By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson yesterday warned Grand Bahama is still in the thick of the fight against COVID-19 after one new case was confirmed on the island on Tuesday.

This latest confirmed case brings the total to eight on Grand Bahama, where health officials are now conducting contact tracing and testing of people who may have been in contact with the 50-year-old woman who tested positive with the disease.

Before Tuesday, no new cases had been recorded in Grand Bahama for the past three weeks. Mr Thompson said that it means the disease is still in Grand Bahama.

“Yesterday, we learned that there was one additional case of COVID-19 for GB,” he said.

“I think we had gone three weeks without having an additional case. This is disappointing, but it sends a clear message to GB that we cannot let our guard down with this disease and the fight that we are in,” he stressed.

“It is clear that the disease is still in GB, and that we still must keep all precautions we were doing; we must continue those precautions and we must ensure that everyone wears a mask – it is mandated and I want to continue to press on people to wear their mask and continue to keep social distancing in GB.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the country had moved into phase 1B of his five-phase plan for reopening the economy. This allowed businesses that can do online orders and kerbside pickup or delivery to resume operations.

Mr Thompson is urging businesses to stay in those guidelines and not to breach protocols.

He noted that only businesses that can operate online, by telephone, and using kerbside and delivery services are allowed to operate.

In the meantime, he is appealing to the public to remain cautious.

“We want to send a clear message to residents to stay vigilant, abide by the rules and ensure that we continue to keep the fight clear in our mind that as we go about doing our business, to ensure we remember this disease is still here, it is still in the fight, and GB must still remain vigilant with respect to COVID-19,” said the minister.

When asked by The Tribune whether testing is being done and whether the new case had any link to any of the prior cases, Mr Thompson said he would leave the latter to health professionals to address.

However, he did report that contact tracing and testing is being conducted now by health professionals.

“There is additional testing being done by health professionals in GB. They are conducting normal contact tracing that is being done with respect to this additional case. And so the health professionals continue to do all the necessary things with respect to contact tracing and ensure all the persons who would have had contact with that person are notified and they are kept abreast…”

The Grand Bahama patient is at home in self-isolation.