Category Archives: Bahamas

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Going into the fifth consecutive week of lockdowns in Grand Bahama, some residents are feeling a bit frustrated while others believe it is for the protection of all.

One Grand Bahama resident agrees the extended lockdowns are not comfortable, but the health and well-being of the country is a priority.

As a nation, we have to take precautions to protect every single person of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, she said. It is not a comfortable position to be in, however, our health and well-being come first.

On announcing the immediate full lockdown for New Providence on Monday evening - subsquently abandoned - The Prime Minister also extended the two-week lockdown to August 19, for another week in Grand Bahama, which will be entering its fifth-week lockdown.

The resident believes the government is acting within the provisions of the Bahamas Constitution concerning Emergency Powers COVID-19 Orders 2020.

I think we should stand together as a nation and support each other, and be very careful of how we look after our own health as well as others by complying with the Emergency Orders presented for the welfare of people by the government. That is the only way we will survive through this epidemic, she said.

An East Grand Bahama resident said a solution is needed to bring some balance to the current situation.

A solution must be administered that leaves rooms for economic activity while simultaneously taking safety into account, he said.

The resident believes that non-essential workers are the ones who are suffering.

While essential workers and decision-makers continue receiving paycheques rain or shine, the masses deemed non-essential empty out their bank accounts, lose businesses, default on loans, get evicted, cant feed their families, and more, he said.

A young male resident of Freeport hopes this is the final set of lockdowns.

I agree with this final set of lockdowns to stop people from moving about, but there must be a more creative way than lockdowns, he said.

The resident said that Hubcat monitoring for COVID positive persons should be implemented in GB, as well as the testing of swab samples in Freeport.

A resident of central Grand Bahama was very frustrated over the ongoing lockdowns.

She noted that many single parents, particularly mothers who are unemployed, and retired pensioners are being severely affected.

The majority of Bahamian people are living pay cheque to pay cheque at no fault of theirs. You cannot lock people up and do not expect for them to prepare. I dont see anyone being against the locking up if is it necessary, she said.

The resident said persons who are obeying the law should not be punished for those who are not, and spreading the virus.

They needto deal with the problematic people who are causing it. What are you going to do? Keep locking us down like a yo-yo? You have to address the issue of those who are not disciplined and control them.

The woman said that law-abiding citizens are becoming frustrated and irritated. Those found not following proper protocols should be arrested, jailed, or put under house arrest, she suggested.

Our nation has to move on, we are at a crossroads where we have no money, and every time we close down companies have to layoff people, she said.

The resident indicated that while the focus is on health, the lockdown situation is stressful and can lead to chronic conditions as well as anxiety, mental problems, and even suicides among healthy citizens.

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Frustration begins to show in Grand Bahama - Bahamas Tribune

EVEN with his thick, trademark eyebrows hidden by a pair of shades there is no mistaking the superstar smile of Sir Sean Connery.

But as he celebrates his 90th birthday today the man who James Bond fans say has never been bettered as 007 will be celebrating away from the glare of the cameras.

Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner

Not seen out in public for three years Connery has become a virtual recluse, determined to have nothing to do with showbusiness or the fictional spy who made him both rich and famous.

He rarely leaves a gated community in the Bahamas where he lives in splendid retirement with his second wife Micheline Roquebrune.

Once able to command eight figure fees for a movie role, the actor has given strict instructions to his agent to turn down all offers.

Instead he prefers to spend his days playing golf, which seems to have given him the unrefined joy that he never truly found making films.

The demanding actor grew frustrated by what he considered to be idiots in the industry.

He was said to have come close to blows with the director of his final movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in 2002.

AP:Associated Press

Jeff Rayner/Coleman-Rayner

On the sun kissed island of New Providence, which is a tax haven, the British knight is able to relax and is treated like royalty by staff at the Lyford Cay community.

There he is able to escape the shadow of Bond, the character he came to loathe even though he has repeatedly been voted the greatest actor to play 007.

The last time he was spotted away from the Bahamas was in New York 2017 when he seen needing a walking stick.

Alamy

Splash News

Notoriously private, Connery wont tolerate any friends or family speaking about him publicly.

But one source told The Sun: These days Sir Sean lives a very quiet lifestyle and just potters around, no one troubles him.

Its all set up for him there, all his needs are covered in the Bahamas.

He doesnt venture out of Lyford Cay much and has people visit him instead. He has become a bit of a recluse.

EPA

The perfectly manicured lawns, luxury bungalow with its own pool and high-level security are a long way from Connerys working-class beginnings.

Born to a lorry driver Joseph and cleaner Effie in Edinburgh his early jobs included milkman, artists model and coffin polisher before he found a career on the stage in London.

His rugged good looks, an athletic chest from bodybuilding and an ability to use his fists in a movie called Darby OGill and the Little People caught the attention of American producer Cubby Broccoli.

Broccoli had the rights to Ian Flemings Bond character and even though the writer didnt think Connery was sophisticated enough to play an English Commander, the relatively unknown Scotsman won the role.

Made for just 1million, Dr No was a massive hit in 1962 and Connery enjoyed the initial success.

He said: The first two or three were fun. The cast made it fun. Jumping out of planes was entertaining, although it was tough on my hairpiece.

