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Volume: 118 No.81, MARCH 22, 2021

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‘FOOD AID VITAL FOR SIX MORE MONTHS’

Network boss warns thousands still need help as cut-off nears

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Feeding Network Executive Director Phillip Smith said he hopes the government will invest another $26m in the National Food Distribution Task Force’s programme so that the initiative could be extended to the end of September.

He said this figure would allow them to serve 25,000 families — or 100,000 people — every two weeks between April 1 and September 30.

The task force, which was created by the government last June, was established to render emergency food assistance to those most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

The programme was initially set to end in August of last year but was extended several times to assist those still largely impacted by the pandemic.

The third phase of the programme, which is scheduled to end this month, was said to be the final stage of the initiative.

SEE PAGE THREE

ROYAL WINDFALL ROYAL Caribbean Cruise Lines has confirmed that the Adventure of the Seas will use Nassau as its home port - starting with sailings from June 12. It is one of two cruise lines planning to use Nassau Cruise Port as a base - bringing an unexpected $3.5m windfall. See business for the full story.

SPIT PROCESS OFFERS TESTING REVOLUTION 1,500 GIVEN VACCINE IN FIRST FEW DAYS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN ultra-rapid COVID gargle test, which eliminates the need for swabbing and lab processing, could be introduced to the public in a month’s time, according to a local medical and surgical equipment supplier.

The revolutionary gargle and spit test, which was developed by Israel’s Ministry of Defence, the Sheba Medical Centre and Virusight Diagnostics, examines a person’s saliva through a small spectrometer device to determine whether they have contracted the virus.

SEE PAGE TWO

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 1,500 people have received their first shots of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine since the country’s national vaccination programme was launched last week.

Deputy chair of the

National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee Ed Fields hailed the vaccination numbers as a great start to the rollout of the national COVID-19 campaign. He added officials are expecting a great turn out in the days ahead.

The programme launched last Wednesday.

SEE PAGE THREE

‘TOURISM WORKERS SHOULD BE PRIORITY’

By NEIL HARTNELL Dionisio D’Aguilar, Tribune Business Editor Minister of Tourism and nhartnell@tribunemedia.net Aviation, said vaccinating front-line hotel and A CABINET minister tourism industry staff yesterday backed “prior- “as quickly as possible” itising” tourism industry remains the only viable workers to receive the option for effecting a COVID-19 vaccine as rebound from the devasta“the only way” to rapidly tion inflicted on Bahamian reverse The Bahamas’ businesses and jobs. economic and fiscal crisis. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BOAT TRAGEDY CAPTAINS CHARGED

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE captains of two vessels involved in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of three people in waters off Harbour Island were charged on Friday with manslaughter by negligence.

MARVIN MINNS, left, and Renaldo Prestano outside court.

Marvin Minns Jr, 30, and Renaldo Grant, 33,

appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt after they were accused of causing the deaths of Leanna Cartwright, Candice McDonald and Jose Roberts Jr by negligence on March 14.

The men were also accused of causing grievous

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE SEVEN

INSIGHT

THE ROAD BACK HAS BEGUN - BUT A LONG WAY TO GO

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Monday, March 22, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

SPIT PROCESS OFFERS TESTING REVOLUTION

from page one

Essentially, patients rinse their mouth with a saline oral rinse solution before spitting into a small container. The SpectraLIT device is then used to shine a light on the solution and analyse the reaction to see if it is consistent with the COVID-19 virus.

According to Kerzner Health Care, the solution can update future mutations through firmware and improves artificial intelligence modules over time.

In August of last year, the COVID-19 oral rinse module underwent a clinical trial pilot that produced results of over 95 percent accuracy. Robert DupuchCarron, former deputy chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority, said he believes such technology

could provide The Bahamas with a transformational leap in testing capacity.

As a result, he said he assembled a working group who recommended the initiative be undertaken as a private sector project in consultation with the government and national lab.

The gargle and spit testing project is currently being spearheaded by Bahamas Medical & Surgical Supplies Ltd (BMSS) and Kerzner Medical Group — two organisations that have agreed to fund the costs of a beta trial.

To date, 1,000 tests have arrived in the country.

Margo Barnett, the director of BMSS, said they are currently trying to organise the validation and trial process.

She said once that is done, the facilitators will be able to have the tests and the actual devices placed

throughout the country.

“We’re in the process of validation and trial,” she said. “Because it’s artificial intelligence, we need to validate it for our population.

So that means that we have to test it on negative and positive patients to ensure the validity of the test before we put it out into the general public. And so that’s the process that we’re in now.”

Adam Darville, one of the partners of Kerzner Medical Group, also told The Tribune they plan to use 300 patients during the trial phase to calibrate the machine. He said of this number, 150 persons that participate in the trial would have had to test negative for the virus, while the other half would have had to test positive.

When asked if he could calculate how long it would take before the spit and

gargle testing would be available to the public, Mr Darville said he would estimate “a month’s time” before a mass roll out.

Mrs Barnett agreed with that estimation. Yesterday she told this newspaper that she also thought the one-month estimation was “pretty reasonable” given the circumstances.

She also said many Bahamians may prefer the gargle method of testing over the current nasal examination.

“If you’ve ever had a nasal test you would know that nobody wants to do that,” she said. “In addition to that, the fact that it’s compatible to a PCR (test) and you get the results in 30 seconds (makes) it a no brainer.

“The devices are noninvasive, it is just a gargle and spit so you put the substance into the device and

it reads whether you are positive or negative in 30 seconds. It’s a small device that can be placed in restaurants, hotels anywhere people need to validate people coming in and out and it’s cheap.”

Mr Darville said the tests would “bring a lot of peace of mind” to people as it may allow more businesses to resume operations.

“The thing about it is that it has the accuracy of a PCR test which is comforting,” he explained. “Secondly, the gargle and spit means there is nothing going up your nose, scratching your throat. It’s like gargling with Listerine, it’s very fast and it’s going to be relatively inexpensive.”

If successful, the data collected from the saliva testing will eventually be integrated into Virusight’s or the World Economic

forum ePassport App. The World Economic Forum and the Commons Project launched the CommonPass programme to “satisfy country entry requirements, while protecting health data privacy”.

The project is a global platform that allows people to document their COVID19 status as it relates to health declarations, PCR testing and vaccinations.

Last year, several international airlines including JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic began the rollout of a CommonPass pilot project to passengers from New York, Boston, London and Hong Kong. This was a part of their ongoing efforts to help build confidence in air travel and tourism; two industries that were grossly affected by the pandemic.

MINNIS: NO INTENTION OF RELAXING NEW PROVIDENCE CURFEW

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net DESPITE low new COVID-19 infections being recorded in New Providence for the past several weeks, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed on Friday that he has no intention of relaxing curfew hours for the island at this time.

He said it is not the recommendation of health officials.

“The scientists, the medical professionals, they are monitoring the situation and they will advise us of the way forward. It’s not a political decision. It’s strictly science,” he told reporters on Long Island. “(But) I am not considering extending the (curfew) not at this particular point and time and that was not the recommendation put forth, but we continue to monitor the situation and make definitive decisions as we go.”

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in Long Island on Friday.

New Providence is currently under a 10pm to 5am curfew, according to the latest Emergency Powers Order.

Many residents have been calling for an ease of the restriction given the stable COVID-19 situation.

Some observers have even pointed to Dr Minnis’ decision in February to reduce the curfew on Grand

Bahama after low COVID19 cases were being reported there at the time.

Since then, the island has seen a recent uptick in new cases, a situation health officials said they are continuing to monitor.

When pressed about the matter, Dr Minnis was adamant that he is not considering relaxing the curfew for New Providence, saying

he is guided by the advice of health professionals.

But while relaxation of curfew restrictions may not be in the pipeline for New Providence residents at the moment, Dr Minnis suggested that Bahamians can look forward to Independence Day and Junkanoo celebrations possibly being held later this year.

The cultural events did not take place in their usual fashion last year due the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Junkanoo parades being cancelled and the national independence events being celebrated virtually.

“We are coming now I could say to an end of COVID here in The Bahamas,” Dr Minnis said.

“With the progression of this post COVID era, I can most likely say that we will have independence in July this year — though modified — and for those junkanooers who are listening, we will most likely have

Junkanoo in December and start to move back to our life.”

As the country looks to move beyond the pandemic, Dr Minnis also urged people to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

He also reassured Bahamians that the vaccines are “safe” and “effective”.

He said as soon as the government procures more vaccines, officials “will come to Long Island” to administer the doses there.

Since the roll out of the country’s national vaccination campaign on Wednesday, many have questioned when residents on the Family Islands will be able to book appointments for the jab.

Asked about the matter on Friday, Dr Minnis replied: “You would realise that we got 20,000 (doses) initially. We’re aggressively pursuing both the COVAX vaccines and we’re in discussions with other entities

to determine and try to obtain as many as possible and we will segmentally roll it out but again, the whole programme is written by and put together by the vaccine committee and we’ll be driven by them so that nobody could cherry-pick to say this one or the next one.”

It is not clear how many people have been vaccinated to date, with officials remaining tight-lipped on the matter.

With vaccinations now underway, Dr Minnis was also asked about the possibility of the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Order finally coming to an end when it expires at the end of May. However, he replied: “That would be my greatest and happiest moment to release the emergency orders. I would be elated and in fact on that particular day, you would probably see me jumping and kicking my two feet together.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 22, 2021, PAGE 3

‘Food aid vital for six more months’ from page one However, Mr Smith believes the programme will be needed for “at least” another six months, as thousands of households are still grappling with economic hardships brought on by the pandemic.

Yesterday, he told The Tribune that while they remain hopeful, organisers will not know whether the government decides to extend the programme or phase it out until sometime this week.

“The monies that were provided take us to the end of this month, which is another week or so, so it is my understanding that we

will hear something this week from the government as to whether they will extend it or not,” he said.

“But from my standpoint, I think we probably need to go at least until the end of September, because I would think (we would have to reach) the end of September before we really begin to see some normalcy coming back into play.”

To date, the government has invested a total of $36 million into the food assistance programme. The task force was granted $16m for the initial roll out of the initiative and another $10m for phase two. An additional $10m was allocated for the current third phase.

