Thursday, December 30, 2021
EDITOR, The Tribune.
As the proud parent of a University of The Bahamas student, like other parents; students and teachers we are all anxious that in-person tuition become the norm again in the shortest time possible. Many students, unfortunately, do not have access to electricity or computers. This greatly curtails their ability to be taught online. There is little doubt that this will negatively impact their grade averages and results of examinations if and when they are held.
The Davis administration and the Ministry of Education are no doubt very anxious to reopen public schools as I am also. To do so as proposed in January, 2022 would not be a wise decision. In fact, it would be foolhardy and a gross display of mismanagement. We are now in the so-called fourth wave of the pandemic with a dose of Comicon, yet another highly infectious mutation of COVID-19. No one here at home or even world-wide seem to have a clue as to combating and eliminating these. Uncertainty is everywhere and we are all like headless chickens.
It is my position that unless and until we see a drastic decrease in cases of the virus and mutations, public schools should/must remain closed to the general public. What might be a solution is to stagger school days and hours where classes could be held in large auditoriums or even outdoor spaces so as to ensure observations of all recommended health protocols. For instance we have huge auditoriums at most of the high schools here in New Providence. In alphabetical order, students could attend in person classes twice or three times per week, inclusive of Saturdays where necessary.
The enlightened Davis administration should urgently seek to source lap tops and tablets from the USA International Development Agency and the People’s Republic of China, etc. Bahamas Power & Light should be ordered by the Minister with responsibility, the Hon Alfred Sears (PLP-Fort Charlotte) not to disconnect services for the next month or so. The same should be applicable to the Water & Sewerage Corporation. These are both essential necessities and as we are all in this together the PM and his team must also rise to the challenges.
In short, I suggest that in the abundance of caution public schools should not be reopened any time soon. In this same vein I would also recommend that large public gatherings should/must be curtailed. In my daily treks across New Providence, especially within the inner city areas, I have noticed scores of persons hanging around bars and liquor stores, most unmasked, enjoying their libations. Where I would have dared to stop, I have asked numerous proprietors why they are allowing theses flagrant breaches of the law.
Their responses, almost universally, is that they themselves are not vaccinated and that they do not believe in vaccinations seeing that even fully vaccinated persons who would have also have received booster shots are still prone to contracting and spreading the virus. This is a dangerous and deadly way of thinking. Once upon a time you’d see COVID patrol vehicles all over New Providence. For months now, long before the general elections if you were to see just one of them that would be a phenomenon of the highest order. These vehicles must return to 24x7 patrols.
In addition to the above may I suggest that a 2:00am curfew be introduced. For the life of me I fail to see or understand why any sensible and prudent individual needs to be out that late if at all. Ordinary gatherings such as church services; limited funerals and weddings should be allowed to continue with strict protocols. Beaches and parks should also remain opened. But with strict enforcement by the once fabled Beach Police Officers. At the end of the day we Bahamians will be quite fine, But right now we are faced with challenges and dilemmas.
ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr
Nassau,
December 29, 2021.
Comments
JokeyJack says...
Can't think of any other freedoms you want to take away from us Mr. Bodie? Use your imagination, I'm sure you can come up with some more. Perhaps just tear up our Constitution entirely? Constitutions are posing a legal problem for tyrants the world over.
The Omicron is a coronavirus. Delta is a coronavirus. The coronavirus is a coronavirus and the flu is a coronavirus. Except that the first two listed have clearly had their gene sequences manually manipulated (this from the inventor of the MRNA technology himself). There is NO SOLUTION to coronaviruses. They are uniquely evolved to live WITH us and they have done so for many thousands of years. Over 80,000 people died in the USA from the flu in the 2017-2018 winter season. Where was the uproar and shutdowns then?
The problem we are facing today is not the virus, but the new protocols which (unlike with the flu) forbid doctors from treating the illness both early and with medication. Early treatment is not allowed. Medication is not allowed. Without those two LONG USED components of clinical treatment, there should be no surprise that people are getting sicker and dying. Why don't we outlaw early treatment for ALL diseases then, if it is the right thing to do?
However, like a great pretense from a Shakespeare play, everyone goes around pretending that people who become sick with these coronaviruses are being treated by the medical community worldwide and that the medicines are simply not enough. Yet (as pretenses work) they simultaneously KNOW that no treatments, no medicines, are being given (except Tylenol LOL).
We all also pretend that nobody is aware that people who get sick (with anything) are deliberately AVOIDING doctors and hospitals because nobody knows what will happen to you if you end up in a hospital. Friends and family are not allowed to come in and check on you - and so you just disappear into a dark unknown void filled with insufficient doctors and nurses (because many are not allowed to work unless they have fully bought into the no-medication mantra and injected Trump's bleach).
We ALL know (and please don't claim that you don't) somebody who has died over the past 19 months of some illness or the other because they avoided early treatment because they were AFRAID to seek medical attention - because nobody knows what "medical attention" means anymore.
Why don't we also outlaw Band-aids and bandages of all kinds and tourniquets and then walk around foolishly bemoaning how people are bleeding to death when they get a severe cut? That would make exactly the same amount of sense as what we are doing now.
Posted 31 December 2021, 10:50 a.m. Suggest removal
Bobsyeruncle says...
Oh boy, don't you seem to have all the answers. Maybe you should send out your resume of first hand knowledge to WHO, CDC & PAHO. They obviously don't have the right people advising them.
Oh, and one small correction. Flu is not a corona virus, but I'm sure you knew that with your vast knowledge, and it was just an oversight on your part.
Posted 31 December 2021, 5:05 p.m. Suggest removal
JokeyJack says...
It's truly incredible that when the government (these 3 & 4 letter agencies you site) say "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE MEDICATION", that there are always people like you that will stand up and defend them. You still did not answer why don't we outlaw ALL early treatment for ALL diseases, and only do it for Covid.
Posted 1 January 2022, 10:06 a.m. Suggest removal
Bobsyeruncle says...
Something's wrong with the syntax of your last sentence, but I think what you're trying to ask is why are certain treatments not allowed for Covid. The answer is quite simple.
All medications have to be approved by each country's regulatory authority, for the condition it was treating during it's clinical trials.
There are certain exceptions, such as:
Doctor's prescribing medications for what they call "off-label use" which is why some doctor's have been prescribing Ivermectin and HCQ for Covid. There is a risk in doing this as if something happens to the patient, when prescribed for a non-approved condition the doctor could be considered liable.
There is also something called "Compassionate Use", which is authorized by the said Regulatory Authorities when a drug has either not yet completed clinical trials, or has failed it's clinical trials. This permission would typically be given to terminally ill patients. or when a drug did not achieve it's clinical endpoint in the majority of patients, but a few very sick patients did benefit from it.
Posted 1 January 2022, 4:59 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
No real treatment for Covid ....... No real treatment for Stupidity
Posted 31 December 2021, 11:54 a.m. Suggest removal
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