfere with children education by forcing vaccinations.

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