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HIGH 83ºF LOW 75ºF Volume:117 No.119, MAY 15, 2020

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WEEKEND: JUNKANOO ARTISTS CREATE IN LOCKDOWN

‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’

JUNKANOO CONTEST Pages 14 & 15

Beating the Blues

New book urges positive think ing

pg 07

SIX PAGES OF SPORT INSIDE TODAY

Residents say action needed earlier to help stop Bimini outbreak

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced a two-week lockdown of Bimini yesterday after two new cases of COVID19 were confirmed on the island, bringing the total there to 13 and the country’s total to 96.

Though they concede drastic action may be needed to prevent further spread of COVID-19 on their island, some Bimini residents are concerned

officials waited too long to comprehensively address their outbreak and fear provisions for the lockdown may be inadequate. They are also calling for widespread testing.

After Dr Minnis’ announcement yesterday, more than 200 people flocked to the Administrator’s Office on the island to get $100 food vouchers, highlighting the scale of needs in the community.

Dr Minnis said the lockdown is necessary and that SEE PAGE THREE

WEBSHOPS GEARING UP TO CHALLENGE CLOSE ORDER

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL webshops will take legal action over the sector’s renewed closure as early as Monday if they do not receive the desired response from the Prime Minister’s Office, a prominent QC revealed yesterday.

Wayne Munroe QC told Tribune Business that Paradise Games and TIG Investments, trading as The Island Game, had

“instructed me to action” after Dr Hubert Minnis on Sunday singled out domestic gaming as the only industry forbidden from offering curb-side and drive through services to patrons.

He revealed that he today plans to send a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office to “give them the chance to accept” there was no medical or health justification for ordering the industry to close again just one week after it re-opened following the nationwide lockdown.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

RESIDENTS at the Bimini administrator’s office for food vouchers after the Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement.

END OF LINE FOR STEM CELL CENTRE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A PIONEERING Freeport-based stem cell therapy provider faces being placed into Supreme Court-supervised liquidation on May 28 over a “wholly unpaid” $12m debt owed to its main lender.

The failure of the Okyanos Centre for Regenerative

Medicine has been blamed on a “catastrophic” series of events triggered by Hurricane Dorian, from which it has never re-opened after its premises suffered damage estimated at more than $2m.

Legal documents filed by the Supreme Court reveal that Okyanos has yet to “receive the majority” of the proceeds from its Dorian-related insurance claims.

And, with the stem cell provider lacking any “means to generate revenue”, its problems were worsened by a legal dispute that erupted with its landlord at Freeport’s First Commercial Centre after it served notice of its intention to terminate the lease on October 25, 2019, due to the facilities being “unfit for occupancy”.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

‘LUANN’S DEATH WAS NO ACCIDENT’

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net THE landlord of a woman killed in a hit and run last year believes she was intentionally mowed down and that the incident was not an accident.

The claim is the latest in the saga of the Luann Joaquim, who died last November after she was struck by a car while exiting

LUANN JOAQUIM a taxi. Joaquim caught the cab home after leaving work at Bruno’s at Arawak Cay.

She was struck on West Bay Street, near her home, and sent spinning in the air and landed on her head.

The car never stopped.

She survived in a coma for two days and on November 15, 2019, she died of injuries including a broken neck and spine and severe trauma to the brain. No one has been brought to justice for her death.

SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A COMIC’S VIEW: POLITICS IS A TRAIL OF M&Ms

SEE PAGE EIGHT

IS IT TIME TO SELL BANK OF THE BAHAMAS?

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

WEATHER conditions as shown in this image from Bahamas Meteorology.

TROPICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO HIT GRAND BAHAMA

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

WITH a tropical depression system approaching the northern Bahamas this weekend, East End residents are preparing for the severe tropical conditions that are expected to hit Grand Bahama tomorrow.

The system will bring heavy rain and high winds in the morning and could strengthen and cause severe flooding in low-lying areas.

Many residents in East Grand Bahama, including Sweeting’s Cay, had sustained severe damage to their homes – some destroyed completely - during Hurricane Dorian. Most are still in the process of reconstruction and rebuilding.

East End resident Deon Feaster said some residents are not prepared for even a mild system, let alone a tropical depression or storm.

“Most are not able to deal with that because some people are still sheltering in tents,” he said.

Mr Feaster - who has temporarily relocated to Freeport since the storm - is still in the process of rebuilding his home.

He travels back and forth to East End to work on the house and noted that some residents are still in tents on their property in East End and Sweeting’s Cay. “From the little bad weather that we get on and off, the tents are tore up and uprooted; they are not safe to be in when there is a storm, heavy rain, and thunder,” he said.

Many houses were destroyed and swept off

THE PROJECTED path of the tropical weather system according to the National Hurricane Center in the US. their foundations as a result are aware of the approachIn terms of reconstruc- cay cleanup so people could of the 20ft tidal surge by ing weather system. tion on the cay, the chief get their life back together,” hurricane Dorian, and “My house sustained councilor indicated that he said. structures that there were severe roof damage and the there has not been much Donovan Bowe, chief were severely damaged and repairs are still not com- progress with cleanup and councillor East Grand are still not fully completed. pleted yet,” he said. rebuilding. “The recon- Bahama, said that resi“With this tropical “We are watching the struction is going terrible; dents are making necessary depression, most of the resi- storm,” he said. “We have there is no reconstruction. preparations. dents are not prepared for a few, one or two people All we get is a bunch of “They are securing propthat,” Mr Feaster said. living down here in tents, promises,” he said. erty as best they can for the While some persons were but there are one or two “Our main focus is we pending inclement weather,” able to make repairs and homes down here where we need to get the community he said. He noted that some can stay in their homes, he could shelter in. If it comes cleaned up so people could residents have well secured said others who have fami- to that, we will try to get and start adjusting to some sort roofs and are able to weather lies in Freeport will have shelter with one another of a normal life. If you start the rainy weekend. to stay with them until the until the weather passes.” to clean up people will feel However, he noted that weather system passes.

Mr Russell indicated that more at home, but as it people are still very fearIn Sweeting’s Cay, Chief some of Sweeting’s Cay res- stands now, the community ful and traumatized after Councillor Gladstone Rus- idents also have relatives in is in a mess,” he stated.

Dorian. “The mood is sell said that the over 30 Freeport they can stay with “I would really like to see somber as the impending residents there on the cay if they want to. how quick we could get this weather is reminiscent of

the deadly storm we just suffered,” Mr Bowe said.

Everyone is prayerful that all will be well.

Mr Bowe said resident are just praying the weather will pass without any significant impact, so they can return to reconstruction.

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, MP for East Grand Bahama, said he is praying that East Grand Bahama will be spared any significant weather from the system.“I do recognize that there are persons still very vulnerable to weather intrusion due to leaky or exposed roofs and entry points,” he said.

Mr Turnquest stated that Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA) continues to process applications for relief.

“We remain hopeful that the process will shortly be completed such that all persons in need of assistance can receive relief. I wish to encourage residents to take shelter during this time and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their possessions,” he said.

Tammi Mitchell of NEMA, said NEMA is on standby to assist wherever possible and is advising residents who are in tents to seek shelter with family.

“We know that there are persons in tents and that they will not hold up to such a system, and we encourage them not to stay in the tents and to try stay with family.

We continue to monitor all residents in East GB, and have been in contact with chief councillor in Sweeting Cay, where there are still 33 people, and all areas in the East that have been impacted by Dorian”.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 3

‘Better late than never’ from page one it will begin at 9pm on Monday and end on May 30 at midnight. The Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and a clinic for emergency services will be allowed to operate during the lockdown. The island administrator will be permitted to distribute food or water, healthcare workers will be allowed to conduct home visits to provide medical or therapeutic care and a public healthcare worker may attend the clinic to treat patients in need of urgent medical care.

From April 29 to May 2, the surveillance team of the Ministry of Health visited Bimini to provide educational support for medical personnel, assist in finding contacts of confirmed cases, assess a quarantine facility, help enforce infection prevention, conduct testing and host a virtual town hall meeting, according to Dr Minnis. He said 102 people on Bimini have been swabbed for COVID-19 to date.

Kim Johnson-Rolle, a Bimini resident who visited Florida weeks before her death, was the first person in the country known to die from COVID-19. Almost all of the confirmed cases on the island are people who attended the same church she did, Gateways Ministries, which hosted a crowded funeral not long before she died.

After her death, her contacts, many close family members, were told to quarantine. However, it would be weeks before

most of them were tested for the virus.

Brenda Edgecombe, Mrs Johnson-Rolle’s sister, tested positive for COVID19 four weeks after her sister’s death and two weeks after her own initial quarantine period ended, despite showing no symptoms of the virus. Tomorrow will be 21 days since she has been in isolation for the second time.

Her experience has her questioning the logic of the two week lockdown announced yesterday. “I’m not sure what this will accomplish,” Ms Edgecombe said. “Where are we going after two weeks when you come out again? I think a better idea would be for them to just do more testing because it seems there are just a lot of asymptomatic people out there and they will still be around after two weeks.”

Anita Harris supports a two-week lockdown but said after Mrs JohnsonRolle’s death, a group of residents wrote letters to government officials calling for greater testing and enforcement of quarantine measures on Bimini. Their pleas went unheeded, she said.

“This is a bit late. When they had the death on the 30th of March, they waited until weeks later to do testing. I strongly believe that had they acted when Kim died and sent people here to conduct comprehensive testing, this spread would not have been where it is now. Even people who were exposed, some were allowed to be in self-isolation at their home and I myself have seen them on the street.

“I went to the ATM machine to get some money and I saw a girl who is supposed to be in quarantine because her whole family tested positive for the virus, and she was in line with me at the ATM. I want to send a message to the government to get serious about Bimini because they are now trying to put a bandaid on the problem but they are too late,” Ms Harris said.

Yesterday, Dr Minnis said the central government is coordinating with Bimini officials to distribute food and water on the island.

“The National Food Committee and Department of Social Services are making arrangements to ensure that the food needs will be met before and during the lockdown,” he said. “I assure the residents of Bimini that there will be sufficient food and medicine for everyone on that island. Additional support, security and enforcement of the lockdown will be provided by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Various measures are being taken to ensure the safety of various essential workers on the island, including the use of PPEs.” A two-week lockdown, however, will be more than twice the length of any lockdown experienced anywhere in the country to date. In April, there was a five-day national lockdown and subsequent lockdowns each weekend.

Partrisa Saunders said the unprecedented nature of the lockdown makes it difficult to feel confident that people will have all the supplies they need by

RESIDENTS at the Bimini administrator’s office for food vouchers after the Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement.

Monday. After Dr Minnis’ announcement, she said her street exploded with unusual traffic, the sounds of people getting ready for the lockdown. She said many of the people were headed to the Administrator’s Office to get food vouchers.

“Some persons cannot afford this two-week lockdown because they haven’t worked in about eight weeks,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have food and the government at the Administrator’s Office, I think are giving out $100 vouchers and that is not sufficient money because the cost of living is too high.

“We’ve never been in this position before so I can’t say we can take confidence in (what the prime minister said). What is the amount the government is going to give? Will it meet

the needs of everyone, are they going to provide each home with food, or just a selected few? Is it going to be enough supplies for two weeks because two weeks is a long time. You have single mothers here with no help and no jobs.

How will they know what each home needs what or how many people are in a home at a particular time?”

Bimini administrator Cleola Pinder said there is no need for people to panic.

“Nobody needs to feel alone.

Everyone will have some food in their homes,” she said. “People have grown accustomed to having three meals a day, now we have to cut back and just ration.”

Mrs Pinder said so many people showed up for vouchers yesterday that she grew concerned, saying: “I

said we’re not practising social distancing.”

When she spoke to The Tribune shortly before 4.30pm, she said about 100 people had been given vouchers and another 100 were left to go. Stores on the island have about two to three weeks of supplies, she said, though the mail boat, which brings fresh produce and other key items, has been delayed because of bad weather.

“One challenge we’re having is since the economy has been impacted by the pandemic a number of families are living together,” she said. “You may have up to 13, 15 people in one home. Children have moved back home, bringing their children. We’re trying to help them out as best as we can.”

- Editorial view, page 6

ILLNESSES IN CHILDREN BEING MONITORED AFTER SIGNS RARE DISEASE COULD BE LINKED TO CORONAVIRUS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH officials are “actively” searching for signs of inflammatory illnesses among children who tested positive for COVID19 after international reports have revealed that a rare disease found in children could be linked to the virus.

The New York Times on Thursday said some 100 children in New York have been diagnosed with a condition called paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, with several cases confirmed in other US states.

Meanwhile, in Europe, at least 50 cases have been reported among children there.

According to the NYT, studies conducted by Italian doctors have shown the new

syndrome “appears to be a delayed reaction driven by a child’s immune system response” to the COVID19 infection.

Asked by The Tribune yesterday whether health officials have seen any of the symptoms in children who tested positive for the virus, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen replied: “No, we haven’t seen it.”

Still, he said officials are keeping a close eye on the matter.

“We’re actively monitoring to see if any of our children develop severe disease and the inflammatory reaction that goes along with it,” he told The Tribune.

Meanwhile, the NYT reported the rare disease struck children weeks after COVID-19 infection.

“The presence of antibodies suggests that the

Italian children, like many of the cases in the United States, were infected with the virus weeks earlier,” the paper reported.

“Experts say the new inflammatory syndrome appears to be a delayed reaction driven by a child’s immune system response to the infection, in contrast to the primary way that the virus affects patients by attacking the cells in their lungs.”

