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VOLUME:117 No.217, OCTOBER 7TH, 2020

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Radical plan to live with COVID

ALICIA WALLACE: LESS LIP SERVICE - NOW DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Coalition formed to offer businesses cheap, rapid test to keep staff at work

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A NON-PROFIT coalition yesterday unveiled an “end-to-end” workplace testing and management solution in a bid to help The Bahamas to escape the “sledgehammer approach” of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Robert Myers, of the Organisation for Responsible Governance, said the Live with COVID Coalition has developed a screening and testing regime to better protect staff and customers.

He told Tribune Business that the coalition will have

70,000 antigen COVID19 testing kits, approved by both the World Health Organisation and Federal Drug Administration, in The Bahamas by “the end of next week” as it prepares for the launch of an initiative it hopes will lead to “a faster path to recovery” from the pandemic.

Mr Myers said the structure was designed to give all Bahamas-based entities, whether in the private or public sector, affordable access to relatively cheap mass testing that would be able to provide results within 15 minutes.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BRAVE - LOCKDOWNS ARE A ‘USELESS TOOL’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

LOCKDOWNS have been a “useless tool” in the hands of the Minnis administration, insisted Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday, as he urged officials to allow free COVID-19 testing for all Bahamians.

Mr Davis said as the country is losing the fight against the potentially

deadly respiratory disease, the government needed to act now to erase the “sorry state of affairs” that has worsened the situation.

While he said the government needed a feasible action plan that includes free testing for every Bahamian, he said the party would not stand behind another complete lockdown of New Providence in the absence of complete data to support why the move is being considered.

SEE PAGE THREE

YEEZUS, IT’S PRETTY HERE YOU’D imagine he had enough on his plate but life never stops for mega rapper Kanye West. On a flight back from visits to Haiti and Jamaica last week he dropped in on the Exumas for a strictly-controlled visit to look over a potential resort development, Only staff at the resort Kanye stayed at overnight were on hand for the visit and observed strict COVID-distancing controls throughout his visit – with the exception of this one photograph for the files. We’re assured masks were reapplied the moment the camera was put away. Details of what exactly Kanye was looking at are strictly under wraps for the moment as is the size of the project.

PMH HOUSEKEEPING STAFF DEMAND - WHAT ABOUT US?

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

STAFF members of the housekeeping department at Princess Margaret Hospital are complaining about feeling unsafe and also neglected by the Public

Hospitals Authority as they go about their duties facing the possibility of contracting the COVID-19 virus.

A female staff member of the housekeeping department tested positive for COVID-19 recently. She eventually died, however officials have not said if she died because of the disease.

Princess Margaret Hospital officials have said the 64-year-old health institution is overwhelmed due to COVID-19 cases and it was known that several staff members had contracted the virus while many others were put in quarantine.

SEE PAGE THREE

BOATER DIES IN ANDROS TRAGEDY

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A BOATING incident on Monday near Andros has claimed the life of a civilian and left two off-duty members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) in hospital.

The civilian was identified

JOSEPH SANDS

as 62-year-old Joseph Sands of Little Creek, Andros, by his daughter Anika Sands.

She also identified one of the RBDF members as her cousin, Brandon Munroe.

The RBDF revealed on its Facebook page yesterday that the marines were airlifted to New Providence – one was alert while SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

LIGHTS OUT ON BIMINI AS VESSEL CUTS CABLE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net SOUTH Bimini was left without electricity for three days when a contractor cut Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) cable.

BPL blamed a Water & Sewerage Corporation contractor for “damaging” undersea cables.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

TECHNOLOGY GOOGLE UNVEILS LATEST PHONE

SEE PAGE NINE

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 3

PMH HOUSEKEEPING STAFF DEMAND - WHAT ABOUT US? from page one

“We are the main ones going from ward to ward and yet we do not feel safe,” said a Tribune source from the housekeeping department. “We walk around with all kinds of people who are showing symptoms and no one does anything. Every so often someone might speak up about it, but it doesn’t matter. We are just looked at as the maids, or whatever, so we are not important.

“When the administration (department) had their case, they moved the moon and the stars immediately to get the place clean and everyone was quarantined and tested.

That did not happen to us.

They asked us if we felt like we had any symptoms. Our

co-worker had symptoms, she still was working and then it got worse she got really sick and died. It’s like no stoppage of anything for us. No quarantining, just show up the next day and work. We are of no importance to these people.”

The employee said PMH is a ticking time bomb and as far as housekeeping staff is concerned they do their best to keep things clean, but more is needed to be done.

Asked if the housekeeping staff contacted union reps, the housekeeping source said, “They are not checking for us. They are interested in winning elections and that’s all. These people will not even get us tested, knowing that we move around the hospital from place to place and this place is loaded with

COVID. I found myself coughing last week. Thank God it was just a sinus drain.

No one even asked me if I was okay.

“You asked me if we got no results why we didn’t take our concerns to the minister of health, well as far as we are concerned, he is not one of us. He has never worked in the health field and he will more than likely not even understand what we are going through so why even bother to contact him so we can hear more bull crap. Now if we choose not to show up to work one day because of our fears, then what?”

The Tribune tried to contact Health Minister Renward Wells, but there was no answer or return call

from him.

When contacted, PHA managing director Catherine Weech was surprised that the housekeeping department had raised an alarm in the media. She tried to justify why more attention was perceived to be shown to the administration areas when staff tested positive.

“The situations are different,” said Ms Weech.

“For them (Housekeeping Department) they are rostered throughout the hospital as opposed to an administration department which is in one area. So clearly if you have persons stationed in one area then you have to treat it differently as opposed to persons who are deployed throughout the hospital.

“I spoke with the

hospital administrator. She said they had a meeting with the staff and all of that information was explained to them so I am not sure why they are continuing to pursue that. “They had a death in the housekeeping department. The housekeeping staff are trained, they wear PPEs and that’s how we are managing it.

Can you imagine if we were to close down a ward every time we have an incident, then what happens to all of our patients?”

Ms Weech confidently spoke to the aggressive training programme offered to PMH’s housekeepers.

She said they go on to the wards fully geared in the necessary protective equipment. She also said safety is something that PHA has

been promoting with staff, continues to promote and the housekeeping staff is no different.

According to Ms Weech, the hospital follows national guidelines on how to manage any identification of positive patients.

So, she said, they have a system where Employee Health intervenes, the contact tracing element comes in and then there is a risk measurement as it relates to whether one is on the low, medium or high scale.

The Tribune also contacted Bahamas Public Servants Union president, Kimsley Ferguson, who said he could not comment because he only knew that someone from the housekeeping department died, but had no other details.

BRAVE - LOCKDOWNS ARE A ‘USELESS TOOL’

from page one

Yesterday PLP Deputy Leader Chester Cooper said local businesses could not afford another lockdown.

The PLP’s recommendations include expanding contact tracing to 250 tracers in the capital, 50 in Grand Bahama and ten each at Bimini, Eleuthera, Abaco and Exuma.

The recommendations were to be presented to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, government officials and international health organisations yesterday. However, that meeting was rescheduled to Monday due to a scheduling issue.

“We cannot support an initiative and we don’t have all the data or information that informs that initiative,” Mr Davis said during the PLP’s monthly conference.

“What I can say as I stand here (is) previous lockdowns have proved useless. After every lockdown we’ve had spikes, not a containment or flattening

of the effect of COVID-19.

So, the question is: is that an effective measure being employed by this government or is it that putting this tool in their hands just demonstrates or reveals how incompetent they are to deal with the pandemic?”

Mr Davis added: “Lockdowns in The Bahamas have not proven to produce any results. We understand what is going on in other jurisdictions and in those jurisdictions the lockdowns have worked, but has it worked here? We have had waves and waves since the lockdown. When we reopened in July the number of cases were just under 100 (then). Now today it’s near 5,000 and we’ve had lockdowns since, at least two. So, what are the results of a lockdown? It’s a useless tool in the hands of this government.”

The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP also said every Bahamian has a right to be tested for COVID-19 and this testing should be free.

He acknowledged this undertaking would be expensive. However, Mr Davis said it would not be as expensive as the failure to stop COVID-19 has been.

“A major error of this government has been to focus testing only on symptomatic individuals.

“The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 transmission occurs before the onset of symptoms. That means in The Bahamas, by the time we’ve tested someone, and returned their results, they’ve likely already passed the virus to many other Bahamians.

“In addition, 40 percent of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic – that means people have the virus, but don’t know they have it, and don’t know they’re spreading it. No wonder cases keep growing here.

“The PLP’s COVID-19 task force has repeatedly called for a substantial expansion of testing. As we have

said since April, testing is the only way to make an invisible virus visible. If any Bahamian suspects they may have been exposed to the virus, they should be able to get tested for free and those results should be returned quickly.

“We should be encouraging and supporting testing, not throwing up obstacles.

The ability to keep yourself and your family and co-workers safe should not depend on your ability to pay for a test. It is a serious hardship for most Bahamians to isolate themselves from family and from their places of work. Most will not do so without a positive test result.

Would this be expensive to implement? Yes. But not as expensive as the failure to stop COVID has been.

“We need a substantial increase in the personnel and resources devoted to testing. Testing centres should be established across our islands with a special focus on emerging hotspots.

Rapid antigen testing can be one part of our testing arsenal in order to identify positive cases quickly.”

The party’s recommendations also include the establishment of a government facility for isolation where people can safely stay until they no longer have the virus; ensuring that all clinics in the Family Islands

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip Davis. are equipped with the tools are extremely concerned. necessary to treat COVID- The business community 19; protocols that protect understands that COVID is indoor facilities against air- real and the crisis continues, borne transmission and but the reality on the ground moving activities outdoors; indicates that they have and beefing up resources at ongoing fixed expenses and hospitals and clinics. very little revenues and the For his part, Mr Cooper greater and the deeper the said the business com- lockdowns the more difficult munity is very concerned it will be for business,” the about the prospects of Exuma and Ragged Island facing another lockdown.

MP said yesterday.

“The lockdowns have On Sunday, Prime Minbeen painful for business, ister Dr Hubert Minnis for employees, for employ- hinted that tougher measers who’ve had to make very ures for New Providence difficult decisions. Small and possibly Abaco may businesses in particular have be on the way due to rising experienced significant pain cases. He said he would in terms of not being able update the nation after to generate any revenue a series of meetings with — the little that may be international experts and available to them. So they health officials this week.

73 NEW CASES AND TWO MORE DEATHS CONFIRMED SEVENTY-THREE new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday, while the death toll increased by two.

There are now 4,632 confirmed cases of the disease in the country and 102 people have died from the illness.

Of the 73 cases announced yesterday, most were in New Providence — 72 — while there was one new case in Grand Bahama.

There have been 3,468 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Providence, 650 in Grand Bahama, 157 in Abaco, 54 in Bimini, 32 in Exuma, 25 in Eleuthera, 19 in Inagua,

EDUCATION MINISTER IN QUARANTINE

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said yesterday he is one of the Cabinet ministers currently quarantined as he came into contact with Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira, who recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Works Minister Desmond Bannister also told The Tribune he was in quarantine until Monday. He was pressed further as to the results of the promised COVID-19 testing of Cabinet ministers, however, he said, the Cabinet Office will release that information in time.

The Cabinet Office sent out a statement on Monday confirming that Mr Ferreira

had contracted the virus and that as a precautionary measure all Cabinet ministers and staff who had come in direct contact with him would be tested for COVID-19 and be asked to quarantine. The statement also said that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis did not have direct contact with Mr Ferreira.

Prime Minister Minnis, along with his Cabinet, were set to meet with members of the Pan American Health Organization and local health officials on Tuesday. Mr Lloyd and Erica Wells, director of communications at the Office of the Prime Minister, confirmed that even though some Cabinet ministers are quarantined, the meeting was able to take place virtually.

Mr Lloyd said Dr Minnis will soon reveal what was discussed and recommended at that meeting.

The Cabinet statement said Mr Ferreira was not experiencing symptoms and was in quarantine. It also said contact tracing is being carried out by the Ministry of Health Surveillance Unit and all established health protocols are being followed.

Even though the statement said the Churchill Building, which houses the Cabinet Office, was deep cleaned and sanitised and was to reopen yesterday, no Cabinet meeting was held there. The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that although some Cabinet members are in quarantine, the House of Assembly will meet as scheduled today.

THE Ministry of the Environment and Housing was closed yesterday for deep cleaning and sanitisation after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

The ministry is located on the second floor of Charlotte House, Shirley and Charlotte Streets.

The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, Department of Housing and the Forestry

Unit, also located in Charlotte House, remained open.

The ministry, however, will reopen on Thursday.

On Monday, the Cabinet Office announced that Minister of Environment and Housing Romauld Ferriera had contracted COVID19, adding that Mr Ferreira was not experiencing symptoms at the time and is in quarantine.

“As a precautionary

measure all Cabinet ministers and staff who came in direct contact with the minister will be tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine,” the statement from the Cabinet Office added.

“The Prime Minister did not have direct contact with Minister Ferreira. Contact tracing is being carried out by the Ministry of Health Surveillance Unit and all established health protocols are being followed.”

MINISTRY CLOSED FOR CLEANING

15 in the Berry Islands, 12 in Long Island, nine in Andros and Cat Island, seven in Acklins, five in Crooked Island and three in Mayaguana. There are 167 confirmed cases with locations pending.

The Ministry of Health also confirmed two more deaths: a 76-year-old New Providence woman who died on October 1 and a 44-year-old Abaco man, who died on September 17.

Health officials also said hospitalised cases increased by one to 113.

To date, 22,559 tests have been completed.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

GOVT ‘NOT TRYING TO ERADICATE SHANTY TOWNS’

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEYS representing the government in a judicial review centred on shanty town demolition yesterday revealed excerpts of Labour Minister Dion Foulkes’ most recent affidavits, in which he denies the government is attempting to eradicate shanty towns to take possession of the land.

The applicants — Respect Our Homes Ltd and Lumane Nonord, being 177 residents and occupants of shanty towns — had filed an application for discovery calling for the government to disclose all documents related to its plans to eradicate the communities. In an application for interrogatories in the matter, the applicants also sought to have Mr Foulkes answer questions since they believed he could provide the “principal evidence” in response to the leave to apply for judicial review.

Last month, Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson

SENATOR DION FOULKES, Minister of Labour.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff granted the shanty town res- and Sewerage Corporation the applicants, who are idents’ request to have Mr had not fully exercised their represented by attorney Foulkes answer eight of the “duty of candour” during Martin Lundy II, asked 12 questions they put forth, the proceedings. the respondents to state When the proceed- whether the government, to give them the opportunity to gain a full understanding ings resumed yesterday, or any person or organiof the government’s posi- Kayla Green-Smith, on sation acting with its tion. She made the order behalf of the Crown, said authority made a decision after ruling the respond- the respondents filed two to take possession of the ents: Prime Minister Dr more affidavits made by land. Mrs Green-Smith said Hubert Minnis, Works Mr Foulkes on September in Mr Foulkes’ September Minister Desmond Bannis- 24 and October 1, which 24 affidavit, he insisted this ter, Attorney General Carl addressed the queries they was not the case and noted Bethel, Bahamas Power were ordered to answer. the government’s shanty For their first question, town reformation project and Light, and the Water

was not “predicated on the desire to take land”.

Asked whether the government created a policy to “eradicate or irretrievably eliminate” shanty towns in the country, Mr Foulkes said there “was no policy of eradication,” and instead claimed the government’s reform initiative was designed to facilitate the removal of “unregulated structures” in the communities that are not compliant with the building codes.

In his affidavit, Mr Foulkes said the government has established a “mechanism” to identify regulated housing options for the relocation and integration of affected individuals. He also noted addressing illegally built structures would improve the quality of life for all shanty town residents.

When asked to state whether the respondents maintained that the notices they issued in July were valid, Mr Foulkes said this was still the case and indicated the government still intended to rely on them.