The budget on Thunderball was more than the first three combined, but that didnt stop Connerys life being put in danger.

A plexiglass screen that was supposed to protect him from sharks was not big enough and the actor had to swim for it when they came after him.

Alamy

Kobal Collection - Rex Features

Connery hated all the attention which came with being the worlds most famous undercover agent.

People would say theres James Bond as he wandered down the street and he wanted to be known for being Sean Connery.

Fed up with the whole Bond thing he quit twice, first while making You Only Live Twice in 1967 and then after making Never Say Never Again in 1983.

His final outing as 007 was so troubled he refused to make a film for two years.

Martial artist turned actor Steven Seagal broke Connerys wrist choreographing a fight, while there were constant off screen legal and financial problems.

Alamy

A Bafta for The Name of the Rose in 1986 and a best supporting actor Oscar for The Untouchables in 1988 changed his mind about the business.

Now, the ageing actor was feted for his acting skills rather than his looks.

Other 80s hits such as Highlander and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade proved he could be more than Bond, James Bond.

A string of forgettable flops in the 1990s, including First Knight and the much mocked The Avengers, soured things again.

He also grew tired of the constant legal battles with studios over his fees, often taking producers to court for underpaying him.

The final straw came making comic book movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2002.

Plagued by disasters, including flooding in Prague ruining a 5million set, matters came to a head when British director Stephen Norrington stopped shooting for a day because a prop was wrong.

When Norrington heard rumours that Connery wanted him fired, he allegedly squared up to the actor saying I want you to punch me in the face.

Connery responded dont tempt me, and walked off the set.

Even though he earned 15million for the film, Connery had no interest in taking on any more roles, not even when a bigger cheque was dangled for the fourth Indiana Jones movie in 2008.

The actor later said about making The League: The experience had a great influence on me, it made me think about showbiz. I get fed up dealing with idiots.

Alamy

After retiring he was often seen in New York, where he would visit his son Jason, 57.

Jason was the only child from his 11 year marriage to Australian actress Diane Cilento, who died in 2011.

Having dated a string of beautiful women including Bond girls Jill St John and Lana Wood, Connery settled down with French painter Micheline Roquebrune, 91, in 1975.

Their relationship has survived his roving eye, including a seven-month affair with British pop star Lynsey De Paul.

Globe Photos

Getty Images

Kobal Collection - Shutterstock

Hulton Archive - Getty

Last year Connery and his wife were fortunate to escape the full force of Hurricane Dorian, which killed over 30 people when it struck the Bahamas.

They were about 90 miles from the worst hit area and took precautions to make sure their mansion was protected.

We were lucky compared to many others and the damage here was not great, he said. We had been prepared for the storm.

AFP - Getty

It would take more than a hurricane to shake Connery from his Caribbean contentment.

On the idyllic island he has swapped his Aston Martin for a golf buggy and Walther PPK for a golf club.

His home backs onto a five-star private club with its own golf course.

This is heaven for Connery who once said: The Oscar I was awarded for The Untouchables is a wonderful thing, but I can honestly say that Id rather have won the US Open Golf Tournament.

So, anyone wishing to see the actor back on screen will be disappointed.

As he has said: In the end, retirement is too damn much fun.

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Sean Connery 90th birthday: From James Bond to Bahamas recluse - The Scottish Sun

By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune News Editor

tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

THE Office of the Prime Minister announced the ease of lockdown restrictions for Grand Bahama and several Family Islands yesterday, allowing the resumption of indoor church services, curbside business activity and outdoor dining.

These islands can also open schools for instruction, providing social distancing and sanitisation takes place.

The measures took effect from 5am and cover Grand Bahama, Andros, Crooked Island, Acklins, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Exuma, Bimini, the Berry Islands, Mayaguana, Inagua and Abaco.

While a 10pm to 5am daily curfew is in place on those islands, the following businesses are permitted to operate daily from 6am to 9pm: food stores, pharmacies, gas stations, water depots, hardware stores and laundromats.

From Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, the following can operate: commercial banks, credit unions and money transfer businesses; financial institutions with essential staff; law firms for criminal and urgent civil matters; retail bakeries from 7am to 5pm; and other daily operations.

The notice from OPM also says wholesalers and manufacturers may operate while other businesses that can provide curbside, online or delivery services can operate, including retail and gaming houses.

Restaurants can open with outdoor dining, takeout, delivery and drive-through services, except for fish fry restaurants, OPM said. Hotels with guests can operate with current restrictions of... no gaming, gyms and spas.

Churches can also now resume indoor services on those islands, once they follow the Bahamas Christian Councils COVID-19 guidelines. Churches can also continue to have office hours from 9am to 1pm. Daily private prayer may continue.

Weddings and funerals are permitted with a maximum of 10 people, excluding the officiant and mortuary staff.

Government offices will be open with essential staff as directed by the relevant permanent secretaries, while those who can work from home will be advised to do so.

Gatherings of more than 20 people in homes will be prohibited.

Attending the beaches and parks on these islands is permitted 5am to 9pm daily, except for Grand Bahama which will be limited to 5am to 9am.

Schools can open for academic instruction with physical distancing and sanitisation, the OPM statement said. For those homeschooling, a maximum of five students are permitted in programmes. Requests for permission to instruct more than five students are to be made to the Ministry of Education.

