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VOLUME:117 No.89, MARCH 30TH, 2020
HO US E & 12 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
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• Curfew extended until at least April 8 • Two infected cases hospitalised • Designated shopper for each house • Street vendors told to stop trading • All public parks added to closed list • 75-plus should stay in their homes By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE House of Assembly will today debate a resolution to extend the country’s state of emergency and emergency orders to April 8, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said last night, as he revealed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had
surged to 14. Two of the newest cases are in Grand Bahama, while one is in New Providence. Dr Minnis also bemoaned the number of people who have been leaving their homes in spite of emergency orders restricting movement and a national 24-hour curfew. In order to limit the number of people
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ATLANTIS’ PLAN TO PAY AXED WORKERS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
ATLANTIS workers have hailed the mega resort’s plans to pay staff up to 50 percent of their base salaries for the next 60 days as a “wonderful thing” to mitigate COVID-19’s financial fall-out. Dave Beckford, a 25-year Atlantis veteran and former Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union presidential candidate, said that the assistance unveiled by the Paradise Island property was critical to enabling its 8,000 staff to ride out the virus-enforced economic shutdown. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BPL CASH CRISIS AS PAYMENTS COLLAPSE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
PLENTY of people were out walking and exercising yesterday
SEE PAGE THREE
Picture special - Page 5 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
BAHAMAS Power & Light has suffered a “frightening” multi-million dollar March revenue drop that threatens the energy provider’s very existence if it continues, a Cabinet minister has revealed. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Works, told Tribune Business that customer payments on their March electricity bills were “lower than they have ever been for the past five years” as the tourism shutdown, coupled with the COVID-19 lockdown, leaves thousands struggling to meet their obligations. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
HUSBAND’S AGONY AT WIFE’S FUNERAL DELAY By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net VINCENT Cash made the difficult decision to postpone his wife’s funeral amid restrictions put in place by the government to limit the spread of COVID-19. Prescola Cash, a 60-yearold wife and mother, was due to be buried on Saturday; the funeral has been rescheduled
PRESCOLA CASH to mid-April, when her husband hopes the restrictions will be lifted. An
emergency order issued by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis more than a week ago put limits on funerals amid the COVID crisis. Under the order, only ten members of the immediate family and at least one officiant and essential mortuary staff can attend a funeral. “The situation has me very frustrated,” said Mr Cash. “We had no other choice but to postpone SEE PAGE THREE
INSIGHT
DAVID ALLEN: THE BALANCE BETWEEN MINIMISING DEATHS AND SAVING COUNTRY
SEE PAGE SEVEN
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PAGE 2, Monday, March 30, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Kristen’s happy to be home STUDENT FLIES BACK FROM US By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN student studying in the United States said she is happy to be home after two of her flights were cancelled because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Kristen Curry, an accounting student at East Central University in Oklahoma, told The Tribune she was relieved to be back in the country after “almost not being able to come
home”. She arrived two days before the Bahamas shut its borders to incoming commercial flights. “I came on Wednesday afternoon,” she said. “At first I was trying to wait to find out whether or not I needed to get my I-20 form signed, because I wouldn’t be allowed to return to the US without a signature. “When I finally got confirmation, I made my reservations. I bought my ticket on Monday for the next day which
was Tuesday, but then on Monday evening, I got a notification that my flight was cancelled. “The airline still allowed me to rebook it, but before I could some of my family told me about the 24-hour (curfew) that the prime minister put on the country which came into effect on Tuesday morning. “But since the option was still there, I decided to rebook my ticket for Tuesday. Instead of connecting in Dallas, Texas, this flight
KRISTEN CURRY, an accounting student at East Central University in Oklahoma
connected in Miami and then from Miami to Nassau. But then that got cancelled too, so I ended up having to rebook another flight again and at that point, I didn’t see any flights for Tuesday any more.” Ms Curry said she eventually secured a United Airlines flight to the country for Wednesday afternoon. She added that she was keen on leaving America after she realised how quickly the COVID-19 crisis was escalating. “Last week, my homestay mom Kelly urged me to leave as soon as possible because the Mexican and Canadian borders were closing. “She was like I need to leave as soon as possible, because when borders start closing it’s scary. Basically, she didn’t want me to get stuck because she felt that eventually either our government or the US government would stop travel in and out of the country.” Ms Curry added that the global pandemic had incited anxiety and panic buying in the town where she was staying as well. “I remember we went to the store and they said they wouldn’t have toilet paper until a week later. Plus, you
could hardly find basic stuff like bread and vegetables. Lettuce, tomatoes, Eggo waffles – simple stuff that you think the stores would have – they didn’t have any.” When asked whether she was concerned she might have exposed herself to the virus while travelling, she added: “When I was in the airport, it really wasn’t crowded. There were not a lot of people at all and I was able to walk straight up to the counter to check my bags in because no one was there. “In the airport itself, there were not that many people and when I reached my gate, there were a few but everyone was social distancing so I wasn’t sitting directly next to anyone or even across from anyone.” Still, Ms Curry admitted that the thought of boarding the plane itself made her nervous. “When we were waiting everyone was spaced out so I felt okay. But once I got on the airplane I got a bit more conscious because it’s an enclosed place. So that’s when I put on my mask.” Ms Curry said when she arrived in Nassau she was questioned by a customs officer who asked her about her travel
history and whether she had come in contact with anyone suspected of having coronavirus. “I gave (the officer) my passport and they asked me where I came from, where I travelled to and if I had travelled to countries like Italy and China where a lot of people are infected. Then, he asked me if I was experiencing any symptoms like coughing or sneezing...I said no to all of them. “My mom had called prior to me coming to ask (officials) what they would do when I arrived and they had told her they would check my temperature and do the swabbing test on me to see if I showed any symptoms that required me to be quarantined or self-isolated.” Ms Curry said her family was relieved to know that she had managed to secure a flight home and had returned home safely. “My mom really wanted me to come home,” she said. “When I first told her that my flight got cancelled, she told me she was about to cry and she was not happy about it. “So she was pretty happy when finally I got home and I’m happy to be home rather than in Oklahoma right now.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 30, 2020, PAGE 3
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net ROYAL Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is anchored off the coast of Great Harbour Cay with 14 crew members positive for COVID-19, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar confirmed yesterday. However, the minister said the ship would not be allowed to dock at any port in the country. “RCCL has confirmed that they have a number of ships situated about 15 miles away from Coco Cay,” Mr D’Aguilar told The Tribune in a brief statement. “The ship in question has not been to Nassau in 2020 and the last day it was at Coco Cay was on February 5, 2020. Obviously,
14 infected crew aboard RCCL vessel off Coco Cay it will not be allowed to dock at any port in The Bahamas.” Coco Cay is a private island leased by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and reserved exclusively for the cruise line’s guests. Mr D’Aguilar said presently, there were five RCCL ships anchored in that area. The Oasis has not requested food or medical assistance from The Bahamas at this time, he said. According to the Miami
Herald yesterday, a crew member aboard the ship recorded the captain’s Saturday announcement of the positive COVID-19 results over the loudspeaker system. “At the moment, we have 14 that have tested positive for COVID-19 onboard the Oasis of the Seas out of all we have tested,” the captain said in the recording, the Herald reported. The ship was based at PortMiami until the industry cancelled new cruises
on March 13. Royal Caribbean said in a statement to the Herald: “The health and well-being of our crew is our foremost priority. Crew members who exhibited symptoms were evaluated by our medical staff and remain under close supervision. In accordance with our health and safety protocols, our crew have been asked to self-isolate in cabins while we await confirmation of initial
results from public health authorities.” However, in its statement the cruise line did not say anyone had tested positive. The captain, the Florida daily said, did not say when the patients had been tested. The crew member, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said some workers showed flu-like symptoms aboard the ship before the company suspended cruises on March 13.