Symptoms of the syndrome can include high fever, skin rashes, loss of appetite and in some cases, heart inflammation.

Children were initially thought not to be at a high risk for complications for COVID-19, but as more data emerges, new risks and guidelines for the public are revealed.

Dr Brennen advised parents to contact the Ministry of Health or a

healthcare provider if their children have had contact with a positive COVID-19 person.

“And then, we would have them on our contact tracing list where we would get in contact with them on a daily basis to make sure if there or any development of symptoms that we may be able to recognize sooner or later,” he said.

Last month, the Ministry of Health reported that a nine-year-old girl had tested positive for the virus in Grand Bahama, becoming the first child to be infected with the fast spreading disease.

Since then, several others have tested positive for COVID-19, including an 11-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl. Asked yesterday about their current condition, Dr Brennen said the patients were doing fine.

To date, there are 96 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.

In view of this, Dr Brennen told The Tribune it’s very important for people to adhere to the social distancing guidelines and refrain from touching their faces as the virus can also be transmitted to the body through the eyes.

This comes after a new study found that the human

eye is “susceptible” to infection from the novel coronavirus.

Speaking on the matter yesterday, Dr Brennen said: “Yes, (the virus) can enter through the eyes, (which is) another mucus membrane.

It’s why we tell people not to touch their mouth, nose, or eyes. If people wear the correct masks, they won’t spread droplets that will get into other’s eyes.”

PAGE 4, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

‘There must be a plan for social distancing in schools’

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Union of Teachers has argued a plan must be in place for all aspects of the educational system before teachers and students return, questioning how social distancing will take place in crowded classrooms.

According to a union document titled “Spotlight in Education”, written by BUT president Belinda Wilson, it is essential for the Ministry of Education to hold a conclave/meeting to come up with a comprehensive plan prior to the reopening of private and public schools.

Limited educational operations, including national examinations based on appropriate social distancing and masks, would happen in phase three of the government’s

reopening the economy plan.

Although the union recognises there is no definitive time for schools to open, Mrs Wilson said the ministry should still make preparations.

“Understandably, there were no dates or timelines included in the above plan, however, it is paramount that the Ministry and the Department of Education plan and prepare for the eventuality of the re-opening of schools be it limited or full,” Mrs Wilson noted.

“The proactive steps should have already begun, but, if not yet, then now. So, the Ministry/Department of Education has to examine its modus operandi before COVID-19 and during COVID-19. “…..It would be helpful if the matrix (model) that will be used to determine when it will be safe

to re-open schools and that information be made available to the Bahamas Union of Teachers outlining testing, contact tracing and monitoring of students and teachers prior to re-opening. It would be detrimental for 60,000 public and private school students and 7,000 public and private school teachers to be directed to return to schools without this vital information being accessible.”

As social distancing is a safety measure to manage the highly-contagious coronavirus, BUT questioned how the practice would be implemented in public schools, which are overcrowded with an average of 35 students, sometimes 40, per class.

“Our classrooms are set up in clusters and the teachers and students are in close proximity to each other,” the union document noted.

“….Most classrooms in the public school (system) do not have adequate space to allow for the separation of students’ desks at six feet apart and also teachers and students spend a minimum of six hours per day together with five of those hours being confined to the classroom.

“Classroom sizes at our primary schools normally measure in the range of 660 square feet to 720 square feet the former being able to accommodate 25 – 28 students and the latter is able to accommodate a maximum of 40 students. If we are required to follow the guideline of social distancing when schools reconvene then the classrooms that presently accommodate 25 to 40 students will have to be reduced to 18 to 24 students. A reduced number of students in each classroom dictate the need for increased classroom space or even the

construction of new schools.”

BUT identified several focal points such as a strategic plan with a blended approach for online learning and on campus/face to face instruction as well as drafting new health and safety policies for the workplace in a post COVID-19 school environment to be reviewed by all stakeholders. Draft policies on digital safety, the use of technology in school, and “work from home” were also suggested.

The paper further stated there was no policy to date governing the Ministry of Education’s virtual school and it was imperative for an ICT policy to be drafted and reviewed by all groups with vested interest prior to its implementation.

“Again, in drafting policy for online and virtual platforms which may be used for examinations in the future then the following

must be considered (1) access for all students (2) measurements for students at the lower socioeconomic access (3) access for physically and mentally challenged, hearing and visually impaired and (4) test integrity,” the paper notes.

“Vision must go beyond the limited scope of giving every student a laptop or tablet or connecting all schools to the internet. The policy must go further than devices and internet access.

There is the need for internet safety.”

Since the launch of the government’s online platform during the pandemic, there has been criticism due to the lack of internet and computer access for some students. The Ministry of Education has sought to close the gap with the Bahamas Learning Channel (BLC), which is free on television.

SHEILA JOHNSON-SMITH, executive director of Grand Bahama Children’s Home, gives a tour of the home to Family Guardian executives, left, before speaking to the press as John Hepburn, Family Guardian financial services agency manager, looks on on Wednesday.

Photo: SURGE Media Photo/Tim Aylen

$30,000 TO AID HOME

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Children’s Home received a $30,000 cheque donation this week to assist with hurricane renovation at the facility.

The funds, which were donated by Family Guardian and Sargicor Financial Corporation, is earmarked for the refurbishment of the computer lab and library, which were extensively damaged during Hurricane Dorian last September.

The Home is still in the rebuilding phase, and the children have been

temporarily relocated in New Providence until the facility is fully restored and reopened.

Mrs Sheila JohnsonSmith was very grateful for the donation on Wednesday from Family Guardian. She thanked Mr John Hepburn, agency manager, and his team, for their generous gesture.

Additionally, Mr Hepburn noted that they will also purchase new tablets for the children, and two wheelchairs for the physically disabled resident children.

“They have stepped up to the plate. The $30,000 they are giving us will go

to rebuilding the computer lab and library, and they are also getting tablets, and wheelchairs – how awesome is that,” said Mrs Smith.

The GB Children’s Home cares for up to 40 children ages 0-12 years. It is jointly funded by the Bahamas Government, The Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, and the Grand Bahama community.

The Grand Bahama Children’s Home was formed to help care for children who needed to be removed from their families for reasons of abandonment, abuse or neglect. The Grand Bahama Children’s Home was opened in 1980.

BARBERS AND HAIRDRESSERS WAITING FOR OPENING GO-AHEAD

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net WITH hair salons and barber shops closed, one local businessman said the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a huge blow to his income and he is desperate to reopen.

Besieged with calls from clients wanting to get their hair done, Trevor Johnson, general manager of Johnson and Johnson Barber and Beauty Salon, is just waiting on the green light from the government to resume services.

“Income-wise this is a very big blow,” Mr Johnson said. “This week will be seven weeks since we have been closed and this has us spending money that we don’t have. We have kids, we have bills with no income, how can we stay on top of these things? You have clients hitting you up every day, because they really need our services. We can’t provide the service, obviously, because of the shutdown.”

He added: “I am just lost

for words as none of us have ever experienced anything like this. It’s a great negative impact and we can only hope and pray that our sector is considered soon for reopening. And, most importantly, that we survive this.”

Hair care and nail services are in phase four of the government’s plan for re-opening the economy.

The country is currently in phase 1b.

Mr Johnson, who manages the 52-year-old business started by his late father, Eleazer “The Sailing Barber” Johnson, said while at home and unable to make a living, he made a curious observation.

He noted many members of Parliament appear wellgroomed with freshly cut hair when making television appearances.

“They are taking bread out of our mouths, but yet they are so nicely cut and groomed,” he continued.

“We as barbers and hairdressers, we look at things like that. They have our sector shut down, so who is grooming them?”

Asked how he would

manage his customers when his business is allowed to open, he said things will certainly be different.

“When we get the green light to open, we don’t know what the rules will be, but for us the first thing will be to switch to appointments only,” he said. “Barbers and beauticians are well familiar with sterilising and sanitising, so that part is a breeze for us to upkeep. That’s within us. We can practice measures that can keep customers and ourselves safe and still be able to conduct business.”

A frequent customer of Johnson and Johnson’s Barber and Beauty Salon said she is anxious for the shop’s doors to open so she can “look good” again.

“It’s been a long time since Bahamians had the luxury of legal haircuts and hair dressings,” said Sandra Bullard. “I will be the first to Johnson’s when it opens.

I can use a serious hairstyling, but besides any of that, Johnson’s has a long history in this country and we need its doors and all the other doors of legitimate grooming facilities opened.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 5

‘Luann’s death was no accident’ from page one In an interview with The Tribune, her landlord Rochelle Bain questioned why the driver was never found.

“It’s (six months since) Luann has been killed, how come no one has been found as yet? Other people have been found and charged before the courts for hit and runs. How come nothing like that has happened in the case of Luann Joaquim?”

An eyewitness has claimed to have given chase to Joaquim’s killer, alleging that it was a woman whose hair was in a ponytail.

“Luann was a beautiful person,” said Ms Bain.

“The woman who killed her is a cold blooded murderer.

This woman should have been brought to justice. She needs to be in jail. And the way how she hit Luann, I feel it was intentional. She used her car as a weapon. It was a murder.”

Police said the taxi driver told them he did not see the car that hit Joaquim because he was too busy trying to come to her aid.

Ms Bain suspects someone may have been following the taxi and intentionally hit her tenant.

However police have not confirmed this theory.

“There’s a lot to this and this investigation needs to go deeper,” she said, adding she wants police to reinterview the taxi driver and others who were on scene to see if they can glean additional clues.

Joaquim lived on Augusta Street near St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church. Ms Bain said she and the deceased shared a very close friendship and she would really like to see the case solved.

“I went in and was interviewed,” she continued. “I went where the accident happened. A gentleman owns a conch stand and store and he told me he was one or two floors up on that night. He saw two fellows chase the car when it happened. They didn’t catch the driver. I feel the taxi driver is the key.

“As soon as Luann came out of the taxi, the car overtook two cars and hit her,” Ms Bain claimed. “That car literally hit Luann from one

lamp pole to the next lamp pole. I couldn’t see her surviving that. These days everyone has their phone out recording everything. I wonder how come no one recorded when Luann was hit?”

Earlier this month, Chief Superintendent Mareno Hinds said CCTV footage of the accident has not aided police in their investigation.

He also said the eyewitness who claimed to have chased the driver and witnessed the person turn into police headquarters has never made a statement to police, he said, adding that the CCTV footage has not supported this claim.

CSP Hinds said the taxi driver who dropped the victim off also said he did not see the vehicle in question.

“Everyone who we spoke to seemed to be concerned about the victim at the time,” CSP Hinds added.

“Those on the scene said that everything happened fast and they did not get a look at the car that hit her.

We spoke with the taxi driver, he said he didn’t see the car either.”

LUANN JOAQUIM

WOMAN WHO MADE THREAT SENT TO ANGER MANAGEMENT

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 36-YEAR-OLD woman who was accused of threatening to kill another woman and her children has been ordered to attend anger management classes.

Vernencha Deal appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with one count of making death threats after she was accused of threatening to kill Shannel Brown on May 5.

She pleaded guilty and was conditionally discharged for 12 months on the agreement that she would attend anger

management classes.

Prosecutor Kenny Thompson told the court around 3.45pm on May 5, Ms Brown came to the Nassau Street Police Station to make a complaint.

Sgt Thompson said Ms Brown told officers around 2pm that day, her former classmate, Vaniesha Deal, approached her on Wulff Road while she was with her mother and told her whenever she saw Ms Brown or her children, she would kill them.

During the hearing, Deal was represented by attorney Alexandria Collie.

She told the magistrate the incident stemmed from a

disagreement between her client and the complainant.

She said Deal had taken full responsibility for her actions and was “deeply sorry.” Ms Collie added that the defendant, who works as a pre-school teacher, had six children and a grandchild who depended on her and asked the judge for leniency.

In response, Magistrate Forbes opted not to impose a custodial sentence. Still, he ordered Deal to attend an anger management class for a year and warned her if she failed to participate in the course she would be sentenced to three months in prison.

HEALTH CHIEF ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’ ABOUT GROWTH OF VIRUS IN AMERICAS THE director of the Pan American Health Organization, Carissa Etienne, called on countries to address health, social and economic emergencies, saying she is “deeply concerned” by the rapid expansion of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas.

“The pandemic has forced us to address three emergencies at the same time: health, social and economic emergencies. To be successful, we need a joint approach,” said Dr Etienne. “Countries must support their economies while building strong social protection networks and embracing evidence-based public health measures that are essential to saving lives.”

PAHO’s director highlighted the rapid expansion of COVID-19. “It took our region three months to reach 1 million cases, but less than three weeks to nearly double that number,” she said.

More than 1.74 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Americas, with more than 104,000 deaths.

The need to control the pandemic is urgent, given that in the past week, there was a relative 18 percent increase in cases and a 23 percent relative increase in deaths, compared to the previous week. Between May 4 and May 11, more

than 96,000 additional cases including 5,552 deaths were reported in South America. That represents a 45 percent relative increase in cases and a 51 percent relative increase in deaths, compared to the previous week.

In South America, health systems in large urban centres like Lima and Rio de Janeiro are quickly becoming overwhelmed, PAHO said.

The impact of COVID19 on big cities across the Amazon basin also extends to “smaller towns and remote communities, including indigenous areas, where access to health care is challenging,” she said.

PAHO continues to coordinate the response across countries, “but we call on national and local health authorities to work even more closely together to contain the spread of the virus and support health system capacity,” she told a press briefing this week.