Construction is permitted, along with commercial fishing, crabbing and subsistence fishing.

These provisions allow for commercial activity and opening up, while also maintaining provisions to preserve public health, OPMs statement added.

Also effective from today at 5am, the islands of Chub Cay, Long Cay, Long Island, Rum Cay, Ragged Island and Spanish Wells will continue to have no curfew.

San Salvador and Harbour Island have also been moved to this category of islands. Commercial activities are allowed with physical distancing and sanitisation protocols, OPM said of this category.

Social gatherings should be limited to no more than 20 people; physical distancing protocols for church services, funerals and weddings are to be followed; and beaches and parks are open.

Grand Bahama had previously been under a lockdown for nearly five weeks after rising cases on that island. During a Zoom meeting on Saturday, many Grand Bahama business owners expressed frustration over not being able to operate and some threatened to protest if their concerns were not addressed.

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Restrictions eased on Family Islands and Grand Bahama - Bahamas Tribune

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the southeast Bahamas which includes Inagua, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Acklins, Ragged Island, Long Cay and Samana Cay.

A tropical storm watch also remains in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions should be expected within 48 hours.

A tropical storm alert remains in effect for the Central Bahamas which includes Long Island, Cat Island, Exuma, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Eleuthera and South Andros.

These islands could be affected by tropical storm conditions within 60 hours.

At 5 pm on Friday, the centre of Tropical Storm Laura was located about 40 miles east of Antigua and approximately 710 miles east-southeast of Grand Turk Turks and Caicos Islands.

On the forecast track, the centre of Laura will move near the northern coast of Hispaniola and in the vicinity of the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early Sunday morning.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts expected.

Slow strengthening is expected over the next 48 hours.

The Bahamas Meteorological said residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Southeast Bahamas should continue to make preparations for the tropical storm conditions beginning early Sunday morning.

Residents in the northwest Bahamas have been advised to continue monitoring alerts being issued by the meteorology department.

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Tropical Storm Laura bearing down on The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos - Loop News Trinidad and Tobago

By FELICITY DARVILLE

August is the month that commemorates the emancipation of Africans in the Western world. The people of the Rastafari movement never let Emancipation Day pass without impassioned calls for the freedom, redemption and repatriation of African descendants throughout the Diaspora. It has been decades since the calls first began.

In The Bahamas, Priest Philip Blyden is among those leaders who have paved the way and set a foundation for those who seek to better understand themselves, Pan Africanism and the Rastafari movement. He is literally a walking history book, well versed in African, Caribbean and Bahamian history. He is a priest of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC); Chairman of the House of Rastafari (HOR) inter-mansion group; an art, craft and creative design teacher at Akhepran International Academy; a skilled contractor and a father and grandfather.

The current pandemic caused the Rastas to decide not to march on the streets for their right to be heard and heeded this Emancipation Day, as they have done year after year. However, the priest affectionately referred to as Blyden wants people to know the current state of affairs in terms of systemic racism- and even the health crisis being battled globally - are all signs of things long foretold by the Rastafari movement and that now, more than ever, African descendants must rise and pull together for their survival and success.

Blyden was born and bred in Bain Town, Nassau. His mother was Jane Whymns, a straw vendor who had a very strong bond to her faith and served as an usher at Transfiguration Baptist Church. His father was Joseph Blyden Jr. He was a Sergeant in the British Legion, banquet manager, hotel and catering teacher and a taxi driver.

Blydens great-granduncle was Dr Edward Wilmott Blyden, a pioneer in the African Nationalist movement. He was also noted as one of the grandfathers of Pan African ideology. He left his native St Thomas to go to school in the US, but this was a period right after Emancipation. He was a Presbyterian preacher but he still had to lay low as even free blacks were susceptible to being kidnapped and sold back into slavery. He made the decision to take a boat to Liberia and there, he flourished, and he became the Dean of the University. Today, his legacy is one that Rastas seek to follow to return to Africa and help build up a rich continent that their ancestors were stolen from.

Blyden remembers the Bain Town community in the 1960s as being perfect in terms of being a community built on African ideals. People were loving and principled and lots of African customs prevailed. The community raised the child. They saved together and formed Asues. They used plants for food and medicinal remedies. They had societies to strengthen their bond.

Blyden says the community members had everything they needed, although they were poor and being rich in love and spirit made all the difference. He recalls when those communities in the inner cities of New Providence began to disintegrate and were replaced with the concept of ghettoes. Before this time, Bahamians were proud people who were working together to rise above their circumstances. Colonialism thrived, but the community, or village, as he calls it, allowed African descendants to have their safe place. They were tight knit, and cleanliness, morality and ethics were the order of the day.

It was in that community that Blyden began to awaken to his African identity at a young age. At seven-years-old I had an odd experience when I coloured Christ brown and faced being ostracised from the other children in summer camp at church, he recalled. A few months later while at home, I drew a portrait of Christ as a black man. This stirred up a lot of controversy in my family. I was taken before the elders, including my paternal grandmother who at the time was a matriarch of Bethel Baptist Church. The ordeal was long and drawn out, one of mixed opinions. They contended that one must not play with God. The Elders would keep a watchful eye on me. There were European Renaissance paintings, prints and similar posters everywhere in the churches, public spaces and accompanying illustrations in literature, always portraying biblical characters as Europeans, via Greco-Roman iconography.

