Chief Superintendent of Police Zhivargo Dames. Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
POLICE have issued a reminder ahead of Independence Day that social gatherings for people who are not vaccinated are not allowed under current emergency order restrictions.
This holiday weekend, COVID-19 ambassadors will be patrolling areas to ensure that people are following the protocols and will be asking for proof of vaccination where warranted, police said.
“According to the Emergency Powers Orders, social gatherings are not permitted and so you are not allowed to have social gatherings of any number,” Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Zhivargo Dames, head of the COVID Enforcement Unit, said on Friday.
“You are not allowed to have persons come from a next family member's house over to your house and to have a social gathering,” he said.
“Social gatherings, yes, for persons who are not vaccinated is not allowed. If you are fully vaccinated, according to the orders, that’s if all of the persons who are attending that social gathering must be fully vaccinated in order to attend that social gathering. So I want to assure the COVID Enforcement Unit, we have put together a special operation just for this holiday.
“So if we find that persons are at social gatherings we will be stopping by to check if persons are fully vaccinated and if you are not, whether it be one person, two persons, or three persons that are not fully vaccinated you are in breach and you will be cited.”
He also said that people will have proof to show they are fully vaccinated if they are requested to do so by police.
“. . .When you go and get your vaccination, they will give you a card to prove that you are fully vaccinated. I'm not sure if the digital card has been disseminated fully to the populace as yet, but you must have your card with you. It's a yellow card, to my mind, and some of you might have the digital card,” CSP Dames explained.
“Please carry that along with you. It should be on your person at all times that you can show and prove you are fully vaccinated. It's a requirement, the officers of the COVID Enforcement Unit, if they go to an event, whether it be a restaurant (that) we stop in, we will ask you if you are fully vaccinated and we will ask you to prove that you are fully vaccinated.”
CSP Dames also cautioned restaurant owners to ensure persons coming to dine inside their establishments are fully vaccinated and stated the fines people will face if found in breach.
“I want to say to those restaurant owners, if you have persons that are coming in and dining in your restaurant, we ask please that you ensure the onus is upon you to ensure that the persons who are dining in your restaurant are fully vaccinated. I want to say to you pointedly, if the COVID Enforcement Unit or any of officer comes to your restaurant or business places, and persons are enjoying your facilities and we ask if they are fully vaccinated and they cannot prove that they are fully vaccinated according Emergency Power Orders, you are in breach and you will be fined….. The fine for that is $2,000 and every patron that's in there will be $300. You will be fined $2,000 plus $300 for every patron and the patrons there will be fined $300.”
He said a few businesses have been cited for violations recently, but he said there appears to be a decrease in people visiting prohibited establishments.
“If I were to use the last three weeks as a measuring stick, we would have cited some four to five businesses for operating a prohibited business and so if I were to use that data alone for businesses, yes, we are seeing a decrease with persons who are patronising and being cited for operating (in violation) of the Emergency Power Orders.”
Comments
TalRussell 2 years, 9 months ago
Have all officials lost their marbles? Officials need to leave be the dirty work of the 35 House-elected reds, yes?
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Tyrannical Minnis has declared that you have absolutely no rights so just suck it up and get used to doing whatever he orders you to do in his authoritarian police state, or else!
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
I wonder if they spoke with the business community. This is truly the most nonsensical thing they've said to date. They've literally outdone themselves. Only the 30% most of which are over 65 can go to a restaurant??? Are they insane?
DDK 2 years, 9 months ago
Far worse than insane, out and out tyrannical.
stislez 2 years, 9 months ago
I wan kno how yall ga stop my family from coming over to my house. Yall mussy gat key for my electric gate, or key for my front door or somethin.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
But Minnis has declared you have no rights!
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
But the tyrant Minnis has declared that you have absolutely no rights so just suck it up and get used to doing whatever he orders you to do in his authoritarian police state, or else!
whogothere 2 years, 9 months ago
Ya - f off
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Minnis's goon squad is definitely coming for you!
whogothere 2 years, 9 months ago
I m Shaking in my boots...
ohdrap4 2 years, 9 months ago
Solution:
If the policeman cannot show proof of vaccination, do not let him in
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
No, no, no! Whatever you do, be polite to Minnis's goon squad or else they will cart you away to their special new torture chamber for subversives.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Tell these Unca Toms go take a hike (in the winter in Alaska, that’s where a Fauci et all got the Covid-19 virus from and revived it and enhanced it). These dumb stooges harassing Bahamians while hundreds of tourists walking around Witt no mask. Y’all go play with ya ma and Munnings Drive Bahamians stay safe and don’t give these dummies no reason to arrest you! No firecrackers on Independence?