Mr Smith said food

insecurity is still a real problem for many people.

“My calculation is that we will probably need $1m a week which would feed 25,000 families,” he said.

“So, we’re looking at $80 every two weeks and that includes a food parcel and then we have been giving a $20 meat voucher and then $60 in dry food. So, if you’re looking at $80 every two weeks, that’s $40 per week; $40 per week times 25,000 families gives us $1m per week. Twenty-five thousand families are 100,000 individuals. So that’s four persons on average per family, so you’re looking at 100,000 individuals which is a quarter of the population.”

The goal to assist 25,000

families is an increase from the task force’s current outreach, which is rendering aid to some 18,000 households, with an estimated 72,000 people receiving food packages or food vouchers.

Mr Smith said the task force would like to increase the number of households it helps if the programme gets a fourth phase, because several people that were removed from the list are still in dire need of assistance.

“What we found was that a number of persons that were taken off (the list) should not have been taken off,” he stated. “They were still vulnerable so one of the things we are doing is going throughout our zones,

going to the houses and registering people. That is what we’ve been doing because the way it worked before, persons were asked to register on Rapid and I think what happened was that there were persons who were intimidated or didn’t have the equipment to register.”

The criteria for assistance from the task force includes unemployment with no or low benefits, chronic illnesses, infants and young children, elderly, housebound and those impacted by natural disasters.

Mr Smith said from his observation, several of the recipients of the food assistance programme were unemployed individuals

who had “no way of providing for themselves”.

“I’m hoping that the government will provide $26m to take us to the end of September,” he insisted.

“What you find is that a lot of persons who have been taken off the list, they have been coming and sometimes it’s really tough in that we should only be servicing persons on the list because that’s all the money that would have been provided. Now we have a discretionary list, so I think probably we can service about five percent of the persons not on the list, but what we are finding is that a lot more are coming and we’re finding that there is still a very desperate need.”

1,500 GIVEN VACCINE IN FIRST FEW DAYS

from page one

“The first day (at Loyola Hall) was very strong and the two subsequent days were fully subscribed and we are seeing that new week’s appointments are being taken up,” he said.

Vaccination sites already identified in New Providence include Princess Margaret Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre – all of which are now open.

According to Mr Fields, the Gladstone Road facility has the capacity to vaccinate up to 500 people a day.

Meanwhile, at Princess Margaret Hospital, officials estimate that workers there can vaccinate a minimum of 120 workers a day.

In a statement released yesterday, committee officials said more vaccination sites are set to go live throughout the week, including the Church of God of Prophecy on East Street, the Royal Bahamas

Defence Force Base for the uniformed branches, and the Lyford Cay Hospital.

It was previously announced that only healthcare workers, residents and staff of eldercare homes and staff of the uniformed branches, etc, will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase.

However, people aged 65 and older are also now included in the first priority group and can book their vaccine appointments online.

Explaining the reason for including people aged 65 and older in the first priority group, Mr Fields said: “We wish to ensure that the appointment slots are used and as we go along, we will open up other groups if uptake allows.”

According to the committee, those who do not have internet access or electronic devices to make their appointments will also be accommodated.

“A vaccination appointment centre for residents

without access to the internet or a device will be set up at the East Street vaccination site,” the group continued.

“The East Street vaccination site on New Providence is scheduled to open on Friday, 26 March. Appointments for that site will open on Tuesday, 23 March, including online booking information.”

Mobile units are also expected to be used this week to vaccinate residents and staff of eldercare homes and the non-ambulatory in both New Providence and Grand Bahama.

Additional medical and logistical support has also been deployed to Grand Bahama to ensure a smooth vaccine rollout on the island at the Susan J Wallace Community Centre and the Rand Memorial Hospital, both of which will begin operations today.

As it relates to the rollout of vaccines on the Family Islands, Mr Fields said the situation is dependent on several factors.

FORMER Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling receives her vaccination.

“As the supply is limited, workers after a survey con- a little deeper into the posi(it will be) based on the ducted several months ago tive benefits of doing it and impact COVID is having on found that some 40 percent the research behind how the the respective islands and of healthcare workers at vaccines were made and we as supplies allow,” he said.

Princess Margaret Hospi- make ourselves available With vaccinations now tal did not want to take the to provide that additional underway in the coun- vaccine. guidance and information. try, Prime Minister Dr She said: “What we are “We’ve had a number of Hubert Minnis has said doing is having forums where sessions definitely with the the country is “turning the we can have healthcare pro- PMH grouping. Doctors corner” in the fight against viders and healthcare workers Hospital had their sessions.

COVID-19. actually ask the questions and We’re having sessions with However, there has been answer the questions. We’re the DPH (Department of much vaccine hesitancy in providing as much info to Public Health), ministry some quarters, even among them as required in order to groupings so we will have some health care workers. increase their confidence, but to continue to encourage Chief Medical Officer Dr we always continue to say our healthcare workers to Pearl McMillan recently that taking the vaccine is not take the vaccine because said officials have aggres- mandatory. the benefit to themselves as sively sought to educate “We invite healthcare well as the patient that they and better inform frontline workers in particular to dig serve.”

take the vaccine for “whatever reason”. He said in cases like these, individuals should speak with their physicians and “do the necessary research” before they make a decision.

“I think first of all they should consult their physician to ensure that it’s right for them and secondly, I believe that the public should do it because it will help us really to get the kind of immunity necessary to reopen our economy,” he said.

“We are a tourist driven economy, we had — before COVID — up to seven million people coming to our country from around the world and therefore we are the ideal open economy which makes us a candidate for contracting the COVID virus. So I think from that perspective, if we can get back to work, if we can get immunity, if we can get our economy reopened, then we’ll be back on the way for a full recovery.

“This has been a painful experience over the past 2020. Many Bahamian families are suffering not only health wise, but from the economy as well in terms of being unemployed, needing food and shelter, etc. So this is roughly the core of our community and our families both from a health and a financial perspective and I see the vaccine as a way really to (help us) beat the pandemic.”

PLP chairman Fred Mitchell took the vaccine last week.

On Sunday, March 14, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the country was “turning the corner” in the fight against COVID-19, after he and his wife took the vaccine.

Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson was the first on Grand Bahama to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine yesterday afternoon.

The jab was administered at 2pm at the Susan J Wallace Centre, which serves as a vaccination centre.

After a 15-minute observation, Mr Thompson said: “I feel very good; I am excited at being the first person to take the vaccine on GB. It really shows us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

He believes the vaccination roll-out marks a significant moment for Grand Bahama and the island’s economy.

“We have been facing this (pandemic) for about a year and this is a tremendous experience that we now can take the vaccine here on the island of GB - that really means a lot to us.

“COVID is one of those things that has been tremendously affecting our economy and this is a very significant moment for us. It really shows us that there is going to be light for us, particularly when it comes to our economy, and boosting our economy.”

Mr Thompson is encouraging everyone to take the vaccine. “I am very good, and I am encouraging everyone when it is your time to come and take this vaccine, take it not just for yourself, but take it for your family, community, and your country.”

Minister Thompson urged urging peopl eto listen to credible sources. He noted medical professionals have said it is safe. “I have taken it and I am doing fine, and I encourage those persons that when it is their time to take it as well.”

Also taking the vaccine were some health care workers, including physicians. Dr Freeman Lockhart, Medical Chief of Staff was among those receiving the jab on Sunday.

“I took the shot and to be honest it was a relief,” Dr Lockhart said. I guess leading up to it there was a little anxiety, but you know having taken shots in the past it is very similar to any shot.”

Dr Lockhart, who took the flu shot a few days ago – said it is very similar.

“I have none of the side effects, but we have to keep

in mind that anytime within the next one to three days you could feel side effects, a little pain or redness a the injection site, but as of right now I feel fine.”

Grand Bahama Parliamentarians, MP for Central Grand Bahama Iram Lewis, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, and East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest were also vaccinated.

After taking the jab, Minister Lewis did not experience any reaction or side effect. “Right now, I am feeling good, I have not experienced any soreness or side effects, he said. I want to encourage persons out there to do your research if you are uncomfortable with anything and ask questions of your doctors.”

Mr Lewis said there is lots of information online.

“There is proof, based on reports around the world, that it is working. I followed a lot of doctors today who were in front of me, and they took the shot, and if the doctors didn’t believe it was (safe), I don’t think they would have done it.

“I do believe it is positive and moving in the right direction and I want to encourage persons to be responsible and do their research. Once you feel comfortable, register online; we have to do as much as we can to see how quickly we can open up the economy, and those who are afraid at the moment they should continue to follow protocols to ensure we get a hold of this pandemic.”

Dr Frank Bartlett, chairman of the COVID-19 Task Force, at Grand Bahama Health Services, said the side effects are expected within two to four days of being vaccinated. They are soreness and redness at the injection site, headaches and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting.

While the goal over the next few days is to vaccinate health care workers, Dr Bartlett said they have

PLP LEADERSHIP TAKES OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA VACCINE

By FARRAH JOHNSON and DENISE MAYCOCK

DEPUTY Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party Chester Cooper has joined the list of officials who are among the nation’s first to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

In a Facebook post last Friday, the Exuma and Ragged Island MP said he and his wife had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination station operating out of Loyola Hall.

Mr Cooper said their doctors had assured them the vaccines were “safe and effective”. He also said he hoped the “broader rollout” of the vaccines would help the country move past the negative effects of the pandemic.

PLP Leader Philip “Brave” Davis and former Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling took the vaccine on Saturday.

Mr Cooper said he was “feeling fine” and had not experienced any side effects from the vaccination. He also commended organisers for the “smooth process” which he said would get “high marks” in his book.

“I (had) determined to do the vaccine along with my wife Cecilia for a few reasons,” he said. “First of all I wanted to do it as a point of leadership to demonstrate to my constituents and the Bahamian people that if we are going to beat the pandemic this is an important step that I believe we must take. Secondly, I did it for the protection of my family and myself recognising that this is going to be a very busy political season. So I thought it important to do it for those reasons.”

Mr Cooper said he is confident the country would be able to open its economy “even faster” if “as many Bahamians as possible” took the vaccine.