Another question the applicants put forth to Mr Foulkes asked him to identify which houses or other structures the respondents considered to be compliant with the building code. In response, Mr Foulkes said he was advised by the acting building control officer that only two houses received an occupancy certificate. He further advised that there were 16 other completed houses that had received a building permit, but did not obtain the necessary inspections to acquire the occupancy certificate.

In the previous hearing, Justice Grant-Thompson had also given the respondents 21 days to give the applicants all documents relating to any plans they had to eradicate the communities.

During her presentation, Mrs Green-Smith said the respondents served the court and the applicants the bundle of documents in relation to the shanty town residents’ application for discovery on September 25.

The matter continues on October 16.

ABACO LOCKDOWN ‘WOULD HINDER DORIAN RECOVERY’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ABACO residents say they will not support another full lockdown for the island to prevent the further spread of COVID19 as more restrictive measures would hinder Hurricane Dorian restoration efforts and negatively impact the island’s economy.

Instead, residents are calling for more police presence to enforce existing COVID-19 orders, attributing the rise in cases to the lack of enforcement of the measures on the island.

Their comments come after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on Sunday foreshadowed the implementation of more restrictions for Abaco and New Providence after noting that the current measures in place for those communities “are not achieving the desired results.”

There are more than 150 confirmed cases in Abaco, while cases in New Providence have skyrocketed to more than 3,300. It is not clear, however, how many of those cases are active.

To help with charting the country’s way forward from the crisis, Dr Minnis said he met with the Pan-American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation representative to The Bahamas, Dr Esther de Gourville, who was expected to brief Cabinet members yesterday on preventive strategies.

At the end of the meetings, Dr Minnis said he will update the nation on their recommendations, “especially on the way forward for New Providence and Abaco”.

Yesterday, The Tribune spoke with several Abaco residents to see if they would support additional restrictions for the island.

However, many told this newspaper they would not support stricter measures mainly for economic reasons.

Ken Hutton, president of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce, said while he believed extreme measures may have been needed in the beginning to prevent COVID-19 spread, he does not think resorting to such tactics will bring forth positive results for Abaco in the short and long term.

Instead, he said, lockdown restrictions “will carry seriously negative economic impacts on the island going forward and not just during the lockdown period, but thereafter.”

The Chamber of

Commerce president said in order to effectively deal with the COVID-19 situation in Abaco, officials need to better enforce the current measures in place, rather than adding more restrictive ones.

“Quarantines may have worked in the beginning and I think they did work in the beginning, but I think the increase of spread has been caused by a lack of enforcement mainly because of, and I think it has to do with the manpower here to enforce it than any lack of, I guess, will power to do it,” he said.

“So, it’s difficult to get additional manpower here so I do feel it is a very difficult situation for the government to do and I truly feel that they’re doing the best they can, but I think we need to deal with the situation realistically in that is not a preventive situation, but it is actually an enforcement situation.”

George Cornish, Central Abaco chief’s councilor, also expressed similar comments to this newspaper, adding there are still people on the island who conduct business as usual without regard for the existing COVID-19 protocols.

He said residents have been sounding the alarm about the illegal activities happening months ago. But now he fears that recent police intervention may have come a little too late.

“We’ve been telling them about the crime that’s been happening in Abaco, the places that’s been open after hours and the traffic that’s been on the road at night time when it’s supposed to be lockdown hours and now they just started to crackdown on these night time activities just lately in the last week or so,” he told this newspaper yesterday.

“You pass certain places and they’re packed with people outside. People are standing around with no social distancing and the police passing up and down and they’re not doing anything, and no one is monitoring what’s going on and that’s maybe why the increase of COVID-19 is happening.”

Mr Cornish said he fears more strict measures would deal the island’s rebuilding efforts and by extension, its economy, a serious blow.

He said: “We’re in October, 13 months since the hurricane that passed us and there are still people that are sleeping in tents and there are still people with roofs not repaired.

We’re now seeing a lot of construction happening and

that’s the only source of income right now.

“So, if you do the restrictions, are you going to close down the construction?

That means we’re going to have another six months or a year that people are going to behind in repairing their homes and providing jobs for people. That’s not good.”

However, there are some residents who feel that more restrictive measures, especially as it relates to mass gatherings, are needed in order to slow the virus spread on Abaco.

A resident in the community, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Tribune: “From what I’m seeing, they have to. People are partying. I mean I wish it wouldn’t have to affect all the businesses opening who are obeying the rules but restaurants and bars aren’t.

“The innocent have to suffer for the guilty I guess but something needs to be done about the mass gatherings. They send so much police but they are complicit with the partying.”

During a Ministry of Health press conference on Friday, Dr Gillian Bartlett, who heads the Family Islands COVID-19 task force, said many of the new cases on Abaco are connected to previous confirmed cases.

She said: “What we’re seeing on the ground of Abaco is definitely an increase of COVID, mostly on mainland Abaco, Cooper’s Town, Marsh Harbour and also in the Sandpoint area, we’re just having a lot of persons presenting to our clinics with side symptoms of COVID. “…And when you contact trace, you also find that those persons (who they) have been in close contact with are also coming down with symptoms so that seems to be widening the spread in Abaco and it definitely is an island of concern.”

However, residents there are also calling for more data from health officials concerning the cases on the island.

“We’re now at 157 cases (as of Monday) which includes the cases back in April…and using an aggregate number that goes back to the beginning of this entire pandemic is, I think, can be misleading,” said Mr Hutton. “So, my question is how many active cases are there and how many of the cases that they’re calling cases are positive tests with no symptoms or symptomatic positive tests? That’s information that we don’t have.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 5

AN EXTRA HAND TO FIGHT HUNGER

FROM left, JSJ managing director Alister McKellar, JSJ vice-president of public relations and administration Stephanie Hanna, H4H board member and treasurer Herbert Cash, H4H executive director Keisha Elliis, and JSJ senior manager customer service Robert Bartlett.

JS JOHNSON and Company recently sponsored the purchase of a new refrigerated panel truck to assist the feeding efforts of Hands for Hunger.

The 2019 Hyundai truck becomes the second vehicle in the H4H fleet and provides an additional 500 cubic feet of carrying capacity.

“We’ve long supported the great work of Hands for Hunger,” said JS Johnson managing director Alister McKellar. “And we’re proud to make the type of contribution that directly helps Bahamians at a time when so many have been severely impacted by the coronavirus

pandemic.”

JS Johnson employees regularly volunteer at H4H events, and the organisation’s annual Paradise Plates fundraiser.

“JS Johnson is one of Hands for Hunger’s most generous and reliable corporate partners,” said H4H executive director Keisha Ellis. “The company has made significant contributions to our work, and its generosity has yielded tangible results for the communities we serve.”

Since the COVID19 state of emergency was declared in March, Hands for Hunger has delivered more than 150,000lbs of food.

Davis: Why take so long over marijuana legislation?

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip Brave Davis said the Minnis administration should have already addressed the issue of legalising marijuana and expunging the records of people who were convicted for possessing small amounts.

He also said the marijuana industry could yield a significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product, in turn delivering a boost to the economy.

However, he said the government will simply have to ensure the industry is properly regulated.

His comments came yesterday amid continued

discussions in the nation over the need for other viable industries as tourism, the economic driver, has taken a blow due to COVID-19.

“We recognise that the marijuana industry could yield a significant contribution to our GDP and we will welcome that,” Mr Davis said in response to a question from The Tribune during a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Farrington Road.

“We just have to ensure that it’s properly regulated and legalisation of it in our administration would be properly regulated to ensure that there are no abuses or ill consequences with its implementation.”

Mr Davis said the matter

POLICE ‘ILL EQUIPPED’ FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL activist yesterday criticised the Royal Bahamas Police Force for its “ill-equipped policing system” to effectively respond to the needs of domestic violence victims, saying more measures and community partnerships are needed to better protect vulnerable victims.

“Policing cannot be effective without building relationships with other government bodies, NGOs and members of the society,” said Equality Bahamas director, Alicia Wallace.

She was responding to remarks made by Police Commissioner Paul Rolle, who told reporters on Monday that police need facilities to house domestic violence victims trying to escape toxic environments.

He spoke after a recent homicide which police say involved domestic violence.

The victim had reportedly made a complaint to police shortly before her death.

“We have some regulations and legal requirements when persons reside in the same home. In that (particular) case, they did not live in the same home and I believe that this is a good time that we can have that conversation where more may need to be done and more facilities be made available when instances like this happen,” the police chief said.

“As it stands right now, a person comes into the police and they make a complaint. Police have no facility as such to take a person and put them in a safe house as such. “ Calling the matter “unacceptable”, Ms Wallace said Mr Rolle’s remarks show the RBPF’s disconnect from other agencies and society.

“The fact that the RBPF

does not have access to safe houses underlines the point Equality Bahamas consistently makes about ill-equipped police and a policing system that fails to meet our needs,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“It is unacceptable for police to say they have no safe houses when we know Social Services has responsibility for assisting in housing.

It becomes clearer, day after day, that government ministries, departments and agencies are operating in isolation and fail to understand the broader system they operate in.

“They should know the resources and mandates of the other bodies and be able to make necessary connections.”

On Monday, Commissioner Rolle said recent incidents have highlighted this may be the time to “fix” gaps in legislation.

“That is something that when we look back at it, we learn from it. Right now in legislation, we have protection orders. Those protection orders unfortunately do not extend in this type of situation. I’m saying this is a good time for us to look at it and fix it.”

While agreeing that current legislation needs to be revised, Ms Wallace said in the absence of specific guidelines, common sense would dictate offering protection to victims of domestic violence. “Even in absence of specific protocol for such instances, it is common sense to provide protection,” she said.

Activists have been calling on the government to implement tools to effectively address the needs of domestic violence victims.

They say more educational awareness is needed about the issue and also called for the creation of a special domestic unit in the force.

should have already been addressed.

“The time has long passed for us to address this issue of legalisation of marijuana and expunging the record of persons who would have had a record for small amounts.

“That would be something that the Progressive Liberal Party embrace(s).

“That is something that we urge the government to do as quickly as possible that they ought to by now now lived up to their promise to that segment of our demographic who have been saddled with records for convictions for small amounts of marijuana that is inhibiting and prohibiting their ability to be full participants in our

country, particularly in the workplace.”

The Bahamas Marijuana Commission said it was resuming its work in August with co-chair Quinn McCartney admitting it would be challenging to fully decriminalise the substance in two years even though “lowhanging fruits” like medical marijuana can be legalised in that time.

The commission held its first meeting since March almost two months ago.

“I didn’t think any of us anticipated the pandemic effects would’ve been so long-lasting,” Mr McCartney told The Tribune at the time.

“When the pandemic came, we thought it was prudent to pause to get over that first wave. We were

sort of in abeyance waiting for the right opportunity to reconvene. We’ve done so now because of increased interest in our work and perhaps possible benefits of our recommendations.”

Before the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he wanted to decriminalise medical and small amounts of recreational marijuana by the end of this term.

Asked about that timeline, Mr McCartney said: “We presented a report that can be implemented in phases and so I think there are some things that can be done. The medical marijuana, that’s a low hanging fruit that can certainly be dealt with. I think the biggest challenge will be putting in the regulatory

framework and making sure agencies are in place to ensure things are done properly. People will have to be hired, some will have to be trained, an office will have to be located and then there’s the whole licensing process. These things will take time but certainly if the will is there, I think there is a sufficient template out there to guide us and certainly some of the more low-hanging fruits can be done. It can be done in phases but there might be too much to do at one time.”

Mr McCartney said at the top of the commission’s agenda is discussing how to get to the finish line and complete a promised survey on the attitudes of Bahamians toward marijuana.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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A bright idea to break the COVID impasse JUST when it seems the government is fresh out of ideas – along comes the private sector.

Well done to the Live with COVID Coalition for thinking out of the box to come up with a new approach to how we can navigate these times in which we find ourselves.

Let’s think about this for a moment – the government wants to introduce a rapid testing regime for visitors to try and reduce the chances of people with COVID-19 going undetected.

Well, the coalition has gone one better and asked why not apply that to the rest of our daily lives?

By the end of next week, 70,000 such testing kits will be in The Bahamas with the goal of protecting staff and customers more thoroughly.

Here’s the idea – you put in place rules in the workplace that suit the industry you’re operating in. That might be a questionnaire for example for staff at the start of the day. If anything raises a concern, then boom, here’s a kit you can use and get a result in 15 minutes.

If it signifies a possible positive result, off you go for further testing, but if you don’t then you can get on with the day.

Some may raise their hands in caution and ask about the reliability of such kits – but bear in mind, they are an alternative to the present situation, where no kit is available in the same situation.

This supplements what we are doing already – the masks, the distancing, the washing of hands and so on. It builds on the defences we’ve got and makes sure we have a better chance of catching cases before they go on to affect anyone else in the workplace.

You only have to see the seemingly daily reports of offices being closed down for cleaning to realise how widespread an impact we are already experiencing – and this could help catch those cases before workers find themselves alongside someone with a positive case.

With the carrot goes the stick – with the coalition suggesting that people found to be in breach of quarantine should be locked up in purpose-built facilities if they can’t be trusted to follow the rules on their own.

Super Value president Rupert Roberts, for example, noted that his company had been forced to send home employees who should have been quarantining after finding they had returned to work.

While Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has hinted at increased lockdowns, that seems to be the only major tool the government is using. Lock it down, open it up, lock it down, open it up. We can’t keep veering between those two states, especially as we find

ourselves with dozens of cases still mounting up.

Dr Minnis called for ideas – well, here’s a good one, and about time we found better solutions. This is an extra layer of defence against a virus that has ravaged people’s health and the nation’s economy.

Let’s face it, we’ve said the country is going to be opened up as this month progresses – and the government’s purse is empty enough that it’s not going to want to change course on that. If that’s the case, then this helps to do that more safely.

Well done, all involved in the coalition. More ideas like these are what we need to open The Bahamas safely.

The Prime Minister promised he would reveal to the country when he addresses Parliament today what his next steps will be. Will he be as innovative as the coalition in finding solutions?

Or will it be back to the same old, same old? We will await and see.

The failures of all our utilities

Decide over marijuana

What on Earth is taking so long over the decision to legalise marijuana?

PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis is the latest to wonder publicly why there is so much thumb twiddling and not enough decision making.

This process has been dogged by delays. As long ago as September 2018, Bishop Simeon Hall was complaining about the slow motion of the commission. Still moving at the speed of molasses, the commission announced its work was due to resume in August with its co-chair admitting it would be challenging to fully decriminalise the substance in two years. Probably on the other side of an election, then.

We would not spare Mr Davis too much either – as much as he says the matter should have already been addressed, and he’s right there, his own party didn’t do anything about it when they were in office when he was Deputy Prime Minister.

The co-chair of the commission said it paused because of the pandemic until the time was right to reconvene. Apparently, the rest of us had to get by with video conference calls but that was too much for the commission.

Make a decision, one way or the other. If the decision is yes to decriminalisation, then get it done, and see how to manage the economic benefits that flow from that at a time when the economy surely needs a boost. If the decision is no, then stop this endless kicking the can down the road.

If anyone wants to wait any longer, then they’re not taking this seriously – and nor should we take them seriously either.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Too tough to travel EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM writing to express the frustration of my wife and myself about the increasingly difficult and time consuming requirements to enter The Bahamas. We have spent long periods of time in Nassau during the winter months for many years. We enjoy the warm weather and escape the harsh cold and snow in this eastern part of Canada. Whether we will be able to have this annual trip is becoming a major problem as your Minister of Tourism keeps introducing further complications.

In most parts of Canada it is difficult to obtain COVID19 tests for healthy persons just for leisure travel. The government health clinics who are the sole administrators of medicine are overwhelmed with sick patients. Appointments are hard to obtain which gives the whole travel process an uncertainty because your government is demanding test results no more than seven days old and we have to be on the ground in

Nassau by the seventh day with a Health Visa. Obtaining the health visa is the major problem. The timings to get test results and the scanning back from Nassau of the travel authorisation are uncertain. The Air Canada schedule has been so cut back that there is little flexibility for travel dates.

