MONDAY Big Mac Meal 2 for $12
i’m lovin’ it!
HIGH 84ºF LOW 76ºF
The Tribune Established 1903
24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM
Biggest And Best!
VOLUME:117 No.244, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2020
HO US E & 16 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
SPORTS: BAHAMIAN SWIMMER SHINES IN US
PAGES
ANOTHER SEVEN FAMILIES GRIEVE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH officials yesterday added seven deaths to the tally of overall COVID-19 deaths in the country, bringing the total to 163. Six of the deaths, all of which involved Grand Bahama residents, had been under investigation. The dead include five men ranging from age 42 to 83 and a 33-year-old woman. Officials say the deaths of 21 people are currently under investigation to determine if COVID-19 was the cause. The latest COVID19 death is a 42-year-old Grand Bahama woman who died on November 1. In addition, officials
reported on Saturday another death - that of an 82-year-old woman from New Providence, who died on October 28. As of last night, the country had 7,256 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 30 of which were confirmed yesterday. The newest cases include 18 men and 12 women. A total of 25 people were reported hospitalised with COVID-19 yesterday, three of whom were in the intensive care unit. Health Minister Renward Wells has revealed that investigations in Grand Bahama showed the majority of a spike in cases last week had originated from employee interactions in the workplace. SEE PAGE FOUR
A CABINET minister last night blamed Baha Mar for the hold-up that has resulted in hundreds of its furloughed employees not receiving due unemployment benefits for up to four weeks. Brensil Rolle, minister with responsibility for National Insurance, told Tribune Business the mega resort had failed to supply the government with a list of still-furloughed employees at its Grand Hyatt, SLS
and Rosewood brands as well as the Melia Nassau Beach resort. He said the government required this information so the National Insurance Board can verify each worker’s status has remained unchanged. Explaining this was done “to cover our backs”, and ensure resources were directed to those most in need, instead of those who had gone back to work, Mr Rolle said he was “puzzled” by Baha Mar’s failure to send its employee list. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
PARTYGOERS FINED FOR BREAKING THE RULES By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle said police have cited the organisers and attendees of a large gathering in Bimini over the weekend because they broke COVID-19 rules. A 13 second video of the event circulated yesterday showing dozens of people without masks bunched together on a beach as music played in the background. The apparent DJ of the event said: “It’s after 12, Bimini ain (’t) on no curfew. Nassau on curfew. It’s after 12 we in Bimini. Bimini sweet too, sweet bad bad.” Yesterday, Commissioner Rolle said authorities have taken action in the matter. “Superintendent Moss and the team on Bimini have issued a number of citations for that event in contravention of the emergency orders,” he said when contacted. “I believe it was (Saturday) night when that happened and they were planning another event tonight and we were able SEE PAGE SEVEN
PASSENGER KILLED IN GB CRASH
BAHA MAR STAFF HIT BY BENEFITS DELAY By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HOME
BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FAME TO FAMISHED THE FAMOUS swimming pigs of Exuma are in need of help - according to the struggling tour operators who have carried thousands of tourists to see them. Now the tour operators are calling on the government, saying they are disappointed that authorities have not stepped in to help feed the island’s main tourist attraction. See page two for the full story.
‘LORDS OF DOOM’ CONTRACTORS PUT ON STAFF By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net BPL’S BOOZE and drug taking group nicknamed the “Lords of Doom” were upgraded from contract workers to permanent and pensionable employees of the power company. The behaviour of the group was exposed by The Tribune earlier this month revealing they had drunk
THE BAHAMAS Power and Light plant at Clifton Pier. alcohol and smoked cannabis during working hours, after paying off their boss, former BPL foreman,
Terrance Penn, not to talk. Mr. Penn was subsequently fired by the BPL for allowing the confessed men to slack off on company time. A source within BPL has now revealed to us that when “the big party” ended no action was taken against the men and instead they were given permanent positions. “What is not being said is that those men are still SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
A MAN is dead, and two others sustained serious injuries when the vehicle they were in crashed into a tree on East Sunrise Highway on Sunday morning. According to police reports, the traffic accident occurred shortly before 11am in the area of East Sunrise Highway and Sergeant Major Road, involving a grey Pontiac G6 vehicle with three passengers. SEE PAGE THREE
INSIGHT
WE NEED TO WISE UP OVER BLIND ALLEGIANCE
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Monday, November 16, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
THE SWIMMING pigs in Exuma have found fame around the world - but tour operators are concerned that they now need help from the government to keep them fed.
Fame to famished By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net STRUGGLING tour operators on Exuma are disappointed that the government is not helping to feed the island’s main tourist attraction: the swimming pigs. Exuma Water Sports owner Raymond Lightbourn expected to turn his business over to his children this year until the COVID-19 crisis depleted his savings and made retirement a distant dream. Despite losing an estimated $2m in revenue, the 66-year-old said he spends about $70 a day feeding 12 pigs on White Bay Cay that were once featured on ABC’s The Bachelor––a significant expense in a year with so few tourists. “I tried to get the Ministry of Tourism to help, but they declined to do so,” said Mr Lightbourn. “I asked them for $12,000 because that would help us until February but they said they don’t have it. They said I should ask the homeowners for help, but they don’t realise that people don’t have the money.” Sandals Emerald Bay helped feed the pigs before its closure earlier this year. With the resort expected to reopen in February, Mr Lightbourn said he does not know how much longer he can feed the animals. Bernadette Chamberlin, president of the Original Swimming Pigs Limited, a company that looks after some 60 pigs on Big Major Cay, said she twice asked
tourism officials for help but got rebuffed. “I have to beg people for a donation,” she said yesterday. “We are living on donations from people around here. A couple of tour operators used to give donations but they haven’t done it in a while because of the pandemic. Tourism told us they could assist with medical help for the pigs but basically that’s about it.” Ms Chamberlin said with its silver palms, berries and wild dillies, Big Major Cay is fertile enough to sustain the pigs for a short time without human intervention. But “the cay won’t be able to sustain them for long,” she said. “When the pandemic first started and there was a total lockdown and we couldn’t go out to feed them, we noticed the pigs started to lose weight.” For Mr Lightbourn and Ms Chamberlin, food assistance from the government is a no-brainer. “The pigs are the number one thing,” Ms Chamberlin said. “Every time people come, they want to see the pigs. Tourism knows this because our pigs are always on billboards around the world. Not helping is disappointing because they represent The Bahamas and that’s why we assumed our government would help.” Janet Johnson, CEO and executive director of the Tourism Development Corporation, said officials want to better regulate the sector. She said operators who rely on the pigs should sustain their maintenance. “We’re trying to regulate the pigs, the proliferation of
tours that have developed and as part of that we’re trying to ensure the tour operators that are bringing visitors to see the pigs are paying the fees which would be to the benefit of the welfare of the pigs,” she said yesterday. “If tour operators were paying their way, this would not be a consideration.” Ms Johnson said she sent letters to Sandals and the Grand Isles Resort seeking help last month, but has only heard back from the Grand Isles Resort. The resort gave a favourable response. “We’re working very hard to bring some regulations, to provide medical care for those pigs,” she said. “It’s a challenge because these tours pop up and they don’t think about all the things that need to go with them and now we’re having to try and catch up to what’s happened. The pigs have been great ambassadors to the Bahamas, lots of people come just to see them, but we have tours at Spanish Wells, in Long Island as well.” “These are private enterprises,” she added. “All of those people that are benefiting from that private enterprise ought to be contributing to it and to preserving that asset that they are benefiting from. Bahamians tend to want to consider it a free ride. Someone has to feed them, somebody has to carry water for them, someone has to take care of their medical bills, it just doesn’t happen like a miracle and this is what we’re trying to get them to appreciate.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 16, 2020, PAGE 3
‘How can Albany go ahead without asking South Ocean residents?’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net RESIDENTS of South Ocean Village yesterday criticised Albany for allegedly going forward with their latest project without consulting the surrounding community. Last month, Tribune Business reported that the luxury resort community was planning a phased redevelopment of its South Ocean neighbour, which will transform the waterfront of the former 363-acre hotel site via Albany West. The project also involves the demolition of existing structures connected to the South Ocean resort. On Sunday, residents of that community told the press they want to consult with the relevant authorities to ensure the new project does not have any negative impacts on their neighbourhood. Ronald Jones, president of the South Ocean Village Association, said while the close-knit community has no objection to the proposed development, they feel disrespected by the lack of consultancy with developers. “We have had close consultation with all of the previous developers and we have a few points that I wish to point out,” he stated. “Firstly, we believe the beach access should remain public for good for all of this community. It is unclear based on the two drawings that were submitted how the road diversion will impact access to the community and subsequent inconveniences.
