Minnis announces six-day complete lockdown for Easter Holiday

Minnis announces six-day complete lockdown for Easter Holiday
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis addresses Parliament on COVID-19 regulations last week.(BIS Photos/Yontalay Bowe)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The country will go into another complete lockdown on Wednesday evening for five days.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis told Parliament the decision was based on advice from the COVID-19 health team, and the presence of asymptomatic carriers.

He advised Bahamians there could be further lockdowns for longer periods of time as the country continues to fight the local spread of COVID-19.

As of Sunday, there were 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and five related deaths.

The lockdown will begin at 8pm on Wednesday until Tuesday.

At the end of the lockdown period, the 24-hour curfew will again resume, Minnis said.

The lockdown will again occur, every weekend for the remainder of April, from 9pm on Fridays to 5am on Mondays.

About Ava Turnquest

Ava Turnquest is the head of the Digital Department at Eyewitness News. Her most notable beat coverage spans but is not limited to politics, immigration and human rights, with a focus especially on minority groups. In 2018, she was nominated by the Bahamas Press Club for “The Eric Wilmott Award for Investigative Journalism”. Ava is deeply motivated by her passion about the role of fourth estate, and uses her pen to inform, educate and sensitize the public.

11 comments

While we understand the need for the lockdown and commend the government for trying to keep us safe… we do not understand why we are not allowed to go out on our boat to get fish for our family during the non lockdown days? It is much safer than going to the grocery stores. And keeps peoples minds and bodies healthy while still practicing social distancing.
Maybe you all can shed some light on this issue in the family islands. No one is looking to commercial
Fish, only to be able to feed their loved ones.
Thanks in advance.

The answer is very simple: Bahamas is run by very dumb, uneducated, ignorant and unsophisticated people that have no clue what to do or how to approach the containment of the virus and at the same time make sure that all of its poor people do not starve. Since they are unable to think with their own small little minds they should just copy a country like Canada, the second largest country in the world with very little death cases due to Covid 19 virus but that never had a lockdown or a 24 hour curfew and all of its citizens are free to move about at will but not within 6 feet of anyone else. As far as boating is concerned there should be no restrictions of any kind!

Why be so critical and judgmental. You don’t fight diseases and sickness with reckless behavior.
This one is new the greatest countries in the world with the most educated, professional and experienced persons and response teams hospitals and equipment backed by resources and finances have found themselves dumb founded.The government of the Bahamas have lives and an economy to save they cant afford to act reckless. prevention is better than cure.. We are walking through the valley of the shadow of death but we who know who truly is in control we fear no evil for He is with us at the same time we are not presumptuous but take all the necessary precautions. The government of the Bahamas is doing their Best to protect our nation and economy give them credit and some encouragement with ideas if you can as they navigate through these uncharted waters. He is also a Doctor he understands the effects of diseases in the air and by contact. Also the social behavior of the citizen of this country and how quick this can get out of hand by it. Out of hand it would cause a total collapse we must endure this social pain to see the rewards it yield..

The PM better change this 6 day lockdown quickly. I drove by the Super Valu and Solomon’s Market at 7:00 am this morning to do my Senior shopping. There is total mayhem going on! This has put the public in total panic mode, you can’t even get into the parking lot, people are lined up onto the street. People are congregating in large numbers to buy food. Everyone is probably passing COVID-19 to each other in the parking lots. Police are there trying to control the crowds. total hysteria!! Plus there is a full moon….. I stayed in my car and drove directly home.

While I commend the government for all their efforts to date – this sudden lockdown has caused crowding and panic outside all grocery stores and probably having the opposite effect of mitigation. There will probably be a spike in the spread due to this sudden lockdown – why not do it like last weekend and give individuals time to plan and shop until Thursday evening ?

The government should allow animal rescues to leave their homes to feed/water/care for the stray animals And allow veterinary offices to stay open for emergency care.

Definitely animal rescues need to go about their usual business caring for unwanted strays and sick animals..

There must be an exemption made.

They Will throw you in a small Cold and isolation moldy cell in margeret when you have cov 19. Suriving margeret is probably harder than suriving covid19. This gov does clearly not give a fuck.

You are full of nonense sir. This is one the worst health care in the world maybe. They have no real beds no windows wtf the ceiling is green from the mold. This health care is a joke.the doctors are Nice but the gov didn’t give Them materials or a budget. And why did they need to take freedom of speech for covid really ? Its criminal

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