We now learn that, despite getting the required test, we must take a test at the airport on arrival and, unbelievingly, yet another four days later both at our expense with no idea given as to costs.

Now your Minister of Tourism is trying to get travel health insurance included in the new Health Visa. However nearly all visitors have travel health insurance purchased when getting their air ticket. Air Canada is already providing free health insurance with the tickets for up to three weeks. Like many senior citizens we have an Annual Travel Health Insurance plan. We would not require your insurance but your Minister has said that it will be included in the Health Visa charge. We will

be forced to pay twice so the travel costs keep mounting.

We keep reading in your newspaper ongoing comments by the Tourism Ministry about consultations with “travel partners” and rosy predictions about “pentup demand” for tourism to The Bahamas. However the truth is that you have gone from an easy country to enter to one of the most difficult. For the sake of your economy how much longer can these unworkable measures continue?

It is so cumbersome that even stalwart visitors to Nassau such as our family are worried that we will not be able to come this winter unless things change quickly.

Other less committed prospective visitors will travel to other Caribbean destinations where the entry is easier and the welcome mat sensibly thought out. It is a very regrettable situation. We hope change comes soon.

CHRISTOPHER SEWARD QC Canada October 6, 2020.

J

SINCE the beginning of COVID-19 awareness in this country, companies have had to adjust the way in which they operate. Everyone understands that and so I was prepared to give them a certain amount of adaption time so they could work out the kinks. But here is my problem: 1. I have had a land line at my home that has not been working since April.

Having called BTC, they sent a technician who told me to have an electrician run a new line into the house, then he would come back and make sure everything worked. However, I signed up for a fibre optic line service over a year ago.

BTC delivered the equipment to my home shortly thereafter and then, nothing. Why should I pay for a new line when they are supposed to supply a fibre optic connection?

Also, I have spoken to sooo many customer service people and explained that our security service needs a phone line to function and I feel vulnerable – but that doesn’t seem to make any difference either. I was even promised recently by their fibre optic centre that BTC would run the line connecting my house before Sept 10 and then a technician would hook up the equipment in my home – it’s Oct 5 as I write this and I still have no working phone, nor has anyone from BTC done anything.

2. Since BPL shut down the BEC online link to download your electricity bill, I have been shut out of my personal account.

In trying to set up a new account I am blocked because my email has been used for other rental properties and you cannot have more than one account linked to an email address.

Knowing there must be some way round this, I have emailed numerous times for assistance and gotten no reply. If you call the

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net number given for customer service, no one answers.

I read that our BPL bills would go down 30 percent effective August but they must mean August 2021 because mine keeps going up with no new usage! And I can’t even get a bill to see how my usage has changed.

Are they merely guessing when they bill you or are they actually reading my meter ...and if they are reading it, how do you find out if something is wrong because you can’t actually get to speak to anyone?

3. Then we have my water supplier – Aquapure Water Company – that I have been with since 1980. Their home delivery department has suddenly forgotten where my house is located.

The once regular Wednesday delivery is now a free-for-all guessing game. When I call and complain, I’m asked to understand that because of COVID they are experiencing some problems.

The only way I have managed to get water delivered is by calling and texting repeatedly the private cell of the service manager.

Why should I have to do that? After six weeks of this I am completely fed up... how long does it take to get your act together and notify your customers that their delivery day is changing... or tell them you might not make your regular day but they will ensure you get our water delivery that week?

Communication – why does it have to be as a complaint versus advising your customers?

4. Finally we have Cable Bahamas - where do I begin? On Saturday the 26th, internet services were knocked out in my area due to the storm. It appears that numerous homes were affected but rather than send a technician to service the entire area, each

household had to individually log a service call and, let me tell you, that is an experience. While holding for the “next available customer service representative” our wait time went from an initial 45 mins to 33 mins, to 65 mins, to 89 mins and then jumped to 149 mins. How is this possible when I was holding on the entire time?

If you do hang up in frustration and try again, many times the recording skips along and doesn’t offer the option of leaving your phone contact for someone to call you back... which I eventually did but have years to hear from anybody!

Maybe I’m being naive in expecting a company to offer service promptly when they can’t even get their TV guide page to work half the time?

So back to my original question, are Bahamian companies using COVID as an excuse for poor or no customer service? I am a single individual but have had problems with four companies recently, companies whose bills I pay promptly.

I cannot be the only person having problems – so my question is, why?

Why, when companies are losing customers right and left because they can’t afford their services, why don’t we see them going above and beyond to retain their customers by offering quick, efficient service or is that just an oxymoron when discussing anything Bahamian?

Come on people, stop blaming everything on COVID and start supplying the service your customers have every right to expect and employees, stop cruising at work doing the bare minimum. Earn that pay cheque.... and recognise how damn lucky you are to be getting one.

COLLEEN DUNKLEY Nassau, October 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

WOMAN LIED OVER ‘SHOTGUN ATTACK’

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 21-YEAR-OLD woman who filed a false police report accusing a man of assaulting her with a shotgun to steal her cellphone was fined $150.

Malanda Payoute appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after she was accused of making a false report at the Criminal Investigation Department on October 1.

The court was told that around 7pm, Payoute went to the CID to report that a man known to her as “Yellow” produced a shotgun and stole her $150 iPhone. The prosecution said two days later, the defendant returned to the station to admit that she fabricated her initial report. This time, she told officers that “Yellow” never had a shotgun. As a result of her confession, Payoute was arrested. In an interview with police, she

told officers that Yellow had never put a shotgun to her head. She said she lied because she wanted fast results and compensation.

When given an opportunity to speak during the hearing, Payoute told the magistrate she had bought an iPhone 6 plus from Yellow that was not working. She claimed when she asked him for her money back, he was not cooperative. She added another man brought Yellow to her house so she went outside to show him the faulty phone. She said when she spoke to Yellow that evening, they got into a “little fuss” and sometime later, she noticed $105 was missing from her purse.

In response, Magistrate Forbes told the defendant she should have given the police the explanation she gave the court. As a result, he accepted her guilty plea and fined her $150 or one month at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

FOURTH MAN ON DRUGS CHARGE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A FOURTH man was arraigned in connection with a $3m drug seizure in the Exuma cays last month.

Jason McKenzie, 38, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes accused of conspiring to possess a quantity of Indian hemp sometime between September 17 and 21. The prosecution alleged he had plans to sell the drugs found in his possession.

During the hearing, McKenzie was also charged with one count each of marijuana possession with the intent to supply, conspiracy to import dangerous drugs, and importing a quantity of marijuana into the country on September 21.

The prosecution further argued he also assaulted three officers with a white twin engine boat and accused him of causing harm to Sergeant 2009 Newton when officers approached him that day.

Last month, Omar Chisholm, 42, Andrew Pratt, 37, and Adrian Mackey, 37, were arraigned for the same offences.

Like his co-accused, McKenzie denied all of the allegations brought against him and the case was adjourned to February 25 for trial.

In the meantime, he was denied bail and remanded into custody.

McKenzie, who is represented by attorney Ian Cargill, has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 7

Boater dies in Andros tragedy from page one the other was unconscious. The post added that the off-duty marines were on board a private 16ft speed boat when it apparently hit a reef off Moxey Town, Andros.

“The vessel was badly damaged, and the two marines were rescued by local fishermen, who transported them to the clinic in Mangrove Cay for medical treatment. The other male, a resident of Andros, was found unresponsive near the damaged vessel,” the RBDF reported.

According to a police release, preliminary reports revealed that shortly after midnight yesterday, police on Andros were informed of a boating accident that occurred sometime around 8pm, in the area of Mangrove Cay, Andros.

The release stated: “Three males were out to sea when their 16-ft boat hit a reef. The men were ejected from the vessel and sustained serious injuries. One of the males later succumbed to his injuries and the other two were airlifted to New Providence for medical attention.”

When she spoke to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Sands’ daughter was not sure of her cousin’s prognosis as she was still waiting to hear from him.

She lives in Nassau but got a call

JOSEPH SANDS, left, who died in the incident, and Brandon Munroe, who was injured. from a person from Andros around a captain so he knew what he was midnight yesterday about the incident. doing. She also said her cousin knew “They said there was an accident his way around a boat. and I think they were on the scene “We don’t know,” she said. “We of the accident. They said one was don’t understand but something as a deceased, one was injured and one distraction or a minor mistake could was okay. They assumed, I guess they cause, you know, major issues. were there, so say they said it was him “We’re still trying to make sense of (her father),” she said. it because, like I said, he knows what “I guess I’m still waiting for the call he’s doing.” to say it’s not true. It was some sort of She wept over the phone as she sick joke. We’re also still waiting on described her now deceased father as that call.” a “vibrant” jokester who was “always She was not sure what could have laughing”. She added he was a man caused the accident as her father was who loved his children.

MAN FINED $250 OVER MARIJUANA JOINTS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who claimed he found several marijuana joints while walking through a shortcut on his way home from work was fined $250.

Police arrested Elvis Hanna, 39, after they found him with 1.87 ounces of Indian hemp on October 3.

He pleaded guilty to a

single count of dangerous drug possession with the intent to supply during his hearing before Deputy Magistrate Andrew Forbes.

The court was told officers were on patrol in the Quakoo Street area when they observed Hanna sitting under a tree.

The prosecution said when the defendant saw the police, he walked towards them and said: “Officers y’all got me,” before

handing them several foil wraps.

When the officers conducted a further search of Hanna, they discovered more foil wraps on him. He was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station where he admitted to the offence in an interview with police.

During the hearing, Hanna told the magistrate he had just finished cleaning a yard and was on his way home. He said while

walking, he took a shortcut and “ended up seeing” a plastic bag full of marijuana cigarettes which he decided to pocket. He claimed by the time he reached the main road, officers had stopped him.

In response, Magistrate Forbes told the defendant if his story was true, he should not have taken something that did not belong to him. He subsequently fined Hanna $250 or three months in prison.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

People in power need to stop paying lip service to the problem and do something about it SINCE the murder of a young mother and her daughter, the issue of domestic violence has been getting more attention in the media.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and we have too many reasons to be concerned about this pervasive issue that continues to plague us.

In women’s rights spaces, domestic violence is the “no-brainer”. Most people easily agree it is wrong, should not happen and needs to be addressed. Still, it is difficult to get people in positions of power to take specific actions to end this scourge.

In March, when lockdowns and curfews began, concern was raised about domestic violence. Advocates all over the world warned governments that everyone would not be “safe at home”. Many people one in three women - would be stuck at home with abusers. Not only would people be spending more time together at home, but there would be little opportunity for escape.

Many people experiencing domestic violence do not leave right away. Most of them are unable to leave right away. In many cases, they leave the home for a “cooling off period”. Some people are able to read the signs that violence will erupt and preemptively get out of danger, but when movement is restricted or curfews are in place, there are less opportunities to take such measures.

Knowing this, we sounded the alarm. Journalists started specifically asking, at COVID-19 press conferences, about the issue of domestic violence and how it would be handled. There was never a real answer. It was clear the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health had given no consideration to the impact its public health measures would have on another public health crisis - domestic violence.

How is such an obvious issue overlooked? How do the questions from the press not prompt responsible parties to develop a response? It is as though the issue of domestic violence has existed for so long that some are prepared to accept it, or they already have. This cannot stand.

By Alicia Wallace

Many people turned their attention to violence against women when there were reports that rapper Megan Thee Stallion was shot by rapper Tory Lanez in July. It was said the two got into an argument and Megan wanted to get out of the vehicle.

When police became involved at the scene, Megan did not tell them she had been shot. This has been repeatedly used against her. She later said she did not report it to police because she did not want everyone in the car to be harmed or murdered because she alerted police to a gun being in the MEGAN Thee vehicle.

Stallion on While Saturday Night some insist Live. she is lying, right-minded people are aware of the effects of violence and the fear that black people in the US have of police. Megan was trying to protect everyone in the car, and she held her silence until Lanez started spreading lies. She used Instagram Live to address the situation revealing she “suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against [her] and done with the intention to physically harm [her].” She did not name Lanez.

On Saturday, October 3, Megan Thee Stallion was the guest performer on Saturday Night Live and she used that opportunity to make a statement.

The backdrop for her performance said “Protect Black Women”. It started with a recording of activist Tamika Mallory saying: “Daniel Cameron is no different than the sellout that sold our people into slavery.” Mallory was talking about the Kentucky

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Attorney General who failed to indict the police officer involved in the murder of Breonna Taylor who was shot five times in her apartment.

Megan Thee Stallion said: “We need to protect our black women and love our black women, because at the end of the day, we need our black women.”

She added: “We need to protect our black men and stand up for our black men, because at the end of the day, we tired of seeing hashtags about black men.”

During the performance, an excerpt of Malcom X’s 1962 speech “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?” played.

Megan’s is an experience that may seem too specific to be common, but its elements are not unusual. She was trying to protect everyone in the vehicle from police violence so she did not report the crime perpetrated against her. There are many women who do not report domestic violence or intimate partner violence for similar reasons. The perpetrator may provide most of the household income and reporting them could negatively impact children and other dependents. Megan also experienced very public rebuke for speaking up about Lanez’s actions, responsibility being placed on her for his reputation and that of black men in the US. Here, some women do not report or press charges because it is such a small place and it can feel easier to keep things quiet and not risk being seen as a liar or contributing to negative perspectives about specific people or groups of people. Even when experiencing violence, far too many women are not able or willing to think only of themselves and their own safety.

These are just some of the reasons we need better systems and people in place to prevent and respond to domestic violence. We need to think about what we can do to make it easier for people to report, reconsider what justice looks like and be open to survivors’ interpretations of it, and maintain privacy and confidentiality. We are still in a place where women are blamed for the violence they experience rather than supported in accessing safety in ways that are reasonable, realistic and comfortable.

Everyone will not be able to take to a major stage to deliver a strong message about supporting survivors and not everyone will see or receive those messages, so decision-makers need to close the gap.

Domestic violence is a problem and it proliferates without intervention.

We need to demand intervention. We need to make it clear domestic violence will not be excused, to assure survivors they will be supported and not blamed, and to hold decision-makers accountable for what they leave undone, especially when they have been warned.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 9

NVIDIA SAYS IT WILL BUILD TECHTALK COLORADO TO WORK GOOGLE, APPLE ON THE UK’S MOST POWERFUL WITH COVID-19 EXPOSURE APP

SUPERCOMPUTER

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivers a speech about AI and gaming during the Computex Taipei exhibition at the world trade centre in Taipei, Taiwan in May 2017. Graphics chip maker Nvidia said Monday it plans to build Britain’s fastest supercomputer that healthcare researchers can use to work on medical problems including COVID-19. Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia said it will spend 40 million pounds ($52 million) on the supercomputer, dubbed Cambridge-1, which will consist of 80 Nvidia systems and is expected to be online by the end of the year. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)

LONDON (AP) — Graphics chip maker Nvidia said Monday it plans to build Britain’s fastest supercomputer that healthcare researchers can use to work on medical problems including COVID-19.

Nvidia, based in Santa Clara, California, said it will spend 40 million pounds ($52 million) on the supercomputer, dubbed Cambridge-1, which will consist of 80 Nvidia systems and is expected to be online by the end of the year.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Cambridge-1 will be available to healthcare researchers using artificial intelligence to working on urgent medical challenges.

“Tackling the world’s most pressing challenges in healthcare

requires massively powerful computing resources to harness the capabilities of AI,” Huang said.

Cambridge-1 would be ranked the world’s 29th most powerful supercomputer and the most powerful in the U.K., the company said.

Pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca are among the groups that have already signed up to use the supercomputer.

The announcement comes after the company said last month it agreed to buy U.K.-based chip designer Arm Holdings for up to $40 billion, and would set up an artificial intelligence research center in Cambridge, England, where Arm is headquartered.

