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VOLUME:117 No.229, OCTOBER 26TH, 2020
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SPORTS: DODGERS ONE GAME FROM WORLD SERIES WIN PAGES CHURCHES HOLD FIRM AGAINST MARIJUANA
HELD TO RANSOM Eleuthera water firm cut off island supply in WSC debt dispute By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister yesterday blasted a water plant operator for “endangering the lives of Bahamians” by cutting off supply to central Eleuthera residents due to a dispute with the Water & Sewerage Corporation. Desmond Bannister, minister of works who has responsibility for the Corporation, slammed Aqua Design Bahamas for “the nastiest, most callous conduct I’ve ever seen” in deciding to cease water production at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Branding the company, a subsidiary of SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions, as “greedy” for its actions despite being paid $1.7m of the debt owed to it by the Water & Sewerage Corporation, Mr Bannister said it had made
“tens of millions of dollars off the Bahamian people” through “one-sided” contracts in its favour that were signed off by former administrations. He pledged that the Government will “do whatever we have to do”, revealing that it was taking legal advice after the Water & Sewerage Corporation was forced on Thursday night to obtain an emergency Supreme Court injunction forcing Aqua Design to resume supply after the payments proved insufficient incentive. However, Aqua Design and its parent last night revealed in a statement to Tribune Business that they plan to challenge the injunction obtained by the Water & Sewerage Corporation on the basis that “inaccurate statements” had been made to the Supreme Court to obtain it.
BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) is “concerned” it will be forced to pay a high price to place its $535m bond issue due to the Government’s recent borrowing, a Cabinet minister has revealed. Minister of Works Desmond Bannister, who has responsibility for BPL, told Tribune Business the utility’s board were fearful the 8.95 percent interest attached to The Bahamas’ recent $600m
DID WE LET MARITIME FORTUNES SLIP AWAY?
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BPL’S BOND MAY COME BUT AT HIGHER PRICE By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Christian Council does not support plans for a marijuana or a hemp industry, saying this is not the solution for the country’s woes. The body released a statement days after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced that his administration will begin the expungement of records of those convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana next year. Dr Minnis also said the government is reviewing the possible legalisation of the hemp industry and will update the public on this after further consultation. Last week, it was also revealed that the Economic Recovery Committee has recommended that up to two ounces of marijuana be made legal for personal use, after similar suggestions were made by the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana. SEE PAGE SEVEN
sovereign bond will be used as a benchmark to price its own upcoming debt financing which it still aims to place before the end of this year. And, with BPL’s rate reduction bond likely to be perceived as riskier than the Government’s borrowing, the interest rate will almost certainly be greater in either the high single digit or even double digit range - leading potentially to higher electricity bills than were initially anticipated. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED (JUST)
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
TWO passengers were taken to hospital after an American Eagle plane skidded off the runway at Grand Bahama International Airport on Saturday. See page three for the full story.
PLAYING POLITICS IN THE PULPIT By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has defended his role as competent authority amid scathing attacks from Mount Tabor pastor Bishop Neil Ellis, who earlier on Sunday raised concern about the “dangerous” amount of power vested in one man. Dr Minnis refrained from attacking Bishop Ellis and said he will not speak ill of him, but did affirm his belief in God, telling this newspaper he is a frequent church goer and a baptised
BISHOP Neil Ellis yesterday. Catholic. His comments to The Tribune came after Bishop Ellis heaped criticism on Dr Minnis, Cabinet ministers and members of
Parliament while preaching about the ego of King Nebuchadnezzar. Bishop Ellis also suggested the nation’s leader did not believe in God. His sermon was live streamed on Facebook. The bishop knocked House Speaker Halson Moultrie for complaining about “bathroom issues” in Parliament and Education Minister Jeff Lloyd for vowing not to engage with Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson because of her behaviour.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE THREE
THE Bahamian people are earning nothing from foreign exploitation of this nation’s marine genetic resources that has produced over 100 “new natural products”, a report has revealed. The Inter-American Development Bank disclosed that this nation is gaining zero commercial and financial benefits from research activity it permits annually in its waters. This is despite the granting of more than 100 research permits annually, with many having resulted in patent applications being made in the US. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Insight FORGET HALLOWEEN IS NOV 1 THE DATE TO BE SCARED OF? AGE
PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Monday, October 26, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP SUPPORTS POPE OVER CIVIL UNIONS CALL
POPE Francis delivers his message during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on Wednesday, October 21. Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP RIGHTS Bahamas has applauded Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, for calling for the creation of civil union laws for same-sex couples. While speaking in a documentary released in Rome last week, the Argentinian pontiff expressed his clearest support for same-sex civil unions by addressing how pastoral care for those in the LGBTQ community should work, saying “homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family.” In a statement, Rights Bahamas said it “was delighted to read this news and is proud to hear such words of love coming from one of the leaders of the
largest Christian communities in the world”. “For the first time in modern church history, it is self-evident that we have a progressive Pope who is moving with the feelings of the wide-world community,” said Rights Bahamas president, Stephanie Saint Fleur. “For the church to maintain its relevance today, it must exercise greater tolerance, and show greater love, as required by its doctrines and biblical references.” According to reports, Pope Francis said, “They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”
Members of Rights Bahamas are encouraged that many Catholics and Christians around the world will consider following these prophetic words. “This pope has proven to be a humble human being,” said RB board member, Sarah Kirkby. “I am not a Catholic, but I am a Christian, hearing his empathy towards all citizens shows how important his leadership and his words are to everyone. “We are hopeful this will translate into our own Bahamian community, one that we know struggles with homosexuality and the rights of our LGBQT citizens.”
BURGLARY SUSPECT SHOT BY POLICE A HOUSEBREAKING suspect was taken to hospital after he was shot by police on Thursday. Police said shortly after 8pm officers responded to a call about a housebreaking in progress on St Charles Vincent Street, south of Balfour Avenue. On the officers arrival at the scene, they surveyed the premises and heard the sound of movement coming from a northern section of the building. With their service weapons drawn, the officers identified themselves and asked the suspect to come
out of the building, a police report said. “The movement continued, however, after several demands, one of the officers observed a figure exiting the door of the building with what appeared to be a silver object pointed in their direction. The officers being cognizant of the imminent threat pose to their lives, discharged their firearm in the direction of the suspect who was then incapacitated. “The officers then discovered that the suspect was an adult male, they recovered a knife from him. He was later transported to the hospital via Emergency Medical Services where
he is listed in stable condition,” police said. Another man is in hospital after he was shot after 3pm on Friday. Police were called to First Street between Palmetto and Coconut Grove Avenue, and on their arrival, they found a man with gunshot wounds. He informed the officers that while getting out of his vehicle a man approached him from behind and shot him several times before fleeing the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital by paramedics. At last report, he was listed in critical condition. Investigations continue into both matters.
POLICE LAUNCHE PROBE AS MAN IS FOUND DEAD POLICE on New Providence are investigating the circumstances surrounding a man’s death on Saturday. Shortly before 8pm, police received information that a man’s body was found unresponsive at a home on Fifth Street, Coconut
Grove. Officers responded, and on their arrival, they found an unresponsive man’s body with injuries at the back of the residence. Paramedics were summoned and pronounced the man dead at the scene. An investigation into this matter continues.
DETAINEE ESCAPES CARMICHAEL OFFICIALS are searching for an escaped detainee from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. On Friday around 7.38am, officers at the detention facility reported that “upon routine population” count by officers, it was realised that a male detainee had escaped custody. The escaped detainee is Jack Gerlin, a Haitian
national. The Department of Immigration has issued an all-points bulletin for Mr Gerlin and encourages anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact the Carmichael Road Detention Centre at 604-0181/2; the complaints hotline at 242-604-8477 or the Royal Bahamas Police Force at 919 or 911.
