NASSAU, Bahamas – The Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) wants the government to expand its contact tracing team, provide free COVID-19 testing and create more testing centres, insisting the measures are necessary in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus amid the country’s second wave, The Tribune reported on Thursday, October 15, in an article written by Leandra Rolle.
Saying the country is losing its fight against COVID-19, opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday called on the government to follow his party’s recommendations as he released its COVID action plan on curbing the disease’s spread.
In a country where newly confirmed cases average between 500 to 600 weekly, Mr Davis said it is time for the Minnis administration to change its current course and adopt new strategies to better strengthen the country’s fight against the virus.
“We are now many months into this global health crisis,” the opposition leader said during yesterday’s press conference at the PLP’s headquarters.
“Some countries are succeeding, and some countries are failing. Right now, with 500 to 600 new cases on the dashboard every week and the real numbers significantly higher, The Bahamas is failing. But there is no reason we can’t change that. I want to be very clear on this point. We can succeed. There is a way forward.”
The measures propose free testing to all Bahamians who have been exposed to the virus, increased testing, expanded testing centres and additional contact tracers — something the PLP has repeatedly called for since the onset of the pandemic.
The party also recommends that healthcare workers and government employees on the front line be tested regularly. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/oct/15/plp-calls-more-testing-and-tracing/
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Although The Bahamas has taken drastic lockdown steps to stop a deadly spread of the COVID-19, some Bahamians apparently are irresponsibly not complying with the precautions outlined in this “Protect Yourself – Save Yourself from Covid 19” video released by the PLP that we have decided to repost in BAHAMAS CHRONICLE as a public service.) https://youtu.be/DGGvFOYNT-M