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MPS RECALLED TO PASS EMERGENCY EXTENSION
House reconvenes tomorrow to process continuing orders By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert will give notice of his intention to extend the country’s state of emergency beyond August 13 when the House of Assembly reconvenes tomorrow in response to the current resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Dr Minnis will give a national address tonight at 8pm to inform Bahamians of his administration’s plans related to the current COVID-19 Emergency Orders and the country’s future transition to a new legislative approach. The country has been
under a state of emergency since March 2020. Government officials have said the discontinuation of COVID-19 Emergency Powers Orders would largely depend on infection rates and the behaviour of residents. They had also indicated a few weeks ago the Minnis administration’s intent to let the orders expire this month. However, since then, the nation has seen a sustained uptick of virus-related cases and hospitalisations as well as deaths, with officials attributing the latest spike to the presence of COVID variants and a relaxed adherence to the current health measures. SEE PAGE FOUR
DOCTORS’ FEARS MOUNT AS COVID CASES SOAR By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Consultant Physicians Staff Association has again expressed concern over the continued increase in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed the nation’s healthcare system. This comes after the country recorded 228
new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 118 on Friday. Thursday’s figures represented the highest number of cases recorded in The Bahamas in one single day. Nine additional COVID deaths were also reported on Friday. More than 100 people are in the hospital with the virus. SEE PAGE FOUR
SHE’S 24 CARAT BAHAMIAN gold medal winner Shaunae Miller-Uibo during the medal ceremony for the women’s 400m at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday after defending her title in the event. Her time of 48.36 seconds shattered her North American, Central American and Caribbean area and Bahamas national records as she soared to victory. See SPORTS for the full story. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP
THREE PERISH IN HOUSE FIRE GUNMAN STRIKES By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE charred remains of a woman and two children were discovered after a fire at a residence on Coco Plum Road off East Street was extinguished yesterday. Although police have not officially identified the deceased, relatives told The Tribune that Timane Parent, 43, Ronesha Pierrette, 11, and Taylor
THE SCENE of the fire on Cocoa Plum Avenue off East Street. Louissaint, seven, tragically died in the blaze. Director of Fire Services
Superintendent Kendrick Morris said, while not confirmed, it is believed four people lived in the home that caught fire. One of the individuals managed to escape the blaze. When asked if there was any idea what may have caused the fire, he said: “Not at this time. My investigators are on the scene as you can see conducting inquiries as we speak.”
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE TWO
IN YARD
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net POLICE are investigating another homicide after a man was found unresponsive with gunshot wounds on Saturday night in a yard of an Odel Corner home. SEE PAGE TWO
PAGE 2, Monday, August 9, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
THREE PERISH IN HOUSE FIRE
JERTHA CDET, a relative of the victims, in tears at the scene. RONESHA, 11, and Taylor, 7, who both died in the fire. from page one A neighbour said an aunt, uncle, nephew and niece lived together in the home in question. She indicated that Ms Parent was the two children’s aunt. The children’s mother died a few months ago and their aunt took them in, the neighbour said. Supt Morris said that sometime around 5:50am on Sunday, Police Fire Services received a call of a report of a building fire on
Coco Plum Road off East Street. “As a result of this information received, the fire department responded with two fire appliances. Some six minutes later, the first unit arrived on the scene where they met apartment number two, which is a single storey five-room stone structure, engulfed with flames,” he said. “The fire was quickly extinguished, however the scene was destroyed by fire. Upon completion of extinguishing the fire, a search was conducted where partially charred remains of three bodies were found.” A woman who gave her name as Jertha Cdet was inconsolable at the scene. She said the deceased victims were her cousin and godchildren. She had photos of the deceased children next to her as she spoke to reporters between sobs. She said she did not live at the residence, but went every weekend to visit. “My little cousin when I come here all he do is hug me and kiss me. Oh boy I miss you. They be calling me every minute [sic],” she cried out, describing the two children as “angels”. “If I don’t come here for one day they be calling me and ask me where I am, when I coming. Now they gone. I’m not gonna see them no more. “At least one should have lived. At least one of the kids should’ve lived. All them gone. They vanished. They disappear. “They was so sweet and
kind. Everybody could have tell you. The children (they) were angels.” A neighbour estimated that Ms Parent had lived at the apartment for about four months before yesterday’s fire. The neighbour said she realised there was a fire around 5.30. “We were asleep and the boyfriend of the lady who died, he was the one who woke us up,” the neighbour said. “We woke up in smoke and the only thing we were able to do (was) grab our children and we came out. We were trying to assist to get them out but the fire was too strong already and nobody was allowed to go in there.” The neighbour remembered the deceased were crying out for help. She recounted: “The kids were asleep and I don’t know if they were up, but I know I heard screams. I heard loud screams. They were crying.” “I wasn’t able to hear because we were in the road crying – asking people to come. Persons were grabbing buckets trying to throw water on the roof and stuff. They were trying to get them through the window but it didn’t work.” She saw the remains of the three victims. “It’s horrifying,” she said. “The only thing I could think about was that it could have been me and my children like that.” Both of her children used to play with the deceased children, she said. An investigation is ongoing.
GUNMAN STRIKES IN YARD from page one
Superintendent Sybrina Porter said the deceased is believed to be in his early 30s. Police have not officially identified the victim, but a relative told The Tribune the victim is Gervaise Anderson. She explained that shortly after 8pm, police received reports of gunshots in the area. “Officers responded to the scene. Upon their arrival, they discovered the lifeless body of a male lying in the yard of house number 21 (at) Odel Corner. Paramedics were called to the scene where the male was examined and there were no signs of life. “The brief information that we have at this time is that the male along with another man was standing in the yard of house number 21 when a male approached, armed with a firearm, and opened fire on the men. The deceased collapsed at that time.” The person who opened fire came on foot. Asked if the other person who was with the deceased was injured during the shooting, she replied: “We don’t have that information.” Asked if there was evidence to suggest the matter may be gang-related, Superintendent Porter said: “We can’t say that at this time.” The victim’s brother, Gerzerio Anderson, recalled finding his brother face down with multiple gunshot wounds. He said he was close with his brother and the two lived together. Mr Anderson said before the shooting, his brother asked him to get some drinks from a nearby shop. “He sent me to the corner to get some drinks
from the Chinese,” Mr Anderson said. “(By) the time as I gone and come back, ain’t no one could have (found) him and I asked one of the guys who was outside where he gone. He said ‘he gone through the short-cut and ain’t come back yet.’ I said let me go walk through the short-cut. I meet him on the ground. I turned him over, his eyes was open, but he was unresponsive.” He said he was at a loss for words about what his family was feeling about the homicide. He said his brother had just celebrated the christening of one of his children before he was killed. Asked if his brother had complained that someone was out to get him, Mr Anderson said his sibling had “haters,” adding there were “plenty” of people who were “watching” his brother’s “progress”. He said his brother, a mechanic, was doing well for himself and at 34 was building a house and had just bought a wrecker for his work. He said the victim had some brushes with the law several years ago, when he was charged with possession of a firearm, but was not involved in gang activity. “He was a generous man. He helped people if they needed help, always encouraged you to do better, stay out of problems, watch out for bad-minded people,” Mr Anderson said. Police are appealing to members of the public who may have information that can assist with this latest incident and other homicides to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, August 9, 2021, PAGE 3
RBDF HUNT FOR MIGRANTS AFTER EMPTY SLOOP FOUND THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force is actively searching for possible migrants after an empty sloop was found drifting in waters approximately eight nautical miles off Goulding Cay on Saturday. In a statement, the RBDF said after the agency received initial reports from the US Coast Guard liaison officer that two Haitian sloops had left Haiti, air and sea assets were immediately deployed to conduct search operations in the areas of the possible routes taken by the sloops. Additional assistance in the search also included aerial reconnaissance by
a US Coast Guard fixed wing aircraft, a drone and members of the RBDF Commando Squadron Unit, which conducted searches on several cays in the Exuma chain. “In addition to the extensive search operations, the Immigration Department also assisted with foot patrols along the southern shores of the capital, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force conducted shore and mobile patrols,” the RBDF said. “Areas of interest included the northern and central islands of The Bahamas and surrounding cays, and inlets and shorelines of the capital. Currently,
no evidence of an actual migrant landing has been detected along the southern coast of New Providence by immigration, police and defence force officers.” The RBDF said as a result of the discovery of the abandoned Haitian sloop, “a thorough search has been launched by the relevant authorities to investigate the location of the possible migrants who may have been onboard”. An active investigation is also underway to determine if the migrants may have been assisted at sea and taken to Nassau, or if they are abandoned along the cays in the Exumas.
MP airlifted after car collision By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net NORTH Andros and the Berry Islands MP Carlton Bowleg revealed that he was in a car collision that resulted in him and the driver of another vehicle being flown out of Andros by air ambulance. According to a statement posted on the Free National Movement’s Facebook page on Saturday, Mr Bowleg was involved in a car accident while en route to Mastic Point from Red Bays, North Andros, on Friday. “Following treatment at Nicholls Town Clinic we were both flown to New Providence for additional care. Luckily, the other driver only received minor injuries, and as I was knocked unconscious for several minutes following the collision, I was kept in hospital for observation,” Mr Bowleg’s statement said. It was explained that the accident occurred after Mr Bowleg spent time in the Red Bays community supporting a constituent’s cook-out. “The cook-out was to raise funds to rebuild his home,” the statement noted. “Having regard for the established curfew hours, I left the Red Bays area shortly after 8pm. On approaching the junction of Red Bays and Queens Highway, I entered a well-known blind spot and cautiously made my way onto the main thoroughfare. At that time,
MEMBER of Parliament for North Andros and Berry Islands, Carlton Bowleg Jr. our vehicles collided. “I am thankful to God for His hand in keeping both myself and the driver of the other vehicle safe. I am also appreciative to the medical practitioners and to the community of North Andros who came to our aid immediately following the collision. I thank everyone for their prayers for myself and the young male driver.”
