By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas recorded five additional COVID-19 deaths and 93 newly confirmed cases of the virus on Friday.
There were 63 new cases on New Providence, 19 on Grand Bahama, two on Inagua, one on Berry Islands, one on Abaco and one on Acklins, with location of six cases classified as pending.
Health officials acknowledge that there is a significant backlog of COVID-19 samples waiting to be tested and it is unclear how old the samples of the newly confirmed cases are.
As for the deaths, the Ministry of Health said in a statement: “During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spanned from mid-March to late June 2020, there were eleven deaths - seven males and four females. Eight of these deaths occurred in New Providence, two in Grand Bahama and one in Bimini. During that time the case fatality rate was set at 10.57 percent. The case fatality rate is a measure of the deadliness of a disease. It is calculated by dividing the number of cases that have died from COVID-19 by the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. During the first wave, the case fatality rate for The Bahamas appeared to be higher than many other countries in the region.”
For this second wave, the first two deaths were recorded on 30 July 2020. Since then there have been sixteen deaths on record within the space of seven weeks. The case fatality rate now stands at 1.58 percent. Although the number of deaths at this time is somewhat comparable to the first wave, The Bahamas has experienced many more confirmed COVID-19 cases during the second wave. “Today, for the first time, there are five deaths reported in one day. Four of these deaths are considered COVID-19 related and one of the deaths is considered a non-COVID-19 related death. A COVID-19 death is someone who has died as a direct result of COVID-19, and a non-COVID-19 death is someone who died because of another health condition even though they may have tested positive for COVID-19. The deaths include a New Providence woman, a 71-year-old New Providence woman, a 54-year-old Abaco woman and a 45-year-old Eleuthera man. The Ministry of Health did not say when the people died. Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillian said at a press conference last week that as many as eight deaths were being investigated as potentially COVID-19 related at that time.
The Ministry of Health said they will host a press conference on Monday after not hosting one this week.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 8 months ago
If we're separating deaths between those caused by COVID and non COVID related then the hospitalizations should be clarified as well. Are these persons in hospital because they came to the hospital wheezing and symptomatic for COVID...or..were they in a car accident, asymptomatic but tested positive for COVID. The 2 scenarios have very different implications. Both cases have to be isolated yes, but one does not require the critical care and resources of a typical COVID case.
I'm baffled as to why they can't get the analysis right. The only explanation I can come up with is Dr Dahl Regis was the liaison between the university and the medical staff and without her input and analytical knowledge things have broken down badly. That's even difficult to fathom but it's the only explanation I can think of... why do we have a pending category for Island?
Why can't we say how old the tests are? There must be a log with that info..right? ..right?
In this batch we're running samples 200, 515, 456 and 313. 313 and 515 came back positive. Merge 313 and 515 with the master, hey there's the date and time the sample was taken and the Island of residence.
tribanon 3 years, 8 months ago
The Covid-19 daily death count is about to increase significantly and exponentially, thanks to the very foolish and stupid decision of Minnis and D'Aguilar to prematurely reopen our borders on July 1 in the midst of a blazing pandemic crisis in Florida and many other states of the US. How these two incompetent and dangerous buffoons sleep at night knowing the deaths they have caused is beyond me. Of even greater wonder is: Why haven't they both resigned by now!
Small wonder Davis fled The Bahamas for the US. Can you just imagine the reaction his daughter (a medical doctor in the US) must have had when she heard that her father was being treated for Covid-19 in a Nassau hospital and that Renward Wells was now minister of health? Minnis as minister of health was bad enough, but Renward Wells! Heaven help us.
ohdrap4 3 years, 8 months ago
This is in preparation for the full lockdown again on Monday.
I am not the only one who needs to go back to work.
This carnival of shifting schedules, opening and closing of businesses should not continue.
I am worn out trying to find water and the scarcity of items in food stores.
They raided the newly arrived shipment of rubbing alcohol and koolaid.
ISpeakFacts 3 years, 8 months ago
His majesty aka "Minnis" also has another live conference on Monday night, wonder if the idiot will try to starve "his" people again!
rawbahamian 3 years, 8 months ago
The competent authority is an EMPLOYEE of the Bahamian population. Him and his coworkers were hired by the Bahamian population via the Elections and as PUBLIC SERVANTS, they are required to please their EMPLOYERS (population) and to maintain some semblance of order and nurture the economy. Locking down the EMPLOYERS is destroying everything and LOCKDOWNS have PROVEN NOT TO WORK WORLDWIDE !!! Therefore he has to surround himself with intelligencia to create a plan that would save lives and the economy at the same time !!!
Castaway 3 years, 8 months ago
Covid-19 is the enemy here and it is within our borders. Yes, mistakes have been made, but if we are going to fight this invisible force, then we need to come together as a nation and stop politicizing everything. This is not about politics, this is about a virus that could destroy our country and our way of life, if we let it. And, guess what? We are doing just that. Citizens, government officials, opposition leaders, ministers and preachers, we need to work together, we need to support each other and we need to stop criticizing because until we have a vaccine, we are all going to have to live alongside this enemy. That means follow the protocol. WEAR YOUR MASK PROPERLY (not below your nose and below your chin), WASH YOUR HANDS, SOCIAL DISTANCE AND STOP GATHERING IN GROUPS! And those who have, put your differences aside and start helping those who are struggling. When we can get Covid-19 contained and under control, then our economy can recover, but we can not depend on the government to do this by themselves. We all need to do or part and the sooner we start, the sooner we will be able to return to some sort of normalcy.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 8 months ago
talk to the essential workers like the police and defence firce, that's where it's spreading most rapidly. What are they doing? The rest of us inside covered in 70% alcohol
joeblow 3 years, 8 months ago
@castaway ... my friend you are incredibly naïve if you do not understand the inefficiencies in the public health system that are contributing to the spread of this virus! The primary reason for covid-19 spread is a failure to quarantine people who are positive. Government clinics and covid hotlines are simply telling people with mild symptoms to stay at home. These people are still moving around because they feel well and are spreading the disease. You can be sure grocery shopping in anticipation of another lockdown will contribute greatly to an increase in numbers over the next two weeks! The government is not testing enough of the people who need to be tested!
TigerB 3 years, 8 months ago
Well I am sorry for Nassau... we took our lockdown gracefully, like Bimini, it is paying off here in Grand Bahama. Get ya grocery nar , don't wait till he lock it down suddenly. Then again leave it open, I am not convinced lessons are being learned by watching the number get bigger.
Wisdom4 3 years, 8 months ago
Wearing a mask should be the only STRATEGY while dealing with COVID-19. LOCK DOWNS! LOCK DOWN! this is fear and controlling of people so they will continue to depend on failing government. Businesses will face closing and Bahamas economy will crash if these LOCK DOWN continue. People are NOT working bad for the economy.
Why can ALL Businesses that include liquor store, restaurants, salon be open. People should have the right to offer curbside, limited number people in restaurant eat with a mask. Bahamians are being treated like toddlers; unable to follow simple directions and wear a mask and follow health guidelines.
Around the WORLD including the US, lock down was necessary because of hospital NOT having enough medical ventilation, staffing, beds and testing. People around the world is living, dealing with COVID-19 and people are going to work, they able eat in restaurant plus enter business, whereas wearing a mask is mandatory and having temperature checks.
This COVID-19 is NOT going away anytime soon. We need to have a long term plan without LOCK-DOWN restrictions that will NOT stop people from living. If this continues LOCK DOWN continues it will hurt people mental health.
IS controlling "WE THE PEOPLE" BAHAMAS New norm?
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