The watchful eye of elders could ensure the young Philips safety but could not fetter his mind, which continued to blossom into vivid enthusiasm for the continent of his ancestors and the rich history and culture it holds. The more he studied, read and watched his environment, the deeper his river ran until he became a wellspring of African knowledge, and he gradually progressed to becoming a fire starter in the Rastafari movement.

It was a joy to hear the early Rastafari pioneers who frequented the community like Ras Michael, Fly Major and Ras John Brown preaching and teaching of a black God, Blyden recalls.

Many parents were adamantly opposed to their doctrine and discouraged them from coming around, yet I knew the early black heart man had truths and the missing part of our glory that parents nor history teachers could tell us.

As time went on, I witnessed the changing of the political guard. Majority Rule was ushered in of course with help of the grass root masses. Labour Unionists like Sir Randol Fawkes rose. My mother played an active role in the Native Straw Vendors Union and the Baptist Church was a catalyst to this end. I remember when Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel in the late 1960s performed here during this era of social transformation. She gave an inspirational performance at the Southern Recreation Grounds in The Gazebo House (the same place where Marcus Garvey addressed the African masses 40 years earlier). She was in the presence of Baptist ministers like Rev Dr HW Brown and others. The political socio-economic landscape slowly began to change.

As the years passed on, the rise of socialism touched the village. Mr Lionel Carey and Mr Lesley Campbell made their rounds on Saturdays without fail, dressed in African Dashikis and kakhis or jeans. Notwithstanding, socialism was generally tabooed and rejected by a westernised society. However, their literature was compelling to read. Besides the leftist ideology and mainstream black international characters one would read about in conventional Afrocentric tabloids like Jet and Ebony. Theres one name that stood out - Dr Edward Wilmot Blyden. The quest for knowledge inspired me and lead me to research more about The Pan African Movement.

From that point, my perspective was enlightening so it was easier to make the connection between Pioneers Drum and Bugle Corp (UNIA-ACL Youth group). Pre-independence, they dressed in red, black and green and waved Marcus Garveys UNIA-ACL African Liberation, Redemption and sovereign banner. Also The Bahamas National Cadets who proudly wore red, gold, green and black, the Ethiopian sovereign banner. These two groups were organised by Dr Dame Doris Johnson and Mr Kermit Ford. The new Bahamas was born in the ideology of Marcus Garvey who was inspired by Bahamian, Dr Joseph Robert Love, the first African Nationalist pan-Africanist Patron Saint unsung.

Yet despite these very rich historical records, somehow the old guard of colonialism was able to convince political leaders that an African Liberation/ Redemption identity and ideology would drive their tourism demigod away. On the contrary, many visitors are often disappointed when they werent able to experience a part of the African Liberation journey here in The Bahamas. Meanwhile, our regional neighbours to the south were able to see record levels soaring in their economy.

While working in Guadeloupe in 1979, Blyden took a few books with him, among them was Black Skin, White Mask by Frantz Fanon. He was still on a quest for knowledge of self. The Caribbean region was budding in colonial resistance and Rastafari was at the forefront. Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada were at the pinnacle of Black Power and socio-economics. Blyden says the Rastafari community in Grenada assisted Maurice Bishop win the elections and he in turn locked them up. Dominica was bustling with Rastafari people and Eugenia Charles had a bounty on Rastas in the hills. Every where Rastafari prospered they were hunted, tortured, oppressed and imprisoned, Blyden says.

I returned to Nassau on November 15, 1979 not knowing that Bob Marley was performing here, Blyden shared.

I noticed a surging increase of Rastafari numbers, so we formed study groups and made arts and crafts, Rastafari icons, cultural T-shirts and the like. As time went by in the 1980s, the African village that we once knew (in the inner cities) was almost gone. By 1988 while involved in a Rastafari Inter-mansion group King of Kings Missionary Movement, I was asked to assist organising a platform of unity, fellowship, fundraising and a Human Rights Drive. As the group dissolved, it was decided that funds that were raised go to the EABIC at the headquarters in Bull Bay, St Andrew, Jamaica.

Blyden found that the EABIC church, the Bobo Shanti, were in the mountains in Jamaica living the lifestyle of the African village he grew up in and yearned for. He met King Emmanuel Charles Edwards, their leader, who encouraged him on a righteous path. Over the years, Blyden would be a part of delegations that would agitate to the government, make presentations at the House of Assembly and the Senate in Nassau, meet with the Governor General, and urge the press to document their mission. He was one of the first Rastas to live at the camp on Fire Trail Road East, which is now the home of the EABIC Bahamas Branch.

We call for freedom, redemption and international repatriation to Africa with universal reparations and compensation for the survivors of the African holocaust (trans-Atlantic slave trade), he said.

This was the mandate and resolution that was agreed on at the Nyahbinghi Seminar Conference called to order by then Prince Emanuel on March 1, 1958 in Jamaica when all Mansions of Rastafari and pan-African activists convened and agreed to agitate people to people and government to government. Now today, Africans are repatriating to Africa from the all over the diaspora. The healing cannabis plant (ganja) that we were persecuted and oppressed for is worth billions of dollars on the stock market today. Not one word of Marcus Garvey, Dada Emanuel and King Selassie I have failed or become fruitless. As their messenger, I am fulfilled in delivering the message people to people, government to government through the divine powers of Qedamwi Haile Selassie and Empress Menen.