“It’s a little scary because we didn’t know there were so many cases on the ship,” the crew member said. The ship docked at PortMiami on March 15 to let off the last of its passengers. One of those passengers said neither the company nor border patrol asked about his health nor checked for fever when he disembarked. He said his waiter in the main dining room disappeared midway through the seven-night cruise.
to financially help people affected by COVID-19, including rental assistance. “This week I will make an announcement for those who live in rental properties of a certain value who have lost jobs or income because of COVID-19,” he said. “Saving lives and protecting the health and safety of our citizens and residents is our priority. We must also meet the minimal needs of our economy.” He said the approvals process for investment projects will be accelerated to ensure people get back to work as quickly as possible. Dr Minnis also announced that public parks will be closed starting at 9am tomorrow. Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan, asked whether clusters of COVID-19 cases are forming anywhere in the country,
said officials are beginning to see such linkages. “We are still going through the data to be able to analyse it a little more, we started the (Geographic Information System) mapping… and we anticipate that in short order we will be able to say to you exactly what the decision is,” she said. “What we do know, from what we’ve plotted already, is there is community spread so it’s most important for us to actually follow what we have been asking persons to do to diminish the likelihood of persons being infected because the virus is out there and it’s widespread in our community.” She said officials have tested more than 200 people for the virus to date, with 1,700 or so PCR tests in the country.
She said the surveillance team of the Ministry of Health is monitoring the 100 or so people in self-isolation through calls. “I think it’s almost impossible to actually have patrols and we ask them to be responsible and quarantine but we do from the surveillance unit, monitor whether they are developing symptoms,” she said. Last night, the prime minister also hit out at “fake news” which has been circulating in this crisis. He referred to a widely shared vote note from a man who falsely claimed the government would announce a “country-wide 30-day shutdown” today. Dr Minnis said the commissioner of police has been asked to investigate the misinformation.
Minnis urges everyone to do more as curfew extended until April 8 from page one traversing the streets, Dr Minnis pledged yesterday that police officers will step up the enforcement of his curfew and that a food shopping schedule will be issued to limit how many people can attend grocery stores each day. The new cases include a 41-year-old woman with no history of travel and unconfirmed links to previous cases; a 44-year-old man who also has no history of travel and has unconfirmed links to previous cases; and a 67-year-old man with a history of travel and no direct links to previous cases, according to the Ministry of Health. The latter two are hospitalised in stable condition at Doctors Hospital on Blake Road. Noting the country has been doubling its cases over the last four days, Dr Minnis said: “We are at the beginning of an expected surge.” He added: “This means we must increase our efforts to restrict the spread of this virus and to save lives.” He suggested he is dissatisfied with the level of
THE PM yesterday compliance with his emergency orders. While he stressed that he wanted the restrictions to end as soon as possible, he said they must be adhered to in order to stop the spread of the virus. “Some people have very hard heads,” he said. “Well, this virus is harder and badder than even the hardest of heads in this country…There are still too many people on the road. “Individuals aged 75 and older are asked not to leave their homes. Those between the ages of 65 and 74 should work from home,” he said. “Each household should have one designated shopper. Grocery stores with the capability will be
encouraged to activate online shopping platforms to reduce the number of people having to come into their stores for food and supplies and the length of time customers have to spend in the store. “The government will introduce a food shopping schedule. Shopping days and times will be designated based on the first letter of a person’s name. More details will be released this week. “This measure is intended to reduce the number of people on the road and to reduce the number of people at grocery stores at any one time.” Pharmacies and banks will be allowed to operate from 9am to 1pm, he said. Landscaping/property maintenance businesses and janitorial services will be allowed to operate on Saturday and Sunday only, he added. Pool maintenance businesses can only operate on Friday and Saturday, while all roadside vendors, except for newspaper sellers who shall remain at one location, will be prohibited from operating. Dr Minnis also said the government will this week announce measures
Editorial View - Page 6
HUSBAND’S AGONY AT WIFE’S FUNERAL DELAY from page one
because they said only ten people can assemble for the funeral; you know I can’t let my wife go down like that. I don’t know what to say about that. So we just postponed.” Mr Cash is upset that the COVID-19 crisis has affected his grieving process. “My wife passed and I am grieving and I can’t get to bury her because of this thing,” he said. “Having a loved one pass is like an open wound and now (is time) for the healing part, but I can’t even do that because I cannot have the funeral. I have to postpone it.” Mrs Cash died of pancreatic cancer. Bethel Brothers Morticians is handling her remains. The COVID-19 restrictions have been extended until April 8, however Attorney General Carl Bethel has said Parliament
PRESCOLA Cash at work
may authorise a 30-day extension to the emergency orders on the advice of medical experts. Mr Cash has postponed his wife’s funeral to April 11. Asked what he will do if the restrictions remain in place at that time, he said it is up in the air. “We have postponed the funeral until April 11. As that date approaches, we will see what the government is saying about this curfew and we will take it from there with the funeral home. If they still have the curfew in place with the ten people only business, well we will have to see what to do because I cannot do that to my honey. Ten people only cannot come to that funeral. “We made the decision to postpone because I want our family and friends to be there at the funeral. My wife was my queen and I cannot have only ten people come
to her funeral. That cannot happen so we decided to postpone until April 11. She was well loved. Ten people only account for a couple of my brothers. That doesn’t even begin to count for her family. We are only hoping and praying that by April 11 this curfew will be done.” Mr Cash became emotional while talking to The Tribune, emphasising how hard this whole ordeal has been for him and his family.
“I want you to believe this is taking a toll on me,” he said pausing to compose himself. “This is someone I love and I am not talking about no fake love either. I really loved her, so this is hard. “We were prepared for this week, Saturday, but now we have to wait and possibly have to change another date again. It’s a lot of frustration. I am going through a lot emotionally. My wife has passed and I cannot bury her. That’s a lot.”
PAGE 4, Monday, March 30, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
600 BEING TRACKED FOR SIGNS OF COVID-19
109 PEOPLE LIVING IN CHURCH ARRESTED
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
A TOTAL of 600 people in The Bahamas are being tracked through contact tracing for possible signs or symptoms of COVID-19, a new regional report has said. While The Bahamas has only 14 reported cases of the virus to date, a Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency situation report released on Friday said there are 761 cases confirmed in 29 countries in the Caribbean region. The report was disseminated by the government and said “600 contacts being tracked”. A government spokesperson upon inquiry from The Tribune explained that the information came out of the Ministry of Health’s Surveillance Unit. However, a top Ministry of Health official said it was unsure of the source of the information. With its confirmed cases, The Bahamas has the fourth highest number of COVID-19 confirmations in the region. Trinidad and Tobago had 65, Jamaica had 26, and Barbados had 24, up to press time. The Cayman Islands also has eight confirmed cases. The report was released the same day Prime
Minister Dr Hubert Minnis suggested that more restrictions to movement under the emergency powers order could be coming. His remarks came during a meeting at the Ministry of Health with officials to thank them for efforts in the fight against COVID-19. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands and Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan were in attendance. In that meeting, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, health consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, said officials were hoping for less movement in the country.
“Prime Minister, Minister Sands and everyone, if we could only get fewer people moving around, that is the issue,” she said. Responding, Dr Minnis said: “Well you would have that very soon. I am certain that they are waiting for what I am going to say on Monday, be it in Parliament or national address, but I would address that nationally because under no circumstances will we place the nation at risk. “What needs to be done will be done and one thing the Bahamian public has to appreciate is the decisions the government makes, the decisions I make are based on
accuracy and analysis. It’s not based on emotion, not based on how I feel, not based on politics. It’s strictly data and accuracy.” Dr Minnis also assured officials that government would provide whatever resources officials needed to carry out their work. Dr Dahl-Regis said that it was the position of officials that it was not time to open up the country for full business. “No, I appreciate that. I appreciate the advice I had received from you all this morning with respect to planes travelling from one country to another and wanting to land here. I think the entire Bahamas
has to understand that when I make those decisions – planes not being able to land here – it’s not my decision, that decision is based on the facts y’all provide and the possible outcome so those decisions are based strictly on information gathering and the data that you have collected and what’s the possible scenario if such facility were to be able to land on our shores,” Dr Minnis added. The prime minister expressed optimism that the country would successfully fight against COVID-19 and have the same results as it seeks to rebound economically.
MORE than 100 people were arrested for illegally residing at a church in Marsh Harbour, Abaco early on Saturday morning. Immigration Director Clarence Russell said 109 area residents moved into the A&B Church on Crocket Drive over the past several months without the permission of land owners and the church’s trustees, according to a local daily. When contacted yesterday, Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson refused to comment on the situation, saying he was not obligated to give details to The Tribune about what transpired. However, Mr Russell told a local daily that after the pastor of the church died following Hurricane Dorian, the group consisting of mostly foreign nationals took over the church property, turned it into a residence and began selling goods from the building. Trustees of the church complained to police and asked for the people to be removed. Seven women and 102 men were taken into custody. Of this number, 35 people were found to be illegally residing in The Bahamas and will all be prosecuted, Mr Russell has said. Three Bahamians among the group were released with a “stern warning,” he added.
