THE Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Michael Darville, sounded a cautious note as news broke yesterday of a suspected case of monkeypox in The Bahamas – but whether the case is confirmed or not, we should be prepared for the eventuality that the virus reaches our shores.

Dr Darville said yesterday: “I have been informed that there is a potential case and I want to make that clear, a potential case of monkeypox in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

The patient is a foreign national who may well have come into the country on a British Airways flight – exactly how you might think a country such as ours, with tourists arriving from all over the world, might encounter its first case of the virus.

Now we all might collectively sigh with frustration at a new medical problem to deal with after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic – but it is important not to panic.

First of all, we are far better prepared to deal with a new problem nowadays, because of the precautions we have been used to with COVID-19 already.

More than that, we have seen the virus spread elsewhere – cases have been reported in more than 20 countries around the world now – and we have had specific warnings from health officials. Just last week, Pan-American Health Organisation officials warned that nations should be on alert and be ready to take swift action in the event of an outbreak of monkeypox – which was considered inevitable.

Then there’s the good news – one of those same officials, Dr Ciro Ugarte, of PAHO, said that “what we know about this virus and the mode of transmission is this outbreak is containable”.

Containable. That’s a reassuring word given how COVID has seemingly run free and been far from contained in its spread around the world and throughout communities.

The instructions on how to avoid infection sound familiar too – washing your hands properly and often, using sanitiser, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly, keeping distance from others… the same measures we have been following with COVID.

With luck, this case may end up not being confirmed. But even if it is, with good planning we can minimise the risk of any further cases – either spreading from this incident or in the future.

This one can be beaten – so stay alert.

CCTV cameras

The news that $1.93m is being allocated to place CCTV cameras in a number of locations, including public parks, as part of the fight against crime is a welcome one.

CCTV is proven to be effective in shifting crime away from areas, and in tracking down the perpetrators afterwards if caught on camera.

The country has invested previously in ShotSpotter technology, which even at its best is a reactive technology – it warns police if a shot has been fired so they can arrive at the scene to investigate. That doesn’t do anything to reduce the likelihood of a trigger being pulled. The prospect of being filmed, however, may well drive criminals away from areas where cameras are located. The footage can also be used to help track down criminals, police can release images to the media to help find wanted suspects, and it can be used in court to help secure a conviction.

All told, it’s not a cure-all, but it certainly is a valuable asset.

The news comes after the murder of 13-year-old Quinton McKenzie last week. The cameras will not bring Quinton back. They will not ease the pain of those who mourn him. But perhaps they will stop more murders in future – and that has to be a goal to strive towards.