WOMAN & HEALTH TUESDAY Guava créme Pie
HIGH 91ºF LOW 80ºF
i’m lovin’ it!
Monday,
February
CARS! CARS!
8, 2021
The Tribune Established
Being Bound To
Swear To The Dogmas
1903
Of No Master
The Tribune
Volume: 118 No.171, August 3, 2021
L A T E S T
N E W S
tise Call
To Adver
-2351
601-0007 or 502
Starting at
$33.60
CLASSIFIEDS TRADER
ed
VAT includ
Established 1903
O N
T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M
Biggest And Best!
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1
DON’T BLAME US FOR BEETLE CARGO FIASCO SHAUNAE ON HER WAY
Shipping agents say sub-contractor was to blame for blunder By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamian shipping agent for a vessel that offloaded wood waste containing an invasive beetle species yesterday pledged to fight impending Customs charges and efforts to make it “a scapegoat”. Elbert Hepburn, Elnet Maritime’s chief executive, voiced optimism that “we’ll be exonerated with
the right investigation” days after multiple government agencies announced a probe into how the Pan Jasmine cargo ship was able to offload infested wood without their approval. Mr Hepburn blamed a marine logistics service provider Elnet Maritime he says failed to properly inform the Government’s Department of Environmental Health Services. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
VACCINATED VISITORS NOW HAVE TO TAKE FIVE-DAY TEST By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
INFECTIOUS disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes says changes to travel requirements revealed yesterday by the Office of the Prime Minister are consistent with data about how COVID-19 variants are affecting the ability of vaccinated people to transmit the virus. Still, she underscored how much vaccination remains a potent shield against a serious case of COVID-19, with no fully
vaccinated person admitted to the hospital up to July 31. In a statement yesterday, the OPM announced all fully vaccinated travellers coming to the country “will now be required to obtain a COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen Test or PCR), with a negative result, within five days of arrival.” For unvaccinated travellers, the requirements remain the same: those 12 years or older must get a PCR test within five days of arriving in the country. SEE PAGE FOUR
BAHAMIAN runner Shaunae Miller-Uibo gestures before her 200m race yesterday - which she comfortably won to progress at the Tokyo Olympics. See SPORTS for more. Photo: Matthias Schrader/AP
CRUISE LINE COVID CASES ‘ARE GOING TO HAPPEN’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said six passengers testing positive for COVID-19 on a Royal Caribbean International cruise which left The Bahamas last week is not a cause for alarm noting the passengers did not interact with locals.
Four vaccinated adults and two unvaccinated minors tested positive for the virus during an endof-trip screening Thursday on RCI’s Adventure of the Seas. Of the adult passengers, three were asymptomatic and one had mild symptoms. SEE PAGE FOUR
BAHAMIAN OFFICIAL TO BE SENT HOME FROM OLYMPICS By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Olympic Committee president Romell Knowles confirmed the accreditation of relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner has been revoked and he will be sent home because of insubordination to team officials at the Olympic Games.
“As with all of the athletes, our officials are equally bound to a code of conduct that we guard zealously,” Knowles said. “That is as much as I can say at the moment. But I want to remain focused on what these games mean to our athletes and obviously to our country.” FULL STORY - SEE SPORTS
GOVT FRUSTRATED BY LUCAYAN HOLD-UP By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar says it is “extremely frustrating” that the Grand Lucayan’s sale continues to be delayed by the protracted wait for ITM/Royal Caribbean to close their separate deal with Freeport Harbour Company.
THE GRAND Lucayan Resort Mr D’Aguilar said concluding negotiations over Freeport Harbour’s redevelopment - including the
addition of new cruise berths - was a “condition precedent” that must be satisfied before the joint venture will acquire the resort from the Government. He said the Government “remains optimistic” the sale will eventually get over the line. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
ALL THE BEST OF TOYKO GAMES - SEE SPORTS
PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 3, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
HIGHWAY HORROR
ONE man was killed and another injured after a car hit a tree in Grand Bahama on Sunday evening. By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A MALE driver was killed and his passenger was seriously injured in a traffic
accident in Grand Bahama on Sunday evening. Police said the accident occurred shortly after 10pm at Hanna Hill, Eight Mile Rock, involving a black Ford Fusion vehicle that
overturned after it hit a tree. Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle said the accident happened in the vicinity of Freddie’s Auto. He said reports indicated the vehicle was travelling
Photos: Vandyke Hepburn east along Queen’s Highway with two adult male occupants. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which hit a tree and overturned. “The driver was
unresponsive and had to be extricated from the vehicle by the Jaws of Life,” Mr Rolle said. He said EMS personnel pronounced the driver dead. The male passenger was taken by
ambulance to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in stable, but serious condition. Supt Rolle said the Traffic Department is investigating the matter.
POLICE HUNT KILLERS IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTING POLICE are investigating the country’s latest homicide that took place in the Sandilands Village Road area on Saturday afternoon. Superintendent Sybrina Porter said police received reports of the incident shortly before 3pm on Saturday and when officers reached the
area they found a man who paramedics later pronounced dead on the scene. She said police understand the man was walking in the western direction on Sandilands Village Road when a silver coloured vehicle pulled alongside him and the occupants fired shots about his body,
causing injuries. The killing comes as the country experiences a significant increase in murders compared with last year. During the first half of the year, murders were up 68 percent. Police investigations are continuing in this latest incident.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 3
BPL workers at a protest held in June.
After protest and ‘sick-out’, BPL workers turn to PM By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net AFTER allegedly staging a sick-out this week, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union is now looking to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to assist with propelling its needs forward. According to a wellplaced Tribune source, 80 percent of Bahamas Power and Light’s staff across The Bahamas called in sick on Wednesday and seemingly forced management to call a press conference to address its outstanding matters with the union. The Tribune obtained a copy of a document issued by BPL’s executive management to the BEWU during a negotiation session on Tuesday. The document indicated that BPL was not in a financial position to provide increments in addition to what it is already providing on an annual basis. The union found the document unacceptable. The letter, dated July 27, 2021, was signed by BPL Executive Director Hugh P Rollins and proposed that the union and the company sign a two-year industrial agreement that would expire in 2023. The letter also indicated that following the expiration of that agreement, a new industrial agreement should be signed for another two-year period. That letter also proposed that provisions of the expired industrial agreement, as it pertains to benefits, remain as is and that all employees receive lump sum payments on the date of signing the industrial agreement and on August 1, 2022 which would be equivalent to their regular Christmas bonus. Speaking with The Tribune on Friday, BEWU president, Kyle Wilson said he was “recovering” and now looks to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister to step in as they promised they would.