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THE TRIBUNE
Monday, October 26, 2020, PAGE 3
Playing politics in the pulpit from page one He saved his harshest criticism for Dr Minnis, however. Parts of the sermon went viral on social media yesterday. At one point the bishop said: “The only way our children can learn now is online and you have the nerve to cut over 9,000 people’s electricity off? I ask you this question: where is your heart? Do you have a soul? Look at them, FNMs wouldn’t say nothing and look at the PLPs gloating. This ain’t no time to gloat and this ain’t no time to be quiet, we have to fight for our nation and fight for our children.” Bishop Ellis also said: “In our country we live in a democracy and I’m saddened over the fact how grown men and women can sit in our Parliament from March to now and still allow the prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to act as the one,
true and only leader who makes every decision in the Bahamas. How dare y’all. “Having been democratically elected by our people because you’re spineless and trying to protect your territory, you’re grumbling on the outside about you don’t know how long we’re gonna do this and you don’t have enough spine on the inside to stand up and say ‘no more lockdowns Mr Prime Minister, we will not extend these curfews, we will not give you an extension of the orders another month.’” He continued: “It’s a dangerous thing when you start acting like a god. It’s a dangerous thing when you got all the power wrapped up in your hands. It’s a dangerous thing when you’re the only person in a country who can determine who goes and who stays, who has a funeral in a church and who else goes to the graveyard. It’s a dangerous thing for you to decide who gets to come in private
and who else got to stay locked down. It’s a dangerous thing when there’s only one person in your country making all the decisions. He determines when we shut down or open up. He determines whether businesses stay closed or operate from the curb. He determines whether churches are opened or closed. “How in the world did we get like this? This is no longer cute. It was alright for the first two or three months when everyone was trying to get their composure and understand this virus but eight months in if you’re gonna ask for an extension, at least make a case. You are insulting our intellect and parading on our democracy and sidelining our right of movement and humiliating our business owners and entrepreneurs. Your one man stand is killing our economy and it sure doesn’t help when the one in the chair does not believe in God.” When contacted for a
response, Dr Minnis pushed back at assertions he is not a believer of God, but said he will not respond to Bishop Ellis as he was taught to “respect” religious leaders. “I was brought up in a Christian home,” Dr Minnis said. “I was brought up as a Catholic. I attended Our Lady’s Church and served as an altar boy. I’m still a Catholic, I attend the Resurrection Church when I can and outside of that I attend New Providence Community Church on Blake Road. I was baptised as a Catholic and I do believe in God. I was brought up to have the greatest respect and admiration for all religious leaders as they are God’s earthly representatives. “I will not respond to Bishop Ellis nor will I say anything ill of him. That has been my teaching and I’ve been taught by my mother and my father that only God should deal with his earthly representatives and that respect and admiration
I should never lose for any religious leader.” However he did defend his role as competent authority, which some have said have led to too much power being concentrated in the hands of one man. “The competent authority is only the voice of Cabinet and Cabinet is only the controlling voice of government and therefore the prime minister only would’ve been chosen as the voice because the prime minister is also the chairman of Cabinet,” Dr Minnis said. “Cabinet could’ve chosen anyone as the voice but in this case the prime minister represents the voice of the Cabinet.” Yesterday, Free National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer said Bishop Ellis was “out of place” for the critical comments he made about Dr Minnis. Mr Culmer said the bishop has worn his political “colours on his sleeve” in the past, alluding to his previous support for the
Progressive Liberal Party. “As a man of God, because your church is made up of people from different backgrounds, I think it’s not fair for any one person to force their belief on one individual,” Mr Culmer said. “I believe the entire statement was out of place and should not be made from that setting of a church. The church setting is where you educate persons on God and what it is to be a believer and do good for men but to try to condemn a leader of your country in such a fashion is unbecoming of a leader.” The country has been under a state of emergency since March, with Dr Minnis empowered as the competent authority. As a result, various restrictive measures have been in place since then, including lockdowns, curfews, movement restrictions and suspension of business and social activities meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.
TWO TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AS PLANE SKIDS OFF RUNWAY
THE DOWNED American Eagle flight in Grand Bahama, above and below. AN American Eagle plane skidded off the runway at Grand Bahama International Airport on Saturday, with two passengers taken to hospital. After being closed since the incident, the airport is expected to open this morning. According to reports from police, the aircraft, which had flown from Miami, experienced some mechanical difficulties on the runway after landing shortly before noon. As a result, the plane skidded off the runway and came to a stop 15ft from the
south side of it, damaging the rear landing gear. All passengers were accounted for with two being taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital by EMS personnel for non-life threatening injuries. In a statement released Sunday, Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell criticised officials because the airport was closed more than 24 hours after the incident. “It is simply unacceptable,” Mr Mitchell said. “So this means that those of us who have health, business or official matters to
conduct in Nassau must cool our heels until the authorities manage to clear the runway. “The officials are unable to say when services will resume. “It just comes off again as insensitive to the needs of people and our economy. This city and island have suffered enough. Can someone please clear the runway and reopen the bloody airport in Grand Bahama?” When contacted, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar said there is no
political interference with the process adding there are industry professionals who manage accidents and guide politicians on the process. “There is the Air Accident Investigation Authority, headed by Mr Delvin Major, who supervises all air accidents. No politician gets in the middle of an accident investigation. In addition, there is the director general of Civil Aviation, Mr Michael Allen and his team that are all very much involved in the accident investigation. So, if the
PLP are complaining, then they are saying that these public officials are doing a lousy job. They could not be more wrong, but I will be sure to pass along the message!” Mr D’Aguilar said inclement weather also added huge delays to this process. “Mr Major informed me that the plane was going to be moved this afternoon (Sunday), and since the airport closes every evening anyway, I am advised it will be open in the morning. “Please advise PLP that I have been in constant
communication throughout the event with technical personnel who themselves are managing the event across agencies, including airport personnel, ANS professionals and the team coordinating on behalf of the international carrier. “Safety and security are paramount. Indications are that the event has been and is being managed prudently, by technically competent persons in the interest of safety and security of both the local and international community,” the aviation minister said.
PAGE 4, Monday, October 26, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
ZNS staff concerns on COVID protocol By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ZNS employees in Freeport are very concerned that proper protocols were not taken by management when a staffer who became ill at work last week tested positive for COVID-19. According to a reliable source, the staff is upset and concerned about the handling of the incident. “Employees are fearful of being fired for speaking out and voicing their concern to management,” said the source. The Tribune attempted to contact Dino Rolle, president of the Bahamas Communication and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), on Wednesday and again on Friday about whether complaints were filed by employees. However, efforts proved fruitless up to press time. Last Wednesday, an employee became ill at ZNS and tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday,
and was subsequently hospitalised. The individual was discharged this week from the hospital. The Rev Glenroy Bethel, president of Families For Justice (FFJ), accused ZNS management of failing to follow proper protocols. He said employees exposed to the individual were not sent home to quarantine for 14 days and tested for COVID-19, and that ZNS did not shut down for sanitisation. He also stated that there has been no contact tracing requested or conducted. When contacted this week, deputy general manager of ZNS Northern Service Darren Meadows indicated that protocols were followed. He said the office was sanitised after the employee left work and before the individual had tested positive for COVID19, so there was no need to shutdown ZNS. Staff was informed, he said, and told they could get tested but felt there was no need to because they were comfortable and satisfied with how
the incident was handled. Mr Meadows said executive management at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and the BCPOU in Nassau were also informed of the incident. Rev Bethel criticised the union for its silence and insisted that employees are not satisfied with the way things were handled. “The employees at ZNS have some serious concerns that the managers and executive staff are downplaying the seriousness of this matter and their health, and they are concerned,” he insisted. “The union is not doing anything about it and have not come out publicly to address the matter. All is not well, and they (ZNS) are in breach of the protocols, and the deputy general manager has decided to downplay by telling the press that all is well and that there is no problem with the staff, and that is false, and we challenge it. “How can you have a person infected with
TWO CASES AT MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY THE Ministry of National Security has announced it had two reported cases of coronavirus infection. According to a statement released on Friday, both cases were sent home, quarantined and tested following the advice and standard protocols of the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of National Security said it followed the standard practices of the Department of Environmental Health Services in maintaining the safety of the work area. The first case reported sick on Friday, September 11, and was sent home. The employee was tested on September 14, and confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Ministry of Health on September 22. The employee was then re-tested and received Ministry of Health clearance to report back for duties on Friday, October 1, the statement noted. The Ministry of Health, upon consultation on
September 22, advised that only the first contacts of the employee should be sent home to quarantine for the remainder of the period. The Department of Environmental Health Services, also consulted that day, said that due to the length of time that the first case had been absent from duty there was no need to sanitise the work environment, the statement added. “Subsequently, a meeting was held with all employees on that same day, September 22, to inform them of the matter, and five contacts of the first case were sent home to quarantine for the remainder of the period,” the ministry said. “They were further advised to contact the Ministry of National Security’s human resources unit if they felt any symptoms and to seek medical attention if required. “All five employees did not report experiencing any symptoms during the quarantine period and reported back to work on Monday,
September 28.” The ministry said the last day at work for the second case was Friday, September 25. While on sick leave, the employee reported testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, October 2. The employee has not yet received clearance from the Ministry of Health to report back for duties. A meeting was held on October 2 with staff and eight contacts of the second case sent home to quarantine for 14 days. They were also advised to contact human resources if they felt any symptoms and to seek medical attention if required. “All eight employees did not report experiencing any symptoms during the period and reported back to work on Friday, October 16. The work environment was sanitized by the Department of Environmental Health Services on Saturday, October 3 and cleared for staff not impacted to report to work on Monday, October 5,” the statement said.
