GB Minister: Latest cases signal risk of community spread

GB Minister: Latest cases signal risk of community spread
Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of State for Grand Bahama and Senator Kwasi Thompson yesterday pleaded with Grand Bahamians to stay home during the Independence holiday weekend.

Yesterday, health officials confirmed a third case of coronavirus in Grand Bahama.

The latest case is a 27-year-old man with no history of travel.

“We now have [three] additional cases,” Thompson said.

“We’ve also seen a possibility…that there may be some risk of community spread as a result.

“So I want to send a clear message and a clear plea to the residents of Grand Bahama.

“This weekend I know it’s a holiday weekend, but stay home this weekend. Stay in your houses this weekend. If you don’t have to travel if you don’t have to be up and about in the community.

“Stay home enjoy your family at home, enjoy your Independence at home.”

On Wednesday, health officials confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 on Grand Bahama after over 60 days with no cases on the island.

The two were also the latest cases for the country in over three weeks — a 33-year-old resident of Grand Bahama, with no history of travel and a 20-year-old migrant man who was in isolation.

It was unclear if the man had recently entered the country or had a history of travel.

Employees in the C A Smith Building in Grand Bahama are reportedly concerned about possible exposure to the coronavirus after an undocumented migrant, who later tested positive, was reportedly processed in the building.

Former Minister of State for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville made the revelation during the morning sitting of Senate, as parliamentarians debated the resolution to extend the state of emergency and emergency orders to July 31.

As he criticized the government’s mitigation efforts, he pointed to the matter of the COVID-19 positive illegal immigration, who was taken to the CA  Smith building in Freeport for processing along with more than 20 other detainees.

“This morning some of the staff who work on the first floor of the CA Smith Building are very concerned about their working environment and the fact that the area was not sanitized,” Darville said.

“There is cause for concern and many other Bahamians feel the way I do. There appears to be a chronic lack of coordination and attention to detail in the governance of this country.”

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 107.

There have been 11 confirmed cases in Grand Bahama, 82 in New Providence, one in Cat Cay, and 13 on Bimini.

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.