“As you know I was in bed all day,” Wilson said. “I was not feeling well after I would have received that proposal. It did something to me mentally as well as physically. My stomach started to break down on me as I didn’t know how to even face the members with such a proposal. It was frustrating and I just took sick. “I’m recovering and doing better, but something like that I can’t take to the membership. After almost eight years all you are going to give them is one lump sum equivalent to a Christmas bonus. It was a slap in the face and a strike to the gut. I felt bad for workers, period, not just my union, because if that is what they want to do to us, imagine what they will do to the others. “The prime minister called me and did make me a promise that he, along with the deputy prime minister will step in and fix it. I have the greatest respect for them as the leaders of the country. So I am still hoping that they step in, especially that this is a state owned and run operated entity.” The BEWU president said his members are angered and hurt over the proposal and he is really leaning on the prime minister and deputy prime minister to step in and assist. Recently, DPM Bannister held a few meetings with the union and BPL executives, acting as mediator. Wilson said BPL executives “played nice” during the meetings, but when they returned to BPL the union was once again disrespected. “The slogan is, ‘It’s the People’s Time’,” said Wilson. “I want that to be a fact and not just a political slogan. Show the people that it’s their time. The workers in BPL from Inagua to Abaco are furious, hurt and angry because they feel betrayed by a system that they believed in. “These are political tactics to say the Bahamian workers are greedy
To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394
because they work hard and work overtime and achieve fair wages. It’s like saying it’s too much for them to have. But people take time away from church, from their families and children and relationships to ensure reliable energy is available to the Bahamian people. “It is my personal belief, that the honourable prime minister and deputy prime minister are decent people. They are not going to sit idly by and watch their workers taken advantage of. If the persons they hired in these executive positions are hurting their people, I would expect them to step in on behalf of the hardworking Bahamian people and make a change.” Mr Wilson said it is imperative that the prime minister fixes the situation as his union members were a part of the “mandate” to put him in office. He said unions across The Bahamas did not like the way in which the former government dealt with them and he does not want to see this government go down the same road.
BPL workers have called for CEO Whitney Heastie to go.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 3, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Vaccinated TOTAL CASES TOTAL DEATHS visitors now 15,011 291 have to take five-day test NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES
SUNDAY
91 CASES
SATURDAY
81 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE GRAND BAHAMA ELEUTHERA BERRY ISL PENDING
from page one The OPM said: “All children, between the ages of 2 and 11, wishing to enter The Bahamas will now be required to obtain a COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen Test or PCR), with a negative result, within five days of arrival in The Bahamas. All children, under the age of two, are exempt from any testing requirements.” “All travellers, entering The Bahamas on a cruise ship, will be subjected to
the testing requirements mandated by the cruise line and approved by the Competent Authority. “All fully vaccinated travellers wishing to travel within The Bahamas, will now be required to obtain a COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen Test or PCR), with a negative result, within five days of the travel date from the following islands: New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island. “For unvaccinated persons wishing to travel within The Bahamas, all persons, who are 12 years and older and who are unvaccinated, will still be required to obtain a PCR test taken within five days of the travel date. This now applies to travel from the following islands: New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island. “All children, between the ages of two and 11, wishing to travel within The Bahamas will now be required to obtain a COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen Test or PCR), with a negative result, within five days of the travel date from the following islands: New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island. All children, under the age of two, are exempt from any testing requirements.” Dr Forbes said the changes are “based upon the newly available scientific data that vaccinated persons who get breakthrough infections will have as much COVID-19 in their airways as unvaccinated persons so that data supports that vaccinated persons can spread
74 8 5 2 2
NEW PROVIDENCE 63 GRAND BAHAMA 11 EXUMA 4 ELEUTHERA 2 ABACO 1
FRIDAY
162 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 136 GRAND BAHAMA 10 ELEUTHERA 7 ABACO 6 BERRY ISLANDS 2 EXUMA 1
TOTAL TESTS
HOSPITALISED
120,823 103
THURSDAY
132 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 94 GRAND BAHAMA 16 ELEUTHERA 16 EXUMA 3 ABACO 1 BIMINI & CAT CAY 1 BERRY ISLANDS 1
RECENTLY CONFIRMED DEATHS • A 51-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM EXUMA ON JULY 27. • A 56-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 29. • AN 89-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 30. • A 59-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 31. • A 52-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 23.
CASES IN ICU
14
RECOVERED
12,619
FIVE MORE DEATHS AND 334 CONFIRMED CASES SINCE FRIDAY DR NIKKIAH FORBES COVID-19 should they get a breakthrough infection, especially since the delta variant and other variants are spreading. That’s very important and useful information. The changes also will fall in line with CDC recommendations with international travel. If you read the CDC guidelines, it says international travel is a risk for spreading COVID19 in light of emerging variant strains.” More COVID-19 vaccines are expected to arrive in the country today. Data continues to show full vaccination is a bulwark against serious illness. “Up to July 31, of persons hospitalised for COVID-19, no fully vaccinated people have been admitted for the virus. Some partially vaccinated persons have been admitted but not many, and many of them weren’t even 14 days out from getting the first vaccine. Ninety-seven percent of the admitted cases have been unvaccinated people. Of the deaths, no fully vaccinated person has died.”
THE Bahamas recorded 334 new COVID-19 cases since Friday along with five new deaths. There have now been 15,011 cases of the virus in the country. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health said 91 new cases were recorded – 74 in New Providence, eight in Grand Bahama, five in Eleuthera, two in the Berry Islands and two cases with locations pending. The previous day there were 81 new cases. In New Providence 63 cases were
recorded, while Grand Bahama recorded 11. There was one new case in Abaco, two in Eleuthera and four in Exuma. Officials also said there were four deaths recorded between July 27 and 31. A 51-year-old woman from Exuma died on July 27. The remaining fatalities were all from New Providence. On July 29 a 56-year-old woman died. An 89-year-old woman died on July 30 and a woman, 59, died on July 31. Friday recorded that the
highest number of cases was 162. The majority of these cases were in the capital with 136. Grand Bahama recorded 10, Abaco 6, Eleuthera 7, two in the Berry Islands and one case in Exuma. There was also one additional death. On July 23 a 52-year-old man from New Providence died. There have now been 291 deaths. The next batch of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive today. Officials said this third set of OxfordAstraZeneca vaccines will consist of 33,600 doses.
TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.