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FACE TO FACE: A lifetime's mission to redress the wrongs of slavery and explore a people's African roots - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Bahamian aviation industry needs to be paid its proper respect an industry operator said yesterday.

Anthony K Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Eyewitness News that while while the COIVD-19 pandemic has caused major financial challenges for the sector there is potential for a rebound.

We just need proper respect for the industry, he said.

We still have not determined as a nation the direction we ought to be going for Bahamian aviation. Were not getting bang for buck in aviation. but the potential is there. There needs to be a national plan for the industry. The nation at large has been brought to account during this pandemic and we need to do things differently.

Hamilton said: Stakeholders need to be included in the decision making. While we have not been totally absent we have not been given the kind of attention we ought to have been given. There needs to be proper consultation and inclusion of the skills and talent within the aviation industry that the nation can benefit from and that encompasses development in the Family Islands.

Hamilton noted that the industry like many others has been impacted financially by the pandemic, which has affected travel not only domestically but globally.

Solvency is a but I believe the potential is there for a rebound, he said.

This is a very competitive industry. As a nation we have not done a good job with statistical data and thats something we need to fix in this process. Our decisions need to be guided by data.

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Bahamian aviation industry owed 'proper respect' says operator - EyeWitness News

Some people consider that so much has been written about the coronavirus pandemic that there is little further to say. But last weeks events, involving the announcement on Monday evening - with no prior notice - of a total lockdown followed by a U-turn on Tuesday afternoon with conditions less restrictive than before, created a crisis of public confidence in the government. As a result, therewas new controversy about the official handling of the crisis and, in such circumstances, it is hard to resist offering fresh comment.

Mondays announcement left no time for people to prepare or to shop for food and resulted in mayhem, with residents converging on food stores, gas stations and water depots for panic buying at the last minute. As conditions eased later in the week, with supermarkets now allowed to stay open until 9pm, questions were raised once more about the need for lockdowns even as the number of new infections in The Bahamas is increasing.

To my eye, the debate about how to handle the coronavirus crisis may have changed because over the weekend there has been official confirmation that COVID-19 is here to stay for the foreseeable future. During the last few months we have been told, consistently, that it is not going away any time soon unless a vaccine becomes available. Now, the Director General of the World Health Organisation himself has made this official by saying publicly that the pandemic could last for another two years as a once-in-a-century health crisis. It is also significant that the UKs former chief scientific adviser, Professor Sir Mark Walport, who is a member of the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has stated that this is a virus thats going to be with us forever in some form and almost certainly will require repeated vaccinations.

In light of these views of the experts, I suggest that, while the task of government should continue to be to try to limit transmission of the virus, it is unrealistic to seek to eradicate it in present conditions. Thus, the question arises whether lockdowns are the best way of dealing with a long-term situation of this sort unless they are part of a broader plan.

Initially, such action seemed right in order to keep people apart from one another and it worked in so far as the numbers of infections were kept to a relatively low level. But the price was serious damage to the local economy. Given the risks of further such damage if new lockdowns are imposed, does it make sense to continue to do so now that people have become accustomed to social distancing and are, by and large, adhering to the new requirements, including regular hand washing and the wearing of masks in public? It is surely right to place restrictions on both small and larger gatherings like sporting events and social get-togethers, including night clubs, bars and restaurants. But, from my wifes and my own observation, social distancing measures in places like banks, pharmacies and food stores are being carefully observed and applied so there is no need to limit their activities and, in cases where the restrictions are not in place, they can be enforced by government inspectors.

As is well known, the virus was mainly brought to The Bahamas by those who visited Florida after borders were reopened on July 1. This accounts for the sudden spike in the number of infections. These look bad compared with the original figures, but we are not told about the seriousness of the infections. As a proportion of the total amount of cases, the numbers of deaths and those hospitalised are relatively low. The presumption must be, therefore, that most who have tested positive have not been severely infected.

Without wider testing, even the layman may conclude that there are likely to be many more than the figure of about 1,500 confirmed cases; but, on the evidence so far, the majority of any new cases will probably be mild rather than serious. So, with the number of severe cases still fairly low, some people question whether the pressure on medical facilities is as bad as the authorities have suggested.

It is interesting that a former UK Supreme Court judge, Lord Sumption, has commented that Britain has to learn to live alongside the virus until a vaccine is available. He supports voluntary but controlled social distancing rather than lockdowns because, he says, keeping people apart by forcing them to stay at home will merely push transmission to the period they are lifted. It is also instructive to note the UK government has now adopted a system of selective restrictions rather than total lockdowns and, as I mentioned in an earlier article, the latest advice by the WHO is that localised measures should be used to stem COVID-19 rather than national lockdowns due to the health, social and economic repercussions.

As former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands is reported to have said, the overwhelming majority of Bahamians want the virus to be beaten and a vital part of that is social distancing. But people need food and medication in order to live properly, so the emphasis should be on education and enforcement rather than lockdowns - with action taken by the appropriate authorities to ensure social distancing is followed as widely as possible across the country. It is also important to increase testing and tracing so as to monitor and control confirmed cases in order to ensure self-isolation. That seems to be the key - as well as social distancing - to limiting transmission of the virus.