QUARANTINED THOMPSON RESIGNS SENATE POST KWASI Thompson, State Minister for Grand Bahama, has “temporarily resigned” from the Senate, Cabinet Office announced last night, highlighting the extent to which COVID19 is affecting government operations. Senator Dwight Sawyer will be sworn in to act in his place. “This is in order to facilitate the business of the Senate during the absence of ministers in the Senate who are in quarantine,” the statement from Cabinet Office noted. “Senator Sawyer will step down from his temporary appointment this week, after which Senator Thompson will be sworn in and resume his duties as minister of state.”
The Senate is due to meet today, however, due to a number of Cabinet ministers in quarantine after exposure to COVID positive Minister of Works Desmond Bannister last week, an adjournment will be moved. Senate rule 29 (3) states that a motion for an adjournment of a sitting shall be moved by a minister, which The Tribune understands is the government’s reasoning behind the announced move. There are three government ministers in the Senate: Attorney General Carl Bethel, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes and Senator Thompson, before he resigned. All three men are in quarantine. The Tribune previously
reported that Mr Bannister was made aware that he contracted the virus after he took a test in preparation for a trip to a Family Island. A day before his diagnosis was announced, he attended a Cabinet meeting. On Wednesday, the Cabinet Office announced that all Cabinet ministers, including the prime minister and staff who came into direct contact with Mr Bannister, will quarantine. The ministers will work from home and continue to be “fully engaged in their ministries” for the duration of the quarantine period, the statement said. Earlier this month, Environment Minister Romauld Ferriera tested positive for the disease.
ZNS Freeport being cleaned last week. COVID-19 being in the hospital for a week, and did not follow protocols to have people tested and quarantined, and do contact tracing here in Freeport?” Rev Bethel asked. “Our Prime Minister is in quarantine taking heed and telling the country to do the same, then how is it that ZNS executives in Freeport decided to allow employees to continue to work in those
conditions?” he asked. “Those people fear for their lives and fear they may be fired if they say anything; they are concerned, and their families are concerned, and we want answers,” demanded Rev Bethel. Failing to follow protocols not only put ZNS workers at risk but also the Grand Bahama community, stressed Rev Bethel. He noted that FFJ would
TOTAL CASES
continue to agitate if protocols are not followed in the case of those ZNS employees in Freeport. “ZNS Freeport refuses to test their employees and quarantine their staff for COVID-19 and refuses to do any contact tracing. We are demanding...the urgent attention of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health in this matter,” he said.
TOTAL DEATHS
6,466 132 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES 133 CASES SATURDAY
THURSDAY
58 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 109 GRAND BAHAMA 19 BERRY ISLANDS 2 ABACO 2 ELEUTHERA 1
NEW PROVIDENCE 42 GRAND BAHAMA 15 ELEUTHERA 1
FRIDAY
NEW PROVIDENCE 34 GRAND BAHAMA 9 ELEUTHERA 4 ABACO 1 EXUMA 1 PENDING 7
84 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 63 GRAND BAHAMA 14 ELEUTHERA 5 ABACO 2
TOTAL TESTS
HOSPITALISED
34,385 109
SUNDAY
56 CASES
CASES IN ICU
8
RECOVERED
3987
331 NEW CASES SINCE THURSDAY FIFTY-SIX COVID-19 cases were announced on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health, bringing the amount of cases recorded between Thursday and yesterday to 331. Sunday’s cases include 34 from New Providence, nine in Grand Bahama, one in Abaco, four in Eleuthera, one in Exuma and seven listed as “locations pending”. The country has now had 6,466 confirmed cases overall.
Officials said during a data cleaning exercise, a case initially recorded as location pending is now reclassified as a case initially confirmed from Exuma. Therefore, the total number of confirmed cases for Exuma increased by one, and the number of cases for locations pending was decreased by one. Sunday’s figure is the lowest number reported since mid-October. On Thursday, 133 new cases were confirmed including 19 in Grand Bahama. One hundred and nine cases were in New Providence, one in Eleuthera, along with two in the Berry Islands and Abaco.
On Friday, 84 additional cases were announced. Sixty-three of those cases were in New Providence, 14 were in Grand Bahama and two in Abaco. Two deaths were announced on Friday pushing the tally to 132. The victims were both New Providence men, one 62 and the other 66, who both died on October 23. On Saturday, 58 new cases were announced: 42 of those were in New Providence, 15 were in Grand Bahama and one in Eleuthera. As of yesterday, 109 people were hospitalised with COVID with eight of them in intensive care. Up to press time, 34,385 tests had been completed.
TRIBUTES PAID TO NURSE
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE Public Hospitals Authority and Princess Margaret Hospital are grieving the loss of staff nurse, Jacquette Johnson. PHA confirmed in a press release yesterday it lost one of its frontline workers in the fight against COVID19. It was revealed Nurse Johnson died on Friday in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, her cause of death was not specified. “Nurse Johnson was deployed to the PMH Emergency Department, where she served for 20 years. During her tenure
she touched the lives of countless patients and many of her colleagues,” PHA noted in a press release. “She will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues throughout the PHA. The board of directors, senior executives and all staff of the PHA joins the Princess Margaret Hospital family in extending condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Nurse Johnson.” When contacted, relatives of Nurse Johnson declined to comment on her death and asked for privacy. Attempts to reach the Bahamas Nurses Union for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, October 26, 2020, PAGE 5
Teacher tests positive at school in Grand Bahama By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson said that the union is closely monitoring the situation at the Freeport Primary School in Grand Bahama after a teacher there tested positive for COVID-19. On Friday, the school was dismissed around 1pm, and parents were asked to immediately collect their children. When contacted on Saturday, Mrs Wilson said: “The health and safety of teachers and students are paramount for me as the president and the union will ensure that their safety is first. “It’s the union’s expectation that the school will be cleaned and sanitised, teachers and students who are close contacts would be quarantined and
that contact tracing will be conducted in a timely manner.” She also said: “I can confirm that a teacher from Freeport Primary School tested positive for COVID-19 and school was dismissed.” According to reports in the Freeport News, District Superintendent Ivan Butler indicated Friday that the teacher became ill a few weeks ago but was not at school, and later tested positive with the coronavirus. The teacher, he said, was not at school for the past two weeks adding that no one at the school was in any kind of danger. Mrs Wilson said that Dr Frank Bartlett, chairman of the GB COVID-19 task force, met with staff at the school on Friday. She noted that the union is monitoring the situation closely. The union’s area vice president, Quinton
Laroda, has met with Dr Bartlett and with Ministry of Education officials in Grand Bahama. “The area vice president Laroda has been in meetings and will continue to be in dialogue with the medical professional and the district superintendent. I am being updated regularly by the school representative and the area vice president and we will monitor the situation,” she said. Freeport Primary uses a hybrid model where students are engaged in face-to-face instructions three days of the week, and two days of online virtual learning. Earlier this month, Dr Bartlett noted that the task force would be reviewing the strategic plans for the schools and will conduct evaluations of the 18 schools that are using the hybrid and the face-to-face models. He noted that the main
concern was with the faceto-face model due to the risk associated with contracting the disease. He said that the challenge and fear is the possibility that students will bring potential diseases into the school. In a statement released Friday, Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson urged residents to be encouraged as the number of COVID-19 cases increased after the Ministry of Health reported 19 new cases for Grand Bahama for October 22. This came after several weeks of a decline on the island. He stressed that persons should wear masks when they leave home, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, sanitize frequently touched surfaces, and avoid large gatherings. Mr Thompson said businesses must continue to enforce health protocols with employees and customers.
“We are all grateful that our COVID-19 infections have been down for several weeks. I take this opportunity to commend residents for your collective efforts and self-discipline which contributed to the decrease in new cases here on the island since the most recent surge. “However, the Ministry of Health reported 19 new cases for Grand Bahama in its daily COVID-19 report for October 22, 2020. This number indicates an increase which we should all be concerned about and that we must get ahead of. “As we now resume many of our daily activities and move into a greater sense of normalcy, I encourage Grand Bahamians not to let your guards down. While we may all be battling COVID-19 fatigue we must keep this fight at the forefront of our minds. Remember that we are still in the midst of a global
pandemic and must continue to practice health protocols to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. “Although we are close to completing the renovations to our hospital, health facilities are still very vulnerable. Our economy is still feeling the effects of previous lockdowns, and no one wants any further restrictions. “This means you should wear your masks when you leave home, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, sanitize frequently touched surfaces often, and avoid large gatherings. Businesses must continue to enforce health protocols with employees and customers. “In addition, I encourage the public to only rely on official sources for accurate news and updates. It is critical that we remain calm and avoid sharing false news as we navigate this new reality,” Mr Thompson said.
