By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AFTER urging the government to implement more restrictive measures to curtail COVID-19, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has come under heavy fire from Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville who said his “poor management of the pandemic is public record”.

Dr Darville said the Free National Movement should have been actively working to secure additional vaccine supplies before it was voted out of office in September and reminded the public that Dr Minnis called a snap election in the “middle of the strongest” COVID-19 surge.

On Wednesday, Dr Minnis told a local daily that the Free National Movement is concerned about parties and other social events being held recently and the rising COVID-19 death toll. He called on the government to introduce more aggressive measures for large gatherings that are currently happening. Since assuming office, the Davis administration has relaxed the nightly curfew, pushing it to 11pm.

 The FNM leader echoed sentiments previously expressed by former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, as he reminded the public that The Bahamas has the highest obesity rate in the Caribbean and in the presence of COVID, obesity increased the hospitalisation rate by an additional 150 percent over the normal rate.

 When he served as prime minister, Dr Minnis implemented Emergency Orders, which are still in effect, and several bouts of lockdowns. While Dr Minnis is now criticising the PLP government and making suggestions of how to handle the pandemic, just before the general election he relaxed restrictions to allow for campaigning where there were many instances of large crowds, no social distancing and limited use of masks.

 Dr Darville did not take too kindly to Dr Minnis’ criticisms.

 “The feedback from the former prime minister in today’s Nassau Guardian on the COVID pandemic is arguably the most detailed response that he has given to the Bahamian people in all of the past 18 plus months since the start of the COVID pandemic,” Dr Darville told The Tribune.

 “It is interesting that as he seeks to find his political footing and maintain his relevance in the lead up to the fight for leadership of the FNM he is now seeking to engage the local media when he previously treated them with little short of contempt.

 “His poor management of the COVID pandemic is a matter of public record. During his tenure The Bahamas ranked second to last in the world in the management of the pandemic.”

 Dr Minnis said with the country’s vaccine supply running low, death rates will remain high and hospitalisations would start to increase again.

 Shortly after Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, chairman of the National Vaccine Consultative Committee, told The Tribune that The Bahamas faced rapidly diminishing COVID-19 vaccine supplies, authorities in the Pan American Health Organization promised the arrival of 57,300 doses during the first week of November.

 Dr Darville also addressed Dr Minnis’ comment on the vaccines.

 “And even while he attempts now in opposition to offer recommendations, his views are yet still focused almost exclusively on restrictions,” he said continuing. “Lest we forget this is the same person who called an election in the middle of the strongest surge in COVID cases in The Bahamas.

 “The securing of additional vaccines is something that his government should have been actively engaged in up to the day of the election. The fact that these vaccines are not yet on island is reflective of the poor pandemic management of his government and not of the Davis administration who have been in office for just shy of one month.

 “The Davis administration encourages healthy feedback from all sectors of the Bahamas in the fight against this pandemic but discourages discourse aimed at petty personal score settling and political posturing.”