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Marvin Damey must go if only for his assault on and victimization of Bahamians. Where is the other Marvin (from Gambier?)
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
It's Minnis who must be made to go!
DDK 2 years, 9 months ago
Him too!!!
themessenger 2 years, 9 months ago
@john, bey you just wouldn’t change ya bad ways, still bringing people ma into the conversation and still beating up on Marvin Dames. The hospital full, I guess alla yinna ignorant mofu’s going on the beach at Albany and Old Fort to dead when you catch da ting,aye?
xtreme2x 2 years, 9 months ago
LOL...HOSPITAL IS FULL EVEN WITHOUT THE CORONA VIRUS.
mandela 2 years, 9 months ago
And even without the holiday, the hospital is full, in a country where they don't even have sufficient vaccines and have to borrow vaccines, they want to discriminate against persons who have not yet got fully vaccinated, what about persons with only one shot. do what you have to bro Minnis this may well be your last independence hoora.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
You're meant to live in the very authoritarian police state that you desire so much.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
They say Paul Rolle sent officers to some of the most criminally hardened stretches of Nassy. Yet he ( or he officers dem) cannot gain access to parts of ALBANY, OLD FORT BAY, LYy CAY and other parts of the BAHAMAS.. and BAHAMIANS trying to make a living cannot gain access to their OWN BEACHES !!! Happy In DEPENDS
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Tyrannical Minnis has instructed his COVID-19 goon squad to protect D'Aguilar's tourists from subversive Bahamians.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Mari Dames needs to stop prostituting the policy dem for his own political gain. Fire him! If they come to your house over the weekend, make sure they have a search warrant
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
No, no, no! Whatever you do, be polite to Minnis's goon squad or else they will cart you away to their special new torture chamber for subversives. Remember that you no longer have any rights whatsoever in Minnis's new police state.
Shirley 2 years, 9 months ago
Stop harassing decent people who are trying to enjoy this so called Independence weekend and find the murderers that are running loose all over the place.
truetruebahamian 2 years, 9 months ago
If yo catch them, cite them or slap on the cuffs.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
The goon squad is definitely going to find you and cart you away to their special new torture chamber for subversives.
DontAssume 2 years, 9 months ago
@themessenger and other individuals who see no issue with infringing on an individual's rights in their private domicile. The issue at hand is not our reality (over burdened healthcare system); the issue is the overall handling of the pandemic, and disguised tactics for mandatory vaccinations. I don't care for, nor partake in gatherings...safe and sanitary procedures are more important to me. If an individual decides to be vaccinated or not, it's his or her choice; furthermore this delta variant is posing infection issues for the vaccinated as well as unvaccinated (so there should be no gathering exception). If individuals would adhere to the restrictions and protocols, along with following sanitary guidelines so much would be different. But, if this administration wants to continue with their poor governance, which Bahamians have experienced over the past 4 plus years, and many previously successive 5-year periods...continue to push this segregationist effort.
themessenger 2 years, 9 months ago
@dontassume, while I completely agree with you that safe and and sanitary procedures and policies are the best way our undisciplined people have not, nor will not, abide by them. As for segregationist efforts, what makes people who live in gated communities, and no I’m not one of them, segregationists? There are plenty Bahamians, black and white, who live in them and what gives the unwashed horde the right of access and trespass on or through private property? As to poor governance, we have long since been reduced to the lesser of two weevils fighting for the flour. Do you honestly expect anything better from the other crew? SMT.