As for Britain, with its economy said to be on life-support, one commentator in the UK press has suggested that economic logic and common sense dictate we cant remain paralysed for a minute longer life always involves an element of risk and its now time to get back to work.

Yesterday the Prime Minister surprised everyone by announcing a significant relaxation of the lockdown protocols based on the most up-to-date medical advice he has been given. Most of us I would suspect had imagined we would be given a few days grace before a hard lockdown was imposed. Now, it seems, if the numbers keep heading in the right direction thats not going to be necessary.

From next Monday we will be back in another form of lockdown-lite - still a huge hindrance to our normal way of life but a step in the right direction. As WHO has pointed out, however, whatever form of lockdown we chose, by itself it is not going to be enough.

For as long as I can remember - having followed events in The Bahamas for more than 20 years - there has been talk of the need for economic diversification. As I understand it, this has been the policy of successive governments since the early 1990s because of an over-emphasis on tourism and financial services, both of which depend on outside factors and influences beyond Bahamian control and leave the country particularly vulnerable.

So, despite already being one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean region, it makes sense to protect itself against external shocks by broadening its base of economic activity - and particularly after the blow to the economy of severely reduced tourism as a result of the pandemic.

Against this background, it was interesting to read in The Tribune recently an interview with former Attorney General Alfred Sears about COVID-19 providing what he described as a once-in-50-years opportunity for The Bahamas to overhaul its economic architecture for the new global realities it will face in a post-pandemic world. He called it a Sir Stafford Sands moment reflecting the transformation of The Bahamas in the 1950s from seasonal tourism, fishing and subsistence farming to year-round tourism and financial services.

It is clear the country should capitalise on its assets like long standing political stability and a highly respected judicial system, proximity to the worlds largest market, good existing infrastructure, an equable climate and plenty of undeveloped land in the Family Islands whose development should be a priority.

While fully embracing the digital economy, Mr Sears has suggested expansion of a number of niche industries, creation of an aviation hub, farming, seafood harvesting and light manufacturing. He also spoke of boosting export earnings by permitting local web shop operators to sell their services to other jurisdictions.

The Bahamas already has, of course, a ship registry - and an aviation hub, with its many airports in the Family Islands, is based on managing and controlling its own airspace. Meanwhile, agriculture could be expanded to reduce the dependence on food imports by fulfilling local needs without attempting to compete in export markets. In addition, the potential for eco-tourism should be limitless once visitors return to our shores. Linked to that is the huge demand for vacation home rentals and bed and breakfast establishments. These are needed in order to tap into the natural habitat and the tranquillity and beauty of the islands which lack accommodation facilities but offer fishing, bird watching not least flamingos, the national bird of The Bahamas, on the island of Inagua - wildlife photography, hunting of wild boar and similar pursuits.

Over the years, there have been various studies of economic diversification. Among many suggestions and recommendations, I found it particularly interesting to read about development of light manufacturing because in the late 1990s I spent time promoting to investors in the UK the potential for that at the Sea Air Business Centre being constructed for that purpose in Freeport.

One new effect of coronavirus which has received little publicity is the flight to other countries of millionaires from across Latin America in order to protect their wealth. Reports suggest there may be up as many as 500,000 people with assets exceeding one million dollars in countries like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile where there are large disparities between the rich and the poor.

Such countries are apparently planning to introduce tough new restrictions and taxes on the wealthy as a result of fiscal shortfalls resulting from COVID-19. Some now say this presents opportunities for other jurisdictions to offer fast-track residency schemes and favourable tax conditions; for example, in The Bahamas reducing the minimum investment in real estate needed to become a permanent resident. Another related but simpler scheme is attracting the growing numbers of so-called digital nomads who need nothing more than a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection to earn a living no matter where they are in the world. Barbados, for example, whose tourism sector has taken a heavy hit from the pandemic, is offering a one-year visa for such people and, reportedly, charges $2,000 for it.

Returning to Mr Sears ideas, he spoke of the need for a strategic vision and a bi-partisan political approach in an effort to rebuild the nations economy. But he stresses that more mundane, though no less important, issues like a reliable and less expensive power supply and development of renewable energy, together with improvement of the ease of doing business, will also be key factors and then, of course, although he does not mention it, the potential bonanza of off-shore oil production is still lurking in the background.

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PETER YOUNG: COVID's here to stay and it may be we'll just have to learn to live alongside it - Bahamas Tribune

Dear Editor,

The year 2020 will forever be etched into the minds of both the young and the old. Countries around the world have embraced fighting the coronavirus pandemic, employing all resources to protect their citizens and healthcare systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every Bahamian and island since its inception. Since March, The Bahamas has been part of the global effort to fight this pandemic. From the beginning of this fight, The Bahamas initiated the Emergency Powers Act and enacted curfews. Non-essential businesses were closed, social distancing and the wearing of masks were mandated, public transportation services were halted and our air and sea ports were restricted. These measures initially put in place, resulted in the Tourism industry in The Bahamas coming to a complete standstill.