MORE POWER ISSUES FOR BPL BAHAMAS Power and Light experienced major issues in western New Providence last week. Some customers in these areas complained on Friday morning that their power had been off since Thursday night. In a notice on Friday, the power provider confirmed the issues they were experiencing and the areas to which Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) had restored power. The statement read: “Bahamas Power and Light confirms that we experienced major issues in western New Providence overnight. However, customers between Compass Point and Old Fort Bay have been restored as of
this morning (Friday), and we anticipate restoration of customers in the area of Sea Beach and Caves Village by 10am. Customers in Yuma Estates, Saffron Hills, Tusculum and the surrounding areas should have their power restored by about 11am (Friday).” This comes after complaints about intermittent power cuts throughout New Providence earlier last week. Last month, BPL chairman Dr Donovan Moxey called for consumers to “bear” with the company following several recent power outages in New Providence. Dr Moxey insisted the electricity provider is doing “everything” it can to improve service.
MAN STABBED ON THE STREET A MAN is in stable, but serious condition after he was stabbed while walking in the area of Finlayson and Curtis Street. According to police the man, in his 20s, was walking when he was approached by another man known to him who then produced a
knife and stabbed him in his neck. He was taken to Accident and Emergency at the Princess Margaret Hospital by ambulance where his condition is described as serious, but stable. Police said a 44-year-old man is assisting them with this investigation.
THE SLOOP pictured adrift when found off Goulding Cay. Photo: RBDF
PAGE 4, Monday, August 9, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
MPs recalled to pass emergency extension from page one
Ministry of Health officials reported a record 228 new cases on Thursday and 118 on Friday for a total 15,537 up to August 6. More than 100 people are said to be in hospital sick with the virus, while there have been over 300 COVID-19 deaths confirmed. The current emergency proclamation, which allows for curfews, lockdowns and other restrictive measures, ends on Friday. Another extension of the orders would require the government to table a resolution that has to be debated and passed in Parliament. However, the House of Assembly has been on summer break since June. In a letter obtained by The Tribune yesterday, Parliament Clerk David Forbes advised Parliament will now meet tomorrow instead of its previous adjourned date of September 22. He added that parliamentarians will meet to consider another extension of the emergency powers orders. “The speaker, acting on the recommendation of the prime minister, being satisfied as is required by the rules, that the circumstances of the resurgence of the COVID-19 cases requires the consideration of the Parliament to determine the extension of the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Orders, herby gives notices as follows: an earlier sitting of the House Assembly will be convened on Tuesday 10 August 2021 at 10am,” the letter read.
The Office of the Prime Minister later released a statement saying a resolution to extend the existing emergency powers orders will be tabled in the House on Tuesday, adding Parliament will reconvene on Wednesday to debate and to pass the resolution. The resolution is expected to be passed in the Senate on Thursday. “The prime minister has fought throughout the pandemic to get vaccines for Bahamians,” OPM’s statement said. “He will provide an update on additional vaccine supplies. He continues to work to save lives and livelihoods. The Bahamian economy has shown remarkable growth in recent months. Bahamians are getting back to work. “The prime minister wants to protect our economic growth and job-creation, ensuring Bahamian businesses can operate responsibly while also protecting public health.” When contacted for comment yesterday, House Speaker Halson Moultrie told The Tribune he was informed by Dr Minnis on Saturday night about the government’s plans to have Parliament reconvened. He spoke to The Tribune before OPM released its statement. Speaker Moultrie said he expects Dr Minnis to speak about the nation’s continued fight with the pandemic and make a case on why his administration believes the COVID-19 orders should be extended. However, it is unclear
how long the orders will be extended for, with the Nassau Village MP saying he didn’t want to speculate on the matter. Mr Moultrie said: “The Prime Minister called last night (Saturday) and indicated that he wished for Parliament to be reconvened according to the constitutional rules where the Prime Minister should consult with the Speaker and lay out the reasons for Parliament to be reconvened. “And he did that last night and I was satisfied based on the information that he provided that it was in the best interest of the people to have Parliament reconvened on Tuesday. His intent is of course to present Parliament with the reasons why the COVID-19 orders should be extended. “Principally, it’s because of the resurgence of the coronavirus, the peak in the number of cases and the real likelihood that there are more variants of the virus out there other than the Delta variant and I believe that any government should be given the opportunity on behalf of the people despite the Parliament having a fixed date of adjournment of the 22 of September, I believe the government should be given the opportunity to reconvene Parliament in such circumstances. “We are actually in an emergency situation and the country is facing a crisis and so I believe that the Prime Minister on Tuesday will table the documents with respect to the review
of the COVID-19 orders and any changes that would be made,” Mr Moultrie added. Asked if he thinks additional measures will be added to arrest control of the pandemic, the Nassau Village MP said he believes the government is seeking to strike an economic and health balance, adding there is a reluctance among officials to impose another lockdown. Mr Moultrie also said it is highly likely that the House of Assembly will continue with its usual proceedings when it reconvenes Tuesday as opposed to taking a second summer break. He told this newspaper: “When we reconvene Parliament, unless the government expresses an intent for this sitting to be a special sitting or an isolated sitting, we would no longer be on recess and it is very likely that the government will continue Parliament in its normal order of business as opposed to going to a second recess and having to reconvene again if circumstances change.” As for what this means for his proposed “open Parliament” meetings, Mr Moultrie said he expects that the sessions—which were scheduled to begin this Wednesday—will be postponed to another date. Mr Moultrie said he has received great interest from various groups about the initiative and assured it will not be canceled as a result of these new developments. “It will not be cancelled. It will be postponed and rescheduled,” he added.
cases seen on a regular basis. Routine medical services have been significantly and negatively impacted by COVID-19 and the measures implemented to fight it. “The Emergency Orders have been a part of the government’s efforts to decrease the spread of COVID-19. These orders have restricted the ordinary lives of Bahamians and residents and the freedoms we would normally enjoy. Given the recent uptick in cases, unfortunately the decision may be made to continue the Emergency Orders. “Whether or not the Emergency Orders continue, just as the government and medical institutions have their roles in the fight against COVID19, so do we as a people.”
CSPA said physicians are still not being engaged in meaningful dialogue with government officials on the way forward from the pandemic. “We again implore the Ministry of Health and related authorities to meaningfully engage the CPSA and other health care groups regarding these measures, their implementation, and their impact,” the statement continued. The physicians also urged Bahamians to keep following current health measures and warned fully vaccinated people can spread the virus. “The COVID-19 vaccines are a tool in the fight against this virus,” CPSA said. “It can protect you, the individual, from severe illness, hospitalisation or death from COVID-19. If
you are unsure whether you want to take the vaccine or not, we encourage you to speak to your doctor. Get the facts as they relate specifically to you and make your informed choice. “However, vaccinated or unvaccinated, you can still catch COVID-19 and spread it to others. We are pleased that the government has now made the decision to test all persons entering The Bahamas, and hope that this measure will continue.” Yesterday, health officials reported 108,506 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Officials said 62,863 people have received one dose of the vaccine while 47,580 people are fully vaccinated. To make an appointment to get vaccinated, visit vax.gov.bs.
DOCTORS’ FEARS MOUNT AS COVID CASES SOAR from page one
“The CPSA finds the recent increases in COVID-19 cases and deaths alarming, especially given recent inferences by authorities that the highly contagious and deadly Delta variant may already be in our midst,” the group said in a statement yesterday. “The impact COVID-19 continues to have on families, livelihoods, and our fragile local and tourism markets should prompt everyone to think and act in a manner which promotes the safety and perseverance of all. “The health care system and its staff are overwhelmed with COVID cases. This is on top of the trauma, chronic disease, and non-urgent
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
15,537 304 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES FRIDAY
118 CASES
THURSDAY
228 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 85 GRAND BAHAMA 13 ELEUTHERA 13 ABACO 6 ANDROS 1 NEW PROVIDENCE 164 ELEUTHERA 20 ABACO 15 EXUMA 12 GRAND BAHAMA 11 ANDROS 3 BIMINI & CAT CAY 3
TOTAL TESTS
HOSPITALISED
122,831 120
NEWLY CONFIRMED DEATHS • A 20-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 20. • A 50-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 20. • A 41-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 20. • A 54-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 23. • A 74-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 29. • A 54-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM ELEUTHERA ON JULY 29. • A 24-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON JULY 29. • A 42-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM BERRY ISLAND ON JULY 29. • A 50-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON AUGUST 3.