Still, he said he acknowledged that there are many people who are hesitant to

also identified members of the public who are willing to take the vaccine.

“The single most important thing we need to keep in mind is that we need to vaccinate a maximum amount to persons within a certain amount of time.

We had a reduced number of vaccines that came into the country… and in the next five days, we need to get those out to persons who are on the list. We have gathered and engaged our partners in the private sector and we have engaged with groupings and we have a listing of persons,” he said.

Dr Bartlett said information will be provided to

the public soon concerning access to online registration.

“When you register you receive a number,” he said.

Dr Bartlett noted the vaccine takes about two to three weeks to kick in.

As for fear of the vaccine, Dr Bartlett said misinformation is perpetuating fears. He noted that in the Bahamian culture we tend to believe stories out there. “We have to get as many people vaccinated, it is important,” he said.

Asked about expecting mothers, Dr Bartlett advised persons to have to speak with their physician about it first.

PAGE 4, Monday, March 22, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Passport office opened in Long Island

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis officially opened Long Island’s Passport Office during a special ceremony on Friday, saying the move is a part of his administration’s efforts to make essential services more accessible to Bahamians on the Family Islands.

Friday’s launch was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell as well as other officials.

It also came a week after a Passport Office was opened on Inagua in a similar ceremony.

Dr Minnis said the government remains committed to ensuring that all Bahamians have equal access to important governmental services and also, the further economic development of all Family Islands.

THE OPENING of the passport office in Long Island on Friday.

He said Friday’s event was a demonstration of that. He also pledged that Long Island will soon get a new “state of the art” international airport.

“We are continuing the road to modernisation and introducing the various proper infrastructure in all the Family islands,” Dr Minnis said, adding that the country has been “Nassau centric” for far too long.

“The residents of Long Island should not be unduly

disadvantaged because you live outside one of the urban centres of our country. This includes access to a broad variety of government services and that is why we are here today.

“We all know the great importance of having a passport and a means of having an identification and as a means to travel. Indeed, the passport remains one of the most important documents that is required of proof of citizenship and

personal identification.

“The opening of the Passport Office here in Clarence Town is a clear statement of the government’s policy of decentralisation of services.”

With the new satellite office, Dr Minnis said Long Islanders will now be able to enroll for new passports, renew expired passports and have biometric fingerprinting done while on the island.

Turnaround time for passport receipts will be about five to seven days, he added.

Dr Minnis also said since the launch of Exuma and Inagua’s Passport Offices, more than 200 people on those islands combined have enrolled for passports.

He noted: “Since being launched in February 2017, 138,356 Bahamians have been enrolled in the system, over 10,000 minors have been enrolled. Over 100 minors have been enrolled since the online portal

opened in December 2020.

“In the five weeks since opening the Exuma Office, more than 228 applicants have been enrolled and 88 Exumians issued with passports and, in just a week since the opening of the Inagua Passport Office, some 26 Inaguans have been enrolled.

“Meanwhile, the main Passport Office will continue to deploy its mobile team to areas that have smaller populations and are not served by local offices. Some 167 residents of Cat Island were recently enrolled via the mobile team.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield spoke of the many benefits the new Passport Office would provide to people on Long Island.

“Today, this Minnis led administration makes it much easier and much more convenient in Clarence Town and the surrounding area to get your passports,”

he said.

For his part, Mr Gibson described Friday’s opening as “a red-letter day” for Long Islanders, saying it signaled the beginning of a new era for members in the community.

He said: “Gone are the days when you would need to purchase a plane ticket to take a 50-minute flight to Nassau to apply for a passport. Gone are the days when you would have to rent, get a hotel room, rent a car or taxi or put aside monies or expenses. Gone are the days when you have to make one trip to apply for a passport.

“Soon, you will be able to obtain a new passport right here in Long island to be able to renew your passports right here in Long Island and replace your lost, stolen and missing passports right here in Long Island.”

According to officials, Eleuthera is next in line for a new satellite Passport Office.

ANOTHER TWO COVID DEATHS AND 70 NEW CASES CONFIRMED

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 8,909 after 70 new cases and two more virus-related deaths were recorded between Friday and Saturday, with Grand Bahama accounting for most new infections.

The latest deceased victims are a 44-year-old man from New Providence who died on March 15 and a 55-year-old New Providence woman who died on March 17, pushing

the country’s COVID-19 death toll to 188. Fifteen deaths still remain under investigation.

There were also 167 infections confirmed last week: 16 on Sunday, 11 on Monday, 25 on Tuesday, 20 on Wednesday, 25 on Thursday, 45 on Friday and 25 on Saturday. The week prior saw 120 new infections.

New Providence accounted for the highest number of positive cases last week at 74 — nine linked to travel — followed

by Grand Bahama at 73.

Grand Bahama has seen

a recent uptick of cases of late, with 27 new cases alone reported last Friday.

Health officials revealed initial investigations on Grand Bahama found most infections were travelrelated, specifically due to inter-island trips. None of the cases was identified as clusters or linked to the workplace, officials added.

“Three persons tested positive upon returning from Nassau after five days. One of the positive cases arrived from Abaco, became symptomatic in Freeport, and subsequently

CORALISLE GROUP PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN LIGHT OF PANDEMIC PRESSURES One development during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the growing number of people seeking help for their mental well-being. From a survey completed in 2019 versus a survey in August 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that symptoms of anxiety had tripled and symptoms of depression had quadrupled.

Mental health referrals around the world are soaring. The causes are well understood: job losses, diminished paycheques, economic displacement and lost opportunity; isolation due to lockdowns and social distancing, and the profound impact of grief for loved ones lost. Surveys and opinions in countries large and small substantiate what is now seen as an emerging mental health crisis.

Since the declaration of the pandemic one year ago, Coralisle Group Ltd (CG) has monitored its impact in every jurisdiction it operates. In November, it took action, introducing the Employee Assistance Programme as a value-added benefit to provide increased mental wellness support to eligible members with comprehensive health insurance cover.

The Employee Assistance Programme, also known as EAP, is a free, 24/7 service offering member support for any work or personal issue.

The programme is confidential, providing counselling and access to various resources to help people manage their emotional, practical and physical needs.

“Adding this programme to our members available resources was a vital step for us to take because so many people are struggling to cope with pressures from the pandemic,” CG’s Chief Operating Officer for Health Beth Frazier said. “In our daily interactions with our client base, we have seen and heard the need for additional support for mental health, financial counselling and physical wellness. It is important that we listen and respond to these needs in a way that’s easily accessible for our clients.”

CG’s EAP is available everywhere CG operates and there are no charges or co-pays for its services. However, it is the only programme of its kind available through a medical insurer in Bermuda, The Bahamas, BVI, TCI and Barbados. Confidentiality is maintained within the organizational confines of the EAP and its independent professional staff.

The EAP initiative reflects CG’s expanding commitment to the concept of wellness. Its longstanding Zest Wellness programme, for example, has brought forward a new focus on mental health through its virtual content, including webinars, podcasts and annual health conference, its meditation series with Deepak Chopra and its recently launched Mindful Leader Programme, featuring Michael Apollo, an international expert in workplace mindfulness.”

CG’s Corporate Wellness Director Jacqueline Perreault noted that ‘Mental health programmes are surpassing physical activity programmes for the first time, and requests by our members for more support in this area substantiate the trend. As a result, we will continue raising awareness and creating important new levels of support through coaching, workshops and educational content, and partnering with local and international mental health experts.’

Ms. Frazier said CG’s EAP and wellness initiatives were reflective of the company’s people-first approach to business.

“The closer we are with what’s happening in the lives of our member’s, the better we are able to support them,” she said. “It’s better for them, better for us and better for the communities we live in.”

Should any current CG medical members question their eligibility for this programme, please contact your local customer service representative for details.

tested positive. Nine of the cases tested positive after developing symptoms and being evaluated at a local hospital,” the Ministry of Health reported.

“The general public is also advised that there is no association with international travel via air or the Balearia.”

Health officials say they are also concerned about the rise in hospitalisations in Grand Bahama. There are 13 positive patients and one person under investigation for COVID-19 in hospital, officials said.

In New Providence, 13 people remain hospitalised.

The uptick in cases and hospitalisations in Grand Bahama came after curfew restrictions were relaxed there in February due to low numbers on the island.

But health officials have said the rise may be attributed

“due to the increase in attendance at events and smaller gatherings”.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan recently told reporters while health officials are closely monitoring the rise in cases, they feel confident members of the COVID-19 task force will be able to get a handle on the situation there.

“We continue to monitor the trends and any spike is concerning, small though it may be but what we would’ve done is we meet regularly in our EOC (emergency operations centre) and we discuss all that is going on in any particular island,” she said recently.

“I was pretty confident that what is happening in Grand Bahama with the team – they are actually putting measures in place to ensure that that little spike does not get out of control.”

I in Abaco, she said officials have identified “one or two of the gaps” that contributed to clusters there and feel confident the island is moving in the right direction. The island has a total count of 296 cases.

“We identified one or two of the gaps that we anticipated would’ve actually contributed in the clusters that were going on there and we definitely sought to ensure that the team n the ground would’ve shored up and we’re also looking at enhanced reporting to our healthcare facilities of all tests done on the island so, we believe that that is also moving in a positive direction,” she said.

Dr McMillan was also asked for an update on 52 COVID-19 test samples sent abroad to determine if any new strains are present in country - but those results have not arrived yet.

Public Consultation Lighthouse Point

The public is advised that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Disney Cruise Line’s project at Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera, The Bahamas, is available for review.

The development, a Cruise Ship Destination, will include an open-trestle pier and marina that don’t require dredging, open-air buildings and other structures, walking paths, a new public roadway, service roads, and back-of-house support areas. The development will utilize 16% of the 758-acre site, with Disney donating 25% of the site to the people and Government of The Bahamas. Bahamian residents and citizens will have access to the site.

A public meeting will be held on Thursday, April 8, at 6 p.m. via Zoom with the meeting ID: 979 4656 3786.