MORE THAN 200 CASES IN POLICE FORCE TO DATE By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle speaking on Friday.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh
POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle revealed on Friday that there have been 218 COVID-19 cases in the force to date. Mr Rolle detailed the case numbers as he gave out personal protection equipment (PPE) and refreshments at Englerston Park. “When I did the assessment on Monday... the number of infections to date at that point was 218,” he told reporters. Earlier this month, the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s total number of
confirmed cases was at 165, including officers and civilian staff, revealed during the Ministry of National Security’s press conference. Meanwhile, the commissioner said members of the public have been calling the COVID hotline when asked about complaints of social gatherings. He added that police have been responding and taking action. “We went to a location, I believe on Mount Royal Avenue, and not only did we ticket the owner but we also issued citations for the patrons that were in that place illegally,” he explained.
FULL STEAM AHEAD - AS THREE MILLION RAPID TESTS SECURED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said the country is moving “full steam ahead” with reopening next month. “We are definitely opening on the 1st of November,” he told The Tribune yesterday. His comment came as the Ministry of Tourism announced that a publicprivate partnership with the Living with COVID Coalition, a not-for-profit coalition with the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), has secured up to three million rapid antigen tests that will be provided by Ports International at a low cost per unit. Studies suggest the tests – which Mr D’Aguilar said cost between $10 to $15 per unit – are accurate when diagnosing symptomatic patients. The country recorded 707 COVID-19 cases over the past week. During an appearance last week on Guardian Radio’s “The Hitback” with Nahaja Black, infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes said the country is nowhere near prepared to welcome guests next week. Mr D’Aguilar declined to comment on her statement yesterday. The Tribune understands that some health officials have been pushing for a tougher lockdown even as the country prepares to reopen with relaxed rules for guests. Starting November 1, tourists and returning residents will not be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival like they are now. “The new protocols will require visitors, returning citizens and residents to
obtain a RT-PCR (swab) test no more than seven days prior to travelling to The Bahamas,” a ministry statement said yesterday. “A rapid antigen test will then be conducted upon arrival and again five days (96 hours) after their arrival. Simplifying the testing, reporting and case management process is a secure, web-based, end-toend management system that will allow tourism and health authorities to have real-time visitor and resident data and more effectively manage those with positive test results. “We are proud to partner with the government of The Bahamas on this nationally significant initiative,” said Thomas Bethel, LWCC head of operations. “COVID-19 will be here for a while and we believe that it is our responsibility as Bahamians to work together, act fast, and present a practical and responsible solution that is simple, easy, rapid and connected. Our diverse membership of concerned Bahamians from the private sector, civil society, academia, labour, politics and religious society are all feeling the strain from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s up to each of us to get tested and follow the health protocols if we want to save our economy.” Mr Bethel, according to the statement, added that LWCC will be making tests and the management platform available to any lab, doctor’s office, clinic, pharmacy, business, organization or government entity that wishes to join the national platform. “All those participating have agreed to work at cost or for free,” the statement said.
PAGE 6, Monday, October 26, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
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Ellis offers criticism, but no solutions BISHOP Neil Ellis was the talk of social media yesterday, after he took a break from rendering unto God to loudly condemn Caesar. Caesar, in this instance, is Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, and for Bishop Ellis, it seems, is mad as hell and not going to take this any more when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions. He lambasted Dr Minnis, saying: “It’s a dangerous thing when you start acting like a god. It’s a dangerous thing when you got all the power wrapped up in your hands.” He criticised Dr Minnis for being “the only person in a country who can determine who goes and who stays, who has a funeral in a church and who else goes to the graveyard”, adding: “It’s a dangerous thing when there’s only one person in your country making all the decisions.” Bishop Ellis also hit out at FNM MPs for not standing up to the PM and demanding no more lockdowns and no extension of curfews. Perhaps it’s no great surprise that Bishop Ellis’ line about not extending the orders rings similarly to the party line of the PLP, for whom his only criticism seems to be that “this ain’t no time to gloat and this ain’t no time to be quiet, we have to fight for our nation and fight for our children”. It is, however, unusual for a man of the cloth to be quite so outspoken in this manner. Dr Minnis, in response, was far more measured, saying that he would not “say anything ill of him”. Rather, he went on to point out that it is not just down to one man – but rather that it comes about through Cabinet. Indeed, at any stage, if the FNM felt their leader was being dictatorial, there are processes for challenge and removal – so this talk suggesting dictatorial behaviour is just political hogwash. More than that, the electorate always has the final say when election time comes around. Notably, we don’t see in his tirade what Bishop Ellis’ solution to the virus is. Presumably, if he wants to scrap lockdowns and curfews, allow as many people as possible back into church and lift the limits on funerals, he has a plan to stop the spread of the virus in those circumstances? If not, then perhaps we
can file this complaint where it belongs – in the world of political gamesmanship. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. Rather, offer to lend a hand.
Maritime riches
For a long time in The Bahamas, there was talk of vast riches that The Bahamas was missing out on from the export of aragonite. It became a popular point of discussion on social media – and a stick with which to beat whichever government was in office at the time. Part of this was because of high prices in tiny markets – but there was a general feeling that we were losing out on riches here within our shores. In today’s Tribune, we learn of actual riches from which we are gaining nothing – all from our maritime resources. More than 100 research permits a year are given to institutions to come and carry out investigations in our waters. As a result of those, a “large cluster” of patent applications have been filed based on a microbe found in our waters. As far back as 2012, it was calculated that 125 new natural products had been discovered in our waters, while clinical trials for a pharmaceutical based on that microbe were due to start six years ago. This raises the prospect of commercially successful drugs being generated thanks to our waters – but what benefit will we get from it? A report from the IDB says: “Almost no benefits are flowing back to the country from these and other cases of utilisation and commercialisation of Bahamian genetic resources.” In a time when we talk about trying to make our economy more agile, these are opportunities that we should not be missing out on. More than that, we talk about our environmental credentials as a nation – but here are resources that could benefit from cultivating our environment, and which could be lost if we don’t focus on their preservation. We should not be so busy chasing fool’s gold that we miss out on the real treasure. Let’s not miss out on a financial boon with nothing to show for it but a diving permit.
End WSC experiment EDITOR, The Tribune. PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip “Brave” Davis made a valid argument when he chastised the Free National Movement (FNM) government over Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) Chair Adrian Gibson’s request to resume WSC’s disconnection exercise during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Gibson’s claim that private customers collectively owe the corporation $9m pales in comparison to the alleged $80m owed by state-run agencies, as per Davis. Resuming disconnections at this juncture looks bad, no matter the financial motives behind them. Whether or not Davis is accurate with his estimates, we all can agree that government run entities such as Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), Bahamasair, the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and WSC are all massive strains of the public purse, and have been for decades. The reason these agencies have mushrooming debts is that successive administrations have been historically negligent in collecting huge outstanding bills from high ranking political cronies and have rewarded hard-working political foot
soldiers with soft paying jobs immediately following an election. Bahamasair, to the best of my knowledge, is simply not a profitable entity, yet has over 600 employees. In this instance, what do you do? If you cut staff or reduce salaries or privatise, you are committing political suicide. If you raise VAT to defray the high costs of running Bahamasair, you will feel the wrath of voters on election day. Again, what do you do? The deferral of WSC bills to the beleaguered citizens of New Providence was inevitable. With the closure of Atlantis and Baha Mar in March coupled with the tourism industry coming to a complete standstill, thousands of Nassauvians have hit financial rock-bottom. Having said that, WSC’s issues predates COVID-19 by decades. I believe that some individuals who have good political connections are afforded exemption status from the bill collectors at the cash-strapped corporation. The same issue is plaguing BPL. This socialist experiment has brought the state to its knees, to that degree that VAT being increased after 2022 seems likely, and will not make much of a difference anyway. Prime Minister Dr
Hubert Minnis and “Brave” Davis should both emulate former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who, contrary to popular sentiments, sold BTC to the private entity, Cable and Wireless, in 2011. Look at the Grand Bahama Utility Company (GBUC) in Freeport. Freeporters pay their water and garbage collection bills without complaining, notwithstanding the decades-old recession on Grand Bahama. Some Nassauvians, on the other hand, live in a thriving economy, at least up until the advent of COVID-19, yet have been chronically negligent in paying their bills for years, all the while enjoying free garbage collection services paid for by the state. GBUC will simply not allow outstanding bills to mushroom into the tens of millions. Its principals are in the business to earn a profit, not pander to political cronies. GBUC is privately owned and is economically solvent and efficiently run. Bahamians need to make up their minds on whether or not they want a free market economy or socialism. You can’t have both. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, October 20, 2020.