Henfield defends decision to close country’s borders By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FOREIGN Affairs Minister Darren Henfield has defended the government’s decision to close the country’s borders to all incoming commercial travellers, including Bahamians,
saying the move was a bid to prevent a rise in COVID19 cases as has been seen in other countries. Yesterday, the minister said while the decision has left Bahamians stranded in other parts of the world, the Minnis administration had to consider the best interests of the country and
its citizens who remain at home. He said no decision has been made yet on how long the border closure would last. The government on Friday decided to close the country’s borders for all incoming people, including Bahamian citizens.
An advisory posted on Lynden Pindling International Airport’s website read: “Please be advised that the Nassau airport is closed to all incoming commercial passengers. The airport remains open to international outbound commercial passenger flights…”
Officials have said the decision was based on a surge of cases around the world, particularly in the Unites States where there are now more than 124,000 cases and over 2,100 deaths. Up to press time there were 14 confirmed COVID19 cases in the Bahamas. “The government acted as judiciously as possible to protect the interests of Bahamians and this country,” Mr Henfield told The Tribune yesterday. “The government of The Bahamas will do all within its power to protect the interest of Bahamians and the livelihood and the welfare of Bahamians wherever they are, particularly in The Bahamas. “So it is very unfortunate Bahamians are outside of the country, but given instructions from civil aviation there will be no inbound traffic of passengers to The Bahamas. We do not wish to see an increase of COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas as we have observed all over the world and so we are trying to flatten the curve. “So if that means that some of us have to stay outside for the moment until we can get them home, that’s what it means to protect the interest of Bahamians.” He continued: “We felt that we had to secure the borders of The Bahamas from the possibility of introducing any eventuality in The Bahamas outside of what we have already seen
MINISTER Darren Henfield here to secure Bahamians. That is what we did. It didn’t matter what country it was, the prime minister acted as a doctor and as a prime minister we believe in the best interest of the Bahamian people.” Asked to reveal when the borders would reopen, the minister said officials could only pray it ends very quickly. “We understand the dynamics are changing daily and we also appreciate that this puts our country in a particular way as this is a tourist destination, but you know we have come from a fishing village into a metropolis in not too many years. I think we will be okay if we come together. “I have a six-year-old granddaughter whom I am trying to protect. I am sure there are many others in my position. We have to do everything we can to protect.” The minister advised Bahamians stranded anywhere in the world to contact the nearest mission or honorary consul to register and keep abreast of changes.
DEADLINE FOR LUNCH VOUCHERS THE Ministry of Education advises all parents and guardians who did not collect lunch vouchers from public schools on Wednesday that they should now collect them on either today or tomorrow. Collection will take place from 9am to 3pm in the parking lot at the rear of the Ministry of Education building on University Drive. In Grand Bahama, parents and guardians are
advised that distribution of vouchers will continue at the respective schools by security officers today and tomorrow March from 9am to 3pm. Parents/ guardians should produce a government issued photo identification as proof of identity. Additional announcements regarding distribution of lunch vouchers will be made should the need arise.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 30, 2020, PAGE 5
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
DAVIS CALLS FOR REIMBURSEMENT PLAN FOR HOTELS By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday called on the government to implement a reimbursement plan for hotels so they can continue to pay workers amid the COVID-19 crisis. He also urged the government to allow the liquor stores to resume operations and called on the Minnis administration to allow Bahamians who may be stuck overseas to return home. During a virtual press conference, Mr Davis shared a number of
recommendations the PLP believes would help bring economic relief to citizens during the pandemic. “As the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis intensifies, we will continue to call for economic relief for the most vulnerable and marginalised among us who continue to be hardest hit by this crisis,” he said. “I suggested to the prime minister to negotiate a reimbursement plan for the payment of salaries by hotel employers to their displaced workers to avoid interruption with their salaries. Some of the qualifying conditions for NIB benefits should be
revisited as workers in the retail sectors continue to complain about access and eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. “The economic relief package to small and medium sized businesses should also be revisited to include public grants to stave off any further stalling of the economy,” he added. “The spirits industry should be allowed to operate in the manner as food stores and take away restaurants. This will save the jobs of many who have been laid off, while easing the added pressure on law enforcement
officers to police these establishments.” Mr Davis insisted that the party’s number one concern was the poor and said that additional measures must be taken to address the “social needs” of citizens in the crisis as it relates to “food, income protection, mortgage and debt relief and rental support.” “The opposition also takes the position it should have access to the medical expert advice that the Cabinet is privy to - the advice that is informing the government’s policy on the COVID-19 crisis,” he said. “As a matter of fact,
all branches of government should be briefed by the government’s medical experts.” As it relates to the country’s latest travel restrictions, Mr Davis said that Bahamians abroad should be allowed to return home, even if they are required to enter selfquarantine for a “period of time” upon their arrival. On Friday, the government closed its borders to incoming commercial flights, leaving some Bahamians overseas in limbo. “I sent a note to the prime minister and the attorney
general yesterday in connection to that...if other countries can come in and pick up their nationals why can’t we allow our nationals just to come home? “If these persons are in what I call the non-infected areas…I think our responsibility is to our citizens and we have the duty to protect our citizens wherever they are and to come to their aid whenever they are in distress or in need. And in this instance where we have this global crisis, every country is looking out for their citizens wherever they are and we have to do the same here.”
GROUP OF STUDENTS RETURN HOME SAFELY By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIANS stretching their legs and enjoying some recreational activites yesterday during the COVID-19 lockdown. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
NIB has $1.7bn in reserve for claims By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net
THE National Insurance Board has about $1.7bn in its reserves to satisfy claims, NIB Dr Nicola Virgil-Rolle announced on Friday. Dr Virgil-Rolle, speaking on the Darold Miller Live show, said the government has given $10m to NIB for unemployment assistance to self-employed people from the tourism sector who are without work due to COVID-19. “We are looking at a total allocation of between $6m and $10m,” she said on Friday. “We know that we have about 3,000 self-employed persons in the tourism sector. This includes your hair braiders, your straw vendors,
conch vendors, persons who sell towels and t-shirts and things like that on the beaches, jet-ski operators. All self-employed people from the tourist sector will be covered. “When we look at the Inland Revenue statistics, there were about 3,000 or so persons who are sole operators – self-employed. They are not entrepreneurs in the tourism sector who employ people. There is another provision for those people. So for the self-employed people of the tourism sector we are providing them, through the government subsidy, with $200 per week for up to eight weeks that they are unemployed.” Dr Virgil-Rolle said the $200 a week unemployed assistance will be paid out every two weeks to those
who qualify. She said there are assistance programmes on the way for entrepreneurs of the tourism sector at the Small Business Development Centre. The government is working in collaboration with NIB to bring some form of financial relief to selfemployed Bahamians in the tourism sector whose employment has been disrupted by COVID-19. This form of assistance, although handled by NIB, is not an actual NIB benefit package. It is not an earned entitlement, it does not require the satisfying of NIB contribution conditions and it does not require the involvement of the Department of Labour. Self-employed Bahamians working directly in the tourism industry who are not employed in any other
capacity and without any other streams of income from employment can qualify. To claim assistance, people must prove that they are self-employed in the tourism sector by presenting at least one supporting document, such as a business licence; letter from a hotel allowing you to work from their property; relevant association membership letter; Straw Market permit; business receipts which show purchases related to your business; or any other documentation which can show that you work in the tourism sector as a selfemployed person. Dr Virgil-Rolle said selfemployed people do not pay the same rate as regular NIB contributors and are not covered for the regular
unemployment benefit programme. She added: “I think the issue around selfemployment in the normal scheme of things comes from determining when the self-employed person is unemployed. This is an extraordinary event. There is no market for many things so it is very clear that there is no employment. We have created a special website, linked to NIB’s website and you can go right into the form, fill in the fields correctly and press submit. It tells you the documents you need and it comes directly to us. I have challenged my team for us to work expeditiously on this. We have said within ten days to process and I’ve challenged them to beat that expectation.”