CASES IN ICU
10
RECOVERED
12,824
HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES RECORDED IN ONE DAY TWO-hundred and twenty-eight new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Thursday, historically the highest number of cases recorded in The Bahamas in one day. In a note included in the release of Thursday’s figures, the Ministry of Health noted that nearly 500 new cases were reported between August 1 and August 5. The week before – July 25 to July 29 – there were nearly 560 new cases confirmed. Officials further noted that due to the Emancipation Day holiday on Monday, it was likely that people may delay getting tested for COVID-19. As a result, in the coming days, numbers will probably be higher than usual. “The Ministry of Health reports today (Thursday) that there were 228 cases,” the note read. “This number is an historical one as it is the highest number ever reported in The Bahamas in one day. “The numbers seen today demonstrate that the virus that causes COVID-19 is ever-present and continues to be transmitted in the country. It should be noted that a total of 499 cases were reported between August 1st to August 5th, 2021. For the same time last week, July 25th to July 29, 2021, 558 confirmed cases were reported.” It continued: “On
August 2, 2021, The Bahamas celebrated Emancipation Day as a public holiday. It is noteworthy to mention that when we experience a holiday, members of the public may delay getting tested for COVID-19. Most laboratory facilities would be closed. The Ministry has observed that this often results in an uptick in the number of confirmed cases reported days following a holiday. The Ministry continues its monitoring to ensure timely responses to this evolving pandemic.” New Providence accounted for the largest number of cases with 164, while Grand Bahama recorded 11. In Abaco there were 15 new cases, 20 in Eleuthera, 12 in Exuma, three in Bimini and Cat Cay, and three in Andros. There are now 122 people in hospital – 109 are listed as moderately ill and 13 are in the Intensive Care Unit. Two deaths are under investigation. Officials said the country can get through this pandemic together by remembering to keep private social gatherings restricted to 5 or fewer persons, provided they are vaccinated; staying home if you don’t feel well; wearing a mask outside of your home; regularly wash your hands; remaining socially distant; and avoiding large gatherings at restaurants, workplaces, churches, celebrations and family reunions.
public health.” According to the latest COVID-19 dashboard, the Abaco chain now has a total of 445 confirmed cases, the island with the third highest number of cases. Fifteen new cases were recorded in Abaco on Thursday. In recent weeks, there have been concerns about a reported COVID-19 outbreak at Hope Town. However, Mr Albury said he believes the situation has improved based on the low number of recent cases. “We did in fact have a spike,” he said. “These are situations you always have to be on the lookout for which is why the health and safety protocols are so important. I believe we have and if you look at the recent numbers over the recent days, we did have that spike but now it’s starting to taper off again if my understanding is correct. “You know we’re still seeing reported cases but it
isn’t surging necessarily. It’s just a matter of everyone taking their personal health and safety seriously and business owners and operators doing the same encouraging and making sure their guests and their staff social distance and that sort of thing. “I genuinely believe by and large, most Abaconians are in fact taking things very seriously. There are always exceptions and there are always going to be people who don’t necessarily believe things are as bad as they in fact are or they just feel that they don’t have to follow those extra safety measures. “You know there’s always going to be people who circumvent and go around the rules per se, but by and large, I feel like most people understand the severity of the problem and have enough respect for their fellow Abaconians to take the proper safety measures, but there are always people who seek to undercut that.”
ABACO OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO CLOSE AFTER POSITIVE CASE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Office of the Prime Minister at Abaco will be closed to the public for two weeks after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. Central and South Abaco MP James Albury, who is also parliamentary secretary at the office of the Prime Minister (OPM), confirmed the Abaco office was shut down for deep cleaning after officials learned a staff member tested positive for the virus. Mr Albury said the
worker is one of six staff members employed at the office. The Tribune understands the person tested positive on Wednesday. “I can confirm that one of the staff at the office had in fact tested positive for COVID,” Mr Albury said when contacted for comment on Friday. “So as of now, the office is closed and the deep cleaning has been completed as of today (Friday). We will probably keep the office closed for a minimum of two weeks as we kind of monitor the situation.” He said all staff members are in quarantine out of an
abundance of caution. “My understanding is that staff is isolating just for now and, of course, I’m going to strongly encourage them to get tested as soon as possible just in case for those who were in close contact with her and try to take all the proper measures moving forward,” Mr Albury told this newspaper. Asked if he also was in isolation, Mr Albury said: “Technically, no but I have been isolating for a few days just to monitor my health just in case there were any symptoms possibly.” The office is in the government’s complex in the
Marsh Harbour area. Because of the large amount of traffic at the building, Mr Albury said it was essential to close the office to reduce the risk of further COVID-19 spread. “It was important we took the measures to close the office because there is the government complex – an epicenter of all government administrations and departments function out of the that building,” he said. “The goal is to manage to keep that complex up and running without having to necessarily shut the thing down.” Asked how many offices have been shut down, Mr Albury said: “It has not been as many, but I can only say the health officials will monitor it and ultimately they are the ones who would make those sort of calls, but right now, of course, everything is being monitored but they will be the ones to say and recommend what needs to be done in terms of
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, August 9, 2021, PAGE 5
Exuma family: Give better equipment to Family Islands By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A GRIEVING family wants the government to better equip Family Islands with the resources needed to treat positive COVID patients after the deadly virus took the life of their loved one last month. Exuma resident Nioka Taylor, a mother-of-three, lost her battle with the disease on July 27, several days after she was evacuated to New Providence to receive care for symptoms said to be COVID related. Her daughter, Lendeka Anderson, told The Tribune the family believes the 51-year-old mother could have survived if local medical facilities had been better equipped to deal with her symptoms as opposed to evacuating her New Providence where the public health care system is overwhelmed. “When she arrived in Nassau, it was very difficult to hear anything. We didn’t hear nothing. “We didn’t know if she reached properly,” her daughter said yesterday. “And it wasn’t until Monday night going into Tuesday morning, I would say around 11pm, a doctor called my phone and she was basically telling me my mom’s condition and she did swab her again and she tested positive for COVID-19. “She said it wasn’t really looking good basically and the only thing I can basically do is pray because my mom’s heart rate is speeding up but her breathing rate is slowing down and they had her on oxygen, but she needed to go on a ventilator because (reportedly) there wasn’t anymore
ventilators so, it’s really nothing they could have done because the ventilator would’ve helped her breath more. “They said the only thing I could do is pray because I asked her, ‘do you think my mom is going to be okay’ and they said they’re not sure because one minute COVID patients are here and the next minute they’re not,” the New Providence resident added. Ms Anderson said the family believes her mother — who had underlying health issues — contracted the virus from someone close to her on the island. Ms Taylor was not vaccinated against COVID-19, her daughter also told this newspaper. She said the virus caused her mother’s health to deteriorate rapidly. However, she said relatives expected her to make a full recovery as she had overcome health issues in the past. “My mom got swabbed in Exuma that Saturday. When they tested her, they told her it would take three to five days (before) it would come back and she went back home. My sister said she started to feel sick and she was not responding well,” Ms Anderson told this newspaper. “She wasn’t talking and she wasn’t seeing anything or eating. She didn’t have any smell or taste. She was having the symptoms of COVID, vomiting, diarrhea all of that. Sunday, my sister said she made her a cup of tea and she really couldn’t hold the tea. She dropped the tea. “And Sunday night or early Monday morning, like around 2am, my sister said she went in her room and she wasn’t really responding... so my sister decided
that she was going to take my mom to the clinic because she sleeps with a breathing machine every night because she’s a diagnosed heart patient.” Ms Anderson said it took several hours for health officials to get her mother evacuated to New Providence. “They had her there from 2am until 8pm and they decided that they’re going to airlift her to Nassau because they can’t really deal with her,” she said. Days later, the family received the worst call of their life when doctors informed them of Ms Taylor’s death. Ms Anderson said the family has more questions than answers surrounding her mother’s death. “They had her on regular oxygen machine but she needed more than that because the doctor told me that her heartbeat was speeding up and her oxygen was slowing down so she needed to be incubated and given a ventilator and it was no space and they (allegedly) didn’t have any,” Ms Anderson said. “So, from you tell me that, we didn’t know what condition she was in because we can’t go up to the hospital to see her. The doctors are not calling properly because she was there from Monday at 8am and someone didn’t call me until 11pm that night and we never hear from someone until Wednesday morning and someone called my sister who lives in Exuma with her and told her your mom has passed and they’re calling from a COVID-19 unit and her body is starting to deteriorate so please come and get her body. “Where the hospital is
NIOKA TAYLOR, who died on July 27. overcrowded, why don’t you make an alternative where you could have hospitals stationed on other Family Islands? Like Exuma has a mini hospital you know but they’re just not fully equipped with doctors or equipment. If they had it, she could’ve stayed and that’s the thing.” When asked if the public health has sufficient resources like ventilators to deal with the current surge of cases, former Health
Minister Dr Duane Sands told The Tribune: “Let me put it this way, we have a finite number of ventilators, high flow circuits, critical care beds, nurses etc and so you try to make do with what you have. “Do we have an ideal number based on the fact that we have some 120 or so patients admitted in the country now with COVID? No we don’t and so you find and we have talked about this before, you
find physicians, nurses etc making decisions on the basis of the greater good for the greatest number… because you do not have an infinite number of critical care nurses or an infinite number of ventilators or an infinite number of rooms.” Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Pearl McMillan recently said health officials continue to work to increase medical supply amid increasing COVIDrelated hospitalisations.
transmit COVID is something that we need to put to rest,” he said. “Because they do. Vaccinated people get COVID. Vaccinated
people spread COVID and so just because you’re vaccinated doesn’t give you license now to run around breathing on people.”
Officials have said 108,506 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered as of August 7.