RESIDENTS of South Ocean VIllage discuss concerns about a proposed development in the area by Albany. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff “We are also concerned about the implementation of measures in the event of the BPL fuel line being compromised during construction... and noise pollution outside of the traditional waking hours during the demolition and construction phases of the project”. Mr Jones said residents would also like information on security measures being implemented during and after the construction stages and said they wished to know which traffic control and safety measures are being proposed to address the potential increase of traffic volume. He added: “Similarly, what drainage measures are proposed to avoid flooding in this area? (Because) in this area we experience a lot of
flooding. Additionally, will the existing utility poles be replaced with underground power lines? And will there be additional street lights in this vicinity? “We (also) wish to know whether the remaining property of the South Ocean Beach resort would remain zoned for hotel resort and amenities use. Finally, we would like to know the traffic implications of the proposed construction of the panel for the golf carts connecting the new project to Albany West. This is a tranquil and safe community and we wish to preserve and expect the relevant authorities to protect us from all potential irresponsible and unscrupulous impacts to our residences”. Mr Jones insisted the community was not against
the development and were only “desirous” of being included in the project. He said they were voicing their concerns because they had written to the “various authorities” and kept “hearing rumours” of the hotel being sold, without ever getting a “concrete response”. Andrew Strachan, a long-time resident of the community, also told reporters that they have always had a good relationship with the “previous and prospective developers that came along over the years”. He said while the neighbourhood welcomes change, they also want to have a “discussion” with the relevant authorities to have their concerns considered. Likewise, Clement Maynard, another concerned
resident, said based on their understanding, “the law was not followed” with the way the Albany West project was executed. “We know from other communities and other projects and dealings that the local community is supposed to be consulted,” he said. “We were never consulted, nobody has asked us what our view is, no one has asked us how we feel about what’s happening and how it affects us. In fact, they have not even given us a presentation of what they intend to do. “So we are left to guess, we are left to look at the newspaper, an advertisement or plan and guess what it is that they intend to do on our doorstep and we have a problem with that, because that is not the way in 2020 that we expect
things to be run”. Mr Maynard said they are also concerned that the new project may hamper the community’s access to South Ocean beach. “For time immemorial, we have had access to our beach. Now we’re left to ponder whether we will be locked out and the beach will be left to those who purchase into the project and we will be on the outside as community members looking in,” he stated. “So in a nutshell, we are not against development, we welcome development that is positive development for the developer and positive development for the community. So unless and until we know what is happening and we’re provided with the details of the project, we remain concerned and we are raising our voice very, very early so that those who are supposed to be enforcing the law and ensuring that our voices are heard, will get down to business and make sure that our concerns are known and that we are aware of whatever impact they are planning for this area”. Yesterday, The Tribune reached out to Works Minister Desmond Bannister who said his ministry was not involved with the project. This newspaper also contacted Jason Callender, a partner at Albany, for comment on the matter. He also said he was not involved with this phase of the development. All attempts to reach the Albany representative to whom he referred The Tribune were unsuccessful up to press time.
PASSENGER KILLED IN GB CRASH from page one
THE AFTERMATH of the crash in Grand Bahama.
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
‘LORDS OF DOOM’ CONTRACTORS PUT ON STAFF from page one
members of staff at BPL,” the source revealed. “They were rewarded for slackness! Their boss was fired for taking money from them to keep quiet while they smoked the dope and drank the hot liquor when they were supposed to be working. “At the time when they were busted and the party ended, they were all contractual workers. How come they still work at BPL and not only still work here, but moved up from being contractual workers to permanent and pensionable workers? “Can the bosses explain that? So in other words, BPL rewards staff for breeching employee conduct rules? “Heastie those have to do better, man.” Last week, Paul
Maynard, president of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union at the time when “Lords of Doom” were “slacking off” on the job, admitted he knew of their actions and at the time said he made it clear he did not condone what they were doing. Mr. Maynard said when trouble struck, there was no way he could defend “Lords of Doom” or Mr Penn, as union boss. They were on their own, he said. Mr Maynard confirmed, to The Tribune that the men are now permanent employees of BPL. “The company made a decision, that they were not going to hold anything against them and so they hired them,” Mr Maynard confirmed. “They were only temporary workers at first, so yes they hired them. As union president, who am I to say, ‘don’t hire them’? Their
mission is to get people employed so who am to say don’t hire them?” Mr Penn took his matter to the Supreme Court thinking he had a case against BPL as he was not directly involved in the cannabis smoking and drinking. Mr Penn’s legal team brought members of “Lords of Doom” as witnesses, but they all said he, in fact, took money from them to keep it a secret that they were involved in drinking and smoking sessions during working hours. This was not favourable for Mr Penn and on November 3, Justice Ian Winder dismissed the case. “There are a lot of secrets and wrong doing here at BPL,” the source continued. “I think the public has a right to know what is
going on here. There is no way, the “Lords of Doom” should still be working here. “If they thought so much of these men and felt like it was a must that they stayed on staff even after they confessed to the drinking and the smoking, then they should have at least let them do some form of counselling for their issues to make it look good to the other staff members. But, it’s like they’re partying was not even addressed. They were rewarded! The man in charge of them was fired and they were rewarded. Something wrong there!” The Tribune reached out to BPL’s Communication Director, K Quincy Parker, to explain BPL’s actions. “BPL has no comment at this time,” Mr Parker responded.
Supt Terecita Pinder said the vehicle was traveling west on the highway when the driver lost control and struck a tree in the median. One of the passengers in the backseat was ejected from the vehicle on impact and died at the scene. The driver and front-seat passenger received serious injuries and were taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital where they are detained in serious, but stable condition. Police are continuing their investigations into the accident.
PAGE 4, Monday, November 16, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
‘No perfect fix’ for catching COVID at work By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net LABOUR Director John Pinder said there is no “perfect fix” that could eliminate the likelihood of employees being exposed to COVID-19 on the job as many occupations require personal contact with other people. His comments came days after Health Minister Renward Wells revealed that the majority of newly confirmed cases on Grand Bahama originated from employee interactions in the workplace. According to Mr Wells, 26 of the 38 most recently confirmed cases recorded on that island were from employees who worked in the industrial sector as an electrical team. Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Pinder said the situation was unfortunate, and the “only thing” workers can do to reduce their risk of contracting the
virus, was adhering to the emergency protocols. “There’s always been a concern over the fact, because essential service workers are on the front line of this thing,” he said. “They will always come into contact with persons who may have been exposed and so we just keep hoping that the necessary protocols will be adhered to”. Mr Pinder said employers also have a duty to ensure the rules and regulations recommended by health officials are upheld at their respective establishments. “We have to put more responsibility on the employer to ensure that the temperature testing of persons entering a business establishment is enforced,” he said. “In addition to that, sanitising, practising social distancing, and ensuring that everybody is wearing a mask helps to eliminate some of the risks of employees being exposed. “ He added: “There is no perfect fix to this thing, so
we’re saddened by the fact that work exposure has happened. But it’s probably going to continue to happen because in some businesses, some part of the job calls for personal contact with other persons, including physical contact. “For example, when a police officer arrests someone, he can’t give the suspect the handcuffs and tell them to handcuff themselves. For the most part, the officer has to escort the suspect to their vehicle and they have to put the handcuffs on them themselves. So that means they’re coming into close contact with someone who could have potentially been exposed”. Mr Pinder said he believed there would “never really be a situation” where employees were not exposed to the virus, especially if they were employed as essential workers. “To be honest with you, when my staff goes out to do inspection – especially on those construction
sites – it’s very difficult depending on where a project is in the construction field, to practice social distancing,” he explained. “People have to hold a wood for somebody or a ladder or a wire. There’s several different parts of that job that call for some sort of close contact or in some cases physical contact and so again, persons are put in high-risk situations”. When asked whether he believed office work was too risky to engage in at this time, Mr Pinder said in the public service sector, the competent authority discourages too many people from being at their place at work at one time. “Whenever persons can, we encourage them to work from home and for those that do come in the workplace, we try to ensure that they adhere to all the protocols from the health officials. We try to protect the workforce as best as we can because we don’t want anybody catching the virus at work then going
home to their families. That causes the amount of persons that are potentially exposed to the virus to be multiplied three or four times. “So, we discourage a full workload as best as we can. For example, in my department we try to encourage my staff to work digitally from home. I’m glad we have our minister’s blessing on that. He is not one of those ministers who wants to see the department full of staff so we kind of put them on a shift system”. Mr Pinder said he has also made similar recommendations to local restaurants and food stores. “They need to probably put people on bi-weekly systems so if someone contracts the virus and they have to shut down for cleaning, they are not forced to shut down their whole operation because all their staff has been exposed,” he explained. “So, you have some staff working this week and somebody happens to be exposed to the virus and
those staff have to be quarantined, all they have to do is bring in the staff for the following week. And ultimately, that will cause more persons to be able to get a salary every other week rather than no salary at all.” Mr Pinder said at this point, the public can only “hope and pray” that someone finds a “cure” for the virus. Still, he said in the meantime, the country has to learn how to co-exist in the midst of the pandemic since the rest of the world will continue to function. “We have to adhere to the best practices, including social distancing, the discouraging of social gatherings, the regular hand washing, sanitising and face mask wearing,” he stated. “It is important for us to adhere to those recommendations and those regulations that help prevent us from actually contracting this virus. We can’t eliminate all of the risks that are involved, but we can only, as best as we can, reduce them”.