Dr Etienne announced that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and PAHO will work together to shape a new model where resilient health systems and universal health coverage are viewed as key to economic growth and social protection.

“Only when countries have controlled transmission will they be in a position to implement a well-planned, cautious transition period,” Dr Etienne said. PAHO is working closely with the IMF, the IDB, the World Bank, and others to help coordinate the economic response to the pandemic, she noted.

“COVID-19 reminds us that when we invest in health systems, we keep our people safe and our economies strong. When we guarantee access to health services for everyone, we reduce inequality and build more resilient societies,” she added.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

A Private Funeral Service for MYRTLYN JUDITH “Judy” DELANCY, 71 of Rose Close, Bel-Air Estates, will be held on Tuesday 19th May, 2020 at the graveside of Ebenezer Methodist Church Cemetery, Shirley Street. Officiating will be Rev’d Emily Demeritte.

In compliance with current Government regulations, attendance is limited to ten (10) family members.

Left to cherish her fond memories are her husband: Willam Delancy; Step Daughters: Anastasia Delancy-Jones, Janice Young, Yvette Delancy-Charlie; Son: Demetrius Delancy; Sisters: Una Williams, Kathleen Rolle; Step Grand Children: Sharnice, Ramon, Amanda, Ashley, Christopher, India ; Brothers In law: Alkin (Donna), Walter and Christopher Delancy; Ulis Rolle; Sisters in law: Veronica Nita, Clarice, Judy and Wendy Kim Delancy; Keron (Jacinth) Clarke; Nieces: Cleopatra (Marco) Rolle, Rennee Major; Nephews: Kujiawa Williams, Marcian Thompson, Felipe Major, Troy McNeil, Brando Glinton, Ricardo Broomfield, Gregory Rahming; Grand Nieces and Nephews: Broc, Blair, Davida, Daren, Andronique, Brandica, Shaniqua, Andre, Shante, Julius, Gregory Jr, Kent, Kiffany; Cousins: George, Anthony and Pauline Capron, Delores (William) Morris, Janet Williams; Gladys Butler, Edwin Moncur; Dorothy Goldsmith, Eva Rolle, Cynthia Thompson, Irene Bain, Anthony Culmer; Other Relatives and Friends: The late Sybil Evans and family, Cedric Smith, Anthony Miller and Family; Millicent Thompson and family of Miami Florida, Jacques Cadet and family, Lorna Sands-Hunt and family, Providence Methodist Church family, Nassau Circuit of the MCCA, Bethel Robinson staff; Sunshine Twin Theatre staff; Wemyss Bight Association; Rose Close neighbourhood family, Okra Hill neighbourhood family; Special Thanks: Dr. Lisa Rolle-Smith; Nurses Cooper and Williams, and all the staff of the Flamingo Gardens Community Clinic; Female Medical Wards 1 and 2 of the Princess Margaret Hospital; We apologize for names not listed as there are too many to mention.

Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians and Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street on Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

PAGE 4, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Will the nation pass this test?

THE strongest action yet taken to curtail the spread of COVID-19 was announced yesterday by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis – the lockdown of Bimini for the rest of the month.

The island has been a hotspot for the virus, with two more cases yesterday bringing the total to 13 – and the lockdown is driven at least in part by islanders themselves calling for the move.

There are concerns of course about how it will operate – will people have enough food, will they have any medicine they are supposed to be taking, will it be properly monitored and so on.

Bimini residents themselves need no reminders of the danger of the virus – the first person to die from COVID-19 in The Bahamas was a Bimini woman.

They are also right in saying that beyond the lockdown itself there needs to be more widespread testing.

It is disconcerting to hear in response to concerns over food the comments of the island administrator, saying that “people have grown accustomed to having three meals a day, now we have to cut back and just ration”. This runs contrary to Dr Minnis’ promise that no Bahamian would go hungry.

With the lockdown starting on Monday, there are many questions for Bimini residents over how food will be supplied and what they need to do before the lockdown to get ready – particularly with Dr Minnis urging people to take measures now rather than waiting for the lockdown to start.

This is a moment the government must make sure they get right. This is a chance to stifle the virus in Bimini and bring to an end the community transmission.

The rush of people yesterday to receive $100 vouchers for food shows the need in the island – it was also an opportunity for the virus to transmit even further among those waiting.

Throughout this lockdown, residents need to be kept safe, kept fed and kept well. They need to be kept in touch with all that is being done to provide them

with their needs.

And when it is over, thorough testing needs to be done to ensure the lockdown has succeeded in its goal.

More than anything, people need to make this lockdown count – or else it’s all for nothing.

Safety should be our guide

When the Prime Minister revised the emergency orders to explicitly state that webshops could not open under the curbside or delivery rules, was it all for safety reasons?

We certainly hope so – but there seemed something more to it than that. Whatever your feeling on webshops, they are a legitimate business these days, and if they can operate in a way that keeps employees and customers safe, there is a fair question to be asked about why they shouldn’t be open.

After all, given the economic crisis hitting us at present, those employees are at least still in jobs. Money in the pocket means money to pay for food, to pay for bills, to keep the economic wheel turning.

Indeed, looking back to when food stores were open but liquor stores were closed, other than the product being purchased was there any significant difference in the environment for shoppers in those two?

Measures should always be directed by medical need, of course, and so unnecessary activity is the key – people need food, they don’t need beer, but you hope that is the only guide and there is no streak of puritanism in what is being allowed to reopen.

Whatever the business or service – be it webshops or churches, or any one of a thousand other businesses – the crucial part is whether they can operate safely and minimise the risk of transmission.

If they can do that, and show how they intend to do so, then being open for business keeps people in jobs.

Safety should be our one and only guide in this.

Power out at BPL EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT IS amazing that on Saturday past and just yesterday (Tuesday, 12th instant) there were islandwide power outages for hours on end without a coherent explanation from Bahamas Power & Light.

This in the midst of the corona pandemic is a sad indictment on the Minister with responsibility; the managers and directors at that crumbling entity.

While Minnis is waxing about how we should be grateful and how we should celebrate Mothers Day, he should detour from his abject ramblings and stop

by BPL for a pow-wow.

We are going from the sublime to the ridiculous.

How many more years until the next general elections?

Unapproved individuals getting on incoming flights; a bunch of people are “missing” from quarantine and no one knows where

they are.

This reminds me of the 100-odd detainees at the Detention Centre who went missing during Ingraham’s watch... they still have yet to be found.

This FNM government is damned good at having things disappear or go missing. Next should be that whole crew.

ORTLAND H BODIE, JR Nassau, May 14, 2020.

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Webshops economic vampires EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS is commonly known, the public health crisis brought on by the COVID19 pandemic has resulted in most of our economy being shut down.

As the government seeks to reopen parts of the economy, we take particular note of the uproar coming from the heartless owners of gambling houses after they were forced to close due to their brazen and presumptuous act of recommencing their gambling operations and bringing them outside in an attempt to continue their financial rape of poor and needy people.

In our view, they are economic vampires who are sucking the already low financial blood of poor people and legitimate businesses.

Sadly, though, the chickens have come home to roost because numbers gambling should never have been legalised in this country.

The Bahamian electorate overwhelmingly voted “No” to it, yet the Christieled PLP government forced it upon us, and our already poor communities have been plunged into deeper poverty as the merciless owners of these numbers houses amass wealth on the backs of poor and desperate people whose need and greed tempt them to gamble away the little that they have.

We applaud the government’s decision to the close gambling houses, but we go further and urge the government to shut them down permanently, if it can be done legally.

The undeniable truth

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net is that the presence of gambling houses in our communities will only deepen and lengthen the economic recession our country is in, and it will threaten any recovery gains made.

If the government cannot legally shut them down, we urge the government to tax them down in an attempt to pay for the financial harm they have inflicted on the poorest among us who gamble and for whom the government must provide the social safety net.

However, while we support and applaud the government’s decision to close gambling houses, we register our dismay and disappointment that the government didn’t likewise close liquor stores.

What is the rationale for allowing liquor stores to reopen in light of the prevailing evidence that it is inappropriate and unwise to do so in this COVID-19 pandemic?

In an April 14, 2020, website article titled, “Alcohol does not protect against COVID-19; access should be restricted during lockdown”, the World Health Organization Europe (WHO/Europe) gave guidance to governments regarding alcohol consumption that has been clearly and regrettably ignored by our government.

Specifically, the article notes the following: “Alcohol is known to be harmful to health in general, and is well understood to increase the risk of injury and violence, including intimate partner violence, and can

cause alcohol poisoning.

“At times of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviours, mental health issues and violence.

“WHO/Europe reminds people that drinking alcohol does not protect them from COVID-19, and encourages governments to enforce measures which limit alcohol consumption.”

Based on The Bahamas’ high incidence of alcohol abuse and addiction, domestic violence, and physical and sexual abuse, it is sad that the government has ignored sound advice and is aiding and abetting such horrific conduct by allowing liquor stores to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, we call upon the government to rethink that decision and close the liquor stores in the exact same way the gambling houses were closed.

Additionally, we also call upon the government to better regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol for the good of society as a whole beyond this pandemic.

Knowing that there are competing demands before the government as decisions are made regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we assure them of our ongoing prayers to have the courage to make the right decisions for the national good and not for a selected few.

Pastors Lyall Bethel, Cedric Moss, and Alfred Stewart Nassau, May 14, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 7

Discharge for man who visited pregnant girlfriend during curfew

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAGISTRATE discharged a man who was charged with violating the national curfew after the accused explained he only left his home to visit his pregnant girlfriend who was experiencing some difficulties.

He was among several people who appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes for curfew and lockdown infractions. Many of them admitted that they did not bother calling the COVID-19 hotline before they left their homes.

Tyrone Taylor, 21, was charged after officers found him on Ethel Street around 11.30pm on May 6.

He pleaded guilty, but told the magistrate that he had only left his house after his girlfriend called him and told him she was unwell.

He explained that his pregnant girlfriend was prone to vomiting and fainting so he left where he was to go and be with her. Taylor also said that he called 311 before he left, but they placed him on hold.

In response, Magistrate Forbes told the defendant that he understood why he made the effort to visit his girlfriend. Still, he told Taylor that he should exercise better judgment in the future and wait until he is given permission to leave his house.

Meanwhile, Rossccni Forbes, 31, was charged after officers found him on David Street, Fox Hill

around 11.15pm on May 13. He pleaded guilty, but said he was only outdoors because he had just come from dropping his mother home. He said that his mother worked at the Princess Margaret Hospital and she ended her shift at 11 o’clock that night.

He also said that he would usually call the COVID-19 hotline, but didn’t bother to that night because the officers on patrol were familiar with his car.

Forbes was charged with Dennis Rolle, 35, who was travelling with him that night. He also pleaded guilty to violating the curfew, but told the magistrate that he was outdoors because he was going to drop some canned goods and non-perishable items off to a single mother who needed some help.

During the hearing, Magistrate Forbes told both men that they could have avoided appearing in court if they had just followed protocol and got permission from the COVID-19 hotline before they left their homes. Forbes and Rolle were each fined $400 or three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

Officers found Eyevette Wilson, 27, on Sea Link Avenue around 1.15am on May 13. She pleaded guilty and was fined $300 or two months at BDCS. The prosecution said that morning, officers on mobile patrol in the Malcolm Road area saw Wilson lying in the street.

When they approached and questioned her, she failed to give them a satisfactory response to justify being outdoors. As a result, she was cautioned and charged.

When given an opportunity to speak, Wilson told the magistrate that she had left her house to drop something off to her little girl.

She also claimed that she could not call the hotline because she didn’t have a cellphone or a landline.

Wilson was also charged with causing public terror after she claimed she had COVID-19. She denied the allegation and the matter was adjourned to July 14 for trial. In the interim, Wilson was granted $500 bail.

Arjanae Humes, 24, and Jerome Kelly, 28, were charged after officers found them on Carmichael Road around 6.50am on May 9.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to violating the lockdown and were each fined $400 or three months in prison.

Benso Luberice, 39, and Louicce Justilien, 49, were also charged after they were found on Cowpen Road around 11.25am on May 2.

Prosecutor Kenny Thompson told the court during an interview with police at a nearby station that Luberice told the officers that he did not eat meat so he left his house to try and catch a fish. Sgt Thompson also said Justilien told the officers he left his house to go fishing.

They both pleaded guilty and were each fined $400 or three months at BCDS.

$1,000 FINE OR SIX MONTHS IN JAIL FOR DRUG POSSESSION

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 39-YEAR-OLD man was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine or face six months in prison for drug possession yesterday.

He was among several men who appeared in Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Andrew Forbes for drug-related offences. Many of those charged claimed they had bought the drugs for personal use.

Osborne Newbold was charged with two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to supply and one count of simple possession after he was found with Indian hemp, methamphetamine pills and assorted baked goods containing marijuana on May 12. He pleaded guilty to all of the charges and was given a $1,000 fine for all three counts or six months in prison, which the magistrate ordered to run concurrently.

Prosecutor Kenny Thompson said around 6.10pm that evening, officers, acting on information, went to the rear of Super Wash, Charles Saunders Highway where they observed a white Honda vehicle.

The officers beckoned for the car to stop and searched the driver and the vehicle in reference to dangerous drugs and firearms.

Sgt Thompson said while the officers were conducting the search, Newbold told them he only had weed in the front door of the vehicle. Still, officers found 19 grams of suspected marijuana, 19 methamphetamine pills, 11 cookies, seven cupcakes and one brownie which all had a “strong aroma of marijuana” coming from them.

