On Friday afternoon, April 3rd, 2020, Prime Minister The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, at a 5pm national press conference hosted at the Ministry of Health, announced a nationwide lockdown to last through the weekend, until Monday morning, April 6th, 2020. He was followed by Minister of Health, the Hon. Dr. Duane Sands who gave an update on the status of the COVID-19 situation in the country to date. See both presentations and a link to the new Emergency Orders below:
EMERGENCY POWERS (COVID 19) (LOCKDOWN) ORDER, 2020
Statement by Prime Minister The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis (Friday, April 3rd, 2020):
“Good afternoon:
I want to begin my brief statement by expressing condolences to the family and friends of the two COVID-19 patients who have passed away.
We pray for the dead and their families during this time of grief and sorrow.
After my remarks health officials will provide you with more information.
As I said repeatedly, physical distancing remains one of the most important ways to protect one’s health and the health of others.
There are still too many people on the road and going out and about.
Unfortunately, some people are not taking this seriously. We have stepped police enforcement including in hot spots.
I once again repeat to Family Island residents to stay at home and not to visit other settlements or communities.
Because there is a surge and community spread, the Government has decided, based on the advice of health officials that effective 8pm tonight, Friday the 3rd of April, a complete shutdown of all services will be implemented until Monday the 6th of April at 5am.
The only personnel not affected by the complete shutdown are:
• hospitals,
• hotels with guests
• the Royal Bahamas Police Force
• the Royal Bahamas Defence Force
• the OPBAT operations • and essential workers at BPL • and Water and Sewerage.
Let me also note that the ferries which operate between Abaco and various Abaco Cays are also restricted from operating during this period.
At 5am on Monday, April 6, 2020, the previous 24-hour-curfew, including the previous exemptions will be back in effect.
I have consulted with the Leader of the Opposition, who has also agreed with these necessary measures, which are designed to limit the spread of the various and to save lives and to protect health.
I note that a number of countries have implemented such necessary restrictions.
We are in a fight to protect lives. These restrictions are absolutely necessary. I implore you to follow the advice of health officials. The life that you protect and may save may be your own or that of a loved one, a friend, a neighbor and your fellow Bahamians.
We are in this fight together.
The physical distancing measures are critical in this fight. Please stay at home!
If you want to live, “Stay at Home”
If you choose to die, don’t take our Healthcare workers and others with you.
This virus can harm, or kill any one of any age. It does not discriminate!
I will provide a further update, when the House of Assembly meets on Monday, at 10:00 a.m. the 6th of April.”
—
Statement by Minister of Health the Hon. Dr. Duane Sands (Friday, April 3rd, 2020):
“Good afternoon,
As the Prime Minister mentioned, we sadly had two overnight COVID-19 deaths of hospitalised patients in The Bahamas. I want to begin by expressing my condolences and those of our health team to the families of the deceased. Our prayers are with you in these most difficult times. The Ministry of Health confirmed earlier today that the deaths of two hospitalized COVID-19 patients occurred overnight. The deceased patients included a 67-year-old female and a 79-year-old male. Investigations are being conducted into the details surrounding the cases. Contact tracing continues.
To date, there are 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in The Bahamas. Eighteen in New Providence, 5 in Grand Bahama and 1 from Bimini. The majority of the cases are stable. Some are very ill. A total of 281 tests have been carried out. The pandemic is serious. Dr. Dahl-Regis informed the country on March 26 that we were in our surge period. The virus is here. It is spreading in our communities. COVID-19 has killed more than fifty-five thousand people worldwide. As there is no vaccine for this virus and no proven treatments, we have put in place public health measures to protect you – to save lives.
Our advice is summarized in these words: Stay at home! I repeat, stay at home! Only go out for essential items, or if you are an essential services worker, during the prescribed times by the Emergency Orders. Physical distancing is one of our great weapons in this fight. When out, maintain physical distancing. Stay three to six feet apart from others.
For households, it is wise to appoint a designated shopper. That person should go out to the store alone. Do not go out shopping as a family. Do not take children with you.
When at the store move quickly and keep your distance from others. Stores serving people essential items should ensure customers are physically distant when on lines to enter, or at checkout. We also recommend you seek out reputable online home grocery delivery options that have risen in popularity since this crisis. Having items delivered to your home limits exposure to others. And remember to wash your hands thoroughly often, and not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth unnecessarily. On the frontline of this battle against COVID-19 are our healthcare workers. Day and night they care for the sick, potentially exposing themselves to the virus.
In some countries with large numbers of cases, healthcare workers make up a significant percentage of those infected. Losing healthcare workers in the midst of a surge has a catastrophic effect. Let me explain. If there are fewer trained people to administer care because they are sick, fewer people are treated and the quality of care diminishes. Consequently, more people die when health workers catch this virus and hospital systems become strained or collapse. We must protect our healthcare workers.
We are doing our part by ensuring they have the necessary personal protection equipment needed to treat patients. We have ensured that there is adequate IPC and PPE supplies in sufficient quantity for all those caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. The new Emergency Order has ended many non-emergency medical and dental services. Of the 24 confirmed cases, five are health workers. Additionally, more than 50 health care workers are currently in isolation or quarantine have been taken out of the system. This is a grave concern that 21 percent of our cases are health care workers.
This high percentage of exposure to our health workforce cannot continue, or we will find ourselves without enough workers in our army to wage a war against COVID-19. I need you to do your part to protect our healthcare workers and not to overburden the system. Those who have non-emergency needs should call their medical health professionals for assistance rather than coming in. Those with COVID-19-related questions should call our hotline. The procedure for emergency calls remains the same: call 911. We need Bahamians to only seek medical attention if it is necessary during this crisis. This is important.
We need our medical professionals to be safe. We need them to have time to help with the crisis. We need to free up our doctors, nurses and medical staff to attend to health matters.
Those who need care and suspect they have COVID-19 symptoms should advise medical professionals of this before coming in so they are prepared. All Bahamians should be proud of the men and women in our healthcare system. They are talented, dedicated and hardworking. They are doctors and nurses. Lab technicians and pharmacists. Cooks and orderlies. Security officers, receptionists, plumbers, janitors and engineers. They are administrative staff and communications specialists. There are so many people who make the system work. All of them help save lives.
They are working hard to protect you. I thank them and you should too. As a surgeon and as your Minister of Health your compliance with the measures we have set will determine how well we do over the next few weeks. Do not try to find loopholes. Do not try to sneak out. Do not go and hang out and a have a drink with friends. Do not go and visit friends and family. Those decisions could spread the virus. They could make you, your family and friends sick. Those decisions not to comply could lead to deaths. By know we all know about this pandemic. We all know about the virus. The questions are: Will we listen? Will we comply? Your compliance is what will defeat this virus. You staying at home, you following the Emergency Orders, you listening to public health advice, doing those things will defeat COVID-19.
This is not just a crisis unfolding on TV around the world. The virus is here. It is taking Bahamian lives. I need you to listen. I need you to stay at home. I need you to comply. Thank you, and good afternoon.”
Source:
The Bahamas Government
Office of the Prime Minister