GOOGLE UNVEILS ITS LATEST PIXEL PHONE, ROLLS OUT NEW TV SERVICE

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer

sell for $500 aimed at consumers who want faster connections while they also watch their budgets during a recession brought on by the pandemic.

Apple also is selling a cheaper version of the iPhone for $400.

Google has had more success with a hardware lineup called Chromecast that streams online video on TVs. But Chromecast also faces a wide array of competition from similar streaming devices made by Roku, Amazon and Apple.

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Google will try to make a bigger splash in the smartphone market with a cheaper high-end model while it also aims to expand its presence on bigger screens with a new TV service.

The products unveiled last week focus on two areas where Google has struggled to make significant inroads.

Google also used a half-hour showcase streamed online to introduce a $99 speaker that it says has better acoustics for playing music than the cheaper ones it has been selling primarily as a command centre for its voice-activated assistant.

Google’s latest smartphone represents the fifth generation of a device that was supposed to prove the Mountain View, California, company can make hardware as well as it does software after the brand made its 2016 debut.

Apps

Sales Although Google’s software is used by billions of people on their smartphones, its Pixel phones have barely made dent in the market. Sales have been disappointing despite mostly positive reviews, especially for camera technology that has prompted Apple to introduce similar features in iPhones.

Google has sold a total of 19 million Pixel phones so far, including just 3 million of the last model released a year ago, based on estimates from the research firm International Data Corp.

By comparison, Apple sold twice as many iPhones in just three months — April to June

GOOGLE’S Pixel 5 phone.

— during the middle of a pandemic when millions of people were stuck at home, based on IDC’s estimates.

The company is trying to turn the tide with the Pixel 5, which offers a few new twists, including the ability to work with the new ultra-fast wireless networks called 5G that are still being built.

The new phone also will boast several new camera features, including a tool for taking

portraits in low lighting and a wide-angle lens.

But perhaps the Pixel 5’s biggest selling point will be its $700 price, a markdown of $100 from last year’s model.

The phone, available Oct. 15, is coming out two months after Google introduced a budget version, the Pixel 4a, that sells for $350.

Google also revealed last Wednesday that it will make a 5G version of the Pixel 4a that will

In an attempt to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack, Google’s next Chromecast includes a new service tying together some of its own services with a wide variety of apps made by other companies. It’s all supposed to make it easier for viewers to sift through TV channels and streaming services to find something they want to watch.

The service, called “Google TV,” melds the company’s other big-screen software, Android TV, and works more seamlessly with the company’s industry-leading search engine.

The new Chromecast, which will cost $50, also will come with a small remote control for the first time.

Google has been trying to make its services more accessible and appealing on TVs for more than a decade, but so far hasn’t enjoyed the same success on the biggest screens in households as it has on the personal computers and phones that have become the main vehicles for showing the digital ads that brought in $135 billion in revenue last year.

DENVER (AP) — The release of a mobile application that would notify Colorado residents if they were close to a person who tested positive for COVID19 has been delayed so state officials can work with Google and Apple.

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said at the beginning of September that the Exposure Notification Express application would be available by the end of the month, the Denver Post reported.

It is now unclear when the app would be available for use.

The app would create “tokens” that it would exchange through Bluetooth with nearby phones that also have the programme running. Health officials say if someone tests positive they would be given a code to put into the app, and anyone who was within six feet for 10 minutes or longer would be notified of potential exposure, but not identify from who.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said they are working with the governor’s office of information technology and the two tech giants to make sure the application aligns with public health guidelines and meets the state’s technological functioning criteria.

The application is not yet functioning but Android users can download it to their devices and Apple users can opt in to have it automatically download when it becomes available, officials said.

THE TOP iPHONE APPS ON APP STORE Top Paid iPhone Apps: 1. Minecraft, Mojang 2. Procreate Pocket, Savage Interactive Pty Ltd 3. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

4. HotSchedules, HotSchedules 5. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Kiwi 6. Monopoly, Marmalade Game Studio 7. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 8. Monkey Video Chat Live Chat 9. True Skate, True Axis 10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar Games Top Free iPhone Apps: 1. Among Us!, Innersloth LLC 2. Widgetsmith, Cross Forward Consulting, LLC 3. ZOOM Cloud Meetings, Zoom 4. Acrylic Nails!, Crazy Labs 5. Color Widgets, MM Apps, Inc. 6. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream, Google LLC 7. Discord - Talk, Chat, Hang Out, Discord, Inc. 8. Instagram, Instagram, Inc. 9. Snapchat, Snap, Inc. 10. Facebook, Facebook, Inc.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BIG TECH ANTITRUST REPORT Associated Press AFTER years of calling Big Tech too big, Democratic lawmakers are calling for Congress to rein in Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple by breaking them up, limiting future mergers and blocking self-dealing that could hurt competitors.

Those proposals are in a 450-page report issued Tuesday by a House antitrust panel, which undertook a 15-month investigation into the companies’ market dominance. Here are five big takeaways.

MORE BARK THAN BITE? With the election less than a month away and a new Congress due to be sworn in Jan 3, there’s little chance of action on the report’s recommendations this year.

But the report offers Congress a roadmap for 2021 should it choose to follow up on the report’s proposals, which seems likely should Democrats regain control of both houses of Congress and the presidency.

The Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, has said that he’d consider company breakups.

MONOPOLY OR MONOPOLY-ISH? The report said the four companies have abused their market power by charging excessive fees, imposing tough contract terms and extracting valuable data from individuals and businesses that rely on them. But it stopped short of declaring them all monopolists.

The report found that Google holds a monopoly in search and that Facebook has monopoly power in social networking. But it merely said that Amazon and Apple have “significant and durable market power” in, respectively, the US online retail market and mobile operating systems and app stores.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO Forcing the companies to break up would be a radical step for Congress to take with a powerful industry.

For decades, the tech giants have enjoyed light-touch regulation and star status in Washington, but have faced growing scrutiny and criticism over issues of competition, consumer privacy, hate speech and their effects on democracy and the political climate.

Still, the companies have powerful lobbies and many of their CEOs retain some star power in Washington.

There’s little question that the companies would wage an all-out fight against any breakup attempts, and it’s not clear how many legislators would choose that path.

There are also technological considerations. Facebook, for instance, is in the process of integrating the chat functions of Messenger, Instagram and soon, WhatsApp. Once that’s complete, breaking up those platforms gets more difficult.

BYE BYE, BUY BUY BUY The report attributes the “significant and durable market power” of the companies in large part to “a high volume of acquisitions”. This, it concludes, has led to fewer choices for consumers.

Facebook “used its data advantage to create superior market intelligence to identify nascent competitive threats and then acquire, copy, or kill these firms,” the report states. Google, meanwhile, “maintained its monopoly over general search through a series of anticompetitive tactics” including an “an aggressive campaign to undermine vertical search providers”.

The report suggests placing restrictions, potentially even a ban, on future acquisitions by the companies.

It’s worth noting, however, that many of the products people rely on would not be what they are today if the companies hadn’t acquired them. This is true for Google’s YouTube and the technology for its maps and Android, Apple’s Siri and Facebook’s Instagram and WhatsApp.

THE TRIBUNE

Trump halts COVID-19 relief talks until after election WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump yesterday called an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional COVID-19 relief, delaying action until after the election despite ominous warnings from his own Federal Reserve chairman about the deteriorating conditions in the economy.

Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “not negotiating in good faith” and said he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to direct all his focus before the election into confirming his US Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump tweeted.

The unexpected turn could be a blow to Trump’s reelection prospects and comes as his administration and campaign are in turmoil. Trump is quarantining in the White House with a case of COVID, and the latest batch of opinion polls shows him significantly behind former Vice President Joe Biden with the election four weeks away.

The collapse means that Trump and down-ballot Republicans will face reelection without delivering aid to voters — such as a pre-election batch of $1,200 direct payments, or “Trump checks”, to most individuals — even as the national jobless rate is about 8% with millions facing the threat of eviction. One endangered Republican, Maine Sen Susan Collins, said “waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package is a huge mistake.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden slammed Trump’s move.

“Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child’s school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that — none of it — matters to him,” Biden said in a statement released by his campaign.

Trump’s move came immediately after he spoke with the top GOP leaders in Congress, who had been warily watching talks between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Pelosi. Many Senate Republicans had signaled they would not be willing to go along with any stimulus legislation that topped $1tn, and GOP aides had been privately dismissive of the prospects for a deal.

Just on Saturday, tweeting from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump said, “OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE.” But any Pelosi-sponsored agreement of close to $2tn raised the potential of a GOP revolt if it came to a vote.

Last week, the White House said it was backing a $400 per week pandemic jobless benefit and dangled the possibility of a COVID19 relief bill of $1.6tn. But that offer was rejected

by Pelosi, who continued to take a hard line in the talks, including insisting on repeal of a $254bn GOP business tax break passed in the March package as a way to finance additional relief.

Pelosi had spoken with Mnuchin earlier yesterday.

After Trump’s tweets spiking the negotiations, Pelosi said Trump was “unwilling to crush the virus” and “refuses to give real help to poor children, the unemployed, and America’s hard working families”.

Trump broke off talks after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned earlier yesterday that the economic recovery remains fragile seven months into coronavirus pandemic without further economic stimulus.

Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung instantly from a gain of about 200 points to a loss of about 300 points.

Powell, in remarks before the National Association for Business Economics, made clear that too little support “would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses”.

Trump cited Pelosi’s demands for state and local governments as a key reason for pulling out of the talks. Pelosi and Mnuchin were far apart on that issue — with Trump offering $250bn while Pelosi was holding out for more than $400bn. And Pelosi was asking for a higher weekly jobless benefit and refundable tax credits for the

working poor, among other provisions.

Early rounds of COVID relief passed by overwhelming margins as the economy went into lockdown in March. After that, Trump and many of his GOP allies focused more on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayerfunded aid.

Still, the decision to halt negotiations could be politically risky with just four weeks to go before Election Day. While the stock market has clawed much of its way back after cratering in the early weeks of the crisis, unemployment stands at 7.9%, and the nearly ten million jobs that remain lost since the start of the pandemic exceed the number that the nation shed during the entire 200809 Great Recession.

White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for further explanation of the timing of the president’s decision to halt negotiations.

Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesman, pushed back against the notion that breaking off negotiations could hurt the president at the ballot box.

“Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Congressional Democrats have not been honest brokers,” Murtaugh said. “They would rather have a political issue to help Joe Biden than act to help Americans. It’s

despicable.”

McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill he supported Trump’s decision.

While Trump said he’ll immediately restart talks in November if he wins reelection, a Biden victory could mean the economy would go without further stimulus until February.

The economy has recovered more quickly than most economists had expected, so far, largely because of the stimulus Congress approved in a $2tn package in March.

The $1,200 stimulus checks, supplemental $600 unemployment benefits each week, and aid to small businesses boosted household incomes and enabled many low-income Americans to pay bills and rent and maintain their overall spending, according to data from Opportunity Insights.

But the recovery has slowed and certain sectors such as restaurants, hotels, theaters and airlines remain in bad shape, shedding jobs and risking permanent realignment. Without more stimulus, economists expect growth will slow significantly in the final three months of the year.

“You’re going to see quite a significant drag on growth,” said Gregory Daco, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, a consulting firm. It “would really risk a double-dip recession.”

TRUMP REPORTS ‘NO SYMPTOMS,’ RETURNS TO DOWNPLAYING VIRUS WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump, said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19, tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail yesterday even as the outbreak that has killed more than 210,000 Americans reached ever more widely into the upper echelons of the US government.

As Trump convalesced out of sight in the White House, the administration defended the protections it has put in place to protect the staff working there to treat and support him. Trump again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three-day hospitalisation, though even more aides tested positive, including one of his closest advisers, Stephen Miller.

In one significant national coronavirus action, Trump declared there would be no action before the election on economic-stimulus legislation — an announcement that came not long after the Federal Reserve chairman said such help was essential for recovery with the nation reeling from the human and economic cost of the pandemic. Stocks fell on the White House news.

As for Trump’s own recovery, his doctor, Navy Cmdr.

Sean Conley, said in a letter that the president had a “restful” night at the White House and “reports no symptoms”.

Meanwhile, Trump was grappling with next political steps exactly four weeks from Election Day. Anxious to project strength, Trump, who is still contagious with the virus, tweeted yesterday

THE WHITE House is seen in Washington yesterday, the morning after President Donald Trump returned from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19.

Photo: J Scott Applewhite/AP morning that he was planning to attend next week’s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami and “It will be great!”

Biden, for his part, said he and Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.

Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania that he’s “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines”.

Elsewhere in the government, the scope of the outbreak was still being uncovered. Yesterday, the nation’s top military leaders including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Mark Milley, and the vice chairman, Gen John Hyten, were in quarantine after exposure to Adm Charles W Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard.

It was not known how Ray contracted the virus,

but he attended an event for military families at the White House on Sept 27. The Coast Guard said in a statement that Ray felt mild symptoms over the weekend and was tested on Monday.

Also testing positive yesterday was Miller, a top policy adviser and Trump speechwriter, who has been an architect of the president’s “America First” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures. Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, had the virus earlier this year. She had been in Salt Lake City with Pence where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but she left as soon as she found out about her husband’s diagnosis, officials said. She tested negative yesterday.

Trump on Monday made clear that he has little

intention of abiding by best containment practices, when he removed his mask before entering the White House after his discharge from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Waiting aides were visible when he entered the Blue Room without a face covering.

Trump’s attitude alarmed infectious disease experts.

And it suggested his own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and more than a dozen White House aides and associates.

Republican Sen Susan Collins said yesterday, “When I saw him on the balcony of the White House, taking off his mask, I couldn’t help but think that he sent the wrong signal, given that he’s infected with COVID19 and that there are many people in his immediate circle who have the virus,.”

Trump, for his part, falsely suggested that the virus was akin to the seasonal flu.

“Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” he tweeted.

“Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with COVID, in most populations far less lethal!!!”

In fact, COVID-19 has already proven to be a more potent killer, particularly among older populations, than seasonal flu, and has shown indications of having long-term impacts on the health of younger people it infects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that influenza has resulted in far fewer yearly deaths than Trump said — between 12,000 and 61,000 annually since 2010.

Trump was working out of makeshift office space on the ground floor of the White House residence, in close proximity to the White House Medical Unit’s office suite, with only a few aides granted a face-to-face audience with the president.

The West Wing was largely vacant, as a number of Trump’s aides were either sick or quarantining after exposure to people infected with the virus, or otherwise working remotely as a precaution.

First lady Melania Trump was isolating upstairs in the White House. Yesterday, her office released a memo outlining extensive health and safety precautions that have been put in place in the executive residence, including adopting hospitalgrade disinfection policies, encouraging “maximum teleworking” and installing additional sanitisation and filtration systems.

SPORTS PAGE 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

FIRST WIN FOR LASHAN - SEE P12

Golden Girl urges next generation to pick up the baton

SHENIQUA ‘Q’ Ferguson, Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, Chandra Sturrup and Cbhristine Amertil pose with their silver medal at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AS the last of the Golden Girls to compete on the women’s 4 x 400 meter relay team, sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie said it’s disappointing that the Bahamas wasn’t able to continue the trend of producing more female athletes to compete at the major international track and field meets.

Six years after teaming up with Savatheda FynesCoke, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Eldece Clarke to win The Bahamas’ first gold medal in the women’s 4 x 100 metre relay at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Ferguson-McKenzie officially hung up her running shoes in 2016 after a car accident, Ferguson-McKenzie, 44, has shifted her career to coaching. She just moved from the University of Houston where she is now an assistant at the University of Kentucky under Bahamian head coach Rolando Greene, But looking back over the past 20 years since their historic performance, which was celebrated on Wednesday, September 30, Ferguson-McKenzie admitted that the young ladies who followed in the footsteps of the Golden Girls just didn’t have put as much importance on competing in the relays as they do in their individual events.