Lyford Cay value open to question EDITOR, The Tribune. IT WOULD be interesting to see an explanation of the analysis supporting the claims in your article headed “Lyford Cay Wages Equal $3k to All Nassau Families” (Business Section, October 23rd). It would also no doubt be instructive to the public to know who commissioned the study by “an Oxford Economics affiliate” and how much they paid for it. The public could then use its own judgment to decide how seriously to take the conclusions. As an example, to say that the annual “wage bill” of Lyford Cay is the equivalent of $2,858 for each New Providence household, does not tell us whether that represents wages paid to people working inside Lyford Cay itself or includes wages paid by every company of which a Lyford Cay resident is a substantial owner. In either case, it would be interesting (and perhaps surprising) to see just how that figure compares with the “wage bill” generated by the Carmichael constituency. For the record, while there may in fact be many people who happen to live in Lyford Cay that have impacted the Bahamian economy (and Sarkis Izmirlian, whom the article mentions, is a prime example) this is not the same as saying that the community itself, or the economic model represented by high end gated residential communities, is to be credited with these impacts. That would be like saying that because a man who lives in Papua New Guinea contributes billions annually to the Bahamian economy via his ownership of a megaresort here, then his
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net residential community in Papua New Guinea is a major benefactor to the Bahamas. It is, in other words, a non-sequitur. By conflating Lyford Cay (or any other wealthy foreign enclave) with the wider issue of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Bahamian economy, your article unfortunately gives the impression that widespread residency here by foreign homeowners is somehow elementary to the billions of dollars of FDI that sustains our tourist economy. It is not. Atlantis, for instance, which is a clear and massively positive contributor to the Bahamian economy, is here simply as a multinational corporation seeking profits in an area where the country has obvious comparative advantages. It is not here because its owners are coddled to live in a gated community here by low taxes and red-carpet residential policies. In fact, very few of the owners of our principal resort properties live here at all. Insofar as the study suggests that the Lyford Cay community itself, with its hordes of Filipino, Haitian and Latin American domestic workers, is a major centre of middle-class employment for Bahamians, then it is demonstrably misleading. As a community, Lyford Cay supports far fewer middle class jobs than Carmichael and even fewer entrepreneurial opportunities. You don’t need a study to tell you that – just drive down the road leading to each community and keep your eyes open. On the negative side, the “contributions” of
foreign-dominated, gated residential enclaves are clear: • They contribute to the high cost of land, which has militated dramatically against the goal of land ownership by Bahamians on New Providence. On an island with a lower minimum wage than the United States, land prices are three times higher than middle-income areas of the adjacent mainland. This obviously intensifies ghettoisation and contains the expansion of the middle class; • They lead to anti-democratic powerconcentrations that in turn influence public policy – often against the wider public good. A perfect example of this came in 2018 when the present government decided to heap more of the tax burden on the poor by hiking consumption taxes (VAT) to a whopping 12 percent, only to be fore-warned by the illustriously-titled Henry Cabot Lodge III (writing on behalf of Lyford Cay home-owners) not to bring Real Property Taxes up to even minimally normal levels seen in his own home country. To the surprise of nobody, they didn’t; • They exacerbate the horrendous income gaps in our country by creating demand for low-skilled, low-income immigrant domestic labour, which in turn exerts downward pressure on wages at the bottom. Lyford Cay may have some fine people living behind its gates. But it is time we stopped pretending that policies that pander to them at the expense of the wider public are in any way beneficial to The Bahamas. They are not. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, October 24, 2020.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, October 26, 2020, PAGE 7
Institute seeks to ease worries but neighbours remain uneasy By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE POINCIANA Recovery Institute has not opened its doors yet, but the operation is already in the midst of controversy. The proposed facility is intended to be a peaceful respite for its elderly guests, but is a nightmare for the surrounding residents of Highland Park/West Grove who fear if the facility is approved, it will change their quiet community. Community members and those involved with the project voiced their opinions last week at a public meeting hosted by the Department of Physical Planning and the Town Planning Committee. A representative of the centre said the facility’s aim is to address an acute lack of care in The Bahamas for patients who require care for injuries such as strokes and long-term cardiovascular conditions. The expected benefits include creating more than 25 jobs for Bahamians looking to work in a safe outpatient environment and address the gaps in
availability of restorative technology for rehabilitation and long-term care. Dr Barret McCartney, the facility’s president, addressed “the elephant in the room” with the disinformation surrounding the centre. He clarified that it was not intended to be a COVID facility or hospital. “There have been some unfounded rumours spread about this facility that has absolutely no basis. In fact, it has all been designed to sow doubt, fear, and confusion about this facility,” he said. He told The Tribune the centre will be a retirement, convalescent home for aged people. But that did very little to ease the concerns of those who live in the neighbourhood. Those residents present at the meeting acknowledged the importance of such a facility, but were mostly against it as they fear the medical centre will ruin the tranquil nature of the community which was a reason many had moved to the area in the first place. According to president of the Grove West Homeowners Association, Barbara Hepburn, the residents did
not get much advance information on the facility and its proposed operations. The building had previously belonged to the Jehovah Witness church. A public notice was issued in July about the proposed changes for the building. “There was no meeting with the community. The concerns were we didn’t know what was happening there and a lot of the residents were trying to find out what was going on,” Ms Hepburn said. “We didn’t have access to the building and nobody wanted to tell you what was going on. It was a mystery and the residents were really concerned because we knew they were requesting a change in the zoning and that meeting was supposed to come up with town planning. Because of COVID, the town planning meeting never happened. “ She thinks a residential community is not an ideal place for that establishment and the move could change the landscape of the area. “It’s like you opening the door for more businesses,” she told The Tribune. “So once it becomes a healthcare facility and it becomes
commercial, now who’s to say ‘Well I cannot put more commercial companies or entities in the community’ because you have already opened the door for one commercial (entity).” She has alleged the property has been operating without getting proper approval. After Town Planning reportedly said it was not in their jurisdiction because they have not yet given permission to the centre, Mrs Hepburn decided to contact police. She said a letter was sent in August to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle asking for the matter to be investigated. The letter noted residents saw a great amount of activities for the past two to three weekends suggesting the facility may be open to the general public. Mr Rolle referred the residents back to the Town Planning Committee, saying the body would have to issue a complaint to the police for it to be officially investigated and that it would be up to that committee or the Medical Association to contact police. However, Mrs Hepburn said an investigation
was done. For his part, Dr McCartney told The Tribune that no resident made any complaint directly to him, however he had been “dragged out of the hospital, out of the operating room, to come down to the police station to give an account as to what was going on”. “I know the people who made the complaints personally. I’ve known them for almost 40 years. I thought I had a really good relationship with them, but obviously they decided to take it through this route,” Dr McCartney said. Dr McCartney explained to The Tribune that the nursing home, Coastline, needed temporary accommodation for some of their clients, thus he allowed them to put some of their clients on the property. As for the concerns of commercial activities disturbing the neighbourhood, he said the property had been sold to the Jehovah Witness church about 40 years ago, arguing that as a result some commercial activity was already in the area. He said: “The land was landlocked and the only
access to the land was through residential roads and despite that it was zoned to build the church to operate an administrative headquarters and a hostel for their missionaries and all of their street activities was based on that operation and that went on for 40 years. So there was commercial or institutional activity going through those residential roads for all those years.” He noted that he explained to residents what was going on with the property, so he was flabbergasted with the concerns brought up in the meeting. Acting director of the Department of Physical Planning Charles Zonicle noted in the meeting that a letter outlined that any use of the facility or any activity at that point of the application consideration process should not occur and company representatives were told to cease and desist. Mr Zonicle noted back in May 2014 the property was zoned for institutional use only. Dr McCartney doesn’t know when a decision will be made on the application.