Information about the project and a downloadable version of the Environmental Impact Assessment are available at http://www.lighthousepointbahamas. com. The EIA is available to the public for review at the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection and the Eleuthera Administrator’s Office in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, during normal business hours. The public is invited to send written comments to inquiries@depp.gov.bs or via the project’s website noted above no later than 21 days after the public meeting or April 29, 2021, by 5pm.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 22, 2021, PAGE 5

National exams to start on April 13

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd announced on Friday that the country’s national exams will be held between April 13 through June 25.

He said as of March 12, there were 5,087 students registered for the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exams while 9,382 candidates were registered for the Bahamas Junior Certificate tests.

At a press conference on Friday, officials were asked how the registration numbers compare to last year and to what extent it reflects students who opted to take the exams again or for the first time.

Assistant Director of Education Evelyn Sawyer responded: “When looking at the numbers for the 2021 examination, especially for the BGCSE, the numbers are basically the same as they were last year. Now, you have to bear in mind students were given an option to write the exams and most of the candidates who registered for the exam in 2020 were 12th graders.

Some of them have already entered the job market.

Some of them have already (enrolled) in (a) tertiary institution and so it is highly unlikely that many of them are rewriting the exam this year.

“With reference to the

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd.

BJC examinations, the number is a little less than it normally is because about 85 percent of the candidates wrote the BJC last year, so the number of candidates who are re-writing would be the candidates who are senior high school (students) who need to qualify for the diploma and also I

think it was mentioned the number of children being born in The Bahamas — less and less each year — and so we see that being reflected in the number of candidates that we have registering for the examinations.”

It was initially reported that the exams may have to be delayed this year due

WATER CORP SEEKS $15M FOR ABACO

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Water and Sewerage Corporation is seeking some $15m in additional funding to complete post Hurricane Dorian repairs and critical upgrades to Abaco’s water system.

Adrian Gibson, WSC executive chairman, told reporters the utility provider has spent about $15m to date on water restoration efforts on the island.

However, he said another $15m is needed for the completion of ongoing improvement works on Abaco and added the WSC has already requested extra funding from the government.

“We have been steadily improving water supply in Abaco. Thus far, we have spent some $15m trying to execute various works,” Mr Gibson said during a recent interview.

“While we’ve also spent some $15m thus far, we are going to be in need of additional funding and we’ve requested additional funding from government whether it’s via the IDB or some other facility. We certainly need it.

“We estimate that based from our internal assessment as well as external consultation that it will cost another $15m to get the systems to where it is needs to be and that would supplement what is happening now and certainly once we bring the things that we’re doing now on stream, the water quality will improve.”

This comes amid

complaints from residents there about the island’s inconsistent water supply, with some locals lamenting interruption of water services as a daily occurrence.

To this, Mr Gibson said the corporation is doing the best it can to improve water supply and called for Abaco residents to “be a bit more” patient as the company carries out its operations on the island.

He also spoke about several challenges faced by workers in some parts of the island, citing sewer issues and leaking pipes among other problems.

“Unfortunately, because our system was so badly damaged by the storm – I’m talking leaks and broken pipes — we have multiple layers to deal with,” the WSC executive chairman stressed.

“So on one hand, you have the distribution system which is the pipe network which was severely damaged. And on the other hand, you have the storage tanks — they were compromised. What weren’t blown away entirely were damaged and leaking and then you had loss of generation and so on and so we have been gradually trying to put all of those things back in place while operating a patch work system.”

He added: “So, you could imagine trying to service these folks with leaking pipes and leaking tanks and trying to hold the water in and at the same time trying to give good service.

But, what we’re doing now though is we’re installing brand new storage

tanks — Marsh Harbour for example, a 1.5-milliongallon storage tank is being built there. That will probably be the largest on any island — certainly, triple or quadruple the previous capacity.

“The same thing is happening in Treasure Cay and Grand Cay, etc, and in relative to Green Turtle Cay, we have a situation where the underwater pipeline was possibly compromised so we’re also addressing that.

“We also have some sewer issues where we have the sewer situation in Spring city as well as Treasure Cay has been quite troubling for us…but I want to encourage Abaconians to be a little bit more patient with us. We are trying, we have teams on the ground changing out pipes and laterals to try to get the distribution network up to par and we’re installing these new systems and upgrades from the solar park or farm to storage tanks in order to serve them better.”

Asked when can Abaco residents expect to get some relief, Mr Gibson said certain projects will be completed by next month, but noted that most of the reconstruction activities should be completed within a six to 12-month period.

“You’ll see completion of certain works beginning next month and then gradually, month over month but I’ll say over the next six to twelve months, we should have pretty much a lot of the works that’s now ongoing completed,” he said.

NO PERMISSION FOR JAMBOREE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama police have said organisers of an advertised Easter weekend “jamboree” in Bimini have not been granted permission by the competent authority to hold the event.

Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said that it was brought to the attention of the Royal Bahamas Police Force that a number

of people are promoting the All Access Easter Weekend Jamboree with a slate of activities scheduled from Thursday, April 1, through Monday, April 5.

“Police are aware that flyers for the event have been disseminated, depicting boat and aircraft charter excursion schedules coming from New Providence, Grand Bahama and the United States for the event,” she said.

“Please be advised

that permission was not granted from the competent authority ie from the Prime Minister’s Office or the Commissioner of Police along with the COVID-19 regulations to host such events.

“Therefore, no such event will take place at any time in Bimini. Police will be on the alert and failure to adhere, the appropriate actions will be taken under the laws of The Bahamas,” she said.

to COVID-19, as they were last year.

However Mr Lloyd noted the country is now experiencing a more relaxed atmosphere.

COVID-19 cases have lessened and the ministry is able to transition on major islands from online instruction to blended or hybrid learning. Therefore, the ministry believes that the atmosphere is “favourable” to carrying out the 2020/2021 national

examinations.

However, Mr Lloyd said there is a possibility for disruption by the hurricane season and even a resurgence of COVID-19.

“There is still the possibility (of disruption). We live in a hurricane zone, they call it hurricane valley, there is still the possibility that there may be the disruption of the (schedule) due to hurricanes, natural disasters, or even COVID19. We are not out of the woods,” he cautioned.

“It must be noted the hurricane season is starting mid-May instead of the 1st of June as it does ordinarily and the possibility of a hurricane should not be taken lightly. Even if there is a disruption due to circumstances beyond our control there should be significant time to complete the cycle in a timely manner with the examinations being timetabled as they presently are.”

The importance of the BGCSEs was highlighted for university admission.

Mr Lloyd noted University of The Bahamas relaxed its 2020 standard admission requirements of five BGCSE passes with a ‘C’ grade in math and language arts.

However, this year, and beyond, the university has now reverted to its initial position of requiring those exam results.

Last year’s national exam results showed the number of BGCSE candidates that received at least a C grade in five or more subjects declined by 5.8 percent. The number of BJC

students receiving a grade of C or higher in five or more subjects declined by 2.7 percent.

Both exams showed a drop in students who sat the exam. It was revealed that 10,753 people sat the BJC exams, representing a 3.62 percent decrease from 2019.

Meanwhile, 6,073 candidates registered for the 2020 BGCSE exams compared with 6,454 in 2019 – representing a 5.9 percent decline.

Despite students having a turbulent year, Mr Lloyd expressed confidence by pointing to the improvements demonstrated in last year’s exam results.

“Last year was probably if not the most disruptive year in our educational system… Last year between March and the end of school our students were turned into a tailspin because of the COVID. Despite that, out of the 27 subjects that they took in the BGCSE they showed improvements in 15. Improvements over years where there was no disruption when things were normal,” he said.

“In the BJC, six subjects showed improvements.

Now (if) that isn’t a mark of confidence and achievement in our Bahamian students – I don’t know.”

Meanwhile, the minister revealed there are less than “3,000 to 4,000 students” who are still without electronic devices for online learning. Yet, he said he received news that some students who have received their devices have decided to sell them.

PAGE 6, Monday, March 22, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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Give people in need some certainty WE have written before in this column of the need to extend aid as each deadline for its cut-off has drawn near – and it is encouraging to see we are not alone in recognising the need.

Philip Smith is the executive director for the Bahamas Feeding Network.

Over the past months, his team has been on the front line, dealing with people who have nothing and giving them the food they need to survive.

There is perhaps no one in this country more closely connected to the need being experienced every day by so many Bahamians.

He has called for the National Food Distribution Task Force’s programme to be extended again – this time until September.

“The monies that were provided take us to the end of this month, which is another week or so, so it is my understanding that we will hear something this week from the government as to whether they will extend it or not,” he said, adding: “But from my standpoint, I think we probably need to go at least until the end of September, because I would think (we would have to reach) the end of September before we really begin to see some normalcy coming back into play.”

That makes a lot of sense. The key to getting back to normal is vaccinations – and while the rollout of those has started, we are a long way from getting enough vaccines in the country to vaccinate everyone. We’re starting with the healthcare workers and elderly, which will protect lives of those most at risk, but actually getting back to normal and a functioning tourism economy will need more doses. They’re not here yet – and the return of tourism in full force will come with that. Until it does, there will remain a need to help all those who make their money from tourism, directly or indirectly.

It’s not easy – the government needs to find the money from somewhere in order to keep it going, and there are precious few ways to do that with the economy as it is – as can be seen by the increased borrowing by the government.

But this is a matter quite literally of life and death. People need food in their bellies to survive, and that is what this programme – and people such as Phillip Smith and his colleagues – are achieving. They’re keeping people alive.

Pushing the date back to September lets people know they will have food next week, next month and ongoing until the country is back on its feet.

We’re not there yet, and people still need the help. Give them the certainty they need to go with it. Give them a reason to believe.

Tourism first?

Speaking of the tourism economy, there is a great deal of sense in Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar’s call for tourism industry workers to be prioritised in receiving the vaccine.

That would increase the speed with which we can reopen our hotels, resorts and attractions to tourists, which in turn would boost the economy.

It would start putting money back in the government coffers too – perhaps enough to pay for the food programme for those in need, while at the same time reducing the number of people dependent on that programme as they got back into jobs and could pay their own way.

How crucial are those vaccinations to reopening? Look no further than Royal Caribbean’s plans to resume sailings with the requirement that all crew, and all passengers, be vaccinated before embarking. That move brings the confidence of minimising the risk for those travelling.