“I think the young ladies don’t have the mentality where they want to run the relay,” she stressed. “What I think also think is missing is what we had when we competed. I remember specifically where we had Desmond Bannister as our president (of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations).

“I don’t remember exactly who was it, but one of our members wanted to go on the circuit to make money, which was our job back then. But Mr Bannister insisted that we run the relay. He put us into a camp to get ready for the World Championships in 1999 (in Seville, Spain) and we won the gold. We came back in 2000 and repeated as the feat as the Olympic champions.”

Ferguson-McKenzie said the BAAA and the Bahamas Olympic Committee have to ensure that the athletes, not only the women, but the men as well, prepare themselves to compete at the World Championships and the Olympics in both their individual events and as a member of the relay team.

“When you win a medal in an individual event and you come back and win one in a relay, that’s a doubled plus, not a negative,” she insisted. “At the end of the day, you may never think that you have a team that is the best, but you never know what will happen.

“We’ve seen where countries didn’t know what to exact when they compete in the relay, but they came through in the end. I just think we need to teach this generation that they have no choice, but to do it for the country, the people and for the athletes. I hope they understand that.”

Since emerging on top of the world in Seville and Sydney, The Bahamas has only been able to generate a gold and silver as well as a pair of bronze medal at any of the major international meets around the world.

The first came at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 in Manchester, England, as the quartet of Tamicka Clarke, Fynes-Coke, Sturrup and Ferguson-McKenzie surged

to the top of the podium with Jamaica and England settling for the silver and bronze respectively.

After clinching the bronze in the 200m at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany in 2009, Ferguson-McKenzie anchored the combo of Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson, Sturrup and quarter-miler Christine Amertil to silver as they finished behind Jamaica and ahead of Germany.

The year before at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Cali, Colombia, Kristy White, Clarke, Sturrup and Ferguson-McKenzie came out with the bronze behind the gold from Trinidad & Tobago and the silver from Colombia.

And in 2013 at the CAC Championships in Morelia, Mexico, the team of Tyler Carter, Cache Armbrister, Ferguson-McKenzie and Nivea Smith picked up the other bronze as Jamaica captured the gold and Trinidad & Tobago earned the silver.

From that time to now, Ferguson-McKenzie said The Bahamas has been blessed with a number of top notch competitors, who had the ability to keep the legacy of the Golden Girls alive, but they were never pushed to their limit.

“In my humble opinion, someone might say they are a leader, but they are not,” she insisted. “We had leaders in the past, who didn’t get the maximin out of the competitors. In the case of the Golden Girls, we took it upon ourselves to go to Pauline Davis home and we practiced together and do all that stuff.

“We brought tickets, went to her home practice and gelled together and got to know each other. Our leaders encouraged us to do it. I don’t think this generation of competitors are

going to do that, but I think someone in administration have to teach them to do it. It’s like having your parents, who teach you how to do it right.”

Not taking anything away from the previous core of competitors whom she competed with and those who followed her, Ferguson-McKenzie said with the current crop of competitors like Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Tynia Gaither, Anthonique Strachan, Devynne Charlton, Pedrya Seymour and Breanne Bethel, just to name a few, Ferguson-McKenzie said the administrators will have to find a way to get these athletes to come together and compete as a unit to make the return to prominence in the future.

“It’s about training. It’s not all about having the four fastest people. History have proven that it’s about getting the stick around.

Practiced makes perfect,” she pointed out. “Obviously, we have the women, but we just have to keep track and try to find a way to get them together after this coronavirus pandemic.

“You can’t just expect to get a gold medal and don’t work for it. It’s not just going to happen like that.”

Ferguson-McKenzie said over the years, there have been a number of competitors like Tamar Cherubim, Shandria Brown, Marcia Dorsett, Dewana Wright, twin sisters Tamara and Tavara Rigby, who had the potential to make their contribution at the next level, but they didn’t get there.

So 20 years later, Ferguson-McKenzie said it would be interesting to see who will emerge as The Bahamas makes the trek towards the next Olympics, which was delayed this year because of the coronavirus pandemic to 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

DEBBIE Ferguson-McKenzie hopes administrators can find a way to get the most out of the current group of top athletes as a unit - including Shaunae Miller-Uibo, pictured.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

N A H S LA S E C N BOU H T I W BACK G N A B A

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER losing her first two games as a professional female basketball player, Lashann Higgs and the Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM finally got their first win in the Liga Femenina Endesa, the top division of women’s basketball in Spain.

The Harbour Island, Eleuthera, native who had a stellar NCAA collegiate career for the Texas Longhorns had a game high 22 points in their 79-69 decision over the Spar Gran Canaria on Sunday, October 3 at the Bombibre Arena.

The win came after she canned eight points in a 70-45 blowout loss to Lointek Gernika Bizkaia

on September 27 at the Polideport Maloste in Gernika, Vizcayal. She made her debut on September 19 with 11 points in a 76-65 loss to IDK Euskotren at the Bembibre Arena.

“We’re just continuing to work to get better as a team. It’s still pretty early in the season,” Higgs said “It’s actually going pretty good.

I’m actually adjusting to my new team-mates. We’re working towards getting better.”

As one of four foreign players, three others from the United States, Higgs is expected to help Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM to improve on their dismal showing last year when they only won about four games.

“I’m making the adjustment and trying to get

better every day,” Higgs said. “I’m working on my weaknesses and trying to fine tone my game.”

Additionally, she’s trying to get used to the more physical style of play exhibited in Europe as opposed to the more finesse play displayed in the United States, while trying to pick up a few sentences as she becomes more fluent in Spanish.

“There’s a lot of adjustment to learn about the physicality of the game as a professional playing over here, so that is the major adjustment,” she stated. “ I can’t forget the language barrier. Those are the two major things that I have to deal with. The longer you are here, the more you pick up. But they don’t ask me to say too much, so I can get by right now.”

Higgs and Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM will be back in action on Sunday when they take on Casademont Zaragoza.

The 30-game series will run through March 3 before the playoffs get underway.

“I just want to explore as much of the city as I can, but as far as basketball is concerned, I just want to continue to get better,” she stated. “Once I do that, I think I will be able to help this team improve from last year and hopefully make the playoffs.”

The 5-feet, 9-inches guard, who lost her mother, Romilly Higgs in 2013, and moved to Texas under the tutelage of Olympic bronze medalist Frank Rutherford. She was then raised

by George and Jackie Washington. George is an assistant coach for Texas

women’s basketball and was a standout guard at Abilene Christian, the same school that Jackie starred before she was inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

In Texas, Higgs played for Cedar Ridge where she earned All-American honors in 2015 as a senior.

After she emerged as one of the most decorated players to take the court in the Austin area, she went on to Texas where she played in just about every game as a freshman and sophomore.

She was an All-Conference performer in her junior year before she suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2018.

In a remarkable recovery, Higgs made her comeback in a redshirt senior season in which she started 10 of their 30 games, achieving

20.8 minutes per game.

She led the Longhorns in field-goal percentage with a 45.1% and scored in double figures 14 times.

Higgs, ranked 28th on Texas’ all-time scoring list with 1,288 points, was in Kansas City in March with the Longhorns for the Big 12 Tournament when the coronavirus pandemic struck, halting all sporting activities around the world.

In Spain, Higgs said everyone is abiding to the rules and regulations as imposed by the government in regards to Covid-19.

“We get a Covid-19 every week to make sure that we don’t put any of our team members or staff at risk,” Higgs stressed. “So the standard hand washing, wearing of the masts and the social distancing is in place.”

CLARKE BLAZING A TRAIL AT ALABAMA

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SYDNEY Clarke made a successful debut for the University of Alabama at Arlington (UAB) as she helped the Blazers produce a great showing at the ITA Fall Circuit at the Athletic Club in Huntsville, Alabama.

Clarke, the 18-year-old 5ft 5in rookie, was a part of the six-member team from UAB that played in the 28-player field last weekend.

In singles, Clarke pulled off two victories over Elizabeth Standifer (UN) 6-4, 6-4 and against Ida Hasselbalch (UNA) 7-5, 6-3 before she suffered her first defeat in the semifinal to Kennedy Gibbs (UN) 6-1, 6-0.

“I was very excited about it. It was my first tournament for the year nd my first tournament as a collegian,” said Clarke, who haven’t played since the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Georgio Baldacci National Open in December at the National Tennis Center.

“So that was really great. That was awesome. It was a roller coaster emotion.

I played really well or my first tournament. I lost in the semifinal, but I felt as the days went by leading into the tournament. my game was improving from the time I got here.”

Blazers’ head coach Mark Tjia said after not playing since March due to Covid-19, it was great to get back in action.

“A couple of our freshmen had their first look at college competition and they did well. Jana had a good couple of days and deserved to walk away as the champion,” Tjia said.

Clarke said just delighted to be a part of such a team with the bond they have developed so far.

“We respect each other’s opinion and

we move forward,” she stated. “We hung out together and some weekends, we hang out in the park or go get something to at. It’s just been a great experience.

The senior girls have been showing us the rope, so it’s been a great experience.”

As for her game, Clarke said she’s been working on her serve and her forehand, which she hopes will become her biggest weapons as she add more variety to her game and her movement around the court.

With two more tournaments pending, Clarke said she intend to be ready. “I expect myself to improve and do better than the last time,” she insisted. “I lost in the semi’s, so I hope to make the final.”

Clarke, a former student of CR Walker, who went on to Windsor High School where she earned a full scholarship and became apart of the Albany Tennis Academy, powered by Lleyton Hewitt, before she graduated this year.

She entered UAB after playing on the ITF circuit in the junior division where she reached her highest ranking of 261 (2018). She was ranked number one in the Bahamas girls Under-18 division and currently holds the No 2 spot in the woman’s division. She played on the Fed Cup on the Bahamas women’s team for the past three years.

Clarke is the oldest daughter of Shayvon and Bernard Clarke. She young sister, Sarai Clarke, is following in her footsteps as one of the top rising young players in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.

In the meantime, Clarke said her goal is to get better than she came into UAB. “I just hope to keep working hard and improving as the season progresses and keep accomplishing my on court and off court goals,” summed up Clarke, who intend to pursue a degree in business and journalism. “I want to keep up and stay on top of my academics. Classes are going well, so I just hope to stay focused and continue to do well on and off the court.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 13

MATCHDAY: RONALDO UP AGAINST FATI; GIROUD’S 100TH FRANCE CAP

A look at the pick of the soccer friendlies in Europe on Wednesday: PORTUGAL VS. SPAIN Teenager Ansu Fati will go against Cristiano Ronaldo when Portugal host Spain in a friendly. The 17-year-old Fati has been the Spanish league’s sensation early on, having scored three goals in Barcelona’s first three matches.

In a Nations League match against Ukraine last month, he became the youngest player ever to score for Spain. Also last month, the 35-year-old Ronaldo became just the second male player to reach a century of goals for a national team in Portugal’s win against Sweden in the Nations League.

FRANCE VS. UKRAINE The game at Stade de France holds special importance for midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Olivier Giroud, but for vastly different reasons. For Pogba it’s a welcome chance to find some much-needed form after a poor start to the season with Manchester United. He was on the field during United’s humiliating 6-1 home loss to Tottenham in the Premier League last Sunday. Pogba’s passes went astray and he often failed to track back in his latest sloppy club performance, and one far removed from his assured goal-scoring display in the World Cup final against Croatia two years ago. Coach Didier Deschamps still believes in Pogba, and said so recently.

But Pogba needs to make an impression in his first game for Les Bleus since June last year. For Giroud, meanwhile, everything feels like a bonus after a tough start to his international career.

He is set for his 100th cap and needs one goal to equal France great Michel Platini’s tally of 41 goals. That would put the Chelsea striker second only to Thierry Henry’s national record of 51.

GERMANY VS. TURKEY Even more so than most friendlies, this game in Cologne will be about experimenting for Germany coach Joachim Löw. He has committed to fielding a weakened team against Turkey so as not to overload his top players in a packed 2020-21 calendar. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and midfielder Toni Kroos are among seven players from Bayern Munich, Leipzig and Real Madrid who have been excused from playing in the friendly and asked to focus on later Nations League games against Ukraine and Switzerland. In their stead, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler could be expected to step up and lead a makeshift German squad. Turkey hopes to bounce back after losing to Hungary and drawing with Serbia last month.

ITALY VS. MOLDOVA Italy is expected to field an experimental side in a match that coach Roberto Mancini says is “important for the rankings” from FIFA and UEFA. The attack could feature Sassuolo forwards Francesco Caputo and Domenico Berardi, plus Stephan El Shaarawy, who plays for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League. Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini and fellow centre back Leonardo Bonucci have not joined the squad yet due to protocol measures after a Juventus staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. Napoli and Genoa players have also been left off the squad due to a virus outbreak.

NETHERLANDS VS. MEXICO The Netherlands ushers in a new era as Frank de Boer takes control of his first match since succeeding Ronald Koeman as national coach. Don’t expect any major changes in the playing style introduced during the two years Koeman was in charge before quitting to join Barcelona. “I think they chose me because they want to follow the same line,” De Boer said. De Boer will use the friendly against Mexico at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena to assess his team ahead of two Nations League matches in coming days against Bosnia and Italy. Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn pulled out of the squad with an injury along with PSV Eindhoven midfielder Mohamed Ihattaren.

(The Associated Press)

ATLANTA Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. hits a solo homer off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara during the first inning of Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series on Tuesday, in Houston. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

ACUÑA HR, PLUNKED AGAIN, BRAVES TOP MARLINS 9-5 TO OPEN NLDS

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. made history with a leadoff home run to start things off for the Atlanta Braves in their NL Division Series opener against Miami.

And another hit — once more by the Marlins, this time with Sandy Alcantara’s fastball to the left hip — fired up the Braves and fueled their comeback in a 9-5 win Tuesday.

“I think it woke us up,” said Travis d’Arnaud, who launched a tiebreaking homer during Atlanta’s six-run rally in the seventh inning. “And we took advantage of that momentum.”

D’Arnaud also doubled and singled in driving in four runs and Dansby Swanson homered during the big comeback to help power Atlanta.

After shutting out Cincinnati for 22 innings during a two-game sweep in the wild-card round, the Braves relied on their bats in this opener. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is on Wednesday in Houston.

Acuña got things going for the Braves in the bottom of the first when he sent Alcantara’s second pitch into right-center for a homer. He watched it for a second before flipping his bat and rounding the bases as he became the youngest player (22 years, 293 days old) in postseason history with a leadoff home run.

Things turned testy in the third when Acuña was nailed by a 98 mph fastball.

The showy All-Star outfielder held onto his bat and walked a few steps toward

MIAMI Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara delivers a pitch during the first inning in Game 1 of a baseball National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) the mound before umpires and Braves coaches surrounded him and directed him away from Alcantara, who had started to walk toward him.

After a short delay, featuring plenty of chirping from both dugouts, Acuña took his base. Umpires warned the teams against further trouble.

Fastball There’s already been plenty — in 2018, when Acuña was a rookie and on a big homer-hitting streak, José Ureña nailed him with a fastball on his first pitch.

He’s become a Marlins target over the years.

“I looked over to their bench and said, ‘It’s been five times,’” Acuña said through a translator. “At this point I think we’ve grown accustomed to it.”

Alcantara insisted he

didn’t intend to hit Acuña and that Miami’s game plan is simply to pitch inside to him, but added some trash talk after the denial.

“If he’s ready to fight, I’m ready to fight, too,” Alcantara said.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said that even though he didn’t believe this pitch was on purpose, the Marlins have hit Acuña far too many times.

“You better be good at going in and not hitting him after a homer,” Snitker said.

Acuña and his teammates quickly got revenge.

The Braves trailed 4-3 in the seventh before Austin Riley and Acuña hit consecutive singles with no outs to chase Alcantara.

“As long as we’ve got a strike left we’re pretty dangerous,” Snitker said.

“These guys can score a lot of runs in a hurry.”

And that’s exactly what they did.

