Dr Duane Sands
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said “now is not the time for leniency” as officials continue to investigate several people who attempted to travel domestically using falsified COVID-19 RT PCR test results.
Yesterday, Dr Sands said the alleged offenders were driven by “selfish” motives.
According to police, on Friday while at Lynden Pindling International Airport’s Domestic Section, six adults and one minor who were scheduled to travel to various Family Islands, presented digital and physical PCR tests to the COVID-19 ambassadors for inspection.
Upon examination of the documents and cross-checks with alleged test administrators, it was discovered that the documents presented were false.
The suspects were taken into custody.
In a separate incident on Thursday, a man was also taken into custody, accused of having fraudulent documents relating to COVID-19 tests.
Submitting a fake COVID-19 diagnostic test result is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or two years imprisonment or both. The issue is something that should not be taken lightly, Dr Sands told The Tribune on Sunday.
“Let’s start with possible motives so we could dispense with this whole issue about it being too expensive to take COVID tests to travel,” Dr Sands said.
“Now, there may be one drop of merit in that argument but then it begs the question, should you be travelling if you have to break the law and possibly expose your fellow travellers and other communities to COVID? So it’s a very selfish motive to say ‘well I got to do me and I don’t care about anybody else’ and not consider what possible impact there is in potentially spreading COVID.
“Then when you look at the other side, who are the people who are enabling this type of nefarious activity? Are they doing it to make some money or are they doing it because they don’t care or are they doing it because they just want to stick a finger in the face of authority?”
He continued: “When you see that there are about 9,000 cases total with an eight percent positivity rate and some 29 persons in hospital, some of them in the ICU, we have a problem and this type of behaviour is just adding to that problem.
“It’s a horrible thing to believe that this is no big deal. I believe this is time now to reiterate that any and every infraction will be dealt with and so there should be no double standard for anybody now. This ain’t no time for leniency, particularly given the severity of the risk to the Bahamian economy and health of Bahamians.
“We have been at this now for several months. I don’t think anybody is ignorant or unaware of the issues. I think they are trying to find a way to skirt the restrictions.
“There is a different argument that it has been made difficult to travel for domestic tourism and so on and so forth. I get that argument, but this is not the way to solve the issue.”
The issue has raised the question of whether the government may need to revisit the requirement of an RT PCR test for domestic travel.
“The question is whether or not as a country we ought to be requiring RT PCRs for people to travel back and forth within country,” Dr Sands said.
“I don’t think that that is necessary, but that’s my personal opinion and an antigen test done by a competent lab is an adequate tool for determining infectivity and contagion.
“As a matter of fact it’s probably a better tool for determining who’s contagious than the RT-PCR. So, definitely you need to have some tool. The antigen test appropriately done is probably as good if not a better test than the RT-PCR, but if we are going to stick with the PCR we need to make sure in bona fide instances where people have a need they can get access to those tests,” Dr Sands said.
Comments
JokeyJack 3 years ago
It's like a told a friend just the other day, child molesters are bad but at least they're not Covid Test Fakers. Those are the truly dispicable souls. No leniancy !!!
Sickened 3 years ago
If you give the first fakers the maximum penalty then you are unlikely to have more people doing it. However, if you are lenient on the first fakers the chances of MANY more people doing it increases significantly.
For example, if the fine is only $75 then I'll certainly consider saving time and inconvenience and just cut and paste a new date on an old result.
tribanon 3 years ago
Even the death penalty is not a good deterrent for many Bahamians prone to committing serious criminal offenses. You have to be teachable in order to be taught a lesson by way of an example being made of others.
JokeyJack 3 years ago
If death penalty is not enough then perhaps we need to go like North Korea - execute the lawbreaker and execute their families also. We could keep a tally of Covid deaths vs death by government execution ... LOL Good Friday is coming up, maybe a good old fashioned crucifixion is in order? What say you Dr Sands?
tribanon 3 years ago
Scientists are now saying you could have been vaccinated and still be an asymptomatic carrier/spreader of the Communist China Virus. Are persons who have been vaccinated still required to get a RT PCR test before they travel?
JokeyJack 3 years ago
Yes. Around the world you are. You still have to wear a mask too. And you still have to obey like a good slave. Its just a distraction to buy time while the 5G phone network gets fully installed. Then the real problems will begin. They have the young people on their side who simply cannot wait to "upgrade" to 5G. After the 5G is up and running we will all wish we were slaves like our great great grandfathers. Their lives were much better than ours will be.
tribanon 3 years ago
It's all about population control and big pharma/big bio-tech profits in the process. If these new warp speed developed mRNA vaccines fail to reduce a man's sperm count, the high intensity short-wave electromagnetic radiation from the proliferation of nearby 5G cell phone towers certainly will get the job done, along with the help of the increasingly powerful wi-fi router(s) in your home.
Unfortunately there are well thought out sinister plans behind a lot of this evil madness we are experiencing today.
tribanon 3 years ago
P.S. : Gotta be unafraid of thinking and expressing your own views these days because so many easily get upset that you dare do so, especially the ones who are only too quick to label you a conspiracy theorist, misinformation spreader or inconsiderate human. LOL
proudloudandfnm 3 years ago
Thinking?
Lol. Is that what that is???
tribanon 3 years ago
Wow! Only one bite. I'm disappointed. The fishing is obviously lousy today. LMAO
themessenger 3 years ago
Consumption of John’s genetically modified edibles must be more widespread than previously thought Lol.
proudloudandfnm 3 years ago
Where are you guys getting these dumb ass conspiracy theories? Is it just facebook or is there some kind dumb conspiracy theory website?
Sheesh. You gots to be a special kind of dumb to buy this garbage...
tribanon 3 years ago
Provinces in Canada have just halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccines.
According to CBC News reports this afternoon, Health Canada — which approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVAX vaccine for use in Canada in February — said its regulators would be adding "additional terms and conditions on the authorizations" for AstraZeneca and a biologically identical version of the drug manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, which has been branded Covishield.
Health Canada will now require the manufacturers of these AstraZeneca vaccines to conduct a "detailed assessment of the benefits and risks of the vaccine by age and sex in the Canadian context," information that could lead to "additional regulatory actions.
The press release in Canada said: "The additional information requested from the manufacturers of the AstraZeneca vaccines will be used to support the ongoing evaluation of blood clotting events, and allow Health Canada to determine if there are specific groups of people who may be at higher risk."
Apparently Health Canada has concerns about younger people under the age of 55 developing a rare type of potentially deadly blood clot. Individuals around the age of 35 may be at greatest risk, especially women.
Meanwhile, the US Food & Drug Administration still has not approved the AstraZeneca vaccines for emergency use in the US. But the Communist China controlled W.H.O. nevertheless continues to maintain the AstraZeneca vaccines are safe for everyone and that seems good enough for our own health officials here in the Bahamas.
Bobsyeruncle 3 years ago
My guess would be a temporary pause, similar to those also introduced by some EU countries, but then reinstated soon after. After all, 25 cases of CVST out of 20 million shots given, is a far smaller percentage than those who die after contracting COVID.
I know you and a few others on here like to use the survival rate of COVID as your main argument against the social & economic restrictions, so using that same argument you shouldn't have an issue with the AZ vaccine, right?
TalRussell 3 years ago
The same issue exists with using fake documents to accompany immigration applications.
Well, ever wonder, why it is that the authorities, never seem to put much effort into going after and charging the individuals who were paid the moneys' to forge the fake documents? Some individuals, could be using fake documents, innocently?
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