DUANE SANDS WARNS OF ‘TSUNAMI’ OF INFECTIONS By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas reached another grim milestone as it recorded over 600 new COVID-19 cases last week, including 228 cases on Thursday alone, representing the highest single day tally reported since the start of the pandemic. This comes as the Ministry of Health announced nine more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the official toll to 304 up to press time. The deceased victims included seven New Providence residents. They are a 20-year-old man, a 50-year-old woman, and a 41-year-old man who all died on July 20; a 54-yearold woman who died July 23; a 74-year-old man and 24-year-old woman who both died on July 29 and a 50-year-old woman who died August 3. The other two deaths recorded included a 54-year-old Eleuthera woman and a 42-year-old man from Berry Islands who both died July 29. Of the new cases recorded last week, there were 91 reported on Sunday, 35 on Monday, 78 on Tuesday, 67 on Wednesday, 228 on Thursday, and 118 on Friday for a total of 617. Saturday’s data was not released up to press time. The week before – July 25 to July 29 – there were nearly 560 new cases confirmed. Health officials say in the coming days, the number of new infections will probably be higher than usual due to many getting tested this week after postponing it as a result of the recent Emancipation Day holiday. According to the latest data, 120 people are in hospital sick with the virus, ten of whom are in intensive care. In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the high infection rates and increasing hospital cases shows that the country is in serious
trouble. He added that more restrictive measures may be needed to arrest control of this pandemic. He also believes the number of cases reported in the last several days is not an accurate depiction of the true number of infections in the country. The actual number, Dr Sands said, is much higher and may even be triple the reported number. “Bear in mind that those of us that work in the hospital or healthcare system are kind of like canaries in the mine,” Dr Sands said when contacted yesterday. “And so we see some things well before the general public does... well before it is translated into numbers. “I don’t believe 228 is an accurate reflection of the number of daily cases in our community. It’s probably twice or three or four times that amount but confirmed cases are only a fraction of the actual number of cases so things are very serious.” Dr Sands also reiterated his belief that the COVID mutations — particularly the Delta variant — presence in The Bahamas is what’s partly contributing towards further community spread. “Notwithstanding the lack of laboratory confirmation of the presence of Delta in The Bahamas, I would put my professional reputation on the line and say that I believe the Delta variant is the reason why we’ve seen this traumatic uptick. That in combination with a number of other issues, so it’s a perfect storm as it were.” He said healthcare workers continue to see a worrisome increase in hospital admissions among younger people and a significant number of pregnant women giving birth while battling COVID. “If you look at the issue of pregnancy, we’ve had more than 100 and 120 pregnant mothers with COVID present to hospitals in Nassau and that makes their delivery more challenging. “...I’m advised that we’ve seen more maternal deaths
now as a result of COVID than we have seen in many years and so this ain’t no game.” He added: “If you look at the deaths recorded (recently) people in their 20s (are) dying. We have persons under the age of 18 critically ill from COVID.” The Bahamas has been battling this third wave of infections since February 28. Last month, health officials announced new COVID-19 restrictions for New Providence, Grand Bahama along with North and Central Eleuthera to curb further spread, including tighter curfew hours, social limitations and travel guidelines. However, yesterday, the former health minister said he believes the government should tighten certain measures especially as it relates to indoor activities. He also said there is a need for cheaper COVID testing and more aggressive educational campaigns. “I think it’s pretty obvious that we need to tighten the (reins), okay because until we allow the hospitals to recover and when I say hospitals, I say hospitals generally because all are feeling this surge, this overwhelming tsunami of COVID cases,” the Elizabeth MP said. “Until we get that under control, there’s going to have to be more restrictive measures in place. That should include a dramatic reduction in indoor activity, indoor shared activity where people are carousing with individuals that are not in their circle. “Whether you’re vaccinated or not, I think we need to double down on the educational campaigns to realise that mask wearing is not optional and mask wearing should not be on the chin or on the arm or hanging from their ear.” Dr Sands said there needs to be a widespread understanding that fully vaccinated people can still contract and transmit the virus. “I think the business that vaccinated people don’t
PAGE 6, Monday, August 9, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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We must stop the surge THE state of emergency is about to be extended, it would seem. As parliamentarians return to rubber stamp the extension of the measures, the country faces what former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands described yesterday as an “overwhelming tsunami of COVID cases”. He said: “Until we get that under control, there’s going to have to be more restrictive measures in place. That should include a dramatic reduction in indoor activity, indoor shared activity where people are carousing with individuals who are not in their circle,” said Dr Sands. Meanwhile, the Consultant Physicians Staff Association raised their own concerns after 228 new cases were recorded on Thursday and 118 on Friday. At the time of writing, the case numbers for Saturday have not even been released. The CPSA said: “The health care system and its staff are overwhelmed with COVID cases. This is on top of the trauma, chronic disease, and non-urgent cases seen on a regular basis. Routine medical services have been significantly and negatively impacted by COVID-19 and the measures implemented to fight it.” In short, from the leadership of the land to the frontline of the fight, there is concern over the surge in cases we are experiencing right now – and now is not the time to ease off the fight. So will the emergency measures be extended? Very likely, yes, despite Health Minister Renward Wells’ hopes last month. Will stronger restrictions be implemented? Well, if what we’re doing isn’t enough and numbers keep going up, it has to be considered. The most crucial thing is to stop our health system being swamped – but we’re already at that point, if medics are talking about being overwhelmed, or describing cases as a tsunami. According to the most recent figures, 120 people are in hospital with COVID, with ten in intensive care – and a further nine deaths announced on Friday, the youngest being a 20-year-old man. We need to squash this surge, stop the deaths, and give our health workers
a chance to help those affected by the virus. There are things we can do – chief among them to get vaccinated now that more doses are here. If those numbers of hospitalisations and new cases are frightening, know that the vast majority of people in that situation are not fully vaccinated. You can give yourself a better chance with the vaccine. It doesn’t end there. We need to keep up all the social distancing measures, sanitising and mask wearing that we’ve been doing for so long now. It is very easy to be fatigued with the long fight we have had with this virus – but right now we need to be keener than ever to stop this surge. So listen to what the PM says, and come what may, do what you can to try to avoid the virus. If you don’t need to go out, maybe this is the time to hold off from doing so.
Shaunae shines
In this column on Friday, we saluted Steven Gardiner for bringing a ray of sunshine in the long darkness we have been enduring. Well, wouldn’t you know it but Shaunae Miller-Uibo went and made things even brighter. Hailed as a superwoman on the track, plenty of Bahamians had nerves after Shaunae eased up in the 200m to avoid a hamstring injury. When she showed up for the 400m final with medical tape on her leg, those nerves became full-blown jitters. But Shaunae went out and blew such worries away – coming home comfortably ahead of her rivals. It’s a double – retaining her gold from Rio – the first time a Bahamian has been a champion twice in the same event. As for Shaunae, she gave thanks to God, saying: “I knew He was going to bring me through. We’ve gone through a whole lot of aches and pain, but I know God always makes a way, so I’m so thankful. I’m so thankful to God for how far he’s brought me.” In a world that’s going through aches and pain itself, that’s a message to bring hope to us all.
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate... EDITOR, The Tribune. VITRIOLIC debates, some of which degenerate into insults and name calling, rage on social media with respect to covid 19 vaccine hesitancy and rejection. But, as a Trinidad & Tobago based member of The Caribbean Voice pointed out, those who make and implement policies really need to listen to those who have issues with the vaccine and recognize that a lot of it, including the fears, have to do with mental health. Fears are often based on personal issues such as individuals being allergic to certain medications or suffering from certain illnesses. Fears can lead to panic attacks and paranoia. As well, vaccine compulsion often leads to anxiety, depression, and peritraumatic distress as individuals fear serious physical reactions and even death. These fears need to be allayed and language becomes critical in this process, as any mental health practitioner would know.
Thus, mental health issues have to be addressed as a prerequisite to these persons becoming amenable to vaccine. And until fears are allayed and mental health issues addressed, until hesitant persons are assured that either they have absolutely nothing to fear or that their allergies and medical issues will be addressed in any vaccine regimen, vaccine mandates will only make matters worse. An August 5th article on the CNN website stated, “There’s a well-documented phenomenon in psychology called the “backfire effect.” Giving people facts disproving their incorrect beliefs can actually reinforce those beliefs. “Researchers have observed this phenomenon in the context of political misconceptions, voting preferences, the decision to vaccinate one’s children and whether to get a flu vaccine oneself. “The more people are confronted with facts at odds with their opinions, the stronger they cling to those opinions. “And if arguing with
facts backfires, you know what backfires even more? Criticizing, blaming and shaming them for being thoughtless, selfish, stupid, ignorant or psychopathic. You can check this yourself: When was the last time you changed your behaviour in response to someone blaming or shaming you?“ Thus, instead of engaging in debates to nowhere that compound the animosity and disconnect, displaying empathy and curiosity would be the way to go. Walk in the shoes of those who refuse the vaccine, understand their perspectives then seek to create an environment that makes them feel safe and affirmed. Perhaps too it would be better for those who have taken the vaccine to share their reasons for doing so. For in that sharing other hitherto hesitant individuals may find connections and reasons for them to also then take the vaccine. ANNAN Boodram The Caribbean Voice August 9, 2021.
