By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NINE confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Andros and a COVID-19 positivity rate of 58 percent in Cat Island helped push the government to implement a two-week lockdown of those islands which began at 8pm yesterday.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the lockdown on Sunday during a national address, saying only essential workers will be allowed to visit those islands during the specified period. In-person activities and burials are not permitted. 

In locking down the islands, Dr Minnis stressed their limited health resources.

“Because of these limits, as a government, we cannot allow Family Island outbreaks of the pandemic to get out of control,” he said.

Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, special health adviser to Dr Minnis and chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, said there are 33 active cases of the virus on Cat Island and 109 residents there are in quarantine.

She said seven people have been airlifted to New Providence for urgent medical care so far and six remain hospitalised.

Dr Dahl-Regis emphasised the changing profile of COVID-19 in the country as younger people increasingly take ill with the virus.

“This is no longer a virus that only affects older people,” she said. “It is now infecting younger persons. Many young people are contracting the virus. More young people are becoming seriously ill. More young people are being hospitalised and are dying from the virus.”

Dr Dahl-Regis noted that in the past week, 76 percent of people receiving their first dose of the vaccine were between the ages of 18 and 50, a trend she expects to continue in the coming weeks.

As for Andros and Cat Island, Dr Minnis said: “Every agency, business or establishment, shall remain closed, except for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, government community clinics, and COVID-19 vaccination sites. No individual, other than an essential worker, shall leave his or her place of residence, for any purpose other than, for the purpose of seeking urgent medical attention, to go to a vaccination site, or on prescribed days, to purchase food, water and other essential items. The administrator or a designee, is permitted to distribute food and water on behalf of the government.

“Food store owners may be permitted to restock their stores, after the arrival of the respective mailboat, and the Seacor. Food stores may be opened for two days, between 6am and 6pm after the mailboat has arrived. Residents may leave their homes to go to the food store during the two days immediately following the arrival of the mailboat only.”

Farmers are permitted to water their crops between the hours of 5am to 9am.

“Subsistence fishing is permitted,” Dr Minnis said. “The respective commercial banks may reload their automated banking machines. Gas stations may open on Fridays from 6am to 6pm for government agencies only. Customs and immigration (officers) will be able to fulfil their duties as needed. Security guard services will be permitted. Hotel workers carrying identification, will be permitted to traverse, to and from their places of employment.”

Hotels on the respective islands are able to continue operations providing their guests do not leave the property. 

Residents of North and Central Andros will be allowed to harvest crabs during the lockdown from 8pm to 5am. Dr Minnis said if the officer-in-charge on the island allows, people can harvest crabs outside these hours if the weather is favourable for harvesting.

Dr Minnis said AUTEC’s Navy Base will be allowed to operate and Emile Knowles Construction Company will also be allowed to work on the government’s bridge project in Stainard Creek between 6am and 6pm.

On Cat Island, water delivery will be permitted by Donald Newbold from 6am to 6pm and ISD construction’s work on the government’s water project can continue between 6am and 6pm.

Travel into and out of the respective islands is prohibited unless the person has written approval by the competent authority; has a medical emergency; is transporting goods as specified in the lockdown order; in respect of a provision of an essential service as noted in the order or the person is an international tourist. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has already dispatched officers to Cat Island and North and Central Andros to ensure that residents are not leaving these areas, and risking the greater spread of the COVID-19 virus, to other communities and islands,” Dr Minnis said.

His national address came after the Office of the Prime Minister announced in a statement on Friday that Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands were to be placed under a 14-day lockdown effective Saturday at 8pm in order to slow and control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in those communities.

The Bahamas recorded 28 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 25 in New Providence, bringing the nation’s case count to 11,579. At last report, the Berry Islands had 85 cases, Cat Island had 50 cases and Andros had 141; those islands did not report new cases on Sunday. 

The lockdown for Cat Island and Andros comes to an end 5am on Tuesday, June 8. The complete lockdown orders can be seen at opm.gov.bs.