The Tribune

THE move away from emergency orders has begun.

In the House of Assembly yesterday, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville tabled the 2021 Health Services Rules – regulations that will see us move away from the emergency powers signed off by the governor general and managed by the competent authority to a system regulated under the law on a routine basis.

This may be a PLP administration making this change, but the FNM had signalled a move away from emergency orders and towards legislation too, so the question isn’t so much the process here as the content. Put simply, will this help to keep us safe, or will it make the spread of the COVID-19 virus more likely?

The regulations will still require people to wear a mask, sanitise and socially distance – all well and good and something we should be doing by ourselves by this stage, we’ve had plenty of time to get used to it.

A new protocol document will be on the agenda for businesses, which allows them to operate as long as it fits guidelines relevant to the business or issued by the ministry, and every employee is familiar with the protocol. Businesses can be closed, however, if ordered by the Health Minister on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer or because of a COVID outbreak. That sounds not wildly dissimilar from putting power in the hands of the competent authority – and might well run into some resistance in practice. It must be seen to be even-handed in its operation, not one business ordered to close while another more connected business stays open.

Indoor dining can be up to 50 percent capacity but all customers must be fully vaccinated and also have a negative antigen test result – rather than just access if you’re fully vaccinated, it would seem. That will reduce the number of customers to restaurants if they have to add a test result for every guest at the table to get in.

And so the rules go on – with indoor services allowed at churches with protocols provided by the Bahamas Christian Council and approved by the Ministry of Health, graveside services permitted, and social gatherings limited to 20 people indoors as long as they are fully vaccinated.

Travel requirements stay the same – with the travel health visa still required despite much grumbling by the PLP in Opposition. Tests are also required, even if you are fully vaccinated, although a rapid antigen test will suffice for the fully vaccinated rather than the more expensive PCR test.

The legislation will go before the House for a vote and the current emergency orders are due to come to an end by November 13, less than two weeks away.

Dr Darville was keen to stress that this was not the end, however. He said: “I want to be very clear: the COVID crisis is still very much with us.”

He went on: “Even though cases have been falling, we cannot let our guard down.”

He’s right. To let our guard down would be to invite more infections, more hospitalisations – and more deaths.

This moment sees a transition from us dealing with the pandemic as an emergency to dealing with it as part of our ongoing lives – at least for the moment, and at least until it is curbed by vaccinations and good health practices.

We absolutely hope this is the right move to help the fight against COVID-19, indeed we pray to God that they’ve got it right. The fate of all of us rests in their hands.

Managing debt

The news that around a third of all consumer loan applications are to refinance for consolidation of debt is a concern, according to Central Bank governor John Rolle.

He said such consolidation was the largest single reason for credit applications.

Such handling of debts is something felt on the personal level and for businesses and indeed the nation too.

The question becomes what happens when a credit bureau lets lenders see the true level of borrowing and they say no? How do you consolidate that debt, or handle the original debt, with little way to refinance?

That’s a challenge the government is facing with its existing debt – already Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has said that the government would seek new terms to avoid debt default.

And over at BPL, one of the reasons the bond plan there failed was because the government refused to guarantee its debt and as a business it would struggle, seemingly, to pay off any new loan.

The good news for personal borrowing is that there is a reduction in debt consolidation requests over the year, which might signal more people getting back on their feet after the economic effects of COVID.

Working out new ways of paying off that debt is far from easy – but it’s always better than default.