NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate Lamont Nixon yesterday called the continued use of lockdowns on the Family Islands disappointing, suggesting the government’s plan was based solely on convenience.
“It is the government’s duty to make prudent and logical decisions grounded in proper data analysis and science,” Nixon said in a press statement.
“Bahamians expect their leaders to come up with creative ideas in the face of unprecedented challenges. Decisions should not be made based solely on convenience without considering the livelihood of our citizens.”
The competent authority has extended the lockdown orders for Central and North Andros and Cat Island for another week.
In his statement, Nixon argued that locking down portions of the country because 1% is sick without a holistic plan isn’t logical. He called on the Minnis administration to retract the lockdown orders on these islands and consider alternative methods to combat rising COVID numbers.
Nixon is the DNA’s spokesperson for Local Government & Family Island Development, and candidate for Golden Gates.
He continued: “The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) maintains that we must be strategic and intentional in our fight against this pandemic. We must strike the right balance between maintaining the quality of life of our citizens and combating the public health challenges posed by COVID-19. It is disappointing that some of the decisions made by the government have become problems that our citizens face.”
“The DNA reiterates its position that the best way to combat the spread of this virus is the effective implementation of the 3Ts – Testing, Tracing and Tracking. Our recommended approach which strategically declares the less populated islands COVID free one at a time provides free testing and adopts a single port of entry remains relevant.
“The cost of testing must not be prohibitive and the government must implement free COVID-19 testing so that we can identify those that are infected and provide them with the care that they need.
“This will allow us to give the proper care and attention to those that are sick while those that are healthy can keep the economy running,” he added.