DontAssume 2 years, 9 months ago
@themessenger, no I do not expect any better...to be honest with you; I'm in total agreement that we've been living the lesser of two evils, and fighting for everything--not just flour. The segregation that I refer to, is the fact that unvaccinated individuals should not be treated as if they don't have rights--that's not something any government should do. As for trespassing...that's an issue within itself (private property is private property), if you're not a member of a private community, you have not rights there.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Yup. You're definitely meant to live in the very authoritarian police state that you desire so much.
carltonr61 2 years, 9 months ago
The Bahamas is on script with Australia. Once again the conditions for cattle to be rounded up in pens then if not the mark of the beast the beast himself is giving out these orders. Digital QR code as Hitler marked the Jews. We are either clean or unclean. As ready proven scientifically in Israel that Covid attacks the vaccinated also. This is not about health mongering but QRCode profit greed for our digital overlords to make their grandchildren billionaires. Sounds like only vaccinated could go to church.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
I dont know if this is the mark of the beast or not. But they're certainly doing everything in their dimwitted power to make it meet the criteria. All we need now is the announcement that only vaccinated people can go to the foodstore.
One of the long-term effects of those that got the mark is they started to get painful boils on their skin. But this may not be it, the world is certainly ripe for worse than COVID 19 to afflict it.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
The bio-weapons research specialists within the military arm of the Communist Chinese Party are probably already engineering the creation of COVID-666.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
that would definitely be a very subtle mark of the beast clue!
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 9 months ago
Say boils. Lolololol!!!! Its like every week there's another dumb ass medical conspiracy theory... Lololol. Bout boils... 😅🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
You're still much too easily baited. lol
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
So... the mark of the beast is a religious prophecy. If someone believes the bible is all nonsense then speaking of this prophecy is also nonsense. Thats fine. Belief is a choice and everyone makes it for themselves.
I personally dont believe in ramming religious tenets down people's throats. I'm especially annoyed by people who stand on street corners screaming that the end is near. Jesus didn't do that. From the accounts I read, people were drawn to him because of what they heard he was doing. He then took that opportunity of people coming willingly to him to witness to them.
Now that said, if you believe, Revelations 16:2 says
"And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." (The new translations refer to "sores" as "boils")
if on the other hand you dont believe, its a moot point and utter nonsense. freedom of choice. if you fall in this category the bible is probably one of the most amazing science fiction novels ever written and full of truly remarkable life lessons. So, "read yuh bible chile," as Madea would say
themessenger 2 years, 9 months ago
Furthermore, if people are not vaccinated or we have not achieved herd immunity, and are unable to congregate as a result, how do we get our economy and businesses back on track and reverse the unemployment spiral? How do you continue to contain the spread of the virus in the public and private business environment with the majority of the population unvaccinated and not having achieved herd immunity? If people wish to remain unvaccinated that’s their right, it is not however their right to inflict themselves on coworkers and the populace at large unless they can produce, as those who are vaccinated can, current proof of Covid negativity whenever in the public domain. And, until we have achieved herd immunity the variants will continue to crop up with regularity.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Yessiree. You're certainly meant to be ruled by the tyrant Minnis in the authoritarian police state that he's trying to create to accommodate your great desire.
DontAssume 2 years, 9 months ago
@themessenger, I understand the argument, but our number one priority is opening for tourism dollars--that alone is the purpose. Those individuals entering our country, most are not vaccinated; so, containing the virus will forever be a fluid endeavor.
themessenger 2 years, 9 months ago
@Dontassume, unfortunately I have to agree with you for the most part, although probably as many of our visitors are vaccinated as unvaccinated. With the current rise in infections locally they have a better than even chance of going home infected than arriving.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
The COVID Enforcement Unit was formed by the authoritarian dictator Minnis to be the gestapo goon squad enforcers of his illegal (unconstitional) orders. He uses this goon squad to persecute or shakedown whomever he wishes to intimidate into submission to his absolute supremacy. The Bahamas is now well on its way to becoming a police state and then a failed state, not too dissimilar from Haiti today.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
"unconstitutional"
CoolCatBD 2 years, 9 months ago
The city needs to be divide into two, vaccinated on one side, not vaccinated on other. Only tourists may pass between the two!
mandela 2 years, 9 months ago
LOL, that is great.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
The time tested political game tyrannical Minnis is playing is called divide and conquer. And while he has the people (his plebes) squabbling amongst themselves, Minnis is consolidating his enforcement forces (e.g. his gestapo COVID-19 goon squad) and trying to enter into all kinds of sweet deals with his wealthy local cronies and foreigners to further handsomely feather his family's already well-endowed nest.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
huh???? what nonsense is this? People have been socially gathering at work, the foofstore, church, the airport, restaurants for a year now without being vaccinated. Seriously who sits around the table and thinks this stuff up?