from page one
cases in one day,” he said during a Ministry of Health press conference on Friday. “On further investigation, it was noted that 26 of
these cases originated from employee interactions in the workplace. “These employees work in the industrial sector as an
electrical team . . . Positive cases have been removed from the workplace and are isolated. The surveillance continues to monitor the situation and analysis of the data over the weekend to further assess any notable trends.” His comments come as the island continues to see an increase of cases, with its tally now standing at 897 . On Friday, Dr Frank Bartlett, chairman of the GB COVID-19 task force, said preliminary data for Grand Bahama shows that COVID-19 cases are a “mixture” of clusters and community spread. However, he noted that more data is still needed to exactly determine what type of transmission is happening on the island. He said: “What we are on the process of doing now is trying to gather the data and the gaps that we have on those cases that we have not contacted. We are looking at our whole case profile from the beginning of our response to the COVID-19. “We are looking to see if we could determine any kind of linkages. With the volumes in the numbers we had, it was much easier in the first wave because they were more manageable. “We had more clearcut linkages and we could clearly state if it was sporadic in nature but with the ones that we have now, with the lack of clear cut linkages, we cannot say. We know that they are sporadic in the sense that they cannot be localised to
one specific area within the Grand Bahama region and it cannot be localised to one workplace. “The fact that we don’t and we see a decrease in numbers suggests that there may not be community spread, but we still need more data.” Grand Bahama had previously been under a lockdown for nearly five weeks after rising cases on that island. While the island is no longer under a full lockdown, several restriction measures remain in place inclusive of a 9pm to 5am weekly curfew. Asked Friday if health officials recommend tighter restrictive measures for Grand Bahama, Dr Bartlett replied: “The whole process now as it relates to Grand Bahama and when you look at the clusters that we have on the island, the other cases that we have, no explanation appears to be more sporadic and it relates to community spread. “The areas that we have identified that there are an increased number of cases, we recommend targeted restrictions instead of having compete lockdowns because once we could identify those, hopefully we will be able to curtail the increase we are seeing with that as opposed to putting our community in much more not-so-nice conditions with the lockdowns.” During Friday’s press conference, health officials also gave an update on the COVID-19 situation on
several Family Islands. Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan said officials have observed that positive cases on Andros now extend from Nicholl’s Town in the north to Kemp’s Bay in the south. She said officials are closely monitoring what’s happening on the ground there. Meanwhile, in Bimini, Dr McMillan said over 15 suspected cases are linked to a social gathering that recently occurred on the island. “Contact tracing efforts discovered there was a large church convention on the island last week Sunday,” she noted. “To date, over 15 suspected COVID cases are linked to that event. We are awaiting the results of their swab tests. Symptoms of one of these individuals were severe, enough to warrant being airlifted to New Providence for further medical management.” As it relates to Eleuthera, the chief medical officer said the mitigation efforts recently implemented for the island are “showing promise of containment of the COVID-19 spread on that island.” On Abaco, she said there has been an average of one case per day for the last 30 days – a trend she said officials continue to monitor. “The national weekly average of new cases stands at 31. This is an over 70 point reduction based on just before the tightening restrictive measures on the ninth of October,” she said.
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
to Dr Brennen, is partly because many of the travellers who entered The Bahamas did not remain in the country for five days. He said on Friday: “So, what we can account for travellers for November 1 to November 6, there were 1,691 travellers who travelled into the country and of those for testing, there were 752 of that number who were compliant with the five-day testing and there were 939 of that grouping who did not have testing done. “Do remember that, of that 939, that also includes persons who did not stay over the five-day time period as well so there’s more data gathering that will have to be done of that grouping to aggregate those numbers. “But what we can say is of the 752 persons who actually did get tested, there were four known positives. All of that information did come to the Ministry of Health through the portal that’s been established by the Ministry of Tourism.” Currently, all travellers entering The Bahamas – inclusive of visitors and residents – are required to present a negative COVID19 RT-PCR test no older than five days and have an approved Bahamas health travel visa. Visitors are also required to take the rapid antigen test five days after arriving in the country. Failure to do so could result in a $1,000 fine or one-month
prison sentence. During Friday’s press conference, Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan said the Ministry of Health is currently updating its protocols regarding the use of the antigen test on symptomatic carriers. “The rapid antigen tests on symptomatic persons will be incorporated into our national surveillance system as positives,” she said. “We are in the process to update our protocols to include that. “We are currently seeking to ensure that all persons or all entities that are seeking to conduct antigen tests are registered with the ministry similar to what we did with the real time PCR verification and validation process.” She added: “We are moving forward with inviting all persons who are carrying antigen tests or who wish to be a part of antigen testing to please make a request to the ministry of health in order for us to ensure that tests are occurring on symptomatic persons and are reported to the ministry of health so that we can carry out the necessary contact tracing.” On Friday, Health Minister Renward Wells also gave an update on the ministry’s SalivaDirect test pilot programme, noting the programme is being rolled out in several Family Islands – including Bimini, Abaco, Exuma, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence.
ANOTHER SEVEN FAMILIES GRIEVE AS DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN “Grand Bahama recorded 38 new confirmed
TOTAL CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
7,256 163
SUNDAY
NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES 30 CASES FRIDAY
GRAND BAHAMA 11 BIMINI AND CAT CAY 11 NEW PROVIDENCE 6 ELEUTHERA 1 ABACO 1
SATURDAY
40 CASES
GRAND BAHAMA 23 NEW PROVIDENCE 11 EXUMA 3 ABACO 2 ELEUTHERA 1
23 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 9 GRAND BAHAMA 7 ELEUTHERA 5 ABACO 2
THURSDAY
39 CASES
NEW PROVIDENCE 19 GRAND BAHAMA 17 EXUMA 1
LATEST DEATHS • 42-year-old woman from New Providence on November 1 • 82-year-old woman from New Providence on October 28 • 54-year-old man from Grand Bahama on October 21 • 52-year-old man from Grand Bahama on October 30
TOTAL TESTS
40,118
HOSPITALISED
25
• 42-year-old man from Grand Bahama on November 1 • 83-year-old man from Grand Bahama on November 7 • 33-year-old woman from Grand Bahama on November 8 • 78-year-old man from Grand Bahama on November 9
CASES IN ICU
3
RECOVERED
5,341 FOUR TRAVELLERS TEST POSITIVE
A Private Graveside Service For
Iris Velma Allen, 96 of #92 Eastern Road, who died at Doctors Hospital, Shirley Street on Wednesday, 11th November, 2020 will be held at Lakeview Memorial Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive & Gladstone Road on Thursday, 19th November, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Pastor Gill Maycock will officiate. In accordance to Government’s regulations, attendance is limited to ten (10) persons. Her survivors include her son: Michael Allen; daughterin-law: Melanie Allen; granddaughters: Lisa Newman and Mikala Allen; grandson-in-law: Orrin Newman; great granddaughter: Leah; nieces and nephews: Mrs. Angela Archer, Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Archer, Florinda Clarke, Mrs. Valarie Smith, Fr. Delano & Mrs. Agatha Archer; Mr. Winston & Mrs. Persephone McQuay; Mrs. Rosamond Stubbs; Mr. Lambert Archer; Ms. Angela MJ Archer; Mrs. Diane Dean; Drs. Godfrey and Gerry Pinder; Mrs. Melanie Farrington; Rev. Dr. Colin & Mrs. Marjorie Archer; Mr. Donald & Mrs. Deborah Archer; Mr. Albert & Mrs. Alexandria Archer; Mr. Robert & Mrs. Marjorie Archer; Sir Baltron & Lady Helen Bethel; Rev. Philip & Yvonne Bethel; Mr. Austin & Mrs. Iris Knowles; Dr. Ronald & Mrs. Gwendolyn Knowles; Joan & Fred Albury; Mrs. Sonia Forbes; Mrs. Yvette Knowles and Ms. Lynn Archer; in-laws: Dr. David & Victoria Allen; Paul & Ellen Allen; Pastor Rex Major; Dawn Taylor; Giselle Allen; Dr. Christian Allen, Dr. Andreas & Graziella Schuab; John & Keri Taylor; David Allen Jr.; Don Jevon Taylor; Jewel Major; Gem Dickens; Jasmin & Byron Rogers; Jade & Dr. Don Bryan, Dr. Marie Carrol; Anya & Pascale Allen; Brazil, Beijing & Baja Rogers; Autumn & August Dickens; Isabella, Golda, Emmanuel & Maximus Taylor; Laura, Lance & Luke Carroll; William ‘Georgie’ Allen & Jennifer Allen; William & Isabel Allen; extended family: Beverly & Dr. Leslie Culmer; Faith Roxbury and Dellareese Edgecombe & Travis & Ethan Edgecombe, and a host of other relatives and friends including the entire congregation of Abundant Life Bible Church. Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Grace Funeral Home, #36 Rosetta Street on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
FOUR people who travelled to The Bahamas during the country’s first week of re-opening tested positive for COVID-19 five days after arrival, health officials revealed on Friday. During a Ministry of Health Press conference, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen identified one of the travellers as a Bahamian and the other three as work permit holders. He said they travelled to New Providence and Grand Bahama, adding that each individual had produced a negative RT-PCR test prior to travel. “Those individuals all had negative PCR tests prior to travelling and they exhibited no symptoms during their travels and so their risk of having transmitted it during the actual travel time period is small,” he said. According to Dr Brennen, the four positive cases were among the 1,691 travellers who entered the country between November 1 to November 6 – the country’s first week of reopening. Out of that number, 752 submitted to a rapid antigen tests five days after arrival as mandated by the latest travel protocols, while 939 did not have testing done. The high numbers relating to those who did not have testing, according