A lot still separates political parties EDITOR, The Tribune. ON the very same day last week that Arthur Hanna, the lead architect of Bahamianisation, slipped into history, I had the dubious honour of meeting one of the Free National Movement’s batch of candidates for the upcoming election. The meeting place was the BTC office in the Family Island constituency that she seeks to represent, and the occasion was her interruption of my lecture to a group of young Bahamians on how stark the difference between the two parties is in terms of the big issues facing Bahamians. I was pointing out to the young Bahamians present that, when it came to power in 1992, Ingraham’s government (which I then enthusiastically supported, as a young, somewhat naïve person) damaged their prospects even before their birth by greatly easing the acquisition by foreigners of Bahamian land yet failing to ensure that commensurate benefits flowed to Bahamians from such a move. I pointed out that, as a land attorney, I am aware that a solid proportion of the luxury homes now lining the coast of their island belong to foreigners who owe the government, collectively, many tens of millions of dollars in unpaid Real Property Tax bills– not to mention unpaid taxes for
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net renting out their homes to other foreigners for often tens of thousands of dollars weekly. In fact, just one foreign owner owes more than $8 million in Real Property Tax, having not paid a dime since acquiring the properties more than a decade ago. This is publicly available information, yet few FNM politicians deem it worthy of public discussion, even as they stress our supposed inability to fund universal healthcare or their need to borrow billions to run the country – billions that are then paid back by taxes on the poor (on their food, clothes, gas and other daily necessities). Finally, I was pointing out to the young Bahamians that, at this very moment, a rags-to-riches Bahamian businessman in Nassau is being prosecuted by the Treasurer for non-payment of Real Property Taxes and having his property on Bay Street taken away. Yet there is not one single case of any of the hundreds of foreigners who have abused the privilege of owning luxury property on their island ever being subject to such an eventuality. This is not an oversight. It is FNM policy. It was at that point that the FNM candidate chimed in. Claiming ignorance of
the abuse of Real Property Taxes by foreigners on the island she seeks to represent, or of her government’s discriminatory enforcement policy against Bahamians, she instead turned the question around to ask what the PLP had done for Bahamians. That question was, of course, a gift. While I conceded that the PLP’s biggest failure was not to have reversed the FNM’s most harmful policies, I easily demonstrated that, in terms of tangible benefits to the masses of Bahamians, there remains no comparison between the parties by reference either to their historical record or the present day. Having no cogent response to my long list of institutions, laws and protections for Bahamians that enabled the PLP to create, grow and sustain the Bahamian middle class (and which the FNM has chipped away at every time they got in power, with predictable results for that middle class), she turned away with the parting comment “anyway, the PLP didn’t introduce National Insurance, that was Sir Randol Fawkes”! I am told that the candidate in question is an educator. If she teaches history, this country’s in trouble. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, August 8, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, August 9, 2021, PAGE 7
‘I found a loaded pistol STAFF ASSOCIATION: in his pants’ MORE OFFICERS THE BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services.
AWAIT PROMOTIONS By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE 110 correctional officers being promoted to corporals this week, the Correctional Officers Staff Association estimates that many more await their awards. Association president Corporal Hervie Culmer estimated Friday that around 70 to 80 plus officers are still waiting on promotions. “We have an entire rank to be sorted out. If I’m correct, we’re expecting some 50 corporals to sergeants and then the remainder of the exercise that would be the principal correction officers, the chief corrections officers, and hopefully the assistant commissioner and everything with this exercise we were expecting our executive team also,” he explained on Friday. His comments come after the promotions of correctional officers as well as the 57 trainee officers to full fledged professional officers. These promotions were much anticipated as the association fought for some time for the advancement of deserving officers. Cpl Culmer previously stated it had been almost three years without a promotion exercise.
The promotions Thursday were a “bitter sweet day,” according to Mr Culmer. “It was a sense of relief but again the fight is not over. We’ve been in that fight for a very long time because that was actually a 2018 exercise.” As for the timeline of the next set of promotions, he said: “The minister would have addressed those corporals waiting to be promoted to sergeants, and as indicated by him, (it’ll be) within another week or two. So that’s expected before the month is out and I’m thinking and it’s my hope that the remainder (of) the entire exercise is completed along with that portion of that promotion.” He added: “Currently, you know it’s 2021. We’re due for another exercise. You know we can’t move forward until we get the old out so we can move in with the new.” Cpl Culmer said he was “content for now” with the progress thus far. “Understanding the process what it took to get those corporals to sergeants and those senior promotions sorted out. Understanding the process, we’re content and we’ll be satisfied once you know everything comes to pass in the timeframe that the minister alluded to,” he said.
THREE JAILED AFTER ATTACK SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THREE young men seen on a video on social media attacking another young man were sentenced to one month in prison on Friday following an arraignment in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court. Shemar Moss, 20, Carlos Williams, 24, and Anton Outten, 28, appeared before Magistrate LaQuay Laing last week. The trio pleaded guilty to the charge
of fighting. They were charged in connection with a video that had circulated on social media showing a group of men beating a man in Freeport on Tuesday, August 3. Williams was also charged separately with unlawfully carrying arms. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to an additional one month in prison. Shemar Moss, along with Steffon Moss, 22, and Mista Black, 27, were also charged with causing harm. They all pleaded not guilty.
CAR THEFT ACCUSED IS GRANTED BAIL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who denied damaging and stealing the vehicles of two women was granted bail on Friday before his trial. Police arrested Lavardo Sherman after he was accused of causing over $300 worth of damage to a woman’s vehicle after stealing the front bumper off the car sometime between January 25 and 26. He was further accused of stealing another woman’s Nissan Note in November 2020 and causing $200 damage to the car in the process.
When Sherman appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney, he denied the allegations and the case was adjourned to September 22 for trial. He was granted $3,500 bail in the interim. Meanwhile, Michael Johnson was arrested after police alleged he broke into Fire or Smoke BBQ on July 17. He pleaded not guilty to one count of housebreaking during his hearing before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans and his case was adjourned to October 4 for trial. In the meantime, Johnson was granted $5,000 bail.
WOMAN DENIES TRYING TO RUN MAN OVER By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net IN the Magistrate’s court today a woman denied trying to run over a man with a car on Friday. Police said Martinique Wallace caused harm to Charlton Tucker when she assaulted him with her Honda Civic vehicle on West Bay Street on July 18. She pleaded not guilty to assault with a dangerous
instrument and causing harm when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans. As a result, the case was adjourned to November 10 for trial. Wallace, who was granted $7,000 bail in the interim, was ordered not to interfere with any witnesses in the matter until the completion of the proceedings. As part of the conditions of her release, she is also required to sign into Fox Hill police station weekly.
By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A SECOND police officer on Friday testified of recovering a loaded gun from the underwear of a man who denied being in possession of an unlicensed firearm during his first court appearance. In January, Damil Campbell appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after he was accused of being in possession of a .40 pistol and a silver magazine containing eight rounds of ammunition. When he was initially arraigned on the charges, he denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned for trial. When one of the arresting officers, Police Corporal Marcian Frazier, testified in March he said he found the weapon in Campbell’s groin area after noticing a hard object in his pants when he searched him.
On Friday, his partner PC 3827 Chavez Sawyer told the court that he and PC Frazier were on mobile patrol in the Kemp Road area when they saw a blue Chevy vehicle attempt to enter the roadway after emerging from a vacant lot. PC Sawyer said when they turned on the police lights and fog horns to beckon the vehicle to stop, the car, which was occupied by three men, began to then reverse into the vacant lot. PC Sawyer said he and PC Frazier then got out of their patrol car and shouted commands for the car to stop. He said when the vehicle eventually came to a halt, he ordered the occupants to get out and informed them they would be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms. The court was told that a search of Campbell led to the discovery of a black Smith & Wesson .40 pistol with eight live rounds of ammunition
inside his boxer briefs. Campbell is represented by attorney Wendawn Frazier. When she cross-examined PC Sawyer, he said the lighting conditions on the night of the arrest were very bright due to the presence of streetlights and the illumination coming from the police sirens. When asked what had become of the other two suspects, PC Sawyer said he was not the investigating officer and only carried out the arrest. “I did my job,” he stated. “I locked them up in reference to the offence and the investigation was (conducted) by officers at the Criminal Investigations Department”. Officer Sawyer was the last witness to take the stand for the Crown. After the prosecution closed their case on Friday, Mrs Frazier told the court that her client intended to present a no case submission. The case continues August 16.