CRUISE LINE COVID CASES ‘ARE GOING TO HAPPEN’ from page one
Yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar described what happened as the new normal for the cruise industry and the world, adding the proper protocols kicked in. “The press tends to latch on to every story of positive cruises on a cruise ship but we obviously in our discussions with the cruise lines devised protocols to deal with such circumstances as this,” he said. “This is obviously going to happen from time to time and there were going to be positive cases and the question is, are the protocols in place sufficiently to address the problems? We feel that they are. “When persons are identified on the cruise ships as positive through testing protocols, they are quarantined and when they get to the port, they are airlifted immediately using a private aircraft. They are put into transportation from the ship and disembarked
from the ship. It works very smoothly. We believe there is zero risk to citizens and residents of The Bahamas. It is no cause for alarm. “Cruise ships have testing protocols in place. Persons are tested on ships according to their protocols. Obviously if you are in the cruise business you are well aware that these situations will arise, and we’ve had a lot of time to think about how you are going to deal with them. This is a routine occurrence. It is not something that when it happens you have to jump up and say ‘Oh Jesus we’re at the end of the world’. We will probably be dealing with this for the next two to three years. This is going to be with us until we lick this virus and Lord knows how long that will be.” In June, two teens tested positive for COVID-19 on board an RCI cruise that ported in Grand Bahama. All crew and passengers 16 and older are required to be vaccinated for RCI cruises.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 5
Govt to probe offloading of beetle-infested wood in GB By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Government has launched an investigation into the offloading of wood reportedly infested with an invasive beetle by a Panama-registered cargo vessel at Grand Bahama last week. The infested wood was taken to the Pineridge Landfill in Freeport where it was fumigated and burned, according to a press statement released by the Government through Bahamas Information Services. It was reported that the wood “was offloaded without the prior knowledge, consent or approval” of the relevant Bahamian authorities. Several government agencies and the Police are investigating the circumstances concerning any breach of the country’s laws and procedures regarding the incident that occurred on July 24 when the Pan Jasmine cargo vessel arrived. Environmental activist Joseph Darville brought the matter to the public’s attention and expressed outrage after he learned the cargo vessel was allowed to offload wood allegedly infested with an Asian beetle that destroys crops and trees. Prior to arrival in Grand Bahama, the Pan Jasmine was initially banned by US Federal Agents near New Orleans from entering the US after officials discovered that the cargo of wood was infested. The vessel departed US waters on July 21 enroute to Freeport for wood service disposal. A statement issued by BIS indicated that on July 24 the Customs Department was made aware that a ship entered the territorial waters and declared in ballast or no cargo. “Based on information received an investigation has been launched by an inter-agency committee made up of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Bahama Customs, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Office of the Prime Minister Grand Bahama, the Department of Forestry, and the Department Environmental Planning and Protection concerning the offloading of suspected unidentified insect infestation of dunnage or rough wood used for packaging that was offloaded at a location near the Freeport Harbour and transported to the Pineridge Landfill. “The suspected dunnage was offloaded without the prior knowledge, consent or approval of the relevant Government Agencies, including the Bahamas Customs, the Department Environmental Health Services and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources.” It was noted steps were taken once the various government agencies became aware that the cargo was at the landfill. Firstly, a private company was hired to fumigate two remaining bins at the site and the surrounding area, as well as the barge that transported the dunnage from the vessel to shore. Secondly, all the dunnage was fumigated at the landfill along with other debris that was in the immediate vicinity. This was under the immediate supervision of The Department of Environmental Health Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Royal Bahamas Police Fire Department, and the leadership team of the Sanitation Services. Thirdly, after the fumigation process the incineration was carried out of the dunnage; and fourthly, the team identified all bins that were used to transport the dunnage and fumigation of the bins were conducted. “The Bahamas Government takes this breach of its laws and procedures seriously and will pursue this matter to the fullest extent of the law. An investigation is presently underway,” the statement read. Mr Darville, chairman of Save the Bays environmental group, expressed concern about The Bahamas becoming a
dumping ground for harmful materials. “How can something like that happen in a modern city like Freeport? Who allowed them to offload that stuff?” he asked. “This is unbelievable. I hope whatever authorities in this country would get onto that immediately.”
THE PAN Jasmine ship.
GN-2577
PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 3, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
Published daily Monday to Friday
Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES
News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax
(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348
WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com
@tribune242
tribune news network
A swift response - now make sure it is a thorough one WHEN The Tribune reported last week on wood infested with an invasive beetle in Grand Bahama, this column called for swift action. It is pleasing then to see that the government has responded – and has done so by launching an investigation. A number of government agencies are involved – as is the police, which is only appropriate. After all, the government has said that the cargo was “offloaded without the prior knowledge, consent or approval of the relevant government agencies, including the Bahamas Customs, the Department of Environmental Health Services and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources”. If you were to try taking something that required so many approvals through the airport without consent, you’d soon find yourself pulled aside and perhaps on the way to the courts. We would also applaud the government for other actions it has taken. A private company was hired to fumigate the site, the barge that transported the cargo to shore, and then all the cargo itself was fumigated at the landfill. After that, the cargo was incinerated, and the bins used to carry it were also fumigated. This is, of course, all after the fact. This should never have happened in the first place. But once it did, the government appears to have taken the right actions. That should not be the end of the matter. Far from it. Those investigations are important, and anyone breaking the regulations should be held to account at the end of the process. The shipping agent for the vessel has vowed to fight any charges, while pointing the finger at a subcontractor and disputing claims by Customs. That’s why a full investigation is needed, to get to the bottom of this matter. We also hope the investigation shines a light on how this could have happened in the first place. It’s one thing to clean up a mess after it’s been made – it’s better still to prevent it in the first place. Find out how we got here, and what we can do to stop this happening again. Worryingly, one source told The Tribune that “this happens every week” and that “no one makes a big deal about it, but because Joe Darville and a few activists got up in arms about it the Government feels they need to respond”. If indeed this is happening every week, we need to bring that to a halt. And let’s make sure the fumigation isn’t the end of it – let’s make sure there’s follow-up investigations at the site to see if any of the beetles have survived, and further fumigations as necessary. It might be costly – but those whose actions brought about such a need ought
to be the ones to pay. So well done to the government for its initial response – now make sure you follow through.
COVID testing
A change in tactics to curtail the spread of COVID-19 has seen a new requirement for travellers who are fully vaccinated being required to take a COVID-19 test within five days of arrival. Adding any hurdle to the resurgence of travel is of course a difficult decision – and this decision may be one that also more heavily affects some of our Family Islands. The new rule applies not just to New Providence, but also Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island. Recently, Bimini found itself with a shortage of tests, making it next to impossible for anyone to travel from the island – so test supply issues are crucial. It also brings with it an extra cost – with travellers needing to budget to pay for the extra test they may not have been expecting. The only advantage for vaccinated travellers over unvaccinated ones is that they can take the rapid antigen test rather than the more expensive PCR test. We say the only advantage – that’s not strictly true, they have an altogether more important advantage, they’re more likely to stay alive. As infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes points out, while hospitalisations from COVID-19 cases have been on the rise, 97 percent have been unvaccinated people – and no fully vaccinated person has died. The change in rules seeks to provide more protection at a time when the delta variant of the virus is running rampant in our near neighbour, the US. And the consequences for tourism can plainly be seen in cases being diagnosed on cruise ships. That’s likely to happen from time to time – particularly with children not being eligible to take the vaccine as yet in many cases. Indeed, some of the cases on cruise ships have been children. The difference this time around as opposed to the start of the outbreak is that cases aren’t running rampant through ships. The reason? Vaccination and quarantining cases as they happen. We’re still learning the best way to defeat this virus and open up our society – and these changes are the latest of those steps. Will they help curb the spike we’re experiencing? That, we can only hope.