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 16, 2020, PAGE 5
Rocky Creek residents determined to rebuild By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ALTHOUGH Rocky Creek was devastated by Hurricane Dorian, displaced residents have returned after a year determined to rebuild their small fishing village in East End. Those from the close-knit community of siblings who reside in the settlement are living in temporary structures on their properties where their homes once stood. “We are happy to be back after being in Freeport for a year. It is not the same as it was before, but Rocky Creek is home, and we will rebuild it,” said resident Maxine Knowles. Ms Knowles is one of four siblings who live in Rocky Creek with their spouses and children. The family’s matriarch - a native of Long Island who moved to Grand Bahama many years ago and settled in East End - is 71. Before the storm, the family decided to leave and take refuge at a shelter in Freeport, except for brother-in-law Paul Russell who stayed behind. He barely survived by clinging to a tree so he wouldn’t be swept away in the 20ft surge. The Tribune went to Rocky Creek on Saturday, along with the Rotary Clubs of Grand Bahama, which delivered building materials and supplies, acquired through a contribution by the GB Power company. For Mr Russell, and his wife, Janine, the memories of the storm are still very painful and difficult. Nonetheless, they are grateful to be alive and back in Rocky Creek. The only thing left of
the couple’s residence is the foundation. They have put up a small wooden structure which they are occupying. They have four children. “That storm was not easy. You know what it is to be in four feet of water, crying out to God to let me live?” recalled Mrs Russell. Mrs Russell was at the Maurice Moore Primary School’s shelter when it flooded with water. “We were lying down on the floor when we saw water coming in. We thought it was rainwater and nobody wanted to taste the water. So, I tasted it, and it was saltwater. “When we opened the door, the water poured in and I said, ‘I can’t swim,’ and the wind was just knocking us down. I was also worried about my husband in East End because I had heard rumours about what was going on down there,” she said. Mrs Russell, who is a diabetic, said she felt like she was going to die and started praying to God as they were trekking through the water while evacuating the shelter. “I just cry, ‘Lord, if I never need you, I need you now. Just let me live.’ I felt my body was leaving me, and after praying, I could feel my body coming back to me,” she said. Mrs Russell said that after the storm, Rocky Creek was like a “forgotten” community. “We were left out …and people think Rocky Creek was off the map. Now, we finally got our sign put up,” she said. She said that they are excited about restoring the settlement and are very thankful for the assistance Rocky Creek has received from the Rotary Clubs over
the past year. “Rotary was the only one checking for us, and they are continuing to assist us with getting our lives back to normal,” she said. “God is good, and I am happy.” Her brother, Walter Reckley, said that reconstruction is slow, but they appreciate the assistance they have been getting. Mr Reckley, a fisherman, also lost his boat in the storm and is not able to work. He has started reconstructing his home according to the new building codes. Maxine Knowles said she is happy that her family is back together again in Rocky Creek. “When I came back to RC, my house was still standing, but the roof and everything inside was gone; my sisters and brothers’ houses were flat, and tears came to the eyes,” she recalled. “But, God is going to restore it. He is going to bring lil’ Rocky Creek back. The hurricane was hard for us; we lost all our homes, and the family was split up. But, today my family is back, and we are rebuilding,” she said. “Through God, we are going to be okay,” said Ms Knowles. “God is not going to leave us. The main thing is that we have life.” After living in Freeport for over a year, Judymae Feaster said that there is no other place she would rather live than in Rocky Creek. “I live here all my life, and being here is a beautiful place, she said. We were in Freeport for a year and a month, and I am really happy to be home,” she said. “Where I am living, it may not be 100 percent,
ROCKY Creek residents Paul and Janine Russell receives building materials from the Rotary Clubs, in partnership with Grand Bahama Power Company. but I give God thanks for it,” she said of the tworoom structure where she, her husband, 16-year-old daughter, and 71-year-old mother live. Since returning to Rocky
NIB PAYS OUT $20.5M TO SUPPORT GRAND BAHAMIANS LEFT UNEMPLOYED By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SOME $20.5m has been paid out by the National Insurance Board to Grand Bahamians left unemployed as a result of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson said. In his special report to the nation on Thursday, Mr Thompson addressed several areas of concern relating to Grand Bahama, including an update on the airport, hospital and the post office. He also briefly touched on the Grand Lucayan and Carnival projects, which have been significantly delayed following the events, but hold the key to the island’s economic turnaround and employment challenges. Mr Thompson noted the effects of Hurricane Dorian as well as COVID19 has left a number of workers on reduced hours or unemployed. Although he did not provide any recent unemployment data or statistics, he said: “The National Insurance Board has played a critical role in the lives of numerous Grand Bahamians who have been affected.” He reported that assistance associated with Hurricane Dorian unemployment alone amounted to some $3.9m in Grand Bahama. The government’s special Unemployment Assistance, he added, provided some $2.3m in assistance in Grand Bahama.
“To date, some $20.5m has been paid out through NIB in Grand Bahama to assist residents affected by Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Thompson said. In addition to NIB unemployment benefits, the Minister indicated that another major way the government has set out to combat the challenges presented by COVID-19 was the creation of the National Food Distribution Task Force, and subsequently the Grand Bahama Food Distribution Programme/Feed Grand Bahama. This initiative was launched by the Prime Minister to ensure that the government provides food security for as many as possible in view of the employment challenges from COVID-19. Mr Thompson reported that a total 35,981 food vouchers were distributed across Grand Bahama during the first phase of the programme, which recently ended on October 31. He said that number represents some 6,690 households receiving assistance. “The household count of 6,690 is based on an average of four persons per household which totals 26,760 persons who benefitted from this programme,” he said. He reported that Cates & Co, a reputable Grand Bahama based accounting firm is the management company of record for all monetary contributions to the Grand Bahama Food Bank. Following Dorian, the government signed a Heads of Agreement with Carnival Corporation for a $100m
Carnival Port project in East Grand Bahama. And in March, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, it signed a heads of agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and ITM Group for the $250m sale and redevelopment of Grand Lucaya resort and Freeport Harbour. The project was expected to create some 3,000 direct and indirect jobs through the investment. Yesterday during his report, Minister Thompson indicated that the Carnival project is in the permitting stage and that the government awaits Carnival’s post COVID plans. He noted that in February 2019, Carnival announced plans for a massive Port in East Grand Bahama and that once completed would be Carnival’s largest cruise port to date. “It is expected that the project will lead to 1,000 jobs during construction and between 500 and 1,000 jobs postconstruction,” he said. Minister Thompson said Holistica Developments, Royal and ITM Group are still committed to the Grand Lucaya project. He said Holistica has signed on March 2, 2020, a Heads of Agreement and an agreement for sale for the Grand Lucayan for a massive development spanning two properties. “Holistica remains committed to the project although it will be delayed due to Covid -19 and Hurricane Dorian. We are currently reviewing their post Covid-19 development plans and hope to fully turn over the hotel property before the end of the year,” Mr Thompson said.
HELP FEED A FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS A DRIVE has been launched to help ensure families receive a Christmas dinner. AML Foods Limited has launched its fifth annual Feed 5000 Families holiday giveback scheme - with an aim of raising $90,000. The company jumpstarted the appeal with a $30,000 donation, to mark AML’s 30th anniversary. From today until December 19, AML is appealing to the general public and corporate Bahamas to
purchase or donate towards the purchase of Christmas dinner packages valued at $40. The company is joining forces with The National Food Distribution Taskforce, and all proceeds will be donated to the programme to help families in New Providence and Grand Bahama. “Bahamians are facing unprecedented hardships as a result of the COVID19 outbreak and now more than ever our communities
need our help,” said Renea Bastian, VP of marketing and communications. “It’s a very difficult time for local food banks and community organisations tasked with feeding those in need and we are committed to assisting as much as we can.” People can purchase Christmas dinner packages, or make a donation toward a package, at the registers in any Fresh Market, Solomon’s or Cost Right location, in New Providence or Grand Bahama.
Creek, Mrs Feaster said that her daughter, who has Down Syndrome, is unable to attend the Beacon School because of transportation concerns. “There is no bus, and we
cannot trust her with anybody…and she really wants to go back, but it is hard right now,” she said. Mrs Feaster said they are looking to get her back in school in January.