Meanwhile, Johnross Minns, 30, was charged after he was found with eight foil wrappings containing suspected marijuana in Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera on May 12. He also pleaded guilty and was fined $300 or one month in prison.

During the hearing, he was represented by attorney Tamara Taylor-Storr who asked the magistrate not to impose a custodial sentence since her client had no previous convictions. She also noted that Minns was a father who was gainfully employed as a carpenter and said that having a drug charge on his record could make it difficult for him considering the current economic climate brought on by the COVID19 pandemic.

Cordell Evans, 20, who also hails from Eleuthera, was charged after he was found with Indian Hemp on March 17. He pleaded guilty and was placed on probation for six months.

Still, Magistrate Forbes warned Evans if he failed to comply with the conditions of his probation, he would be sentenced to three months in prison.

During the hearing, Evans was also represented by attorney Taylor-Storr.

She told the magistrate that Evans was remorseful for his actions and asked him to give the defendant a second chance to lead a productive life.

Ricardo Sweeting, 26, was charged after he was found with 20 grams of Indian hemp on May 13.

He pleaded guilty and was fined $400 or two months in prison.

Prosecutor Kenny Thompson told the court around 6.40 that evening, officers on mobile patrol observed the defendant walking. Sgt Thompson said

when Sweeting noticed the officers he pushed his hands in his pockets, pulled out a plastic bag and threw it to the ground before running away. The officers gave chase and arrested Sweeting. He was then taken to the Nassau Street Police Station where he denied the allegations in an interview with police.

During the hearing, Sweeting was represented by attorney Jomo Campbell.

He asked the magistrate to consider his client’s immediate guilty plea. He also noted that Sweeting and his family were embarrassed by his actions and insisted that the defendant understood the severity of the offence.

Kareem Lightbourne, 35, was charged after he was found with Indian hemp on May 12. The prosecution said around 9.01 that night, officers on static duty near the six-legged roundabout observed a group of males standing near the junction acting in a suspicious manner. They approached the men and informed them that they would be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms. It was at this time that the officers saw one of the suspects reach into his pocket and remove a plastic bag. The officers discovered 16 silver foil wraps each containing a quantity of suspected marijuana in the bag. When questioned, the defendant told the officers he had bought the drugs for $80 for personal use.

When given an opportunity to speak during the hearing, Lightbourne asked the magistrate for mercy and promised if he gave him another chance he would never see Lightbourne’s face again.

He pleaded guilty and was fined $400 or two months in prison.

PAGE 8, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Politics is a trail of M&Ms AS we saunter through the COViD-19 global pandemic, with social distancing protocols still in effect, nightly curfews and weekend lockdowns continuing. We saw things get even more interesting, with a complete two week, 24-hour island wide lockdown in Bimini, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames on the defensive and PLP chairman Fred Mitchell air the nation’s dirty laundry in Jamaica.

Let’s have a closer look inside this strange bag of M & M’s, before “Mattie” hits us with another “prophecy”. (Another M for you.)

MINNIS

It’s obvious Bimini is having its problems adhering to social distancing protocols, in addition to the national curfews and lockdowns.

To date, health officials have confirmed a total of 13 cases of COVID-19 on Bimini, making Bimini a very active “hotspot”.

Forcing Prime Minister Minnis to make another tough decision, in already tough times.

I’m no ‘Minnisite’ but I do believe in giving credit where credit is due.

All throughout this ordeal Minnis has been consistent, addressing

A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

the nation on time, even though he’s a bit long-winded in the process, Minnis tries his best to keep the nation informed and abreast of the ever-changing landscape of the global COViD-19 pandemic, and its impending affects on The Bahamas.

And, might I add, Doc has kept a stiff upper lip throughout, despite numerous faux pas from members of his Cabinet and certain branches of the FNM. Addressing the media, Minnis was to the point, fair and firm, regarding the situation in Bimini.

“This complete lockdown will take effect beginning, Monday, May 18, at 9pm until Saturday, May 30, at 12:00 midnight.

“This date will be extended to a total of 14 days when Parliament reconvenes.

“I note that similar lockdown periods were applied in other countries to help to control the spread of COVID-19

“This measure is absolutely necessary in order to save and to protect the lives of the residents of Bimini. Epidemiological management of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bimini requires strict adherence to shelter in place to prevent and to control the spread, which will worsen if preventative measures are not taken quickly and adhered to.”

Bimini has been classified as a COVID-19 hotspot by health officials.

This lockdown is being carried out to slow and control the spread of the virus on the island, as the first COVID-19-related death was recorded on Bimini.

Now if ‘Doc’ can be as consistent and fair, in disciplining his Cabinet, as he is in dealing with the COViD-19 pandemic, the nation would be off and running!

MARVIN

Speaking of consistency, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames, was

the model of consistency in defending members of his ministry.

In the first instance, Dames was quick to defend Debra Thompson, the lead investigator in the bribery case against former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson, despite her controversial promotion in rank to Superintendent, from Assistant Superintendent.

Dames’s offered these comments in regards to Thompson’s promotion.

“The Commissioner makes a recommendation as to who he would wish to recommend. That’s his force, I would’ve gone on record to speak about the officer in question who would’ve worked under me while I served and I have the utmost, I repeat, the utmost confidence in her integrity and her ability.”

In the second instance, Dames rightfully defended the RBPF against public criticism of their policing during the curfew and lockdowns.

Considering the numerous house parties with no social distancing protocols being practised, all the while being broadcast over social media.

In this case, I must agree with Dames, officers of the RBPF can’t be

everywhere at once during an island-wide curfew or lockdown.

Policing takes on a whole new complexion in precarious times like these, so it falls on us the citizenry to help bridge the gap, we are all in this together.

If you see house parties or large groups of people breaking the curfew and not practising social distancing protocols, simply call 311 and report the matter to the control room, and watch how fast the problem is solved.

And now that’s not considered ‘snitching’, it’s more like survival!

Finally there is another dubious area where Dames is also very consistent, crime statistics.

I’m often amazed, that without fail, if the nation has two or more murders in a week, Dames will make his signature announcement to the media like clockwork.

“Despite the recent spate of murders, crime is down in the country.”

How does that equate, four murders this month, but crime is down?

Who’s really helping you with your math logic, Marvin? Miriam from MICAL? (There’s two more bonus M’s for you by the way).

MITCHELL

I’m convinced PLP chairman Fred Mitchell is in love with the ‘politics’ of politics more than anything else.

Obviously missing the political spotlight, Mitchell took to the Jamaican media to air the nation’s ‘dirty laundry’.

Mr Mitchell was particularly candid in relation to the “Swab Scandal” and Dr Duane Sands’ subsequent resignation, and not to be forgotten, the FNM’s preferential treatment in relation to foreign residents.

Oh the irony, Mr Mitchell!

You can’t write it any funnier!

First of all, Mitchell should have never gone there, and secondly, I hope Mr Mitchell is aware that his international media tour has reset the standard in the local political arena.

The voting populace now expects for any PLP politician to resign immediately in the midst of scandals, à la Dr Sands.

And as far as preferential treatment for “foreign or paper Bahamians” (the FNM does leave a lot to be desired in this regard).

I have two words for you “Dread Fred” – Peter Nygard!

WHAT FDR’S PERSONAL CRUSADE TEACHES US ABOUT CRISIS LEADERSHIP

By THOMAS DOHERTY Professor of American Studies, Brandeis University

THROUGHOUT much of the last century, a lethal and terrifying virus besieged America. Then, as now, the fear of contagion gripped ordinary Americans. And then — unlike now — a President displayed decisive leadership in fighting the virus, maintaining an unfailingly good humour and leaving the immunology to the experts.

The scourge was infantile paralysis, or polio, and the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was its most famous victim. First clinically described in the late 19th century and persisting deep into the 20th century, the virus invaded the nervous system and destroyed the nerve cells that stimulate muscle fibres, resulting in irreversible paralysis and sometimes death.

The tally in heartbreak and death was staggering.

In “Polio: An American Story”, the historian David M Oshinsky chronicles the loss. In 1949, of the 428 cases recorded during an outbreak in San Angela, Texas, 84 victims — most of them children — were left paralysed and 28 died.

In 1946, there were 25,000 reported cases across the country. By 1952, the figure had jumped to 58,000.

Unlike the Spanish flu, whose special horror was to strike down the healthy in the prime of life, and COVID-19, which places the elderly at greatest risk, polio targeted children mainly, crippling and killing with what seemed an almost premeditated malice.

Always on the alert for symptoms, generations of parents felt a chill of their own when a child contracted a cold, complained of a headache or had a stiff neck.

In this sense, FDR was both a statistical anomaly and cautionary lesson. He

was stricken with the disease in 1921, at the age of 39, grim proof that wealth and privilege granted no immunity.

Against long odds, he was elected governor of New York in 1928 and, in 1932, to the first of four terms as President.

During his first presidential campaign, Republicans whispered that a wheelchair-bound “cripple” was unfit for the duties of the presidency.

“It is perfectly evident that you don’t have to be an acrobat to be President,” snarled Al Smith, the former New York governor.

FDR’S PERSONAL CRUSADE As President, FDR made the eradication of polio his personal business.

For media historians like myself, FDR has always been a towering figure for his prescient orchestration of electronic media — in this case, the radio — to forge his persona and further his policies. “My friends,” he would begin intimately, in his calming, conversational “fireside chats”. Less well known perhaps is his pioneering role as executive producer of a programming evergreen: the celebrity-driven fundraiser.

Beginning in 1934, he dedicated his birthday, January 30, to a nationwide series of charity galas and “birthday balls” held to benefit the Warm Springs Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, named for the polio treatment site in Georgia he had been visiting since 1924.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt — not just FDR’s strong right arm but his legs as well — typically took on hostess duties, circulating among the guests and hustling back and forth among ballrooms around the capital.

And what swell parties they were. The 1937 bash attracted 15,000 donors and lookie-loos angling to get a glimpse of the main attractions, MetroGoldwyn-Mayer stars Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor.

FDR called the money raised from the annual events his “finest birthday presents”, but he was not loath to accept other party favours.

“Surround me with pretty girls at the luncheon,” he instructed the organisers of the 1941 celebration — and he was seated between Lana Turner and Maureen O’Hara, as a bemused article in Variety magazine recalled in 1945.

In 1937, FDR announced the establishment of a new charity created expressly “to lead, direct and unify the fight on every phase of this sickness”. It was called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, but everyone knew it as the March of Dimes.

Radio and motion picture superstar Eddie Cantor coined the phrase in 1938.

He reasoned that even Depression-battered Americans wouldn’t begrudge a dime to a good cause.

Cantor’s annual March of Dimes variety shows were simulcast by all the major radio networks, featured the biggest entertainers of the day and set a template for every allstar telethon broadcast by radio’s successor.

“A little change from big people will mean a big change in little people!” chirped Molly of the radio duo Fibber McGee and Molly, the Hollywood Reporter reported in January 1942. Dime by dime, the campaigns raked in millions.

However, as with the victory over Japan and Germany in World War II, the conquest of polio was a surrender ceremony FDR

did not live to witness.

On

RARE photograph of Roosevelt in a wheelchair, with Ruthie Bie, the daughter of the caretaker at the Hyde Park estate he stayed at, and Roosevelt’s dog Fala (1941) April 12, 1945, he died of a stroke while visiting the Warm Springs spa.

Repurposed now as a fitting memorial to the late President, the March of Dimes campaign soldiered on. And, eventually, the medical research it supported paid off. On April 12, 1955, on the 10th anniversary of FDR’s death, the field trials for the oral vaccine developed by Dr Jonas Salk were declared a success. A wave of nationwide jubilation ensued.

In those days, there was no such thing as an anti-vaxxer: Almost every American knew someone who had been stricken. By the mid-1960s, together with a more easily administered oral vaccine introduced by Dr. Albert Sabin in 1961, polio had been effectively eliminated as a

public health menace in the US. It exists now only in isolated pockets in the poorest regions of developing nations.

Shortly after the success of the Salk vaccine, FDR’s fight against polio was given an elegiac salute in Dore Schary’s play “Sunrise at Campobello”, named after the island off the coast of New Brunswick where FDR was first stricken. It showed the late President as Americans never saw him — flat on his back, carried on a stretcher, falling on his face and crawling backwards up the stairs — before he reemerges to public life, in braces and crutches, at the 1924 Democratic Convention.

A generation of hardboiled theatre critics waxed sentimental at the portrait of a President

many had voted for four times.

A “deeply moving chronicle … of a vigorous man struck down by a terrible illness”, wrote Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times. “What rose from the invalid’s chair was greater than what had climbed into it.”

“Sunrise at Campobello” opened on Broadway on January 30, 1958 — the President’s birthday — and the film version premiered in New York on September 23, 1960, in time to give another patrician Democrat with liberal credentials then running for president a vicarious boost. The opening night’s proceeds from both the stage and screen versions were donated, of course, to the March of Dimes.

It was a reminder of the other great battle that FDR waged, in public and in private.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 9

Is it time to bite the bullet and sell Bank of The Bahamas?

By Diane Phillips THE time has come to And BOB was once a sell Bank of The Bahamas. source of funding for much More specifically, for the of the above, at one point majority shareholder, the having pumped more than Government of The Baha- $50 million into governmas, and in particular the ment coffers.

National Insurance Board, So crazy as it sounds, to sell its shares in BOB. BOB holds a sentimental There are a dozen rea- place in the hearts of many sons why the government Bahamians who say, ‘This is should offload the once my bank.” They line up as highly profitable and now if there were no such thing struggling BOB and allow as online banking. They a private sector group to deposit their dollars in a operate the financial insti- savings account. Their chiltution with an impressive dren save in a BOB piggy and loyal customer base. bank.