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021
Vaccinations are still a personal choice - but for how much longer? By MALCOLM STRACHAN DESPITE a third tranche of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine landing on our shores last week, the country is still far behind in the race to increase vaccination uptake and fend off this third surge of COVID-19. In July, The Bahamas experienced an alarming uptick of 2,000 cases of the coronavirus –13 percent of the cases that have been confirmed in the 16 months we’ve been battling the virus. Meanwhile, we are not doing ourselves any favours. Mixed messaging on relaxing measures for vaccinated citizens as an incentive, vaccination hesitancy, delays in the arrival of doses and carelessness by both vaccinated and unvaccinated Bahamians have created a Molotov cocktail set to explode. Although there hasn’t been confirmation that the Delta variant is responsible for the current intensity with which COVID-19 is ravaging our communities, the Ministry of Health has
continued to allude to its variant as the unvaccinated. likelihood given the rapid “That’s why we continue spread and increased fatali- to make the recommendaties left in its wake around tion to keep your mask on. the world. Speaking to You would see that they’re the media moving last week, ‘This thing toward saying Chief Medithat wearing cal Officer continues to your mask Dr Pearl evolve and as it even after McMillan you’re vacevolves, we have commented cinated is the on the health to be mindful best way to go. that certainly ministry’s “This thing hunch that the the public health continues to Delta variant evolve and is responsible measures that as it evolves, for our recent carry out – we have to be struggles. mindful that mask-wearing, She said: “I certainly the think that’s a sanitisation – all public health possibility in of those things measures that that the way must continue as carry out – the virus is mask-wearing, being spread, we move toward sanitisation in particular getting vaccines – all of those with the Delta and also increasing things must variant. There continue as we is a concern our capacity to move toward that the vac- get people to take getting vaccinated can cines and also the vaccine.’ potentially increasing our still spread it,” capacity to get responding to the recent people to take the vaccine. announcements by the US “You don’t just drop one Centers for Disease Control because you have the other. and Prevention (CDC) that I think that’s the bottom vaccinated individuals are line. We have to be vigilant just as likely to spread the if we’re going to be able to
continue this long haul. It’s not a sprint. COVID is with us and the better we protect ourselves – individually and collectively – the better we will get through this whole cycling.” She ended with saying: “Right now, we are in problems with our capacity, so I urge people: we’re getting vaccines, get vaccinated. But please do not drop all of your public health measures that we have been saying that you should continue to carry out.” The challenge, however, is that the loudest voices are coming from our politicians. Moreover, there is a pervasive sense that guidance is being given by politicians to the health officials, not the other way around. Furthermore, as much as they continue to say they are following guidance from health officials, Dr McMillan’s statements seem disjointed – with a sense of there still being a focus on election season. Using societal freedoms as an incentive for individuals to get vaccinated, particularly at a time when it didn’t make sense strategically – when vaccines
were limited – only served to increase carelessness among the unvaccinated. Likewise, without a policy identifying unvaccinated citizens from those that have taken the jab, the government essentially shot itself in the foot. Thankfully, after paying our debt to Antigua and Barbuda, we have an additional 28,600 shots that can be distributed to willing Bahamians. Barry Rassin, from the National Vaccine Consultative Committee, touted last week’s outstanding demand amid a surge in appointment bookings, to which we certainly hope is more than public relations. Politics and poor public relations have severely hampered our efforts in increasing vaccination uptake. Without a doubt, as a citizenry, we have failed in the area of public education, which has only led to further hesitancy. As citizens remain immovable on their stance about the vaccines, only to be made believers if they or someone they’re close to loses someone they love, we are in the middle of a high stakes game of life and death. In the neighbouring US, the gridlock between the vaccinated population and anti-vaxxers is leading to what some are referring to as “Jim Crow-esque” vaccination mandates. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, with the support of US President Joe Biden, announced the new measures to stem the spread of the Delta variant as New York City became the first US city to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms and movie theatres. Amid sharp backlash, opponents of these measures claim such restrictions will likely disadvantage people of colour who come from under-vaccinated communities. Similarly, France, Greece and Italy have all instituted similar mandates, which have in some instances resulted in violent protests from citizens decrying the attack against the sovereign rights to their bodies – including in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves was hit by a stone thrown during a protest against plans for mandatory vaccination there. Certainly, there is a point to be made. But
to what extent will the sovereign right to one’s body endanger the lives of others? There is no easy solution here and forcing people to take a vaccine doesn’t do much to increase trust. While it can be understood that various governments making these calls are desperate to end the pandemic, what cannot be overlooked is that the work must be done through education to get the public to buy in. And as we look at how all this creates implications for us here at home, up until now, our government has consistently indicated the Bahamian people have a right to choose whether or not they will take the vaccine. But with the appropriate pressure applied, there’s no telling if that, too, will change. There’s an obvious concern following the early success of the vaccinations only to see the Delta variant laying waste to the hard work and billions of dollars spent to get here. The CDC’s revelation that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated can spread the variant is one to watch, particularly as tourism rebounds. A predominantly unvaccinated destination has a far bigger bullseye on it than one that can boast the safety of tourists. While we’ve been able to boast an uptick in tourist arrivals, there are no assurances as we move into the fall and winter months when sicknesses are more prevalent, and we await high season in tourism. The US, our primary tourism source market, is currently dealing on the state level with how they can increase vaccinations. At which point does it become a concern they may begin to look externally to enforce mandates that their citizens cannot travel to certain jurisdictions with low vaccination rates? And more importantly, how will that impact our economy and the livelihoods of Bahamians beginning to get their lives back on track? We largely had hoped the pandemic would be over by now. But if it’s one thing that we know now, it is that we don’t know much as it pertains to the moving target that is COVID-19.
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021 PAGE 9
‘FOR nearly a decade, The Bahamas has been soberingly ranked as the sixth most obese country in the entire world. Nearly 72 percent of the population is considered overweight and 44 percent are considered obese. The ramifications of this are far-reaching and cannot be overstated.’
Telling real people’s stories helps to drive the message home
The KDK REPORT By DR KENNETH D KEMP
FOR nearly a decade, The Bahamas has been soberingly ranked as the sixth most obese country in the entire world. Nearly 72 percent of the population is considered overweight and 44 percent are considered obese. The ramifications of this are far-reaching and cannot be overstated. Consequentially we have the highest incidence of diabetes globally and rank seventh in the world in deaths attributable to high blood pressure. Unfortunate as they are, however, these statistics have been made available to the Bahamian public at large for years with little to no effect. Statistics may not lie but they also don’t permeate the psyche as powerfully as individual human stories seem to do. The kind of stories that I hear in my office on a daily basis. Being able to personify or put a face on a medical condition inherently resonates with many people. Throughout my career I’ve learned foremost that being successful as a physician requires one to not only diagnose the presenting ailment correctly and prescribe the appropriate medication, but it also requires the absolute cultivation of health – treatment of the cause and not just the symptom. The KDK report seeks to abbreviate this by presenting these admittedly important statistics but from a human outlook. All in an effort to elucidate the impact of various health concerns, inculcate that no one is immune to illness and also provide hope that with early and proper treatment, good outcomes are often attained. Several years ago, while shopping, my mom ran into a very close friend and colleague from work. They chatted for a few short moments and agreed to meet with his wife and kids for lunch at a restaurant located in the same parking lot. He left and after paying for her items, she followed him to the
restaurant where they’d agreed to meet. By the time she arrived, a mere ten minutes after they spoke, he was dead. He suffered a fatal massive heart attack immediately after ordering his food. Years later when telling the story, my mother is still visibly shaken by this preventable sudden loss and I’ve never forgotten it. She still recalls how happy and full of life he seemed. I imagine he had so many plans left in life to achieve; so many desultory chores he felt he’d have time to complete. As a husband and father, I imagine the enormity of who would be there to take care of his family emotionally and financially, if only momentarily, entered his subconscious. So many trips left untaken. Future grandchildren to play with. It is a life that was ultimately and tragically cut too short. My intention is to share these types of stories with my readers every Monday with direct information from family members on details of what happened
that day leading up to the incident and immediately thereafter. I also plan to provide medical information from various local and international physicians about (current and future) treatment options and discuss weight loss and exercise tips with some of the country’s leading fitness experts. A whistle past the graveyard posturing with regards to health can have dire consequences. Starting today, exclusively in The Tribune, please join me in this journey to help save lives. This is the KDK report.
• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D. Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the Deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice chairman. He is the recipient of over 15 global awards and certifications.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
BIRDS fly over a man taking photos of the exposed riverbed of the Old Parana River, a tributary of the Parana River during a drought in Rosario, Argentina, last month. Parana River Basin and its related aquifers provide potable water to close to 40 million people in South America, and according to environmentalists the falling water levels of the river are due to climate change, diminishing rainfall, deforestation and the advance of agriculture. Photo: Victor Caivano/AP
SPOTLIGHT ON THE KEY CLIMATE CHANGES DRIVING SEVERE WEATHER By ALEX CRAWFORD, Research Associate at the Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba TODAY, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its most comprehensive report on the science of climate change since 2013. It will be the first of four reports released under the IPCC’s latest assessment cycle, with subsequent
reports coming in 2022. Over the past eight years, climate scientists have improved the methods they use to measure different aspects of climate and to model (or project) what might happen in the future. They’ve also been monitoring the changes that have developed right before our eyes. This updated assessment comes three months before world leaders gather in Glasgow, Scotland, to
find ways to avoid the worst effects of climate change and renew their commitments to reduce greenhouse gases. It also comes amid another year of severe heat waves, droughts, wildfires, flooding and storms. The report will provide policy-makers with the best possible information regarding the physical science of climate change, which is essential for longterm planning in many
sectors, from infrastructure to energy to social welfare. Here are five things to look for in the new report:
HOW SENSITIVE IS THE CLIMATE TO INCREASING CARBON DIOXIDE?
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are higher now than they have been in 800,000 years, reaching 419 parts per million (ppm) in May 2021. Average global temperature rises with each increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, but how much it rises depends on many factors. Climate scientists use models to understand how much warming occurs when CO2 concentrations double from pre-industrial levels — from 260 ppm to 520 ppm — a concept called “climate sensitivity.” The more sensitive the climate, the faster greenhouse gas emissions must be curbed to stay below 2 C. Older climate models estimated that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 would lead to a temperature increase of 2.1 C to 4.7 C. The latest set of climate models, called CMIP6, broadened the range to 1.8 C to 5.6 C, meaning the climate is at least as sensitive to doubling of carbon dioxide as previous models showed, but may, in fact, be even more sensitive. The range is influenced by uncertainties in a number of climate factors, including water vapour and cloud cover, and how they will increase or decrease the effects of warming. Scientists are working to narrow the range in climate projections so that we know more about how quickly we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change and adapt to others.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CLOUDS?
Clouds are a wild card in the climate change game. They create feedbacks to warming, meaning that warming changes cloud cover, but cloud cover can also speed up or slow down warming in different situations. Clouds reflect about a quarter of incoming sunlight away from the Earth. So, if more warming leads to more clouds, we would expect more sunlight to be reflected, slowing warming. However, clouds also insulate the Earth, trapping the heat given off by the surface. So, increasing cloud cover (like during nighttime) could amplify warming. Two main issues stand out: First, many factors, including cloud type, altitude and season, determine a cloud’s overall effect on warming. Second, clouds are incredibly difficult to model; how the models treat clouds is key to the range in climate sensitivity.
DID CLIMATE CHANGE FUEL RECENT EXTREME WEATHER?
Since the last IPCC report, our ability to assess global warming’s impact on extreme events has improved immensely. Chapter 11 of the latest report is devoted to this. Global warming means stronger summer heat waves and more frequent tropical nights (temperatures above 20 C) are occurring in middle latitudes, like Canada and Europe. Warmer air can hold more water. This can cause more evaporation from land, and lead to drought and wildfires. In addition, an atmosphere with more water can produce more precipitation and flooding.
Scientists projected decades ago that these changes to the water cycle would occur, but now it’s clear they’re already happening.
