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VOLUME:117 No.82, MARCH 19TH, 2020

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We are at war and together we’ll win

PM’s battle plan to fight deadly virus

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DR Minnis yesterday announced in the House that the country has recorded its second and third confirmed cases of COVID-19 Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis declared “war” against the novel coronavirus yesterday, saying new regulations granting him sweeping emergency powers over the Bahamian society are needed to save lives.

“The new emergency measures we are enacting are to save lives and to protect our country and only those that are against such measures are

• Hit on tourism will be ‘catastrophic’ • Economy to take $1bn bodyblow • Banks primed to help those in trouble

COVID-19: LATEST NEWS • Churches to suspend services • Laid off to get benefits, food vouchers

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

not interested in lives nor are they interested in their country,” he said in the House of Assembly, a day after Governor General Cornelius Smith issued a proclamation of emergency that allowed him to enact the new regulations.

Dr Minnis announced that the country recorded its second and third confirmed cases of COVID19 on Tuesday, who were identified through contact tracing.

SEE PAGE THREE

• Infected cases now stands at three • Powers to act over fake news creators • Emergency funding for business

PAGE 2, Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WITH schools now closed due to COVID-19 fears, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said yesterday the Ministry will provide meal vouchers this month to students “who depend

on schools for their meals.”

“Parents, educators and all stakeholders, I’m to advise Mr Speaker that there exists in our educational system some 4,200 plus students who depend on schools for their meals,” he said in the House of Assembly yesterday. “As

a consequence of school closure, those students are at significant risk. Therefore, beginning this month, the Ministry of Education will provide meal vouchers for students and invite parents to call and come to the school to collect such vouchers for their children.

“The ministry will engage

the vendors who now provide lunch to the various school campuses on a rotational basis for this purpose.

“We’ve also provided a cellphone rather a toll number so that parents and others may call the ministry to secure additional information. That number is 300-2320 or 300-2319.”

Mr Lloyd’s comments came after he outlined the various initiatives the ministry will be adopting to ensure that students continue their studies at home while schools are closed.

“Mr Speaker, though teachers and students are away from campus at this time, it does not mean that they are away from their learning and teaching responsibilities,” he said.

One such responsibility is ensuring that students are well prepared for BJC/ BGCSE exams.

Mr Lloyd said officials were currently engaged in discussions with Cambridge over the possible extension of national examinations in the country in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the circumstances that this situation has now imposed is how to deal with the exit exams which in some cases has already begun, where students have to submit their coursework,” he said.

“Ministry of Education leadership in collaboration with Cambridge, the examination company out of England, are working with the decision on the extension of examination timetable.

“This is now being finalised and I invite all persons to please pay very close attention to future announcement that will come forth in just a matter of days.”

But, in the meantime, Mr Lloyd urged parents and guardians to ensure that students remain focused on their academic studies “during this very critical time.”

“Mr Speaker, though teachers and students are away from campus at this time, it does not mean that they are away from their learning and teaching responsibilities,” he said.

“Parents, guardians and caregivers and administrators are asked to ensure that these students pay close attention to the webpage that is provided, the instruction materials that are provided and to understand the necessity of maintaining their academic focus during this very critical time.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the closure of

Students who need them will get meal vouchers - Lloyd

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd yesterday schools in the country after health officials revealed that a 61-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus.

Since then, many local institutions have shifted to online classes, allowing for students to continue their studies at home.

Noting that “school system” has lost enough time as a result of Hurricane Dorian, Mr Lloyd said officials are committed to ensuring that students have access to various learning materials.

Distribution of learning materials, he added, will be facilitated through online resources.

“Our school system has already lost precious instruction and learning time due to hurricane Dorian,” he stressed yesterday. “We cannot afford a single day further in loss educational time. Therefore, the following must be observed: teachers are to continue to engage students through the media groups that they have already established.

“If that has not been

done, they are directed to report to school maintaining social distance, secure the register of their students while also securing useful educational material and to create such groups with the assistance of the school’s management director and the director of education.”

He said 1,650 students “who are now registered on our virtual school will continue to receive their instructions from teachers immediately.”

“Additionally, based on the plan developed by our technical team over the last two days on March 30, the live instruction will be provided by our teachers particularly for our twelfth graders.”

As it relates to preschool and primary school students, the education minister also advised parents and guardians to use the online portal on ministry’s website to access educational information.

He also said applications for scholarships will also be extended from March 31 to April 30.

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

having reasonable cause to suspect the same is: untrue or false; or may incite public fear, panic or ethnic hatred.”

Dr Minnis also expressed disappointment that the new regulations leaked before the document was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

“I was very disappointed when I woke up about 4.30 this morning and saw flashed all across the internet, social media, the regulations, proclamations and other legislation that we would’ve discussed yesterday were given to members of Parliament and opposition members and what was appalling was to see that those legislation were leaked and splashed throughout the Internet,” he said.

“That is a complete breakdown of trust. I don’t know who leaked the document but the documents were supposed to be tabled in Parliament today. As leaders how can we ask the general public to trust us when we can’t trust ourselves. By leaking such a document, that in itself could’ve caused panic, fear in society.”

MINNIS WARNING AGAINST FAKE NEWS PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis railed against fake news yesterday while discussing provisions in new emergency regulations that make it an offence to spread misinformation if one knows or can be reasonably expected to know the information is false.

Among social media users, the provision appeared to be the most controversial, with critics saying it impinges on freedom of speech.

“The spread of malicious false news has the potential to: cause violence; runs on financial institutions and/ or critical food and medical supplies,” Dr Minnis said in the House of Assembly.

“Such fake news may cause widespread panic that prevents citizens from following directions designed to protect their lives during a crisis. Under these regulations, no person shall publish or cause to be published, posted or re-posted over any media platform, inclusive of social media, any purported news or report or purported statement of fact, knowing or

Editorial View - Page 6

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 3

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said the number of coronavirus cases in the country is expected to increase in the coming days.

His comment came after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed confirmed cases had risen to three. Dr Minnis said the two new cases are household members of the first person to test positive for COVID-19, a 61-year-old woman. The two new cases had travelled to jurisdictions with known community transmission: Canada, Trinidad and Dubai.

“These household contacts have been quarantined and samples taken for testing,” he said.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen said after a press conference yesterday the two people are not in hospital.

We will have more cases, says Sands Dr Brennen said the technical team of the Ministry of Health has continued to recommend that social distancing polices be made an “institution,” not just recommendations for preventing spread of the novel coronavirus.

Some health officials expected Dr Minnis to announce mandatory social distancing orders yesterday when he brought emergency powers regulations to the House of Assembly, however he did not.

The prime minister did not directly answer reporters who asked him after the House of Assembly when he will make orders under the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan said the surveillance team of the Ministry of Health, which has ten members, would struggle to trace contacts for all three confirmed cases of the coronavirus as effectively as needed. She said the team will have to be

augmented with additional staff. “Certainly our human resource capacity within the Ministry of Health, the surveillance unit, is something we are actually looking at augmenting,” she said.

“We have the now three cases and we have to do contact tracing for all three and as the circle widens it may require that we need to augment out capacity. We’ve been looking at bringing in other categories of staff that can potentially augment and assist with

probably doing the testing and as well as probably get additional nurses by shutting down some of our usual business work within the minister and Department of Public Health.”

Dr McMillan said the Ministry of Health’s hotline has been “ringing off the hook” with calls. She said officials are looking at expanding its call numbers.

Dr Sands also said the country has additional test kits, with more on the way.

MINISTER Duane Sands

PM’s battle plan

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis heading to the House of Assembly yesterday to announce his plans to take on the coronavirus crisis from page one He said contact tracing of the first confirmed case, a 61-year-old New Providence woman with no recent travel history, also revealed her household members travelled to areas with known community spread – Canada, Trinidad and Dubai. These household contacts have been quarantined and samples taken for testing.

He said if necessary, he will join medical professionals on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus. “I am encouraged sometimes to put on my white medical coat and go and assist those and work with my colleagues with whom I have trained with and depending on the state of our society and the assistance that is needed, I will work with my medical colleagues and do what I have been trained to do,” he said.

He acknowledged the extreme nature of the new regulations but urged people not to panic.

“Some of these provisions may be invoked, some may not,” he said. “I understand the suffering and the pain that our country might experience with such provisions but we have seen countries that try to balance the smooth running by isolating just segments while allowing the spread to continue and find themselves in the wrong situation or a nightmare that they could have never dreamt of. We’ve also learned that drastic measures may stop the spread of this virus and may assist us in winning this

war. Yes it might be painful but as an obstetrician/ gynaecologist it reminds me of watching women in labour and watching the pain that they experience while they are in labour.

But immediately after the birth of that baby, I watch the joy in their face, knowing that they have made a contribution to the future of their country. I’m not making a comparison but what I’m saying is it may be painful, but it won’t be painful for few, it will be painful for each and every one one of us and we could only succeed and win this battle if each and every one of us act responsible and do our part.”

The regulations give the prime minister the power to prohibit the assembly of two or more people in a public place in any area specified in the interest of public safety. He would be able to close educational, business or religious organisations that cater to the general public in specified areas where isolation has been imposed.