PAGE 4, Monday, November 16, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
Published daily Monday to Friday
Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES
News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax
(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348
WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com
@tribune242
tribune news network
Weigh criticism of projects against the need for jobs TWO different developments in the spotlight today raise a weighty question – in the time of COVID-19, how picky should we be about the impact of projects? The developments in question are Albany’s redevelopment of its South Ocean neighbour, and the Love Beach condominium project. Residents in the South Ocean area spoke out yesterday about Albany going forward with the project without consultation. It should be noted that the South Ocean resort has languished for many years. One resident talked about having a good relationship with the “previous and prospective developers that came along over the years”. That’s all well and good, but not one of those got the job done. Over at Love Beach, one resident gets to the point. William Wong lives barely a quarter of a mile from the project site. He says sure, he wants the area to remain quiet and peaceful. He doesn’t want the extra traffic. He worries about the height of the development. But as he says: “In this time of COVID-19, there are limited jobs so we have to think about it twice before we say ‘no’.” He adds: “It’s going to be a big tradeoff for a lot of the neighbours – jobs versus their own personal comfort. They own a piece of paradise, and have to give it up to create jobs. “Things are so tough right now that every job we can get, we need to develop… Bahamians need jobs and I can’t be in opposition to that. I can’t.” We applaud Mr Wong for his sentiments. There can be no more patriotic thought than to put fellow Bahamians before oneself. With that thought in mind, it puts some of the questions being asked about developments in context. Questions about what will be done with utility poles or volume of traffic seem more minor in the context of whether this is work that will put food in families’ mouths. There is absolutely a balance to be struck, but now more than ever,
how heavily do some of these objections weigh on one side of the scale? Beyond the objections themselves – can we speed up the process? Deal with the issues right away, then sign off on them and done, let the projects get under way faster so that people can be employed faster? The longer it takes to get these things off the ground, the longer we wait for people to be taking up those jobs. In the absence of tourism while COVID-19 is tackled, development is one of the crucial areas of income for many – so what can we do to make it happen faster. There’s no point waiting a year to start one of these projects when hopefully we might all have been vaccinated and going back to the old tourism model – what can we do right now?
Lords of Do-Nothing You couldn’t make it up. When we heard last week about the so-called “Lords of Doom” at Bahamas Power and Light, who spent their days lazing around drinking booze and smoking weed, and paying off their foreman to let them slack off, what did you think would have happened to them? Well, it turns out they were contractors. When BPL fired the foreman, though, what happened to the men who were paying him off? Were they fired, do you think? Were they warned? Not at all! They were hired! The “Lords of Doom” were given permanent positions. It beggars belief and is exactly why so many in private industry roll their eyes at what goes on in government and in corporations such as BPL. If someone spends their days slacking off boozing and smoking, you don’t reward that behaviour. In private industry, they’d be sent packing. Is there really no one else you could hire instead? Next time you pay your BPL bill, remember you’re helping to pay the salaries of the donothing crew.
Managing anger in the time of COVID EDITOR, The Tribune. I AM not a medical practitioner so my opinions are just that – my opinions. Eight months into the onslaught of COVID-19 we are seeing a dramatic increase in domestic and other abuses. Anger management and conflict resolutions would appear to have escaped the plantation known as The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Court cases are reported daily. Boyfriends and husbands are now, apparently, routinely beating girlfriends, especially the ex ones, for all sorts of purported reasons. Some inflict beatings because they suspect that their partners are being unfaithful. Others sexually abuse them by unwanted sexual intercourse. If they do not live together, the curfews and weekend lockdowns have persuaded many Bahamian
males to suspect the worst, especially if a vehicle is parked in the front of the abode. Tens of thousands of Bahamians are currently unemployed and have been so for months. I am sure that the financial pressures are unbearable. Children are out of the physical classrooms. Persons with medical needs find it difficult to access the medical facilities available. The hurricane season is still upon us and the beat goes on. Blame it all on COVID19 and the response by the FNM administration or someone or something else. The fact of the matter is that Bahamians are now financially and mentally near the edge of the bays and the slightest sneeze will send all of you over into the Valley of Dry Bones looming below. We are all on edge
and will bap at another person at the drop of a hat. You have a fender bender more than likely the other driver or even you, will storm out of your vehicle and get right up in his/her face. Violence on both sides then ensues. Churches are basically inoperable so the wholesome religious communal support is missing. Results? Everybody is screwed up to the maximum and it would be good to stay out of their way. I submit, that most of us already had financial and mental issues when Dorian passed through last year. Now with COVID-19 unless The Lord helps us we will continue to get down to the level of the fittest of the strong. To God then, in all things, be the glory. Jr
ORTLAND H BODIE, Nassau, November 7, 2020.
Why I backed Donald Trump EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Republican Party’s standard bearer President Donald Trump only secured 217 electoral college votes compared to President-elect Joe Biden’s 290, paving the way for the former Delaware Senator to become the 46th president of the United States. Obviously upset at the election results, the Trump camp continues its stone walling tactics, not willing to concede defeat to Biden. During the first presidential debate on September 29 at the Samson Pavilion of the Health Campus, Trump pretty much sidestepped Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace’s repeated questions about denouncing the Proud Boys, a group labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre and the Anti-Defamation League. In addition to speaking out against the desecration and removal of Confederate monuments, Trump’s refusal to condemn far right groups suspected of being white supremacists, I believe, is the main reason he lost to Biden. Left-leaning social analysts have alleged that the alleged murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner are violent reactions to the presidency of Barack Obama, the first Black man to sit in the Oval
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Office. The Proud Boys seemed to have interpreted the Trump 2016 campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, as a rallying cry to reintroduce government sanctioned Jim Crow policies. With the murder of George Floyd on May 25 over an alleged fake $20 bill in Minneapolis, in addition to violent protests across the United States over police brutality and systemic racism, the Trump campaign was unable to overcome the propaganda by Black Lives Matter spin doctors that he is prejudiced against African Americans and other ethnic minorities. And making matters worse were African American conservatives Candace Owens and Jesse Lee Peterson airing George Floyd’s dirty laundry in public, with the apparent aim of rationalising bad police behaviour towards African Americans. Both Lee and Owens have repeatedly expressed condescending views about the African American community, with the latter publicly refusing to acknowledge Biden as the president-elect. I think this was a turn-off to many ethnic minorities who otherwise would’ve supported Trump due to
the phenomenal job he did in growing the American economy and defending his country. As a Black Bahamian conservative, I supported Trump wholeheartedly, notwithstanding the many gaffes he committed. With his selection of Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court, I was hoping that Trump’s re-election would bring about the toppling of the 1973 Roe v Wade legislation, which is responsible for the murders of over 50 million babies. I don’t believe Trump is a racist. After all, retired neurosurgeon Dr Ben Carson was a member of his Cabinet. Trump was probably pandering to far-right racist groups as a tactical political strategy to win the election when he defended white Americans who took umbrage to the desecration of Confederate monuments. It backfired. Trump could’ve easily won his re-election bid had he publicly distanced himself from the Proud Boys and condemned racism. By refusing to do so, he unwittingly played right into the hands of Black Lives Matter – an organisation that skillfully played the race card in the lead up to Election Day. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, November 12, 2020.
Entry requirements EDITOR, The Tribune.
MY WIFE and I are and have been permanent residents of The Bahamas for the past 23 years. We spend our summers in British Columbia in Canada and seven-eight months in The Bahamas. We left The Bahamas in May this year and would like to return soon so have been keeping abreast of the entry requirements, which seem to change weekly. At this point we need a negative COVID-19 test upon entry which cannot be older than five days from the date of the test. I was looking at the Bahamas government’s web site which also says that a medical visa, including the COVID-19 test results, must be e-mailed to the government at least
72 hours before entry. As this requires us to send the COVID-19 test results three days in advance of our proposed entry, it only leaves us two days to receive the test results and send them to the Bahamian government. Our problem is that the British Columbia government will not allow anyone to get a COVID-19 test for solely travel purposes and has officially decreed that message. As a result of this there are now two private clinics which will provide a COVID-19 test for $400 per test, but will not guarantee to get your results to you within 48 hours. The clinics are also not in our city of Victoria so we have to travel to Vancouver to get the tests, knowing we may not get the results in time to meet the Bahamian
entry requirements. So we have to gamble about $1,200 for the tests and air travel to Vancouver and back not knowing if we will get timely results which will allow us to get back to The Bahamas. The Bahamian government could alleviate this by allowing seven not five days for a valid COVID-19 test result, or stating that the COVID-19 test results could be e-mailed to them within 24 hours, not 72 hours which is the requirement now. We understand and agree with the requirements for re-entry but these may prevent us, and many others from coming back to our home in The Bahamas. RODGER BANISTER Canada, November 14, 2020.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 16, 2020, PAGE 7
Rand hospital rebuilding ‘nearly complete’ By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net KWASI Thompson, State Minister for Grand Bahama, has indicated that major rebuilding of “a new Rand Memorial Hospital” is nearly completed and should “see some normalcy” by late November. “While this will not be a new hospital it most certainly will be a new Rand Memorial Hospital,” he said. In his report to the nation on Thursday, the minister gave a detailed update on the hospital and the
progress of the construction underway there. He reported that the COVID-19 Isolation Unit at the Rand’s Medical Surgical Ward 3 is completed and will be occupied this week. “Each room can occupy up to two patients, is fully furnished with beds, tables and equipped with oxygen outlets in the event a patient is in need. This will have a total of seven more beds for COVID-19 patients,” he said. The minister said the fight is still on and that Grand Bahama must do its part to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“We must not let our guards down,” he said, urging residents to continue to wear their masks, sanitise, and practice social distancing, and to not gather in large crowds. Mr Thompson applauded the doctors, nurses, police, and other frontline responders in the community, and particularly the Grand Bahama COVID-19 Task Force, headed by Dr. Greg Bartlett. “I thank you for the hard work and continued dedication,” he said. “I must also commend the efforts of residents of Grand Bahama for your discipline and responsibility, but it is also
important to acknowledge that we are still fighting the pandemic and must all collectively do our part to keep the numbers down.” The Rand was among several government structures that suffered damage following the passage of Dorian last September. It had sustained damage to about 80 percent of the building due to blackwater intrusion – water mixed with sewage – and subsequent mold overgrowth. “One of the most crucial structures that required a major rebuilding effort was the Rand Memorial Hospital,” said Mr
Thompson. “Construction workers have been working tirelessly to complete rebuilding of the hospital.” The Prime Minister had announced that $21 million has been allocated for the Rand Memorial Hospital. According to Mr Minister Thompson, the kitchen cafeteria building has been substantially completed with furniture and is being utilised while the cafeteria is 90 percent completed. He said that much development has been done in the main hospital section of the building. The main corridors, pharmacy, foyer, and paediatrics area will be ready for occupancy within
the next two weeks. The main hospital’s entrance will include a new portico which is now ready for paving, and arriving patients will have access to be dropped off directly at the front door from the protection of inclement weather. Some of the highlights of the newly rebuilt hospital he mentioned include a new isolation centre, pharmacy, paediatric ward, ICU, surgical ward and a new medical ward. Minister Thompson said there are approximately 150 Bahamian workers involved in the hospital’s reconstruction.
