This has been an ongoing problem for decades. In many cases, Haitians hired to tend farms and their friends are stealing the bulk of crops before owners get to harvest. With this pandemic going on and a slowdown in jobs for them, Haitians will be stealing even more!
Long lines should be expected everywhere after so many stores were closed for such long periods and people were not able to make needed purchases and social distancing in effect.
Tourism is what we do, and what we know. Rebuilding, maintaining and innovating the status quo in tourism should be priority one. However, diversifying the economy is decades behind schedule and must be given equally top priority!
Now is the time for the Bahamas and caricom as a block to re-write and standardize best practices for the cruise ship industry in our region that actually benefit our countries and people!
The nonsense of allowing the cruise ship industry to pit caricom states against each other for pittance gains must stop.
It is time we realized and began acting as we understand that tourists have been coming to our shores before the cruise ship industry and will continue coming to caricom states with or without cruise ships!
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Intitled opinions are expected. You geniuses can "TINK" and debate the masks wearing issue until GODS' kingdom comes.
I will wear N95 or KN95 masks because "N95 respirators and KN95 masks are considered the gold standard for those on the frontlines. When worn properly — securely fitted to a wearer’s face — they offer protection from about 95% of small particles (0.3 microns in size) and large droplets."
As I predicted confirmed cases are increasing the closer we get to months end. This is probably partially due to the much belated mandatory wearing of masks in public and food stores, pharmacies, etc. Numbers will most likely continue going up rapidly until around mid-May from this lack of masks wearing misstep.
Secondly, making it mandatory for people to wear face coverings and encouraging local production may be well-intentioned, however, having individuals wearing masks that do not offer **protection from the virus** is not an optimal solution at this stage of the epidemic.
**People should be wearing masks that actually both protect them from contracting the virus AND prevent them from spreading the virus.**
The Chinese use a class of masks called "KN95 civilian" masks. Although not actually rated as "medical" masks, KN95 masks are designed to protect the user from contracting and exposing others to the virus. After the virus is under control, people can go to the cloth masks.
Opening the economy now even a little as planned is a very bad idea. It will only cause numbers to explode again in two to three weeks and we will be worse off than we are now and back to square one!!
With numbers now quickly on the rise, obviously, this is not the time to relax and ease up. Better to go the opposite route, bite the bullet, and tighten down on movement by extending the lockdown as is on weekends, only allowing movement to food stores, pharmacies, gas stations, hotels, and other "real" essential workers except in cases of emergencies which should allow movement with permission.
The current 311 number **never answers,** is an absolute waste of time.
We need to seriously enforce the lockdown and encourage as many people as possible to upgrade masks to NIOSH-approved N95 respirators or at least the Chinese civil KN95 masks, or we might be in this mess for much longer than is necessary.
The Bahamas adequate foreign reserves to cover essential imports, and to preserve the parity of the Bahamian dollar against the US currency is in constant threat of decline with 1000,s of nonessential ex-pats increasing repatriation of US currency to help families in home countries reeling from COVID19!
SP says...
They can open all the churches in the country, I wouldn't set foot in any church until the problem is solved!
On Churches press for services to resume
Posted 24 April 2020, 10:39 a.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
This has been an ongoing problem for decades. In many cases, Haitians hired to tend farms and their friends are stealing the bulk of crops before owners get to harvest. With this pandemic going on and a slowdown in jobs for them, Haitians will be stealing even more!
On Farmers see 'quadrupling' of interest
Posted 24 April 2020, 10:35 a.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
So we're opening up & easing restrictions as confirmed cases increase?
On UPDATED: Five newly confirmed cases of COVID-19
Posted 23 April 2020, 4:37 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Long lines should be expected everywhere after so many stores were closed for such long periods and people were not able to make needed purchases and social distancing in effect.
On Opening up will be slow
Posted 22 April 2020, 7:45 a.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Lol well said!!
On Opening up will be slow
Posted 21 April 2020, 8:31 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Tourism is what we do, and what we know. Rebuilding, maintaining and innovating the status quo in tourism should be priority one. However, diversifying the economy is decades behind schedule and must be given equally top priority!
Now is the time for the Bahamas and caricom as a block to re-write and standardize best practices for the cruise ship industry in our region that actually benefit our countries and people!
The nonsense of allowing the cruise ship industry to pit caricom states against each other for pittance gains must stop.
It is time we realized and began acting as we understand that tourists have been coming to our shores before the cruise ship industry and will continue coming to caricom states with or without cruise ships!
On INSIGHT: Abandoning tourism is a fool’s errand - we just need to reimagine it
Posted 21 April 2020, 8:19 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Brave Davis has "brief moments" of sanity.....This is not one of them!
On ‘What’s the basis for easing up?’
Posted 21 April 2020, 8:04 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Intitled opinions are expected. You geniuses can "TINK" and debate the masks wearing issue until GODS' kingdom comes.
I will wear N95 or KN95 masks because "N95 respirators and KN95 masks are considered the gold standard for those on the frontlines. When worn properly — securely fitted to a wearer’s face — they offer protection from about 95% of small particles (0.3 microns in size) and large droplets."
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/za…
Ditto for the Chinese KN95 masks which were approved by the FDA for surgical use in the USA!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/heal…
I don't care.......**Carry on smartly!**
On Four newly confirmed cases of COVID-19
Posted 21 April 2020, 7:52 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
As I predicted confirmed cases are increasing the closer we get to months end. This is probably partially due to the much belated mandatory wearing of masks in public and food stores, pharmacies, etc. Numbers will most likely continue going up rapidly until around mid-May from this lack of masks wearing misstep.
Secondly, making it mandatory for people to wear face coverings and encouraging local production may be well-intentioned, however, having individuals wearing masks that do not offer **protection from the virus** is not an optimal solution at this stage of the epidemic.
**People should be wearing masks that actually both protect them from contracting the virus AND prevent them from spreading the virus.**
The Chinese use a class of masks called "KN95 civilian" masks. Although not actually rated as "medical" masks, KN95 masks are designed to protect the user from contracting and exposing others to the virus. After the virus is under control, people can go to the cloth masks.
Opening the economy now even a little as planned is a very bad idea. It will only cause numbers to explode again in two to three weeks and we will be worse off than we are now and back to square one!!
With numbers now quickly on the rise, obviously, this is not the time to relax and ease up. Better to go the opposite route, bite the bullet, and tighten down on movement by extending the lockdown as is on weekends, only allowing movement to food stores, pharmacies, gas stations, hotels, and other "real" essential workers except in cases of emergencies which should allow movement with permission.
The current 311 number **never answers,** is an absolute waste of time.
We need to seriously enforce the lockdown and encourage as many people as possible to upgrade masks to NIOSH-approved N95 respirators or at least the Chinese civil KN95 masks, or we might be in this mess for much longer than is necessary.
On Four newly confirmed cases of COVID-19
Posted 20 April 2020, 11:19 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
The Bahamas adequate foreign reserves to cover essential imports, and to preserve the parity of the Bahamian dollar against the US currency is in constant threat of decline with 1000,s of nonessential ex-pats increasing repatriation of US currency to help families in home countries reeling from COVID19!
We need to save our own suffering people!
On Bahamas most exposed to external fund pressure
Posted 20 April 2020, 7:06 p.m. Suggest removal