Bahamas PM :Govt. needs more powers to tackle against COVID 19

Nassau ,Bahamas :The House of Assembly passed a declaration to continue the public state of emergency in The Bahamas to January 31, 2021.

While the debate on the resolution, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis made the case that the extension was needed to have the legal authority to use certain measures when required to save lives, noting that there could be a third wave of the virus in The Bahamas.

Minnis told Parliament that Again I repeat, we utilize these emergency powers only when necessary. Quite often, a number of emergency measures are not utilized, with the example he added that there are no measures in islands like Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and many others.

He noted that When cases spike, governments do not have the liberty of a long period of time to act. Instead, governments need to act quickly and decisively in order to avoid the spread of this deadly virus.

Minnis pointed out there are many Family Islands with few restrictions due to their own epidemiology.

He said when cases arise, the government will react with appropriate measures based on the advice of health officials.

According to the prime minister, when those proposals succeed in lowering cases, restrictions will be shifted, allowing residents to “live a more normal life”.

He also stated that the government needs these powers because of how quickly this virus continues to spread.

He also alerted that One highly infectious individual could spread the virus in a closed room of 50 people to nearly every individual in that room.

So we have to be more careful.

Minnis added it was extremely irresponsible, reckless and illogical to suggest that the government should not use emergency powers.

Addressing the opposition, which has not supported recent extensions of the public state of emergency, Minnis said if the government followed the advice of the opposition, the country would be in “dire straits”.