Get rid of the Health Visa EDITOR, The Tribune. AS A long-time travel agency owner in cities in northern New Jersey I am writing because I am alarmed at the steep decline in interest for vacations in The Bahamas. For many years both Nassau and some of the out islands were very popular destinations for our clients. They were easy to book and good airline connections. We have had a challenging past year for tourism but the greatest impediment for booking to The Bahamas is the Health Visa. I follow The Tribune as a frequent visitor and can completely agree with others who have written from the travel industry with the same conclusions. Until your Government
abolishes what so many consider a senseless Visa we cannot get clients to book to you. They do not have the will nor the time to go through all the requirements for the Visa. The uncertainty created by this layer of bureaucracy and the expense are additional roadblocks. Why would your Tourism Minister and staff think that people would be willing to go through all the hassles when the other southern destinations are far easier to gain entry? When we explain your entry rules everyone declines. We are sending clients everywhere but The Bahamas. The policy is a complete failure. Clients cannot understand why they cannot show a double vaccination verification
certificate and be given a boarding pass at the departing airport. From your news items it seems that the Visa is more a tax for government revenue than necessary for health reasons. Your Government has to get rid of the Visa immediately. We are already booking clients for winter vacations and so far in my agencies we have no bookings at all for your beautiful country. How can your economy sustain such a sharp decline in tourism when so much of the working population is employed in tourism? It is a disastrous situation. JOHN W ROBSON New Jersey. USA July 31, 2021.
BTVI needs Jeff Lloyd EDITOR, The Tribune.
PLEASE - allow me to speak candidly about my experience as a 2021 graduate of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute. I am a fully employed mother who decided to enroll in BTVI after attending the graduation ceremony of a friend in 2017 and hearing the newly appointed Minister of Education Mr Jeffrey Lloyd speak about his plans for Technical Education and how he will work to make sure that technical education gets the respect that it deserves. I took him at his word, knowing that he also graduated from BTVI. I proudly attended classes at BTVI and through thick and thin I reminded myself that one day soon, I would be able to walk across that stage and receive my diploma while my children, family and friends cheered me on. For days and weeks, I watched the BTVI Facebook page, the newspapers and the evening news and saw how the school was having graduation ceremony after graduation ceremony in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. This gave me hope, because I knew that one day soon my time would come. Imagine my disappointment, when despite lobbying for a face–to–face graduation, BTVI notified the Class of 2021 that due to COVID-19, face-to-face ceremonies could not be held but that a Virtual Ceremony would be held on July 17, 2021 instead. Even after their response to us, we saw the Most Honourable Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at a BTVI face-to-face graduation. We saw Minister of National Security the Hon Marvin Dames at a BTVI face-toface graduation and we saw Minister of State for Grand Bahama the Hon Kwasi Thompson at a BTVI faceto-face graduation. The school’s Facebook page shows numerous other faceto-face BTVI graduations, but yet we cannot have one. No face-to-face graduation for the students who toiled for years and had to make the abrupt change to online learning during the last year in particular. No face-to-face graduation for the Certificate, Diploma and Degree BTVI Proud
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and BTVI Strong graduates. Don’t get us wrong, we are happy for the other programmes, some of which we understand lasted one week, some that lasted two weeks, but what about us? On the morning of the proposed Virtual Ceremony; after some of us had already organised our watch parties; took time off from work and arranged family gatherings; our promised Virtual Ceremony was unceremoniously postponed without any warning. The school simply posted a notice on Facebook. What utter disrespect! Afterwards, another note of apology was posted. After 6pm on Friday, July 23, 2021, a BTVI Blast was sent, supposedly to all graduates inviting us to a meeting on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th, 2021 at 5pm. Most of us missed that email, because ironically it went to spam, but one would think that because of the short notice given for the meetings the school would have at least called us. The graduates who attended the meeting reported that they were further disrespected because they were not even allowed to speak in the Zoom meeting but were asked to send their questions to a WhatsApp number instead. Messages sent to the phone number went unanswered and when a call was answered, the BTVI employee was unable to provide any information. Although we were still disappointed by the turn of events, the news spread about the plans for a drivein graduation to be held on July 30th 2021 and many of us, encouraged by family members, decided to attend. BTVI sent a note on Tuesday, July 27th 2021 about the Prime Minister’s National Address scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, 2021 and we understood that depending on what he said, it may have impacted their plans for the drive-in. We were relieved though, when no mention of a lockdown was made during the actual address. We expected to hear that the
ceremony was still on, but to our total disillusionment a notice came out from the school, on Facebook, that they would not be able ‘‘to follow through with the series of drive-in graduation exercises.’’ Honourable Minister Lloyd, we need answers please. BTVI hosted a drive thru regalia pick up day which was well attended. If permission was granted for that event, could permission not have been granted for a similar graduation drive thru event? Schools throughout the Bahamas have successfully hosted drive thru graduations, surely as a tertiary level institution we could do the same thing. Who cancelled the graduation ceremony and why? Does BTVI understand that as responsible adults we have to plan well in advance every time a new date for graduation is announced? Did BTVI really plan drive-in ceremonies and raise our hopes in vain without having the proper approvals in place? Was this story simply concocted and intended to mislead the graduates? Or, is this a display of sheer incompetence on behalf of BTVI? Where is the BTVI’s communications department? Are they proud of the way in which this situation unfolded? Have they forgotten that they are dealing with adults? Why is it so difficult to communicate effectively with us? Minister Lloyd, we have made so many sacrifices to get to this point. Although nothing can replace being cheated of our opportunity to walk across that stage, the biggest question in all of our minds is whether we will receive a full refund for the graduation fees paid. We have been robbed of our rite of passage, our dignity and the money spent as we prepared for two graduation ceremonies that were dead on arrival. Honourable Minister of Education, BTVI Class of 2021 needs you now, more than ever! DISRESPECTED, DISAPPOINTED, DISILLUSIONED, DISREGARDED 2021 BTVI GRADUATE Nassau, August 2, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
‘OBEY THE LAW’ AS CRAWFISH SEASON GETS UNDER WAY THE Department of Marine Resources is urging fishermen to abide by fisheries laws as crawfish season opened on August 1. In a press statement yesterday, the department reminded fishermen that the legal measurement for whole crawfish is a carapace (jacket) length of 3 1⁄4 inches and when the tail is separated, a tail length of 5 1⁄2 inches. Those wishing to harvest crawfish are also required to have a crawfish measuring gauge in their possession at all times. Possession of dishwashing liquid, bleach or other noxious substance aboard any vessel while fishing is unlawful without first obtaining a permit authorising such possession. Further, a permit is required for the use of the air compressor or crawfish traps to aid in fishing. “The public is also reminded that several portions of the Fisheries Act
2020 came into force on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021. Amongst those portions of the mentioned legislation that are enforceable are: The requirement that all vessels being 15 ft or larger in length that are engaged in commercial fishing to be licensed by the Department of Marine Resources to be so engaged. “Application forms may be obtained at any of the department’s offices in New Providence and the Family Islands. Applicants should ensure that their vessels have been licensed by the Port Department, and that they possess a valid business license “The prohibition of foreign employment in any form aboard a licensed commercial fishing vessel.” The Department said those vessels only owned by Bahamian citizens that are residents within the country can legally engage in commercial fishing exercises.