HAVE REGIONAL CLIMATE PROJECTIONS IMPROVED?
The climate models evaluated by the IPCC are global models. This is essential to capture the connections between tropics and poles or land and ocean. However, it comes at a cost — the models struggle to simulate many features smaller than 100 kilometres across, like small storms or islands. Regional relationships can be complex: For example, extreme storms help break up summer Arctic sea ice, but reduced sea ice cover may also lead to stronger storms. Since the last IPCC report, techniques for taking this large-scale information and refining it have shown how regional and local climate has changed and could change in the future. Other experiments target regional issues, like the impacts of Arctic sea ice loss on storms.
HOW WILL ANTARCTIC ICE SHEETS CONTRIBUTE TO SEA-LEVEL RISE?
Global sea level is rising because water expands slightly when it warms up, and mountain glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet are melting and adding water to the ocean. But the largest potential source of sea-level rise over the next century is Antarctica. Ice sheet models show that melting of Antarctic ice sheets will add between 14 and 114 centimetres to sea-level rise by 2100. That is a huge range, and it all depends on whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet remains relatively stable or begins a slow but unstoppable collapse. How the IPCC communicates this scientific debate will impact how coastal communities plan for sealevel rise. Low-lying cities, like Lagos, Nigeria, could become uninhabitable by the end of the century due to sea-level rise, especially if the higher model estimates prove most prescient. The IPCC report will give policy-makers a better understanding of how climate change is affecting us today. This will be especially helpful for putting short-term adaptation strategies in place. But as the science has improved, the outlook on future change has become more sobering, and the large uncertainties that remain mean substantial future work for climate scientists. • Originally published on theconversation.com
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INSIGHT
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021 PAGE 11
CARICOM leaders being greeted as they arrive in Nassau in 2019 and, below, being welcomed by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
Rethink full membership of CARICOM to make it effective ALMOST 80 years ago, Jamaica’s Norman Manley asked a question that has been echoing throughout the 12 independent English-Speaking Caribbean countries that form the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He asked: “Are we satisfied to be obscure nonentities in a world where only larger groupings have the chance of survival and success?” That question has haunted the minds of West Indians ever since. For, in answer to it, the West Indies chose not the path to a “West Indian nation standing shoulderto-shoulder with all other nations of the world,” which he advocated, but the road to small, weak countries in a world where to be small is to be unimportant and to be weak is to be ignored. The present 14 independent countries of CARICOM proclaim they are collectively a “Community of Sovereign States”. More often than not in their relations with each other, and in their hemispheric and global affairs, it is their sovereignty they exercise, not their community. Consequently, each of them has remained small, weak and inconsequential in global affairs. This weakness has caused them to compromise the very “sovereignty’’ to which they cling against each other, by entering client relationships with richer and more powerful countries. These relations are always subject specific and serve the convenience of the powerful countries. They produce no changes in the structural environment that entraps CARICOM countries. Such benefits, as are proffered, give little and do much to increase their dependency. This situation was already a problem in the 12 English-speaking countries before CARICOM decided to widen its membership, rather than deepen economic and political integration among themselves. Influential leaders in Jamaica had long answered Norman Manley’s question by deciding the country’s future did not lie with CARICOM, except as a market for Jamaican goods and services, and, these days, for some of its migrants. Of all its leaders since Manley, PJ Patterson, emerged as the greatest CARICOM disciple and advocate, though not without ambivalence in his own party and fierce resistance from traditional thoughtleaders in the Jamaica Labour Party. Jamaica’s uncertainty about CARICOM served to slow, rather than to accelerate its cohesion, including on foreign policy issues. The Bahamas chose to join the “Community” but not the “Common Market”, opting to participate only in limited areas of functional
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
cooperation but not in the free movement of goods, services and people, and not obliging itself to take shared foreign policy positions. Closer to Miami than it is to any CARICOM country, and with the greatest portion of its trade in goods and services with the US, The Bahamas’ position is understandable. However, its equivocation on standing with the majority of CARICOM states, when it considers its own interests dictate other alliances, has deprived CARICOM of the decisiveness that it should display. If The Bahamas were an “Associated State” of CARICOM, its current position would be more correctly represented, giving it opportunities for benefits from functional cooperation, without restraining foreign policy decision-making. Haiti and Suriname were brought into the CARICOM fold, even as these uncertainties were evident. Suriname, despite the language barrier and different legal system, has become an enthusiastic member of CARICOM, recognizing the benefits of collaboration with its closest neighbours. In Haiti’s case, it never became wholly a member of CARICOM. Many of the rules of the organisation do not apply to Haiti, whose governments have tended to regard membership of the organisation as a necessary convenience while
keeping their eyes firmly fixed on France – the original colonial power – the United States and Canada which are the destinations for their migrants, legal and illegal, and the sources of aid. In its foreign policy decision-making, Haiti finds it difficult to pursue different paths from Canada, France and the US. Haiti’s position is also understandable. Its endemic economic problems cannot be solved by CARICOM whose principal role can only be to advocate for Haiti’s interests internationally. However, given these circumstances, Haiti’s necessary alignments can restrain CARICOM from making decisions that are based on unanimity. It might have been better for Haiti also to be an “Associate State” in CARICOM where it could benefit from the functional aspects of the organisation, without being constrained by, or constraining, other member states. Adherents to the purist theology of an integrated Caribbean, despite the obvious impediments that patently exist, and which delay the deepening of the CARICOM arrangements, will regard this commentary as heresy. But, in a world, where experience, shows the impracticalities of pursuing the ambitions of the CARICOM Treaty, in the present irresolution, rethinking is necessary. Recognition of a weak CARICOM, brought about by reluctant participation of
some members, was evident in the report of the CARICOM Commission on the Economy which proposed “a mechanism of ‘enhanced cooperation’ where a group of no less than five member states can move ahead with closer integration on a CARICOM Single Market and Economy matter, as long as the others do not object and are free to join at any point later. We believe that in the area of greater economic integration an ‘enhanced cooperation mechanism’ will overcome paralysis, where progress may be blocked by just one country or a small group of countries”. But, not even on that recommendation has CARICOM been able to move forward. It is time to re-think the integration project, based on practical realities. The answers the region has been given to Manley’s question require us to move ahead to reform and strengthen CARICOM so that its committed member states might try collectively “to stand shoulder to shoulder with all other nations of the world”. Maybe if a smaller group could achieve success in greater cohesion and coherence, the others will recognise value and act to be a convinced part of it. But pretence that all is well helps none. • Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com. (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)
PAGE 12, Monday, August 9, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Haiti boosting security for judges in assassination case PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press HAITIAN authorities have secured armed guards to bolster security for court personnel as they prepare to announce the judge who will oversee proceedings involving the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, a judicial official said on Thursday. Magistrate Bernard Saint-Vil, who is dean of the Court of First Instance in Port-au-Prince, said some judges he recently contacted about the case had told him they were worried about their safety. He said he is not obligated to take such concerns into consideration as he decides who will be assigned the case, saying that “the first characteristic of a magistrate is courage, because a judge is called upon to make decisions.” But Saint-Vil added that officials recognise additional security measures are needed since some judicial officials have already gone into hiding amid death threats. Court clerks have reported receiving threatening demands that they revise names and other details in reports on the July 7 attack that killed Moïse and seriously wounded his wife. “We demanded that these means be available because even before choosing the judge, we must check that everything is in place,” Saint-Vil said after
A PICTURE of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise hangs on the wall of his former residence, behind interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph giving a press conference in Port-au-Prince last month. Moise was assassinated in his home on July 7. Photo: Joseph Odelyn/AP meeting privately with several judges. Saint-Vil did not say whether any judges had refused to take on the Moïse case. The boost in security that he requested comes amid concerns over the wellbeing of suspects in the case who have been transferred from police holding cells to a prison where conditions have been likened
to torture by the United Nations and where thousands of inmates remain held for years without so much as a court hearing, let alone a trial. “The conditions of detention are generally appalling,” defense attorney Samuel Madistin told The Associated Press. “I hope everything will be done to allow justice to do its job.”
Madistin represents two of the more than 40 suspects detained in the assassination case. He said that he had not been allowed to meet with his clients and that one one of them, Reynaldo Corvington, is diabetic and has high blood pressure. “There are judges who have refused to take the case. Pre-trial detention is likely to be prolonged,”
Madistin said. Similar concerns have come from human rights activists as well as Colombia’s government, which is worried about the health of 18 former Colombian soldiers arrested in the case. Colombia has said they have limited access to water and some are exhausted and have lost weight. It says one was limping and another couldn’t stand without help from a colleague. Colombia’s government also has said the majority of former soldiers were duped into their participation. US and Haitian authorities continue to investigate the assassination as new details keep emerging. Attorneys for Antonio Intriago, the owner of a small Miami-based private security company that authorities say hired the former Colombian soldiers for the mission, said he is innocent and the victim of what they called “an elaborate scheme.” In a statement Wednesday, the lawyers said Intriago, of CTU Security, was led to believe that he was helping with a redevelopment and humanitarian project in Haiti’s southern coastal city of Jacmel. They said that prior to Moïse being killed, Intriago was told that security had a “change in direction” and was being requested to accompany a judge and Haitian police to serve the president with an arrest warrant.
