Police investigating fake COVID tests at LPIA
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — There should be no mercy for individuals who create and use falsified coronavirus tests where they are required, suggested former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands yesterday.
Sands’ comments came after police confirmed that several individuals were arrested at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) after presenting falsified RT-PCR tests.
According to the latest emergency orders, an RT-PCR test, taken no more than five days from the day of travel, is required for travel to the Family Islands.
Police reported yesterday that between Thursday and Friday, six adults and a minor attempted to travel to various Family Islands and presented digital and physical RT-PCR test results to the COVID Ambassadors for inspection.
However, on examination of the documents and a confirmation from the alleged providers, it was discovered that the documents presented were false.
The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Sands insisted that the rising number of coronavirus cases has become a “worrisome trend”.
“There has been a culture of criminality in The Bahamas for as long as we can remember and people will simply exploit whatever in order to make a buck,” he said.
“So, to hear that there are people in the business of creating fake COVID certificates or producing elaborate fake test results for whatever purpose is a frightening reality and it is something that ought to be condemned and it should be punished with exaggerated penalties to make people understand that this isn’t just about making a couple of bucks, but you are basically threating the public’s health.
“I have no sympathy. I have no empathy for anybody who believes that they should go down this road.”
Sands acknowledged the position that it would be better if the government provided access to free COVID testing but insisted that that argument is very different from needing a COVID-19 test for travel or recreation.
“I don’t find that to be a reasonable criticism,” he said.
He pointed to the rising cases of COVID-19 and insisted that things are expected to worsen.
“The situation with COVID has been confirmed to be disconcerting and, from personal experience, we have watched an incremental uptick increase in COVID cases, not just the sheer number of cases, but in the severity of the cases,” he added.
“It is a worrisome trend. We don’t know how bad it’s going to get but it is getting worse.”
The Bahamas yesterday hit a landmark 9,000 total confirmed COVID-19 cases since it recorded its first confirmed case on March 15, 2020, with 14 new cases being recorded yesterday.
The new cases include eight on New Providence, five on Grand Bahama and one on Eleuthera with a recent history of travel.
Health officials have reported a slight increase in cases on Grand Bahama.
Thirty-seven people also recovered yesterday, bringing the total number of active cases down from 928 to 917.
