Friday, January 7, 2022
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PEOPLE in New Providence will be able to get a free rapid antigen test through the government’s pilot testing programme starting tomorrow, according to Press Secretary Clint Watson.
Mr Watson said people can register for the test at covidtest.gov.bs from today.
The tests will be administered at the Kendal Isaacs Gym and the Melia hotel; the gym will be a drive-through site. People who are experiencing symptoms are asked to visit the South Beach Clinic for a free test.
“Those of you who want to participate in testing, we encourage you to do that,” Mr Watson said. “If you’re not experiencing any conditions whatsoever, you go to those particular facilities for your free testing. For those of you who are having symptoms, you are going to do testing at the South Beach Clinic which will be open this week as well. That does not require prior registration like other sites.”
PCR tests will be offered at the South Beach clinic to people who test positive with antigen tests.
Mr Watson said people can only get a free test once per week, at which point their name will be flagged in the system.
“We don’t want people to be going back every day,” he said. “We don’t want people to be every day using it to be able to go have dinner somewhere and just get a free COVID test so you could have it with you.”
Officials, he said, hope to provide about 400 tests a day.
The free tests come amid concern that antigen tests are less sensitive at detecting the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Asked if officials are concerned the test could give people a false sense of security about their COVID-19 status, Mr Watson said: “There’s always that concern particularly with COVID-19. However, we believe if we start here we’re able to bring relief to a problem that’s been mushrooming. We’re happy we can start at this point to be able to ensure that Bahamians have some resolve. Sadly in this country a lot of people aren’t testing, haven’t tested for the last year and a half in this pandemic because they can’t afford it. We want to provide an avenue where people do not have to say ‘I did not test because I couldn’t afford a test’.”
Mr Watson said the government is working with local firms to source the tests.
“We asked companies if they were willing to work with us and what we can work with them as far as costing and that’s how we began this programme,” he said. “We’re going to extend it, we’re going to include more people, but this is just to see if this capacity that we have will work.”
Comments
Proguing says...
Breaking news:
Israel Lifts All COVID Travel Bans Made Irrelevant by Omicron, Eases School Restrictions
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/isr…
Posted 7 January 2022, 8:30 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
these were bans they put in place against particular countries with high incidents of Omicron, like South Africa. As the world found out, Omicron was already everywhere and banning South Africa was futile.
One takeaway, they are allowing people to test at home to address long lines for testing
They are not suggesting that we not to test people on entry
Posted 7 January 2022, 9:34 a.m. Suggest removal
whogothere says...
It's done - we don't need free testing it's 2 years to late. We need to say it's over. Thats reality. Anything else is pushing a false narrative and trying to prolong a state of chaos. Cases don't matter anymore. And until we know how many are in hospital for COVID rather in for something else with covid (as the MOH acknowledged there is confusion of that) the metrics of hospitality and death are meaningless. It's done - stop it - let's ashes rest...
Posted 7 January 2022, 10:32 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
dont know if COVID is "done". Omicron and prior variants certainly are. We'll still get persons who become extremelly ill if infected as with the flu but there wont be any large scale fallout What we cant know is whether another deadly variant will arise.
Posted 7 January 2022, 11:35 a.m. Suggest removal
whogothere says...
I didn't say sickness was over. People got sick before covid...remember those days lol...COVID and the political plausibility of any restrictions that existed is over...the hysteria should be over...there should be acknowledgement that mistakes were made in policy - the lockdowns were horrific and likely worsened the conditions, the mask policy, school closures, border shutdowns, the vaccine mandate - effort all of it was a huge huge huge mis-step and if any faith in medical/political institutions is to be restored this needs to be recognised so that we can be move on and be prepared, god forbid a real threat to public health comes along...
Posted 7 January 2022, 3:28 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
yup, the "*good ole days*"
Posted 7 January 2022, 5:25 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Startin' tomorrow, *what kind mischief**, could de premiership's office's, Comrade Spokesman's, "Big Fella Chatty" Clintee, **possibly be up to now** and everything else like this and that cause even though, Clintee, **may has set out, exactly what testing needs doing,** as his true intention to-do, still it leaves, we de PopoulacesCommenes', **already divided,**― Yes?
Posted 7 January 2022, 11:23 a.m. Suggest removal
ted4bz says...
DNA collection drive. Do not do it.
Posted 7 January 2022, 3:07 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
MY PREDICTION is that eventually people who re-vaccinate after recovering from the Omicron variants will get sick from Covid. Here’s the reason: “The Omnicron strain sees the vaccines as another variant or foreign substance in the body. It then binds the vaccines, making them ineffective and then establishes its own immunity against all other variants in the body.’ So if you revaccinate or get booster shots after having Omicron…
Posted 7 January 2022, 4:38 p.m. Suggest removal
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