Letters to the Editor: Thank God!

Dear Editor,

The Lord God Jesus Christ acts in some very mysterious ways when he gets ready. This was a long Easter holiday weekend and many Bahamian beachgoers were anticipating and planning on hitting the same throughout our wonderful nation. I “warned” the competent authority about “allowing” access to the beaches. He sucked his teeth, I am sure, and begged Bahamians to “be careful”, as he was right to do. I feared, however, a potential massive uptick in COVID-related illnesses.

Lo and behold, it would appear that the lord himself intervened by the cold weather over the weekend. I would imagine that he is also more than aware that we Bahamians are at the breaking point financially, health and stress-wise. A ton and more Bahamians are now living from paycheque to paycheque where one is fortunate enough to have one available. He, therefore, in my view, sent the cold front so as to keep the hordes of possible beachgoers at home or wherever else.

Once we are able to abate the spread of the virus, we will be all right and there would be no need for devastating curfews and unbearable lockdowns. No less a personage than the competent authority warned you all to behave before he had to reluctantly reimpose draconian emergency measures. You all know that we would not be down with that. Thank you, God, for the timely intervention.

Bahamians love the beaches and the attendant partying but most of us are dead scared of the cold front. We ain’t never scared when it comes down to COVID itself. Every day, one could see people walking up and down with either no mask at all or, if they have one, in their hands or below the chin.

I have seen bus drivers pull to the sides of inner -city streets, exit their vehicles and either urinate on the sides of buildings or in the bush. They then hop back into the buses without apparently sanitizing their hands and drive off to interact with passengers. This is a dangerous and very unhealthy phenomenon that must be nipped in the bud. As a concerned citizen, I will immediately start to take cell phone videos of all of these miscreants.

The COVID-19 patrol vehicles, and the officers therein, are, seemingly, ineffective in enforcement. Get out of the comfort and safety zones of the cars and walk the roads, especially right here on New Providence. The laws of the land must be enforced for the good and health and safety of all Bahamians and whoever else resides in The Bahamas, inclusive of illegal individuals. The latter is imperative if we are to do all possible to return to a sense of normalcy in the shortest time possible.

A piece of good news from this sometimes hapless regime is that some additional 30,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have arrived in the country. As I have stated publicly before, I do not propose to be jabbed with this brand. I prefer to await the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson, which is a one-jab vaccination, unlike AstraZeneca where two jabs are recommended. In any event, I have faith in God and in Johnson & Johnson, which is a worldwide, reputable USA firm whereas the others are in China, India, the UK and only God knows wherever else.

Lastly, I will always give political credit if due. The wharf downtown is progressing nicely. It looks like there will be some development and revitalization on the dilapidated Bay Street corridor, finally. All of this will come to naught, however, if there is a nationwide third COVID surge. Thanks be to God, again, for the weekend cold front. Better days are ahead in our number one industry, tourism, within months, if the PM don’t play fool and call elections in the midst of a potential economic recovery. To God, then, in all things, be the glory.

Ortland H Bodie Jr,

Business consultant and talk show host

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