By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has urged those attending a party on Bimini over the weekend to self-quarantine, insisting the event could be a “super spreader” for COVID-19.

Dr Minnis said he was very concerned about this issue and again pleaded with Bahamians to comply with COVID-19 protocols by not attending large gatherings, something he has been stressing for months.

His renewed calls for compliance were sparked by his concern about the party at Bimini on Saturday.

A video of the event made the rounds on social media on Sunday. In the 13-second clip of the party dozens of people were seen without masks bunched together on a beach as music played in the background.

Police Commissioner Paul Rolle told The Tribune that the authorities have since taken action in the matter by citing the organisers and those attending the large gathering.

“I am very concerned about parties generally, especially what occurred in Bimini,” Dr Minnis told reporters yesterday.

“When you look at numbers in Bimini, there were 11 cases I think yesterday or the day before and it’s always a possibility that one who was attending such an event could have been a super spreader.

“And therefore, my message to the Bahamian public at this time is all those individuals who attended such event, you must assume that they are potentially infected and I would advise them to go under self-quarantine and I would advise Bahamians if you know of such individuals, avoid them for at least the next 14 days and they should be monitored.”

On Sunday, Bimini recorded 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases –- pushing the island’s total to 74 –- after having had no new infections reported for nearly a week.

The new tally, however, comes after health officials on Friday said they were investigating 15 suspected COVID cases who were linked to a large church convention that occurred on the island earlier this month.

Authorities have been fining people $500 for failing to socially distance and it is not uncommon for violators to receive more than one citation for breaking various COVID-19 rules.

Asked yesterday if the public could expect tougher penalties for violating COVID-19 rules, Dr Minnis replied: “Well, we would make the laws, etc, but each individual has a responsibility themselves. The police force could only do so much. We have developed a hotline and that hotline has been utilised effectively by individuals like yourselves and other members of society.”

“And I would encourage them to continue to use the hotline because the vaccine is coming out so imagine if we can keep our numbers down and keep ourselves stable. It means that the vaccine would be most effective in us because our numbers would continue to remain down as we become immunised, etc.”

He also urged Bahamians to be more responsible and not to jeopardise the future of the country.

He continued: “Those who are being irresponsible and taking party and other events – they are jeopardising not only the future of the Bahamas but they’re jeopardising the future jobs of their own neighbours, sisters, etc, at Atlantis and others because if we experience great problems, then they themselves would be compromised… so you must think not of yourself but think of your country and what you are doing.”