He could require people to confine themselves to their place of residence and enclosed property and could permit the travel of people only to grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, a doctor’s office, hospital or another place he specifies.

He could lay claim to essential services, any building, ship, aircraft or article in the country when it is deemed necessary but “shall ensure” there is prompt and adequate compensation “in the circumstances to the owner

or occupier of such building, ship, aircraft or article” when the requisition concludes.

He can establish a curfew, ordering everyone within an area to remain indoors between specified hours.

The regulations empower health officers to detain people for screening and assessment when they believe a person is or may be infected or contaminated with COVID-19 and might infect someone else.

And the prime minister could waive the application of any rules or law governing the procurement of goods and services.

Dr Minnis, who campaigned on heightening transparency and accountability in how goods and services are procured, said this power would be essential, using an example of what happened when he spoke to Doctors Hospital officials about the cost of securing their facility on Blake Road to treat COVID-19 patients.

According to him, hospital officials said: “We need not discuss any cost. Let’s just get the facility ready and when this country comes out of what we’re going through,

we can talk, but at this point in time we are all on board and whatever can be done we are prepared to do.”

Meanwhile, the Progressive Liberal Party is urging the government to cautiously exercise its new powers and not overreach on civil liberties.

“Our party intends to watch and monitor carefully the exercise of these extraordinary powers to be sure that these powers are used for the benefit of the Bahamian people,” PLP leader Philip Davis said. “I however note that to date, there has been no reported case of non-compliance

by Bahamians to any guideline and public service announcement issued by the government on COVID-19. We commend them for their continued cooperation. In light of this, the opposition cautions the government not to overreach on our civil liberties. “. . .To facilitate the eradication COVID-19, the government should strongly consider accessing the retroviral drug Interferon A-B2 through the government of the Republic of Cuba. I advise that

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff The Bahamas government access Interferon A-B2 through the regional bloc of CARICOM as part of our successful programme of functional cooperation on health, national emergencies and disaster management. There are also economies of scale that

can be exploited or realised through this procurement process. I raise these critical issues to underscore the need for all of us to be prepared and to leave no stone unturned in this national fight,” Mr Davis said.

Editorial View - Page 6

PAGE 4, Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

‘WE NEED TO MINIMISE PEAK OF THE OUTBREAK’

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL health official said if the government can minimise the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, which occurs roughly 45 days after the first case is reported, the amount of deaths can be reduced. It was also revealed yesterday that nine nurses are in quarantine due to exposure to the virus.

Dr Melisande BassettCollie, president of the Bahamas Doctors Union, said Bahamians need should not panic but watch

world trends and follow suit. “What we have learned from other jurisdictions is that this disease will follow a pattern,” she said at a press conference.

“The pattern rises and falls.

The peak, which occurred roughly in 45 days, can be mitigated by several things: minimising the amount of hospitalisations, minimising deaths and minimising hospital capacity.”

Dr Bassett-Collie said other countries have managed to bring the curve of that pattern down by practicing the aforementioned three-point method.

“We all know that we cannot tolerate having this

country shut down for any extended period of time,” she continued. “So, what we have been suggesting is that we go to the extreme to help the government and country out and get the hotel workers back to work.

What works for those other countries can work for us here in The Bahamas.”

Dr Bassett-Collie stressed the importance of social distancing, now recommended at three to six feet between each person, washing hands often for 20 seconds each time.

While doctors and nurses support the government in its plan to fight the spread

of the disease, they say they have some concerns.

“We have been in discussions with our members, as well as the government, from the beginning of the year with suggestions and ways to mitigate the disease,” Dr Bassett-Collie said. “We cannot get all of the things (supplies) we would like to have, as we are limited and we have constraints as a country, but we are doing the best with what we have.”

Bahamas Nurses Union president Amancha Williams said nurses are focused on helping the public and saving lives during this crisis.

She admitted that training to deal with COVID-19 threat has been a bit slow, but said there is a schedule and everyone will be trained.

She also defended nurses against speculation they abandoned a patient at the Fleming Street Clinic last week due to fears of the disease. “Let me clarify this,” Ms Williams said. “No nurse abandoned their post at the Fleming Street Clinic.

All nurses remained inside, and this information comes from the nurse in charge at that particular time. Nurses remained on duty and attended to the patient.”

Last week, Health

Minister Dr Duane Sands revealed that staff of the Fleming Street Clinic evacuated the facility when someone suggested a patient had contracted the virus.

Officials later said that woman tested negative.

Expressing frustration with fake news, he said the person who made the remark––a suspected clinic employee–– will be fired if found.

However nine nurses are in self-quarantine after they were exposed to patients with the virus. Those nurses were stationed at the Fleming Street Clinic and at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

The first confirmed case visited both of those locations.

Churches agree to suspend services

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CHURCH leaders have agreed to temporarily suspend services in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday.

Religious leaders are encouraging the public to continue to worship at home and to follow online worship services in the short-term.

Anglican church services, Bible studies and meetings have been suspended for two weeks as of today to Saturday, April 4, as additional temporary measures against the pandemic.

An update sent yesterday from Anglican diocese Bishop Laish Boyd noted COVID-19 is the church’s “mammoth challenge this year”. He said that these practices will help to “cut off the head of the monster” before it can grow stronger.

“We will suspend all church services, Bible studies and meetings for two weeks from Thursday, 19th March, to Saturday, 4th April, in the first instance.

As the situation with the virus is evolving, we will evaluate the matter before we move forward. I repeat that is a temporary measure.”

He also urged people with upcoming weddings and funerals to either scale down or postpone the events. “In keeping with the protocol of limiting gatherings, I ask that in the case of weddings that have already been planned, we ask persons to (a) reschedule the wedding for a later time, or (b) reduce the number of guests attending the wedding to a bare minimum, since gathering in large numbers increases the threat of contamination,

especially when packed into close quarters. In other words, until this current crisis passes, have a small and ‘private style’ wedding,” Bishop Boyd advised..

“In the case of funerals, please seek to have the family (a) postpone the funeral to a later date, or (b) arrange a family only funeral, with social distancing being highlighted.”

Anglicans are encouraged to still continue their devotions at home. Bishop Boyd said clergy and parishes will communicate with their flock via telephone, social media, and the use of technology, where possible. Parishes may keep their church office open and so will the diocesan office, but they will be closed when the government directs that all but non-essential services close.

The diocese was asked to focus on one Eucharist at All Saints Chapel, Addington House, where Bishop Boyd preaches, on March 22 and 29. It will be broadcast on ZNS and cable television and streamed live on Facebook and the diocesan webpage. This Sunday mass will be aired on ZNS TV at 11am and on local cable TV at 2pm.

Bishop Boyd said the “measures may seem extreme” but were “necessary in the short-term”.

“I know that as clergy these measures are traumatising to us and highly upsetting. However, as bishop, I must make decisive steps to assist in protecting our flock and in taking steps that will reduce the spread of this virus.

The urgency of this matter demands the utmost cooperation from us all. The church also has a responsibility to contribute to national efforts to ensure well-being.”

RBPF DISTRIBUTES COVID-19 POLICIES

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Police Force has distributed its COVID-19 policies to officers, according to Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson.

He said the RBPF’s plan is in line with the government’s policies and has been handed to the minister of national security.

Commissioner Ferguson said: “We have distributed all of the policies that we

have, that is placed directly in the hands of the acting deputy commissioner who has circulated (them) throughout the force.

Next week there about, we (are) supposed to have somebody from the surveillance unit of Ministry of Health….being invited to come in and actually talk to our officers to make sure that we remain safe.

“You know we are a frontline group of men and women and so it is very, very important that we

understand and get a full appreciation for how to protect ourselves first in order to serve the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.”

When asked how the force will ensure the island is properly patrolled if a curfew was implemented, he responded: “The patrolling of the island is the remit of the commissioner of police and the police will be doing their jobs as usual.”

Sonny Miller, executive chairman of the Police

Staff Association, told The Tribune the association has fully endorsed the RBPF policies; although he could not speak about the details of the commissioner’s policy, he encouraged all officers to read them.

He said: “...It is very vital and it’s important and it can really help in keeping us safe during this very serious time that we’re faced in this country.”

He said police officers are ready to serve the country in this time of need.

PORT LUCAYA VENDORS BRACING FOR THE WORST

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

STRAW vendors at the Port Lucaya Marketplace are bracing for the worst - a possible shutdown of the marketplace where business has come to a virtual crawl since cruise ships cancelled sailings.

“We know it is a real setback for us,” said Simeon Brown, one of the several vendors at the Straw Market yesterday.

“Before the hurricane things (business) were rough, and now we have this coronavirus which makes it even worse.”

Most of the vendors’ booths were closed and the taxi stands were empty. Only a few visitors were out and about strolling the marketplace. Many of the stores and shops were empty.

The Tribune understands

management at Port Lucaya Marketplace had planned to meet with tenants yesterday, and there was some speculation the marketplace might close temporarily.

Attempts to contact management up to press time proved unsuccessful.

The shops, restaurants, and vendors in the marketplace are very reliant on cruise ship visitors for business.