The stagnation of the tourism industry, which accounts for 60 percemt of The Bahamas Gross Domestic Product has resulted in employees in this sector being furloughed or terminated. The closure of non-essential businesses has also caused many other workers to be laid off due to lost revenues. These layoffs contract the economy and place a strain on government-funded social services and welfare. These initial and proactive health measures proved successful and flattened the epidemiological curve during the 1st wave of the coronavirus pandemic. However, after a phased reopening in the month of June, we now see record-breaking daily case numbers in the double and triple-digits during the month of August.

The general public is now curious as to what went wrong and who is to blame for the enormous spike of cases we see today. The Bahamas opened its borders to commercial travel on July 1st, and has had to since scale back on this policy. Fundamentally, as stated by Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO Deputy Director, that the recent spike of cases in the Bahamas is a result of allowing non-essential travel of citizens where the virus had skyrocketed. The policy was that Bahamian citizens who traveled outside of the country for less than 72 hours, can return without a COVID-19 test performed. This action contributed to the spike of cases we see today.

However, this policy decision which some considered a misstep does not solely rest on Government. The secondary measure, to this policy, was for Bahamians who did travel back to The Bahamas to submit themselves into self-quarantine. If this was done right it would have limited the spread of the virus to those who have been exposed while overseas. The resources in our country are stretched to the limit and it is complicated to monitor some 4,200 individuals as reported who fall under this policy. In countries such as Canada, we see this model of returning travelers allowed to self-quarantine with the responsibility being on the traveler to adhere to the rules, and if these rules are broken it can result in fines and/or jail time.

Our culture, speaks to the mistakes we as a community have made, we are accustomed to going to Sunday dinner, fellowshipping at church, going to hail a friend, and back yard gatherings. These minuscule things might seem harmless, but during this pandemic, it can contribute to the detrimental spread of COVID-19. Bahamians must possess a national responsibility and understand the severity of what we are currently facing.

In the political arena, we have been faced with a challenge where we constantly see tit for tat responses by the opposition. We also see a great number of Bahamians rebelling against the measures put in place for our safety. In this period, when our country needs its most senior to work together, we allow political colors to divide us instead of uniting us. Blaming and pointing fingers will not solve our issues, action and proactive measures do.

The Bahamas needs a complete lockdown on islands with a severe resurgence of the virus, we may not like being under lockdown, but it is needed necessary to assist in limiting the spread of COVID-19. It is necessary in the long run simply because of our economic bread and butter; our tourism industry. If we want tourism to rebound before the end of the year. The virus must be suppressed, to market the islands The Bahamas as a COVID-FREE OR LOW-RISK Destination.

During a full lockdown, the government must ensure the most vulnerable are protected with food and medical supplies. Our number one industry which propels our economy cannot coexist with COVID-19 unless we limit the spread of the virus. Around the world and even in our CARICOM and Latin America region, countries had to scale back on their full economy reopening due to spikes in COIVD-19 cases. After some stringent lockdown measures, The Bahamas should seek to conduct another phased reopening of our economy with more virus suppressant measures in place. We must learn to co-exist safely because our economic livelihood depends on it.

In the next two to three years, the Government and people of The Bahamas should use this pandemic as a learning experience. As a nation we should look at business ideas and models that move the dependency of our economy on tourism into more diverse and stable industries.

However, in this process, we must not neglect tourism, as it is still a viable component for our economic growth. As Bahamians we are resilient people, this pandemic shall pass, but when it will is in the hands of the people to adhere to the policies and guidelines to keep us safe. There is no right or wrong answer to fight COVID-19, what works in some countries may not work in ours, we must be our brothers keeper to fight COVID-19.

Basil Q. Carter Jr.

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Letters to the Editor: A young Bahamian response to COVID-19 - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine suggested today the appointment of Renward Wells as minister of health was ill-timed and the prime minister should have either retained the role as acting minister or appointed a healthcare professional amid a health crisis.

There is a time and place for everything, McAlpine said.

This is not the time or place for that, and I ga leave that right there, that ministry appointment.

You need a doctor or health professional at the helm when you have a national pandemic, period, full stop. So, the prime minister as far as I am concerned should have still been acting because he is the only doctor left in the room.

And if you couldnt give me a doctor, you should have got me a healthcare professional.

This is not a time to place an engineer in the health department when he should be in the Ministry of Works, in the engineering department.

In May, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced he will temporarily assume the position of health minister following the resignation of Dr Duane Sands, which the prime minister accepted.

Sands resigned amid revelations that he allowed a group bringing in a donation of test swabs to disembark a plane, despite the countrys border closure.

While the prime minister provided weekly updates via televised live national address, it was not until early June that he took questions as the acting minister of health, for which he was roundly criticized.

Wells was sworn in as minister of health in July.

At his swearing-in at Government House, he defended the appointment and pointed to numerous jurisdictions such as Singapore where non-medical professionals served as ministers of health.

Non-doctors have served as previous ministers of health in The Bahamas, including former PLP Cabinet minister Loftus Roker, an educator and attorney, who served as minister of health in 1971.

When he was asked about public communications, Wells said he did not foresee any changes and the technical professional will continue to update the nation.

He was not a part of the joint press conference on Monday.