MEXICAN TOURISTS ACCUSED By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THREE Mexican tourists went before the Magistrate’s Court on Friday, each having to pay $100 after pleading guilty to assault. After making the payment, they will be granted an absolute discharge. The incident allegedly occurred when they were trying to take a COVID-19 test. David Levy-Tussie, 20, Simon Levy-Husni, 53, and Abraham Levy-Tussie, 22, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. The particulars are that at about 1 pm on July 28 while at Coral Towers Hotel,
Atlantis, they unlawfully assaulted Brittany Dryden. Their attorney, Joel Seymour, explained to the magistrate that the accused were visiting tourists. They were staying at Atlantis and were taking a test to get back to Mexico. He further explained that the complainant is an American whose primary language was English – the second language for the defendants. Thus, there was a communications problem when she said to “move over.” He said his clients were remorseful and pleaded guilty. The magistrate then handed down the sentence for each of them for payment.
TWO ACCUSED OVER DRUGS By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A 23-YEAR-OLD and a minor were charged in the Magistrate’s Court on two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply. Joshua Newry and a 17-year-old pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on
Friday. The minor was accompanied by an adult as he stood in front of the magistrate. The particulars are that on July 28 in New Providence, being concerned together, they were found in possession of a quantity of dangerous drugs, Indian Hemp. For one of the drugs, one of the accused said he had no knowledge of it.
Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 7
FISHERMEN ARRESTED FOR BREAKING APPARATUS LAWS FOUR Bahamian fishermen were arrested for a fisheries violation in the Exuma Cays on Saturday. According to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, patrol craft P-45, coxswained by Chief Petty Officer Wayde Watson, boarded and searched a Bahamian registered fishing vessel named “Lady J”. The vessel was approximately one nautical mile southeast of Beacon Cay. Further investigation uncovered the use of illegal fishing apparatus – a diving compressor, which is in contravention of the fishing regulations. The vessel and crew were escorted into the capital late Saturday night and turned over to the relevant authorities for further investigations. Authorities said this is the third apprehension within the past month by members of the RBDF for fisheries violations. Four American residents were brought in for questioning on July 23, 2021, after they were apprehended four miles northwest off Bimini for fisheries violations, and on June 30, 2021, 11 Bahamian fishermen were apprehended after being in possession of illegal fishing apparatus.
ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force personnel offloading fishery products from a Bahamian fishing vessel on July 31. PHOTO: Able Seaman Paul Rolle II/RBDF Fishermen are advised to exercise caution and adhere to the fishing regulations while on the seas.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force will continue to monitor the territorial waters of The Bahamas.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 3, 2021
A national hero - wait til you meet his mum TODAY is the anniversary of one of the most memorable events in all of Bahamian sports history. On August 3, 1992, Frank Garfield Rutherford Jr won a bronze medal in the triple jump at the Olympics in Barcelona. This was The Bahamas’ first Olympic medal in track and field, and the first achieved by an Independent Bahamas. At the time, national pride was at a historical high because it was the year of the Quincentennial anniversary of Columbus’ landing in The Bahamas. Cultural celebrations were taking place all year, and spirits were high. Bahamians were already expecting great things from Frank. He attended the University of Houston and became the first Bahamian to win more than three NCAA triple jump championships. He won The Bahamas its first World Championship medal with a bronze in the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was the US Indoor Track and Field champion in the triple jump in 1991 and still currently holds the triple jump record for the University of Houston. He then won a silver medal at the 1992 World Cup in Cuba. All eyes were on Frank in Barcelona. He jumped well at 17.36 metres and secured the bronze medal. He was jumping for gold but he fouled on the jump and kept the bronze instead, with Bahamians all over cheering him on. Nonetheless, his performance set a trend in Bahamian track and field Olympic history and for it, he is considered the father of track and field in The Bahamas. When I spoke to Frank leading up to this anniversary, he implored me to speak to his mother, letting me know, with much excitement, that there was a time when she was the country’s fastest female runner. What I did not know was that by interviewing her, I would be blessed by a phenomenal woman whose story of faith and tenacity helped to shape and mold Frank into the fine man he became. Yvonne Elaine Hanna Rutherford Moncur reigned as the top junior female athlete in the country in 1962. She won the coveted Victrix Ludorum
Face to Face
By FELICITY DARVILLE
- Female Athlete of the Year trophy after garnering more points than any other female at the national inter school sports meet that year. Former Minister of Sports Bernard Nottage claimed the Victor Ludorum that same year, which earned them a feature in The Tribune. St Augustine’s College, at the time, was the only place in New Providence with a proper track to run on and field to participate in. There, Yvonne competed in the 100 and 200 metre races, as well as long jump, high jump, shot put and discus under coach Keith Parker. Yvonne was competing for The Government
High School, where she also played basketball and performed dramatic arts. Yvonne was even involved in gymnastics and sang in the school choir. She joined the school the same year that it moved from its Bay Street location (opposite the British Colonial Hilton Hotel) to Poinciana Drive. In order to attend The Government High in those days, one had to pass an examination and parents had to pay school fees, making it an elite government institution. Yvonne earned high marks and
continued to excel academically and athletically. Her father (Everette Hanna of Delectable Bay, Acklins) promised to buy her a piano if she passed the exam, and she did. She got that piano and in order to play started lessons. The young Yvonne would walk from her homestead off Wulff Road to Nassau Street for lessons with Timothy Gibson, composer of the Bahamas National Anthem. Her mother (Esther Irene Knowles Hanna of Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera) also enrolled her in ballet and the Elk’s Lodge for Children, giving her a wellrounded upbringing. This was no easy feat for Everette and Esther Hanna in the 1960s. Everette was a mason and Esther, a hotel maid. They were parents to five children Herbert, Yvonne, Wendy (mother of athletes Dennis and Devard Darling), Philip and Franklyn. The homestead was located on Whites Lane in Centerville, right near the historical Centerville FRANK wall.Yvonne’s Rutherford in childhood Barcelona, top, days saw and as a child. the last hard years of racism in The Bahamas prior to Majority Rule. She and her siblings could not go to the Savoy Theatre in downtown, Nassau, as it was a ‘white’s only’ establishment. Ebenezer Methodist Church still had a section for whites and blacks to sit, segregated at the time. The
THE TRIBUNE
