NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Social gathering and parties continue to pop up in New Providence, prompting the Royal Bahamas Police Force to increase its response to clamp down on these events that carry an increased risk of spreading the coronavirus, according to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle.
“We’ve talked about persons wanting to go out and have these social gatherings, that has been the main issue with challenge we have had over the last, I would say, week,” Rolle told the media.
“We want to encourage people to abide by these orders until the all-clear is given, so we don’t carelessly cause the further spread. It appears as though we are gaining some grounds. We just need to keep pushing until I see zero on the board.”
In other jurisdiction, many COVID outbreaks have been traced to restaurants and bars.
For example, in Louisina, approximately 25 percent of the state’s 2,360 cases of mid-August were linked to traced to bars and restaurants, according to The New York Times.
In July, at least 152 cases of the virus were linked to a bar in East Lansing, Michigan.
As more cases were tied to bars, indoor service was banned.
Bars in The Bahamas remain closed, while restaurants have been allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity.
Physical distancing and other health guidelines must be observed at all establishments.
Yesterday, 66 graduates of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Hubcatt monitoring training course join the COVID-19 enforcement unit and are expected to man popular locations such as Potters Cay, Arawak Cay and beaches throughout the island.
Rolle said he expects the full complement of 200 civilian men and women to help the efforts of officers in ensuring compliance with the orders, which only allow social gatherings of no more than 20 people at a private residence or facility.
Twenty-three people were recently arrested at the Village Pub on Balfour Avenue for breach of the orders.
Officers also detained more than a dozen people this week for attending an unnamed nightclub.
As of Thursday, there were 2,386 confirmed cases in The Bahamas — 169 cases since Monday.
In the preceding three-day period (August 28-August 31) there were 160 confirmed cases.
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