Darville “not aware” of status of planned Shenseea concert
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As coronavirus cases continue to hold in the low single digits and hospitalizations dropped under 10 for the first time since mid-December, Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville said yesterday “further lifting of restrictions is on the way”.
In correspondence with Eyewitness News, the minister suggested the government was pleased with the sustained trend of cases and the lowered hospitalizations.
While the minister did not expound on what restrictions could be eased, there has been increased pressure from event organizers and promoters in the nation for the government to extend the cap on social gatherings.
The government amended the Health Services Rules two weeks ago, allowing social gatherings indoors with no more than 40 people, up from the 20 previously allowed; and gatherings outdoors to 100 people, up from the 30 previously permitted.
Attendees of outdoors gatherings must be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test.
Travel, restaurants and churches all saw updated rules, with the latter returning to services, including weddings and funerals in the church, at 50 percent capacity.
As the government updated the rules last month, the minister said restrictions could be eased further if cases continued on a downward trend, but the opposite could occur if infections spike.
There were just two confirmed infections recorded on Friday.
Hospitalizations also dropped to nine, with just one case on Grand Bahama in intensive care, up from a peak of over 140 cases.
Active cases also declined this weekend to 190, down from the more than 3,000.
Additionally, the positivity rate stood at just over one percent.
The Bahamas has recorded 63 infections in the last week — between February 25 and March 4.
Ahead of the amendment to the COVID rules, both the Consultant Physicians Staff Association and Bahamas Nurses Union recommended the government ease restrictions incrementally so as not to “open the floodgates” to more COVID cases.
Despite large concerts and events being denied approval by the Ministry of Health, a number of events and performances from popular artists remain on the event calendar.
This includes a performance by Jamaican artist Shenseea, who is slated to perform at the National Stadium Carnival Grounds on March 19, if event organizers can secure approval.
Event organizers have said they remain hopeful the Ministry of Health will approve the event, but when asked for the status of the planned event yesterday, Darville said he was “not aware”.
Meanwhile, COVID restrictions continue to be eased across the US and elsewhere.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dramatically eased its COVID-19 guidelines for when Americans should wear masks indoors, saying they can drop them in counties experiencing what it described as low or medium COVID-19 levels.
It remains to be seen what the government will deem appropriate for The Bahamas, though it has often followed suit with revised guidelines.