higher professions for blacks were teachers and nurses. “Our grandparents and great grandparents, when you look back, were successful entrepreneurs,” Yvonne said. “I remember when your parents made your clothes to go to school and to play in the yard. We used to take the sacks that the flour came in and wash them and sew clothes and even underclothes. We learned what it was to work hard. Our parents worked all the time. We were taught how to clean. We used to get on our knees and clean wooden floors with the wire scrubber. We had an outside toilet - only the wealthy whites had toilets in their homes. We used the bush to wash the dishes. We used the bush to heal ourselves - there was no pharmacy to talk about. We had no running water. You had to walk to the pump. It wasn’t until I grew older that we had a hand pump in our yard. All we had was a tin tub and slop bucket. “We grew our own food in the yard. We had beans, cassava, sweet potatoes... chickens, hogs, goats... these provided the meals for the family. There was a small neighbourhood convenience shop where you would buy your salami and half pound of lard, and mom would make baked bread and rolls. The fish man would come around on a bicycle with a box attached to the back and he would sell goggle eyes, grunt and jack fish. He would sell the lobster head - because we couldn’t afford lobster, and you would cook with the fat and make minced crawfish from that - it was delicious! “Our grandparents would send boxes of fruit and vegetables on the mailboat. We walked to the mailboat to collect them... we walked everywhere. Our days were full of respect - that is what you were taught and that is how you lived. You had to be creative, smart and wise. You had to use your Godgiven gifts to survive, and it made us stronger individuals. “ It is the virtues of respect and hard work that Yvonne handed down to her children - Juliet Carol Rutherford Moss, Frank Garfield Rutherford, Jr, and Chad Alexander Rutherford. Yvonne had all three of her children before the age of 20. Note these were times when children left school from as early as age 13 in order to work and support the family. In Yvonne’s case, her father fell ill and he could no longer work to pay her school fees. She could not attend day school, but because of her success at the school, she was allowed to continue night classes. However, by August 4, 1963, her daughter was born, and her athletic career ended. She had to focus on her newborn while also helping her mother with the raising of her younger siblings. Four months later, her mother put baby Juliet to sleep in the bed next to her, and she slipped away into eternity. Yvonne then came into great responsibility to raise her siblings. She married Frank Rutherford, Sr, a bar boy at Emerald Beach Hotel, and on November 23, 1964, Frank Jr was born. Chad came by March 5, 1966. “Frank was strong and independent from a child,” Yvonne told me. “He was the easiest birth I had. They had to burst my water bag and when he
YVONNE RUTHERFORD MONCUR, mother of Frank Rutherford
came out, he was smacking his lips! They did not have to spank him. He came ready! As a child, he always had the attitude that ‘I am a go getter and I have to get things done; I am a man and I have responsibility’. “Beryl fell sick as a child, first with meningitis and then a rheumatic fever. When she was in the hospital, they gave me a card that allows you to come and visit your loved one at any time, because they expected her to die. But I went to my church (St Barnabas, where she attended from the age of six until now) and I laid prostrate at the altar, and God saved my child’s life. She needed a lot of love and care and attention, and Frank was a baby. But he was strong and vibrant. I remember I would put him to bed - he wasn’t even walking yet - and he would crawl out of the bed to go to the backdoor to be with our neighbour Beryl, he just loved her. Beryl’s brothers had bicycles and one time, Frank’s hand got caught in the chain and although we took him to the hospital he lost a part of his finger. “Frank, to my mind, was always a good moral support and strength to me. He was always there for me. My children were always with me everywhere I went. Frank always had the attitude that ‘I have to protect my mummy. I have to take care of her’. When he was a boy and men would hail me, he would say, ‘don’t hail my mummy!’ He is still like that, even though his father and I were married for 25 years. I had a brain aneurysm back in 2006. Frank came and took over and I had to be airlifted to Miami to Jackson Memorial Hospital to save my life. Then in 2016 they found a small lump in my breast. But today, I am cancer free! Frank always took over when I needed him. Thank goodness my husband (Reginald Andy Moncur) is an understanding man!” Frank showed athletic prowess as a young child, from around the age of four. He not only did track and field but he played a very good game of squash at the Squash Club on Village Road. He once had a dream of being a pilot, but he ended up earning Bachelor of Science degrees in both Economics and Computer Science. When Frank attended LW Young High School, he really excelled in sports. Being from the over-thehill area, he joined the Bain Town Flyers Track Club, coached by former Sports Minister Neville Wisdom. Frank was an excellent runner and jumper, and it earned him a spot on the Bahamas national team to CARIFTA when he was 15 or 16 years-old. Yvonne got the call and instructions, and took her son to the airport, bags packed. But in what was considered a show of last minute favouritism, another athlete was chosen and the plane left without him. It was a devastating time as he and his mother consoled one another at the airport. “Frank has had a number of major disappointments as an athlete,” Yvonne said, “But I always told him that promotion comes from God.” “He didn’t let it kill his
spirit. He was more determined than ever. Frank always wanted to be an Olympian from a very young person. That kept him going.” Watching the Bahamian athletes compete at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Frank shared these sentiments: “For me, it’s like a father - a parent - watching their children grow. I feel totally responsible for the failures and successes of our athletes. I know all the things I had to go through with fighting the BOC (Bahamas Olympic Committee) just for a uniform just to compete at the Olympics, when everything should be centered around the athlete. “(Some officials) used the BOC as a vacation club for them and their families and friends. Whatever money that would come through the International Olympic Committee for the welfare and training of Olympic athletes in the country, some executives would take the money and split it up between them. Likewise, when shoe companies and such would sponsor the Olympic team and give uniforms, they would give it to their friends and family members before the athletes. “Even in 1992, I didn’t have a uniform to compete in. These are the things that I fought against and complained about for years as the athlete carrying the flag at the highest level. Pauline Davis-Thompson was inspired by me. I discovered her at LW Young from our house sports back in the day. So when I hear all the griping going on about the coaches and managers at the Olympics, and them not being athlete-friendly, these are the things I talked about from back then. They don’t understand that at that level, you need total support. You have to pamper an athlete so that the athlete could usher in the best performance they could ever dream of. “Troy Kemp, Pauline, Shaunae, Tonique, the Golden Girls... all of them, I see myself as the driving force that gave them the understanding and confidence to do it.” “When I see the athletes compete today, I feel very satisfied that they are going into these competitions knowing that they are not just there for the experience. They are there as legitimate contenders for medals. And when people see The Bahamas, they see us as a powerhouse of track and field that is going to do something significant in terms of getting on that podium. Gone are the days when they only see The Bahamas as sun, sand and sea. They see us as a track power.” He first declared this during his press conference after winning the Olympic medal on this day, 29 years ago. He put the world on notice to expect The Bahamas to be on every podium, and ever since he said it, The Bahamas has won a medal at the Olympics. Today, he owns a foundation in his name that makes it possible for young Bahamians to earn university scholarships and fulfil athletic dreams. He is also the owner and President of Megamalt, the nutritious malt drink found in stores across the country.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PAGE 9
Vaccines are essential but so is personal choice in a Free Society SO much has been written recently about the compelling need for vaccinations in face of the new surge of COVID cases in The Bahamas that I hesitate to add to the plethora of comment. But two developments encourage me to offer a few observations – the Prime Minister’s wise and appropriate national address last Wednesday and the action by the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representative threatening to arrest staffers not wearing masks in the building, with many saying this amounts to a reprehensible abuse of power. Suggestions Dr Minnis was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea vividly portray the dilemma he faced in reacting to the sudden increase in cases. In seeking to provide the best means of protecting people’s livelihoods, welfare, health and safety, the government was faced with the undesirable option of further stifling the economy and tourism – after the devastating lockdowns of 2020 – in order to safeguard the nation’s health care services that are on the brink of being overwhelmed. But what action to take was a difficult judgement – not necessarily accepting the science must override every other consideration but weighing up the competing factors and determining what was right for the country overall. All reports show the business sector has been telling the Prime Minister another lockdown would finally destroy the economy and finish off tourism. Some say lockdowns have anyway failed to halt the virus and, by closing up everything for a period, the can is simply being kicked down the road. Nonetheless, PAHO has warned against reopening the economy during an uptick in new virus cases and, with the history of past strict restrictions, many feared they would be tightened up again. As we all know, however, the Prime Minister took another route. Having already made it clear a high level of vaccinations was the only way of ending the pandemic, rather than imposing new curbs he called on the public to take the vaccine in order to protect their own