Despite the gloomy outlook, some vendors are hoping for the best.

“I believe we shall get over this, said Mr Brown. I don’t know how long it will take but we shall get over it. God knows where we are and since we are His children I am sure he will make a way for us,” he said.

Dennis McIntosh said that they can only pray for the best.

“No cruise ships coming, but we are trying to make it as best

we can. I am hoping for the best, I can’t hope for the worst,” he stated.

Mr McIntosh said he and his family are prepared for the coronavirus. “We got some hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, got food in the house, and water. So, all we got to do is pray to God.” He noted that unlike the hurricane, the coronavirus will affect not only Grand Bahama, but the entire country. “The cruise ship ban makes things hard – I hear Nassau shut down,” he said.

Some vendors, however, claim that the poor business climate at the marketplace has been the norm since the hurricane.

“No visitors are here,” said one vendor who did not wish to be named. The cruise ships are not coming, and we were experiencing this for a while now since the hurricanes, and closure of the hotel made a big difference with

over here. This is a normal day right here with all these stalls shut down.”

“So this ain’t nothing new; corona ain’t cause this. Once you have the cruise schedule and see

no cruise ship in, this is just how it looks,” she said pointing at the row of closed booths.

“This feels normal to me. We only come because we heard they were going to have a meeting today – that’s why we come out here.”

“We surviving because we got God,” another vendor said.

Vendor Lizzy said many vendors would not qualify for unemployment benefit from National Insurance.

She said most vendors do not pay national insurance. “If you pay national insurance you get something, but if not, then you don’t. It is different if you work on a job then you entitled to get it. But things have been back and forth (here) for a while and it has been hard to pay national insurance. It is like we just getting over the hurricane and now this,” she said.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 5

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

NIB ADAPTS TO PROTECT MORE VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

THE National Insurance Board is now on “orange alert,” meaning the agency has streamlined processes to protect its more vulnerable customers and limit risks to staff in the wake of the threat of COVID-19.

“The National Insurance Board (NIB) has activated its business continuity plan to address

potential business disruptions, which may come as a result of COVID-19. NIB has been in contact with the national co-ordinating committee to ensure that the necessary actions are consistent with the national response,” NIB announced in a press release.

The new measures include the suspension of face-to-face pension verification, however the agency will not prioritise suspension of benefits due to non-verification.

NIB is also urging all beneficiaries who receive payment by

cheque to complete the agency’s direct deposit form, found on its website, to designate a bank or credit union account to facilitate continued payments in the event of a business disruption due to COVID-19. “Please ensure that you are providing the full and correct account details (branch and account number) rather than the debit card number,” NIB advised.

NIB is also temporarily suspending smart card renewals, face-to-face interviews for new claims submissions and

registration for the employer self services portal.

Ghion Roach, president of the Union of Public Officers, which represents workers at NIB, said he is satisfied with NIB’s efforts to protect his members thus far.

“Well the board has already reduced the flow of traffic,” the union president said. “They have already set up critical areas for staff to work remotely, so people can work from home if they don’t need to be in office. They have done the necessary precautionary

steps whereas things like gloves and sanitiser are concerned.

“A total shutdown of NIB will have to come from Cabinet, but I must say the union is very satisfied with the efforts made to protect our members thus far. I am telling my members, those that don’t feel well, not to come to work. The board has also agreed to relax policies as it relates to sick time and vacation, so I am very satisfied with their response. I would say they have done every shy of just locking the doors.”

Economy facing $1bn bodyblow, Turnquest tells House

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net DESPITE a projected total economic fallout of as much as $1bn from the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has announced several relief measures for workers in the tourism industry who will be most affected by the virus’ global impact.

Facing a reality that tourism will be massively affected, resulting in a halt of visitor arrivals, Finance Minister Peter Turnquest said yesterday the Minnis administration will provide a safety net for self-employed and those directly employed by the industry as the nation rides out this turmoil together.

The measures, the deputy prime minister said, are merely the government’s phase one response to the pandemic, as he stressed there were no plans at this time to borrow additional funding but he could not rule it out in the future.

The measures include $4m to provide food assistance and social support for displaced workers directly impacted by the virus and a $10m allocation for a temporary unemployment benefit through NIB for self-employed people.

Food assistance will come in the form of $100 vouchers every second week and will be disbursed through the Ministry of Social Services for people facing reduced work days for eight weeks.

The unemployment benefit for self-employed tourism workers will be $200 per week for eight weeks.

The government has also requested that the Water and Sewerage Corporation reconnect all recently disconnected services for residential customers to ensure that personal hygiene is not compromised.

Both WSC and Bahamas Power and Light have been asked to defer payment of bills - for an initial period of three months - for residential customers who are diagnosed with the virus, who are in quarantine, or have been laid off, Mr Turnquest told Parliament yesterday.

He said the Minnis administration had also included the Clearing Banks Association in consultation on proposed mitigating measures.

Small businesses will be offered short-term loan support as the government makes available $20m for this purpose.

“In keeping with our

responsibility for sound governance, the Ministry of Finance undertook to model assumptions on the likely impact of the coronavirus over the next four-month period to midJuly 2020. We ran three scenarios – low, medium and high impact – based on assumptions of varying degrees of losses for tourist arrivals over a four-month period,” the East Grand Bahama MP said.

“The projections produced by these scenarios are by no means precise and all-encompassing, as the fallout in tourism will have a cascading impact on a number of other sectors within the domestic economy. However, the outcomes for each scenario within this preliminary assessment will help us to adopt a reasonable and responsible approach to contingency planning.

“While the total economic impact could be as low as $258m over the next four months to June 2020, we are inclined to focus on the higher impact scenario, which assumes 100 percent loss of cruise visitors and 80 percent of stopover visitors. In fact, recent developments in the industry would suggest a titling of the possible actual outcome to this extreme scenario, which could result in a total economic loss, including additional public sector spending requirements, of as much as $1 billion. Of this total, a dominant $832 million decline is projected for lost tourism related expenditure as a result of the reduced visitor count.

“The direct hit on government revenue is placed at an aggregated $108m — $48m for direct border taxes paid by visitors, and a total of $60m for potential VAT and imports duty losses.

“The expenditure requirements could reach $49m, of which we are funding $10m from dormant account fund. These resources would be used to address the health and social requirements arising from potential cases of the virus and dislocations associated with job losses and the need to support small businesses.”

The projected contraction in tourism activity will inevitably have an adverse impact on The Bahamas’ foreign exchange reserves position, which stood at a healthy $2.03bn at mid-March.

Based on preliminary projections, external reserves could decline by some $900m by end-2020.

Under this scenario, the country would still have a manageable level of foreign reserves. However, the Central Bank will continue to monitor and judiciously manage the reserve holdings, he further revealed.

Other measures involve government reprioritising capital projects to increase the number of quickly deployable small-scale capital works to boost small business activity; accelerating the approvals process for all domestic and foreign capital investments projects currently in the pipeline; restricting all non-essential expenses including but not limited to travel, and the scaling down or postponement of planned events.

For his part, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said his communication

would likely be one of the most painful speeches he would ever have to make at Parliament.

COVID-19, the minister lamented, has negatively impacted the strides and improvements the industry had made in 2019.

He said: “The Ministry of Tourism’s statistics indicate that with the record arrival of some 7.2m visitors in 2019 our industry had its best year ever.

Our air arrivals grew by 6.7 percent, our cruise traffic grew by 10.3 percent and our total arrivals grew by 9.4 percent, unprecedented and historic. Despite slower than anticipated air arrivals in January 2020, overall arrivals had increased by 7.9 percent mostly attributable to cruise arrivals. When you discount the effects on

Abaco and Grand Bahama, we were well on our way to an accelerated recovery in our other islands, vastly ahead of schedule.

“Until COVID-19’s rapid and uncertain spread throughout much of the world, our thriving tourism industry, the engine driving much of The Bahamas’ continued growth showed no signs of slowing down.

We were poised for another year of success, another year of growth, another year of plenty.

“Which is why it pains me deeply to stand in front of you and recognise that around the world tourism is shutting down. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that some 50m jobs are at risk worldwide in the tourism sector. Global travel is set to shrink by 25 percent. Huge! And

countries around the world including ours are actively closing their borders. Quite simply the tourism industry worldwide faces a significant, some would even say catastrophic, collapse in the near-term.”

He said the ministry’s forward booking data is showing “absolutely” no bookings for the foreseeable future as potential vacationers retreat into their homes worrying about the uncertainty of their own short-term economic prospects.

His comments came after the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union predicted on Tuesday that all or most hotels in the country will place workers on reduced work day scheduling as visitor arrivals are expected to vastly decrease.

PAGE 6, Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

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PM declares war, but no march to action WE are at war, declared Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, as he announced new regulations that give him sweeping new powers to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

So what now? At the end of his speech, it was fairly clear what Dr Minnis could do under the new powers – but rather less clear what he would do.

As he announced two more cases of coronavirus in The Bahamas, bringing the total to three, he went on to unveil a series of powers but added “some of these provisions may be invoked, some may not”.