CHURCHES HOLD FIRM AGAINST MARIJUANA ROLLE: DOPE STILL
ILLEGAL TODAY
from page one
In response, BCC said it is all too familiar with the devastating effects the sale, distribution and consumption of marijuana has had in the community. The group called for more consultation with religious leaders before any changes are made to the law, noting that Dr Minnis has not invited BCC or the church for consultation on the issue. “We have seen first-hand the physical, emotional and mental damage this drug has had on the lives of countless families, leaving in its path a trail of destruction of homes, property and most importantly human lives,” BCC said in a statement. “Schools as well as social workers have also struggled to cope and manage the antisocial behaviour of students within our school system who have been determined to use marijuana on an either frequent or infrequent basis. Reports are that young people using marijuana often struggle with attendance, missing countless days and hours of school and the ability to focus in class is a daily battle and more devastating are reports of physical confrontations with teachers and other students. “Coupled with many other serious issues that the country is facing in recent times, including but not limited to, ongoing
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
criminal activity such as murders that have included a number of innocent children, the impact of Hurricane Dorian and more recently the invasion of COVID-19, we like many Bahamians were a little surprised that the prime minister and his government would decide to still press forward with matters relating to marijuana when there are so many other more important matters that need addressing. We were equally taken aback by the recent announcement that the government was also considering introducing a ‘hemp Industry’ here in the Bahamas. “The Bahamas Christian Council believes that marijuana or the introduction of a hemp industry is simply not the solution that the
country is seeking or needs to address our many woes. We can also see no societal or national advantage with the proposals submitted to the Government by the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana.” The BCC said no law should be changed in this regard until there is a nationwide comprehensive consultation process. “It is also worthy to acknowledge that the prime minister has not mentioned, invited or sought to date any consultation with the Bahamas Christian Council or the church within the country on the above stated matters,” the group said. “We have found that much too often church leaders and their members are pursued and courted by politicians especially when
a general election is near, but we equally recognise the distance and treatment the church is given once political aspirants are successful. “It is our belief that if the influence of the church is valued in pursuit of high office then equally the influence and the input of the church on important social matters regarding marijuana, should have been sought before being placed before the Parliament.” The group urged the government to meet with social stakeholders as well as families affected by the drug before passing any laws. It also urged officials to consider the impact easing marijuana restrictions will have on the country’s “already fragile social and economic conditions”.
HAPPY RETIREMENT AFTER HELPING OTHERS FOR 30 YEARS
COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle made it clear on Friday that those found with “dope” will get locked up until the law changes as possession of the substance is still illegal today. His warning came after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced on Wednesday that the government will next year begin expunging records of those convicted for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. While at Englerston Park, Mr Rolle emphasised the commissioner of police is answerable to the law and once the law is changed then one wouldn’t be criminal anymore. “I believe that possession of marijuana next year it’s still going to be illegal,’’ the commissioner told reporters. “You have to look at what the recommendation says. It’s only specifics that will be exempted. It’s not that everybody will be able to go out and puff a joint – that will still be illegal. “Once it reaches that point, parliament will, of course, have to pass legislation to amend the Dangerous Drug Act or
THREE ACCUSED OVER DRUGS DISCOVERY
BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net TWO men and a juvenile were arrested after they were allegedly found in possession of dangerous drugs in the Freeport area on Friday. According to reports, officers of the Northeastern Division, acting on intelligence, went to a business
FRIENDS and colleagues of social worker Brenda Charlton joined her last week to celebrate her retirement from the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.
Mrs Charlton had worked as a social worker for the last 30 years helping thousands of people during her long career. Pictured at her retirement farewell are, from left: Andrea
Newbold, Chief Welfare Officer, friend Loretta Rolle, her husband Ruddy Charlton, Brenda, co worker Sonya Quant and co-worker Kendal Barr. Photo: Stephen Taylor
create a new expungement act. Right now, we have the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. So I don’t know which course they are going to take but whatever I’m answerable to it.” Earlier this year, the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana recommended that possession of up to one ounce of the substance be decriminalised for people over 21. Recently, the Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) recommended that up to two ounces of marijuana be made legal for personal use in The Bahamas. Yet, it has not been revealed by the current administration how much of a “small amount” possession of marijuana is constituted. However, Dr Minnis revealed the government is also reviewing the possible legalisation of the hemp industry and will update the public following “greater public consultation”. Apart from this, the prime minister also previously announced the government’s intention to extend the country’s state of emergency until November 30. Mr Rolle maintained the police are prepared to carry out whatever the mandate is.
establishment on Pioneers Way shortly after 2pm where they arrested three suspects. Two men and a male juvenile were found in possession of a quantity of suspected marijuana, over $4,000 in cash, and 24 packages of grabba leaf. They are expected to be arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court early next week.
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THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020
Forget Halloween, is November 1 the day we should be really scared of? By Malcolm Strachan
JUST a mere six days from now, we will be taking our second crack at reopening the tourism sector. Here it is, COVID-19 cases are surging with no flattening of the curve in sight, despite the reinstitution of stricter containment measures. While some citizens are following health protocols such as mask-wearing, good hygiene and social distancing, others refuse to heed the constant warnings from the experts. Take into account how struggling businesses whose operations do not fit well with the recommended curbside models, together with the reality that this pandemic has a lot more mileage left to go, and we can agree we’re in a giant heap of trouble. Thus, it is with much apprehension and trepidation that we may be welcoming tourists on November 1. It’s a Catch-22 of sorts. We know we need the tourism injection - or an injection of any sort into our economy, but with our public health system in crisis, we are not ready to handle what may be at stake. Nor could we find comfort in the policymakers who weighed the cost and decided this was the way forward – especially when considering our 21 percent positivity rate being four times higher than what has been advised by the World Health Organization. This is a difficult balancing act, but sometimes it is best to know when it’s time to get up from the blackjack table and walk away. We are simply not ready yet. And as these sentiments have been echoed by some local health officials, it is discouraging in more ways than one why such prudent advice is being ignored. For one, it indicates to us how desperate we are for any kind of income. Like a gambler that ran through a string of bad hands, we are hoping – praying - that we will be able to win it all back, or at the very least, stop the bleeding for a period of time. Further, we ask ourselves the question - “What if?” What if we hadn’t opened prematurely in July? What if we didn’t allow citizens to fly to hotspots in the US without proper measures
A TSA worker, right, checks a passenger before entering a security screening at Orlando International Airport in June in Orlando, Florida - which at the time it was reported that 52 percent of airport employees tested positive for COVID-19. Photo: John Raoux/AP being in place for their return? Those mistakes will be firmly etched in the history books. Without a reopening plan that reflects the fluidity of the state of affairs and addresses not just our economic needs but also our health infrastructure challenges, it may be eerily ironic that the reopening is a day after Halloween. COVID-19 has indeed been a nightmare for our country, along with many others around the world. However, you can’t help but feel frustrated that we should have been doing better than this. With the healthcare system bloated to the point of explosion, we are all rooting for the government to play its hand well. When we hear Deputy
Prime Minister and Min- of Bahamians who aren’t ister of Finance Peter even getting that much on a Turnquest discuss the pos- weekly basis. sibility of With the unemploymajority of ‘We are simply not ment benefits cases coming ready yet... For one, in decreasing what to $75 per it indicates to us has been week, on one how desperate we our second hand, you wave - and can certainly are for any kind lockdowns credit the of income. Like a and curfews government gambler that ran proving ineffor not wantfective in ing to leave through a string of flattening the its people bad hands, we are curve this behind. But time around hoping – praying at the same - we have time as that that we will be able yet been heavy feel- to win it all back, able to figure ing sinks into out how your gut, or at the very least, to balance you are cer- stop the bleeding for reopening tain that we a period of time.’ the econare in trouomy with ble when we the proper consider the thousands management of our public
health system. If we can be honest with ourselves, who would want to travel in large numbers to a COVID-19 hotspot? And while we may be banking on there being a courageous few, our most prominent resorts are being much more conservative as their doors remain firmly closed while the pandemic is still raging. The country’s focus must be on widespread testing which is free and accessible to all Bahamians. Bahamians having to scrounge up a couple hundred dollars for a COVID test, which they may not even have, juxtaposed with the high levels of unemployment is just simply impractical. And without any rhyme or reason to locking the
country down to supposedly get ready for another half-hearted tourism opening, one can’t help but wonder if any of this makes sense. The cost being levied on citizens is far too great. And as we simultaneously are not helping ourselves in a densely populated New Providence, it would seem as though we are on the verge of exacerbating already difficult circumstances even further. As we’ve noted before, desperation lays waste to measured thinking. The science doesn’t support us opening right now. And soon enough, if we move ahead in this state of unpreparedness, the proof will be laid bare for the world to see.