A GROUP of Bahamian students studying in Barbados were able to board a Bahamasair flight on Friday to return home. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Sharon BrennenHaylock said they had been trying to figure out a way to bring those students back into the country. “We were very fortunate that there was an opportunity,” she said on Friday. “Bahamasair had to fly somewhere else and we seized that opportunity to liaise with the countries in the Caribbean – I think Barbados and St Lucia.” The airline’s chairman, Tommy Turnquest, estimated about 14 students were on board. He explained the group took a chartered flight from Barbados to St Lucia. One student told The Tribune he took a bus to Hewanorra Airport in Saint Lucia to catch the flight. Elmira Percentie-Hunter’s son was on board that flight. “The student guild (I think president) was liaising with our officials here in Nassau. He said that a Bahamasair jet was to collect all 17 of them from St Lucia,” she said. She said when Barbados got its first COVID-19 case, it was not alarming at the time. Her son along with the students were awaiting word from their university as to how exams were to be taken and were thinking about the return time. On March 21, the government chartered a plane to Jamaica for 61 Bahamian students studying in the region. According to Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd, students in Barbados were told to go to Jamaica to get on that plane. Yet, Mrs PercentieHunter explained there was some confusion that prevented students from leaving. “The mix-up on the flight that was sent to Jamaica to pick up students were not clear to them,” she said. “I am so happy and excited to see my son. I haven’t seen him from last August when he left to do a semester at McGill University in Canada. He stayed through the Christmas holidays and went back to Barbados from there in mid-January,” she added.
HARVARD QUIETLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT VACCINE WORK AS THE COVID-19 pandemic continues, the search for an effective vaccine is gathering pace around the world. The Harvard Medical School in the US has reported on two related drugs around which there is much discussion - and some optimism. The drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — have been available for decades to treat other illnesses might also be effective in treating COVID-19. HMS reported: “The drugs are primarily used to treat malaria and several inflammatory diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and rheumatoid arthritis. No drug is perfectly safe, but these drugs are quite safe when used for just the
several days they might be needed to treat COVID-19. They are also cheap, already available at our local drug stores, and relatively free of side effects. “The question, of course, is whether they are effective against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Are they effective in killing the virus in a laboratory dish? And are they effective in killing the virus in people? If the answer to the first question is “no,” there’s no point in getting an answer to the second question. “There is strong evidence that both drugs kill the COVID-19 virus in the laboratory dish. The drugs appear to work through two mechanisms. First, they make it harder for the virus to attach itself
to the cell, inhibiting the virus from entering the cell and multiplying within it. Second, if the virus does manage to get inside the cell, the drugs kill it before it can multiply. “But do the drugs work in people with COVID-19? Many studies are underway to get an answer to this question, but as of March 24, 2020, only two have issued preliminary results. “One report, published in February 2020, claimed that chloroquine had been used in more than 100 patients in China who had COVID-19. The scientists stated that their results demonstrated that chloroquine is superior to the control treatment in inhibiting the worsening of pneumonia, improving lung
imaging findings, eliminating the virus from the body, and shortening the duration of the disease. “These claims are exciting. However, the report provided virtually no evidence in support of the claims. First of all, this was not a randomized, double-blind controlled trial, the gold standard for research studies. Second, no evidence was presented as to how severe the pneumonia was, nor whether findings on lung x-rays or CT scans really improved. Third, although they claim the drug made the virus disappear, they didn’t report what the levels of the virus were before versus after the treatment. In short, not much evidence. “Another small study was conducted by a group of scientists in
southern France, a region hard hit by COVID-19. This, also, was not a randomized trial. Instead, the scientists compared 26 patients who received hydroxychloroquine to 16 who did not: after six days, the virus was gone from the body in 70% of those given the treatment, compared with only 12.5 percent of those who weren’t. The drug appeared to be as effective in the sickest patients as in the least sick, but the study was too small to be sure about that. The study also was too small to say that people who received the treatment were protected against a prolonged illness or death. “There are many studies underway, and we should have more solid answers within a few months.”
PAGE 6, Monday, March 30, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
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Get off the roads and stay at home STILL too many people on the road – that’s the key point to be drawn from the latest tightening of regulations to curtail movement. A food shopping schedule – you shop on the day allocated according to the first letter of your surname – will be the latest adjustment to life in The Bahamas under coronavirus. Police will step up enforcement of the current curfew too. Public parks will be closed. Is the message hitting home yet? As Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday, “This virus is harder than even the hardest of heads in this country… there are still too many people on the road.” More measures announced yesterday are voluntary – asking those aged 75 and older not to leave their homes at all, and urging those between the ages of 65 and 74 to work from home. Each household is urged to have one designated shopper. These may be advisory – but for goodness sake treat them as if they’re the law. That’s how we beat this, by doing everything we can to stop contact between people. The virus can only spread if people carry it to one another. Stop that, and we stop the virus.
The surge in cases has begun – we were up to 14 last night, a doubling in the number of cases in just four days. We must be under no illusions that it can’t double again. Or again. If somehow you haven’t heard the message before, it’s this: Stay home. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Keep the door closed. Sit this one out. At the same time, the government is playing its part in trying to help people financially affected by the virus. Measures on rent support are coming. Other measures are being discussed in the Ministry of Finance. Dr Minnis called for people to be part of a “citizen’s army”, doing what is necessary to fight this virus. If this is a war, it’s one you can win from your home. Past generations have had to go to war with a gun in their hand, uncertain if they would ever come back home. This battle we fight with our family by our side and the only weapon we need is the door we close between ourselves and the outside world and a good habit of washing our hands. It’s not much to ask – so enlist in the fight, and keep your friends and family on the side that’s right.
BPL in a precarious position PERHAPS one of the most predictable problems we would face with this coronavirus outbreak is one that haunted us in a different way last summer – Bahamas Power & Light. BPL faces a different dilemma this time. It’s not a power shortage, it’s a money shortage. The power provider has struggled with its debts for a long time and now the bond refinancing that was to help it restructure those debts is not looking likely any time soon. Instead, BPL is left with a sudden glut of customers who have lost their jobs in the tourism shutdown and are going to struggle to pay their electric bill. Minister of Works Desmond Bannister revealed this month’s collections were
the lowest in five years. BPL still has to keep pumping out the power so its costs remain high. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that with costs running the same and income dropping that BPL has a problem. There are talks afoot to try to take advantage of the reduced price of oil on the market at present, but that’s not straightforward either. Customers who can pay should pay – that’ll help BPL in this moment – but whether that will be enough in this unprecedented time is a question that does not have an answer yet. But if you can reach into your pocket and pay what you owe? Now’s the time to settle up.
