IN all the talk about COVID-19, there is one thing that is inescapable – the numbers.
And sad to say, those numbers are on the rise.
On Tuesday, another 79 new infections were reported, the highest number in a single day since October.
Across the US, cases are surging with the new omicron variant having swiftly become the dominant version of the virus, and it is likely that with significant numbers of arrivals from the US to our shores, both tourists and Bahamians returning for Christmas, that omicron is here too.
Look, too, at the photographs of people crowded together at events, many not wearing masks, and it’s easy to see we are tempting fate.
Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands puts it bluntly, saying that we gamble with COVID-19 “at our peril”.
As he says, we may already be too slow in tightening measures – cases are already on the rise – but that doesn’t mean we can’t act now to try to slow that rise.
He said: “We are a bit behind the eight ball, but perhaps the saying is ‘it’s never too late’. It’s unfortunate that we did not stop some of the large gatherings from happening.
“The event over the weekend could only be described as a super spreader event and anecdotally there have been others. We all need to be disciplined.”
We need to look at how such events get the go-ahead during a pandemic. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has said that some events had approval but perhaps protocols they were told to follow were not implemented – well, for such events shouldn’t police or ministry staff be on site to check and shut them down if they are not doing as they were instructed?
The head of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association, Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler, has called for more enforcement of COVID protocols.
She said: “Unfortunately we know that despite us sometimes having rules and regulations, unless we have persons policing those things similarly with seat belts, etc, we just aren’t always able to police ourselves on our own.”
That is very telling, and very sad – but judging by some of the scenes we have seen, very true. There are those who are doing their very best to follow all the procedures to help us get past this pandemic – and there are those who are doing the very opposite.
Is it already too late to stop a fourth wave? The way the numbers are rising, we may already be in it.
What now?
This morning, Philip “Brave” Davis will address two things – the first 100 days of his administration, and what his government is going to do to tackle COVID-19.
Any administration coming into the situation of an ongoing pandemic would have had a difficult task – both in terms of the health crisis itself, and the economic fallout surrounding it.
Today we will see how much of Mr Davis’ talk of being able to handle the pandemic while on the campaign trail will turn into action.
There is still much to see from this new government in terms of what it promised – not least of all the pledge of free testing for COVID-19.
That came to a head when Atlantis workers faced the prospect of having to pay for their own tests to be allowed to come to work – and still has not been satisfactorily resolved.
Amid those scenes of large crowds gathering, there is also the possibility of changing regulations on large gatherings to stop the same happening again.
So the spotlight will be on Mr Davis when he gets up to speak. Doing nothing is not an option. So what will his government do?
This is no time to dither, no time to delay – it is a time to be decisive.
We have seen Mr Davis’ administration be decisive already this week with the ending of the Grand Lucayan deal – though without a replacement buyer lined up.
That same decisiveness needs to be seen again – though this time with a plan already in place.
Having been in office 100 days means Mr Davis has no reason not to have in place everything he promised on the campaign trail, and he should be able to lay out exactly what we can expect to see, and when we will see it.
The nation shall be watching with interest.
Comments
rodentos 2 years, 4 months ago
Spread the word!
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carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago
Ha! What about the graphine oxide. It is used in nRNA. One micron thin. It slices into the heart muscles blood vessels like a razor blade. Athletes who push their hearts to accelerations are dropping down dead. The lawsuits Class A are beginning. Children hearts are as vulnerable because of the blood rapid turn over flow through the heart.
John 2 years, 4 months ago
Yesterday the world recorded its greatest, one day, spike in new Covid-19 cases in the two year history of the virus. This is despite the US giving out free home test kits that may cause the actual number of new reported cases to be less that the real number of cases. The US recorded the highest number of new cases, followed by the United Kingdom, then France. Russia, whilst only reported 25,000 new cases, reported the highest numbers of deaths yesterday. Over 1,000 deaths. BUT over a week ago South Africa also recorded and reported its highest single, one day in new cases. It was the first country to experience a full wave of the Omicron strain. Then after the cases started to come down. Very rapidly. Well except for yesterday when the numbers of new cases in South Africa INCREASED by some ten thousand. So now everyone has the wait and see approach as to what will happen next.
bahamianson 2 years, 4 months ago
Yeah well, what is the pm going to do with the concerts happening tonight and through christmas? Might as well have the carnival stay.
John 2 years, 4 months ago
PS why do groups of three and four and five people need to shop in the food store? And even in other stores? And the entourage usually involves several children. At least Brave Davis and/Michael Darville can appear to do something and restrict the number of persons entering stores in a group. Children need to be excluded from food stores completely. And even the packing girls/boys need to be taught safety protocols which should include social distancing, even from each other, and hand sanitizer after each customer. Otherwise open the carnival and let it rip.
carltonr61 2 years, 4 months ago
One day global science says we have to live with this thing like we once did this regular seasonal flu event but seems they have backtracked from the science and is telling the world to hide. WHO has monetized and politizised Covid vaccines causing millions to have died by refusing Sputnik V with other non profit making theroputicals. Only a select Western experiamtal so called vaccines were allowed through a profit scheme not life saving mandate. Another fully vaccinated Cruiseship is experiencing Omicron slight flu symptoms. 🤧 No one inoculated with Sputnik V died from this decades old time tested safe way of creating vaccines yet emergency use only experimentals became mandated in the face of four month health efficacy failure and trillions in profits. Great that Brave gave a warning out to the vaccinated but curious that the world is now rolling out Protease Inhibitors that works 100% in treating covid against vaccines that fail to prevent Covid. Protease Inhibitor Ivermectin costs six cents while newly FDA emergency authorized PH regime costs in the hundreds.
whogothere 2 years, 4 months ago
Pandemic of the vaccinated is here...but this time both vaccinated and unvaccinated have little to fear from omicron - so why the panic? Is it an excuse to delay the inevitable return to normal we pretend isn't possible?
DDK 2 years, 4 months ago
The rising number of cases may not lie, although that is highly debatable, but the politicians and those pushing the vaccines and people control certainly do.
JokeyJack 2 years, 4 months ago
As long as people comply with silly documents and tests and line up at the airport like lemmings, they will continue the restrictions and even add more to them. More lockdowns are on the way along with restrictions on meats (due to their health implications). It's all about health. Be super healthy and experience a living death, like a zombie.
JokeyJack 2 years, 4 months ago
What did Mark Twain famously say about statistics?
truetruebahamian 2 years, 4 months ago
On the ferry coming to Nassau from Eleuthera on Sunday, most were not wearing masks, and got together in close contact drinking, partying, loud voices and face to face joking around, staggering, being uncaring of others who wanted to have a quiet time to themselves and enjoy the cruise. There was one person with amplified loud noise which I suspect he considered music, but it wasn't anything close to being music, He could have put on headphones, but idiots either don't know or don't care as to how to behave responsibly or be aware of the rights and wishes of other passengers. It was bloody shameful.
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