Indeed, that word “may” cropped up a lot. He said drastic measures “may stop the spread of this virus and may assist us in winning this war”. Across The Bahamas, there would probably be a little more reassurance if instead of focusing on what may be done, Dr Minnis had detailed what will be done.

Essentially, what changed yesterday morning was the ability of the government to take action. No extra isolation measures right away, no further immediate restriction on citizens or employers.

This was a declaration of emergency then going home to wait to see what to do next. Bahamians were probably prepared, and even wanting, more of an instant response.

One of the concerns as we look around the world has been those governments who have not acted fast enough.

The World Health Organisation went as far as criticising the lack of response in some nations, a move that seems to have stung the UK and the US into action.

While in some ways The Bahamas has been ahead in its response – the UK for example is only now closing schools and the US response appears to have been anything but co-ordinated across the nation – this move to emergency powers here yesterday doesn’t seem to have moved us practically any further forward.

Meantime, Dr Minnis’ deputy, Peter Turnquest, was far from convincing in

his depiction of the effects of coronavirus on the Bahamian economy. He projected an economic fallout of as much as $1bn, but really that’s only until the summer. Then we’re into what is traditionally a low season for tourism anyway and then into hurricane season.

Come July 1, there’s not going to be magically six fully loaded cruise ships pulling into port to cure all our economic ills. The figure for losses overall is looking much more likely to be closer to the $3bn figure projected by the International Development Bank. We hope Mr Turnquest isn’t sugar coating this bitterest of pills – this is a time for hard truths.

There’s nothing so sweet on offer to the people who will be receiving food assistance – with $100 vouchers available every other week from the Ministry of Social Services for those people facing reduced work days for eight weeks.

Trying to survive on $50 worth of food a week is more than a challenge, it’s a catastrophe.

In positive news, the government instructing WSC to reconnect recently disconnected services – a sign of the unity Dr Minnis called for after PLP leader Philip Davis urged this measure – and asking WSC and BPL to defer payment of bills by those diagnosed with the virus, in quarantine or laid off gives people some wiggle room they didn’t have yesterday.

We understand dealing with this is a long-term problem, and further solutions will be put forward as time goes by – but for the short-term, we haven’t advanced very far. There’s little extra comfort for those in distress, and little direct action that wasn’t already being taken before the announcement.

We ask again, so what now? When will these special measures start to be deployed? We hope some of the more extreme measures will never be needed – but nor must we be too slow to act.

That would be, very literally, a fatal mistake.

Fake news and freedom of speech ONE of the measures introduced by Dr Minnis yesterday caused significant concern, particularly on social media.

Emergency regulations make it an offence to spread misinformation if one knows or can be reasonably expected to know the information is false.

The potential for misuse of this is obvious. We can quite understand the apprehension during this time of national crisis at false reports being circulated that undermine the emergency measures themselves. Immediately after the first patient in The Bahamas was diagnosed, social media filled up with all manner of speculation about who she was, most of it wildly inaccurate. At a time when officials are trying to work out how someone caught the virus, and where it might have spread to, that’s not only unhelpful, it’s damaging to the work. An investigator can hear one of those fake claims and it becomes something they have to follow up, see if there’s any merit to the report, most likely ending up with wasted time on a wild goose chase

leaving them with less time to follow genuine information.

But while we can understand that concern, how far does that go? Who decides on whether information is false? Who decides if someone can be reasonably expected to know? What happens if government sources spread misinformation?

There are genuine concerns for freedom of speech in this move – and a real danger if this is used in any but the most extreme of circumstances, the equivalent of yelling “Fire” in a crowded theatre and not wanting to be held to account for starting a stampede.

We are as concerned as anyone by the spread of fake news – getting to the truth is our business after all – but there is danger in handing this ability to silence others to the government. It must not be used to silence critics. That way leads to the undermining of one of the very pillars of our democracy. This is a controversial measure precisely because Bahamians care about our society – we must not put that at risk.

Dionisio has winning way EDITOR, The Tribune I MAKE no secret of the fact that my favourite cabinet minister within the Minnis regime is the Hon Dionisio D’Aguilar (FNMFree Town) our erstwhile Minister of Tourism & Aviation. Dionisio is a businessman and a numbers cruncher par excellence.

Yes, he may have inherited his wealth the old fashion ed way but when he took over the management of Super Wash there were a handful of outlets. Before he launched into politics, the chain had expanded dramatically and apart from new state of the art wash houses, the existing ones were overhauled and extensively renovated.

Once he announced that he was seeking to become a Member of Parliament, I knew that wherever he offered himself he would have been elected as he eventually was over in Free Town. It is common knowledge that he pays strict attention to his constituency duties and he maintains an open door policy unlike the majority of his colleagues. He is also a husband; a father and a very dutiful and protective son. I’ve meet both his mother (one of my biggest fans according to her) and his lovely wife who are jointly closely connected to the D’Aguilar Art Gallery.

The recently announced Agreement for Sale of the Grand Lucayan over in Freeport was the result of hard work by the Minister and his team, inclusive of Michael Scott, QC. The successful sale and eventual reopening of that property will go a long way in relieving the economic stress on Grand Bahama and the

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net surrounding islands and cays. The passage of Dorian delayed negotiations and, of course, the damage sustained probably played a role in depressing the potential price that was agreed.

This is a job well done and we the people of this wonderful nation, regardless of politics, must give kudos to the Minister and the team. I have always supported the government’s purchase of Grand Lucayan because of the vital economic importance of that property and the scores of jobs that were on the line. I am not an FNM by any stretch of anyone’s imagination but I believe in giving credit where it is due, regardless of politics.

Now that the property has been sold I would expect that the regime will put the Sales Agreement into the public domain. We are entitled to know all of the details of the sale and any relevant terms; conditions; concessions and subsidies which might be applicable. The old days when successive governments could ‘hide’ or shelve such documents should be passé. The Opposition has called for the same thing but the party and its supporters may well have to go up against the barricades to pry this information out of Minnis and crew. This regime is not known for transparency or accountability, despite what they bellowed on the campaign trail.

Minister D’Aguilar deserves nothing short of

a knighthood and possible elevation to Second Deputy Prime Minister. In talking about this, I would also suggest to our ‘hard headed’ Prime Minister that he elevate the Hon. Shannendon Cartwright (FNM-St Barnabas), the current Chairman of Beaches & Parks Commission to Minister of State for Commerce; Industry & Trade.

Cartwright is a former executive at McDonald’s locally and is a seasoned brother within the craft. He’d make an excellent promoter of those aspects of our economic model.

The next big hurdle for Minister D’Aguilar is getting The Freeport International Airport up and running at the earliest opportunity. Sustainable and viable air lift into Grand Bahama is critical to the economic mass and the rejuvenating and rebranding of that Island.

While they are at it, the honourable Minister may wish to delegate the disposal and sale of the Light House Hotel in Andros to a consortium of Bahamians and attach a small casino licence to the same.

That property is a potential Crown jewel and could be the catalyst that the people of our largest island have been waiting for for so long. In closing, I agree that there may well be a loss over the sale of Grand Lucayan but whatever they are, the fact that the regime has divested itself of what could have turned into an unwanted ‘white elephant’ was worth it. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, March 6, 2020.

Grand Bahamians have good reason to be excited EDITOR, The Tribune BAHAMIANS who are harbouring pessimism about Royal Caribbean’s and the ITM Group’s impressive plans for the Grand Lucayan and Freeport Harbour should visit Royal Caribbean blog site in order to read an article by one Matt Hochberg concerning the planned $300 million investment. It’s a very good read for those cynics in New Providence and Grand Bahama who are questioning the sincerity of

Royal Caribbean, in light of the 2018 deal with the Wynn Group for the Grand Lucayan falling through.

With Hutchison Whampoa’s uncommitted posture towards the rundown property which had taken a beating by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the Free National Movement administration made the difficult and unpopular decision to purchase the resort for $65 million.

Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar had recently mentioned the closure of

the former Princess Resort and Casino in 2004 after the passing of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne as a possible motivating factor in the acquisition of the Grand Lucayan.

Had the Grand Lucayan shut down, it would’ve probably suffered the same fate as the Princess. What I can remember about this entire ordeal is the ruckus it stirred up. Critics such as Fred Smith and Athena Damianos both voiced opposition to this transaction in 2018 in The

Tribune. Damianos referenced BARTAD, BAMSI, the Hatchet Bay Farms, the Cable Beach hotels and Carnival as lessons in fiscal madness the FNM government should learn from.

As for Smith, he called the acquisition “economic suicide.” His unsolicited advice about encouraging the disinterested Hutchison Whampoa to sell or find a capable operator was, in my opinion, unreasonable.

Some 18 months later, the special purpose vehicle, Lucayan Renewal

Holdings, has succeeded in silencing these Bahamian critics who cried wolf.