It’s not BOB’s performance For many who were or that dictates what financial are close to BOB, selling analysts largely concur are this strange mixture of busithe right next steps. State- ness and sentimental pride owned banks in general is anything but easy to conare getting a thumbs down template. I know. For many except in developing or years, my public relations newly emerging economies. firm represented Bank of The literature The Bahamas. is rife with For many who Hugh Sands academic was chairtreatises that were or are close man when reach similar to BOB, selling this we started conclusions with BOB at strange mixture in favour of the turn of of business and privatization the century. for state- sentimental Pauline Allenowned banks, pride is anything Dean was just especially in handing over cases where but easy to the Managthey compete contemplate. ing Director’s with com- I know. reins to Paul mercial banks McWeeney, and lenders. who steered Poorer countries depend the bank from one success on state-owned banks to to another until what we provide mortgages so the now call the Great Recespoorest can own a morsel sion of 2008. BOB chalked of the pie or state-owned up firsts leaving the compebanks shore up state-run tition in its wake. It was the economies. Dangers are first to offer trust services obvious. Developing or to Bahamians in B$, the emerging economies can first to offer a debit card, operate state-run banks for the first to host a mortgage political purposes and gain, fair, now considered run-ofas if they had their own the-mill and probably soon Monopoly board and could to be re-staged as virtual. go straight to Boardwalk.

BOB was the first commerAs countries develop cial bank to open a location and stand on their own two in South Florida, feet, they shed owning what First to partner with can be better governed and health care providers here operated by the private and abroad with a BOB sector without political Medline card that provided interference. for immediate entry and, Still, it is not a slam dunk in many cases, VIP treatfor BOB. We in The Baha- ment. It was also the first mas cling to our past and all-Bahamian bank to offer that includes our habits of private banking to its clidoing business as much as ents. It introduced the BOB what church or religious American Express platinum place of worship we attend. and was the first to recogWe think of ourselves as a nize the power of athletes first world nation, yet we like Olympic gold medalists own an airline, a challenged Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown and power company, a water Tonique Williams-Darling and sewerage operator, who later worked there in major hospitals, including HR. facilities for the elderly and And, as if a predictor of emotionally challenged. a digital world, BOB was

the first to produce a truly comprehensive website that included check imaging and automated payroll services.

Years later, it was the first bank in The Bahamas to offer mobile credit card terminals, As a client, BOB was exciting. its energy was like ideas on steroids. Exec, managers and support staff wore the BOB uniform with the kind of pride that folks working at Tesla or Google feel. It was cutting edge and it was fun. It was also, for many years, the most profitable commercial bank in The Bahamas, earning hundreds of millions for its owners, the government and the people of The Bahamas who were shareholders.

And then the economy tanked. Real estate soured.

Mortgages went unpaid.

Several large business loans that started out as good payers got in deeper

and deeper and less than a decade after the bank was winning award after international award it became a national liability. In late 2014, the Christie administration bailed it out with a $100m special purpose vehicle, Bahamas Resolve Ltd., to offload commercial debt that, if not collectible in its current stage, could ostensibly be redirected, and a business resurrected.

Instead of being the recipient of BOB dividends, government became the life raft that kept BOB afloat and out of insolvency.

Sure, the idea of Bahamas Resolve was interesting.

Take failing businesses or troubled debt-laden properties, find investors, sell them off and make them successful. The problem was that turnaround investors did not break down the door and the debt sat, effectively having shifted from one arm to another.

Just like 20-lb barbells, it weighed the same whether dragging down the left fist or the right.

Even $100m lighter, BOB was left dangling, its share price dropping to its lowest ever in recent days, far less than half of what it was at its highest with few takers.

No longer the shimmering light setting the pace, BOB is begging to be rescued and the only sensible rescue is a buy-out by a group of Bahamians. The government needs money, not debt, and should not be seen to be in a position of ‘requesting’ loans, nor leaning on a teetering structure for support while it pays a Canadian bank overdraft fees for handling its payroll.

Timing is important in any transaction and given the publication this week of BOB’s financials showing another quarter of stability with $2.3 million in net earnings over the past nine

months ending March 31, 2020, the bank is a more attractive offering than it may have been three years ago before it began to turn the corner. Whatever it faces as a result of COVID19, it does not face alone.

Consider the positives.

BOB, with over 40,000 accounts, has a strong customer base that would be likely to stay with the bank under new ownership. Its major shareholder, the National Insurance Board, would reap instant financial renumeration which it can sorely use. Ownership of a bank would deepen and broaden Bahamian participation in the economy and this government or whatever government takes the bold step of selling BOB will be one step closer to the right to call The Bahamas a first world nation.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go of what you love.

LET’S NEVER FORGET THESE REAL HEROES ON THE FRONTLINE

By LESLIE NEALBOYLAN Dean of the Solomont School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell NURSES are heroes of the COVID-19 crisis. This past Tuesday saw International Nurses Day, which commemorated the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the first “professional nurse”. The World Health Organization also named this year the “Year of the Nurse” in honour of Nightingale’s 200th birthday.

To nurses everywhere, this day and this year have great significance. Nurses, who are being recognized as heroes, have long awaited recognition as health care professionals in their own right and not ancillary to physicians. It’s wonderful to be recognized now in the context of coronavirus, but nurses have always been at the forefront – during war, epidemics and other times of disaster.

I have been a nurse for 40 years and a nurse practitioner for 17 of those years. An active clinician, researcher, scholar and educator, I currently serve as dean of the Solomont School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts

Lowell. Throughout my career, nurses have typically been relegated to a secondary role, and if mentioned at all, we are described as assisting doctors. Nurses today are still asked why they didn’t become doctors instead. Aren’t we smart enough?

Many people don’t realize that nursing and doctoring are entirely different professions with different purposes. We are proud to work alongside doctors and other health professionals, but we have never worked behind them. Not all nurses work at the bedside, but we all touch the lives of patients.

Many nurses have doctoral degrees. They conduct research that advances the quality of patient care.

Nurses change health care policy. For example, nurses play a significant role in health care reform and advise Congress on proposed health care rules and regulations. They also guide organizations regarding health care technology and care coordination and sit on executive boards of health care organisations. Nursing is both an art and a science.

The role of the nurse has evolved, but some things haven’t changed. Nurses have always cared for the sick, the well and the dying.

We promote health and prevent illness. We interpret what is happening so that patients understand it. We are there for the entire patient experience from birth to old age, from wellness to illness, and throughout age and illness toward a peaceful and dignified death.

OUR HISTORY PROVIDES MANY EXAMPLES In 1854, Florence Nightingale brought 38 volunteer nurses to care for soldiers during the Crimean War. The cause of the conflict focused on the rights of Christians in the Holy Land and involved Russia, the Ottoman Empire, France, Sardinia and the United Kingdom. Male nurses provided care as far back as the Knights Hospitaller in the 11th century. But prior to Nightingale’s involvement, male and female nurses consisted of untrained family members or soldiers who cared for the ill and infirm.

Nightingale was the first to organise nurses and provide standardised roles and responsibilities for the profession. As such, she

is credited with founding modern professional nursing. She was also an expert statistician, collecting data on patients and what did and didn’t work to make them better. Nightingale and her nurses improved sanitation, hygiene and nutrition. They provided care and comfort. Their work had a major impact on the survival of soldiers.

The American Civil War in the 1860s brought thousands of trained nurses to the battlefront, risking their lives to care for soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

The most famous were Dorothea Dix, an advocate for indigenous populations and the mentally ill; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross; and Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women”.

Nurses again answered the call with the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, rushing from all over the country to Tennessee. The epidemic ultimately killed 18,000 people, and many nurses died while caring for the sick.

The US recruited more than 22,000 trained nurses to treat Americans overseas and back at home from 1917 to 1919 during World War I. The war brought death from combat to about 53,000 Americans, while

about 40 million civilians and military died worldwide. Time after time, nurses have left the warmth, comfort and safety of their homes to care for others.

Nurses were also among the millions who died from the 1918 influenza pandemic. Fifty million people died worldwide. This pandemic is probably most comparable to what we are experiencing today with COVID-19. But epidemics, such as polio, off and on from 1916 to 1954; the global pandemic of influenza A, 1957-1958; swine flu, 2009-2010; Ebola, 20142016; and Zika, 2015-2020, have also required constant nursing care.

I remember the AIDS pandemic, which began in 1981. I was a visiting nurse and saw many patients in their homes, from homeless shelters to penthouse apartments. Everyone suffered not only because of the physical and mental effects of the disease but also because of the stigma.

People, even their families, were afraid to touch patients, kiss them or be near them. It was a lonely time for these patients. I watched them deteriorate and die. Nurses were often the only ones to hold the hands of these patients, so they wouldn’t die alone.

Nurses were also there during 9/11. They were among the courageous first responders who risked their lives to save others.

Many have chronic diseases because of their exposure to Ground Zero.

Every year, nurses are voted first among the professions the public trusts the most, according to Gallup. We work hard to earn and maintain that trust. You will find us caring for people in their homes, in public health departments, in nursing homes and skilled care facilities, in rehabilitation hospitals, in prisons and correctional institutions, caring for the mentally ill and providing health care advice over phones and computers. Nurses work wherever there are people.

What do we ask in return? It’s simple. We don’t consider ourselves heroes, but we do deserve respect.

Public images of the nurse in a sexy uniform or as a handmaiden to a doctor are wrong and insulting. We are professionals. Once the COVID-19 crisis is over, please don’t forget that we are always here for you.

Always have been. Always will be.

• Originally published on theconversation.com

PAGE 10, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

GRAHAM WON’T CALL OBAMA TO ANSWER PROBE

SENATE Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said yesterday that his committee is opening a wide-ranging inquiry into the Russia investigation, but rejected President Donald Trump’s call to bring in former President Barack Obama to testify.

“I am greatly concerned about the precedent that would be set by calling a former president for oversight,’’ said Graham, a South Carolina Republican and staunch Trump ally. “No president is above the law. However, the presidency has executive privilege claims against other branches of government.’’

Graham noted the surprising nature of his announcement, saying: “To say we are living in unusual times is an understatement.”

The U.S. has a sitting president accusing the former president “of being part of a treasonous conspiracy to undermine his presidency,’’ Graham said.

“We have the former president suggesting the current president is destroying the rule of law” by dismissing a case against Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. “All of this is occurring during a major pandemic.”

The Judiciary Committee will first delve into the Justice Department’s decision to dismiss its prosecution of Flynn, as well as actions by the Obama administration to view Flynn’s name in intelligence reports during the Russia probe, Graham said.

BURR STEPS DOWN AS FBI INVESTIGATES A REPUBLICAN senator became further entangled in a deepening FBI investigation as agents examining a well-timed sale of stocks during the coronavirus outbreak showed up at his home with a warrant to search his cellphone.

Hours later, Sen Richard Burr of North Carolina stepped aside as chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, calling it the “best thing to do”. Burr has denied wrongdoing.

“This is a distraction to the hard work of the committee and the members, and I think that the security of the country is too important to have a distraction,” Burr said. He said he would serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in 2023. He is not running for reelection.

The search warrant marked a dramatic escalation in the Justice Department’s investigation into whether Burr exploited advance information when he unloaded as much as $1.7m in stocks in the days before the coronavirus caused markets to plummet.

The search warrant immediately affected the standing inside Congress of the Republican, who has earned bipartisan support for leading a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign — work that sometimes rankled President Donald Trump and his supporters.

A spokesman for Sen Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she was asked “some basic questions” by law enforcement about sales her husband made and had voluntarily answered questions.

A spokesperson for Republican Sen Kelly Loeffler, a new lawmaker from Georgia who records show sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock in late January and February, said no search warrant had been served on her, and that Loeffler “has followed both the letter and spirit of the law and will continue to do so”.

JASON ANTOS, an advanced EMT for Rescue Inc, puts a COVID-19 testing swab up the nasal passage of Anya Wolfe, of Wardsboro, Vt, during a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic at the Brattleboro Union High School’s parking lot yesterday.

Photo: Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP

Hospitals struggle to keep up as lockdowns begin to lift SILVER SPRING, Md Associated Press FROM a hospital on the edge of the Navajo Nation to the suburbs of the nation’s capital, front-line medical workers in coronavirus hot spots are struggling to keep up with a crushing load of patients while lockdown restrictions are lifting in many other parts of the US. Governors are starting to slowly reopen some segments of their local economies, pointing to evidence that COVID-19 deaths and new hospitalisations are peaking or starting to recede in their states.

But a government whistleblower warned Thursday that the US faces its “darkest winter in modern history” unless leaders act decisively to prevent a rebound of the virus.

While many state and local officials see modest signs of progress in the pandemic fight, coronavirus outbreaks are testing public health networks in pockets of the US. Among them is a suburb of Washington, DC. The head of a hospital system in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, a majority black community bordering the city, said the area’s intensive care units “are bursting at the seams”.

Meanwhile, a civil rights group’s lawsuit claimed the county’s jail failed to stop an “uncontrolled” coronavirus outbreak and isolated infected prisoners in cells with walls covered in feces, mucus and blood.

“I would say we are the epicentre of the epicentre,” said Dr Joseph Wright, interim CEO of University of Maryland Capital Region Health.

The hospital in Gallup, New

Mexico, is on the front lines of a grinding outbreak on the Navajo Nation that recently prompted a ten-day lockdown with police setting up roadblocks to discourage non-emergency shopping.