We need a multi-step approach EDITOR, The Tribune IN order to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), a multi-step plan should be enacted. As some people can have the virus but have no symptoms, the virus will continue to spread and it will be extremely difficult to solve this problem. It also leads to other serious problems such as the current economic fiasco that we are facing, erosion of freedom, and probably civil unrest, etc. A quick, accurate test for the coronavirus is
critical. It should be available for everyone. It should be done by qualified individuals who know how to administer the test and read the results. A copy of the results should be given to each person. Those who have the virus should be treated and allowed to self-quarantine until they no longer carry the virus. People who are not infected and are at a low risk of being infected should take precautions and be allowed to work. Reports indicate that the coronavirus has mutated. So this factor
should also be taken into consideration. It seems that the virus either originated from the market in Wuhan or the Chinese lab near the market. (I think there are two labs that work with extremely dangerous viruses that are close to the market). If we do not address the source of the problem we will continue to have the same problem occur over and over again. CONCERNED Nassau, March 29, 2010
This is a time to try men’s souls EDITOR, The Tribune
THE advent of the deadly and highly contagious Corona Virus a/k/a ‘COVID-19’ has upended everything and everyone’s plans for the present and for the future worldwide. Here at home we are between a rock and a very hard place. This is the so-called flu season and when compounded with the known symptoms of COVID-19 the average Bahamian may well be confused and perplexed beyond measure. What exactly is Corona virus and where did it, in fact come from? What are the recommended ‘cures’ besides isolation and medical treatment in severe cases? Has/is the administration doing a good job at educating our people and providing them with the tools to combat this epidemic? Is social distancing really working locally and are people adhering to the same religiously? Why is there numerous cases of panic buying and long lines at food stores with few, if any, police and Defence Force officers in sight? The nation is in lockdown except for urgent and necessary matters. It has been speculated that this lock down may well be extended by another few weeks. One is able to understand the rational behind this but is this a guarantee that all future cases of potential COVID-19 will be eliminated or reduced to the irreducible minimum? No one in authority is saying anything about this. When will it be safe to declare the “all clear” for the average Bahamian? How long will this situation exist based on scientific models? The above are just a few of the questions that many are asking and seeking sensible answers to. The uncertainty is probably causing more anxiety that the possibility of one contracting the virus. It has been suggested that
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net COVID-19 is akin to influenza or the common cold from which tens of thousands of persons, worldwide, die each year during the flu season. While the common flu is also contagious it does not appear to be as deadly as the corona. Another vexing issue is that of personal finance. It is commonly recommended that a working individual should ideally have about three (3) months worth of potential income and/or savings to tide one and his/her family over during national and personal emergencies. The Bahamas has been in the economic dog house for a number of years. We have long pretended that we are a first world nation and spent lavishly on all sorts of totally unnecessary items and fetishes. The proverbial chicken has now come home to roost. Acknowledging that the majority of Bahamians are not economically braced for the long term effects of the Coronavirus debacle what while the government, as a last resort, be doing to alleviate the looming economic hardship that may well decimate tens of thousands of the unwashed masses? The politicians and their allies will be fine, I suppose, but the casual workers or those who would have had no employment prior to the arrival of this debilitating virus are set to catch economic and mental hell in short order. What will be done by the individual churches where congregants would have been tithing and storing up in the store house for these many years? I would encourage each individual church where possible reach out to its membership and offer each a B$100 food
and a B$25.00 gas voucher on a one time or perhaps monthly basis depending on the length and severity of COVID-19. Now is the time for the churches to demonstrate Christian charity and Agape love. I have no doubts that the pastors and first ladies are straight. A wonderful book was written by the late Frantz Fanon which chronicled the emergence of the Pan African movement and the throwing off the shackles of colonialism. The Coronavirus will usher in a new age of colonialism in that all nations are now going to become dependent on each other. The world’s economies have gone South and will not be coming back North anytime soon. Survival of the fittest will become the normal if it was not before. The uncertainty is going to inflict more damage than any other factor. I am looking forward to a comprehensive and sensible economic stimulus package by the administration. In the same vein , I would fully expect the PLP and its leadership to come up with viable alternatives. It is no use simply saying that Minnis and crew may be short on solutions, long and short term, if you yourself have so little or nothing to ensure that we all emerge from this hot mess in one piece. Charles Dickens, an English author, said it well centuries ago that: “These are the times that try men’s souls....” I am more than persuaded that if one has not yet found and embraced spiritualism he/ sh will more than likely do so now. It is my proposition that focused prayers to The Lord God will avail us well and even beyond measure. To God then, in all of these vexing things, be the glory. ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR. Nassau, March 29, 2020
PAGE 8 MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2020
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
This is only the start - for God’s sake do as you’re told and stay indoors by Malcolm Strachan SINCE the country’s first case of Covid-19 was announced, while the government has done its part in implementing strict legislation to regulate the movement of people, the same can’t be said for many Bahamian citizens. It would seem as though our reaction to impending hurricanes – stocking up on everything we think we need - has given us a similar reflex response to Covid-19, which is a completely different animal. We’ve all seen it this past week, even after the 24-hour lockdown was instituted. When given the opportunity, the panic buying continued. Rather than taking appropriate measures as advised by experts, Bahamians are still out in large numbers, crowding the food stores, pharmacies and roads. It absolutely makes no sense.
The prime minister has already guaranteed - after speaking to local food retailers - that we are in no danger of running out. And to be fair, based on his handling of the situation, the very least we can do is give him the benefit of the doubt. However, we still proceed to play dangerously with this pandemic, a real threat to our lives and livelihoods. Since the first case, which led to the infection of three other family members of Patient 1, additional cases of Covid-19 have already impacted Grand Bahama and other unrelated individuals on New Providence. Certainly, the signs show quite clearly this is just the beginning. Indeed, we are very much in the unpredictable phase of the virus – community spread – where things, if mismanaged not just by the government, but by all of us, can take a drastic turn for the worse. The chilling reality is we don’t know how many
people around us have it. Neither you nor I know if we have Covid-19. What we do know, however, is that, globally, incidences are rapidly increasing toward 700,000 cases and more than 30,000 people are dead – snatched out of their loved ones lives. Testimonials from families around the world have been incredibly heartbreaking. And in reflecting on how painful it has been after Hurricane Dorian, this has the potential to cause an astronomical amount of heartache if we don’t do our part. And while this is a cautionary tale to us all, with the government holding up its end, this is a prompt for citizens to begin having more difficult conversations that would help us to consider our actions. Here’s what took many policymakers and citizens in Europe and the US too long to realise – once this gets in your community, whether you like it or not, everything has changed.
IF we don’t make the necessary adjustments to our lifestyles, quit the bellyaching and just grin and bear it for as long as we have to, we may end up prolonging this way of life and watching many of the people we love die.
For a time, nothing you thought was normal can be normal any more. By ignoring what’s going on and tuning out the experts, the media and the authorities, you are dangerously putting yourselves and those you love at risk. Let’s consider some of the harsh realities associated with this virus. Families are right now grieving not only the loss of their loved ones, but the opportunity to grieve the way we’re accustomed to – burying our dead. Preventive measures disallowing us from gathering in large groups will have funeral homes filled with the dead as people continue to pass on every day. It will be even worse if we experience anything close to what some of our neighbouring countries are going through – such as in the US, particularly New York. A state as wealthy as New York, which contributes the third highest among all states to the nation’s gross domestic product, is buckling under the assault of this virus. With more than 30,000 people infected and over 700 dead, one can only imagine what something like this would look like in The Bahamas. This idea that, because “God loves The Bahamas” we are somehow insulated from such calamities portends that He must hate everybody else going through this. Newsflash – that is simply a farce. If we don’t make the necessary adjustments to
our lifestyles, quit the bellyaching and just grin and bear it for as long as we have to, we may just end up prolonging this way of life and watching many of the people we love die. And to make things worse, we have to hand select an exclusive VIP group to mourn and seek closure with us. Does reading these words make it hit home for you yet? I would bet it sounds crazy – like what life looks like in a distant country that could never be The Bahamas. But friends, Covid-19 is here and it is indeed spreading. It is right now when people need to follow what has been mandated by government and take some personal accountability. Stay indoors unless you absolutely have to leave for work or important business. For the individuals currently depending on social assistance to get by, the government has to, as soon as it can, digitise essential services. Otherwise, workers on the frontline – those not in the healthcare industry - will also be at extreme risk as this virus may be spreading its way through the community. Each worker on social assistance, as a requirement, should have a bank account and be using online banking, allowing payments to be disbursed via direct deposit. This would keep many individuals safe. Food retailers – grocery stores and restaurants - also need to innovate, and the government through the
Small Business Development Centre, as a means of keeping people employed, can invest in local services that currently provide deliveries to people’s front doors. Such individuals can take the necessary training in terms of package and food handling to perform pick-up and delivery – making the process one whereby people don’t come into any contact with one another. Essentially, the focus needs to be keeping as many Bahamians at home as possible because while measures taken thus far may have been aggressive and commendable, they will be rendered ineffective if they’re not being heeded by the general public or if the idea of social distancing just becomes impractical in certain necessary activities. Certainly, there are those that are just being downright irresponsible that are putting most of us at risk. But at the same time, we must submit to the reality that the average Bahamian family cannot afford to stock up on a month worth of groceries, and in many cases, even two weeks of items at one time. Even worse now, as thousands of Bahamians have been laid off in the wake of this global pandemic, those who aren’t getting a pay cheque need to do business at the Department of Social Services and the National Insurance Board. The new challenge that exists for the government now is how do we innovate?
PRIMARY TEACHING JOB OPPORTUNITIES Primary classroom teachers for Years 1-6 • • •
French teacher for Foundation and Primary Literacy teacher for Primary Years 3-6 Numeracy teacher for Primary Years 3-6
A pre-eminent, well-established, independent, international school in Nassau is seeking full-time qualified PRIMARY TEACHERS as listed above for August 2020. Candidates should have sound classroom experience; a passion for innovative education; a professional attitude towards work; a friendly and co-operative disposition; a willingness to work in a team environment; a determination to grow professionally; and strong communication & organisational skills. This is an exciting opportunity for qualified, imaginative and driven teachers who work with equal efficacy independently and as part of a team. Applicants will join an innovative, forward-thinking and committed school. The position would suit dynamic teachers who are able to inspire pupils of all abilities to develop their full potential. Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The protection of our students’ welfare is the responsibility of all school staff and every employee is expected to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of our organisation. Successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance along with other relevant pre-employment checks. References are required and will be carefully checked.
