HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville. Photo: Moise Amisial
By JADE RUSSELL
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday the latest COVID-19 variant may be in the country, adding officials are still waiting for confirmation.
Dr Darville stressed that there is no need for “major panic” with COVID-19 currently or the implementation of any new restrictive measures. However, he said that COVID-19 still exists even if some restrictions have been lifted in the past.
Dr Darville made these observations after the People’s Republic of China donated $170,000 worth of medical supplies to the Public Hospitals Authority yesterday to assist in the ongoing fight against COVID.
Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas Dai Qingli presented the donation which included supplies of masks, oximeters, hospital trolleys, and shoe covers in three 40-foot container loads.
When asked if the new Omicron variant called XBB 1.5 is in The Bahamas, Dr Darville said he suspected it was, however, he said confirmation is still needed.
“Well, samples have already been sent off for gene sequencing. It’s in the Caribbean, we have a very robust rebound of our tourism sector. I suspect that it is here, confirmation will be on the way because the samples were sent off to either Panama or Brazil,” he said.
In recent weeks more than a dozen countries, including the US, UK and other European nations, have announced new testing measures for passengers from China as the nation battles an outbreak of COVID-19.
US government officials have cited concerns over a lack of data on infections in China and fears about the possibility of new strains emerging, according to international reports.
Dr Darville said the government still has no plans to impose COVID-19 testing requirements for travellers coming from China after a surge in cases there.
“A few weeks ago, I made a statement as it relates to no restrictions for travel for the people from China or those coming from China. And our EOC and our technical team at the ministry still feel that there is no need to execute any major testing, or restrictions for travel coming into the country,” he said.
“We are monitoring all the situations very closely at New Providence at our ports, our airports, as well as our Family Islands.
“And I can say that even though we’re seeing some cases here at the Princess Margaret Hospital. There’s no need for any major panic at this time or the implementation of any new restrictive measures,” Dr Darville said.
For her part, PHA Managing Director Dr Aubynette Rolle said the COVID-19 cases were currently under control in the hospital.
Ms Rolle said: “It is under control, we have moved those in isolated spaces that we call cohort spaces, so that there is control. And the reason why we had to open up (the) legacy (unit) to our colleagues, if you remember that we’re doing infrastructure works. And because of that now we have to open up that space. But, like the minister said, very shortly, the modular unit specific for any infectious disease will be here. The contractors are actually working to get those enabling civil works done.”
In terms of the bed shortage and limited space at Princess Margaret Hospital, Dr Darville explained that the hospital renovations are ongoing, adding that patients will soon be able to receive the care they need.
On January 3, Dr Darville said renovations at Princess Margaret Hospital were on target to be completed in the next several weeks.
Comments
stillwaters 1 year, 3 months ago
We have known this for at least a month now. Nobody's really getting tested any more though.
Sickened 1 year, 3 months ago
Of course it is... all the variants will probably end up here. No big deal. Wash your hands, stay home if you're not feeling well and get plenty of rest. Just like the flu and cold. People die from all sorts of things - that's life.
stillwaters 1 year, 3 months ago
Amen
M0J0 1 year, 3 months ago
They saw the quick millions covid brought they want it back.
DDK 1 year, 3 months ago
SO WHAT??
birdiestrachan 1 year, 3 months ago
Dr Darville will always do a good job it is of the heart and he has always been that way
ted4bz 1 year, 3 months ago
As far as the eastern nations are concern, this covid game is dead, particularly Russia and china. So the WEF west will have to go it alone in this phantom game, continuing to push the governments it controls to force its people to get in step.
SP 1 year, 3 months ago
So in recent weeks more than a dozen countries, including the US, UK, and other European nations, have announced new testing measures for passengers from China as the nation battles an outbreak of COVID-19 which has infected more than 90% of the largest city in China.
Minister Dr. Michael Darville says that even though we’re seeing some cases here at the Princess Margaret Hospital. There’s no need for any major panic at this time or the implementation of any new restrictive measures,”.
As usual, the clowns in government will wait until it is too late and hospitals are overrun with covid patients before implementing any testing or new restrictive measures.
The Bahamas is not a real country.
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 3 months ago
Their info is really lacklustre I can't get a sense of what's happening. They reported 18 cases a week ago and nothing since. Did those people recover, did noone else get sick, did they perform testing on family and coworkers of those individuals... is the wave over... nothing
If this were a dangerous strain, and I havent seen anything to say it is, it's too late to protect the border. We probably looking for the wrong suspects anyway. That strain has already infiltrated the US and is travelling around with blue eyes now.
The problem with COVID is, dangerous strain or not, our bodies are unique chemical and biological compositions. While 99.5% of people were always fine, even with delta, there's the 0.5% for which this is deadly. To this day nobody in the Bahamas has given us any data on what is likely to put you in the 0.5% at risk. Just this blanket vaccinate everybody campaign. Enough people have been impacted for some study of "us", not the US, to have taken place. I expect government by social media to adjust their statements shortly
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 3 months ago
This is a very interesting story reported on cnn.com. It sounds so familiar
By Tara Subramaniam and Vedika Sud, CNN Published 6:47 PM EST, Fri January 13, 2023 CNN — .For YEARS, residents in the northern Indian city of Joshimath have complained to local officials that their homes are sinking. Now authorities are being forced to take action, evacuating nearly 100 families in the last week and expediting the arrival of experts to determine the cause.
Cracks running through the city are now so wide that hundreds of homes are no longer habitable, and some fear that India could lose a key gateway to religious pilgrimages and tourist expeditions on nearby mountain trails.
Kwatra added that the natural factors which put Joshimath, home to around 25,000 people, at risk of sinking are “being exacerbated by large scale construction projects as well as climate induced flash floods and extreme rainfall.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the affected areas LAST SATURDAY inspecting the homes of residents who fear the structures may collapse."
This is what we do with everything. Ignore it, scurry around when the problem becomes too big to ignore then some official shows up with cameras and a large entourage to walk around to see for themselves.. as if that does anything. The next update I expect to hear is the city gone and the officials have arrived with remediation equipment
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