NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Progressive Liberal Party senator Clay Sweeting has fired back at the Prime Minister’s national address chastising his constituents for violating the national curfew and lockdown orders.
The Spanish Wells resident questioned whether Minnis has “lost touch” with the intent of the lockdown orders as he underscored the island’s uninfected status.
During his national address today, Minnis announced Cat Island, Long Island, Abaco and Andros will now be able to resume commercial activity tomorrow.
Those islands join Inagua, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay.
However, Minnis scolded residents in South Eleuthera for their participation in a car motorcade on Friday.
In response, Sweeting said: “The people of Eleuthera listened attentively to the Prime Minister’s address today with the hope that many of the restrictions on Emergency Orders would be lifted so people in the communities on Eleuthera can get back to work and the local economies can support one another during these tough times.
“This did not happen and we were left with more questions than answers. We wonder if the Prime Minister has lost touch of why these lockdowns were initiated.”
He continued: “He chastised the people of Eleuthera on a few occasions during his national addresses but how long can a society remain locked up?”
Sweeting’s statement follows calls for the prime minister to provide medical justification for continued closure of uninfected islands – most recently by PLP Deputy Leader and Exumas MP Chester Cooper.
Sweeting asked for the prime minister to provide the scientific data to determine the extent to which these phases are implemented.
He said the decision seemed to be “emotional more than scientific”.
“One would expect that a medical doctor be guided by the science, the data,” he said.
“The people of Eleuthera are hurting and many are started to fear the negative economic effects of the virus more than the virus itself. I, too, call upon the competent authority to explain to the people of Eleuthera with medical facts or otherwise, why the commercial activity cannot open to start to drive our local economy.”
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