PLP Leader Philip "Brave" Davis.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis has questioned the basis for the government’s opening of additional businesses this week while cases of COVID-19 have consistently increased.
The day after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced relaxed measures which now allow certain businesses to operate this week as the nation returns to a 24-hour curfew, Mr Davis accused Dr Minnis of causing “anger, chaos and panic” through the changes.
Dr Minnis has also said people on the street this week will be stopped by police and required to produce government issued identification as means to help identify essential workers.
Mr Davis spoke to reporters yesterday from his home where he also took issue with the Minnis administration’s inability to provide an estimated timeline for when officials expect to return to some form or normalcy.
“Here again the prime minister is not connecting the object of his measures to the overall goal of stopping the spread of the virus and keeping us safe,” Mr Davis said. “The object has to be saving lives and stopping the spread of the virus.
“Nothing that he said yesterday addresses those issues. I am concerned that most of the measures that have been announced to date appear always to cause anger, chaos and panic.
“The food stores, the measures that we initiated, you see the result there. This morning he said everyone on the street must have an ID. Well what has been happening? All morning I was at home because the streets are blocked. People can’t get where they want to go because every car is being stopped and the driver is being asked to show an ID to the police officers.
“I would have thought that any identification would be for the purposes of confirming or verifying the reason for the person on the street.
“And so the measures have to relieve the anger, panic and chaos. Not contribute to it and it seems that that’s all that has been happening over the last several weeks.”
He continued: “What I am concerned about as well is that he had broadened the number of businesses that could now be opened. The question that I have to ask is: what was always the medical advice that we had to know where we are in respect to the spread and in respect to the persons that are infected and those who are recovered?
“So for weeks we have been asking for some prediction as to when we are going to know the timing of what I call the apex. When are we going to reach the mountain top of this dilemma?
“Would it peak and then fall off or would it just plateau? In announcing the opening of these other businesses today and you are still having increases and announcing more tested with the virus, so the question is on what basis are you now saying the evidence is not there for that because we are adding to the numbers?”
The Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Health’s weekly briefings have also lacked pertinent details that give Bahamians clarity on a way forward, Mr Davis said.
The key question that has gone unanswered is when will it end, the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP insisted.
“I would like to see more clarity on the plans.
“People want to know when this is going to end. People want to know what efforts are you engaged in to end it and they need to have an account of how those efforts are producing results.
“To date what we have been seeing for example is only increases in the spread and we still don’t know where we are after four weeks or more in respect to the apex, the mountaintop.
“If you watch what has been happening worldwide many countries would have made a number of predictions and deadlines and they were in my words as things became clearer and the picture became more pointed being able to adjust it. In most instances they were able to show that they were conservative with their estimates or overly progressive in their estimates and were able to demonstrate how their efforts were mitigating against the original predictions and we are seeing that every day.
“We want to know how long this is going to last how much longer?”
Comments
tell_it_like_it_is 4 years ago
Brave, your head ain't good. Minnis needs to allow more businesses to open and just enforce social distancing. If he wants to limit the days then ok, but give each business at least 2 or 3 days.
If the grocery stores can do it, I'm sure other businesses can do it (probably better). Masks are now mandatory. Give people fines for not wearing masks and I think that the numbers won't be much different if we do this for now.
I know the FNM is doing a horrible job at dealing with Covid, but I'm not convinced the PLP would be much different. SMH
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years ago
Nowhere in the US are masks mandatory for those who experience breathing difficulties when their mouth and/or nose is covered....and that's many people as Andrew Cuomo - Governor of NY - found out and then quickly had to make the wearing of masks optional for such persons.
tetelestai 4 years ago
Actually, not true Mudda. In my own state, masks are mandatory when you go outside, there are no exceptions. By the way, if you have breathing difficulties, then your @$$ should be inside, not outside traversing the streets.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years ago
I'm fortunate to be a Bahamian in good health but 2 out of 5 Americans, and probably 3 out of 5 Bahamians, are either obese or morbidly obese with breathing issues of one kind or another. All I can say is your un-named state must have a 'whacko' governor.
tetelestai 4 years ago
On this, we agree, Mudda.
joeblow 4 years ago
Have a seat little man. No one cares what you have to say! Even Minnis with all his failings has a better chance of being re-elected simply because YOU are the leader of the opposition! Do something in the national interest and step down!
moncurcool 4 years ago
Davis head have to be jammed. One day he complaining that the government not opening businesses and the next he complain the government open them. What in the world he wants? Oh, he trying to be relevant seeing covid19 has shut him down.