We do not envy the task of those deciding who gets to go first, and who has to wait. Often, those who are younger and healthier and therefore at less risk of complications from COVID19 might also be the ones who are more at risk of exposure in the places they live and work. There’s no straightforward solution and no magic way to keep everyone happy – at least, not until there are enough doses for us all.

But we need to think about the approach that will best help the country as a whole, while protecting those of us who are most at risk. It’s a fine balance – but we are encouraged that there are conversations about the best way forward.

The more people who are vaccinated, the greater the protection for everyone – but choosing a way that gets the nation’s economic engine firing at full speed again will also help us all.

The rules of entry EDITOR, The Tribune.

YOUR Minister of Tourism is quoted in The Tribune as saying he is “thrilled” at cruises set to return to The Bahamas.

Not so “thrilled” will be prospective visitors when they are informed about the ongoing harsh rules of entry to your country.

How many of them will be willing to proceed with the expensive and time

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

consuming requirements just to have a holiday even if it is feasible?

Our family has been unable to visit our holiday property for over a year because of the unworkable rules.

Many people find it difficult to even find a test centre where COVID-19 PCR tests are given to healthy people.

Even if a place is found test results take at least two days after the exorbitant fees are paid.

Then your Minister has the Health Visa which is another bureaucratIc nightmare and must be scanned online.

There is no certainty when permission will be granted.

With so few flights the coordination of flights with permission is problematic.

Everyone has to be on the ground in Nassau by

the fifth day after the test!

Now your Minister has proclaimed that all cruise passengers must have a vaccination certificate as well.

There are so many other places to vacation with far fewer rules. No wonder tourism has fallen sharply.

Why bother with the hassles to visit The Bahamas?

Widespread criticism of these measures has brought no easing of the rules. Your Minister stubbornly refuses any compromise. With your economy in crisis and unemployment at record levels surely change must come soon or the tourism sector will never recover which is a frightening prospect for so many people.

MARK V JOHNSTONE Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730 USA March 20, 2021.

A former inmate speaks EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM writing publicly to thank Mr L Taylor for having the courage to share the truth about what has been going on at the prison.

I too am a former inmate that was released in February and the Bahamian people need to know that the stories about Police brutality are a joke compared to what takes place at the prison everyday.

I lived in Remand Centre, the Max and lastly Medium Security before my time expired. Yes, men in Remand are still pissing and passing faeces in buckets. There was not one properly working toilet in Remand.

Yes, the men in Max are still shitting in slop buckets everyday. And none of the broken toilets in Medium can flush on their own. The entire place is terribly over crowded as dorms that were built for 25 now house 40 men all crammed like slaves on a ship.

It hurts my heart to see and know that this is the way Bahamians treat each other when put in a position of power and authority.

We are denigrating our own people, but the Minister and visitors never saw this. Prison leadership made sure to only tour the more palatable parts of the facility.

I worked in a building called Education and it was right next to the farm.

I watched men weed and plant all day in terrible heat and not given anything in return.

I watched crops that were grown for the prison all taken home by officers.

Beets, cabbage, pumpkins, melons all taken home by officers. Not one sweet pepper or melon slice made it on an inmates plate.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Next I worked in the kitchen but quit after one week because I simply could not take the way that senior male and female officers shout and cursed at us inmate workers all day long.

Inmates who went to work at 4am until 3pm would have their food taken away and eaten by officers. It was like a constant effort to demean us.

Yes, men are still being beaten with belts and wooden bats.

I witnessed a young man in Remand centre brutally beaten by four officers to give up a cell phone.

I watched another young man beaten by two officers and sent to Max because they could smell, but not find, the weed in his cell.

Bahamian men are being looked upon and treated less than human by “Bahamian officers”. It is the prison officers who are making things worse in this country by their hostility and abusive actions.

The only advocate the inmates truly have in that place is the head Chaplin Apostle Leon Wallace. He has been doing his best to help inmates but has been obstructed and fought down by prison leadership at every turn.

It was Apostle who stopped officer from harassing inmates at 11pm at night.

It was only Apostle and his staff that inmates could go to for a blanket, towel or mattress.

I was one of the young men that Apostle Wallace worked with and was promised early release by the Minister since Christmas.

Yes, families are disappointed as not one person that was on the Chaplin’s recommended list has been released.

Men who were first time offenders and showed true reform, took classes, attended counseling, worked everyday, never been in trouble have all been pushed aside by prison leadership. And all because the leaderships’ constant disregard and opposition for anything good for inmates that Minister Dames or Apostle Wallace attempt to do.

The Bahamian people would be shocked and ashamed if they knew the level of pure disrespect prison officers and leadership have for their Minister and how poorly they treat inmates.

Yet these same people want the public to sympathise with their calls for fairness. Why don’t these officers complain when prison leadership turns away offers from private organisations to donate better food for inmates?

Why don’t they complain when prison leadership wanted to fire a former Chaplin in 2020 simply because he gave inmates a Father’s Day gift of a single toilet tissue, one soap, and toothpaste?

This is black on black hate. Bahamian on Bahamian oppression. As a former inmate my family and I wish we could vote out you prison officers.

We only want to know when will Minister Dames do what truly needs to be done. Clean up that place and help the inmates many of whom want help and deserve a second chance.

MR DAVIS Nassau, March 21, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, March 22, 2021, PAGE 7

MARVIN MINNS, left, and Renaldo Prestano outside court.

Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Boat tragedy captains charged from page one harm to Rozette Carey and Shaquelle Cash on the same day.

Prosecutors said Grant was operating a Boston Whaler seacraft without a licence at the time.

Minns Jr on the other hand, was said to have been

driving a ferry.

According to initial police reports, sometime after 9pm, the captain of a 28-ft Bertram vessel, which was being used as a ferry, said he was travelling to Man Island when he heard and felt a loud bang. Police said the man assumed his vessel had hit a rock, but later realised that it had in

fact collided with a 17-ft Boston Whaler.

“The passengers on the Boston Whaler were ejected into the water,” police reported. “Officers from the Harbour Island police station led a search and rescue party to the scene of the accident. Investigations determined that eight people were on board the

Boston Whaler and three people on the Bertram.

“The captain and passengers on the Bertram were all accounted for. The rescue team found seven people that were on board the Boston Whaler. They include: two women who were pronounced dead at the Harbour Island medical facility, two females who

were airlifted to New Providence and a male and two females (who) were treated and discharged.”

The third body was found on March 15.

During the hearing on Friday, Minns Jr and Grant were not required to enter pleas to the charges. As a result, the magistrate remanded both men to the

Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until March 24 to determine the issue of bail.

However, on Friday the attorneys representing the men filed emergency bail applications for their clients in the Supreme Court.

They will appear before the magistrate again this week.

MAN MUST PAY HIS CHILD’S MOTHER FOR INJURY MAN DENIES HARMING PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 23-YEAR-OLD man who struck his child’s mother in the face during a physical argument at his residence was on Friday ordered to compensate her for her injuries.

Godfrey Burrows was arrested after he shoved Moesha Stuart in the face causing her to bleed from the nose on March 12.

He pleaded guilty to one count of causing harm when he appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

The court heard that day that Stuart had told police that her child’s father had twice punched her in the area of her nose causing her pain and injury. After she filed her complaint, Burrows was arrested and taken to a nearby station. In an interview with police, he owned up to the allegations, but said he only hit Stuart after she had struck him with a cellphone.

During the hearing, Burrows told the magistrate the argument happened after his child’s mother came to his house to pick up their four-year-old son.

He claimed when Stuart saw his current girlfriend in his home, she started to fight him, so he “shoved her to the face” in retaliation which caused her nose to bleed.

He was subsequently ordered to compensate Stuart $350 for her injuries.

Magistrate McKinney also bound the accused over to keep the peace for one year.

He said if Burrows was convicted of a crime within that timeframe, he would be fined $500 or sentenced to three months in prison.

On Friday, Stuart and her boyfriend, Luther Russell, 21, were also charged in relation to the incident.

The prosecution said that during the argument on March 12, Stuart also assaulted Burrows. They also said Russell threatened to harm the first accused on

the day in question.

When given an opportunity to speak, Stuart said when she picked up her son from Burrows’ house that day, she tried to go upstairs to talk with his sister. She claimed Burrows had another girl in his home and he thought she was going to fight her, so he “hit her first to be spiteful.”

Russell also told the magistrate that he only “challenged” Burrows after he had learned that he had struck his girlfriend. He insisted he never threatened Burrows and said he only asked him to “come outside” after the incident because he was trying to find out why Burrows hit Stuart.

After listening to their explanations, Magistrate McKinney also ordered Stuart and Russell to keep the peace for six months. He warned them if they failed to do so, they would be fined $400 or risk spending one month behind bars.

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 40-YEAR-OLD man who denied grievously harming his pregnant girlfriend was on Friday granted bail before his trial.

Phillip Smith was accused of harming his pregnant girlfriend with an unknown object on March 15.

The prosecution alleged the accused also caused $92 worth of damage to the woman’s door on the same day.

When he appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on Friday, Smith denied the allegations.

His case was subsequently adjourned to April 9 for trial.

The accused was granted $7,000 bail until then.

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

The road back has begun but there’s a long way still to go

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

and the number of cases of blood clots reported in this group is lower than the hundreds of cases that A YEAR ago, countries would be expected among all around the world were in the general population. The lockdown as governments nature of the pandemic has scrambled to make sense of led to increased attention in their pandemic responses. individual cases and we are Our first case of COVID-19 going beyond the standard had been reported and our practices for safety moniworld was set to change in toring of licensed medicines ways we could not imagine in reporting vaccine events, when Governor General to ensure public safety.”

CA Smith signed the EmerAdditionally, following gency Powers Act, giving the European Medicines the Prime Minister indis- Agency’s review of more criminate authority to than 20 million cases, its govern the country. Clo- stamp of approval has sures of businesses sent our alleviated some fears stemunemployment through the ming from the reports of ceiling and our public debt blood clots. Subsequently, soaring due to borrowing, European countries have while talks about a future restarted their vaccinations. vaccine gave little hope Locally, the government considering the timelines has taken some great steps of a few years forecast by to inform the public about scientists. the safety of the vaccine as Meanwhile, the govern- well as showing and proving ment had to take on the by having high-profile indicolossal task of managing viduals take the vaccine for pandemic conditions with the public to see. extremely limited resources Some of those individuand a healthcare system als were the Prime Minister, already bursting at the the Governor General and seams.