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020 PAGE 9
SALLY’S ARMY MAY BE SMALL BUT IT’S DOING ITS BIT TO BRING VITAL HELP TO THOSE MOST IN NEED By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
with us who is our organizer, Kassimo Ellis, can help you with this. I met Kassie and it’s been a great team. Cassie and I get together, we find areas. We’ve been to 14 different areas in Nassau so far. “We go on a Tuesday from house to house. We find out whether they are in need by asking questions. Nobody can work in the house. Nobody can be getting NIB. So they are all desperately needy. We worked out a plan for them to get non-perishable food, because they mostly don’t have an electricity or any fridges or any way of keeping this food from spoiling. We give them $65 worth of food which we obviously buy in bulk. We give two big bags of food and a case of water which we have worked out to sustain a family of four for ten days.” After sussing out the inner city areas to find those in true need, Sally gets her team together and they deliver the food each Saturday. So far they have fed over 4,000 people.
AS IT stands we can safely say The Bahamas is in a crisis and needs an ‘all hands on deck’ call out to all of its Good Samaritans. Sally Van Tooren has heard that call and has decided that no one in the capital will go hungry under her watch. Her foundation, “Family Help & Support Foundation Limited”, a non-profit organisation not associated with any political party, has delivered 100 parcels of food each Saturday to some of the most deprived and needy people living in the inner city of New Providence since April 20. Sally arrived in The Bahamas with her parents when she was a five-yearold child. They took up residence in western New Providence and she was destined to make a difference in the lives of others. She has been married to Dr Richard Van Tooren, for the past 33 years. Dr Van Tooren had a sterling career working at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He is now retired and running a private practice in Sandy Port. They have two sons currently living in London with their families having blessed the Van Toorens with five grandchildren. “I’ve always tried to help Bahamians in one way or the other,” said Sally. “It’s usually anonymously, to be honest. My foundation was born five years ago, by “I go back with our team myself and a friend of mine, on Saturdays,” she conAndrew. I asked him to tinued. “It’s a team of ten be a director. We started a people from Wild Flowers. company, really at the time They have all been laid off to help Dr David Allen, so I’ve hired them for a day who has been a friend and a half. They pack up all for a very long time. He the food on a Friday, and had the “Family Helping then on Saturday mornings People” which was helping we go to the area we have people, mentally and psychosen and we already have chologically, who had been their names. We knock on damaged through their the door and when they upbringing from all areas of come to the door we back New Providence. off to keep our six feet dis“The Templeton Fountance with our masks and dation was paying for the gloves on. We then deliver group meetings but he the food to them, wave at needed help with office perthem, then we find out if sonnel help. So we started they have masks. the company and we “If they have them helped him with that and we request that they put then we had them on. If a basketball ‘We worked out a they have camp and we no masks, plan for them to had various then I give other events get non-perishable out masks for him. food, because they which I perThen Dorian mostly don’t have sonally buy happened, from Bahaunfortunately, an electricity or mas Hand so we then any fridges or any Print at a very used some nice comfunds to help way of keeping pany price. with Dorian this food from So we make as far as spoiling. We give sure that medicine and everybody them $65 worth accommohas masks dations for of food which and then I people and we obviously give them then after a little talk buy in bulk.’ Dorian the about health pandemic and wearing happened.” masks. And, then we go on When the world was put our way. We’ve done this on notice that it was under every Saturday morning a threat called COVID-19, since April and we hope Sally decided to take up the to continue to do it until mantle and help those who Nassau gets back on its could not help themselves. feet. We feed 100 families She put her shoulder to which really translates into the wheel, called upon her about 220 to 250 people. friends and hit the ground Sometimes when we get bringing aid to those in there more children come genuine need. out of the houses. We must “I am great friends with have fed over about 4,000 Tony and Nathalie Apppeople.” leyard who own Wild Since June of this year, Flowers and due to the the Government of The pandemic their business Bahamas has established obviously had to close,” she a Feeding Network to explained. take on the providing “I got together with them food for families directly and they have very kindly affected by COVID-19 lent me, since the beginby way of furlough or ning of April, their trucks, unemployment. Asked to deliver the food. I still about this organisahad a problem coordinattion as it compares with ing the whole thing, so they hers, Sally indicated that said someone who works
the lines for food or food vouchers are unsafe. “I am completely horrified and I know they can’t do what we are doing because their numbers are so much larger,” she said. “It’s that these huge groups of people are going to pick up their vouchers. I mean it’s good they are getting vouchers, it’s good they’re getting something for food, but it’s a fact that these huge numbers are all mashed together which is not good. In our travels, we see more and more of them receiving from the food network with no masks and they’re all standing grouped together with no social distancing. “We stop and we ask how long they have been waiting and they say three to four hours and then of course after getting their vouchers they then have to go to the supermarket so that’s a double whammy. And, I know that they can’t possibly do much better because they are feeding many, many thousands of people and we are only feeding 100 families a week when they are doing their feeding on a daily basis. The spread of people all lingering around for hours on end without masks is obviously a problem. So we try to be as strict as we can.” Sally’s Foundation has friends who also provide treats for the indigents in addition to the food and water being supplied on a regular basis. “We also have this wonderful group of ladies, some are from the inner circle and some are friends of mine and every week they all bake or they collect clothes, shoes, colouring books and toys,” she said. “So we pick them up on a Friday and they’re all donated gifts and we get all those extras to give to people when we go out on Saturdays. They have been really amazing as every single week they give us quite a quantity of extras. They have been very loyal and have not stopped giving us stuff. “The funds are all from private people like personal friends of mine or friends of friends. We have not gotten one penny from government. We are always looking for it though. I don’t like asking people for money, but sometimes it is necessary. I have no office expenses whatsoever. The purchases of masks and paying of the Wild Flower staff comes out of my own pocket. The Wild Flower trucks and gas for them are lone to me. Every penny that we raise, literally goes towards buying food and water.” Good Samaritan Sally finds feeding the poor very fulfilling and has no regrets about pulling up her sleeves, going in to the impoverished communities and doing her part. “I think it’s very fulfilling,” she said. “Because I’ve lived here all of my life, I feel very much a part of The Bahamas. These are just people who are in trouble and I feel desperately sorry. It’s fulfilling for all of us, actually. The entire Wild Flower team and myself. Some of the places we go to just makes you want to cry and some of us do. The elderly, the disabled, the children; some people who have absolutely no hope and no idea when they are going to get a job again or where they are going to get their next meal or where they will get money to pay rent. They have nothing! No water, no electricity.” Sally said she is in it for the long haul and will continue to feed the poor, of New Providence, until the harsh realities of COVID19 are no more.
SALLY Van Touren and her team in action distributing food.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
QUEUES for the store on Friday ahead of the weekend lockdown.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh
When lockdown comes, COVID takes a toll on mental health in the home By DR DAVID F ALLEN and KEVA BETHELL PRIOR to the COVID19 pandemic, The Family: People Helping People Project - financed through a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation - met with over 300 participants in weekly supportive group therapy. These groups met in various locations including The Bahamas Department of Corrections, Kemp Road, East Street etc. Unfortunately, the groups have been discontinued because of the pandemic. In spite of this, we have had virtual meetings (Zoom) to provide support for our participants and understand how the pandemic has been affecting them. Participants have expressed that without The Family group support, loneliness has become a paralysing experience. Despite being surrounded by their own family, some have said they still feel alone. Another issue expressed was the increase in substance abuse. Participants claim they have been drinking excessively due to boredom. Connected to this, is the excessive use of alcohol combined with marijuana to achieve an even greater high. Some people have described that despite achieving this greater desired high, the side effects have been detrimental. These side effects include insomnia, hallucinations, paranoia and panic attacks.
