Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will reclassify the COVID-19 threat in The Bahamas from a Level Four: Do Not Travel advisory to a Level Three warning, Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan said on Friday.
Dr McMillan said she received the notification about the impending change from the Caribbean Public Health Agency, as local officials work closely with the agency regarding the CDC’s travel health advisories.
“As we all know we would have been at a Level Four,” Dr McMillan said.
“The notification, actually it was a congratulatory notification, to say that we have been downgraded to a three based on the data recently submitted.
“We have to continue to do what we’re doing as a country. So that we can continue either move down that ladder but definitely not go back up to a four.”
Asked if the impending advisory change was based mainly on vaccinations or cases going down, Dr McMillan said: “They have a combination of indicators that we monitor and we, I would say regularly, are reporting on those indicators and based on the last report that was submitted, we were able to actually to move down.”
She added the report was submitted last week.
A Level Three advisory means there is a high level of COVID-19 in a country and travellers are advised to be fully vaccinated before travel. Unvaccinated travellers should avoid non-essential travel to Level Three destinations, according to the CDC.
However, up to press time, the CDC’s website did not reflect the change, with The Bahamas still listed as a Level Four. The page was last updated on August 23.
This comes as the country continues to record low virus numbers.
Six new cases were recorded on Thursday, four were recorded on Friday and 11 new cases were recorded on Saturday, bringing the nation’s confirmed case total to 22,587.
At last report, 46 people were in hospital with the virus.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Wellness yesterday said the upcoming change in the country’s COVID-19 level “is based on the reduction in new COVID-19 infections recorded over the past several weeks.”
“The health reclassification also spells good news for tourism and the economy as it now means groups and conferences can be booked for The Bahamas,” the ministry said.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville applauded the work of healthcare professionals and the adherence to the COVID-19 protocols by Bahamians and residents saying, “these types of results come when we team-up to terminate the things that impact our country negatively.”
He added, “We can do the same when it comes to ensuring that our population takes advantage of the opportunity to receive the vaccine. A vaccinated population will significantly reduce restrictions and place us on a faster path to recovery.”
The CDC last moved the country to a Level Four warning in August.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 6 months ago
A contradictory organization. It is partially funded by the computer guy foundation that also profits from vaccine uptake and capable of blacklisting nations into forced vaccinations to open up even though we now know the Vax thing could not prevent civid infections only aid if you become infected. But so does theroputicals like Protease Inhibitors such as ivermectin that also prevents hospitalizations. Time for global pandemic computer Man AI game for trillion$ in profit to stop. Pandemic Computer Game has ruined the world through manipulation pay offs then generated trillions into the hands of a few. People are shocked that the new vaccine info has sneaked in that it does not prevent covid but only helps you once infected. The medical script commands hospitalizations before treatment observe only. Of course death follows. Part of the computer game of fear mongering for Vax profits.
carltonr61 2 years, 6 months ago
But you'll know if we don't put that poison in our kids for school reopening they ga slam us back to level 4. France created a a new scare scare variant aimed at African submission to vaccinate. We will have to follow the script narrative drum beat to see if it becomes actionable for execution.
joeblow 2 years, 6 months ago
... it is difficult to believe that someone who showed such incompetence during the pandemic still has such an important job! This lack of accountability is why things in this country can never improve!
tribanon 2 years, 5 months ago
So true!
carltonr61 2 years, 6 months ago
Israeli parents are caught in dilemma like us parents in The Bahamas.
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TalRussell 2 years, 6 months ago
I guessing the Guardian's Most Controversial and Highest Paycheques Talkie Show Host, was so inspired by the performance his own South Beach popoulaces, wisely sacked his Most-favourite Homie Jeff, over his lack of performance whilst was the crown's education minister ― Seems does still, so consistently with his inviting continues clogging up his understanding of the dangerous still present with his inviting Covid and its Delta out or an indoors/outdoors fight and everything else like this and that be returning The Colony to crowds assembly,* ― Yes?
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