NASSAU, BAHAMAS— Grand Bahama’s YMCA has shuttered its facilities, inside and outdoors, in a bid to comply with social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The facility was closed on Monday, and is tentatively set to re-open on March 30.
A press release read: “The YMCA has a presence in 120 countries. Its focus worldwide is: “For youth development, for healthy living, for social responsibility”.
” What could be more appropriate as a mantra for our YMCA as we, as the world, deals with this massive public health problem? We must ensure that our youth remain safe, our communities stay healthy and our people are committed to care for one another.
It continued: “In these uncertain times, and as we move through uncharted waters, having the approach led by organizations like the Y is crucial.
“We have all been given guidance as to how to help mitigate this problem: wash your hands, stay home if you are sick, and more. Perhaps less known is that, even if you are healthy, you can be a carrier of the virus.
“This can happen if you come into contact with a friend or stranger who may have been tested positive, or more likely at present, may not have been tested at all.”
The YMCA statement further stressed the importance of taking preventative measures, noting the virus’ spread has strained global healthcare systems.
“Think daily about who and where you need to go and with whom, not where you would like to go and with whom,” the statement read.
“The US has just mandated that no gathering should exceed ten people, and failure to comply is subject to penalties for those becoming ‘a danger to public health’. As we have seen in Italy and Spain, numbers can spike very quickly; that can happen in any country where the precautions are not taken soon enough.
It added: “So pay close attention to all your circumstances, and to our youth, our health and our social responsibility. By doing so, you can become part of the solution instead of being, potentially, part of the problem.”