Head of the COVIDWith the majority of the 19 Vaccine Consultative populace agonisingly living Committee Dr Merceline within accordance of the Dahl-Regis. More and more, emergency powers - much as seeing to our credit Bahamians - we fared ‘If we had all the we know and far better vaccine in the trust begins to than many ease our fears world, we could would have about taking get up to where anticipated. the vaccine by Certainly, we could do 2,500 being among with the defithe first recipiciencies of our a day because we ents, increased have sites already uptake may healthcare system and the identified. We become a density of popnatural conseulation in New have sites already quence which Providence, planned. We’re might mean things could even looking at great things for have been us. drive-through much worse.

The Prime And while sites. So, we’re Minister’s our economy ready to go once announcement will take some that there will time to bounce we get the supply.’ be a national back, we can Independence finally let out a sigh of relief celebration this summer, as as the first shots have now well as Junkanoo parades at been going into arms. the end of the year are posiFor a moment last week, tive signs. concerns were raised – COVID-19 then rejected – about the Vaccine Consultative ComOxford-AstraZeneca vac- mittee co-chair Ed Fields cine being linked with blood says once we have doses on clots. But the countries that the island, they are up to put vaccinations on pause the challenge of vaccinating have now resumed, cer- the population. tainly a good sign.

“If we had all the vaccine Last week, AstraZeneca in the world, we could get issued a statement. The up to where we could do company’s chief medical 2,500 a day because we have officer, Dr Ann Taylor, said: sites already identified. We “Around 17 million people have sites already planned. in the EU and UK have We’re even looking at drivenow received our vaccine, through sites. So, we’re

ready to go once we get the supply,” said Fields.

That’s definitely great to hear, but we don’t have sufficient amounts of the vaccine as yet.

On top of the 20,000 doses we have now received from India, another 33,600 is due to arrive here from the COVAX programme by the end of March and another 64,200 by the end of May. That’s probably about half the population that needs vaccinating so we’re still left needing another 120,000 first doses and then double that for second doses before we can achieve the herd immunity against the virus.

However, Janssen, the recently FDA approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which only requires a single shot, may provide a quicker success if we opt to try and obtain supplies of that.

One thing for certain is we are going to need some options as the COVAX facility only supplies countries with doses of the vaccine for 20 percent of their populations. And in the event PAHO and the WHO were operating under the knowledge that the size of our population is 300,000 people – nearly 100,000 less than our actual population size - there won’t be any additional doses coming from that avenue.

If that is the case, we

can only hope there will be another gift on the way from another country. For the first time ever, the US, under President Biden, is offering four million doses of AstraZeneca to bordering countries Canada and Mexico. Hopefully, this generosity can be extended to The Bahamas as well.

Perhaps this is a job for Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield to discuss with the new Charge d’Affaires as we work to strengthen relations with the new administration.

Given the fact the US and The Bahamas benefit greatly from each other’s visitors, it would not be a long shot for this act of diplomacy to also be extended to The Bahamas. Certainly, a case can be made as to why this makes sense for both of our countries.

All said, some promising signs exist, but we must remain vigilant to prevent a third wave which some countries are currently experiencing.

With the relaxation of certain restrictions recently announced by the Prime Minister, the Bahamian people must maintain the good practices that have allowed us to perform well against COVID-19 as we look to vaccinate our people.

Now is not the time for us to get sloppy.

GOVERNOR General CA Smith receiving his vaccination, above, and PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis receiving his on Saturday, below.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 PAGE 9

The long road to creating a billing system for hospital

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net FOR decades, thousands of people have used the Princess Margaret Hospital and other health facilities without ever being sent a bill creating the perception for many that we have a “free” public health service.

The reality is hundreds of millions of dollars which should have been charged has gone uncollected because there was no proper system in place to send bills to patients or their insurers.

Shortly after the Minnis administration took office, then-Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, sounded the alarm on how much money was owed - upwards of $650m - and warned there should be some form of payment for those who use the hospital to assist with sustaining it. At the same time, he assured the public no one would ever be denied treatment.

Following this, it was announced staff would be hired to put together a billing system but the pandemic and all the restrictions it has imposed on our lives means we are still two years away from being near to issuing demands for payment.

The Tribune reached out to Lyrone Burrows, deputy managing director at the PMH, to find out where we are at today.

“We would have commenced a programme about two years ago to increase the number of persons within our institutions who would have certified coding capabilities,” Mr Burrows explained. “That was to put us in a position to be able to pull the maximum amount of billings to be able to submit to the insurance companies locally in order for reimbursements to occur.

“While we would have started about two years ago, it was not just hiring them immediately and putting them in that position. In their first year they would have gone through training and then mock testing and then go into the actual programme to be certified, which would have occurred towards the latter end of 2019.”

Mr. Burrows said the PHA is now working with that group and is in the process of advertising for someone to head up the team. The group, he said, is tasked with getting all the necessary information from the hospital’s systems, ensuring charge memos are put into the system for the coders to be able to properly assess to get a maximum billing.

“One of the things with coding is, if you don’t have someone who is skilled they can leave a whole lot of ‘money on the table’,” he said. “So you have to have someone who is extremely skilled and you can then move from a situation

where you may be billing for $5,000 and instead the billing can move up to $15,000 or thereabouts.

“There are multiple challenges as it relates the billing process. The first thing is at this point, that entire process for charges to be submitted into our billing system is manual. So you go in and you obtain services. It’s a requirement of the physician or whoever is rendering services, to complete charge memos and those are done manually.

“Someone then has to go in and pull that information then compile them in order for a comprehensive bill to be submitted. Obviously if you are in a manual system that takes a considerable amount of time. In many instances by the time you are able to pull as much of the information together to submit a billing to the insurance company, in many instances the time period for submission is already expired.”

In its planned systematic upgrade, the PHA is set to use a fully automated system which Mr Burrows said is used in other public health institutions around the world.

“One of the things that we are attempting to facilitate is to move to a fully automated system,” he said.

“It’s automated all the way through so you come in and register and you can only get services by virtue of your name already showing up in the registration system.

“I would say the changes will be made in a two year time frame and incremental. The expectation is a two year period in terms of all of the infrastructure being fully complete. The intention is bit by bit you would improve the different systems.

“One of the challenges we have now is where persons are getting services in different areas of the hospital without going through the proper registration process. When the services are rendered electronically,

that information will automatically be sent back into our billing system.”

Asked if the start of rectifying the billing system has wrought an uptick in revenue for PMH as yet, clearly by his response, that is not in the stars as yet.

“The challenge in not being about to recoup a lot of the funds has multiple issues tied to it,” Mr Burrows said. “For instance based on the information I have for the year 2020, when you look at services rendered we had the opportunity for just under $71m of charges for processing.

However, because of various policy guidelines and restrictions a significant percentage of that cannot be billed.

“So for instance, children are unable to be billed, senior citizens are unable to be billed and civil servants and public officers are also unable to be billed based on current policy. So when you take that into consideration of that $71m it’s just a very small amount who would actually fit in the grouping for actual charges to be submitted. Just a small fraction can actually be billed.

“The other issue is the rates as we are allowed to bill for the most part are extremely low. Those have not been adjusted since I believe 1984. Many of those stipulated billing amounts are codified in the local gazette. The pricing has not changed since 1984 and back in 1984 those prices were a fraction of what the going prices were for those particular services.”

In additon to being plagued with these problems, Mr Burrows said some people have figured out ways of cheating the hospital and the system out of even more money.

“For instance a significant amount of our civil servants, in the past, were able to access services at the public hospitals for free,” he explained. “At some point in time, many of them would have actually transitioned to having medical insurance which is

paid for by the government.

“In many instances, those persons come to the public hospital and feel that they cannot be charged because they are public servants and the policy says public servants can get service free of charge. What they are doing is accessing base services at Princess Margaret Hospital or at the Rand free of charge and then they go to Doctors Hospital for other procedures and use their insurance there. So what ends up happening is the amount at the private insurer is being billed for services but at a fraction of what the true amount is.

“So in many instances the government is paying out twice. They are paying the premium to the private insurer, but those same persons get a significant amount of their service through PMH and the Rand and that service is being paid for by the government again. It’s a double edge sword that the government is being hit with in that regard.”

One of the things PHA will be pushing for, Mr. Burrows told The Tribune, is a repeal of the policy as it relates to civil servants, children and senior citizens,

forcing them, if insured, to use their insurance at PMH. “So that whether you are a civil servant, whether you are a child or whether you are a senior citizen we would like to implement if they have medical insurance they would be required to be charged and to pay,” he continued. “That alone would be able to bolster our numbers significantly.

“The other thing we would wish to do is to hopefully be able to at some point make a recommendation for the abolishment of gazetted fees and instead have our fees tied to market prices. So that whether you went to Doctors Hospital or you came to us the fee for the service, all intents and purpose, is the same.”

To those groups who, due to policy are not billed, PHA plans to charge them the full market value and then discount them to bring down their totals to what they can afford.

The big questions to Mr. Burrows was how much is owed to PMH by the Bahamian and illegal migrant population that use the facility and under the new system would they be allowed to continue to use the services while owing.

His response was surprising.

“In terms of what you previously owe, based on our policies once a one year period has lapsed those amounts are actually written off,” he said.

“So they would not show up in the system. So every year, pretty much, the cycle would start over again.

Where public systems are moving to is where you don’t have to actually make any payment at the time services are being rendered.

“That is the whole intent and purpose of the National Health Insurance initiative, which is that everyone, to some degree, contributes through a deduction from their salaries for their, quote, unquote, medical insurance premium. PMH would not be billing a customer when they walk in the door. What we would be doing is billing NHI and NHI will then pull that money out of the pool of funds that they would have collected from those persons in mass.”

In the interim, he said, PHA is moving forward with its upgrades as part of its capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year. PHA, he said, has allocations for investments in some of those systems.