PARTYGOERS FINED FOR BREAKING THE RULES from page one
to stop that. The organisers were cited and a number of other persons were cited as well.” Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has repeatedly warned residents against large gatherings because of the ability of COVID-19 to quickly spread at such events. “While I am pleased that most Bahamians are listening to the public health advice, a number of us are still engaging in high-risk behaviour such as getting together for parties,” he said recently. “I want to again
discourage large social gatherings and parties. We are able to relax or we must implement more restrictive measures depending on what we do together to limit the spread of COVID19, which you see from the news is still very much out of control in many countries of the world.” Authorities have been fining people $500 for failing to socially distance and it is not uncommon for violators to receive more than one citation for breaking various COVID-19 rules. To date, Bimini has recorded 63 confirmed COVID-19 cases, more than any other island except New Providence, Grand
Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma. The country’s first confirmed COVID-19 death was recorded on Bimini and that island experienced the strictest lockdown of any island in the country to date when, for two weeks in May, all agencies, businesses and establishments were ordered to close except law enforcement agencies, the clinic, the island administrator’s food distribution team and healthcare workers conducting home visits to those needing medical or therapeutic care. Bimini last recorded a case of COVID-19 on November 11th. Two cases were confirmed that day.
COUNSELLING FOR MAN FOUND WITH DRUGS By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man who was found with a quantity of marijuana in his car was on Friday ordered to attend drug counselling classes. Police arrested Zevargo Gaitor after they found a marijuana cigarette along with a quantity of loose marijuana in his vehicle on November 12. He pleaded guilty during a hearing before Magistrate Ambrose Armbrister.
The prosecution said that officers on patrol observed Gaitor driving his Honda Fit vehicle in a suspicious manner. When officers searched Gaitor’s car, they found the suspected marijuana along with a partially smoked marijuana joint in the driver’s door of the vehicle. Gaitor was arrested and taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit. In an interview with police there, he admitted the offence. Gaitor told the magistrate he had just been released from prison and
had picked up his smoking habit while he was incarcerated. He said he wanted to apologise for his actions and insisted he would not make the same mistake again if he were given a second chance. Magistrate Armbrister granted him a conditional discharge on the understanding he would attend drug rehabilitation counselling for six months. He warned Gaitor if he did not comply with the conditions of his release, he would be fined $1,500 or sentenced to 12 months in prison.
TOO MUCH TO DRINK LANDS PAIR IN COURT
By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO men who acted in a disorderly fashion at a police station while under the influence of alcohol were ordered to keep the peace for one year on Friday. Josae Renalson, 20, and Antonio Newry, 37, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after they were accused of disorderly behaviour at the Marathon Mall police
station on November 9. The court was told that officers saw the two accused being escorted from Marathon Mall by the establishment’s head of security. When police tried to assist, Renalson and Newry began acting in a disorderly manner. The prosecution said the defendants, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, were told to calm down, but refused to do so. They were then taken to the mall’s police
station, where they continued to act in a disorderly manner. As a result, Renalson and Newry were cautioned and charged with the offence. After pleading guilty on Friday, both accused were bound over to keep the peace for one year. Magistrate McKinney said that if they they failed to do so, they would each be fined $150 or ordered to spend three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
COURT ORDER FOR WOULD-BE CAR PART THIEF By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN who attempted to steal a part from a woman’s car was bound over to keep the peace for one year on Friday. Police arrested Samuel Pierre, 25, after he tried to steal the catalytic converter of Sandra Cooke’s Toyota Camry on November 10. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted stealing during a hearing before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.
The court heard that Ms Cooke saw Pierre under her car appearing to be moving something. She told police she had not given anyone permission to do so, so she approached the accused and questioned him. When she did, Pierre told her he had the right to remove the part because the car did not belong to anybody. He then jumped into his vehicle and drove off. After Ms Cooke filed an official complaint with police, Pierre was arrested. In an interview, he admitted to the offence.
Pierre told the magistrate he was “terribly sorry” for what he had done. He claimed someone had told him he could carry the car, but said it turned out that the vehicle did not belong to the person who gave him permission to do so. Magistrate McKinney accepted the accused’s guilty plea. Pierre was bound over to keep the peace for a year. Magistrate McKinney said if he failed to do so, he would be fined $500 or sentenced to three months behind bars.
POLICE SEEK HELP AFTER BODY FOUND By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A SENIOR police official has appealed to the public to assist them with investigations into the discovery of a badly decomposed body was found in Queen’s Cove on Thursday evening. Supt Terecita Pinder said police are unable to identify the victim and are asking members of the public with missing relatives or loved
ones to come forward to authorities. According to reports, shortly after 4pm on Thursday police were alerted to the discovery of the body on a track road at Queen’s Cove. Supt Pinder said officers went to investigate and discovered a man’s badly decomposed body. “We cannot determine the identity of the person and what caused his death, and so we await the pathologist’s report to determine the cause of
death,” she said. “We are also requesting that members of the public who may have a missing person or a loved one that has not been home for a while to please notify the Criminal Investigation Department so that we can come to a conclusion as to who the person is that died here.” Meanwhile, police have released the identity of a man found dead at a house in Deadman’s Reef, Section F on November 2. He was 52-year-old James Wilson.
ROTARY assistant governor Ken Strachan speaking to the media.
REBUILDING EFFORT GOES ON IN ABACO ROTARY Bahamas Disaster Relief is packing a container full of humanitarian help The group unveiled its branded shipping container to the public on Thursday, which was recently secured to assist with the shipment of building materials. These materials are being transported to Abaco on a regular basis to be used in the committee’s home restoration project on that island. The project, which began on June 22, was launched to help residents of Abaco to repair and rebuild their homes, which were severely damaged by Hurricane Dorian.
In the first phase of the project, the disaster committee helped 27 homeowners with various of repairs to their homes. Phase two of the project is under way with the goal of helping to restore 100 homes. The container was secured as a result of collaborative efforts with Betty K Agencies, Pinder’s Customs Brokerage, Bahamas Waste and its group of companies and Wizard Signs. The value of the container is about $12,000. Donations for the continued work can be made through RotaryBahamas. org.
COMEDIAN ACCUSED OF BREAKING WINDOW By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
JEREMY Archer will appear before a Supreme Court judge and jury to determine whether he threw a stone that broke the window of a business establishment last month.
The 37-year-old street comedian was accused of damaging the 11” by 9” glass window pane of the Auditor General’s office on October 27. After the charge was read to him on Friday, Archer elected to have his case heard in the Supreme Court. Magistrate Ambrose
Armbrister then told the accused that preliminary inquiries would be made into the matter. In the interim, Archer was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
WE NEED TO WISE UP BLIND ALLEGIANCE TO PARTIES WHO PROVIDE NO SOLUTIONS GETS US NOWHERE
By MALCOLM STRACHAN IDENTITY politics has been around long before my time and will be around for much longer. However, it may be high time for us to question how it has helped us as Bahamians. If you ask a Bahamian which political party they support, in most instances, they will not
hesitate to tell you, “I is a PLP” or “I is a FNM”. For a country of people facing major problems, it is disconcerting we don’t examine our thought processes in this regard. Despite forces beyond our control such as natural disasters or a global health crisis, I fear the way we elect our leaders will largely remain the same. What have we gained by being so predictable when
election time rolls around? A vote – something so personal and powerful – is relegated to a form of black-market currency for one person to make a marginal gain compared with what the nation requires. For some, a vote is given to either of the two major political parties for even less. Whether it is nostalgia or disdain about the Pindling and Papa-eras,
Bahamians have become far less concerned about what’s best for the country and more interested in being part of a group. Somehow, our identities as Bahamians got lost or were never understood to begin with. The average Bahamian can tell you little about the history of our country, much less give a cogent reason as to why they support their political party.
