The Government is "caught between a rock and a hard place." If we allow tourists from Florida and other COVID infected states into the Bahamas without robust health checks then any economic gain could be short lived. How many American tourists will visit New Providence if we find our infection rate has spiraled out of control and there are no hospital beds available for anyone?

Chester Cooper has sold his soul for political ambition. He's not the first and he won't be the last. He is sadly a product of Bahamian politics.

The Government is in a difficult position here. One small mis-step could have devastating consequences in allowing the virus to spread. We are told that the country only has around 40 available beds in ICU. This seems wholly inadequate given the potential for this virus to spread. Given these circumstances, the PM has to tread very carefully. I agree with the lock down over the two holiday weekends for if everything was to open up for these holidays then social distancing would go out the window. However, I don't agree with opening up the churches for public services even with protocols in place. This is a risk government doesn't need to take at this time. Overall, government is doing a good job in suppressing the virus and the public, in general, deserves huge credit for its level of compliance. However, our success in keeping this invisible foe at bay causes another problem in that it is likely that few of us have built up any immunity to the virus. Government is going to have to invest heavily in testing kits so that we can begin a strategy of reintroducing tourists to our islands whilst closely monitoring any increase in infection rates. We all want something close to our previous way of life to return as soon as possible but the transition is fraught with danger and we need to cut government some slack. This is by far the biggest challenge any Bahamian government has faced since independence.

Sounds like the Government is hoping that the tourists flock back soon because it seems the Budget has not addressed how we are going to correct this huge deficit. Canceling red plates and meals in the HOA ain't gonna cut it. Why even mention such trivial measures?

Good article. We all want our tourist industry to be up and running as soon as possible. Unfortunately for as long as Trump led USA continues to operate without a clear strategy for dealing with the pandemic, American tourists are going to represent a grave risk to The Bahamas especially if we open up too soon and are unprepared for any increase in COVID cases. The Government must use this time to properly prepare for the inevitable increase in cases when we do finally open up.

I must admit to not being surprised by this. Fine dining restaurants are all under threat during this economic crisis. Kerb side delivery just doesn't work for restaurants like Lucianos.

Drive up services? How ridiculous! Just hold on-line services like many churches are doing.

Without an adequate testing strategy in place, The Bahamas will remain trapped in a lock down mode while other countries are cautiously easing up on restrictions.

The PM's failure to explain his decision on not opening these COVID free islands reflects a lack of leadership. Likewise, his approach of failing to take questions from journalists reflects poorly on him. If you want to be a PM you have to accept the responsibility that goes with the territory. That means making yourself available to answer legitimate questions put forward by the media who are in effect the spokespersons of the public. People will conclude that our PM's refusal to engage the media is either due to arrogance or a fear that his actions will not stand up to scrutiny. Either way, for a PM who campaigned on a platform that his government would herald a new era of openness and transparency, his attitude smacks of the hypocrisy. If the PM continues in this vein then the FNM will lose the next election and then the country will be governed once more by a party that will take hypocrisy and deceit to new levels. The clock is ticking Dr. Minnis.

The weekly addresses ARE turning people off. Last week's address could have been condensed into 20 minutes. The public doesn't want to hear the PM provide lessons in scripture - we have plenty of pastors who can do a better job. The public wants to know the detail of what government is doing to protect us, its rationale for the steps it is taking and THEN, most importantly, it wants journalists to be allowed to ask pertinent questions.