Medical workers last week staged a protest over inadequate staffing and to urge the CEO of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital to resign. The departure last week of the hospital’s lung specialist has limited its ability to treat COVID19 patients, as people with acute respiratory symptoms are transported to Albuquerque some two hours away. About 17 nurses were cut from the hospital’s workforce in March, at least 32 workers have tested positive for the virus and its intensive care unit is at capacity.

“My staff is physically exhausted, emotionally exhausted and they are suffering from moral injury,” chief nursing officer Felicia Adams said.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Rick Bright, a vaccine expert who alleges he was ousted from a high-level scientific post after warning the Trump administration to prepare for the pandemic, told a congressional panel that the US lacks a plan to produce and fairly distribute a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available.

Asked by lawmakers if Congress should be worried, Bright, who wore a protective mask while testifying, responded: “Absolutely.”

President Donald Trump dismissed Bright in a tweet Thursday as “a disgruntled employee”. The White House has launched what it calls “Operation Warp Speed” to quickly produce, distribute

and administer a vaccine once it becomes available.

Bright’s testimony follows a warning earlier in the week from Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, that rushing to lift restrictions could “turn back the clock” and lead to more suffering and death, complicating efforts to get the economy rolling again.

The US has the largest coronavirus outbreak in the world by far: more than 1.4 million infections and nearly 85,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 4.4 million and killed more than 300,000. Experts say the actual numbers are likely far higher.

The pressure is on to staunch job losses in the US after unemployment soared to 14.7% in April, the highest since the Great Depression. Another nearly three million applied for unemployment benefits last week as more companies slashed jobs.

Roughly 36 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the country in the two months since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their work forces, the US Labor Department said yesterday.

Many states are lifting lockdowns, leading to tentative resumptions of commerce, but there are frustrations among some people still living under strong restrictions. In Michigan, hundreds of people angry over Democratic Gov Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order, some of them armed, rallied in heavy rain outside the state Capitol on Thursday, while about 500 people

protested outside the residence of Minnesota Gov Tim Walz.

But elsewhere, Richmond, Virginia, opted out of the state’s gradual reopening for now due to an increase in cases and its large minority population, and Kansas’s governor delayed reopening bars and bowling alleys.

Even in places that have relaxed restrictions, hospitals continue to operate on an emergency footing.

Georgia provided a network of hospitals with extra nurses so exhausted employees could take some time off and recover. The Northeast Georgia Health System, which operates four hospitals, is still struggling to buy the disposable protective gowns it needs. It has assigned workers to collect and sanitise suits so they can be reused, and community volunteers are sewing gowns and masks.

“That’s our most critical need,” said Tracy Vardeman, the health system’s chief strategy officer.

“We’re going through as many as 6,000 a day.”

The system’s largest hospital serves a county at the epicenter of the state’s poultry industry. About one-third of Hall County’s 200,000 residents are Hispanic or Latino, a demographic that has accounted for up to 60% of the system’s COVID19 patients. Officials are taking virus testing to a grocery store in the heart of the Hispanic community.

“I think there is increasing realisation that this is a severe issue and we cannot take it lightly,” said Dr Antonio Rios, a leader of the hospital system’s affiliated physicians’ group.

THREE MILLION MORE LAYOFFS PULLING THE PLUG ON NEARLY three million laid-off workers applied for US unemployment benefits last week as the viral outbreak forced more companies to slash jobs even though most states have begun to let some businesses reopen.

Roughly 36 million people have now sought jobless aid in just the two months since the coronavirus first forced businesses to close down and shrink their workforces, the government said Thursday. An additional 842,000 people applied for aid last week through a separate program for self-employed and gig workers.

All told, the figures point to a job market gripped by its worst crisis in decades and an economy that is sinking into a deep downturn.

The pace of new applications for aid has declined over the past several weeks but is still four times the record high that prevailed before the coronavirus struck hard in March.

The waves of job cuts have heightened concerns that additional government aid, on top of the nearly $3 trillion already allocated, is necessary to sustain the economy.

Without another aid package, many economists worry that thousands of small businesses will go bankrupt, leaving

DISTANCE LEARNING

A WOMAN looks at signs at a store closed due to COVID-19 in Niles, Illinois.

Photo: Nam Y Huh/AP millions of the unemployed expressed skepticism about with no job to return to. And approving much more spendstate and local governments, ing now. That sentiment has facing huge revenue short- alarmed some economists.

“There really isn’t any falls, could be forced to lay off millions more workers sign that the labour market is bottoming out yet,” said and cut services.

Federal Reserve Chair Daniel Zhao, senior econJerome Powell this week omist at Glassdoor, the stressed his belief that career website.

The Trump administraCongress should consider providing additional rescue tion insists that as states more Amerimoney to avoid prolonging reopen, cans will shop, dine out an economic catastrophe.

Republicans in Congress and resume other activiare locked in a standoff with ties, thereby stimulating Democrats, who have pro- the economy. But early posed trillions more in aid. data suggests it is fear Republican leaders say they of contracting the virus, want to first see how the even more than shutdown previous rescue packages orders, that may be impairaffect the economy and have ing the economy.

AFTER the Chattahoochee County school district called an early end to the school year, seniors lined up one day last week to complete their graduation paperwork. Students who hadn’t seen each other since in-person classes ended abruptly in March amid the coronavirus outbreak commiserated over all they’ve missed out on, including the prom and a senior class trip.

Some also wondered about what they may have lost academically.

“Honestly, remote learning, I don’t think was my favorite thing,” said 18-year-old Isabella Branson. “It’s kind of hard to stay motivated when you don’t have anything to look forward to and you don’t see your friends.”

The small district in rural Georgia is among many around the US that have pulled the plug on distance learning, all citing familiar reasons. It’s too stressful, the lack of devices and internet access is too much to overcome, and what students get from it just isn’t worth the struggle.

In Georgia, where the school year is ending early for one of every ten students, many district leaders say the final weeks of the school year would have been dedicated anyway to preparing for and taking standardised tests that are now canceled. The governor and state schools superintendent who have moved to dismantle parts of Georgia’s high-stakes testing system have said they are not opposed to fewer instructional days.

“We didn’t cut any class time out,” Chattahoochee County High School Principal Josh Kemp said.

“There was no reason to pile more on our parents and students.”

But Kemp and others also acknowledge that there was material that wasn’t covered and that teachers will have to find a way to fold it in next year for returning students. “They weren’t able to get all the standards,” said Tammy Bailey, the science department chair at the high school. “I think there will be a gap.”

SPORTS SECTION E

PAGE 15

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

Bain’s jersey, shoes in Hall of Fame

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

I

t’s not every day that a Bahamian basketball player gets to hit a momentous, gamewinning shot for his team to pull off one of the biggest upsets in college basketball. The performance was so significant that Nathan Bain will get his Stephen F Austin Lumberjack jersey and tennis shoes donated to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The purple number 23 jersey and the size 15 Under Armor black tennis worn

by Bain when SFA beat Duke 85-83 in overtime on November 26, 2019, was shipped off to Springfield, Massachusetts, to be on display in the Hall’s museum, which is currently closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rewind to the historic performance with seconds left in overtime when Gavin Kensmil grabbed a lose ball and tossed it to Bain. All the Grand Bahamian native did was race down court to their basket to score the buzzer-beating layup, snapping Duke’s 150-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents.

Fast forward to last week in Nacogdoches, Texas when Bain presented the team outfits to head coach Kyle Keller, who said “it is like the gift that keeps on giving. Hopefully that game will live forever. It is a memorable thing,” as he agreed with Bain to present the items to Hall of Fame.

For Bain, who continued to make headline news when he established a GoFundMe page to help his family, including his father basketball coach Norris and mother Ashell Bain, raise over $150,000 to assist them after the destruction left behind by Hurricane Dorian last year, said he’s delighted to be a part of history. “They had called and my coach told me that they had requested it since the game against Duke,” he told The Tribune. “It was the first time in years that Duke had been beaten by home, so they wanted to put a piece of the game inside the Hall of Fame.”

What startled Bain was the fact that he was considered for the honour. “It’s not every day that anyone gets to go into any Hall of Fame, which means the Naismith Hall of Fame,” Bain said. “They could have picked anybody on our team, so to be honoured by going into the Hall of

Fame is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Through a video presentation at SFA, Bain made the presentation to Keller, who shipped it off to Massachusetts. While Keller is not sure how the jersey

and shoes will be added to the display, Bain said he’s looking forward to adding a trip to Massachusetts to his bucket list to “view it.”

Keller, by the way, has been to Massachusetts before. He went there in 2017 when his former boss

Bill Self was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Keller is expected to return this fall when another one of his former bosses, Eddie Sutton, is inducted.

But no doubt, he’s looking forward to seeing a part of the history he helped to

create with Bain when his items are put on display.

It’s something that Bain said “you don’t think about when you are playing, so I’m just glad that I did it, especially in my final year at Stephen F Austin.”

This was Bain’s final year at Stephen F Austin as he prepares for his virtual graduation ceremony on May 30 as he receives his degree in kinesiology with a minor in health science.

The 25-year-old, who stands at 6-feet, 5-inches and is a 205-pound forward, is also gearing up for his future as a player and a family man.

“Right now, everything is on hold, so I’m just trying to stay busy,” said Bain about his next step in the sport.

“I’ve talked to a few agents who are working on getting me a deal overseas. I have to sign with one of them at some point.”

Back on Senior Night at SFA on March 7, Bain officially proposed marriage to his girlfriend, American Lyndsee Lemacks, who gladly accepted and now they are planning a July wedding. Although they have a specific date, he indicated that as a couple, they have scheduled a ceremony in Texas and another in Grand Bahama so all of their family and friends can share in the occasion.

Mackey Jr named EBA’s Eurobasket Player of the Year

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN pro basketball player Willis Mackey Jr received leaguewide recognition for a standout rookie season in Spain.

Mackey is based in Salamanca, Spain and plays for Aquisima Carbajosa of the Liga Española de Baloncesto Aficionado, commonly known as Liga EBA. He was named the EBA’s Eurobasket Player of the Year, Import Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and was an All-EBA 1st Team selection.

Mackey led the club with 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

“I just feel blessed. That’s just an honour just to be recognised on that stage and to be recognised at the top of the league, as the best player in the entire league and in the whole country. There are hundreds of players that could have been chosen,” Mackey said. “Thank you to Eurobasket for the awards.

Thank you to my coaches, thank you to my organisation for making my first pro season a success, making me so comfortable and making me feel at home even though I’m 5,000, 6,000 miles away.”

Mackey made his pro debut last October with 20 points and nine rebounds against La Antigua. He posted four double doubles on the season highlighted by 31 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in a November matchup against Chatanda.

“Before every game I say a prayer and I ask for strength for stamina. I just ask regardless of what is going on in the game, that I find a way to make the right play. I think I did that.

“I always say it’s not just about scoring, I realised what matters most is the success of your team,” Mackey said.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. I played with some excellent people this season and some people that will be more friends forever. I’ve been playing organised

BAHAMIAN pro basketball player Willis Mackey Jr. basketball a little over six years now, this is something I didn’t expect and also something that is humbling.

I’ve always had love and support and my family and my closest friends around me. I’m not where I want to be but this is just a good

reminder that I’m on the right path in a way. A lot of times you question what’s going on in your life, you question if it is the right path you should be taking, you question your decision, this is just a way of saying ‘you made the right

choice. You put your head down and you work and you don’t have to worry about anybody else. Your mouth doesn’t have to say a word, just when they look up at that scoreboard let them feel your presence then, that’s the attitude I’ve always had.”

Currently in Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. has recorded over 229,000 active cases and over 27,100 deaths.

“I haven’t been outside many times since the lockdown started, just a couple of times to go to the store, get some snacks and stuff.

The club has been providing us with meals so we don’t have too many reasons to go outside. Things are obviously not the same,” he added.

Mackey said in April: “It’s clearly a serious situation with [the number of cases] out here in Spain right now...

“I’m doing fine, just staying inside listening to what everyone has to say. My advice is to stay inside, take what the officials are saying

seriously and just keep your family safe.”

A season of milestones for Mackey also included his debut as a member of the Bahamas’ senior men’s national team.

In the latest window of FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers the team emerged with a dominant win over Mexico in February.

The Bahamas allowed just eight points in the third and led by as much as 23 en route to a 76-59 win at the Atlantis resort to even the series at 1-1.

The Bahamas is currently second in Group D at 1-1 with the advantage over Mexico on point differential. The USA leads the Group at 2-0 while Puerto Rico is 0-2. The Bahamas will continue to play in Group D on November 27 against the United States in game one of the second window.

He entered pro basketball following a senior season for the Northwestern Ohio Racers when he averaged 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a senior.

IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ‘THANK GOD FOR GAME REPLAYS ON YOUTUBE’ AS we continue to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, and things slowly return to normalcy, pro sports continue to remain sidelined, leaving sports fans with nothing of substance to fill the sports void.

Thank God for game replays on YouTube - if not for them, Sandilands would have had a new resident by now.

WE GOT YOUR ‘DAK’ Relax Cowboys fans, the Cowboys signing Andy Dalton to a one-year deal, with $3m guaranteed, has no affect on the Cowboys signing starting QB Dak Prescott to a long term extension.

According to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, the Cowboys deal with Dalton was purely to upgrade the franchise’s back up QB position.

Jones discussed Prescott’s contract talks last week Wednesday on 105.3 The Fan, with ESPN’S Ed Werder.