SECOND OLYMPICS FOR GRAND BAHAMIAN JOANNA EVANS
The Peter Young column health and avoid possible death – not least, in the face of threatened new strains like the Delta variant. It was the case, he said, that the overwhelming majority of patients admitted to hospital were unvaccinated. While social distancing, the wearing of masks and hand sanitising in shops, offices and public places have become the norm, he called on people to continue to follow these established routines and avoid large gatherings while restrictions on restaurants would remain – in other words to assume personal responsibility for measures to minimise the spread of the virus. In speaking as a medical doctor of more than 40 years’ experience, he warned people not to listen to what he called “the fake news over the medical science”. In such circumstances, it is reasonable to expect most people ought to be persuaded by his strong recommendation, particularly when the dangers of remaining unvaccinated are fully explained. It is inevitable, however, some will remain unconvinced. The challenge is to persuade them to change their minds – and, to provide for the possibility of further action if the pandemic becomes worse, presumably the government’s emergency powers will be extended again. Judging from reactions in recent days, the Prime Minister surely hit just the right note. He is said to have struck the correct balance between health and
NEW LIGHT ON LIFE OF DUKE OF WINDSOR WHAT a pleasant surprise it was to receive recently from a friend a nice gift in the shape of a book entitled “The Quest for Queen Mary”. The paperback edition was first published in Britain in 2018. Edited by well-known royal biographer Hugo Vickers, it is a compilation of notes of interviews conducted by James PopeHennessy while preparing to write the official biography of Queen Mary, the widow of King George V and grandmother of The Queen. This work was published as long ago as 1959 and was acclaimed as one of the best royal biographies ever published. Queen Mary had died in her sleep in 1953 at the age of 85. Pope-Hennessy apparently embarked on his task in about 1955 and his research included many interviews with various royal courts around Europe – as well as meetings with an array of retired courtiers – and he had access to private letters and documents as well. His notes were kept secret for more than 50 years and have now been published for the first time. They include a series of candid, revealing and humorous observations – together with character portraits – about royalty and members of the English aristocracy of the period. Some of these are hardly flattering and reveal the frailties and unbecoming traits of so many among those concerned.
What interested me, in particular, about this book were the many revelations and observations about the Duke of Windsor who was, of course, Queen Mary’s eldest son. He abdicated as King of England in 1936 in order to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson – and he later became Governor of The Bahamas for most of the Second World War. During the course of long conversations James Pope-Hennessy had with the Duke of Windsor when visiting him and the Duchess at one of their homes in France in 1957, the author quotes him in commenting about the Abdication that “People can say what they like for or against it. I don’t care; but one thing is certain: I acted in good faith. And I was treated shabbily”. If this is read in conjunction with the detailed account of the Abdication in his official biography by Philip Ziegler, published in 1990, some people have reached the sad conclusion that at heart the Duke of Windsor seems to have misunderstood or underestimated the enormity of his decision to abdicate. This momentous event shook both the monarchy and the country to the core and, from all the evidence, caused incalculable stress and sorrow to his family. As recorded by PopeHennessy, nobody among them at the time – right up to the last minute – really thought he could or would go through with it.
JOANNA Evans pictured at the Tokyo Olympics. AS A friend of her father, Colin, I have found it interesting over the last few years to follow the success as a top-class competitor in swimming of Joanna Evans from Grand Bahama. Not surprisingly, there has been quite a lot of press coverage of this twotime Olympian who participated in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and now has been competing in the Tokyo Games. This time, the University of Texas graduate was selected by the Bahamas Olympic Committee to carry – with veteran high-jumper Donald Thomas – the national flag at the historic opening ceremony; and this was the first time there have been two flag-bearers. Joanna competed in her signature event, the 400 metre freestyle – as well as the 200 metre freestyle in which she set a Bahamian the economy, and lives and livelihoods. While additional measures, including a slightly extended curfew, have been limited, there appears to have been a palpable and collective sigh of relief that the country has escaped another lockdown – at least for now. So, the debate about vaccines has intensified. Amid controversy concerning the availability of enough doses for everybody, the vaccine rollout in The Bahamas – estimated at 15 percent while 80 percent of the population vaccinated is said to be the figure required for herd immunity – has been low compared with other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The official expert medical advice is to get vaccinated because, as a preventative rather than a cure, it will stop moderate to severe symptoms and will save lives. So, to keep pockets of infection from spreading, people should take it while regular testing
national record. So, although coming up short of the final, that significant achievement will surely have already earned her widespread and deserved praise by all concerned – particularly those back at home. Over the years, there have, of course, been many famous Bahamian Olympians. To name just a few in modern times, people will surely recall the success of the “Golden Girls” who won the women’s 4x100 metre relay at the Sydney Games in 2000. It was an enormous pleasure later to meet two of them – Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie – and, more recently, to have talks with gold medallist sprinter Pauline Davis-Thompson, an IAAF Council member, when Britain was lobbying for support to hold the IAAF’s World Championships in
should also continue; and it is argued that, if they could really see for themselves the horror and damage inflicted by COVID-19, they would soon drop any objection to the jab. Meanwhile, the medical experts confirm the chances of getting sick – for example with a blood clot – and dying from taking it are tiny compared with the mortality rate of COVID itself. Thus, the case in favour of taking the vaccine seems now to be beyond argument. But the wider dimension of individual choice in the matter is also important in a free democratic society. People can be in favour of the vaccine but still object to any notion of the state imposing it as a mandatory requirement. It is incumbent on government to explain the risks of refusing the jab, and it even makes sense, for the good of the country as a whole, to offer incentives to take it. But that is a far
London in 2017. Then, there was a memorably impressive gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics for Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, a veteran of five Olympics, and his teammates in the men’s 4x400 metres relay – and who can forget the drama at Rio de Janeiro when Shaunae MillerUibo (or Shaunae Miller as she then was) threw herself over the finishing line to win gold in the women’s 400 metres, which means, of course, that she is the reigning Olympic champion in this event. There has been so much worthy achievement and triumph on the international stage by Bahamians in the past – and, in the hope of good things to come, it’s a joy to offer Team Bahamas every good wish for the track and field events in Tokyo this week.