Yimi Garcia took over and Freddie Freeman grounded into a forceout that left runners at the corners. Marcell Ozuna lined a single to left that made it 4-all.

Then d’Arnaud, in his first season with Atlanta, belted a slider over the fence in centre field for a three-run drive that made it 7-4. The shot caused the Braves dugout to erupt with Acuña jumping over the railing to celebrate.

D’Arnaud, who played for the Mets, Dodgers and Rays last year, began the day as a .169 career hitter in the postseason, striking out 27 times in 83 at-bats.

But the Braves weren’t done yet.

Homer James Hoyt replaced Garcia with one out and Swanson sent his first pitch off the wall in centre field for a two-run homer.

“The tide kind of turned,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “We get that three-run lead, and then we give two runs right back. From there, really, we got stopped all day.”

The Braves, who have long dominated the Marlins in the NL East, improved to 3-0 this postseason after sweeping the Reds in the wild-card round for their first playoff series win since 2001.

The Marlins overcame a coronavirus outbreak that sidelined more than half the team in July to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003 before sweeping their wild-card series against the Cubs.

And the scrappy Marlins,

who lost 105 games in 2019, looked good early in this one, using a three-run third inning to take a 4-1 lead.

But their offence stalled after that and the Braves scored two in the third to get within one before putting Miami away with their home run barrage in the seventh.

The Braves got the win despite a tough start from Max Fried, who allowed six hits and a season-high four runs in just four innings. He was picked up by a bevy of relievers who allowed just one run over the last five innings. Will Smith pitched a perfect seventh for the win.

Alcantara yielded eight hits and five runs with eight strikeouts in six-plus inning.

Atlanta’s scoreless streak in the playoffs ended early in this one when Miguel Rojas homered to the seats in left field to make it 1-all in the second.

Garrett Cooper hit a two-run double to put the Marlins up 3-1 in the third.

Brian Anderson followed with an RBI single.

Ozuna doubled with two outs in the inning to score Acuña, and d’Arnaud followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 4-3.

• UP NEXT Right-hander Pablo Lopez will make his postseason debut when he starts for the Marlins in Game 2 against Ian Anderson. Lopez was 6-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 11 starts this season.

Anderson allowed two hits and struck out nine in six scoreless innings to get the win in Atlanta’s win over Reds in Game 2 of the wild card series.

SPRINGER HITS TWO HOMERS, ASTROS BEAT A’S 5-2 FOR 2-0 ALDS LEAD

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — George Springer hit two homers and the Houston Astros kept making more noise in the playoffs, beating the Oakland Athletics 5-2 on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

Martin Maldonado also went deep for Houston, which needs one win to reach its fourth straight AL Championship Series. Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Wednesday, when Houston is the home team in the neutral site matchup.

Springer put Houston ahead to stay with a two-run, two-out drive in the third on a second straight 90-degree day at Dodger Stadium.

Maldonado’s solo shot in the fifth chased loser Sean Manaea in his first appearance of this postseason. Yusmeiro Petit came in and promptly gave up Springer’s second homer of the game, extending Houston’s lead to 5-2. Maldonado yelled and raised his right arm in celebration from his seat in the dugout.

Springer’s 17 postseason homers tied Nelson Cruz and Jim Thome for most through a player’s first 54 career postseason games. Five of Springer’s postseason homers have come at Dodger Stadium, where the Astros beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series.

HOUSTON Astros’ George Springer, right, hits a solo home run off of Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, left, during the fifth inning of Game 2 of a baseball American League Division Series in Los Angeles, Tuesday. (AP Photo/ Marcio Jose Sanchez) Houston improved to 7-3 in two runs and five hits in seven Dodger Stadium since that World innings, struck out four and walked Series. Current A’s pitcher Mike one. The 26-year-old left-hander, Fiers last year told of his old team’s making his first postseason start, sign-stealing scandal used in 2017, a retired his final 10 batters. revelation that rocked baseball and Valdez dazzled in his relief drew the still ongoing ire of other appearance against Minnesota in players and fans. the AL wild card series opener, Hot, sunny and dry conditions tossing five scoreless innings and again created an ideal environment scattering two hits to go with five for the long ball. The teams com- strikeouts. bined for five homers, raising the Enoli Paredes retired the side in series total to 11. the eighth. Ryan Pressly worked Winner Framber Valdez allowed around Marcus Semien’s leadoff

single in the ninth, Oakland’s only hit past the fourth inning, to finish a six-hitter for the save.

Oakland didn’t have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

Oakland got on board in the second with Khris Davis’ secondinning home run, his third of this postseason, put the A’s ahead.

After Springer’s first homer, the Astros extended their lead to 3-1 on Carlos Correa’s RBI groundout in the fourth that scored Michael Brantley, who doubled leading off.

Chad Pinter led off the bottom half with a 453-foot homer to right-centre, the longest homer at Dodger Stadium this season.

For the second straight game, Oakland’s starting pitching failed to go deep. Manaea gave up four runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Chris Bassitt didn’t get out of the fourth in Game 1, allowing three runs and nine hits in Wednesday’s defeat.

• OFF DAY Correa was 0 for 3 with an RBI and a strikeout after homering twice in Game 1 and becoming the first shortstop in major league history with two multi-homer games in postseason play.

• UP NEXT Both teams waited to announce their Game 3 starters.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

FRENCH OPEN GLANCE: DJOKOVIC, CARREÑO BUSTA MEET UP AGAIN PARIS (AP) — A quick look at the French Open: • LOOKAHEAD TO WEDNESDAY The only loss on Novak Djokovic’s 35-1 record in 2020 was a result of his fourth-round disqualification at the U.S. Open.

And his opponent that day will be across the net again Wednesday in the French Open quarterfinals, No. 17 seed Pablo Carreño Busta.

In New York, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic was defaulted for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball after a game.

“Sometimes,” Carreño Busta said, “is better to forget it.”

Djokovic certainly seems to have moved past the episode, winning the Italian Open last month and winning all 12 sets he’s played at Roland Garros, ceding a total of only 25 games as he pursues a second championship in Paris and 18th Grand Slam title overall.

The other men’s quarterfinal is No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas against No. 13 Andrey Rublev, also a rematch from September: Rublev won their final at the clay-court Hamburg Open on the same day main-draw competition began at the French Open.

In the women’s quarterfinals, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin faces unseeded Danielle Collins in an all-American matchup, and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova plays unseeded Laura Siegemund.

Collins leads the headto-head series against No. 4 seed Kenin 3-0, having won every set they’ve played against each other.

The seventh-seeded Kvitova beat Siegemund in their only previous matchup, but that was on a hard court in 2015.

THE TRIBUNE

AFTER MIDNIGHT: NADAL BEATS SINNER FOR 13TH FRENCH SEMIFINAL

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Italy’s Jannik Sinner in three sets, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

ADD “latest-finishing match” and “13 semifinals reached” to the considerable roster of French Open records owned by Rafael Nadal.

The 12-time champion at Roland Garros withstood an early challenge from 19-year-old Jannik Sinner and pulled away to win their quarterfinal 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-1 in a match that ended at nearly 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Competition can continue that deep into the night in Paris this year because it’s the first time artificial lights are being used for play at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament.

“It’s too late,” Nadal said in French to the hearty souls who stuck around in the stands, before switching to English to say, “But thank you very much for staying until that late under these very tough conditions out here tonight.”

Schedule Their quarterfinal began after 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. It was the last match of the day on a packed schedule at Court Philippe Chatrier, which went longer than anticipated thanks to No. 12 seed Diego Schwartzman’s five-hour, five-set victory over No. 3 Dominic Thiem.

No. 2 Nadal will take a 9-1 head-to-head edge against Schwartzman into their meeting in Friday’s semifinals.

“Two days to practice, to rest a little bit and to recover, and just try to be ready,” Nadal said.

Schwartzman has this going for him: He won their most recent matchup, beating Nadal last month on

clay at a tuneup in Rome.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to have a lot of confidence,” Schwartzman said, “but, yeah, I know ... that I can beat him. That’s important.”

Nadal is trying to win a 13th French Open title and 20th Grand Slam trophy overall, which would equal Roger Federer’s mark for men.

Among the many statistics that stand out about Nadal’s track record in Paris: He is 98-2 at the place, which includes 24-0 in semifinals and finals.

For the 75th-ranked Sinner, this was his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Consider this: Nadal turned pro in 2001, the year Sinner was born. Nadal made his French Open debut in 2005, turned 19 during the tournament,

beat Federer in the semifinals and won the trophy.

No one since then had made it to the men’s quarterfinals at Roland Garros during his first appearance until Sinner this year.

And he showed some of the groundstroke power and good footwork that helped eliminated U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev and 11th-seeded David Goffin earlier in the tournament.

“Sinner is a very, very young talent with a lot of power. Great shots. For two sets, (it was) tough,” Nadal said. “He was hitting every ball very hard. And for me, it was difficult. The ball ... with this cold, the spin is not there. So for me, it was difficult to pull him out of position.”

When the calendar still read “Tuesday,” Sinner

nosed ahead, breaking for a 6-5 lead on Nadal’s wide forehand.

That allowed Sinner to serve for the opening set; he had yet to face a single break point.

Winners That lead lasted all of eight minutes, because Nadal pushed right back, and broke right back, snapping off a pair of forehand winners to get to 6-all.

Nadal leaped in the air to celebrate, the way he frequently did when he was the teen without all the trophies.

It didn’t take long for that set to be his via a tiebreaker. When Sinner’s forehand landed out, Nadal gritted his teeth and vigorously shook his left fist.

That pattern materialized again in the second set: Sinner broke first, to lead 3-1, and Nadal answered immediately with a break of his own.

And at crunch time in that set, it made sense that the far more experienced and far more accomplished Nadal would come through.

With Sinner serving at 4-all, 40-15, Nadal reeled off four straight points — thanks in part to his famous, cornerto-corner baseline defense — to break, then served out the set. To compound matters for Sinner, Nadal broke again to begin the third.

By then, while a halfdozen games were still to be played, the only remaining suspense involved which numbers, exactly, would be written on the scoreboard and on the courtside clock at the conclusion.

PAGE 16, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Testing plan to escape COVID ‘sledgehammer’ FROM PAGE 20

target which staff need to be tested more frequently.

While this regime will only be available to those signing-up with the coalition, the ORG chief added that there were no fees for joining. Instead, companies have to sign-up with its electronic platform, state how many testing kits they will require and pay for those.

The coalition’s solution is being unveiled just as the prime minister considers increased COVID-restrictions, including another possible lockdown for New Providence and Grand Bahama. Mr Myers, warning that a complete lockdown will “destroy what’s left of the economy”, urged the government to take “a more strategic and pinpoint approach” such as that provided by the coalition’s plan.

Describing fines for COVID-19 quarantine violators as “a complete waste of time”, not least because many do not have the means to pay, he argued that those found guilty of such breaches should be made to complete their

isolation in purpose-built facilities where they are “locked up”.

“What we are concerned about is that any general lockdown is going to be detrimental to the private sector and public,” Mr Myers added of ORG’s position. “Our opinion is that, moving into 2021, it has to be a very strategic approach and, in our opinion, that means whatever we have to do to control the spread in hot spots......

“If the government takes this sledgehammer approach they’re going to destroy what’s left of the economy. That [lockdowns] is clearly not sustainable long-term. It just does more damage at the back end.

We just have to take this more strategic and pinpoint approach, which is what we said three months ago.

“Don’t kill the fly with the sledgehammer; don’t hit everybody with the ‘stupid stick’. Go find the stupid people and deal with them.

Those people who violate quarantine, put them in a secure place where they can be monitored,” he added.

“Fines don’t matter. They have no money to pay it.

All you’re doing is creating another problem. You

let them out on a fine, and they’ll be running around again. Fining is a complete waste of time. You have to lock them up in a quarantine facility, and then the law-abiding citizens have a chance to rescue their livelihoods, sustain their families and keep their jobs.”

Mr Myers said that while there was no hard “proof”, he and others kept on hearing stories of how COVID-19 persons and those supposed to be quarantining continued to go to their workplaces and move about freely - something he cited as a key factor behind the daily 50-100 person increase in new cases on New Providence.

These concerns were yesterday echoed by Rupert Roberts, Super Value’s president, who said the supermarket chain had been forced to send home numerous employees who should have been quarantining after finding they had returned to work.

Describing himself as “violently against lockdowns”, because they increased COVID-19’s spread by stacking persons up at home and locations such as the food store, Mr Roberts nevertheless

acknowledged that more restrictive measures were necessary to curb the virus’ spread on New Providence.

“Something drastic has to be done,” he told Tribune Business. “Medical has their work cut out. The way it is going now is going to ruin the health of the nation, it is going to ruin the economy. It has to stop.

What I see is certainly not working.

“Unless people behave and stop we’ll self-destruct, and I think the authorities have to take the necessary action to not just slow it down but bring COVID spread to an abrupt halt. I think the stress is getting to everybody. We’ve made our mistakes, but let’s try and do the right thing.”

Mr Roberts said the prime minister’s national address on Sunday, in which he hinted at new restrictions, had not provoked any “panic shopping” as of yesterday. “I think that’s because the public is confident there will be no lockdown,” he added. “I feel the government, from what happened last time, knows the public will not accept a lockdown.

“I think they learnt they can control it with better

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and who’s out of work, and manage getting them back to work.

“The benefit of this is you’re able to do the test at a cost of $18 and do it quickly.

They receive the results before they go back to work, and don’t even have to go home. What this is is far less workplace disruption and far less cost, and from a health standpoint you are removing an infected person from the workplace more rapidly.

“We think it provides 700800 times more efficiency than the present system because in 15 minutes you can remove them from the workforce,” Mr Myers added. “We’re trying to make this extremely efficient and cost effective so people take it up.

“The tests arrived this week. We’ll have 20,000 tests available in the market with another 50,000 coming next week. By the end of next week we’ll have 70,000 on the island. I think it’ll have a significant impact on businesses.

“Nobody has come up with a good testing and monitoring strategy like this. ORG/ LWCC is the first group we know of to put forward an end-to-end solution for screening, testing and monitoring.

Mr Myers said the scheme had been put together in just seven to eight weeks by the coalition and its partner entities, which include Aliv, Doctors Hospital, industry associations and trade unions. Support had been received from the government, Ministry of Tourism and Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), with interest in joining the platform strong.

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methods than a lockdown.

It’s something we all have to fight together, and I believe the government and medical officials can do a better job and explain it better.”

Mr Myers, meanwhile, explained that the coalition’s solution aimed to bridge the testing gap that had contributed to COVID-19’s spread because persons and employers were unable to afford the $225 PCR test, and the results took too long to come back.

Pointing out that the tests provided through the coalition will cost between $13.50 and $18 per go, Mr Myers said staff at all entities that joined its partnership will every morning take a web-based screening test that requires them to answer five questions before they go to work.

Answering “no” to all these tests, which touch on areas such as a previous COVID-19 positive; recent travel; flu-like symptoms and contact with someone either sick or in quarantine, will enable a person to go straight to work. However, a “yes” to any of these creates an immediate alert for an employer that the worker should be tested.

Mr Myers said the antigen test, which could be taken at a workplace if it had the necessary facilities, or a “partner facility”, would provide results within 15 minutes to allow the person to either go to work or be quarantined.

