“You must introduce all the policies as possible to try to minimize the impact or the introduction of the virus”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With a newly discovered COVID-19 variant being confirmed across more than a dozen countries worldwide, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis warned the government to deal with the threat “appropriately”.
Minnis made the comments after he completed voting at the Free National Movement’s (FNM) one-day leadership convention on Saturday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the new COVID-19 omicron strain, which was discovered in South Africa, as a variant of concern.
As he spoke about the FNM’s leadership, Minnis defended his time in office and insisted that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) inherited a growing economy, indicating that his government left the economy in a better condition.
“We have left the country in a state where we have put plans in place to decrease the numbers of COVID infections,” he said.
“Now we have another one coming and that is supposed to be very vicious.”
Minnis said he hopes the Davis administration builds on the plans his government left in place to mitigate the ongoing pandemic and “deal with it appropriately”.
“If they don’t deal with it appropriately, you could see what is happening around the world; once the infections enter your shores, you are placed on travel lists where travel is banned to your territory and that could be detrimental to our country, so we must do all we can,” he said.
“As a doctor, we practice prophylactic — in other words, prevention — and you must introduce all the policies as possible to try to minimize the impact or the introduction of the virus.”
Minnis led the country throughout the first three waves of the pandemic, which first hit the country in March 2020.
During that time, there were four separate proclamations of a state of emergency, with the extension of the last one ending on November 13.
Minnis served as the competent authority, though the government sought to argue that he consulted with Cabinet and health professionals on all decisions.
He was defeated in the September 16 General Election, with his party losing 32 out of the 39 seats.
Asked his thoughts on the Davis administration’s governance this far, the former prime minister said: “At this point of time, I’m concentrating on rebuilding the FNM and reemerging as the government and taking this country further.”