Today, McAlpine, who was a guest on Guardian Radios The Hit Back with Nahaja Black,said when the prime minister took on the role of acting minister of health people expected more from the former minister of health, but did not get it.

We felt like the person who was almost like the mother in the room, that nurtured us during this time Dr Dahl-Regis when we heard she was gone, it just hasnt been the same, he said.

During a press conference on Monday, Dahl-Regis advised a reporter who welcomed her back that she had never left.

The health consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, who was appointed in March, was expected to step down from her day-to-day role as the governments lead COVID-19 response coordinator by July 24, according to the Office of the Prime Minister.

The OPM said Dahl-Regis will continue to offer strategic advice to the government and prime minister, but will be stepping aside from day-to-day operations.

Yesterday, Dahl-Regis led the press conference.

The prime minister referred to her as the head up the Surveillance Unit.

Focus

McAlpine, who addressed the ongoing pandemic, also said the prime minister must focus on the economic crisis at this time.

COVID is done and over with, weve got to live with it, the MP said.

His priority right now should be getting this economy up and running.

As it relates to the future, I am saying to you, people have not seen a vision and this country is looking for vision.

They are looking for leadership. And if you deny that or anybody listening to me or watching me denies that they would be telling themselves a lie.

People are not satisfied with what they have seen thus far.

I am going to go a little further and say, I am not sure thats just inclusive to this last government.

It just may be more amplified with this government. But people have been looking for leadership for a while.

McAlpine expressed concern about the high numbers of infections compared to the population and pointed out The Bahamas with over 1,700 cases has one of the highest infection rates in the region.

However, McAlpine said he does not blame the government for the resurgence.

He said: Its a virus and anybody can have it.

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McAlpine to PM: Not the time to appoint engineer to min. of health - EyeWitness News

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Prime Minister's decision to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on Grand Bahama was yesterday said to have placed the island on "a crippled economic footing, which is much better than nothing".

Carey Leonard, the Freeport-based Callenders & Co attorney, told Tribune Business that the Prime Minister's decision to restore commercial activity to the status it was in pre-August represented "great news" for an economy that has been under lockdown for three weeks.

Speaking ahead of today's easing, which also applies to multiple Family Islands, Mr Leonard said: "That'll take the pressure off. That really helps put us back.... I wouldn't say on a regular economic footing, but a crippled economic footing, which is much better than nothing.

"At the moment, we have no economy. This gives us a good start. We may have a crippled economy, but at least it allows us to earn money, and the average man who lives pay cheque to pay cheque needs to earn money to go and buy food. The only thing we can hope is that Bahamians must realise we have to comply, wear our mask. That's the best way to stop the spread, and be sensible."

Mr Leonard's position was echoed by Gregory Laroda, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president, who last night told Tribune Business that the relaxation was effectively what the island's business community had been seeking.

"That really is a lifeline for those businesses still afloat, micro and small businesses," he said. The easing, which also applies to Andros, Crooked Island, Acklins, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Exuma, Bimini, the Berry Islands, Mayaguana, Inagua and Abaco, reduces the nightly curfew to between 10pm to 5am.

Grand Bahama's food stores, pharmacies, gas stations, water depots, hardware stores and laundromats will be able to open from 6am to 9pm daily, while commercial banks, credit unions and money transfer businesses are able to operate from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

Law firms dealing with criminal and "urgent" civil matters can also open, as can retail bakeries from, 7am to 5pm weekdays. Wholesalers and manufacturers; businesses that can provide curbside, online or delivery services, including retail and gaming houses; and restaurants with outdoor dining, takeout, delivery and drive-through services - except for fish fry restaurants - can also open.

The Prime Minister's move came just one day after Freeport's private sector demanded the Government "cease and desist" from further business lockdowns amid fears The Bahamas will "die economically" unless it learns to live with COIVID-19.

Some 184 Grand Bahama-based small business owners, in an August 23, 2020, letter to the Prime Minister, warned they "intend to act" unless he and other government ministers meet with them to present "a clear plan" on how to re-open their ventures and the wider economy.

What was meant by "intend to act" was not clear from the letter, but participants on the weekend Zoom conference call attended by the 184 businesses said there was talk of staging a "silent protest" or "forming a ring" around the Prime Minister's Office in Freeport while respecting social distancing and other COVID-19 health protocols.

The letter, which was addressed to Dr Minnis, provided further evidence of the growing frustration, anxiety and helplessness felt by many Bahamian businessmen as the constant COVID-19 lockdowns and uncertainty increasingly threaten to take away their livelihoods and those of their employees.

It also exposed the growing belief among some that the "cure is becoming worse than the problem" in relation to COVID-19, especially the devastation it is inflicting on businesses, the economy and employment.

The small businesses' move comes after the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, in a statement last week, said The Bahamas must learn to live with the virus or risk the total collapse of its economy.

"COVID-19 will be around for the foreseeable future, and we should be focusing on ways to live with it nationally or die economically," it said. "The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) remains extremely concerned about our post-Dorian and now post-COVID economy in Grand Bahama and nationally.

"We ask special consideration in lifting the lockdown to avoid the further suppression of commerce on the island. GB Chamber remains committed to working with all stakeholders. However, we ask for consideration for alternative measures besides lockdowns."

Continued here:

Ease leaves GB with 'crippled but better' economy - Bahamas Tribune