It is clear he is only doing all this for political points. As leader of the opposition if he cared he would go and talk with the PM and show himself a statesman to present his ideas. Then if the PM ignores his ideas he has a prefect platform to come out after that.
Like it has been said, better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Please Tribune, stop putting a mic in front of this man. We don't need the spewing of nonsense.
tetelestai 4 years ago
So, I am not playing politics. Don't care much for your Brave, or Minnis for that matter. But, Brave is right in this instance and I suspect that it is you, moncur, who is playing politics. Here is where I agree (and before you call me all manner of names, please answer me). Brave says 1) There is no overall government strategy articulated to deal with what is happening. This is true, in my view...if there is a strategy, please direct me to it and I will apologetically and humbly apologize for my ignorance. Brave says 2) What is the difference in opening stores now as opposed to during the Easter break? Again, this is a fair question. If we were on lockdown to "flatten the curve" and if by Dr. Dahl-Regis' own admission (as of Monday April 20 at 4:30pm) that the curve is "not yet flattened", then why are we re-opening businesses? Again, not politics, not a Brave or PLP supporter, but these are fair questions I believe.
Hoda 4 years ago
I believe he is referring to the fact that three weeks or whenever when we went on the first lockdown Davis said explicitly that there is now evidence to warrant lockdown and the govt is impeding our civil liberties. That was talking points from him and the chairman. Now, he says we need to electronically monitor and lock it all down. Whether he is right is not the issue, the issue is the changes in his rhetoric
moncurcool 4 years ago
@Hoda. Thanks for the update. That is what I was saying.
moncurcool 4 years ago
Seems you missed the point I was making. Maybe I wasn't clear. See @Hoda comment which provides clarity to what I was saying.
annmon 4 years ago
Really Brave, really!!! I guess this is what you call 'playing politics' aye? One minute you're advocating for the 'poor people' who need to go to the stores and asking the PM to open businesses so that they can go and now that businesses are slowly opening, you're asking why!! Do one and have a SAT DOWN!!! Oh...and a SHUT UP!!
Francis_James 4 years ago
The basis for the opening up is in the number of new COVID-19 infections. In Week 1 we had 4 infections In Week 2 that number increased by 75% In Week 3 the number increased by 143% on the Week 2 number In Week 4, the number increased by only 6% on the Week 3 number. In Week 5, the number of new cases DECREASED by 33% on the Week 4 number.
This all points to the success of social distancing, and that we may have passed the worst. More cases will be detected, but that number can be expected to diminish.
tetelestai 4 years ago
Not sure this is accurate, Francis. In fact, Dr. Dahl-Regis, for whatever stock you hold in her competence (I don't know her, either personally or professionally) has not equivocally stated that the curve has flattened. Yes, there was a decrease, but I respectfully remind that there have been decreased in New York, Italy and Louisiana and, though it bodes well, none of the leaders in those cities/countries have sought it fit to open up businesses. Again, not trying to get in an argument, just pointing out what has transpired in other places. I think the move to open businesses here in The Bahamas is pre-mature, at best, ignorance and hubris, at worst.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years ago
I sense most Bahamians don't live in the same type of plush cave you seem to inhabit. Many Bahamians have cabin fever bordering on insanity as a result of the total lockdowns.
tetelestai 4 years ago
You are partly correct, as I dont live in The Bahamas, but I am certain my background is not too different than yours.
mandela 4 years ago
I hope this is not true that the RBPFwill be conducting roadblocks or checking every driver identification, this will be a disaster, worst than the food store lines. I do agree that the people of the Bahamas need to know and if they don't I sure as hell would like to know "what is the plan man"? Right now we are moving all over the place like a headless chicken before death. One day this is enforced then changed, the next time something is enforced then changed or altered or some added confusion introduced. Whoever is in charge of, or managing this project (COVID-19 ELIMINATION AND RECOVERY) without a plan is lost. From a building contractor's perspective, a plan is the only way to construct a sound and properly built structure it can't be that the structure is complete and then you realize that no electricity is provided for and must now go back and rectify the situation. Managing a project this way makes no sense and waste valuable time. Yes, a plan is needed. He who fails to PLAN, PLANS to fail.
SP 4 years ago
Brave Davis has "brief moments" of sanity.....This is not one of them!
juju 4 years ago
It appears that Gov’t is making this up as they go along, as is President Trump and his team. Perhaps we need more testing? And then we will have more data to work with. Road blocks to check ID seems unproductive.. if you have to do it, do it randomly, and don’t cause traffic jams. Have police patrol known party areas, and have a tel no for people to call if there is a gathering. Bahamians need structure and rules, or they just don’t care to take this seriously.. even though it is selfish of them. It isn’t important until someone they care about dies.
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