The only way forward is island wide testing and to forcibly isolate those who test positive in a seperate building, such as an empty hotel. Otherwise, we're going to be trapped in this cycle of new infections for years and the country cannot afford this. Bahamians do not understand how to quarantine or keep social distancing; it is not part of their culture, which is to huddle in groups. We are wasting time with this approach.

… actually the government is forcing Bahamians not to comply by their idiotic and spontaneous pronouncements! Can you imagine grocery stores on Tuesday morning for instance!!

For this to work, you would a) have to test the whole population simultaneously; b) get the results instantly and simultaneously, and c) immediately make sure every positive person removes themselves to a separate place. Clearly not a feasible option anywhere in the world or universe

We will have to divide the island up into sectors of 2,000 persons. Persons in each sector cannot leave that sector. Everyone in the sector is tested and the positive persons are removed to quarantine hotels. Eventually, all sectors on New Providence will be tested and the infected persons removed from the general population.

You really think that is possible and probable? I don't! Imagine trying to get people to stay in sectors while the testing is done and waiting for the results. In the interim, people whose original test comes back negative could have contracted the virus. not to mention there is always a possibility of false positives or false negatives. Like I said before, totally not feasible

Mass testing was carried out successfully in the small town of Vo in northern Italy. The entire town was tested and CoronaVirus eradicated.

www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-mass-testi…

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/s…

I wouldn't call a sample size of 3,300 people 'mass testing'. You have nearly 100 times that many people living in New Providence. A logistical nightmare to organize and test that many Bahamians

I am hopeful that all stores will remain close come Tuesday for an additional 2-3 weeks. We did a weekend shutdown, cool. We are now doing a week shutdown, cool. DO NOT WASTE THIS WEEK BY OPENING STORES ON TUESDAY! We are in doing our time in JAIL but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT make this more difficult because some people aren't prepared. Drastic time calls for drastic measures. ONE WEEK DOWN, THREE MORE TO GO! DO NOT ALLOW THIS TIME TO GO TO WASTE! We need to return back to living some what a "normal" life! Once the health aspect is behind us, let's look at how we can recover economically. BUT DO NOT WASTE THIS ONE WEEK BY OPENING THE STORES.

Stores have to open on Tuesday - people have to eat!! However, what we don't want are people being herded like sheep in elongated queues because of ill advised shopping scheduling. Keep the stores open from 6am til 8 p.m. and people will be able to shop in relatively safe space. Other 24 hour curfew conditions must continue.

Let's look at a hypothetical situation. A cashier comes in contact with someone who has the virus, but the person isn't showing any symptoms. Now this same cashier who is interacting with let's say 50 to 100 customers daily has the potential to spread the virus to some of the customers. Let's say the virus spreads to 5 out of the 100 customers she will see daily. From Tuesday - Friday, that will be 20 infected people. Now those 20 people also has families. So you will have to times that by 5. We are looking at 100 people infected. Symptoms won't show for 14 days. That same cashier comes in the following week and the same events occur. The 100 people in the first week just grew to 200 positive people in the second week. This is a situation on a very low spectrum. If a Wendy's employee tested positive, a super market cashier can definitely be positive at this very moment, but show no symptoms. This is a very delicate subject to keep the food stores closed. But, I think at this very present moment; people will have to do what they can. Bread and tuna never killed anyone.

Or even a packing boy could infect hundreds.

Precisely

This has already happened. The individuals just didn't have any serious symptoms so they never called the hotline or never showed up to a clinic. We will only know the true rate of infection in our islands when antibidy testing becomes reliable and routine.

As to bread and tuna not killing anyone, some persons are about to or have already run out of bread and tuna that they *been* eating. There are vast and varied realities in this country. Some people have to stand on Shirley street to watch junkanoo, not everybody could afford Rawson square or Frederick street.

There will not be a "normal" life until a vaccine is developed and released to the public. This is a novel virus, no one has immunity, it will continue to go around until everyone gets it or we get vaccinated. "Normal" will not return for at least 16 months.

Not true. People develop a natural immunity to this virus as they have others. Vaccines are dangerous, have many side effects, and unknown issues that will develop months or years after the vaccine.

The people in the Bahamas need the stores to open. Not everyone has huge refrigerators, freezers and lots of money to stock up food.

We must test. The lockdowns are only buying us time. Time to test.

If we don't test the lockdown will have to go for several months.

25 and a 29 year old both hospitalized. That's not good.

The Bahamas Government should begin to plan ASAP for the Covid-19 tourism environment at all airports and all entry points in this country including Marinas when these lock downs and curfews end and the Hotels begin to open up. The post 911 world made shoe removal, and the taking of certain items onto planes illegal as well as advanced body scanning techniques the norm at airports around the world. It is going to be critical that we install Body scanning thermometer's at all points of entry to measure the temperatures of all passengers entering this country. When a vaccine is found for the corona virus all passports will have to show a stamp indicating the holder was inoculated. The situation in china now that they are opening back up proves that the virus will be seasonal.

I wonder if the gauges would give false positives for menstruating women. Temperature rises during the cycle. Wouldn't that be interesting if every woman capable of child bearing were put in quarantine:-| ... we might solve another problem

hahaha ….that's a good one. There would be many law suits

You must have stock in the vaccine pharmaceutical companies. Thermometer scans at the airport are a joke. Consider that's a lot of private planes coming into the Bahamas to not have air conditioning, people are hot from their hour or two hour trip. Do you think their temperature is going to be normal upon arrival at the airport? Part two is if someone does have a temperature they just take a medication to reduce the temperature and then get their temperature checked and their temperature is normal.

Does appear that the comrade arithmetic personnel at ministry of health don't count new additions for those affected by the coronavirus over the long Easter holiday break. Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

This disease is spread by contact. When you go shopping do not touch your face, eyes, mouth or nose with your hands. When you get home put away your groceries. Then disinfect all the surfaces your bags have touched with bleach and water. Wash your reusable bags or use your store of eco friendly bags we used to get from the supermarket. Then wash your hands. I have a shower too when I get home from the market. I hang my clothes and the bags on the line in the sun for 2 days. UV kills the virus. Cashiers should be able to wash their hands after every customer. Or use gloves if the cashier can change gloves every customer. Lockdowns do nothing but cause misery, hunger and lose people and the government money.

North Bimini Island had one death. The person that died was on the island for at least 2 weeks after returning from Florida. This death was over a week ago, plenty of time for others to get the virus if they were going to contact it. There are no more reported cases from North Bimini, no reports of any sicknesses or illnesses , no reports that are published of anybody being removed from the islands such as her immediate contacts or family. No reports of anyone in quarantine. Amazing.

I'm waiting for the announcement on the superspreader. I bet is one a dem guys who is hog up all the space in the church pew. Close yuh leg please sir (as Howard Grant would say)

So what island gets the pleasure of being called the Leper Island?