Successful candidates will be required to: • • • • • • • •
Prepare and deliver well-planned learning experiences and curricula Differentiate curriculum objectives to support a diverse range of learners Show consistent, compassionate, classroom management skills Assess student learning and produce detailed reports Use learning data to inform and adapt instruction Contribute to the co-curricular programme and whole-school activities in a committed and enthusiastic manner Maintain high standards of professionalism Communicate positively with parents, staff, and administration Please forward your resume and introduction letter by email to
teachingbahamas@gmail.com.
Only those candidates who have been shortlisted will receive a response. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 31st March. Interviews via Skype may start from as early as Friday 27th March for early applicants.
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
O
N March 20 a reckless and irresponsible General Assembly (GA) was held by the Organization of American States (OAS), putting the health of many at risk and giving an entirely wrong example to the entire world. The meeting of at least 50 people was held amid intense concerns about the quickly spreading coronavirus (Covid-19), and despite the strongest possible recommendations by US and international health authorities not to hold gatherings larger than ten people. This dangerous act was done to hold the election for a Secretary-General of the Organization and to gain an advantage for the incumbent, Luis Almagro, who was the declared candidate of the US, Brazil and Colombia. Almagro’s current term does not end until May 28. Therefore, the meeting could easily have been postponed for at least a month, allowing time for greater control of COVID-19. Despite logic and good sense, many member states of the Organization were coerced into holding what was, at best, a wrongful meeting. At worst, the meeting was illegal. The meeting proceeded, based on the advice of the Legal Secretary of the OAS. He is an employee of the Secretariat and is answerable to the Secretary-General. He may be the most independentminded and fair person in the world, but because all his opinions have synchronised with the positions of the Secretary-General and powerful states within the Organisation, healthy scepticism of his advice is understandable. Remarkably, the Permanent Council of the OAS – the supposedly highest, day-to-day decision-making organ of the institution – has no legal counsel of its own, and no machinery for seeking external and independent legal guidance. Therefore, the opinion of the Legal Secretary prevails. In the week running-up to the GA, the US was in a state of heightened concern over the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The official advice from the Mayor of the District of Colombia, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the President of the US himself was to hold no gatherings larger than ten people. Three days before the
INSIGHT
MONDAY, MARCH 20,2020 PAGE 9
Today’s OAS - run by a few for a few meeting, 13 CARICOM countries sent a joint letter to all member states of the OAS and to the SecretaryGeneral, pointing out the dangers of the meeting, and the powerful advice from all pertinent health authorities, to postpone it. Haiti was the only CARICOM country that did not sign the official letter. While the CDC was asked to examine the OAS building at which the meeting was held, there were no other pertinent checks. No one, entering the room, was checked for their travel history, nor for the travel history of people with whom they had been in contact. Anyone could have been Covid-19 positive, but simply displaying no symptoms. The virus is known to take up to 14 days to incubate. The dangerous consequences of that meeting may yet unfold. Up to the day prior to the event, meetings of representatives of the regional groups of the Organisation were held electronically to consider the letter from the 13 Caribbean countries, which had the private backing of many other states although some of them were silent publicly for whatever reason. On March 19, the Legal Secretary gave the opinion that the GA could only be postponed by the Permanent Council since the decision to hold the General Assembly on March 20 was taken by the Permanent Council and only the Permanent Council could change its own rules. When asked whether the Permanent Council could hold an electronic meeting to consider postponement, the Legal Secretary gave the further opinion, ex cathedra, that the rules of the Council did not permit electronic meetings. It seemed not to occur to him that the
rules were written, prior to the technological age in which circumstances, such as Covid-19, did not exist. He also casually dismissed the notion that where rules are silent on a course of action, simple common sense should prevail. In all the opinions he gave, the Legal Secretary was backed up by the representatives of the countries determined to hold the GA on March 20. What is important to note here is a precedent has now been set. No meetings of the Permanent Council can be held electronically since the rules do not provide
for it. The Organization may yet be hoisted by this petard in the weeks ahead. Of further note is the GA was held under new rules of procedure that were not approved by the GA itself, although only the GA could change its own rules. None of the states that insisted on holding it, nor the Legal Secretary, has explained on what authority the rules were changed. All of this is a sad indication of what the OAS has become. It is an organisation run by a few for a few. In any event, Luis Almagro was elected for a second term with 23 votes. Ten countries voted for Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the remaining contender, since the Peruvian candidate Luis de Zela had withdrawn, and Dominica was the sensible absentee. Over the last few years, the OAS has experienced a bitter period of division
among its member states that has left the Organization weakened and lacking in a coherent vision of its way forward in the collective interest of the people of the Americas that it was created to serve. If these divisions are not bridged and these wounds are not healed, the Organization will continue to exist only as a cauldron for disagreement and discord. This would be catastrophic for the OAS as an institution. It would also be calamitous for Almagro’s record. Majority is not consensus. To operate only based on satisfying a majority, however achieved, neglects the interests of many others. The OAS will not survive in constant contention, vexation and division. Almagro’s second term provides him a great opportunity to leave a legacy of which he could be proud and which all member states
could honour. It will require him to be attentive to the needs and aspirations of each group within the OAS, and to forge a common and vibrant agenda on which there is genuine consensus. The member states themselves also must be committed to that goal and act on it, or the Organisation will wither into a few states, using it as a bullhorn for their own positions, disdained by others tired of being subjugated. The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own). Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
PAGE 10, Monday, March 30, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
TEN FOREIGN NATIONALS APPREHENDED MEMBERS of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force brought 10 foreign fishermen into the Defence Force Base last evening after their vessel was apprehended in the Ragged Island chain on Friday. While on routine Patrol, HMBS CASCARILLA, under the command of Sub Lieutenant Owen Sands boarded a Bahamian registered vessel off Water Cay, in the vicinity of a ragged Island Chain. Aboard were seven Dominican nationals, one Cuban, one Honduran and a Bahamian National. The situation is being investigated by relevant authorities at this time.
TWO IN HOSPITAL AFTER SHOOTINGS TWO men are in hospital after separate shooting incidents on New Providence and Grand Bahama on the weekend. One of the incidents occurred at a home in Chippingham when two men got into a fight shortly before 10pm on Saturday. Police said the men were at a residence on Albury Street when an altercation escalated, leading to one of them being shot. The injured man was taken to hospital where at last report, he was in critical condition. Meanwhile, Grand Bahama police
FOREIGN fishermen were apprehended in the Ragged Island chain
are investigating the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident Friday morning that left a man in hospital. Shortly after 9am on Friday, police were informed that a man had been taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital suffering from gunshot wounds to his body, Investigations revealed that the man was on Weddell Avenue when he was approached by another man who pulled out a handgun and shot him multiple times. He was taken by a private vehicle to RMH, where he is listed in serious condition.
GB POLICE INVESTIGATE A SUSPECTED SUICIDE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PO
ST
GRAND Bahama Police are investigating an apparent suicide of a man in the South Bahamia area on Saturday. According to reports, officials were called to a residence on Santa Maria Drive, where a male was discovered hanged from the ceiling. Superintendent Brian Rolle, officer in charge of the island’s Central Detective Unit, received information from a woman that on returning home, she
discovered a man known to her hanging from the ceiling. Supt Rolle said officers went to the home and observed the body of a lifeless male hanging from the ceiling with a rope around his neck. Paramedics were called to the scene to examine the body and found no signs of life. “The matter is an open investigation; whether this is a suspected suicide we cannot say at this time,” he said. Supt Rolle said the victim’s identification is being held pending notification of next of kin.
PO
SISTER CECILA ALBURY
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THE Benedictine Sisters of Saint Martin Monastery have announced the death of Sister Cecila Albury, OSB, who died at the monastery on Saturday. She is survived by one sister: Theresa Albury-Fairweather, one brother: George “Rick” Albury and an aunt, Barbara Woods and Benedictine Oblates, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, March 30, 2020, PAGE 11
Trump extends deadline and says 100,000 may die
STRANDED SHIPS MOVE INTO CANAL
WASHINGTON Associated Press
THE Panama Canal Authority said yesterday that two cruise ships carrying more than 1,800 passengers and crew — some infected with COVID-19 — stranded off the Central American country and hoping to reach port in Florida had begun the process of transiting the canal. The announcement came after the passengers received mixed signals about their fate. While Panamanian officials said they would let the two ships transit the Panama Canal, the cruise company said it had not been given official permission and Fort Lauderdale’s mayor said he didn’t want it to dock near his city as planned, at least without extensive precautions.
