Williams calls for more education to combat vaccine hesitancy
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) President Amancha Williams opined yesterday that there is no need for a curfew once Bahamians following the existing health protocols and continue to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
New Providence has remained under curfew since March 2020, though it has varied in time periods at different points of the pandemic.
“The curfew is only to keep people from having these parties and controlled, but people can still do what they have to do,” said Williams when contacted for comment.
When asked if she saw the need for a continued curfew, Williams said: “I don’t think we need a curfew. What we need is to have persons carry out protocols. That’s what we need. We need more persons and we want persons to be vaccinated.
“The thing that we need is to have more education on the vaccine for those who are reluctant. We need to release their fears. We need to have more posters up, more educational pamphlets up.
“We need to now direct our [resources] where we have seen the increase of maternity cases; we need to concentrate on them, provide them with the education that now that we have vaccines, it is safe. The Pfizer is safe.
“The recommendation for those who are pregnant and we need to educate the mothers that it is safe for their babies.”
While Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis maintained that decisions made under the emergency orders were guided by scientific advice, he did not explain the science behind the curfews, which have ranged from 7pm-5am through midnight-5am.
Upon assuming office, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said he opted to keep the curfew at the 11.59pm set on Election Day because there did not appear to be a “rhyme or reason” to change it back to 10pm.
He signed emergency orders adjusting the curfews to 11pm through 5am for Andros, Abaco, Bimini, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama.
Noting that dialogue was ongoing with health experts, the prime minister said: “Curfews, on the face of it, from medical information we have, it’s not a tool that is effective against the fight.
“But I am to get more information on that in the coming weeks after having further conversations with the medical experts.”
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