This notion of “I is a PLP” or “I is an FNM” – a complete dismissal of who we are as Bahamian people - is at the very core of our stunted development. The standard for which politicians would see as a benchmark is lowered and Bahamians who truly love their country and want to throw their hat in the ring are disenchanted with the idea of towing a party line and feel as though there are no seats for them at the table. It’s why independent candidates have slim to no chance of being elected to Parliament. It’s why third parties swing elections rather than win them. Even after a resounding rejection of the Progressive Liberal Party in 2017, the Minnis administration faces an uphill battle to be the first two-term government since Ingraham led the Free National Movement to back-to-back election victories in 1992 and 1997. Certainly, people make their jibes about the PLP led by Philip “Brave” Davis and Chester Cooper, but I can assure you, the prospect of them forming the next government is no laughing matter. Just looking at the political climate, it’s not hard to tell. With devastating hurricanes in 2017 and 2019, coupled with the enormous challenges as a result of the coronavirus, the FNM government has had no shortage of adversity. Add to that, the VAT increase and a number of undelivered campaign promises such as the full roll-out of the Freedom of Information Act, and evidence of the hurdles of the FNM being re-elected is clear. Something we’ve long failed to appreciate is the opportunity to govern a country isn’t an act of charity. It must be earned – or at least it should be. What we’ve typically seen is an electorate so resentful of its government that they vote in their next suitor without any qualification. Rather, it is just an act of retribution for any number of difficulties and frustration under their predecessor’s
leadership. What’s unfortunate for Dr Minnis and company is that there has been much difficulty and frustration to go around. No doubt, as many people discount their national identity for their political identity, there will still be those that support the government despite how hard life has been – just because they cannot stomach the idea of voting for any other political party, namely, the PLP. Thankfully, though, hope lies in the evolving dynamics as voters are educating themselves more. While this may be a small segment of Bahamians realising the power in their vote and the strength in uniting as Bahamians, one day, we can be assured that things will change. We should also be grateful that while we have impeded our growth tremendously in this manner, the divisive nature of identity politics has never devolved to the point of violence or hatred against our brothers and sisters. From Nazi Germany to Trump’s America, we have examples, past and present, of how ugly things can get when citizens identify with a subgrouping rather than being open-minded to a multitude of perspectives and diverse thinking. We are not where we want to be yet, but we are thankfully not where we could be given the level of intense stress Bahamians experience daily. The issues our country is facing are vast and the traditional approaches to solving our societal, economic and health challenges will not sustain us in a current or post-pandemic world. We are going to be forced to change one way or another. Such a change will need to occur from the bottom up as Bahamian citizens around the length and breadth of the country will need to understand the state of play and mature politically. We are full of bright minds here at home and in the diaspora – not solely in the PLP and FNM. We need to remember that.
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020 PAGE 9
What climate, conch salad and the land have to do with knowledge of self and freedom By NIAMBI HALL CAMPBELL-DEAN, PhD. Epistemology: “the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.” - Merriam Webster Dictionary Worldview: “a structure of philosophical assumptions, values, and principles upon which a way of perceiving the world is based.” - Montgomery, Fine, & James-Myers, L. (1990). Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality. - Malcolm X I LEFT The Bahamas for college when I was 17 years old with the belief I was fully prepared to interact with all of my new American colleagues. After all, I had been raised on American TV and read all of The Baby-Sitters Club books. I was confident in my ability to master the American slang and therefore able to eliminate any errors in communication. I was ready for America and was sure of it. Imagine my surprise then, when during my first full week at university, practically no one could understand me. I was constantly being asked to repeat myself and it was frustrating. There were words they did not know like “sprying” which I assumed every English speaking person used with relative frequency. The differences in language and speech were big, but now everything in America seemed a little bit different and that shocked me. For example, they ate grits but I couldn’t find a yellow grit to save my life. It was a difference I was not prepared for, but one that my soul recognised even though I did not yet have the language to articulate how. Indeed, I would not have the language to express this knowing until I entered the Afrocentric Graduate Psychology programme at Florida A&M University. There, under the tutelage of Dr Kobi Kambon I learned about worldviews, cultural paradigms and ideologies. I began to understand that the Bahamian usage
In the first of a series of articles compiled by the University of The Bahamas - entitled the Mangrove Series - writers take a critical look at what it is that we value as a Bahamian people and the risks that a changing climate poses to these treasures. The series was inspired by the mandate issued to “From Dat Time”: The Oral & Public History Institute of University of The Bahamas in 2012 to document and disseminate the Bahamian story in the face of generational demise and climate threats. of terms like “God willing” was a recognition that ontologically, the true nature of our reality is a spiritual one in which material things have limited control. I was able to piece together that it was a Bahamian axiology of valuing people that ensures that a person is fed when they visit your home. An epistemology, a way of perceiving knowledge, that understands that we go in the bush for cerasee to break a fever instead of over the counter for a pharmaceutical drug and a cosmology that innately structures the universe as an orderly space thereby eliminating the need to rush, living in time rather than on it. These elements are the foundational aspects of our worldview. Separately, they may not appear unique to a Bahamian experience but when each is taken and mixed like conch salad in our contexts, what emerges is undeniably “who we is”. This mix, this group of seemingly insignificant fabrics of Bahamian life, this knowing, is what I value and it is exactly these intangibles that are in danger of being lost due to climate change. (Conch itself, is also in danger but that loss and all its implications are a connected but separate issue). With climate change, the reality is we will all have to leave The Bahamas as our entire archipelago is at risk of one day becoming a nation of climate refugees. The tragedy is that unlike when I went to school, we will not be able to return Home because there will be no Home to come back to and the value of what the ocean will reclaim will be lost. The tragedy still is that I had to leave to get me.
At 17, I did not know how Bahamian I was because this knowing was not made salient until it was placed into comparison with an Other. It was this uniqueness, this mix and this worldview however that was and is our power. So, when tasked to write about what I, as a Bahamian psychologist, value that is at danger of being lost to climate change, I choose our Bahamian worldview. Specifically, our epistemology because how we come to know ourselves is the key to our liberation. It is our identity. I value that spry is a real and valid meteorological term, that real grits should be as yellow as the sun and that no matter where in the world a Bahamian resides, Home, always refers to that special little pile of over 700 islands, rocks and cays, right off the coast of Florida and above Cuba and Hispaniola. I value this knowing but am deeply saddened by the thought that we may not have enough time to recognise, en masse, that this knowing, this epistemology is what we must use to emancipate ourselves and this epistemology cannot be separated from the land. This is the emancipation that Marcus Garvey identifies as that which will emancipate ourselves from mental slavery. Free to decolonise and navigate all of these spaces, both above and below the ocean, as our own. Free to truly love our black selves and trust them and honour them without limits, fear or boundaries. Free to know who we are and to be that without apology. This freedom, both psychological and tangible is predicated on the notion that if we know how we have come to believe, the things that we as a people believe, then we can begin to change the beliefs that no longer serve us. Beliefs that hold us hostage to foreign values of beauty and worth, foreign concepts of power and even what it means to be human. This work requires a knowing of this land and, for me this work required the perspective gained from leaving and returning to this land. With the advent of climate
‘The tragedy still is that I had to leave to get me. At 17, I did not know how Bahamian I was because this knowing was not made salient until it was placed into comparison with an Other. It was this uniqueness, this mix and this worldview however that was and is our power.’ Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean PhD
change, the land is at stake of being lost and with it is the perspective of being able to return. Climate change may threaten our ability to do this work, but our ability to do this work is what is needed to guard against the impacts of climate change. Let’s use conch salad as an example. Conch and conch salad are an integral part of the Bahamian diet, lifestyle and ethos yet the majority of young Bahamians do not perceive the art of making conch salad as valuable, or an avenue with which to be profitable. They eat conch salad on a weekly basis but take for granted that when they want it, that it will be available to them. What is not considered is who is making
the salad, what makes this dish so simple yet uniquely delicious, where the conch comes from to make the salad and how that conch is sourced. If the dish was truly valued then the answer to these questions would be readily available on the lips of every Bahamian and every Bahamian would know how to measure the maturity of a conch by evaluating its lip size. This would be an important tool in ensuring the use of mature conch only thereby allowing baby conch to grow. Conch can only grow, however, in healthy sea beds and they are in danger of extinction in part because of climate change. Recognising this, my husband and I initiated the
King of The Conch Expo in 2017 with the theme of “setting our culture free”. The idea was to promote conchservation by highlighting how valuable and exciting our culture is through a conch salad making competition. It was a mammoth task but an example of how knowing who we are as a people can create opportunities and produce efforts to use our resources in a sustainable way. King of the Conch also demonstrated that we can work to mitigate these changes using a Bahamian epistemology! One in which we know ourselves, by ourselves, for ourselves – because if we don’t, then what will being a Bahamian really mean and how will we ever know?