“It will allow our peripheral services to be able to talk to our main billing system,” he noted.

“We are putting forward those amounts and the government will make the final determination as to whether they are in a position to fund it.

“Some of these would have also been incorporated in a loan facility that we are attempting to obtain through the World Bank to be able to increase a level of services that can be rendered at Princess Margaret Hospital. So it will not only be improving the footprint but also improving our automated system within the facility as well.”

A move to upgrade PMH’s billing system and certify its billing staff for the standards of the same, PHA is moving in the right direction in management of the 69-year-old healthcare facility.

A Private Graveside Service for

Valderine Elcenia Turnquest, 82 of Cromwell Street, Boyd Subdivision, will be held on Thursday, March 25th, 2021 at Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery, Soldier Road. Officiating will be Fr. Deangelo Bowe of Holy Spirit Anglican Church.

twenty (20) persons.

Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, attendance is limited to

Left to cherish her memories are her Three Sons: Lester (Marguerite), Stephen, and Andrew Turnquest; One Daughter: Linda Turnquest; Seven Grandchildren: Dr. Dominique, Danielle, Noelle and Roger Turnquest, Donovan and Shanairj (Gimmari) McKenzie and Shazaro Maura; Three Great Grandchildren: Noah, Micah and Shanairj Jr. (SJ); Six Sisters: Agatha Beckles, Shirley Lightbourne, Josephine McKinney, Curlene Burrows, Elizabeth Grant and Sharon Rogers; One Brother: Ramon Darling; One Aunt: Francita Cooper of Florida; Three Brothers-in-law: Roderick, Addison, and Maitland Turnquest; Four Sisters-in-law: Elsa Ritchie, Althea Turnquest, Carolyn Dean, and Linda Cartwright; Numerous cousins, nieces and nephews including: The Bowe, Bain, Cooper, Grant, Hinsey, Johnson, Love, Ritchie, and Turnquest families; Other Relatives and Friends including: Caregiver Ms. Jean Depass; Mrs. Verlimae Black and family, Holy Spirit Church Family, the Anglican Church Women of Holy Spirit, Olga Whylly, Dorothy Turnquest and family, Paula Holder, Emaline Lockhart, Sally Fernander, Charles Albury and family, and Christine Burrows.

We express our gratitude to Dr. Indira Grimes, Dr. Wesley Francis, and Dr. Margo Munroe. There are many other survivors too numerous to mention.

May Her Soul Rest in Peace!

Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street, on Wednesday, March 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Father of Racial Equality

JULY,

PAGE2019 10, MONDAY, MARCH 22nd, 2021

THE TRIBUNE THE TRIBUNE

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH Kt.,O.B.E., K.C.S.G., LL.D., D.Litt.

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The Tribune Established 1903

Being Bound To Swear To The Dogmas Of No Master

LOVE ‘OVERRULES’ U.S. INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE LAWS On the the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, we salute your greatest, most historic achievement. Despite being advised that under the U.S. Congress’ Cable Act [1922] an Interracial Marriage between a white U.S. citizen and “an alien ineligible for citizenship” ( African American, Asian, Mixed or Native Indian) would result in that person “being stripped of their nationality”, Marie Plouse of Spangler, Pennsylvania pressed ahead with her plans to marry the love of her life, Etienne Dupuch, a coloured man from New Providence, The Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands. On June 15, 1928, Marie and Etienne were joined in Holy Matrimony at St. Anslem’s Church, Bronx, NYC by Fr. Bernard Kevenhoerster, O.S.B. in what would not only be a 63 year partnership blessed with 6 children, but a catalyst for an extraordinary sequence of events - forever changing life and politics in The Bahama Islands!

“

THE JULY,TRIBUNE 2019

MONDAY, MARCH 22nd, THE 2012, TRIBUNE PAGE 11

ANOTHER 122 YEARS would pass after the abolition of slavery

before Tribune Publisher, Sir Etienne Dupuch, would rise from his seat in Parliament - DEFYING THREATS OF ARREST -to declare that the time had come in the life of The Bahama Islands when AS FIRST CLASS CITIZENS, FREE TO descendants were accepted ENTER ALL PUBLIC PLACES in the land of their birth!

“

By Eileen Dupuch-Carron, CMG, LLB IT was on a cold night of January 23, 1956 —

JANUARY

1956

some 65 years ago – that Tribune Publisher Etienne Dupuch, then a junior member for the Eastern District, stood up in the House of Assembly and defied arrest to declare that the time had come in the life and affairs of the Bahamas – still then a British colony – that the House, which represented all of the people of the Bahamas, must declare publicly whether they were one or two groups of people.

“That protest and the angry public demonstrations of support led to the collapse of racial discrimination in public places in the Bahamas,” said former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes many years later. “It was certainly one of the most important moments in Bahamian history and a turning point in our social and political development.”

House members should declare, Mr Dupuch said at the time, that “a commission of inquiry should be appointed…to investigate all matters relating to such discrimination in the Colony with power to make recommendations for elimination of this evil by legislation or otherwise.”

It was a question, he said, that had been cautiously avoided in the past and might have been avoided longer were it possible for the island to maintain a condition of isolation from the rest of the world.

Sir Hugh Springer humiliated The Hugh Springer case was very much on his mind as he spoke that night in the House of Assembly. Sir Hugh, who later became Governor General of Barbados and is listed as one of Barbados’ 10 national heroes, was with a delegation to London when their plane developed engine trouble. The delegation had to overnight in Nassau.

Members of the delegation – with the exception of Sir Hugh — were accommodated at a local hotel. Sir Hugh was told that he would have to spend the night on an airport bench because as a black man no hotel in Nassau would accept him.

Sir Hugh, who had met Sir Etienne in London, (this was before either of them had been knighted by the Queen), telephoned Sir Etienne to explain his embarrassment. Sir Etienne drove to the airport and took Sir Hugh to his home as his guest until the aircraft was ready to resume the flight the following day. The disgraceful incident was brought up in the House of Commons in London.

Sir Hugh was not the first distinguished foreigner to be humiliated in the Bahamas because of his skin colour. However, Sir Etienne was determined that he would be the last.

Moves Resolution Sir Etienne resolved to make his 1956 antidiscrimination move in the form of a Resolution, which would force the House to an immediate vote. He remembered that Bert Cambridge had moved in the House on June 18, 1951 – four years earlier–for a committee to be appointed “to consider the advisability of enacting an anti-discrimination and public embarrassment act with leave to sit during the recess.” Sir Etienne seconded Mr Cambridge’s motion.

However, the traditional opposition gave it the silent treatment and voted it down without a single comment. Sir Etienne, determined not to make the same mistake, presented his motion in the form of a Resolution. He did not ask for a committee, which would never have met. In turn, Mr Cambridge seconded Sir Etienne’s motion for a Resolution.

Those were the days when the House met at 8

Tribune Publisher, Sir Etienne Dupuch,

o’clock in the evening and the members dressed in dinner jackets. The Tribune had published Sir Etienne’s Resolution and his intention of moving it in the House that evening. And so when the House convened for the evening session, crowds encircled the building. Inside every seat in the Gallery had been taken with men and women left to stand in the vestibule, along the stairs, and in the lobby of the House’s first floor. Tension filled the air.

Mr Frank Christie quickly left his seat to confer with the Speaker. He returned to his seat and moved that Sir Etienne’s Resolution be sent to a committee.

The House was almost at the end of its session.

If the Resolution had gone to committee it would have “died” with the House, whereas a Commission of Enquiry would have continued after the House had been prorogued. Sir Etienne’s youngest brother, Eugene Dupuch (later the Hon. Eugene Dupuch, QC) voted against Mr Christie’s motion

“The manner of appointing your committee,” Sir Etienne replied.

“I refuse to sit down and I will lodge my protest,” Sir Etienne declared pounding the table.

“Then I shall have to call the constable to remove you,” the Speaker threatened.

“You can call the whole Police Force, but I shall lodge my protest,” Sir Etienne replied, pounding the table even harder.

“What do you protest?” the Speaker repeated.

“What you have done,” Sir Etienne declared, “is the worst form of discrimination, it is a disgrace to the Chair you occupy and I refuse …”

THREATENED WITH ARREST

.

After a lengthy debate, the House decided, by a vote of 11-9 to send the matter to committee.

The Speaker, took the matter out of Sir Etienne’s hands and instead of – as is the practice – appointing Sir Etienne to head the committee, he appointed Mr Christie as chairman. The intention was that the committee would die a natural death as Mr Christie would have never called a meeting.

“I protest,” said Sir Etienne, as, pushing back his chair, he quickly stood up.

“What do you protest?” asked Speaker Asa Pritchard. “You have no right to protest sit down,”

Again the Speaker threatened to call the constable to have him removed from the Chamber.

“You may call the whole Police Force, you may call the whole British Army … I will go to goal tonight, but I refuse to sit down, I am ready to resign and go back to the people.”

Although Sgt Gibson was in his usual place at the door, he was never summoned.

The crowd inside the chamber, fidgeting and uneasy, rose in loud protest. They declared that Sir Etienne would not be touched by anyone.

Someone shouted for the lights to be turned off. A quick thinking Donald McKinney, who with Dr Raymond Sawyer, were the only white members to vote with Sir Etienne, had the presence of mind to act quickly. Before anyone could flip the light switch and throw the packed room into darkness, Mr McKinney moved that the House be adjourned to the next day.

Nassau hotels open to everyone

The Speaker, Sir Etienne Dupuch, his brother Eugene Dupuch, QC & Other M.P’s [1952]

The headline in the next day’s Tribune showed that the battle had been won – the hotels had capitulated without an argument and without the order of a House Resolution. Mr Wesler Keenan, president of the Bahamas Hotel Association and Manager of the Emerald Beach Hotel, told The Tribune that key members of the hotel’s staff had been called in and informed that the Emerald Beach’s policy towards the treatment of their guests would remain the same.

The hotel’s policy, he said, has always been that everyone who came in properly dressed, and well behaved, whether local or foreign would be served and receive equal treatment.