BRACING the nation for a death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump yesterday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public-health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic. It was a stark shift in tone by the president, who only days ago mused about the country reopening in a few weeks. From the Rose Garden, he said his Easter revival hopes had only been “aspirational”. The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires Monday and Trump had expressed interest in relaxing the national guidelines at least in parts of the country less afflicted by the pandemic. He instead decided to extend them through April 30, a tacit acknowledgment he’d been too optimistic. Many states
SHIFT: President Trump
and local governments have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings. Trump’s impulse to reopen the country met a sober reality check from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who said the US could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the pandemic. That warning hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy. “I want our life back again,” the president told reporters.
Trump, who has largely avoided talk of potential death and infection rates, cited projection models that said potentially 2.2 million people or more could have died had social distancing measures not been put in place. And he said the country would be doing well if it “can hold” the number of deaths “down to 100,000.” He said the best case for the country would be for the death rate to peak in about two weeks. “It’s a horrible number,” Trump said, but added, “We all together have done a very good job.” Brought forward by Trump at the outdoor briefing, Fauci said his projection of a potential 100,000 to 200,000 deaths is “entirely conceivable” if not enough is done to mitigate the crisis. He said that helped shape the extension of the guidelines, which he called “a wise and prudent decision.” Americans are now being called on to prepare for another 30 days of severe economic and social
EU UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE BARCELONA Associated Press
EUROPE’S fractured union came under new pressure this weekend, as Italy and Spain pleaded for urgent European help to withstand the virus ordeal but Germany showed reluctance to plunge into any radical new solutions. The north-south divide that has dogged the European Union for years has resurfaced as the virus has galloped across the continent, claiming more deaths than any other region in the
world. “It is the most difficult moment for the EU since its foundation, and it has to be ready to rise to the challenge,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised address on Saturday night. Sánchez warned them that a lack of solidarity to share the enormous financial burden of the health crisis and the imminent economic slowdown will put the future of the bloc in danger. “Europe must provide a united social and economic response. We must have
evidence that Europe listens and that Europe takes action.” Europeans have shown some signs of solidarity: Germany and Switzerland are treating the sick from Italy and France. Germany and France sent masks and hospital shirts to Italy. And the EU has pledged billions in aid, and threw one of its most sacred rules out the window to help countries weather the virus-driven economic crisis. But given the scale of this drama, critics say that’s not nearly enough.
NOTICE
THE CLEARING BANKS’
ASSOCIATION Announces
TEMPORARY CHANGE IN BANKING HOURS Bank of The Bahamas Limited 9:00am – 1:00pm
Citibank, N.A. 9:00am – 1:00pm
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank 9:00am – 1:00pm
Commonwealth Bank Limited 9:00am – 1:00pm
Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited 9:00am – 1:00pm
RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited 9:00am – 1:00pm
Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited 9:00am – 1:00pm Saturday Banking has been temporarily suspended.
Bank of The Bahamas Limited Citibank, N.A. CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Commonwealth Bank Limited Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited
disruption, as schools and businesses are closed and public life is upended. One in three Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus. Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, “we should be well on our way to recovery.” The federal guidelines recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 and urge older people and anyone with existing health problems to stay home. People are urged to work at home when possible and avoid restaurants, bars, non-essential travel and shopping trips. For more than a week,
Trump had been bombarded by calls from outside business leaders who urged him to begin re-opening the nation’s economy and warned of catastrophic consequences that could damage his re-election chances if it remained shuttered for much longer. “The president is right. The cure can’t be worse than the disease, and we’re going to have to make some difficult trade-offs,” Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow had said last Monday, reflecting the thinking of his economic team. That talk alarmed health experts, who urged Trump to keep encouraging people to stay home. The virus was still spreading, with the peak still weeks away, the experts warned.
PANAMA CITY Associated Press
PAGE 12, Monday, March 30, 2020
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SPORTS SECTION A
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MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020
NBA could continue in Bahamas By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
T
he Bahamas has been targeted as a possible destination if the NBA continues its 2019-20 season following the COVID-19 pandemic. The league continues to investigate prospective paths on the way forward and, according to ESPNs Brian Windhorst, has considered alternative venues to resume play, including Las Vegas casinos, college campuses in the midwest US and the Bahamas. The aforementioned venue ideas have reportedly been proposed by several players and league executives. Complete Sports Management’s Battle 4 Atlantis brand continues to expand and has brought elite NCAA Division I competition and the focus of the basketball world to the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Ballroom.
The men’s tournament, presented by Bad Boy Mowers, is set to host its 10th edition. The eight-team, three-day event, broadcasted live by ESPN, traditionally features the top field of any early season NCAA tournament. This year is set to feature another star-studded field with one former tournament champion and one of the most recognised names in NCAA Division I basketball - the Duke Blue Devils. This year the organisation continues to expand and will introduce the inaugural B4A Women’s Tournament. At the NBA level, the Atlantis has hosted the Miami Heat to training camp on two separate occasions. The Baha Mar Resort has also transformed its convention centre ballroom to a full-sized regulation court and hosted Division I college basketball with last year’s inaugural edition of the Bahamas
THE BAHAMAS has been targeted as a possible destination if the NBA continues its 2019-20 season following the COVID-19 pandemic. Hoopfest. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets have also hosted practice sessions at the facility. The Bahamas Basketball Federation has hosted its Summer of Thunder Series for over a decade at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium which traditionally hosts NCAA
Division I programmes against local teams. The venue has also hosted various FIBA regional qualifying events. The NBA, like the remainder of the sports world, has been placed on hold in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The league officially suspended play on March 11 after it was revealed that Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of Wednesday’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Professional basketball around the globe has all suspended play in the wake of the pandemic and Windhorst also reported that the Chinese Basketball Association may be the first to resume play. The CBA has been in a state of flux since January 24 but the league’s American players have returned to the country and placed in a 14-day quarantine prior to training camp. While China has dramatically decreased its number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the United States now has the most confirmed cases of any country in the world.
‘I am going to live up to my word to my father and push towards competing in my last Olympics’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AS a tribute to their deceased father, Leevan ‘Dragon’ Sands Sr, triple jump siblings Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands and Bria Sands are more committed to making their final and initial appearances respectively at the 2020 Olympic Games. Now that the four-yearly global sporting spectacular in Tokyo, Japan, has been postponed from July 24 to August 9 until 2021 because of the spread of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the duo has gotten more ammunition to fulfil a desire of their father as they prepare themselves to make Team Bahamas. “I am going to live up to my word to my father and push towards competing in my last Olympics. That is what my dad would want,” said Sands of his father, who passed away on February 25. “We also spoke about this before he died, about me and my sister competing on the same Olympic team. “So I just want to take some time off before I get back to the drawing board when this issue with the coronavirus is over and start my off season to prepare for the Olympic Games in 2021.” Preparing for his fourth and final Olympics, Sands said the postponement has given him the opportunity to get refocused and do some things that he didn’t get to do in the lead up to the games this year. He intends to get stronger and be more than ready for Tokyo next year. “Our dad played a bigger role in our lives, making sure that we stay focused on our goals and aspirations,” he said. “I’m a little emotional, but with him not being here anymore, I think I have to step up and be that father-figure to Bria and encourage her. “I want to be able to help her to get past any adversity that she faces, like he was there for me when I faced my own in the past,” Sands said. “So I have to step my game up and encourage her so that she can be prepared for the games. I’m going to make sure that we stay on track to accomplishing that goal.” The former basketball player at Temple Christian Academy, who went on to excel in track and field at Florida Air Academy, hopped, skipped and
jumped his way to the Bahamian male national record of 17.59 metres in the triple jump in his debut at the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, China. The 38-year-old Sands was aiming for the gold in his second appearance in London, England in 2012 when he suffered a horrific knee injury. With his parents, Leevan and Elaine Sands at his side as he was wheeled into an ambulance for an emergency surgery, Sands lifted a clutched fist and wowed that “I will be back.” In a remarkable comeback, Sands found himself on his third Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but he failed to advance to the final. Prior to his Olympic glory, Sands also claimed a bronze at both the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England and the 2003 World Championships in Saint-Denis, Paris. The NCAA champion for Auburn University also got a silver at the Pan American Games in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, a three-time gold and a bronze medallist at the Central American and Caribbean Championships, NACAC bronze medallist, a two-time gold and silver medallist at the CAC Junior Championships and a winner of four gold and three bronze at the CARIFTA Games for regional junior athletes. Bria Sands, 22, is now training under the watchful eyes of former Bahamian triple jumper Nyles Stuart in Marietta, Georgia. She doesn’t have the credentials as her older brother. The Abilene Christian High School graduate is now in her senior year at Life University and she hopes to make her own sunshine. This year, she captured the title in both the long and triple jumps and was fourth in the high jump, while placing fifth in the 60m and helping Life University to victory in the 4 x 400m relay at the MidSouth Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend of February 21-22 at the Defiance RM & CM Small Track in Defiance, Ohio. Unfortunately, she was unable to participate in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor Track and Field Championships March 5-7 at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, the
BRIA, left, and Leevan Sands. same weekend that they buried their father. Sands, who majors in general studies in biology and psychology, has already earned seven NAIA AllAmerican honours, but she was a little disappointed that she couldn’t go for another athletic achievement. “I believe that everything happens at the right time. Everything happens in God’s time,” she stated. “So I think it is a good thing for all athletes to get their mindset ready and for those who were struggling mentally and physically to get them up to par.