DontAssume 2 years, 9 months ago
@ThisisOurs, exactly!!! Hence, the timing is just nonsensical
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 9 months ago
the most weird part of it is the police are always gungho to implement these nonsensical mandates. They go above and beyond to carry out the orders of the Reich. Its like theyve finally found something they can excel at, "oppressing people". taking the focus off their inability to execute their real mandate, developing strategies for safer communities.
happyfly 2 years, 9 months ago
LOL - last night a bunch of people standing on the side of the road by a bar drinking and the police drive by and say "put your mask on if you aren't drinking". Do you think there is health-based science going on with that ?! A bunch of tourists that come from a US State that has banned the compulsory wearing of masks mingling with a bunch of locals, most of which have been vaccinated, pulling their masks up and down to take a sip of alcohol for fear of being arrested because they aren't carrying their vaccination cards on them at all times. It is beyond nonsense ! Since when did the founding fathers of this independent country give anyone the power to segregate us based on an experimental vaccine?
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Repost from earlier today:
Brain-dead D'Aguilar doesn't understand that the vaccinated tourists coming to our shores can still be asymptomatic carriers of the Wuhan virus, including its Delta variant. These vaccinated tourists are now learning that they may only have temporary protection from getting seriously ill, but nevertheless are still very able carriers and spreaders of the Wuhan virus and its variants.
And it doesn't seem to matter to dumbo Minnis and his dumber side-kick D'Aguilar that even the few in our nation willing to get jabbed with these warp speed developed vaccines, approved for experimental use only on a voluntary basis, can't even get the required doses of the much better and much less risky FDA approved vaccines that U.S. citizens have been getting jabbed with. Why are we always having to beg for and get the inferior Communist China connected stuff being pushed to third world countries by the CCP controlled WHO and its affiliate, the PAHO?
The really scary part to these warp speed developed vaccines is that the vaccinated may actually be responsible for creating the ideal human host conditions under which even stronger variants are developed by mutation. There's a growing number of highly reputable scientists speaking out about this possible unintended consequence of the current experimental vaccines.
JokeyJack 2 years, 9 months ago
You guys need to stop using this "not FDA approved" reason. What are you going to say AFTER they approve it? What difference does it make if asbestos is FDA approved? It used to be approved for use in the USA, now they say it causes lung cancer.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Not too worry. It's pretty much common knowledge that the FDA is all but controlled by Pfizer because of the revolving door that has existed for decades between Pfizer's board room and senior management team members and the FDA's most senior officials and administrative personnel. Accordingly, the term "FDA approved" could never be used to describe vaccines or other medicines developed by Pfizer without plenty of tongue in cheek. This will always be the case until the US government completely and effectively shuts the revolving door between Pfizer and the FDA. The same revolving door concerns obviously apply to certain of the other big pharma companies as well and to the EMA which is the equivalent in Europe of the FDA.
carltonr61 2 years, 9 months ago
Is there any science to this unique madness. The latest non mad scientists in the USA and Europe has proven medically that both vaccinated and in vaccinated can catch Covid without mask. This is all politics not medicine. But most of Covid has been politics. FL. never lockdown to our direct North. We need to check the medical degrees of our virologists. CDC, PAHO nor WHO has this as a scientific policy propocol. Don't know why the abuse of power.
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 9 months ago
99% of all people hospitalized with covid are unvaccinated. 99% of all covid deaths are unvaccinated.
Dems da facks jack....
😁😁😁
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
You're exhibiting signs of small brain clots, but do you have any hair growing on the bottom of your feet yet? And by the way, that mole you think you have growing on your backside is actually a big boil in the making. Don't you worry though, the unholy alliance of big pharma and big government will soon be pushing your way many more experimental vaccines to deal with all the unintended consequences that may come about from your first round of jabs. LMAO
themessenger 2 years, 9 months ago
Now you’re exhibiting signs of being in that “dark hairy place “ that @carlton61 is so familiar with, 🤣
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
ZZZZZzzzzzz......