According to Hochberg, the “Lucayan property will be world class beachfront destination with a 526 room hotel, shopping village, spa and wellness centre, water based entertainment; including a massive water and adventure theme park; a 40,000 square foot convention, etc.” Freeport Harbour will be transformed into Harbour Village, with shopping and dining venues and

other touristic amenities, that might rival Atlantis on Paradise Island. With assets close to $27 billion, Royal Caribbean certainly has the financial resources to bring to fruition its grandiose plans for Freeport. I am an optimist who believe that the Grand Lucayan can be transformed into another Sea World. Grand Bahamians should all be excited.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama March 8, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 7

Four on murder charges

THE ACCUSED: From the left: Yvenette Philips, Joey Jolissaint, Philip Murphy and Luckson Charite

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net FOUR men were charged with murder yesterday in connection with three recent homicides in New Providence. One of the men was led to court in a wheelchair, his arm in a cast and sling, due to a previous injury that came after he fell off a roof, his lawyer said.

Yvenette Philips, 32, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with murdering Cynthia Wilson on March 13. According to initial police reports, around midnight that day, two women were outside a residence on Carmichael Road east of Lazaretto Road when they were approached by three men, one whom was armed and opened fire on them, injuring one of the women.

Paramedics came and attempted to revive the woman but were unsuccessful.

Phillips was not required to enter a plea to the charge and the matter was adjourned to May 26 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) in the interim. He has the right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Phillips is represented by attorney Donna Major.

During the arraignment, she asked the judge if her client would be allowed to take a small package with socks and t-shirts with him, since the correctional facility was on lockdown in light of COVID-19 fears.

During a recess, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt spoke with Charles Murphy, the commissioner of

corrections, who told her the BDCS was discontinuing visitation for 30 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said that Mr Murphy asked the court to allow new inmates to bring clothing with them and granted Major’s request.

In a separate arraignment, a Haitian man and an 18-year-old were charged with murdering a man earlier this month. Joey Jolissaint, 26, and Philip Murphy, 18, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt charged with murdering Edward Charles on March 8.

According to initial reports from police, shortly before 8am on March 8, officers were called to an unnamed road off Carmichael Road, just east of Lazaretto Road, after receiving reports that a male was shot. The male was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neither of the accused were required to enter a plea to the charge and the case was adjourned to May 28 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. They were remanded into custody until that time. Jomo Campbell represented both defendants.

During the arraignment, he told the judge that Murphy had a preexisting medical condition that made him prone to collapsing. When asked to elaborate, he revealed that Murphy’s arteries were assisted by stents.

Campbell also told the judge his second client, Jolissaint, had recently fallen off a roof at work and had fractured his skull, arms and legs.

Magistrate FergusonPratt said she would send a note with both defendants so that they could be

WORKMEN DISCOVER FOETUS IN DUMPSTER SANITATION workers found a foetus in a dumpster in an area off Farrington Road yesterday and police are urging the baby’s mother to come forward.

Police said they were called to Sarah Robinson Road shortly after 11am after the workers made the gruesome discovery.

“Police are appealing to the mother to come forward so that she can receive medical and emotional assistance,” police said.

Police said the foetus was dead when officers arrived on scene.

Members of the public, especially the Sarah Robinson community, who may have information that can assist with this investigation should contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the

nearest police station.

Police are also investigating a shooting that left a man in hospital. Around 11pm on Tuesday, a man and a woman were near the police shooting range on Gladstone Road west when they heard gunshots and realised the man had been shot. The injured man was transported to hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.

Police arrested a 44-yearold man in connection with this incident and have recovered a shotgun.

Meanwhile, a fire destroyed a portion of a school at Zion Boulevard, South Beach on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to the fire shortly after 9pm and found a portion of Zion Christian School, which is attached to Zion Baptist Church, on fire.

ERIC MINNS HAS DIED ERIC MINNS , the singer/ songwriter who wrote such iconic Bahamian songs as Island Boy, Fox Hill Gal and I’m Coming Home for Junkanoo has passed away after a long illness. Mr Minns was a legend in the Bahamian music community for turning simple elements of daily life into songs that people still sing decades later.

examined at the BDCS. She also granted Campbell’s request for Murphy and Jolissaint to be allowed to bring clothing into prison with them.

In a third arraignment, 31-year-old Luckson Charite, of Sea Breeze Lane, was charged with murdering a woman outside a nightclub late last month. He is accused of killing Shantia McKenzie on February 29.

According to police reports, shortly after 1am that morning, a woman, standing outside a nightclub on Market Street and Palm Tree Avenue, was approached by a man who shot her multiple times before running away.

She was transported to a hospital where she was initially listed in critical condition.

However, the victim later died. No one else was injured during this incident.

Charite was not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to May 28 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI.) Bail was denied and he too was remanded to the BDCS.

PAGE 8, Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Just the ticket Biden and Klobuchar?

F

OR a several weeks now the US has been floundering in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, the American administration, and especially President Donald Trump, downplayed the health danger of the virus. As a result the US found itself underprepared and potentially overwhelmed once the virus truly turned its attention to America.

The clumsy, incompetent US reaction to the coronavirus was led by Trump and his pathological fixation on the performance of the New York Stock Exchange and its (until recently) supportive effect on his re-election prospects. Trump has also revealed himself to legions

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

of previously innocent souls that he cares mostly – perhaps only – about himself.

Empathy is not in his tool box.

While Trump was fumbling and stumbling around in an attempt to take the onrushing virus threat seriously and reassure an increasingly anxious nation, the two remaining candidates to replace him squared off in CNN’s Washington studios in a debate without an audience but with a purpose.

On Sunday evening,

Bernie Sanders took his last big swings at Joe Biden. It didn’t go well for the maverick Vermont Independent (he only caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate.

He is not actually registered with either major political party).

Sanders tried - over two fairly interesting hours of one-on-one debate - to score points off Biden’s long legislative record in Washington. Biden kept returning to the present and near future, focusing on how he would handle

the current health crisis and related financial distress.

While Sanders did not hoarsely hector as he has so often done in the past, it was Biden who looked and acted presidential. If Democratic voters in this week’s primary elections and beyond needed reassurance that the former vice president and Delaware senator was up to the task of being the US chief executive, Biden largely provided it.

Then on Tuesday, Biden waxed Sanders again, sweeping three important primaries in Illinois, Washington and Florida. The Democratic nominee is virtually certain to win the first two states in November, but Florida is highly questionable, and may well support Trump again.

Meanwhile, Ohio’s governor postponed his state primary on public health grounds. If the Democrats carry Ohio in November, they will be headed for a landslide victory.

In their debate, Biden

reached out to Sanders and his followers a few times.

He pointedly noted that he has adopted some of his party’s left-wing priorities. He said emphatically that if Sanders became the nominee, he could count on Biden’s enthusiastic and unambiguous support.

Sanders was a step slow and hesitant in reciprocating. This was also evident when the moderators inquired about the candidates’ readiness to add a female vice-presidential nominee to their ticket.

Sanders mumbled in the affirmative, but it appeared insincere.

Biden, on the other hand, clearly said his VP choice would be a woman. (He also promised to name a black female to the US Supreme Court.) In remarks during the past week, Biden has pretty clearly telegraphed that his choice would be one of his erstwhile debate rivals.

Any presidential candidate wants a running mate who will provide a tactical and strategic benefit to the ticket. But only one woman who has shared this season’s debate stage really fills the bill. The Democrats will carry Massachusetts (Elizabeth Warren’s home state) and California (home to Kamala Harris), so adding either would bring limited

returns. Among the major contestants, that leaves Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar.

Lost in all the lamentations over the Hillary Clinton’s loss of Michigan and Wisconsin to Trump in 2016 is the fact that she nearly lost Minnesota to him as well. Trump has held rallies there this year, a good indication that he thinks his prospects in Minnesota are good for November. And we know that the president is a pretty good judge of such matters.

Enter Klobuchar who, as she often reminded voters on the presidential primary campaign trail, has never lost an election. She ran up big victory margins every time in Minnesota. This daughter of the Upper Midwest would also do well in Michigan, Wisconsin and perhaps even Ohio.

Also, the genial Biden, who clearly enjoyed a warm personal relationship with Barack Obama as his vice president and values getting along with people, will want a running mate with whom he is personally compatible. He has said as much publicly.

Klobuchar, with what seemed to be the best sense of humour in this year’s presidential primary field, may pass this interpersonal test with the highest marks.

WE SHOULD SEE THE LACK OF SPORT AS AN OPPORTUNITY YOU might spend quite a bit of time each week watching sports. Most of that time will typically be in front of the television.

Some of it may be spent in the basketball gym, at the school track, at your kids’ soccer field or at another venue for live sports. But the chances are that most of your sports watching time is devoted to television.

In fact, the amount of time you spend watching sports that you do not actually participate in playing might just be a point of contention with whomever you live. “What a waste of time!” Have you ever heard that from someone you love?

You know who you are.

But not now.

There’s an unprecedented sports recess in effect, courtesy of the coronavirus.

In the US, the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and major league soccer have all suspended their games schedules, with no definitive notion of when these might resume. The Masters golf championship has been postponed.

America’s great amateur sports spectacle, the NCAA mens college basketball championship, has been cancelled, as has the women’s tournament. The absence of March Madness will leave a huge hole in the viewing plans of many viewers. No office betting pools or water cooler arguments this year either.

