Thursday, October 22, 2020
THE Progressive Liberal Party says it will not support another extension of the state of emergency to extend “the sole competent authority’s power to control the lives of the Bahamian people” for another month.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled a resolution in the House of Assembly to extend the country’s state of emergency to November 30, one month past the previous expiration date of October 31.
The resolution will be debated when the House meets on Monday.
“The country has proclamation fatigue,” PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis noted in a statement reacting to the news. “The Prime Minister is trying the same old methods, the numbers keep going up in deaths and infections, yet the Prime Minister does the same old things.
“The Bahamas has recorded more COVID-19 positive cases in the past few days than Barbados has recorded since the pandemic began in March of this year. We must change course.
“What will it take for this Prime Minister to understand that a lockdown is not a plan? Yet again, he has revealed no plan. He employs the same failed strategy.”
He repeated his party’s “ten point plan” to deal with the coronavirus crisis, which includes offering free testing for all; contact tracing and testing for those who have come into contact with a COVID positive case and isolate those who test positive for the virus, among other ideas.
“It is important to note that case counts are low and stable in many Caribbean countries, but in The Bahamas, we’re nearing six thousand cases and still climbing,” Mr Davis added. “Our country has become a case study for how not to manage a public health crisis.
“The Prime Minister seems to have run out of ideas or even interest. When reporters and the public have questions, he is nowhere to be found, sending out others to defend his failed policies.
“It’s agonising to see other countries put in place science-based policies to protect their citizens while here our doctors and nurses are under siege, Bahamians are locked up every weekend, and suffering from the economic fallout has become widespread.
“We can’t keep failing – the costs are too high. The PLP continues to call for a major shift in testing policy. We need widespread testing so we can find the virus, help people get treatment, trace their contacts, and break transmission chains.
“The government must move quickly to knock down barriers to testing. We need more testing centres, we need to test frontline workers regularly, and we need to add antigen tests to our testing arsenal -- these tests are not perfect, but they are inexpensive and quick and can help us identify cases when they’re most infectious.
“Testing should be free, because your ability to protect yourself, your family and your co-workers from COVID shouldn’t depend on your income. The Prime Minister must move quickly to adopt Free Testing – and if he won’t, he should explain why he believes that, as a deadly virus spreads, it is morally acceptable that a person’s wealth could determine their health.”
The country has been under a state of emergency since March. During the first wave of the pandemic, cases and deaths were relatively low — with just over 100 confirmed cases at the beginning of July and 11 deaths.
Those numbers have surged since July 1, with 6,051 cases reported as of Tuesday and 127 confirmed deaths.
Comments
themessenger says...
We might oppose the current "competent" authorities extension of the state of emergency, we doubly oppose the thought of Brave Davis as the incompetent authority in waiting.
Posted 22 October 2020, 9:20 a.m. Suggest removal
Topdude says...
Wow. If there ever was a hypocritical position presented for public consumption this is the winner. Mr. Davis is stringing together catch phrases, nice sounding positions and easy to spout arguments when he and his comrades have absolutely no idea of the big picture.
This is the kind of politics that we do not need in the Bahamas at this time. Now is not the time to take pot shots at the Government. We need everyone to rally around the Government and collectively come up with the ways and means to handle the pandemic.
What is so disappointing from the barf being vomited by the “leader” of the PLP is that he prattles on about disentangling wealth and access to treatment for this virus when he ran away to the USA to seek treatment for himself because he has the means.
Come on PLP stop your politicking at this critical time in our nation’s history. Please demonstrate your commitment to nation building as opposed to nation destruction.
For the 1,000,000th time, this virus was not as a result of the FNM government’s failing to do something. And do not compare the Bahamaland to Barbados. They are geographically so different that the dynamics of the virus’ transmission make such comparisons akin to comparing ackees to mangoes.
Come on man. Get serious.
Posted 22 October 2020, 9:32 a.m. Suggest removal
tribanon says...
You have to admit that only someone as corrupt, arrogant, nasty, vindictive and incompetent as Minnis could make yellow belly Davis look good. Amazing!
Posted 22 October 2020, 10:26 a.m. Suggest removal
DDK says...
Good one!
Posted 22 October 2020, 1:22 p.m. Suggest removal
Chucky says...
First we must deal with this “competent authority” title.
We all know we do not have a “competent authority “, so let’s stop the nonsense of using this title.
Posted 22 October 2020, 10:29 a.m. Suggest removal
KapunkleUp says...
Chicken Davis and the gang always have 2 sets of plans... 1 for when they're in power and 1 for when they ain't.
Posted 22 October 2020, 10:32 a.m. Suggest removal
lcmangum says...
Davis, stop playing politics with peoples lives. Dr. Minnis is doing what is best for the country. If you have a better solution then consult with Dr. MInnis. The virus is not a FNM neither PLP!!!!! Too many times we align our thoughts with political motives. STOP IT SIR!
Posted 22 October 2020, 10:54 a.m. Suggest removal
Honestman says...
During a time of national crisis it is so much more comfortable to be in opposition. I do agree with Davis however that we need to ramp up testing capability so that it is available to all.
Posted 22 October 2020, 11:15 a.m. Suggest removal
Anthonydupuch says...
These lockdowns don't work. They just further harm the economy
Anthony Dupuch
Posted 22 October 2020, 11:29 a.m. Suggest removal
JokeyJack says...
It's easy to oppose things, when the decision/authority related to that thing is not in your ballpark.
When he had the power, Brave opposed meetings of the PAC (public accounts committee) and he also failed to accept PM Hubert Ingraham's proposal (after PLP complained about the rules of the House) - to submit proposals for changes to the rules of the house and Ingraham found in place when they came to power.
The modus operandi on both sides is to take advantage of the inequality when they are in power (but don't change it), and then complain about it when they are out of power. This has happened numerous times now because we just keep swapping them every 5 years. They need to get swapped every 2 years (but some people think that's radical, and that it is less radical that citizens starve to death).
Anyway, the starving to death procedure has begun. Any recommendations for changes to the rules of the house Mr. Davis? Any thoughts of whether or not the Speaker should have the use of a toilet?
Posted 22 October 2020, 12:17 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
If the opposition selects to compare **the colony** to that of Barbados, then shouldn't **the rest all** of the other's COVID shortcomings not also be brought out the discussion?
Posted 22 October 2020, 4:56 p.m. Suggest removal
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