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Dem is gangster Dr Fauci’s facts and if you believe him you are as dumb as a door nail. And since most people are not vaccinated than those who are, then, yes more unvaccinated people are expected to be hospitalized and unfortunately die from the disease. At first they were reporting all ‘breakthrough’ cases ( where vaccinated people get the virus) but now they are only reporting people who get ill and have to be hospitalized or people who are vaccinated and die from the disease.
bahamian242 2 years, 9 months ago
Oh my Poor Minnis. Just doing and enforcing what is suggest by the WHO & CDC.......
carltonr61 2 years, 9 months ago
No. That what Minnis is doing was not suggested by WHO, CDC, UN or PAHO. Even the alphabet soup groupings are arguing among themselves. This powerful global in scope medical soup salutes out orders as if they were Adolf Hitler. Recall, "shut down. " They are insanely militarily rushless in their desparation to takeover of our bodies by any and all means necessary, not sparing anything. Persons around the world are asking questions. The nearer freedom day comes a new New New virus drops from planes or space and a new war begins as they ratchet down further our humanity.
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 9 months ago
Minnis be gone
Chucky 2 years, 9 months ago
by Chucky
JokeyJack 2 years, 9 months ago
Is it just a coincidence that their shirts are brown?
carltonr61 2 years, 9 months ago
Now the medical global alphabet soup got cought in their contradictions concerning herd immunity as the constant batch of new varients means you start at ground zero each time. Only being sanitary works along with mask wearing in indoor settings for all. But you cannot squeeze water out of chee$e that way.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Israel who has brought its new corona numbers and related deaths to it’s lowest levels in months has started giving all vaccinated persons a third ‘booster’ shot. They say it is an extra precaution against the fast spreading and more deadly Delta strain. Pfizer also wants to give Americans a third jab. But the CDC and FDA in The US says ‘hold on, not so fast.’ They believe that if they get more people to vaccinate, a third shot will not be necessary. Furthermore, it they start telling people they need a third shot, the vaccine resistance will increase. There is presently an increase in corona cases worldwide snd increase in related deaths. Not only fue to the fast spreading Delta strain but because some countries like the UK are abandoning some of the protocols and opening back up.
Economist 2 years, 9 months ago
"Israel’s Health Ministry said a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine would be offered to immunocompromised individuals, such as those who have undergone organ transplants. The step follows evidence that the additional shot might increase such patients’ antibody counts, according to a Health Ministry letter sent to Israeli healthcare providers."
Where did you get "all" from? Please check your facts. Where did you get ALL from?
John 2 years, 9 months ago
A FOURTH WAVE? ‘Officials had warned the nation that cases and deaths likely would continue for months to come. The burden of public health, however, now rested not on policy but rather on individual responsibility.
Predictably, the pandemic wore on, stretching into a third deadly wave that lasted through the spring of 1919, with a fourth wave hitting in the winter of 1920. Some officials blamed the resurgence on careless Americans. Others downplayed the new cases or turned their attention to more routine public health matters, including other diseases, restaurant inspections and sanitation.
Despite the persistence of the pandemic, influenza quickly became old news. Once a regular feature of front pages, reportage rapidly dwindled to small, sporadic clippings buried in the backs of the nation’s newspapers. The nation carried on, inured to the toll the pandemic had taken and the deaths yet to come. People were largely unwilling to return to socially and economically disruptive public health measures.
No matter the era, aspects of daily life go on even during a pandemic.‘
carltonr61 2 years, 9 months ago
The UK cannot pay its people to stay home forever.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Has ANY of the police officers in the photo above ever sat down in front of a computer or go on their smart phone and try do a little research about this Covid -19 and the real facts surrounding it? Like the origin of the disease not being coming from bats but actually from experiments being conducted in a China lab with corona viruses? Did they confirm for themselves that the person who is most actively trying to get persons worldwide to vaccinate was the brains and some of the funding behind those experiments? And if this criminal lied about the experiments and the origin of Covid -19 and deceived the whole world can you trust the vaccines? Remember this is the same man who, at one point, said masks were not necessary. Then who only more recently said masks were not necessary for vaccinated persons. Stop chasing lieslike little blind (mices).
JokeyJack 2 years, 9 months ago
I'm sure most of them (like most of the population) know the truth - but they need their jobs to buy food, or starve and have their children taken away by Social Services if they cannot provide for them. The government has the people in a vice, and it will be interesting to see the global reaction to governments worldwide. Insanity cannot continue forever. Some wiggle room or leak will be found, rest assured, nothing is foolproof.
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