The National Football League has reacted cautiously, but this week American pro football gave us all quite a bit to talk and think about. How about the Greatest Quarterback of All Time leaving the New England Patriots after 20 years to join the perennially downtrodden Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Joining Tom Brady in moving on after a long tenure is former San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers QB Philip Rivers, who transfers to the Indianapolis Colts.

Locally, the Miami Dolphins were active in the free agency market, adding several defensive studs with proven records of success and high performance.

Armed with this infusion of strength and an armful of high choices in next month’s NFL draft, the Dolphins are likely to be among those teams for whom prognosticators forecast unexpected success in 2020.

The April 23-25 draft,

2020 Olympics under threat

scheduled for Las Vegas, has not yet been postponed. There is talk that, instead of an event like the one attended last year by an estimated 600,000 fans in person in Nashville and viewed by 47.5 million more on television, this year’s draft extravaganza may be held in the NFL network studios in Los Angeles before no audience.

In Europe, the five major soccer leagues have similarly suspended their schedules.

The sport’s greatest club championship, the European Champions League, has also temporarily halted competition.

There is much speculation as to how the leagues and UEFA will sort it all out.

That’s interesting, but no substitute for actual games.

The seemingly infinite proliferation of sports networks on cable television is seriously challenged to find programming to substitute for live contests that rivet viewers. Reruns of “classic” games are rapidly becoming the norm on sports cable.

Some serious publications are actually issuing lists of some of the greatest sports movies, as if that would be a satisfactory substitute for the emotional roller coaster of rooting for your favourite team.

So now all sports fans are faced with a serious drought. How will we all respond? It might help to regard this found time as an opportunity instead of a hardship. Yeah. But it will still feel like a hardship.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 9

COURT OF APPEAL ORDERS RETRIAL OVER INCEST CASE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal has ruled that a man previously sentenced to 25 years in prison for incest be retried due to misdirection given to the jury by the trial judge.

In a recently delivered written ruling, three appellate judges said the trial judge erred when she told a jury to discount certain allegations against the accused, telling them the accusation was not relevant to the case.

The accuser had told police the man sexually assaulted her twice, once in 2013 and another time in 2014, but the accused had been in jail between January to June 2013. The jury was told by the judge to only consider the accusation alleged to have happened in 2014.

The man was convicted on November 22, 2016 of incest and subsequently sentenced on March 31, 2017 to a period of 25 years in prison.

Brendalee Rae and Marianne Cadet represented the appellant.

“The appellant was charged with incest,” Court of Appeal President Sir Michael Barnett noted along with Justice Roy Jones and Justice Milton

Evans. “The complainant in her statement to police alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by the appellant on two separate occasions between a certain period of time. At trial the defence sought for a certain time period to be considered as the appellant was incarcerated at the time.

The defence stated that it was a matter of credibility.

“The jury was instructed to disregard evidence given for that certain time period. The appellant was convicted and sentenced to a period of 25 years in prison. The appellant appeals on the ground inter alia that, ‘the learned trial judge erred in law when she deemed statements made to the police by the virtual complainant accusing the appellant of sexually assaulting her in 2013 as being irrelevant to the facts in issue and therefore refused defence counsel the opportunity to test the credibility of the virtual complainant thus substantially affecting the merits of the case especially as credibility was crucial factor.’”

As a result, the Court of Appeal said an appeal is allowed, the man’s conviction and sentence be quashed, and the matter remitted to the Supreme Court for retrial.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

GOODMAN ‘MARCO’ APPEAL ADJOURNED

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE Court of Appeal hearing where Kofhe Goodman was expected to challenge his murder conviction has been adjourned to June 2.

Yesterday, Goodman appeared before the appellate tribunal of Justices Jon Isaacs, Roy Jones and Sir Michael Barnett, five months after the panel ordered that he be given a court-appointed lawyer to contest his conviction and 55-year sentence for the killing of Marco Archer in 2011.

During the hearing yesterday, Goodman’s attorney, Stanley Rolle, told the judges the grounds for appeal had been settled and his client was “content”.

Still, he told the panel he would need more time to complete his submissions.

As a result, Sir Barnett adjourned the matter to June 2.

In 2018, Goodman, now 43, was sentenced to 55 years imprisonment during a retrial for the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer.

Police discovered Archer’s body in bushes behind an apartment complex near Goodman’s residence in September 2011.

Goodman was initially convicted of Archer’s killing in 2013 and sentenced to death by hanging, however the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction and sentence and ordered a retrial.

Goodman was again convicted of the murder on May 30, 2017.

FREEPORT MAN, 28, ON MURDER CHARGE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A 28-YEAR-OLD Freeport man was charged with murder in the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Claude Valsaint, of No 6 Maxim Court, appeared before Magistrate’s Gwendolyn Claude. It is alleged that on March 12, at Eight Mile Rock, the accused intentionally caused the death of a man. Valsaint was not required to enter a plea to the charge of murder. He was remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned to June 17.

In other court matters, four men were charged with possession of the firearm

with intent to endanger life.

Hayward Johnson Jr, 21, of No 99B Gordon Avenue; Steve Derosier, 28, of No 3 Limewood Lane; Kendrick Colebrooke, 32, of No 69 Frobisher Circle; and Daquan Beckles, 18, of No 147 Beaconsfield, were charged before Rengin Johnson in Court Three.

They were charged with two counts of possession of a firearm with the intent to endanger life, two counts of possession of firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence; causing damage and possession of ammunition.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were denied bail. The matter was adjourned to June 2, 2020.

THE CHANGING of the Guard Ceremony at Police Headquarters yesterday Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

PAGE 10, Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

DEATH TOLL SPIKES IN IRAN TEHRAN Associated Press IRAN yesterday reported its single biggest jump in fatalities from the coronavirus as another 147 people died, raising the country’s overall death toll to 1,135. The nearly 15% spike in deaths — amid a total of 17,361 confirmed cases in Iran — marks the biggest 24-hour rise in fatalities since Iranian officials first acknowledged infections of the virus in mid-February.

Even as the number of cases grows, food markets were still packed with shoppers and highways were crowded as families traveled ahead of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, on Friday.

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi urged the public to avoid travel and crowds, telling Iranians the days ahead represented two “golden weeks” to try curb the virus. He criticized people for not adhering to the warnings to stay home.

“This is not a good situation at all,” he said.

President Hassan Rouhani defended his government’s response to the outbreak in the face of widespread criticism that Iran acted too slowly and might even have covered up initial cases.

TOP: A vehicle approaches the only open lane at the United States border crossing in Quebec; Left: A worker sprays disinfectant in a playground in the Israeli city of Bat Yam; above: A man wearing a face mask travels by train in Barcelona; right, middle: Beachgoers trying to keep their distance in Florida; bottom right: A woman explains to soldiers that she is searching pharmacies for alcohol, before they let her continue on her way, on the third day of a state of emergency in Lima, Peru

‘War-time’ president swings into action CANADA TO DEFER TAX MINNEAPOLIS Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump yesterday invoked emergency authority to marshal industry to fight the coronavirus, as the economic fallout from the crisis mounted with word that nearly the entire US auto industry is shutting down its North American factories to protect workers.

On a day of head-spinning developments: • Stocks tumbled again on Wall Street on fears of a prolonged recession, falling so fast they triggered another automatic trading halt. The Dow Jones

Industrial Average shed more than 1,300 points, or over 6 percent, and has now lost nearly all of the big gains it had posted since Trump’s inauguration. Oil dropped below $21 per barrel for the first time since 2002.

• More borders slammed shut across Europe and North America, with the U.S. and Canada closing their boundary to all but essential travel and Trump saying he plans to assert extraordinary powers to immediately turn back to Mexico anyone who crosses over the southern border illegally.

• The White House

pressed Congress to swiftly pass a potentially $1 trillion rescue package to prop up the economy and speed relief checks to Americans in a matter of weeks.

Calling himself a “wartime president,” Trump invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950 to steer industrial output and overcome shortages of face masks, ventilators and other supplies as hospitals brace for an expected onslaught of cases.

The Korean War-era law gives the president extraordinary authority to compel industries to expand production and turn out vital materials. It was most recently used after the 2017 Puerto Rico hurricane to speed up contracts for food and other necessities.

“It’s a war,” Trump said, likening the anti-coronavirus efforts to measures taken during World War II and warning of national sacrifices ahead.

The virus has infected more than 200,000 people worldwide and killed over 8,700. The United Nations warned that the crisis could

PRESIDENT Trump lead to the loss of nearly 25 million jobs around the world.

Around the globe, officials took increasingly drastic measures to fight the epidemic and the threat of a recession, in some cases using emergency powers.

California’s governor warned that martial law could be imposed. The mayor of New York said the city’s 8.6 million residents should be prepared for a lockdown. Czech authorities used emergency powers to raid a warehouse and seize hundreds of thousands of face masks. And Hong Kong widened the use of electronic wristbands that monitor people under self-quarantine.

With a growing number of Americans thrown out of work by the near-shutdown of much of the US economy, Trump also said the Housing and Urban

Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions from public housing.

The Trump administration’s plan for issuing relief checks to Americans calls for the payment of $500 billion in two installments over the next two months.

The amounts have yet to be decided but would be based on income and family size.

Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, along with Honda and Toyota, said they will shut down all of their factories in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The closing of Detroit’s Big Three alone will idle about 150,000 workers, who are likely to receive supplemental pay in addition to unemployment benefits.

At GM’s pickup truck assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, workers have been fearful since the virus surfaced in the US, said Tommy Wolikow, who has two young daughters.

“That’s the thing that I was scared the most about, being the one to bring it home to them,” he said.

The US reported more than 7,700 coronavirus cases and at least 134 deaths, about half of them in Washington state, where dozens of residents from a suburban Seattle nursing home have died.

PAYMENTS TORONTO Associated Press

CANADIAN Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday his government is deferring tax payments until August, providing a wage subsidy for small businesses and pausing student loan payments as part of massive stimulus package to limit economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.

Trudeau said the government is focused on making sure Canadians have the money they need to support their families, buy groceries and pay the rent.

Up to $82 billion Canadian is being spent. The money is about 3% of Canada’s gross domestic product.

Trudeau said he will provide employers of small businesses with a temporary wage subsidy equal to 10% of the salary paid to employees for three months.

He said that will encourage employers to keep staff on the payroll. “No matter who you are or what you do, this is a time when you should be focused on your health and that of your neighbours,” Trudeau said.

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Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 11

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OTTAWA PLAYER IS 1ST IN NHL TO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

By STEPHEN WHYNO and JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writers THE NHL has its first known case of the new coronavirus after an Ottawa Senators player tested positive.

The team announced late Tuesday that an unidentified player had tested positive for COVID-19. The Senators said the player has mild symptoms and is in isolation, and that other players are being tested under the supervision of medical authorities.

Ottawa players, coaches and others have been advised to remain isolated, monitor their health and seek advice from team medical staff. The NHL is not mandating testing.

“The current state of medical advice is that people should likely not be tested unless they are symptomatic,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press by email Wednesday.

“That doesn’t mean that potentially exposed individuals shouldn’t take proper precautions such as adhering to self-quarantine principles as necessary and immediately reporting to medical staff should they become symptomatic.”

NHL Players’ Association spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said the union has been in contact with Senators players about the situation.

The Senators’ final three games before the season was suspended were all in California: in San Jose on March

7, Anaheim on March 10 and Los Angeles against the Kings on March 11.

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, who had four players test positive, played at Staples Center in Los Angeles the previous night, though visiting basketball and hockey teams do not use the same locker room.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman last week announced the season was on pause with the hope of resuming and still awarding the Stanley Cup. The league and players’ association provided new direction to players Monday that effectively pushed back the earliest resumption date to early May, in light of CDC guidelines.

— In Russia, Ak Bars team posted a note on the team’s Twitter account urging the Kontinental Hockey League to cancel the remainder of the playoffs without awarding the Gagarin Cup championship trophy. Ak Bars, which plays in Kazan, Russia, made the request after players and staff asked to return home to their families. The team said it had “no moral right to refuse them.” Two teams have already backed out of the playoffs, which the KHL has suspended until April 10.

— Ontario and Western Hockey leagues each announced it was ending its regular season. All 3 major junior leagues under the umbrella of Canadian Hockey League have said they’re done with the regular season but have not ruled out staging playoffs.

SPORTS

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Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 13

SECTION A

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020

Despite virus, IOC still intends to host Olympics

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

D

espite the cancellation or suspension of virtually every major sporting event across the globe as a result of the novel coronavirus, the International Olympic Committee remains steadfast on its intention to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as scheduled.

As health and safety concerns continue to arise amid the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, the IOC issued a “communique” to stakeholders and member federations yesterday to reinforce the notion that the event will continue as planned July 29 to August 4 in Tokyo, Japan.

“This is an unprecedented situation for the whole world, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this crisis. We are in solidarity with the whole of society to do everything to contain the virus. The situation around

the COVID-19 virus is also impacting the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and is changing day by day. The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage, and any speculation at this moment would be counterproductive,” the statement read, “The IOC encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as best they can.

“We will keep supporting the athletes by consulting with them and their respective NOCs, and by providing them with the latest information and developments, which are accessible for athletes worldwide on the Athlete365 website and via their respective NOCs and IFs. The IOC has confidence that the many measures being taken by many authorities around the world will help contain the situation of the COVID-19 virus.”

The day-to-day work between all organisations continues, although on a remote basis.

Also this week, the world of Athletics suffered a major setback as the Diamond League postponed its first three athletics meetings of the 2020 season due to be held in April and May in Qatar and China because of the ongoing outbreak.

All Bahamian Olympic qualifiers thus far have come from athletics: Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Steven Gardiner, Tynia Gaither, Pedrya Seymour, Jamal Wilson and Samson Colebrooke.

Qualifying competitions in other sports continue to experience suspensions and cancellations, presenting a difficulty in member federations fielding teams.

“Currently, all Olympic Movement stakeholders and the athletes face significant challenges around securing the final qualification places for the Games. In some countries, athletes are even finding it hard to continue their

regular training schedules. The IOC is reassured by the solidarity and flexibility shown by the athletes, the IFs and the NOCs, that are managing these challenges across a number of sports,” the statement read.

“To date, 57 per cent of the athletes are already qualified for the Games. For the remaining 43 per cent of places, the IOC will work with the IFs to make any necessary and practical adaptations to their respective qualification systems for Tokyo 2020” IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The health and well-being of all those involved in the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is our number-one concern. All measures are being taken to safeguard the safety and interests of athletes, coaches and support teams. We are an Olympic community, we support one another in good times and in difficult times. This Olympic solidarity defines us as a community.”

Francesco Ricci Bitti, the president of the Association of

Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), added: “I would like to thank all those involved in the organisation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and all the athletes and the international federations for their great flexibility.

“We share the same approach and the same principles as the IOC, and we are as committed as the IOC to a successful Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We will keep in touch and have further consultations with all stakeholders concerned.”

The communique came after several outspoken voices within the IOC have expressed public skepticism on the hosting of the games.

French Olympic Committee President Denis Masseglia told Reuters that if coronavirus isn’t contained by the end of May, he couldn’t see how the Olympics could happen on time.

Several prominent athletes have also joined the dissenting voice.

AN EMPTY practice field is seen at the Washington Nationals spring training baseball facility on March 16 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Networks adjusting to life without live sporting events

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer BURKE Magnus has always had a challenging job as ESPN’s head of programming, trying to juggle live events among ESPN’s various channels.

But Magnus, as well as other programming directors, is facing possibly the biggest task of his career now – how to schedule with no live sports on the horizon for the foreseeable future because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“There are so many creative things we can do, similar to some of the initiatives we’ve done in the past for special event anniversaries, ‘The Ocho’ day and more,” Magnus said in a Q&A with ESPN’s company blog. “The challenge is that now we need to replicate that dynamic 24 hours a day, seven days a week across multiple networks.

That’s what is in front of us in terms of long-range planning.”

CBS, TNT and TBS were able to quickly adjust after the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. On what would have been the tournament’s first round

today, CBS will air game shows during the afternoon and its usual prime time shows while TNT and TBS will air its usual shows as well as movies.

But for networks that solely rely on sports, the adjustments have taken more time to implement.

ESPN had already established a programming task force that was keeping track of cancellations and postponements. But last Thursday every network’s programming grid went from making slight adjustments to wholesale changes.

The timeline for the resumption of games will remain unclear while the pandemic persists. For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organisation, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with

A GENERAL view inside the Dayton Arena on Friday, March 13 in Dayton, Ohio.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster) more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

Magnus, whose official title at ESPN is executive vice president of programming acquisitions and scheduling, realises fans would love to see broadcasts of past games, but ESPN and most networks do not have those rights. For example, if ESPN wanted to show the Georgetown-Princeton game from the 1989 NCAA

Tournament, it would have to get permission from NCAA Productions.

Discussions are ongoing between the networks and leagues about freeing up the archives. MLB Network, NHL Network and NBA TV have basically gone into offseason mode with documentaries and taped games as well as shortened studio shows if any news develops. NFL Network has had free agency news as well as tapes from past games.

NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said league and event partners have been a great help.

NBC does have access to all Premier League programming and will air seven hours of top goals from 2010 through ‘17 on Saturday. They also have a library of original specials showcasing the Premier League.

NBCSN has also been trying to add a global perspective on how the

coronavirus has halted sports. It is airing six hours of Sky Sports News on weekdays.

The new Marquee Sports Network, which is a joint venture between the Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group, has an archive of over 4,000 Cubs games. On Wednesday, they started replaying almost every postseason game from their 2016 championship run. “I think any programmer, from DJs onto national networks, might be taking the ‘play the hits’ approach and we’re no different. This is kind of our Breaking Bad — the Cubs and the 2016 season. We have eons of that,” general manager Mike McCarthy said. “We have enough to get by for the time being.

And it’s a little bit, truthfully, a work in progress.”

The start of NFL free agency has provided ESPN with a steady diet of live studio and news programming. The focus in future weeks, though, will be on original shows and films.

Magnus said everyone has two goals for this period, however long it might last – being relevant and entertaining.