“Dak is the quarterback of our franchise now, and for many years to come. We’ve gotta get his contract - we’ve gotta get over that hurdle. But we’ll do it, it’ll ultimately get ELAYA done.”

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZ Dallas placed the franchise tag on Prescott, but the two sides have been unable to agree “Greater availability of teston a long-term deal. ing is a must; players will need to undergo regular tests and daily LET’S PLAY BALL According to Ken Rosenthal temperature checks to ensure the of Fox Sports and The Athletic, infection of one team member Major League Baseball will offer does not require an entire club to a proposal to the MLB Play- shut down.

“A vaccine will not be ready in ers Association in short order, regarding the beginning of the time for this season, and maybe 2020 season, which has been not even next season, creating delayed because of the COVID- potential issues for 2021.

“But the development of 19 pandemic.

(The New York Post and medicines to effectively treat ESPN also confirmed Rosenthal’s COVID-19 would reduce the health risks, and if the numbers report.)

Rosenthal explained a few of trend in the right direction, the the potential road blocks in jump sport might push forward with a shortened season and adjust as starting the 2020 MLB season.

THE

PRESS BOX

needs be. Make no mistake, adjustments will be warranted.”

“Nonetheless, we are a whole lot closer to resuming pro sports than we were before, and for that I’m grateful.

I LOVE L.A. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported recently that the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting May 16 as the day to reopen their practice facility under the NBA’s protocol.

The Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said: “It’s not really anything we can control. When it’s safe and appropriate for us to get back in our building we’ll do so at that time.

There’s a handful of teams around the league that are going to be back on the 8th, most of them will not. We’ll continue to see how things progress next week.”

If the season resumes, the Lakers (49-14), who sit in first place in the Western Conference,

will be allowed to continue its bid for an NBA championship.

If the campaign is cancelled though, there could be some big changes with the Lakers’ roster, leaving several important questions regarding the roster to be answered.

The hottest question in the NBA is whether Anthony Davis will decline his player option for 2020-21 and become an unrestricted free agent?

Or Could Kyle Kuzma end up on the trade block?

Those should be the hottest topics out of Hollywood all off season long.

I’ve got my popcorn ready and my beers on ice, this could get really interesting.

Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1.

PAGE 12, Friday, May 15, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Michael Jordan’s daughter learns more about her dad

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press JASMINE Jordan is getting an intimate look into the psyche of her heralded father, Michael, just like the rest of the world. The 27-year-old wasn’t born when her dad won the first two of his six championships with the Chicago Bulls, so like many watching “The Last Dance,” there are some things she’s learning for the first time.

“I’m definitely texting him nonstop. I think there hasn’t been an episode, a Sunday where I haven’t been like, ‘This happened - let me know your thoughts,’” says the youngest and only daughter of his three adult children with Juanita Vanoy. (Jordan has 6-year-old twin girls with current wife Yvette Prieto Jordan.) “I was super young, so I’m really taking this in as a fan.”

The 10-part docuseries, airing on ESPN in the United States and on Netflix elsewhere, details the 1998 Bulls’ season, Jordan’s

final year with the team and the organisation’s last championship. While it focuses on the challenges and triumphs of Jordan’s illustrious basketball career, it also delves into personal tragedies, such as the murder of his father, and scandal, such as his public gambling habits.

The Associated Press talked with Jasmine Jordan about growing up as his child, his legacy, and what can turn one of the most intimidating players in the history of basketball turn into Silly Putty. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

AP: Everybody’s been going crazy over “The Last Dance.” What’s been your perspective?

Jordan: It’s been incredible to watch. You know, I didn’t get any previews or anything like that, so I’m watching it real time with everyone else and really just taking it in as a fan, essentially. So it’s been really eye opening. I think if you remove the basketball aspect and all the

accolades he achieved for obvious reasons, I think I’m definitely learning that my dad was really trying to take in the pressures and the expectations and not allowing it to weigh on him and really manifesting it to his own. ...I’ve definitely been seeing him really take on that role and embracing that role and not running from it and really becoming the greatest player to ever play the game. That’s because he always wanted to do that.

AP: When you see some of those like emotional moments, do you recognise that person as your dad?

Jordan: Some of them, yes. Some of them I do.

I know when it comes to the game, his passion is unmatched. His energy’s unmatched. So when he’s going at Steve Kerr or checking Scottie and trying to get that fire and tenacity out of them, I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s Dad.’ I mean, he’ll do that to me just so I can get an A out of a test or two. (laughs) And I’m just trying to pass school, I’m not even winning

championships. So that is definitely totally him.

AP: What type of father was he to you?

Jordan: I was definitely a daddy’s girl growing up.

And, you know, he still calls me ‘Princess’ to this day and I’m almost 30. ... He definitely wanted to coddle and protect and nurture and baby me as much as he can. But you also knew the harsh reality of the burden that I was going to have to endure the older I got. So he wanted to make sure I had tough skin. And I understood that, hey, there’s going to be a target on my back.

AP: How did your relationship, or did it, change after your dad retired?

Jordan: When he was playing, he did his best to be as involved as he could be while I was growing up.

He made sure to take me to school when he could or go to my recitals and dance and things like that that I was a part of. So once he retired, it definitely was a change in gears, and it was something that he and I really had a conversation

about. It’s like, “OK, you’re done. So how do we work on the relationship? How do we even make it stronger than what it was like?” So we definitely really worked hard and put forth that effort because obviously once you take something you love away from somebody, it’s that hole — it’s a void. So do you fill it or do you just adjust? He definitely adjusted versus trying to find something else to fill it, and that’s something I appreciated. … That’s how we’re so close today.

AP: What type of grandfather has he been to your son?

Jordan: He’s Silly Putty.

My son has him wrapped around his fingers already.

He’s been very hands on and very involved in my son, even during these crazy times.

He FaceTimes everyday or Zoom or something just so that way, that relationship can continue to cultivate and bond and grow. But no, my dad would probably let my son get away with murder at this point. … It’s an incredible

JASMINE JORDAN (AP) relationship to see them develop.

AP: I’m surprised your dad has been this open, just being a fan. So are you surprised at his candor and his openness?

Jordan: Absolutely.

It’s definitely surprising because my father is very private. He doesn’t like to comment on social matters or he doesn’t like to respond to things when people want him to. He definitely likes to move methodically on his terms and on his time.

And then with saying that, seeing the documentary unfold and he’s getting emotional and he’s sharing his insight and perspective, it’s been incredible to really see. And I love it because it gives him that human nature that I think people forget. You know, he is this incredible phenom, and he’s the G.O.A.T., and everything along those lines. But he’s also human.

OLYMPIC BASKETBALL QUALIFYING FOR TOKYO GAMES RESCHEDULED

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer THE final four men’s basketball spots in the 12-nation field for the Tokyo Olympics will be decided next summer, the sport’s global organising body said yesterday.

It remains unclear, however, if those spots will be earned while an NBA season is happening or if NBA players will be able to take part. FIBA has pushed back the dates for the four remaining qualifying tournaments to June 29 through July 4, 2021, meaning they would end 19 days before the

rescheduled start of the delayed Tokyo Olympics. The host nations — Canada, Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia — are unchanged.

But if the 2020-21 NBA season starts later than usual, which is a distinct possibility because of the coronavirus pandemic, that might mean some players — such as Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets — might be busy with playoff games at the same time. And under normal circumstances, NBA free agency would conflict with those dates as well.

Typically, the NBA has not stopped during international qualifying windows for events like the World Cup and the Olympics. Also, the NBA has never seen the finals go past June 25 in any season, but if next season is delayed that could be possible.

“Representing your country is one of the greatest honours in sport,” Canada Basketball President and CEO Glen Grunwald said. “I know our players will see the challenge ahead of them next summer as one small opportunity to recognise the daily sacrifices of all the frontline workers who

are keeping our country safe and operating during this pandemic.”

There are eight men’s teams already in the Olympics: Japan, Nigeria, Argentina, Iran, France, World Cup champion Spain, Australia and the US, which has won the last three Olympic gold medals. Japan qualified automatically as the Olympic host; the other seven qualified based on their results at last summer’s Basketball World Cup. Besides the host nations for the qualifiers, the 20 other countries that will complete for those last four spots are Slovenia, Angola,

Senegal, Mexico, Uruguay, China, Korea, Greece, Russia, Brazil, Italy, Puerto Rico, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, New Zealand and Tunisia.

There are six teams at each qualifying tournament, split into a pair of three-team groups at each site. Teams in the same group will play each other once to determine two semifinalists from each side. Those four teams will play a single-elimination tournament to decide the winner, and each of the four winners will get an Olympic berth.

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Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 13

Extra innings: Baseball head pitches Olympics to MLB, again

By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — Baseball. In Japan. At the Olympics.

For World Baseball Softball Confederation president Riccardo Fraccari, it seems like such a sure home run that he can’t even imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to be involved.

No wonder the refusal of Major League Baseball and its players’ association to send top stars to the Tokyo Games has frustrated Fraccari for years.

Now, with the Olympics postponed for a full year because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the current MLB season on hold, Fraccari has the unexpected opportunity to make one final pitch to the sport’s biggest league.

“Considering the damages from the coronavirus, baseball needs the Olympics now more than ever to boost the sport’s globalization, expansion and mass appeal,” Fraccari said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

“We need to make sure our sport doesn’t get trampled over by other sports that are becoming more popular with younger audiences,” Fraccari said from Switzerland. “The coronavirus is going to make us understand how important the Olympics are for baseball and softball.”

The only MLB players permitted to play in the Premier12 tournament last year were those not on 40-man rosters. Not surprisingly considering the rules, the United States finished fourth and failed at its first chance to qualify for the Olympics.

MLB, the union and USA Baseball changed the rule in February and

WORLD Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari, right, accompanied by Japanese baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, left, and Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki, speaks to the media at a press conference in Tokyo on August 7, 2015.

(AP Photo/Ken Aragaki) said players not on 26-man active rosters or injured lists would be eligible for an Americas qualifying tournament that had been scheduled for Arizona in March before being postponed indefinitely because of the virus.

But teams that want to block players have claimed in the past they are unavailable because of nagging injuries. In addition, MLB teams imposed pitch limits on their players who went to the Premier12.

While Fraccari wasn’t interested in debating whether MLB teams were unfairly preventing their players from taking part in qualifying, he noted that “it won’t be good” for the sport if the US team doesn’t make it to Tokyo.

He added that he is waiting for the “right moment” before talking to MLB. And Fraccari isn’t alone: Former National League MVP Bryce Harper recently called it a “travesty” that MLB refuses to

send its top players to the Olympics.

“You’re going to grow the game as much as possible and you’re not going to let us play in the Olympics because you don’t want to (lose) out on money for a two-week period?” Harper said on the Barstool Sports podcast.

“OK, that’s dumb.”

With the World Baseball Classic pushed back from 2021 to 2023, the Tokyo Games represent the sport’s only major international competition for several years.

“Why does soccer want to be in the Olympics?

It’s obvious: because the Olympics — despite everything — is still the biggest event on the planet,” Fraccari said. “(The Olympics) is going to help revive the profile of baseball worldwide.”

The 2008 Beijing Games marked the last time that men’s baseball and women’s softball were contested at the Olympics, after

the IOC voted in 2005 to remove them.

As separate bids, the two sports failed to return for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

A move promoted by Fraccari to consolidate baseball and softball into one confederation in 2013 helped achieve reinstatement for the Tokyo Games as one of five additional sports.

With baseball Japan’s most popular team game, ticket demand for the Olympic tournament was unprecedented — at least until the games were postponed to 2021. And Nippon Professional Baseball scheduled a break starting July 21 through August 13 to allow to players to compete in the Olympics.

“Let me say this: It’s been a huge success,” Fraccari said. “It’s obvious and natural that baseball — being the main sport in Japan — has this type of success.”

Under the original competition schedule for the Tokyo Games — which is expected to be duplicated for the new dates — softball was given the honour of being the first sport played with a tripleheader slated for two days before the opening ceremony.

The opening softball and baseball games were scheduled for the Fukushima Azuma Stadium as a tribute to the recovery of the area from the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters.

Then both sports move to the 35,000-seat Yokohama Stadium near Tokyo.

“This is an example of how important baseball and softball are in Japan,” Fraccari said. “The state is using the sport as an incentive for recovery from the Fukushima disaster. It’s something exceptional for them.”

Besides Japan, which qualifies as the host nation, only three other teams have secured places in the baseball tournament. Israel was the surprise winner of the Africa/Europe qualifying event, while South Korea and Mexico earned spots during the Premier12.

The last two nations in the six-team tournament will come from the Americas tournament and a final qualifying event in Taiwan.

Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the United States qualified for the softball tournament.

While baseball and softball won’t be contested at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sports hope to be back for Los Angeles in 2028 if the IOC revises the number of total additional athletes allowed.

“If it were to depend on Tokyo then we should already be in,” Fraccari said. “But it depends on this global reform.”

GOLF JOINS BASEBALL, SOCCER IN SOUTH KOREA AS SPORTS RESUME SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Golf joined baseball and soccer yesterday as sports in South Korea that are back in action.

The women’s KLPGA Championship started with three players — Bae Seonwoo, Kim Char-young2 and Hyun Se-lin — tied at the top of the leaderboard at 5-under 67. Three more players were a shot behind.

The tournament is being played without fans and with players using hand sanitisers and following social-distancing rules.

Caddies wore masks and players were allowed to play without them.

Defending champion Choi Hye-jin (69) was two strokes back. Like many players, she did not know how to react with no gallery and no applause.