PAGE 12 MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Time running out to stop Haiti falling deeper into the abyss AT a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on March 17, I said that “no resolution is perfect, and no resolution satisfies every country, but we cannot sacrifice achieving good on the altar of desiring perfection”.

The resolution concerned the current constitutional, political and humanitarian situation in Haiti which is very grave and shows every sign of worsening. The delegation of Antigua and Barbuda was the architect of the original resolution which sought to cause the member states of the OAS to express concern about Haiti and to offer to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between President Jovenel Moïse and all other stakeholders.

It was a matter of regret that, despite the strong statement of CARICOM Heads of Government, concerning Haiti, on February 11, CARICOM delegations at the OAS were again divided.

CARICOM Heads were clear that they wanted “all parties in Haiti to engage in meaningful dialogue in the interest of peace and stability”. The Heads also said they looked forward “to the conduct of free and fair presidential elections in accordance with the Constitution of Haiti”.

Eight CARICOM countries – Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, St KittsNevis, St Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago backed Antigua and Barbuda’s draft resolution.

In the end, through a process of two weeks of negotiations, countries with important concerns about Haiti – Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic and the United States – joined the nine Caribbean countries in settling a draft resolution that was then negotiated with the Haitian delegation.

By the nature of negotiations, concessions had to be made. Hence, it was not a perfect resolution and not every paragraph of it satisfied everyone. But it was enough to allow the Permanent Council of the OAS to adopt it by consensus.

A BOY runs out from the Nissan auto dealership set ablaze during a protest by a sector of the police force known as Fantom 509 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday, March 17. The dealership was looted and vandalised after officers stormed and set ablaze some police stations, freeing jailed comrades accused of participating in an alleged coup against embattled President Jovenel Moise last month.

Photo: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

Essentially, it offered “good offices of the OAS, under the authority of the Permanent Council, to facilitate a dialogue that would lead to free and fair elections” and asked the President of Haiti “to consider inviting the Permanent Council to do so”.

This was done against a background that since January 2020, there has been no legislature and no

government in Haiti, and President Moïse has been ruling by decree. Further, marauding gangs have been raping women, including young girls, kidnapping people (rich and poor) and demanding huge ransoms.

Violence has exploded in the country, particularly as hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting against President Moïse and deadly force has been

used against them by a police force that is allegedly highly politicised.

The UN High Commission for Human Rights has stated its “concerns about judicial independence” which it says “has further eroded the separation of powers” in Haiti.

Time is fast running out to avoid further worsening of the situation in Haiti. The OAS resolution, offering to facilitate dialogue, has come only after deep polarization and distrust in the country.

The OAS should have acted much earlier. If President Moïse does not respond positively and swiftly to the offer by the OAS, no dialogue between the stakeholders might be possible.

A stand-off between them will occur with further confrontations. Many Haitians have already stated publicly that “no dialogue is possible with Moïse”, and he has not sought a meaningful dialogue either.

Instead, he is persisting with plans to hold a referendum in June on altering the Constitution. But there has been no consultation with major Haitian players who say he has no authority to hold such a referendum.

What is clear is, in 2015, Haiti had more than 6.5 million people registered to vote. Moïse has now issued new identity cards which his OAS Ambassador says has been distributed to 4 million people. Human rights groups in Haiti dispute that figure, putting it closer to 2 million.

Either way more than 2.5 million people are currently disenfranchised. No referendum nor election held in these conditions would be credible or acceptable.

Still worse, the current Provisional Electoral Council, to manage a referendum and elections, comprises people appointed solely by Moïse and known to have close links to him. Similarly, the draft Constitution has been written by people he has hand-picked. None of this is “in accordance with the Constitution of Haiti”, and, for the opposition parties, are red rags to a bull.

On March 29, Haiti will mark the anniversary of its 1987 Constitution the very thing the President is seeking to alter. Stakeholders are pledging to put more than 2 million people on the streets in its defence on March 28 and 29.

The Charter of the OAS strictly forbids interference in the internal affairs of States.

And, while there have been various artifices by some

OAS member states to circumvent that prohibition, the majority of countries adhere to that principle generally.

Consequently, the OAS cannot insist President Moïse accepts its offer to play a good offices role. It must await an invitation from him to do so.

In this context, member states of the Organization should work behind the scenes with Moïse and other stakeholders to urge them to talk and, in so doing, to take the idea of a referendum on the Constitution off anyone’s agenda; to ensure that independent election machinery is established by agreement of all parties and that Presidential, legislative and local elections are held at the earliest possible date, and until then Presidential decrees should be suspended on anything except that on which major players decide.

While this diplomatic work takes place - and CARICOM should be a part of it - the OAS should continue to be vigilant about developments in Haiti and ready to speak out against any further deterioration in the constitutional, political and humanitarian situation.

The people of Haiti need and deserve objective and constructive support in their collective interest, and not for the benefit of any political elite.

• Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.

The views expressed are entirely his own.

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 PAGE 13

ICELANDIC VOLCANO ERUPTS - BUT AIR TRAVEL WILL NOT BE AFFECTED

A VOLCANO on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland on Saturday.

REYKJAVIK, Iceland Associated Press THE eruption of a longdormant volcano that sent streams of lava flowing across a small valley in southwestern Iceland is easing and shouldn’t interfere with air travel, the

Icelandic Meteorological Office said on Saturday.

The fissure eruption began at around 8.45pm on Friday in the Geldinga Valley, about 20 miles southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, the Met Office said. The eruption is “minor” and there were

Biden aims to stop border from swamping agenda WASHINGTON Associated Press THE Biden administration is scrambling to manage a growing humanitarian and political challenge at the US-Mexico border that threatens to overshadow its ambitious legislative agenda.

With the number of migrants surging, administration officials say Biden inherited an untenable situation that resulted from what they say was President Donald Trump’s undermining and weakening of the immigration system.

But as Congress pivots to immigration legislation, stories of unaccompanied minors and families trying to cross border have begun to dominate the headlines, distracting from the White House’s efforts to promote the recently passed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.

The White House dispatched Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to four Sunday news shows in an effort to stress that it was working to get things under control.

“Our message has been straightforward — the border is closed,” Mayorkas said. “We are expelling families. We are expelling single adults. And we’ve made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children.”

The White House has steadfastly refused to call the situation a “crisis,” leading to a Washington battle over the appropriate description of the tense situation. Career immigration officials had warned there could be a surge after the November election and the news that Trump’s hardline policies were being reversed.

In the first days of his term, Biden acted to undo some of Trump’s measures, a rollback interpreted by some as a signal to travel to the United States. While the new administration was working on immigration legislation to address longterm problems, it didn’t have an on-the-ground

plan to manage a surge of migrants.

“We have seen large numbers of migration in the past. We know how to address it. We have a plan.

We are executing on our plan and we will succeed,” Mayorkas said. But, he added, “it takes time” and is “especially challenging and difficult now” because of the Trump administration’s moves. “So we are rebuilding the system as we address the needs of vulnerable children who arrived at our borders.”

Biden officials have done away with the “kids in cages” imagery that defined the Trump family separation policy — though Trump used facilities built during the Obama administration — but have struggled with creating the needed capacity to deal with the surge.

Unaccompanied children and teenagers in Customs and Border Protection custody must be transferred to the care of Health and Human Services within three days, although the minors coming now are being held for days longer than that.

Officials are trying to build up capacity to care for some 14,000 migrants now in federal custody — and more likely on the way. Critics say the administration should have been better prepared.

“I haven’t seen a plan,” said Rep Michael McCaul, R-Texas. “They have created a humanitarian crisis down here at this border that you have seen now.

And the reason why they are coming is because he says words do matter, and they do. The messaging is that if you want to come, you can stay.”

The administration also has been pressed as to why it will not allow media to see the facilities at the border. Mayorkas said the government was “working on providing access so that individuals will be able to see what the conditions in a Border Patrol station are like.”

Photo: Icelandic Coast Guard

no signs of ash or dust that could disrupt aviation, the

agency said.

“The more we see, the

smaller this eruption gets,” geophysicist Pall Einarsson

said on Saturday after monitoring the volcano

WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED

FUND/PENSIONS OFFICER

WHO HAS A PASSION FOR THE WORK The Position We are looking to add to our talented team of professionals. Serious candidates must have a proven track record of the following characteristics: hard working, diligent, team oriented, flexible, keen eye for detail, strong sense of time management and organizational skills, confidentiality.

We Offer Our Employees • Competitive salary and employee benefits.

• A technology centered operation.

• Education and support to grow your personal wealth.

Job Duties and Responsibilities • Assist with drafting client fund structure synopsis, client presentations and client contact sheets.

• Actively work with new clients and internal stakeholders to ensure a smooth onboarding process.

• Provide operational support to the digital assets business by performing preliminary due diligence, custody and transactional support and private key storage.

• Receive, stamp and record cheques from pension and IRA clients.

• Prepare vouchers and support for deposits to be given to investments department.

• Enter incoming contributions or withdrawals into the PX 3000 system.

• Effectively monitor the receipt of all subscriptions and redemptions to include fax, post, trade platforms, processing same accurately and in a timely manner • Prepare and distribute investor contract notes.

• Maintenance of shareholder register and deal log.

• Facilitate shareholder reporting according to fund dealing policy.

• Assist with the preparation of all fund board resolutions/minutes, including meeting agendas as required.

• Assist with ongoing regulatory updates and filings.

Experience and Qualifications • Three (3) to five (5) years’ experience in a professional working environment.

• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in the financial services industry. Good working knowledge of QuickBooks.

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Accounting, Finance, or other relevant business discipline.

• Quick learner with data entry skills.

• Knowledge of accounting to understand the posting of entries.

• Completed at minimum a certificate course in bookkeeping or QuickBooks

Position • Full-time position

About Leno

Leno Financial Services is a Bahamian owned and operated business. We pride ourselves in providing our clients innovative, user-friendly, customized financial services to maximize their investment aspirations.

Our talented team of professionals work collectively to achieve our business goals. We work hard together, peppered with fun times.

We believe that every team member has a unique voice and that each voice has value. We provide the space, education, and support for team members to make a meaningful contribution and grow their careers in ways they can feel proud of.

Please send your resume and three (3) job references to strivewisegroup@gmail.com by Friday, April 2, 2021.