There has also been an sensitivity to remarks from increase in the develop- other people. Therefore, ment of panic attacks in increased sedative use can people who have never lead to verbal and physihad them before. Panic cal abuse. Many times, usually starts as slight anxi- these sedatives are used ety, which is a feeling of along with alcohol, which unease. This unease results further complicates the situfrom not knowing what to ation and can lead to death expect. This is true whether through the inhalation of the person is vomit. There COVID positive, ‘Participants have also been has lost their job a number of suior is generally have expressed cidal attempts concerned about that without via overdose in the welfare of The Family this regard. their family. During this As the anxi- group support, pandemic, some ety increases, loneliness participants it moves into has become from our proa panic state, gramme have which, at its a paralysing died. This has height, causes experience. created a deep the IQ to Despite being grief as well as decrease. This anxiety and fear accentuates the surrounded among particianxiety which by their own pants who have creates a sense family, some been well. We of paralysis and have also had have said they participants who hopelessness, making it diffi- still feel alone.’ have suffered cult for persons from COVIDto carry out their daily 19. These people have activities. For example, described their experience some have lost the abil- as life-threatening. They ity to drive. Others have reported feeling very weak increased fears of the dark and wondered at times if (particularly in relation death was imminent. They with crime) while others expressed concern about fear they are unable to the safety of their family make ends meet. In some members, whether they cases, our programme has would contract the virus or been able to raise funds to not. assist in this regard. In one case, a father Increased anxiety causes became ill with COVIDthe increased use of normal 19 and died. His daughter medications, especially also contracted COVID-19 the sedatives like Valium, and died. The brother and Ativan and Xanax. These his wife both contracted sedatives increase nega- COVID-19, but thanktive feedback. As a result, fully, they survived. It is they may decrease the important to stress that in anxiety but increase one’s a number of COVID-19
cases, The Family Program was involved with virtual counselling. Patients claimed that this contact was invaluable and very helpful to them. We would also like to stress that during this pandemic, communication with family members and friends who may be ill is a special blessing. During this time, people have expressed boredom, depression and anxiety associated with suicidal ideations and attempts. As stated previously, some have tried to overdose using medications. Others have tried to cut themselves or drive their vehicles into the sea. Again, when this happens, it is important to reach out, because a number of these people claimed that the support via telephone contact encouraged them to not give up. A particular challenge is that many participants of The Family have relatives who suffered from mental illnesses prior to the pandemic. The lockdowns and other precautions taken during the pandemic produced even greater strain, leading to these people having psychotic breaks (nervous breakdowns). Coupled with this is the difficulty of admitting patients to Sandilands, which is full. We would like to stress that the police have been extremely helpful in this regard. For example, in one case, they were willing to accompany us in the middle of the night to a very difficult situation. This enabled us to calm the patient.
They escorted us to the hospital. We would also like to stress that the hospital staff, in spite of the pressure they were under, were very cordial and competent. As such, our participant was tended to promptly. One major concern we have is that in our adolescent group therapy programme, we have had young men who were doing very well in the programme while we were meeting. Unfortunately, since the abrupt ending of the programme, some of these young men have been implicated in violent crimes, making us question whether there is more subtle gang activity taking place during the pandemic. As paradoxical as it may sound, people who love each other claim that being together during the lockdown for an extended period, makes them have an aversion to each other and they experience a magnification of the things they detest in their partner. As a result, they experience the syndrome of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, which includes: 1. Constant criticism – ‘you never cook the meal right’, ‘you don’t speak to me nicely’ 2. Contempt – name-calling ‘you are crazy like your family’ 3. Increased defensiveness – difficulty listening to each other which leads to arguments, higher tension between the couple and fighting 4. Stonewalling – someone is speaking to you and
you tune them out by leaving the room or taking a call. This makes the other person irate, resulting in more arguments and fights The end result of this syndrome is that couples separate while still being together. This particularly hurts the children, producing childhood relational trauma, which has many deleterious effects in our culture. All these things lead to increased incidences of domestic violence, whether abusive speech or physical abuse (hitting). Please note that constant belittling of another person is also abuse. An article in Psychiatric News states: “…reports of domestic violence increased in China, France, Argentina, Cyprus, Singapore and the United States, [particularly] Portland, San Antonio, New York City and Alabama” (O’Conner, 2020). The author went on to explain that “people who experience domestic violence are interacting with family and friends less… and many social gatherings have been cancelled”. Unfortunately, this isolation causes some incidences of domestic violence to be fatal. The author concluded with the reminder that “everything bad is made worse during the pandemic, and domestic violence isn’t an exception” (O’Conner, 2020). It is important that during this very difficult time, we all seek to remain calm and be willing to help by becoming our brother and sister’s keeper.
OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY FAILED THE PEOPLE OF THE AMERICAS ANYONE who followed the 50th regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), would be forgiven for believing it was held to discuss Venezuela and Nicaragua. The assembly was held virtually on October 20 and 21, to deal with “Facing the challenges of COVID-19” and seeking a collaborative approach “to address vulnerabilities and build resilience”. That theme got scant attention. Reference to it by some ideologically bent countries was cursory. The representative of one powerful state did not even mention it. The meeting concluded with no collaborative approach to deal with vulnerabilities and resilience. The key issue now confronting the developing member states of the Organization was shunted aside. For the richer countries, their principal concern was Venezuela. Their overriding purpose was to secure positions that bolster their efforts to get rid of the Maduro government and force acceptance of Juan Guaidó. They used all their coercive power to achieve that objective, at the expense of dealing with the most injurious crisis that is devastating nations everywhere. No wonder Ambassador Anton Edmunds of St Lucia declared that this “almost singular focus on
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
one country within our region, a country with issues we are well aware of, is starving many of us of the support that we need at this critical time –- be it security based or otherwise”. That poignant observation fell on deaf ears. So, too, did a cry from the Ambassador of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Lou-Anne Gilchrist, that the organization “re-focus and become more inclusive in its approach toward development”. Those who control the OAS appear to have little interest in the issues of survival that confront developing states. Increasingly, the Organization is becoming a weapon to advance their political interests solely. In that regard, its relevance to developing countries, which has always been questionable, is now becoming increasingly more pertinent. CARICOM countries did manage to get through a resolution on Climate Change. But it is significant that the excellent draft, proposed by Barbados, was diluted at the insistence of a few richer countries. One
of them rejected it to the end, even though it cannot be better known that Climate Change poses a grave threat to all OAS members regardless of their size or economic power. In my own presentation, I urged that “the OAS should be a unified voice in advocating for strong and decisive action on climate financing, not as a concession, or an act of generosity, but as a moral, political, and environmental responsibility. OAS member states should also be a unified voice for the renegotiating and rescheduling of foreign debt; and for the affordable procurement of vaccines for all when one is found to counter COVID-19”. For the record, rather than because I expected any positive response, I said: “Integration and collective action in the OAS should not be an option, or a choice; it should be an imperative for all – rich and poor, large and small”. But the governance of the OAS is fatally flawed. Only power prevails, not reason. And, the SecretaryGeneral, Luis Almagro, who, in my view is capable
of much better, has allowed himself to become part of that flawed governance. Repeatedly, he has caused the OAS to appear to be enflaming conflicts even ones, such as between Azerbaijan and Armenia, that are far removed from the Americas. Consequently, the Assembly had to experience the indignity of allowing representatives of Azerbaijan and Turkey to speak, demanding that Mr. Almagro keep out of their regional affairs. He had issued a statement, without the knowledge of any official body of the Organization, accusing Azerbaijan of “aggression and escalation” of a complex conflict with Armenia. In the event, the Mexican Government, through the voice of Maximiliano Reyes Zúñiga, Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, minced no words when he called out this “worrying pattern”. He said: “We note the configuration of a worrying pattern of action of the General Secretariat, consisting of using its administrative powers to make political decisions that impact the direction of the Organization, without previously submitting them to the consideration of the membership. Such decisions lack legal support and the necessary information that allows knowing their motivation
and objectives. Such is the case with the appointment of a special advisor on the responsibility to protect. This matter should have been consulted and discussed exhaustively within the Organization”. (Note: I raised this issue in my last commentary and at the Assembly). Many double standards exist in the governance and decision-making of the OAS. These double standards, which serve the political interests of a few, were especially obvious in resolutions on Venezuela and Nicaragua. Let it be clear. Both Venezuela and Nicaragua pose concerns on all sides, regarding free and fair elections, independence of the judiciary and detention of persons. But effectively addressing these concerns is undermined in the OAS by those who employ tactics of bullying and exclusion. The resolutions were both drafted and settled by an exclusive group. Yet, the resolution called on the government of Nicaragua to support “inclusive and timely negotiations”. The contradiction of applying a standard to Nicaragua that they ignore for themselves is either lost on them, or, self-righteously, they don’t care. The Venezuela resolution was drafted by an exclusive group which included the representative of Juan Guaidó. Not surprisingly, it
required all OAS governments to accept Guaidó’s agent as the representative of Venezuela, thereby pushing them into implicit recognition of Guaidó, as the so-called interim president of Venezuela, regardless of their own respective national interests and policy. Additionally, it employed language of belligerence likely to widen divides, worsening the situation in Venezuela. This was less about democracy in Venezuela and more about the imposition of one political class and ruler over another, when the choice of a leader of any country is a matter for that country’s people alone. The 50th General Assembly of the OAS failed to tackle the important theme set by its 33 legitimate member states. Sadly, it also failed the people of the Americas who continue to be plagued by COVID-19 and are looking to governments to find a solution collectively. • Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com (The writer is the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the U.S. and the Organization of American States. He is also a senior fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto).