NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands said yesterday that with the loss of nurses in recent months, the battle against the third wave of the coronavirus in The Bahamas could be a “much more difficult battle”.
Sands expressed concern about the growing infections, hospitalizations, deaths and the recent spike in the COVID positivity rate.
The Bahamas recorded 336 cases in January and 335 cases in February.
Cases nearly double in March with 613 cases.
This month, there have been nearly 1,000 cases.
Another 26 new infected were confirmed on Saturday.
“Anybody now looking at the situation with COVID will be concerned,” Sands told Eyewitness News.
“We all have to be concerned because the number of cases, the average number of cases, the case positives, the number of people hospitalized, the number of people that are critically ill and the number of deaths are all raising flags.
“And so, let us look, let us discuss all of the options and adjust accordingly.”
With a total of 332 tests being performed on Saturday, the positivity rate was 8.7 percent.
The World Health Organization’s recommended positivity rate for safe reopening of countries is less than five percent.
Sands said the positivity rate suggests “we haven’t gotten this thing under control and we are not testing adequately”.
He also said the hospitalizations, compounded with the shortage of nurses is worrisome.
Forty-nine cases remain hospitalized, of which four were in the Intensive Care Unit at Doctor’s Hospital.
There were two deaths yesterday that were being investigated and a death on April 17 of a 55-year-old man of New Providence that has been confirmed as COVID-related.
The former minister said public cannot afford to have COVID fatigue and falter on health protocols.
“We cannot afford COVID fatigue right now because COVID is with us and it’s part of an existential issue right now,” Sands said.
Asked if that message was being lost on the public, Sands said the Bahamian people continue to receive “mixed messages”.
“This is not a situation that is under control and as important as our vaccination program is we are nowhere near the level of vaccination that will impact the trajectory of this COVID pandemic as it is manifesting itself in The Bahamas,” he noted.
“We have got to keep pushing and if we don’t, we’re going to see some serious, serious challenges.
“Bear in mind that we have lost some of our human resources; nurses that have left. And as you know, we have a chronic shortage of nurses.
“So, if you’re being asked to fight a comparable battle to the second wave, with fewer resources in terms of manpower, that makes it a much more difficult battle.”
Vaccinations will be open to anyone over the age of 18 as of tomorrow.
To date, 25,692 people have received their first dose of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which have been administered on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Abaco.
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