“This web-based reporting tool allows you to manage who’s tested and what the results are,” he told Tribune Business. “The employer can better manage who’s at work

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DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 16.5 18.7 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.3 -6.8 36.4 20.4 13.3 15.6 21.2 11.8 15.9 11.6 17.5 19.5 9.6 24.1

YIELD 4.30% 7.23% 1.23% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 3.19% 3.67% 6.39% 20.09% 1.09% 3.20% 2.84% 3.78% 3.03% 2.23% 4.01%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2022

YTD% 12 MTH% 2.95% 4.23% 1.39% 3.17% 1.60% 2.52% 0.65% 2.50% -1.88% 3.33% 1.10% 2.34% -2.43% 1.49% 0.34% 2.43% -11.07% -9.92% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -4.20% 0.20% -8.60% -2.90%

MATURITY

NAV Date

31-Aug-2020 31-Aug-2020 28-Aug-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | COLONIAL 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

The Public is hereby advised that I, PETERAH MEADOWS of Twynam Avenue P.O.Box EE-16973, Nassau, The Bahamas, Parent of O’MARI ORDRICK MCKINNEY A minor intend to change my child’s name to O’MARI PETER MEADOWS If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I,KENTON JAMAL EMMANUEL DUHARD of #28 Earnest Street P.O.Box N-1434, New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to KENTON JAMAL EMMANUEL DIXON. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that DAPHNE PETIT, of Bacardi Road, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of September 2020 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that ERZULIA PIERRE JOSEPH of #7 Black Fin Close off Carmichael Road, Nassau, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of October 2020 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 17

GOVTS ‘SUREST BET’ IS ON BAHAMIAN ENTREPRENEURS Baha Mar resorts rate

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE deputy prime minister yesterday said the government’s investment in Bahamian entrepreneurs is “the surest bet” it has made as it targets specific industries in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

K Peter Turnquest pledged that the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), known as the Access Accelerator, will allocate a significant portion of the $55m it has received from the government towards value-added processing in the fisheries and agricultural sector, and Bahamian owned vacation rentals.

“In just one year, I have no doubt that the Access Accelerator has had the single greatest impact on advancing the development of micro and small businesses in The Bahamas than any institution before in such a short period,” he added.

“Not only because of the direct investments made through government-sponsored grants, loans and equity financing, but more importantly because the Access Accelerator has strengthened the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem.

It has created a structure to support a culture of

Contractor’s error causes three-day South Bimini outage FROM PAGE 20

confirming the incident initially told this newspaper that South Bimini was only experiencing “occasional outages” as opposed to a complete loss of power.

“The short version is that, yes, a private sector entity doing work cut BPL’s cable,” he added.

“We were able to back feed customers in South Bimini. It’s not true to say they were without power for three days. What is true is they were experiencing occasional outages while we reconfigured the system to prepare for repairs to be made, and once they were completed they had to switch back to normal.

entrepreneurial risk taking.

“Everyday Bahamians can now find training, business advisory and financing available and accessible, regardless of who they are, where they live or what their politics might be.

This program transcends partisan politics and social class. Indeed, the apolitical nature of the Access Accelerator is no doubt largely responsible for some of its success.”

Mr Turnquest added: “At the time of the launch last year, the government allocated $25m to the Access Accelerator for a five-year programme. That amount grew significantly with the involvement of the private sector stakeholders bringing their own capital resources, and joining the cause as partners. That is a testament to the public trust now invested in this important institution.

“The surest bet that we

have made as a government is on the entrepreneurial spirit of the Bahamian people. We did this in times of stability, and continue to do so in times of uncertainty. Regardless of moment, betting on Bahamians is sure way to create jobs, build wealth, and develop a robust and resilient Bahamian economy.

“In the coming year the Access Accelerator intends to focus on funding and business development support in the following industries: Fisheries and farming, with particular attention on value-added processing; Bahamianowned vacation home rentals and small-scale tourism projects; information and communications technology (ICT); alternative energy and energy efficiency; the Orange Economy or creative and cultural ventures; and manufacturing.”

Mr Turnquest hopes investments in these areas will “capture entrepreneurs operating in non-traditional sectors who often have difficulty accessing entrepreneurial support. This is most needed currently, for the task to recover from the ongoing crisis depends on the creativity, determination, and grit of the small business community.

“The entrepreneurs who come out of the Access

Accelerator will no doubt help to diversify the economy as more persons get involved and explore nontraditional businesses,” he added. “We recognise that for some of our constituents they may not be able to come up with the requirements for the traditional way for funding a business, and some of them don’t require much.

“They don’t really need credit; they just need a little start and a little boost, and so we have refined the programme such that we will now be able to grant small capital injections into these businesses to get them started with the basic requirements they may need in order to start their businesses.”

He added: “For instance, when we look at the coconut vendors - the street vendors - that have been in the news of late, and the problems they have had particularly in this pandemic, we are in the process of designing a programme for them specifically so that they can acquire all of the equipment that they need to ensure sanitisation, to ensure regularisation and to ensure that they have the required health and environmental tools that they need in order to operate successfully and safely.”

“Once the damage was done they were able to get North Bimini back up immediately, but with South Bimini there were some complications as they had to do some back feeding.”

One South Bimini second homeowner, speaking of condition of anonymity, said the absence of power and water at their complex either sent residents and renters back to the US or to the Bimini Big Game resort on the northern island.

“It’s been off since Saturday,” they said of BPL’s service. “I don’t need the government for anything except to keep the power on, and they cannot even do that. When is enough enough? Do you see any change with this government? Is COVID going to force it to change, or is it going to be the same old, same old?

“I love The Bahamas, and have been going there for 25 years, but the creature comforts of life - water, power and internet - I expect those things, and I can’t expect those things in The Bahamas. We were planning on staying from December to March, and are rethinking that now. I’m tired of the fight for basics, life’s too short and there are other places to go.”

Neal Watson, owner of Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Centre, said of the power outage: “I’m not on South Bimini now but the electricity was off as of this morning. The power has been off for a couple of days now.

“I think they were dredging out the ferry dock, and I think they may have cut the line that runs from north to south while they were dredging, because all of the power comes from the

north. I believe they still have to repair that line.”

Cleola Pinder, island administrator for Bimini, said: “BPL (Bahamas Power & Light) provided maintenance services on South Bimini on Sunday, and so they were off for most of the day. However, on Monday a major cable was hit due to dredging and South Bimini remained without power until today.

“BPL confirmed that the maintenance crew was working around the clock to get power restored, and South Bimini should have power within the next 30 minutes.”

K PETER TURNQUEST

Dive operator ‘begs’ govt for oil exploration rethink FROM PAGE 20

“From a scientific perspective, the risk of a spontaneous flow of oil, or a spill, is considered to be minimal,” she reiterated. “That said, as part of planning to be able to meet any eventuality – no matter how remote - as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental Authorisation documentation, BPC undertook a sophisticated ‘fate of particle’ spill modelling exercise in conjunction with a US university and environmental consultants.

“This exercise modelled thousands of spill scenarios, in thousands of different weather conditions (all based upon actual weather and sea state conditions), and assuming thousands of different response scenarios to predict where oil would likely be carried by the ocean currents.”

Ms Quant added: “The spill modelling suggests that, given the flow of ocean currents, water depth and shape of the ocean floor, and prevailing meteorological conditions, the Great Bahama Bank protects The Bahamas given the flow of any water would be parallel along the Bank rather than across it.

“The consequence of which is that any shoreline contamination would most likely occur primarily along the Cuban coast. In the modelling exercise, we observed that the only time this pattern of spills moving along the Bank is potentially disrupted is during a hurricane event. It is for this reason that BPC has specifically committed to not drilling the exploratory well during the hurricane season.

“In the most extreme modelling scenario of a totally unmitigated spill event an almost inconceivable situation where the company does absolutely nothing for 60 days to prevent any flow – and the reservoir sustains

maximum flow volumes to surface for this entire period, fluids released below the surface were predicted to have a larger potential impact to shorelines than surface releases, with spill volumes potentially making it to the northern shores of Cuba and some isolated small uninhabited islands of The Bahamas.

This extreme event is modelled to ensure BPC is able

P O S I T I O N

to meticulously plan to mitigate even the most extreme events, notwithstanding how unlikely.”

However, that has done little to reassure environmental activists, who yesterday renewed their calls for BPC to provide greater details on the actual amount of insurance coverage it has obtained and its environmental studies.

W A N T E D

Cashier needed The Cashier will be responsible for the use of cash registers, electronic scanners, and related equipment to conduct monetary transactions with customers.

Duties/Responsibilities: • Greets customers as they enter the

establishment.

• Accepts money in the form of cash, checks, and credit or debit cards for items purchased; validates checks.

• Assists customers with questions or price

discrepancies.

• Ensures accurate transactions by balancing cash register at the beginning and end of shift, and sales at the end of shift.

• Processes returns and exchanges according to store policy.

• Identifies prices of products and services and tabulates bills with available equipment.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities: • Excellent customer service skills.

• Good verbal communication skills.

• Ability to operate available equipment, such as cash registers, calculators, or scanners.

• Basic mathematical skills, as needed to make change and give refunds.

Education and Experience: • High school diploma or equivalent preferred.

• 2 years experience.

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their resume and cover letter to email

bahamaslocalpartner@gmail.com

highly in hotel awards

DESPITE being closed for more than six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three Baha Mar hotel properties have been ranked among the top 15 Atlantic resorts by Condé Nast Traveler readers.

More than 715,000 of the magazine’s customers, in rating their travel experiences across the globe in its Readers’ Choice Awards, ranked the Cable Beach mega resort’s ‘s Rosewood, Grand Hyatt and SLS hotels highly.

“It is a true honour, and a testament to our teams’ tremendous efforts and hard work, that all three of our properties are ranked amongst the Top 15 Resorts in the Atlantic, and as the only representatives from the island of New Providence,” said Graeme Davis, Baha Mar’s president.

“We are extremely proud of this accomplishment and congratulate Rosewood for placing third, and Grand Hyatt and SLS for achieving 12th and 13th place, on this prestigious

list. This reader’s choice award serves as a beautiful reminder to remain confident in our abilities and persevere through these challenging times, as we will create spectacular memories and unforgettable vacations for visitors from all over the world again in due time.”

“The results of this year’s survey, conducted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, are a testament to the lasting power of a meaningful travel experience,” said Jesse Ashlock, US editor of Condé Nast Traveler. “The winners represent the best of the best for our audience and offer plenty of trip-planning inspiration for all the adventures we can’t wait to have next.”

The 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at www. cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler US and UK print editions.

PAGE 18, Wednesday, October 7, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

NEW ‘BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS’ OVER REDUNDANCY PAY

By YOURI KEMP and NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Reporters

RESORT staff are planning to hold their own “Battle 4 Atlantis” today by staging a march over the Paradise Island bridge to demand that they receive full severance packages from the mega hotel.

Adrian Francis, head of the Operation Sovereign Bahamas advocacy group, the principal march organiser, told Tribune Business it was expected to attract over 150 persons when it starts at 9am today from Eastern Parade on East Bay and Dowdeswell Streets.

“What has happened is many persons who were employed at the Atlantis resort, and who are on furlough or those who have been laid off, they have been requesting help in trying to get compensation up to the 13-week period,” Mr Francis said.

“Because of the Employment Act, these persons are supposed to be made redundant after 12 weeks.

Prime Minister Minnis, in his own wisdom, decided to change all of that and what

he did was that he changed the law so that the resorts would not have to pay the redundancies.”

His comments refer to the government’s decision to suspend the Employment Act provisions that mandate employers must pay full severance/redundancy to workers who have been furloughed, or sent home, after 90 days/13 weeks or otherwise recall them to work.

This provision is suspended until 30 days after the government’s COVID19 emergency powers orders, which presently last until end-October, cease. In effect, this means that the requirement for any Bahamas-based business to pay full severance to furloughed workers has been put on hold until end-November 2020.

The government implemented the suspension in a bid to protect jobs amid the business closures forced by the COVID-19 lockdown and other restrictions.

However, with Atlantis and other major resorts having been closed for more than six months with no indication yet as to when they

are re-opening, pressure is growing from their respective workforces to receive severance pay.

Workers are arguing that they can no longer survive on the present $150 per week government unemployment benefit, which is insufficient to cover their bills, make ends meet and pay banks/landlords what they are due.

Some thus view full severance pay as a better short-term option, seeing it as a means to obtain greater financial resources that will carry them through until the economy re-opens and recovers. However, there is no guarantee jobs will be available on the other side.

“What these persons are saying is pay us our redundancies,” Mr Francis said.

“Nine out of ten persons, where we have up to 800 persons in our database, who have come through in meetings over the last two weeks, have asked to be made redundant for whatever reason. So those persons are protesting tomorrow.

“We have sold an excess of 300 t-shirts, so we believe that the people will come

out.” A flyer for the march, obtained by Tribune Business, billed it as the Staff Battle 4 Atlantis, a twist on the name of the annual US college basketball tournament that the resort holds every year but which has been cancelled for 2020.

“Pay us our money”, is the tag-line.

Mr Francis said: “We are meeting at the Eastern Parade. We are going to stretch out on the Eastern Parade straight down East Bay Street, and we intend to march over Paradise Island on one side of the bridge and come back down on the other side.

“We are going to be demonstrating on Paradise Island. We are meeting at 8am tomorrow morning, and we are going to leave at 9am to go over the bridge.

We are expecting at least 150 persons today.”

Atlantis, sensing the mood, last week wrote to all its near-8,000 staff explaining why it was “premature” to make any of them permanently redundant in a bid to dampen down any potential protest.

Audrey Oswell, the Paradise Island mega

resort’s president and managing director, said the continued uncertainty over occupancy levels and bookings whenever the resort does re-open meant it was too early to determine staffing needs. This was despite conceding that Atlantis has already assessed scenarios where some posts would be eliminated.

“I know some of you have reached a point where your preference is for Atlantis to make your employment redundant,” Ms Oswell admitted. “I hear you. I want you to know that we have thoroughly reviewed and considered a scenario where certain roles are eliminated as we wait out the re-opening of our resort.

“As we press forward with current and future challenges, including reopening the property and building back guest bookings in the midst of COVID-19, we have no certainty as to what business levels will be when we do re-open. Therefore, it would be premature to separate you from the company permanently at this time.”

To lessen the blow, Atlantis is making five days’ worth of vacation payments to its union and “Level 8” non-union staff, and four days’ worth to non-union members. The first payment, for October, will be paid on the 15th, with subsequent payments made on the last payroll date preceding the month in which the next disbursement is due to take place.

However, sources drew this newspaper’s attention to evidence that indicates the threat of protests over the redundancy issue has forced Atlantis to alter its position on vacation pay.

They produced a letter, sent out by the resort earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic, which explicitly said: “All team members who remain on furlough will be unable to request vacation at this time.”

The sources also pointed out that the suspension of the Employment Act’s furlough-related clause covers the period through Thanksgiving to end-November, which is when the government is hoping many resorts will re-open.

Small Business Centre targets new initiatives

Access Accelerator, said the $55.8m allocated by the government to supporting micro, small and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs) during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, will help it to launch the Economic Recovery Programme, Youth Development Fund and the Universal Pre-School Initiative.

With the government more-than-doubling its funding for the SBDC, Davinia Grant, its executive director,

said some $1.5m will go to a Youth Development Fund that aims to combat unemployment among 15-24 year-old Bahamians via a training, networking, mentorship and collaboration platform.

“In 2015, the level of unemployment among Bahamians between the ages of 15-24 was 25 percent. In subsequent years, no less than one-fifth of the youth population has been unemployed. Through our Youth

Development Fund, we are betting on young entrepreneurs to tip those scales in another direction,” Ms Grant said.

“Youth entrepreneurship deepens human capital attributes like self-reliance and skill development. It offers societal benefits.

Entrepreneurs create jobs, increase innovation, raise competition and are responsive to changing economic opportunities and trends.

We are betting that success among young entrepreneurs will prove important in driving down youth unemployment.”

Meanwhile, the Universal Preschool Initiative will use the previously allocated $1m that is targeted at pre-school entrepreneurs. The initiative will be run in collaboration with the SBDC, the Ministry of Education and the Preschool and Day Care Centre Council.

A further $25m will be made available to the Economic Recovery Programme, which will be a second phase of the Business Continuity Loan initiative that was established to support small businesses and entrepreneurs - and their employees - through the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will target specific industries such as fisheries and farming; Bahamian-owned vacation home rental and small-scale tourism projects; information and communications technology; alternative energy or energy efficiency; the orange economy and manufacturing.