“I think with this Covid19 being so contagious, I think it’s something that we need to consider for the safety of athletes and their families. So I think it’s a good thing that it’s been postponed. I know some athletes were considering retiring after the Olympics, but we all have to just continue to work hard because we will face adversities wherever we go and whatever we do.” Disappointed that she didn’t get to compete in her final NAIA indoor meet or the outside season because she was home for her father’s funeral, Sands said
she is thankful for health and strength and the fact that she can get refocused for the rest of her career as she looks forward to becoming a pro athlete. “I am training with coach Nyles Stuart, who is a great coach and who I believe can bring out my best potential,” Sands said. “He’s been working hard with me to get to where he sees me where I can be and for me to believe in myself. “My goal is to become a professional athlete. So we will see how it goes. I’m just looking forward to being motivated to complete my senior year off strong, even
if I don’t get to compete anymore. I know I can do this. I owe it to my father to do it for him.” With the spread of the Covid-19, better known as the Coronavirus Pandemic, Leevan Sands said he’s not confined to home in Colorado where he now serves as an assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado. “The university is shut down right now and there is no school competition, so a lot of the seniors have shutdown their season,” he said. “I think the NCAA is trying to see how they can give everybody back their senior year, if they so desire to compete. “But for me, everything was going well as a coach. We went to our indoor conference championship and one of our guys got a silver medal in the triple jump. That was the first time in the school history. He also set a new personal best. And I had two girls in the final of the triple jump, which was also a first for the school.” Additionally, UNC got a silver medal in the high jump and a bronze in the 4 x 400m relay. These were some of the performances of athletes whom he met there and helped to inspire. Sands said he has not even dealt with the incoming freshman class, so the future looks bright for him at UNC. And while he’s joggling his time with his coaching chores, Sands has created the ideal situation for him to spend the time preparing for his quest to compete in his final Olympics. “It’s the same thing I have been doing at Auburn,” said Sands, who served as an assistant after he graduated. “It’s all about scheduling your time. I coach everybody in groups, so I get a chance to get my training in.” Right now in Colorado, Sands said he’s enjoying weather conditions in the 50s, which is sort of hot for the area. “It’s pretty down here. It’s nice,” he stated. “I’m really enjoying it.” Bria Sands, on the other hand, said she’s waiting on school to resume as they are currently on a break. Whatever happens, she said she’s looking forward to the rest of the year and hopefully making the transition to the pro ranks and eventually joining Leevan Sands on their first national team together.
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TOKYO OLYMPICS: IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE IN THE SUMMER OF 2021
OLYMPIC gold medallists Tadahiro Nomura, right, and Saori Yoshida light the torch as Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, left, watches during Olympic Flame Arrival Ceremony at Japan Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima Base in Higashimatsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Olympic organizers seem to be leaning away from starting the rescheduled games in the spring of 2021. More and more the signs point toward the summer of 2021. Organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori suggested there would be no major change from 2020. “The games are meant to be in summer, so we should be thinking of a time between June and September,” Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Mori saying on Saturday. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, after the postponement was announced in Switzerland on Tuesday, left open the possibility of spring dates. The postponed games were to have opened on July 24 and closed on Aug. 9. Mori suggested some decisions could be made as early as this week when the organizing committee’s executive board meets. Any final decision will be made by local organizers and the IOC, and hundreds of sponsors, sports federations and broadcasters. Athletes have been left in limbo by the postponement. Many have been forced to stop training because of the spreading coronavirus. Even those who can train have no idea about how to schedule training to reach peak fitness at the right time. Mori and organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto have both said the added cost of rescheduling will be “enormous.” Early estimates put those costs at between $2 billion-$3 billion with the several levels of Japanese governments likely to foot most of the bills. Tokyo organisers say they are spending $12.6 billion to stage the games. However, a government audit report said it will cost at least twice that much. All but $5.6 billion is public money. The Switzerland-based IOC has contributed $1.3 billion to organise the Tokyo Olympics, according to local organising committee documents. It has a reserve fund of about $2 billion for such emergencies and also has insurance coverage.
KNICKS OWNER DOLAN TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS (AP) — JAMES Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Company and owner of the New York Knicks, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Knicks announced Dolan’s diagnosis Saturday night. It is not clear when he was tested or when he received the diagnosis. Dolan is the first US major pro sports owner known to have tested positive for the virus. He also owns the NHL’s New York Rangers, along with other venues like Radio City Music Hall, The Hulu Theatre and The Chicago Theatre. “The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus,” the Knicks’ statement said. “He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms.” He continues to oversee business operations.”
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Monday, March 30, 2020, PAGE 15
VISA EXTENDS ATHLETE SPONSORSHIP TO 2021 AFTER OLYMPIC DELAY By ROB HARRIS AP Sports Writer VISA has told its global roster of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls their sponsorships will be extended into 2021 after the Tokyo Games were postponed, providing some financial certainty amid the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The credit card giant’s Team Visa scheme features 96 athletes across 27 sports, including soccer star Megan Rapinoe, gymnast Simone Biles — a quadruple gold medallist at the Rio de Janeiro Games — and twotime defending 800-metre Olympic champion David Rudisha. The athletes were contacted on Friday to be given the option of extending their sponsorship terms with Visa. It is the first clear commitment by a major sponsor to extend such sponsorship support after the unprecedented delay to the Olympics by a year was announced last week by the IOC. “We elected to stand behind our roster of Team
Visa athletes and make sure they knew affirmatively we were planning to do so and that we were going to offer to extend our relationship with them into 2021,” Chris Curtin, Visa’s chief brand and innovation marketing officer, told The Associated Press. “They’re all dealing with how do they maintain their training schedules, discipline and focus at the same time they’re dealing with what’s happening with their families and their loved ones. One thing that we wanted to do as Visa was to take one potential point of ambiguity and maybe concern off their plates, because there should be none.” While a spring date for the rescheduled Olympics had been suggested, the signs are now pointing to the IOC using the same slot in 2021 as planned this year when the Summer Games should have started on July 24 in Tokyo. “I’m crossing fingers for all sorts of reasons, well beyond just the games coming back, that it reflects a reinvigorated marketplace
and a reinvigorated sense of humanity and a renewed kind of enthusiasm about life,” Curtin said. “We have always been very bullish that this is going to be a special and and really important
Olympics. But because of COVID-19 I think that’s now ramped up 10 times.” Visa had already filmed some promotional campaigns with athletes for the Tokyo Games that will require some reworking.
More immediately, they have spent this weekend filming their own messages promoting hand washing and social distancing that will be published over the next week. “These are unprecedented times for
all of us,” said Adam Peaty, the British swimmer who won the 100-metre breaststroke gold four years ago in Rio. “But having Visa’s support makes these times of adversity quite a bit easier.”
PAGE 16, Monday, March 30, 2020
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