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Last Updated: Aug 8, 2020 - 1:30:51 AM |
 Statement
The Hon. Renward R. Wells, M.P.
Minister of Health
Press Conference: COVID-19 Update
Ministry of Health
Friday, 7th August 2020
Good afternoon, Members of the Press.
Good afternoon, Bahamas:
Here is the latest update on COVID-19.
As of today, there have been 830 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in The Bahamas. Of our total cases, we have seen 95 individuals recover. Of those, 91 were among cases of the initial surge. In order to be declared recovered, 3 negative tests are required. None of the cases from this surge has achieved that clearance yet.
We continue to pray for minimal loss of life, but we have lost 14 souls to COVID-19 thus far, 3 during this surge. With increasing hospitalisations, the country must brace itself to experience more deaths from COVID-19.
Causes of deaths must be and have been verified by autopsy.
Fellow Bahamians and Residents
Currently, there are 719 active cases of COVID-19, including 30 in hospital. Today, we registered 69 new cases. By our dashboard, the total positive COVID-19 cases include –
- 379 in New Providence;
- 367 in Grand Bahama;
- 34 cases in Bimini, inclusive of Cat Cay;
- 28 cases in Abaco;
- 10 cases in the Berry Islands;
- 3 in Cat Island; and
- 3 in Exuma.
Ladies and Gentlemen
We are at a critical point in the history of our nation. Each action by each resident of our Bahamas helps to pen the narrative toward our outcome. So again, I implore you to use these simple but powerful actions that empower you to remain healthy.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizers.
- Wear a mask outside of your home.
- Sanitise high-touch items and areas frequently.
- Maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet between people who do not live in your home.
- Avoid large crowds.
- Stay home as much as possible.
I take this opportunity now to speak directly to our healthcare workers.
To all of you, I say thanks. It is a simple word that struggles to express my personal gratitude and that of our nation. All of you, even if you do not work directly with COVID-19 positive patients, you are doing your part to maintain the integrity of the whole health system. You are saving lives.
It is important, therefore, that we all remain united while working together to defeat this virus. We appreciate all who have stepped up to the task ahead of us, fighting on the frontline. Each of you have chosen your profession to bring health and healing to people. Accordingly, you have a trifold obligation to meet that objective.
Each of us has a national obligation to stand on the wall and be of service to our country. It is significant to note that two great soldiers in the march toward social and political freedoms passed from this life to eternity. I speak of Effie Walkers and Johnley Ferguson – a personal friend.
Ours is a renewed call to nationalism…to preserve the lives of our people so that we are able to emerge from this with as many healthy citizens as possible to rebuild our country and economy.
There is also the need to ensure that your professional ethical obligations are brought to the fore so that the lives of Bahamians – your patients – are not jeopardised.
Then there is the human obligation of loving your neighbour and bringing all of your talents to bear as we seek to bring solutions to long-standing and vexing challenges.
Again, I thank all of you for answering the call on all of those levels. Your frustrations have not fallen by the wayside. In fact, I took our dialogue with unions this week to the highest level with the Prime Minister.
We met with the Bahamas Nurses Union, the Bahamas Doctors Union, the Consultant Physician Staff Association, and the Bahamas Public Services Union. We left with the agreement to meet regularly and to clarify channels of communication and to continue to ensure that all of the appropriate personal protective equipment is available for all of our employees to carry out their duties safely.
As a Government, we are doing what is necessary to improve your environments to ensure that you are safe. The supplies are there. It is imperative, therefore, these supplies get to the frontline in sufficient numbers so that every member of the health team is safe.
We understand your reservations and fears. That is why we have responded by locating a place for you to quarantine, self-isolate, or simply to rest away from your families to ensure your families’ safety.
The government, by our actions, is committed to ensure the safety of all of our workers on the frontline. We implore you to always use universal precautions to engender safe environments for yourselves and your patients.
All of The Bahamas should be aware that we approached the COVID-19 battle handicapped. We are seeking to correct decades-old infrastructural deficits in many facilities of health. In order to avoid the collapse of our health system, we have been constrained to institute lockdowns and to establish physical distancing protocols to retard the spread of infection, reduce the numbers of people getting sick at the same time, and to allow even more time to improve our capacity to fight.
Yesterday’s press release from Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) and today’s headlines exemplify the tenuous nature of our situation. We have confirmed 23 cases of COVID-19 on the Male Ward of SRC, 6 of whom are symptomatic. This matter is being addressed very aggressively.
While improving health infrastructure to accommodate this and potentially other waves is our chief objective, ensuring the most efficient use of beds is also critical. Currently, we have 33 boarders in the Princess Margaret Hospital. Boarders are people who have been discharged – some for years – but nobody has come to take them home. A few boarders may have no family, but the vast majority do.
I therefore make an impassioned appeal to family members of these boarders. You know who you are. It cannot be right for ill patients to lose their lives because they cannot access proper facilities at a hospital. Our health professionals are hard-pressed to find places to care for very ill people. We need those beds. Please, help us to help you.
In the meantime, we are taking an all-of-government approach to address our challenges. I have reached out to my colleague, Hon. Frankie Campbell, Minister of Social Services, for immediate intervention in respect of the boarders; and he has responded positively.
My brothers and sisters
I can assure the public that we making valiant efforts to halt transmission and spread in communities. We have improved communication and coordination among national and subnational, and administrative levels. We have engaged more partners for COVID-19 preparedness and response work for example in contact tracing.
We have assessed the national situation, identifying potential high outbreak areas and identified partners who can provide support for implementing or facilitating community mitigation activities.
We have developed tools to guide COVID-19 infection control for specific community settings (e.g. households, workplaces, community gathering points).
We are developing a Contact Tracing Public Awareness Campaign to encourage cooperation with health officials to curb the spread of COVID-19. With that, we have developed easy to understand-and-follow messaging for the general population and targeted population groups. These messages also enhance personal knowledge as to COVID-19 signs and symptoms, what to do when one feels sick, and how the disease impacts communities.
Another important measure is that we have identified and tackled COVID-19 related rumours and misinformation to ensure that factual information is made available to the public.
Our COVID-19 Enforcement Unit is now up and running. We have acquired more than 20 vehicles to assist that effort and the workforce enhancement continues. They operate from Cable Beach Police Station.
Hubbcat is the technology being used to monitor 583 quarantined individuals. We are making tiered arrangements for COVID-19 management, concentrating on varied degrees of care for inpatients and for more stringent quarantine. As I previously appealed to those infected and affected, we need your cooperation with the health professionals to get through this.
Our supplies are robust and replenishing is keeping pace with the burn rate. We are aware that PPEs are the first line of defence in this battle and our spending to maintain desired inventory reflects that. Notwithstanding, we appreciate the generosity of our donors.
Last week, I was privileged to receive from the Government of China, a large shipment of 8,000 swabs, 600 protective suits, 1,500 N95 masks, 5,000 medical masks, 600 protective goggles, 600 shoe covers, and 600 gloves. In fact, this was China’s fourth donation to our effort.
Yesterday, we received from PAHO, 3 GeneExpert analysers that will markedly reduce our turnaround time for COVID-19 test results.
We have a ways to go to bend and flatten the curve to reflect the positive impact of our efforts; however, with God’s guidance and the help our CMO’s able technical team, we will overcome this current crisis.
May God continue to bless our beloved Commonwealth.
Thank you.
CMO…
© Copyright 2020 by thebahamasweekly.com
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