Elsewhere, the existing Disaster Recovery Programme - set up in the wake of Hurricane Dorian will this budget year provide $5.3m in guaranteed loans and $500,000 in standalone grants to small businesses.

It will also be extended for a

further fiscal year.

With $50m worth of applications received for the existing Business Continuity Loan initiative, and $37m already approved, a further $15m is being given to new applicants during the 20202021 fiscal year.

“We have approved 545 loans under the Business Continuity programme,” Ms Grant said. “There are about 1,500 persons who have already applied for that, but they haven’t been approved yet because of the pause that happened with the programme. That programme will open up to allow those individuals to continue their applications on Thursday, and so we’re pretty happy about that.

“Just under $38m has been spent in that programme. Going forward, the government has set aside an additional $55m as well as the economic recovery programmes that we have spoken of earlier.

“That’s also another form of business continuity, but it has a specific sector focus in the areas the deputy prime minister mentioned, and that is about $25m. So, it’s about $35m that together in the different programmes will be able to support business continuity.”

Ms Grant said the repayment start date for loans provided under the Business Continuity Loan initiative had been extended from a four-month deferral from the date it was provided to January 31.

“These loans would have started in March, I believe, and so whenever a new loan came on and, yes, the initial period was a fourmonth deferral,” she added.

“However, because of the protracted condition of the economy we have pushed all start dates to January 31.”

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) yesterday said it

had secured $52.7m worth of financing for entrepreneurs during its first two years as it seeks to expand initiatives targeting the sector.

Executives with the centre, which has been named the

NOTICE IN THE ESTATE OF JOANNE GIBSON MAURA, late of Vista Marina in the Western District of the Island of New Providence one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Deceased IT IS HEREBY NOTIFIED, for the information of those it may concern, that all personshaving claim or demand against the said Estate are required to send the same to the undersigned on or before the 30th day of October, A.D. 2020 and if so required by notice in writing from the undersigned to come in and prove such demand or claim or in default thereof be excluded from the benefit or any distribution made before such debts are proved; AND NOTICE is hereby given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to settle their respective debts at the Chambers of the undersigned on or before the date hereinbefore mentioned.

Dated the 29th day of September, A.D. 2020 CALLENDERS & CO. CHAMBERS, One Millars Court, P.O. Box N-7117, Nassau, The Bahamas Attorneys for the Personal Representative

LYFORD STORAGE & COMMERCE PARK IS SEEKING TO FILL THE POSITION OF

ASSISTANT MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT LOCATED ON WESTERN ROAD, LYFORD CAY, N.P.

Key Responsibilities: • The successful candidate will be

responsible for managing the day to day operation of a new Storage, Warehouse and Commerce Park.

• Operate proprietary software for accounting, security and operational systems • Pursue marketing strategies, meet with potential clients, negotiate leases and coordinate client requests with team members

Prospective candidates should possess the following qualifications:

P O S I T I O N

W A N T E D

Sales Representative Do you have exceptional sales and customer service experience? If you answered yes, then we want to hear from you!

Job Description In person and telesales to existing accounts and prospecting for new clients • Service and expand existing accounts through maintaining good customer relations • Collect, process, and proof clients’ drawings for completeness and accuracy.

• Provide warehouse dept. with clear and organized instructions for delivery.

• Address customer concerns in a timely, appropriate and professional manner.

Catepillar Forklift P600 – Broken

Competencies / Skills and Experience

• Exceptional verbal and written communication a priority

• Sound knowledge of sales and marketing practices Strong computer skills

• Proficiency in MS Office applications

• Excellent communication and telephone skills; verbal and written

• Good organizational and record keeping skills

• Ability to work individually and as a team with minimum supervision

• Ability to multi-task and work independently

• Ability to meet sales quotas, deadlines and work under pressure in a fast paced environment

• A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Management or equal accreditation advantageous

Resumes should be submitted to:

Phone: (242) 352-7606 ********

• Marketing or Customer Service experience a prerequisite

Caterpillar Forklift – Broken

• Respond to incoming telephone inquiries concerning products and services.

• Strong customer service skills required to accommodate discerning client requests

AUCTION

Qualifications • Minimum of 2 years Sales experience • Certificate of excellent customer service is an asset, but not required

hr.lyfordstorage@gmail.com

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their resume and cover letter no later than 10 October, 2020.

Only considered applicants will be contacted

email: bahamaslocalpartner@gmail.com

Phone: (242) 698-7402 ************ (2) Tractor truck 2005 Marck – Broken Manlift 1999 JLG - Broken Dodge RAM 1500 2005 - Broken (2) Dump truck (tripper) Phone: (242) 601-5328

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 7, 2020, PAGE 19 technology and distance education, said he and his team have set up a series of technology courses and nanodegree programs. BTVI is also a Cisco Academy, and many of the courses offer industry-recognised certifications such as Cisco and CompTIA. Over the past six months, BTVI faculty and staff have accumulated more than 11,000 hours of training as the institution seeks to improve teaching capabilities in what has become a new reality. The Institute partnered with the Commonwealth of Learning to train 22 faculty members in the best practices regarding online learning.

“Nano courses are designed to provide quick skills introduction or a refresher to many different

BTVI ‘radically changes’ to cope with COVID-19 THE Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) says COVID-19 has forced it to “radically change” towards blended education and digital skills for all courses that it offers.

Dr Robert W Robertson, BTVI’s president, in a recent presentation to the Rotary Clubs of West Nassau and Nassau Sunrise, said: “Online and blended education are here to stay. There will now be more use of, and appreciation of, simulation and technical options.

“We have had to adapt to the use of technology

PICTURED from left are BTVI president, Dr Robert W Robertson; administrative assistant, Tamara Whyley; and dean of construction trades and workforce development, Alexander Darville.

Photo: Del-LaMarr Davis to deliver content whether through readings, simulations, lectures, assignments and quizzes, whether synchronous or asynchronous.”

Dr Robertson added that the workplace has also shifted towards online platforms, adding: “There is

now a reliance on short, specific, job-ready, professionally certified courses and training. Technology skills and competencies are the new job security during and post COVID-19.”

Anthony Ramtulla, BTVI’s dean of information

career areas via an online modality. We are evolving to meet the needs of the country, and to stay ahead of COVID. Digital credibility is the new wave of credentials,” said Mr Ramtulla.

After completing any module, students will be awarded a digital badge to prove to employers their achievement. There are security features that allow employers to verify the badges. BTVI’s digital badges are managed by City and Guilds of London via DigitalMe. The badges are stored on Credly, which is seen as the world’s most trusted credential network in the blockchain.

Alexander Darville, BTVI’s dean of construction trades and workforce development, said while the first two weeks will be virtual,

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Breezy with times of clouds and sun

Partly cloudy

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm; breezy

Partly sunny with a stray t‑storm

Some sun with a t‑storm possible

Rather cloudy, a t‑storm possible

High: 89°

Low: 77°

High: 88° Low: 78°

High: 88° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 79°

High: 88° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

95° F

83° F

95°-84° F

97°-85° F

98°-88° F

99°-87° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

S

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

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uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

10‑20 knots

KEY WEST

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

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The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

11:57 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

High

Ht.(ft.)

3.0 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:35 a.m.

6:27 p.m.

0.9 1.1

Thursday

12:14 a.m.

12:45 p.m.

2.4 2.9

6:18 a.m.

7:18 p.m.

1.0 1.2

Friday

1:05 a.m.

1:40 p.m.

2.4 2.9

7:09 a.m.

8:16 p.m.

1.1 1.3

Saturday

2:04 a.m.

2:41 p.m.

2.4 3.0

8:09 a.m.

9:17 p.m.

1.1 1.2

Sunday

3:09 a.m.

3:43 p.m.

2.5 3.1

9:15 a.m. 1.1 10:16 p.m. 1.0

Monday

4:13 a.m.

4:43 p.m.

2.7 3.2

10:21 a.m. 0.9 11:11 p.m. 0.7

Tuesday

5:12 a.m.

5:38 p.m.

2.9 3.3

11:23 a.m. 0.6 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

7:05 a.m.

6:50 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:45 p.m.

11:54 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Oct. 9

Oct. 16

Oct. 23

Oct. 31

CAT ISLAND

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 82° F/28° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 52.43” Normal year to date ................................... 30.25”

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

the remaining eight weeks will include a staggered boot camp with all social distancing protocols enforced.

“Technical education goes on. They are still receiving the necessary skills training through virtual means.

We are even able to reach the Family Islands. We are about to have a ten-week NCCER training with participants from Abaco, Moore’s Island and Grand Bahama as well.”

NCCER is considered the training, assessment, certification and career development standard for construction and maintenance craft professionals.

Formed by leading industrial contractors some 24 years ago, its mission is to build a safe, productive and sustainable workforce for craft professionals.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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8‑16 knots

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 83° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 84° F

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020

$4.10 ‘Deal breaker’ fear over COVID curbs

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A PROMINENT realtor yesterday voiced concern that new COVID-19 restrictions could interfere with the planned November 1 end to the 14-day mandatory quarantine that has become a “deal breaker”.

George Damianos, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty’s chief executive, told Tribune Business that the government barely has enough time to impose new curbs to arrest the virus’ New Providence spread before the already-announced tourism re-opening and quarantine end at the beginning of next month.

“The only thing I can hope for is if he does lock us down for two weeks he won’t have to move the opening from November 1, and there will still be enough time to do that,” he said. “I’m really hoping he’s not going to change the November 1 opening. I think it will definitely affect us if they do.”

Mr Damianos had previously described the government’s decision to eliminate the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers as of November 1 as “a game changer” for the Bahamian real estate industry’s international clients, as well as tourism, because they could now fly in to visit properties without having to stay in a hotel or other location for a fortnight.

He revealed that the quarantine’s existence had already proven a “deal breaker” for one client who had instead opted to purchase at Ocean Reef, Key Largo, instead of The Bahamas due to the inability to inspect potential acquisitions without spending two weeks in isolation.

Mr Damianos, meanwhile, said a total New Providence lockdown would not be “totally devastating” for his firm due to its agents’ ability to work remotely, although he reiterated: “I think we would probably squeeze by but we really want to open up the borders by November 1. Opening the borders on November 1 is important to us and the whole country.”

Meanwhile, John Christie, HG Christie’s president and managing broker, told this newspaper that a total New Providence lockdown was “a terrible idea from a real estate standpoint”.

He added: “it just throws a wrench in the works as we’re trying to get things going.”

$4.10

$4.10

Testing plan to escape COVID ‘sledgehammer’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

NON-profit coalition yesterday unveiled an “end-toend” workplace testing and management solution in a bid to help The Bahamas to escape the “sledgehammer approach” of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) principal, said the Live with COVID Coalition (LWCC) - of which his group is part - has developed a technology-based screening and testing regime that will allow government entities, businesses, non-governmental organisations and churches to better protect their staff and customers from the pandemic.

He told Tribune Business that the coalition will have

• Coalition promises ‘700-800 times’ more efficiency • Pledges 70K virus testing kits at ‘next week’s end’ • Fines ‘complete waste of time’ on COVID violators

ROBERT MYERS

RUPERT ROBERTS

70,000 antigen COVID19 testing kits, approved by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA), in The Bahamas by “the end of next week” as it prepares for the imminent launch of an initiative it hopes will lead

to “a faster path to recovery” from the pandemic.

Mr Myers said the structure was designed to give all Bahamas-based entities, whether in the private or public sector, affordable access to relatively cheap mass testing that would be able to provide results

within 15 minutes.

Arguing that this will be “700-800 times’ more efficient” and rapid than the present testing regime, he added that it was designed to minimise “workplace disruption” by enabling employers to instantly detect which staff were COVID-19 positive and remove them from their premises to quarantine.

Those who prove negative can immediately be dispatched back to work, Mr Myers explained, improving company productivity while also allowing industries and firms to develop their own specific COVID-19 health and safety protocols and

SEE PAGE 16

Dive operator ‘begs’ govt for oil exploration rethink

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A PROMINENT Bahamian dive operator yesterday “begged” the Government to reconsider its approval of oil exploration in Bahamian waters, arguing: “The environment cannot take any more stress.”

Neal Watson, owner of Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Centre, told Tribune Business that Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) plan to spud a first well some 81 miles west of Andros pre-Christmas “sounds like a mess waiting to happen” for tourism, fisheries and all industries that make their living from the ocean and environment.

“I truly can’t believe it’s going on,” he said. “I’m imploring the government to take one more look at this in terms of the risk versus reward scenario.

Fishing and diving are really the last careers open to Bahamians. The resources

are there for any Bahamian to use, and to risk that on the reward of some persons potentially finding oil......

“I thought the government was looking at sustainable energy and renewable resources; that’s where we should be focusing the energy, not here. I don’t know what to say. It’s terrible. I’m devastated. I can’t even believe they can possibly allow it, and I beg the government to take one last look at the risk versus reward.

“It’s just heart-breaking, man. I didn’t think 2020 could get much worse, but it keeps on giving. We’re all holding our breath here. I would implore the government to take one more look.

I can’t imagine the benefits being that high versus the potential of a catastrophe.”

BPC has repeatedly asserted that all its risk mitigation work and studies to-date have reduced the possibility of an oil spill or other environmental incident to the bare minimum,

while pointing out that its Perseverance One well - which it hopes to drill before Christmas 2020 - is exploratory and will not seek to extract fossil fuels from the seabed like its commercial variety.

However, Mr Watson voiced fears that the tidal currents and gulf stream would inevitably take any spill towards Bimini, thereby endangering its “quite fragile ecosystem” of mangroves, corals and other environmental characteristics that have already been damaged by development and hurricanes.

“It’s just bad news,” he added of oil exploration. “I feel like the ecosystem is quite fragile, and so stressed by over-fishing, all the coral disease that was going round from last year and all the mangroves that have been dug and damaged from the hurricane, the last thing we need right now is another stress on the environment.

“I don’t see anyone in Bimini that’s particularly excited about that project. The last thing I would implore is that the government take another look at this, and really, really, really think hard about this, the risk versus reward, and if they do go through with this add another layer of safeguards and standards than what is required by Bahamian law.

“I would just implore them to take another couple of steps and really make sure this doesn’t mess up as I don’t think there’s any coming back from it if we get a really bad spill.”

However, Roberta Quant, BPC’s environmental scientist, in written responses to Tribune Business questions, said the oil explorer’s studies had shown that the Great Bahama Bank would protect Bimini and the rest of The Bahamas should any oil spill occur.

SEE PAGE 17

$3.95 Contractor’s error causes three-day South Bimini outage

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net SECOND homeowners yesterday said they were “rethinking our winter plans” after South Bimini was left without electricity for three days when a contractor cut Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) cable.

BPL, in a statement responding to Tribune Business inquiries, blamed a Water & Sewerage Corporation contractor for “damaging” the undersea cables that serve South Bimini when it started dredging activities on Saturday without the utility’s knowledge.

The state-owned energy monopoly added that while power was “quickly restored to North Bimini”, the southern island was left without power. While a BPL technician who arrived on Sunday was able to restore supply to parts of South Bimini, BPL said full power to both islands was only restored at 2pm yesterday.

“A joint exercise between Water & Sewerage and a third party took place on Saturday, without the knowledge of BPL, to dredge in the harbour in the vicinity of the South Bimini ferry dock to locate and unearth a broken waterline,” BPL said.

“During the works, the main BPL subsea feeder cables that supply power to South Bimini were damaged. Power on North and South Bimini was interrupted because of the incident. While we were able to quickly restore power to North Bimini, the damaged cables meant South Bimini was left without power.

“A technician was flown into Bimini on Sunday morning, and a temporary solution was put in place to restore power to some portions of South Bimini until the cables were repaired,” BPL added.

“Technicians worked tirelessly through the day and night to locate all damaged portions of the two sub-sea cables. Once all damaged portions were located and identified, the repair process began and was completed around 2pm today. Full power has been restored to North and South Bimini.”

Quincy Parker, BPL’s spokesperson, while

SEE PAGE 17