cry from the state coercing individuals about something that is intensely personal and intrusive – being forced to have a needle stuck into your arm irrespective of your medical history or condition, while you may have fears – rational or not – about a new vaccination that some say may have been developed too quickly and without adequate testing. That said, there have to be special cases and exceptions like health workers because of the possibility of unvaccinated staff spreading infection inside hospitals. Moreover, state mandates are, of course, different from individual businesses which can insist on new staff being vaccinated as a condition of taking a job since they can determine their terms of staff employment as long as their rules are within the law. The medical experts say the risk of the virus causing someone serious illness may often depend on one’s
age and state of health, including underlying conditions. Clearly, some people are more vulnerable than others and need different levels of protection. So, many consider coercive rules for all across-theboard should anyway be avoided and people should be left to make their own risk assessments. Furthermore, vulnerable people are unlikely to ignore social distancing precautions because they can be expected to have a basic sense of self-preservation. Many believe generally in individual freedom, responsibility and accountability and are against government mandates. It is self-evident the state has a vital role to play in protecting the public’s security and safety. But in a democracy it is also a fundamental priority to protect their basic human rights and freedom to make individual decisions about something as important to them as their own health.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, August 3, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
10,000 EVACUATED AS TURKEY BATTLES WILDFIRES BOZALAN, Turkey Associated Press
PEOPLE run away from the fire-devastated Sirtkoy village, near Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey, on Sunday.
FOR the sixth straight day, Turkish firefighters battled yesterday to control the blazes that are tearing through forests near Turkey’s beach destinations. Fed by strong winds and scorching temperatures, the fires that began Wednesday have left eight people dead. Residents and tourists have fled vacation resorts in flotillas of small boats or convoys of cars and trucks. Many villagers have lost their homes and farm animals and have
had trouble breathing amid the heavy smoke. Overall, some 10,000 people have been evacuated in Mugla province alone, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said yesterday. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter that crews were still tackling nine fires in the coastal provinces of Antalya and Mugla that are popular tourist areas. Other active fires were in the provinces of Isparta, Denizli, Izmir and Adana. Another fire in Tunceli, in southeast
Turkey, was contained yesterday, the minister said earlier. In all, 137 fires that broke out in over 30 provinces since Wednesday have been extinguished. “We are going through days when the heat is above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), where the winds are strong and humidity is extremely low,” Pakdemirli said. “We are struggling under such difficult conditions.” Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said yesterday that some tourists were able to return to their hotels after the threat dissipated.
US hits 70% vaccination rate - but a month late THE US on Monday finally reached President Joe Biden’s goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot in the arms of 70 percent of American adults - a month late and amid a fierce surge by the delta variant that is swamping hospitals and leading to new mask rules and mandatory vaccinations around the country. Louisiana ordered nearly everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks again in all indoor public settings, including schools and colleges, and other cities and states likewise moved to reinstate precautions to counter a crisis blamed on the fast-spreading variant and stubborn resistance to getting the vaccine. “As fast as we are opening up units, they’re being filled with COVID patients,” lamented Dr. Sergio Segarra, chief medical officer of Baptist Hospital Miami, where the Florida chain reported an increase of well over 140 percent in the past two weeks in the number of people now hospitalised with the virus. “As quickly as we can discharge them they’re coming in and they’re coming in very sick. We started seeing entire families come down.” Biden had set a goal of reaching the 70 percent threshold by the Fourth of July. But that target was set well before the highly contagious delta variant enabled the virus to come storming back and undermined the assumptions that were used to arrive at that figure. There was was no celebration at the White House on Monday, nor a setting of a new target, as the administration instead struggles to overcome public resistance. The 70 percent target marked the low-end of initial government estimates for what would be necessary to achieve herd immunity in the US. That has been rendered insufficient by the delta variant. The US still has not hit the administration’s other goal of fully vaccinating 165 million American adults by July 4. It is about 8.5 million short. New cases per day in the US have increased sixfold over the past month to an average of nearly 80,000, a level not seen since midFebruary. And deaths per day have climbed over the past two weeks from an average of 259 to 360. Those are still well below the 3,400 deaths and a quarter-million cases per day seen during the worst of the outbreak, in January.
Some places around the country are seeing newly confirmed infections and hospital caseloads reach their highest levels since the pandemic began a year and a half ago. Nearly all deaths and serious illnesses now are in unvaccinated people. The surge has led states and cities across the US to beat a retreat, just weeks after it looked as if the country was going to see a close-to-normal summer. Health officials in San Francisco and six other Bay Area counties announced Monday they are reinstating a requirement that everyone — vaccinated or not — wear masks in public indoor spaces. New York Gov Andrew Cuomo said New York City airport and transit workers will have to get vaccinated or face weekly testing. He stopped short of mandating either masks or inoculations for the general public, saying he lacks legal authority to do so. Denver’s mayor said said the city will require police officers, firefighters and certain other municipal employees to get vaccinated, along with workers at schools, nursing homes, hospitals and jails. Minnesota’s public colleges and universities will require masks while indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status. And New Jersey said workers at state-run nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals and other such institutions must get the shot or face regular testing. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that a nationwide vaccination requirement “is not on the table”, but noted that employers have the right to take that step as they see fit. In Florida, it took two months last summer for the number of people in the hospital with the coronavirus to jump from 2,000 to 10,000. It took only 27 days this summer for Florida hospitals to see that same increase, said Florida Hospital Association President Mary Mayhew. She noted also that this time, 96 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated and are far younger, many of them in their 20s and 30s. While setting a national vaccination goal may have been useful for trying to drum up enthusiasm for the shots, 70 percent of Americans getting one shot was never going to be enough to prevent surges among unvaccinated groups. And when he announced the goal, Biden acknowledged it was just a first step.
AID GROUP CLOSES CLINIC IN HAITI AMID VIOLENCE PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press
GANG violence that has left more than 19,000 people homeless in Haiti’s capital has now forced a Doctors Without Borders clinic to close, officials said Monday. The emergency clinic in the Martissant neighborhood of Port-au-Prince had been operating for 15 years and served a community of some 300,000 people, the aid group said in a
statement. The clinic recently cared for dozens of gunshot victims, including multiple civilians, as gangs in Martissant battled over territory. Last year, it admitted more than 33,000 people into its emergency room. Doctors Without Borders said it would try to relocate its clinic elsewhere in Port-au-Prince. The announcement is a blow to a community largely lacking medical resources.