“I birdied the first hole, and I didn’t know how I should celebrate it,” she told South Korean news agency Yonhap. “I made an eagle and I just kept it to myself.”

Choi said without fans the play was quicker and it was easier to concentrate.

Third-ranked Park Sung-hyun (73) was six shots behind. No. 6 Kim Sei-young (74) had an even tougher day at the Lakewood Country Club, finishing seven strokes back.

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AP Source: MLS looking at having all teams play in Orlando

By ANNE M PETERSON AP Sports Writer MAJOR League Soccer is looking at the possibility of resuming the season this summer with all teams playing in Orlando, Florida.

Details of the plan are still under consideration, but the league’s 26 teams and limited staff would likely be sheltered in a resort with games played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, a person with knowledge of the plan told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the plan has not been formally announced. The proposal was first reported by the Washington Post.

Teams could head to Florida as early as June

1 for training camps. The league suspended play on March 12 after teams had played just two games.

“I think the league is still at a stage, from what I understand, where this particular idea is something that they have in mind and are trying to get feedback from teams about as to what it could look like and how it could work,” Nashville coach Gary Smith said.

“Personally, again, we’re in uncharted territory here.

I certainly, along with probably most other people, have never seen anything like it before. So therefore, you have to be a little bit more open-minded about what a season could look like.”

Other proposals have included teams playing a tournament-style competition in four different cities.

There’s also the possibility

teams could return to their home stadiums for games following the resumption of the season in Orlando.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the plans had been presented to the players’ union.

Earlier Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said his state was open to leagues looking to restart, or start, their seasons.

“All professional sports are welcome here for practicing and for playing,” DeSantis said.

“What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won’t let them operate, we’ll find a place for you here in the state of Florida.”

The ESPN facility has 17 fields, so it could accommodate multiple teams. MLS held its All-Star game in Orlando last year.

SEATTLE Sounders’ Obafemi Martins reacts to a missed shot in the second half of an MLS soccer game against the San Jose Earthquakes in Seattle in 2014. (AP) “What I can say if this community is ready to do it, then Orlando is the perfect city to hold an event like that,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said.

“The experience, infrastructure, everything.

Orlando has everything to hold it. If the league decides to do that, I think it’ll be a great decision to play it here. It’s just rumours right now, but I don’t see any other city that has the experience and possibility to hold such an event like Orlando.”

MLS took the first step toward resuming the season

last week when teams were allowed to start voluntary individual workouts at team facilities under strict guidelines.

The next step would be small group workouts.

But a number of teams, including the Seattle Sounders and the San Jose Earthquakes, have not been able to participate because of stay-at-home restrictions in their communities.

Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said Wednesday that his team has started the process of procuring tests, both for the coronavirus and for the

antibodies associated with it, the next necessary step toward returning to play.

Sporting was the first team to devise a comprehensive protocol for the individual workouts.

“At the end of the day, I think all of us as teams want to get back to playing games as soon as possible, for so many different reasons. And I would say the players, I think, want to do that as well,” Vermes said.

“We all want to make sure we’re doing it in a safe environment, and also we’re doing it in a meaningful way.”

MLS LAUNCHES PROGRAMME AIMED AT DEVELOPING ELITE PLAYERS

By ANNE M PETERSON AP Sports Writer

SIXTY-five former US Soccer Development Academy teams will join Major League Soccer’s elite player development programme.

The federation’s development academy was disbanded April 15 amid financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some 200 youth teams nationwide with an uncertain future. Launched in 2007,

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the USSF academy had included competitions in five age groups.

The new programme will include teams from all 26 current MLS franchises, the four planned expansion clubs, five USL teams and 60 nonprofessional clubs, and involve some 8,000 players, according to details provided Wednesday by MLS, which had previously said it would fill the void left by the shuttering of the federation academy.

Todd Durbin, MLS executive vice president of competition

and player relations, said it made sense for the league to jump into the fray quickly because it already had a player development structure in place.

“We realised, No. 1, that we needed a competition for our teams to participate in.

“And, No. 2, that it wasn’t just our teams that were affected, but it was a whole bunch of other teams and kids and families that were affected as well. We decided that in this crazy time that it made sense for us to just step forward

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and take a leadership role,” he said.

Member clubs will collaborate on the competition format and league structure for the year-round programme aimed at developing elite players in the United States and Canada. The league is expected to include under-13, -14, -15, -17 and -19 age groups.

That collaboration is the key moving forward, Durbin said.

“We really have a moment right now that I really think is unique

in history,” he said. “I give enormous credit to all of the clubs, that they decided to take this step, and for them to take the risk and to trust that this is going to work.

They’ve put a lot of trust in this process. And it’s up to all of us to deliver on that.”

Timing for the start of play remains uncertain because of the pandemic.

MLS launched its club academy initiative in 2007. All the league’s team’s participated in US Soccer’s Development Academy.

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Friday, May 15, 2020, PAGE 15

Teixeira upsets Smith to cap UFC’s 2nd Jacksonville show JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) — Glover Teixeira dominated Anthony Smith and finally stopped him with punches early in the fifth round Wednesday night, earning an upset victory to cap the UFC’s second show since returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Heavyweight veteran Ben Rothwell grabbed an entertaining split-decision victory over Ovince Saint Preux, and Drew Dober stopped fellow lightweight contender Alexander Hernandez with a secondround barrage of punches during the second of three UFC cards over eight days at a fan-free VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

The promotion returned to action last Saturday with UFC 249 after an eightweek hiatus.

The UFC established extensive protocols for health and safety in its return, and veteran fighter Jacare Souza was pulled off last weekend’s show after he tested positive for COVID-19 along with two cornermen.

The second show went off without a positive COVID-19 test, and more masks were visible on UFC

personnel inside and outside the cage Wednesday.

Middleweight Karl Roberson’s bout with Marvin Vettori was scrapped when Roberson was hospitalised overnight after he fell ill, but the illness was related to his weight cut and not coronavirus, according to the UFC. The UFC’s third show in Jacksonville is Saturday night on ESPN Plus, headlined by veteran heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris.

The UFC hopes to begin holding fight cards back home in Las Vegas later this month, but is waiting for clearance from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

The 40-year-old Teixeira (31-7) was shockingly dominant in his fourth consecutive victory.

He took control with strikes in the second round, and almost finished Smith several times while dominating the ensuing two rounds.

Teixeira finally ended it 1:04 into the final round, earning his first stoppage by punches since 2017.

“It’s not how hard you hit,” Teixeira said. “It’s how hard you get hit and

GLOVER TEIXEIRA, left, fights Nikita Krylov during their light heavyweight match at UFC Fight Night in Vancouver in 2019.

Teixeira stopped Anthony Smith Wednesday night, earning an upset victory to cap the UFC’s second show since returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP) keep coming forward. ...

The guy hits like a truck, but I moved my head a lot.

I trained so hard.”

Smith (33-15) was in the cage for the first time since he had to fight an intruder in his family home in Nebraska last month.

He lost a close fight to Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title last year, and Teixeira was superior after the opening minutes.

Smith appeared to be battered beyond repair by the end of the third round, but his corner declined to stop the fight after the third or fourth rounds.

His corner didn’t stop the fight even when Smith told them: “My teeth are falling out.”

The 38-year-old Rothwell (38-12) punctuated his 50th professional bout with a back-and-forth meeting with Saint Preux (24-14), a former light heavyweight title contender who moved up to heavyweight after losing three of his past five fights.

Rothwell improved to 2-2 since returning from a two-year doping suspension.

Dober (23-9) is a training teammate of Justin

Gaethje, who won the UFC interim lightweight title with an electrifying stoppage of Tony Ferguson in UFC 249.

Dober lived up to Gaethje’s standard with an exciting performance capped by a series of dynamic strikes to force a stoppage of Hernandez (11-3).

“Coming from a muay thai background, I had trouble fighting guys who constantly moved,” Dober said.

“I wasn’t trying to hit hard. I was just trying to hit often. The more times you touch a guy on his chin, the more likely he’s going to fall over.”

Andrei Arlovski, the UFC’s 41-year-old career leader in heavyweight victories, won a decision over Philipe Lins for his second victory in seven fights.

Earlier, Ricky Simon picked up the biggest win of his UFC career with a split-decision victory over veteran Ray Borg.

The flyweights punctuated their lively fight with plenty of good-natured trash talk, which was audible on the television broadcast from the otherwise quiet arena.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO CHARLOTTE’S QUAIL HOLLOW IN 2025 PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (AP) — The PGA Championship will return to Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, in May 2025, the PGA of America announced yesterday.

The exact dates of the tournament were not released.

Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, when a 24-year-old Justin Thomas defeated Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed by two shots to claim his

first major championship. The announcement comes on the same day that Thomas was revealed as making the cover of the “PGA Tour 2K21” video game.

PGA officials raved about the 2017 event and strongly hinted at the time they’d like to see the PGA Championship return to Charlotte due to strong attendance numbers.

“The PGA of America is proud to return the PGA Championship to Quail Hollow and the wonderful

host city of Charlotte,” PGA of America President Suzy Whaley said in a news release.

“Quail Hollow’s course has a well-earned reputation as a stern test for the world’s finest players, but what sets the club apart is its membership and the welcoming atmosphere that they promote.

“The state of North Carolina’s appreciation for the game and major championship golf is remarkable,” according to the news release.

Quail Hollow, designed by noted golf course architect George Cobb, opened in 1961. It will become the first course in North Carolina to host multiple PGA Championships. Brooks Koepka is the two-time defending champion after winning last May at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

This year’s PGA Championship was rescheduled for August 3-9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco because of the coronavirus pandemic.

BUNDESLIGA GIVEN GREEN LIGHT FOR FIVE SUBS PER GAME FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Bundesliga clubs will be allowed to use five substitutions per game when the season resumes on Saturday.

The clubs in the top two German divisions decided yesterday to accept the temporary rule change allowed last week by the International Football Association Board during the coronavirus pandemic.

The change is meant to reduce the workload on players as leagues pack their schedules following a two-month suspension.

Teams can make substitutions only at three breaks in the game, including at halftime, and the league recommends making only two substitutions at once.

The German Football League has also relaxed its stance on finishing the season by June 30, when some players’ contracts expire.

Games could continue into July if the alternative is leaving the season unfinished at the end of June, it said in a statement.

Some games could be moved to neutral venues if they can’t be played at the original stadium because of infection risks locally, the league said.

It delayed a decision on how to decide final standings if the season can’t be finished.

PAGE 16, Friday, May 15, 2020

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IN this photo provided by FC Barcelona, Barcelona’s coach Quique Setien watches his players doing a training session in Barcelona, Spain on Friday, May 8.

Spanish players returned to train for the first time since the country entered a lockdown nearly two months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Miguel Ruiz/FC Barcelona via AP)

SOCCER EXECUTIVE WARNS OF ‘100 CLUBS’ GOING BANKRUPT

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Soccer faces losing many clubs to bankruptcy because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A slowdown in the multi-billion dollar transfer market, and possible defaults on payments from player deals made before the shutdown, were cited as concerns in a debate hosted by a FIFA-backed research center on Wednesday.

“I think the biggest threat to club football in the coming six months is going to be the survival of smaller clubs,” Lokomotiva Zagreb director Dennis Gudasic said. He warned of a “drastic situation whereby

we have maybe 100, or 200 clubs go bankrupt in September or October” if challenges facing smaller clubs are not understood.

Clubs across Europe have been denied commercial revenue with no games in most countries for at least two months, and only fan-free games in empty stadiums likely for months ahead.

Back in March, European Club Association (ECA) leader Andrea Agnelli predicted clubs faced “an existential threat.”

The Juventus president described the coronavirus outbreak as “the biggest challenge our game and industry has ever faced.”

Now, many clubs are looking for richer leagues

to complete their seasons so that money paid by broadcasters for fulfilling contracts can revive the transfer market.

“This is where there is a lot of uncertainty,” Gudasic said, adding some clubs in Croatia in terms of budgeting had become “actually addicted” to transfer revenue from their former players.

His comments came in an online panel discussion hosted by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland.

Clubs could go bankrupt waiting for installments due from player deals made in the past two years, university academic Raffaele Poli cautioned,

“I’m not sure all clubs will be able to pay,” Poli, a leading analyst of transfer values worldwide, said.

Clubs in eastern European countries such as Croatia could still make deals in a slower transfer market, Manchester United scout Piotr Sadowski said.

Players there would be available at less cost than from clubs in Portugal or France, he said.

An extended transfer window would also help revive the market, the Man United scout said, suggesting “unofficial talks” had taken place about the idea.

FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, has agreed to be flexible with the typical July-August trading period in Europe as there

is no clarity when the current season will end and the 2020-21 campaign will begin.

‘This would be a good idea to make like a six months transfer window from summer to winter 2021,” Sadowski said.

“It would give all those clubs a chance to better plan transfers and their budgets.”

Asked about trends in a likely deflated transfer market, the industry experts pointed to the idea of clubs accepting less cash up front for players, with more money backloaded in higher sell-on clauses and bonuses conditional on performances.

More loan deals also seem likely.

Though even English clubs face hardship if broadcast deals are not paid in full, the huge wealth gap in Europe was highlighted.

Every Premier League club will still be paid tens of millions of dollars this season, while Croatian clubs get 150,000 euros ($162,000) annually from domestic TV revenue, Gudasic said.

Gudasic suggested clubs with a global brand would still thrive: “Let’s face it, ECA is not representing the smaller clubs.”

“Now we are waiting to see what is going to happen in Europe,” the Lokomotiva director said. “It’s very difficult (to see) when or if the situation will come back to normal.”