“At the time of President Moïse’s murder, Mr. Intriago thought that his unarmed security contractors were still awaiting official security and firearms permits from the Haitian police,” his attorneys said. “Mr. Intriago was not in any way involved in the plotting to or killing of President Moïse.” The lawyers said the security contractors did not kill Moïse and were told their role was to guard officials while police carried out the arrest warrant. “When they entered the presidential residence, they found the president deceased, his wife wounded and the house ransacked. It is our belief that the president’s own bodyguards betrayed him,” the attorneys said. None of the president’s security detail was injured in the attack, and at least a dozen police officers have been arrested while several top security officials remain detained. Intriago’s attorneys also provided documents alleging that Wendelle Coq Thélot, a former Haitian Supreme Court judge, was involved in the plan to supposedly arrest Moïse. A person alleging to be Thélot wrote in an Aug. 1 tweet: “I firmly denounce the political persecutions of which I am the object at this time.” Police have issued arrest warrants for Thélot and others including a former judicial official and an exHaitian senator.
Graveside Service for
Mary Moxey, 79
of Sisal Road, will be held on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021 Woodlawn Gardens, Soldier Road at 11:00am. Officiating will be Rev. Dr. Anthony J. Carroll. She is survived by her, Sons: Valentino McKinney & Romeo Delancey Adopted son: Kevin Forbes; Daughters: Marina Strachan, Carla Armbrister, Nicole Bethel & Juliette Taylor; Sister: Gwendolyn Albury Brother: Harold Miller Sister-in-Law: Juliet Miller; Brother-in-Law: Lester Albury; Sons-in-Law: Norman Strachan, Philip Armbrister & Shane Taylor; Daughterin-Law: Elesia Delancey; Grandsons: Dentri Strachan (Larissa), Isaiah Strachan, Phillip Armbrister Jr., Brian Bethel Jr., Joshua Taylor, Ramon Delancey & Kayron Delancey; Granddaughters: Lauralee Forbes (Brian), Bridgette Strachan, Lauren Strachan, Carlissa Armbrister, Philicia Nlandu (Dr. Zola), Nickya Bethel, Brynica Bethel, Andesha Cunningham & Shanette Taylor; Great-grandsons: Brandon Forbes, Jonathan Strachan, Marc Anthony Strachan & Kayden Farrington; Greatgranddaughters: Mya Forbes, Lauren-Ashley Strachan & Soleil Nlandu; Nieces: Elizabeth Simmons, Jeanette Florence, Johann Sampson (Berry) all of Miami, Florida; Missionary Elizabeth Simms (Deac. Stevenson), Brenda Jones (Mosel), Sheila Miller-Stuart (Vandyke), Angela Bain (Christopher), Annily Coakley (Christopher), Pastor Unay Jones (Pastor Terrance), Lillian McPhee (Glen), Linda Miller-Neilly, Tabitha Cartwright (Bertram), Gazzola Robinson, Bettrah Mitchell (Samuel), Mavis Rahming, Minerva Higgs (Arthur), Jennifer Murray, Charmane Miller, Charlene Paul (Rev. Patrick), Patty Miller, Marsha Miller; Cousins: John Sands, Franklyn Sands Jr. & Bradley Sands; Nephews: James Eddie Dames (Lydia), Allen Peterson, Gary Simmons all of Miami, Florida; Asheville Miller-Neilly, Valvay Miller (Julia), Delacorte Miller, Sanyo Miller, Bravio Miller (Sharese), Rando Miller, Belco Miller (Deborah), Elsworth Miller, Wayne Miller (Sherry), Harold Miller Jr., Felix Miller, George Miller, Elgin Miller, Benjamin Miller; Grand Nieces: Iva Mobley (Joseph), Edie Brazzel (Eric) Teresa Rice, Sonya Pinckney, Nickia Sampson, Lachanda Harvey, Tamesha Harvey, Shanique Gomez (Will), Shuran Miller, Akeitha Lester, Alicia Pascal, Christina Summons, Vazetta Williams (Dexter), Fayren Knowles, Toleca Simms, Lara Simms, Oshur Simms, Tameka Nixon (Tommy), Tanya Russell (Terry), Roslyn Miller, Rodena Lewis, Monica Jones, Shenika Williams, Latika Penn, Lekita Chambers (Randolph) of Atlanta Georgia, Leshanda McPhee, Malisa Cartwright, Shakerra Cartwright, Keturah Cartwright, Jeneva Forbes, Janeka Williams, Johnette Robinson, Samantha Mitchell, Sandra Mitchell, Toya Miller, Kendra Miller, Saireah Miller, Royann Miller, Rochelle Hatcher-Kemp, Rakell Pearce (O’Brien), Brettina Rolle, Christamara Bain, Sharell Coakley-Lewis (Perry), Kokea Alford (Jeremiah) of Atlanta Georgia, Arthurnelle Higgs, Kezia Paul; Grand Nephews: James Dames, Larry Simmons, Robert Simmons, Malcom Simmons, Richard Sampson, Berry Sampson Jr., Gary Summons Jr., Timothy Summons, Aaron Summons, Edgar Knowles, Toreco Simms, Ore-el Simms, Roston Lewis (Kristenette), Robert Miller, Glen McPhee Jr., Delbert Miller, Ricardo Miller, Stephano Miller, Marcio Miller, Ashley Miller, Rayvon Miller, Martin Miller, Matthew Miller, Kashad Cartwright, Clifford Miller, Jonathan Robinson Jr., Jerome Robinson, Samuel Mitchell, Solomon Mitchell, Ki-el Miller, Lemuel Miller, Deangelo Bain, Chrisandro Smith, Terrance Jones Jr., Craig Thompson, Arthur Higgs Jr., Malvin Higgs, Kohfe Miller, Dario Miller, Jabez Paul, Vencott Knott and a host of other relatives and friends including: Opal Bastian & Family, Ms. Daphne Miller, Dewitt & Henry Johnson, Carlotta Klass, Delvin (Eunice) Taylor. Dorenda (Jeff) Davis, Bettina (Mark) Robinson, Alexandrea Belle, Staffica (Sarone) Kennedy; Children of the late Lonnie Wilson including Sarah (Dr. Reginald) Carey, Diane (Benry) Smith; Children of the late Bessie Adderley including Pauline (Hugh) Edgecombe; Children of the late Carriemae James including Darnell Fowler, Craig (Lisa) Scott, the entire Sands and Miller families, Pastor Anthony Carroll and the entire Antioch Native Baptist Church family, Rev. Oswald Gardiner & Family, Dr. Beverton Moxey & Staff, Hattie, Laverne, Eloise & The entire Moxey family, Mr. Ernest & Rev. Edris Bowe, Mrs. Merlene Mott & Family, Sis Karina Butler, Mrs. Jean Culmer, Edith, Marsha, Darlene Mckenzie, Ernestine Horatio & Family, Mrs. Majorie Albury & Family, Ms. Geneva Pinder & Family, Mr. Travis Deveaux, Judy Gayle, Latonia Miller and lots more family and friends and neighbors too numerous to mention. Relatives and friends may pay their last respect at Evergreen Mortuary located on Parkgate Road on Tuesday, August 10th from 10:00am-6:00pm.
PEOPLE try to extinguish flames during a wildfire at Pefki village on Evia island, Greece, yesterday. Photo: Petros Karadjias/AP
RESIDENTS URGED TO FLEE AS FIRE DEVOURS GREEK FORESTS PEFKI, Greece Associated Press
PILLARS of billowing smoke and ash turned the sky orange and blocked out the sun above Greece’s second-largest island on Sunday as a days-old wildfire devoured pristine forests and encroached on villages, triggering more evacuation alerts. The fire on Evia, an island of forested mountains and canyons laced with small coves of crystalline water, began on August 3 and cut across the popular summer destination from coast to coast as it burned out of control. Scores of homes and businesses have been destroyed and thousands of residents and tourists have fled, many escaping the flames via flotillas that even operated in the dark of night. The blaze is the most severe of dozens that broke out in the wake of Greece’s most protracted heat wave in three decades, which sent temperatures soaring to 45 C (113F) for days, creating bone-dry conditions. “It’s already too late, the area has been destroyed,” Giannis Kontzias, mayor of the northern Evia municipality of Istiaia, lamented on Greece’s Open TV. He was one of several local officials and residents who
took to Greek TV networks to appeal for more firefighting help, particularly from water-dropping planes and helicopters. Residents of nearby villages had been urged to head to Istiaia, a town of 7,000 that firefighters battled to save overnight. In dramatic scenes yesterday afternoon, fastmoving flames encroached on the seaside village of Pefki on the island’s northern coast, burning trees on the fringes and entering the houses’ yards. At least one house was on fire. Panicked residents raced with water tanks, hoses and branches in a seemingly futile effort to extinguish the flames. Acrid, choking smoke hung in the orange-grey air, turning the day into an apocalyptic twilight as people headed towards Pefki’s pebble beach, dragging suitcases, clutching pets and helping elderly relatives. Around 350 people had boarded the ferry even before the flames reached the village, the coast guard said, while 23 others were rescued from other beaches in northern Evia. A ferry, coast guard patrol boats, navy vessels and other boats were on standby to evacuate residents. Evacuation orders were issued yesterday for
four villages in northern Evia, including Pefki, but many residents refused to leave, hoping to save their properties. In nearby Gouves, towering flames leaped from the treetops, devouring the pine forest leading to the village. Some residents remained in the picturesque mountain village, dousing homes with water from garden hoses in a last-ditch effort to save them. Others used bulldozers to raze trees and bushes, hoping to create rudimentary firebreaks. Civil Protection chief Nikos Hardalias said the Evia fire was burning on two fronts, one to the north and one to the south. He said the conditions there were particularly tough for the water-dropping planes and helicopters, whose pilots faced “great danger” with limited visibility and air turbulence. “We have before us one more difficult afternoon, one more difficult night,” Hardalias said. “All the forces that have been fighting a difficult battle all these days will continue operating with unabated intensity, with the same self-sacrifice.” But many have decried government efforts, citing what they saw as a lack of firefighting forces or planes or delays in their arrival.