By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light temporarily closed its Peter I Bethel Building to customers yesterday for cleaning after an unsubstantiated COVID-19 scare.

According to a source, a customer was in a casual conversation with another person at the BPL building when the word “COVID” was mentioned. This in turn triggered a panic, the source said.

The source said BPL was trying to investigate whether there was more than that, but it appeared not to be so. However, the premises was being sanitised at the time. The building was closed to the public between noon and 2pm.

When contacted, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen said he had no information on the reported incident.

The power company was apologetic in a release about the temporary closure of the building.

“Bahamas Power and Light wishes to advise that the Peter I Bethel Building has been closed to customers between the hours of 12pm and 2pm on Monday, July 6, 2020,” the release read.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and remind customers that our offices at the Mall at Marathon remain open for business, as do our regular payment partners.”

A similar incident occurred in April when their Baillou Hill Road office was closed after a small number of staff were suspected of being exposed to someone who had been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient.

BPL indicated in a statement at the time: “The building was immediately closed. The staff potentially exposed were sent home under strict instructions to ensure they followed the recommended anti-infection protocols. We brought in a professional cleaning company to do a deep cleaning and fumigation of the building overnight.”