PAGE 14, Thursday, March 19, 2020

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TENNIS TOURS STOP UNTIL JUNE, RANKINGS FROZEN

A PEDESTRIAN walks past a large display promoting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Tokyo on March 13.

(AP Photo/Jae C Hong)

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

Doping tests around the world wind down because of virus

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Although anti-doping organisations around the world are dialing back on testing because of the coronavirus outbreak, Olympic athletes can still expect a knock on the door.

The International Olympic Committee has said it remains “fully committed” to opening the Tokyo Games on July 24.

So testers are still visiting some athletes at a time when many people are trying to avoid social contact.

“Starting immediately, testing done by USADA will be focused only upon mission-critical testing of those in sports still competing and as needed for those preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Travis Tygart, the CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, said in a video statement announcing cuts to its testing programme.

The National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany is also cutting its testing, and signalled that

calling off the Olympics would allow it to cut further.

“As the Olympic and Paralympic Games have so far not been cancelled or postponed, it is important that the athletes have a fair chance of Tokyo. This also includes the necessary doping controls and the pre-Olympic test programme,” the German agency said.

Britain and Austria’s agencies have also announced significant reductions.

The Russian anti-doping agency, known as RUSADA, said it is still running a full programme of outof-competition tests despite having its office staff work from home.

“Actually, we haven’t reduced yet, but I suppose we will have to,” RUSADA deputy CEO Margarita Pakhnotskaya told The Associated Press in a text message on Wednesday.

Various agencies have said they will respect an athlete’s wish to self-isolate but different countries require different types of proof.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults

and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organisation, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks.

Those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

Doping tests are split into two main categories. Athletes are tested at competitions, so when events are cancelled — including most remaining Olympic qualifiers — it naturally means a drop in testing. Athletes also have to give regular updates on their whereabouts to allow surprise testing out of competition, often at home or a training camp.

The slowdown at the world’s anti-doping agencies could also affect efforts to sanction athletes who test positive for banned substances.

WBA welterweight boxing champion Alexander Besputin tested positive in December after a title fight in Monaco. A second sample was due to be tested in

France on Tuesday but that was cancelled amid the virus outbreak, he told Russian state news agency Tass. Besputin, a Russian who fights out of California, denies any wrongdoing.

The World Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t have an overall policy on when agencies can wind down testing and other activities. It says it is monitoring the situation and will share information about “an absence or diminished level of testing on athletes in areas of higher risk” with bodies including the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee.

“WADA is prioritising the health and safety of its staff and doing its part to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” WADA said in an e-mailed statement.

“The Agency has put in place a number of strict protocols to protect its staff and its surrounding communities including enabling WADA staff to work from home.

“As the situation develops around the world, WADA continues to assess the situation closely and follow the advice of local and global health authorities.”

THE ATP and WTA professional tennis tours suspended all competition through at least June 7 because of the new coronavirus pandemic and froze their rankings yesterday “until further notice.”

In a rare joint statement by the men’s and women’s tours, they announced that the entire clay-court circuit “will not be held as scheduled” — a day after the start of the French Open, also played on that surface, was postponed from May to September.

The French tennis federation’s go-it-alone decision to pick new dates and reschedule the beginning of its clay-court Grand Slam tournament for one week after the end of the hardcourt U.S. Open in New York prompted some shade from the fractured sport’s other governing bodies.

“Now is not a time to act unilaterally, but in unison,” the ATP-WTA statement said. “All decisions related to the impact of the coronavirus require appropriate consultation and review with the stakeholders in the game.”

It went on to say that is “a view that is shared by” the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation and the groups that run the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open — the three non-French Grand Slam tournaments.

As of now, the next major championship on the tennis calendar is Wimbledon, which is scheduled to start in England on June 29.

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Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 15

OLYMPIC LEADERS BACK IOC’S TOKYO STANCE AFTER RARE CRITICISM

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Regional Olympic officials yesterday rallied around the IOC and backed its stance on opening the Tokyo Games as scheduled, as direct criticism from gold medallist athletes built amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Leaders of continental Olympic groups praised the IOC after a conference call to update them on coronavirus issues four months before the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 24.

“We are living through an unpredictable crisis and as such, it is important that we have one policy, expressed by the IOC, and we follow that policy in unison,” the Italy-based European Olympic Committees said.

However, when the International Olympic Committee published an interview with its president, Thomas Bach, after a separate call with athlete representatives, it prompted a four-time Olympic champion to urge postponing the games.

Bach acknowledged that many athletes were concerned about qualifying events being cancelled, but noted that there were still four months to go until the games are set to be opened.

“We will keep acting in a responsible way in the interests of the athletes,” Bach said.

British rowing great Matthew Pinsent wrote on Twitter that the comments from Bach, his former IOC colleague, were “tone deaf.”

“The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers,” Pinsent wrote.

“Keep them safe. Call it off.”

On Tuesday, one of the IOC’s 100 members had broken ranks in a rare public criticism of the body’s unwavering strategy.

“I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead, with such conviction, is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity,” said Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic hockey gold medallist from Canada.

Wickenheiser, who is training to be a doctor and was voted to the IOC by fellow athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, wrote on her Twitter account she was elected “to represent and protect athletes.”

Her concern about athletes’ troubled preparations for Tokyo — “as facilities close and qualification events are cancelled all over the world” — were echoed by 2016 Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi.

“The IOC wants us to keep risking our health, our family’s health and public health to train every day?”

Stefanidi wrote on Twitter.

“You are putting us in danger right now, today, not in 4 months.”

Neither Wickenheiser nor Stefanidi, who is a candidate for athlete elections scheduled for Tokyo, directly cited IOC president

Thomas Bach, who has urged competitors to prepare “with full steam” for the games.

Responding to the criticism, the IOC said it was “counting on the responsibility and solidarity of the athletes.”

Wickenheiser sits on the official IOC athlete panel, which is chaired by Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry.

Coventry is a member of the IOC executive board and has been a loyal Bach supporter on athletes’ rights issues.

On Tuesday, the IOC repeated its steadfast stance after a conference call with

sports governing bodies, many of which have not completed qualification events for Tokyo.

“There is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive,” the IOC said.

That message was repeated after Wednesday’s conference call by IOC executive board member Robin Mitchell, the interim leader of the group of national Olympic bodies known as ANOC. “We share the view that we must be realistic, but not panic,” Mitchell said in a statement released by the

IOC on behalf of the Oceania Olympic group.

The Rome-based European Olympic group did acknowledge the “unprecedented disruption to our daily lives caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.”

Offering unanimous support for the IOC’s efforts to resolve qualification issues, the 41-nation Pan-American group noted challenges facing potential Olympians.

“The athletes of the Americas are facing issues to complete their usual training schedules and take part in competitions,” said PanAm leader Neven Ilic, another IOC member.

Stay tuned.

PAGE 16, Thursday, March 19, 2020

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Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 17

DRUMMERS ON THE BEAT

YOUNG drummers had the chance to showcase their rhythm in the Best Junkanoo Drummer sub-genre, during the E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival New Providence Adjudications, held at the Church of God Auditorium, Joe Farrington Road. Of note, along with a number of second-generation drummers and two female drummers were two students from Treasure Cay, Abaco, who now reside in the capital. Instrumental Music Adjudicator Lou Adams commended the drummers and encouraged them to listen to other legendary Junkanoo drummers, in order to assist in their finding their own Junkanoo beat styles.

Photos: Eric Rose/BIS

PAGE 18, Thursday, March 19, 2020

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Thursday, March 19, 2020, PAGE 19

PAGE 20, Thursday, March 19, 2020

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100 new refrigerators donated to residents Over the past weeks, the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation (GBDRF), the charitable arm of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA), along with GBPA volunteers, have distributed new refrigerators to more than 100 homeowners in communities across the island - yet another step toward turning local houses into homes.

The effort is part of a wider distribution strategy organized by the GBDRF. This will, in weeks to come, see the foundation purchase and distribute other major appliances to local homeowners as well.

The refrigerator donation initiative gave priority to the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed, and households of single mothers with small children. It required residents to provide proof of severe flooding at their residence. Homeowners needed also to have completed the necessary mold remediation works and must have had city power restored to their homes.

“It was important to us that the Foundation touch residents from all over the island, from East to West. This catastrophic event had a far-reaching impact for all residents as well as our volunteers; so we wanted to ensure we responded in kind .” Said Sarah St George, Chairman of the GBDRF and GBPA. Facilitating donations in East End communities was retired educator Cecil Thompson, who also has strong familial ties to those communities. He, along with the GBDRF’s other clergy partners and area pastors, which included Bishop Godfrey

Williams from the Jubilee Cathedral, worked closely to assist residents in East Grand Bahama - the hardest-hit community on the island.

“Reaching residents in East Grand Bahama was particularly important to us, and so we enlisted the assistance of our partners in the clergy to help pinpoint exactly which residents were most in need and who met the requirements for assistance”, explained Bishop Godfrey Williams.

He continued, “so many people, from east to west are still struggling to put their lives back together in the aftermath of Dorian. “Since the very beginning, the Jubilee Cathedral family has committed to working with the GBDRF and other international and local NGOs to reach as many people as possible not just within our congregation but across the entire island.”