PAGE 10 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
The world waiting to breathe normally again World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
CARIBBEAN Community (CARICOM) countries should by now have worked out a strategy for securing the early attention of US President-elect, Joe Biden, and the team working on his transition into the White House and to the helm of government. This has not happened. The usual practices and traditions associated with transitioning from one administration to another after a presidential election have not been observed. President Trump has not conceded the election. His Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, told a news conference: “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration”. At best, Pompeo’s remarks can be interpreted as conviction that Trump’s threatened legal challenges of the elections will prevail. But 17 lawsuits filed in various state and federal courts have not disproven the legitimacy of the votes cast or the voting process. They have also not substantiated allegations that Trump’s election observers didn’t have access to the counting of votes or that mail-in ballots were fraudulently cast. Amid these unproven allegations, the results from the declared states show Biden has already won 279 votes in the Electoral College. On December 14, the
electors from each of the states will gather, as the College, to declare the 46th President of the United States. Biden needed only 270 votes. His election is, therefore, a foregone conclusion. Yet, Biden and his team have been denied the normal support and engagement by the incumbent administration, including offices at which they can be reached. Only limited contact has been possible with Biden’s election campaign office which is not equipped to handle the flood of communications from around the world. CARICOM countries are not alone in not being able to engage Biden and his team. Every other country and region is facing a similar situation. A pause has occurred across the globe as governments and the citizens of their countries watch in bewilderment as the United States pitches from one bizarre uncertainty to another. This situation undermines the standing of the United States in the world, but it also delays global action at a time when it is much needed. It makes global planning and actions difficult, underscoring the pivotal role that the US plays in all aspects of international life. What the US government says and does in the
SECRETARY of State Mike Pompeo speaking during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington last week. After refusing to acknowledge President Donald Trump’s loss in last week’s election, Pompeo headed overseas on a trip to Europe and the Middle East where leaders have all congratulated former vice president Joe Biden for his victory. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP world matters. But US positions change on many issues when administrations change. For instance, Biden and Trump have vastly different attitudes to global issues such as Climate Change, the development
of oil and gas as against renewable energy, and multilateral cooperation rather than unilateral action. In this connection, governments and international agencies need to talk early with any incoming US administration not only to get an appreciation of its policies and priorities, but also to present their own views for consideration. It is no secret that some of Joe Biden’s declared policies coincide more closely with those of Caribbean governments than President Trump’s. Among those policies are Climate Change and an effective multilateral system. Much has been made by some commentators about the potential for trade and aid between CARICOM and the US under a Biden administration. However, not much is likely to change on either front. The United States is the greater beneficiary of trade with CARICOM. In 2019, the US enjoyed a trade surplus with the 14 independent CARICOM countries of $8.1bn. For the first ten months of 2020, the US trade surplus already stands at $5bn, notwithstanding the effects of COVID-19 on CARICOM economies. These are not aberrations; they are perennial. US aid to the CARICOM area in 2019 was a mere 0.0095 percent of its
aid to the world. Of the $298.8m provided to all 14 CARICOM countries, $236m went to Haiti alone. The remaining 13 countries divided $62m, with Jamaica getting the lion’s share of $28m or 44.5 percent of it. Eight countries got less than $2m each, mostly to stop drugs from transiting the Caribbean to the US. It is on other issues that CARICOM countries should seek a beneficial arrangement with a Biden administration, principally Climate Change which poses an existential threat to the region. CARICOM countries have faced resistance from the present US government to every attempt they have made to gain remedial attention to the calamitous effects that Climate Change has on them. Not surprisingly, CARICOM governments would like early contact with representatives of the Biden team to set out their peculiar concerns. Beyond this urgent issue, substance needs to be given to the mantra that the Caribbean is the “third border” of the US. The Caribbean cannot provide security to the US from drugs, organised crime, refugees, and instability on its doorstep unless the region is itself secure. To achieve that security, the economies of CARICOM countries need to be strengthened so that
they increase employment and reduce poverty and crime. Their debt has to be rescheduled with aged ones forgiven, especially now when their economies are battered by COVID-19; their vulnerabilities have to be recognised and factored into their eligibility for concessional financing from international agencies; the myth of CARICOM countries being ‘major money launderers’ also has to be dispelled and restrictions on correspondent banking relations have to be lifted. These are issues of mutual benefit to the US and CARICOM countries that should be placed before President-elect Biden and his team as they prepare to take office and make policy decisions. Other regions of the world have their own agenda for discussion. The world waits for an end to the US imbroglio so that it can breathe again. • Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.
DEATH NOTICE
Mr. Orion Knowles, 17, resident of Waldorf, Maryland, formerly of Nassau, Bahamas passed away on October 29th, 2020 in UM Charles Regional Medical Center, Maryland, USA. Left to cherish his memory are his parents: Vicki Hall and Jesse Knowles; sisters: Jessica Knowles and Cindi Edwards; grandparents: Charles and Deborah Hall, numerous aunts and uncles and other relatives and friends. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at Evangelistic Temple on Collins Avenue on Saturday, November 21st, 2020 at 11 am.
THE TRIBUNE
TAXI, PLEASE!
Monday, November 16, 2020, PAGE 11 A FALCON 9 SpaceX rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule is seen during a time exposure as it lifts off yesterday. Photo: John Raoux/AP
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida Associated Press SPACEX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station yesterday on the first fullfledged taxi flight for NASA by a private company. The Falcon rocket thundered into the night from Kennedy Space Center with three Americans and one Japanese, the second crew to be launched by SpaceX. The Dragon capsule on top — named Resilience by its crew in light of this year's many challenges, most notably COVID-19 — reached orbit nine minutes later. It is due to reach the space station late today and remain there until spring. “By working together through these difficult times, you've inspired the nation, the world, and in no small part the name of this incredible vehicle, Resilience,” Commander Mike Hopkins said right before liftoff. Once reaching orbit, he radioed: “That was one heck of a ride.” Sidelined by the coronavirus himself, SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk was forced to monitor the action from afar. He tweeted that he “most likely” had a moderate case of COVID-19. NASA policy at Kennedy Space Center requires anyone testing positive for coronavirus to quarantine and remain isolated.
Trump seems to admit Biden won vote - but won’t concede WASHINGTON Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald Trump yesterday appeared to acknowledge for the first time that Joe Biden won the White House, but made clear he would not concede and would keep trying to overturn the election result. Trump’s statements came in tweets that included several baseless claims about the November 3 vote, which state and federal officials say was safe and secure. Trump, without using Biden’s name, tweeted that “He won,” something Trump had not said before publicly, though he said the Democrat’s victory was only “in the eyes” of the media. Biden defeated Trump by winning back a trio of battleground states that switched from the Democratic column in 2016 — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — and topped the 270 electoral vote threshold to clinch the presidency. Biden so far has 78.8 million votes, the most ever by a winning candidate, to Trump’s total — more than 73 million. “If the president’s prepared to begin to recognise that reality, that’s positive,” said Biden’s incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain. Still, Klain said, “Donald Trump’s Twitter feed doesn’t make Joe Biden president or not president. The American people did that.” A Republican governor said “it was good actually” to see Trump’s tweet that Biden won. “I think that’s
the start of an acknowledgment... We want to make sure that there is a smooth transition,” said Arkansas’ Asa Hutchinson. The president has previously refused to accept the results of the election and, in a later tweet Sunday, he dug in again, saying, “I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go.” Even while seemingly acknowledging Biden’s victory, he also argued without evidence that the former vice president only won because the election was “rigged”. Trump then made unsubstantiated complaints about access for poll watchers and about vote tabulations and asserted, “WE WILL WIN!” Twitter soon posted warning labels about the tweets. There has been no widespread fraud in the 2020 election. In fact, election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities. Trump’s campaign has tried to mount legal challenges across the country, but many of the lawsuits have been thrown out and none has included any evidence that the outcome might be reversed. Former President Barack Obama, in an interview yesterday on CBS’ “60 Minutes”, said he would remind Trump that, as president, he is a public servant and a temporary occupant of the office. “And when your time is up then it is your job to
put the country first and think beyond your own ego, and your own interests, and your own disappointments,” Obama said. “My advice to President Trump is, if you want at this late stage in the game to be remembered as somebody who put country first, it’s time for you to do the same thing.” Obama also criticised Republicans going along with Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud. “I’m more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials who clearly know better are going along with this, are humoring him in this fashion. It is one more step in delegitimising not just the incoming Biden administration, but democracy generally. And that’s a dangerous path,” he said. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, Trump has neither called Biden nor made a formal concession, and White House officials have insisted that they are preparing for a second term. In comments on Friday in the Rose Garden about a coronavirus vaccine, Trump said his administration would “not be going to a lockdown” to slow the spread of COVID-19, and added that “whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration it will be? I guess time will tell.” John Bolton, a former Trump national security adviser, said it was important for party leaders to explain to voters that Trump did lose and that his claims of election fraud are baseless.
PERU IN TURMOIL AS PRESIDENT RESIGNS LIMA, Peru Associated Press PERU’S interim president resigned yesterday as the nation plunged into its worst constitutional crisis in two decades following massive protests unleashed when Congress ousted the nation’s popular leader. In a short televised
address, Manuel Merino said Congress acted within the law when he was sworn into office as chief of state on Tuesday, despite protesters’ allegations that legislators had staged a parliamentary coup. “I, like everyone, want what’s best for our country,” he said. The politician agreed to
step down after a night of unrest in which two young protesters were killed and half his Cabinet resigned. Peruvians cheered the decision, waving their nation’s red and white flag on the streets of Lima and chanting “We did it!” But there is still no clear playbook for what comes next.
BRITISH PM IN ISOLATION AFTER VIRUS CONTACT LONDON Associated Press
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolating after being told he came into contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said yesterday.
“He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic,” a statement from his office said. Johnson “is well and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19”, it added.
Johnson met with a small group of lawmakers for about a half-hour on Thursday, including one who subsequently and tested positive. In April, Johnson was hospitalised in intensive care for three nights after contracting COVID-19.