Dr. the Hon. Duane Sands Minister of Health
COVID-19 Update Press Conference
The Ministry of Health Thursday, 26 March, 2020

Good afternoon,

Today I would like to provide you with our latest update on COVID-19 in The Bahamas.

As of Thursday, 26th March, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 9 cases of the virus in The Bahamas.

The first four previously announced cases are in New Providence. The fifth case is in Grand Bahama and had no significant travel history.

The most recently 4 confirmed cases are in New Providence. Only one has recent travel history. That case traveled to the Dominican Republic on 13th March.

The first case has been discharged from hospital.

Health officials continue to follow the condition of the three other COVID-19-positive cases in New Providence and the case in Grand Bahama, who all remain in isolation at home and do not require hospitalisation at this time. They are in stable condition.

The Surveillance Unit has already contacted the large majority of those who were in contact with the initial case.

The Ministry of Health Surveillance Unit will use an advanced approach to increase the number of contacts reached in the shortest possible time.

We continue to closely monitor patients in their home quarantine environment.

Contact tracing teams will be strengthened to support daily (or twice daily) temperature monitoring and change in medical status that might require additional assessment by a senior physician.

We would like to thank our volunteer senior physicians for their service during this very critical time.

At this time, 175 people have been tested in The Bahamas for COVID-19 following agreed international protocols.

To date, we have 2,300 testing kits on the island.

We have 60 ventilators and more are on the way to increase the current capacity.

COVID-19 remains a very serious threat. More than twenty-three thousand people have died from the virus worldwide.

It is very important to address you today about prevention.

It is important that you listen to and follow this advice.

Ignoring this advice could lead to you contracting the virus, getting sick and dying.

Ignoring this advice could put doctors, nurses and health care providers and workers at risk who are needed to care for the sick.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. 

COVID-19 is primarily spread between people who are in close contact with each other through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the eyes, mouth or nose of others. They can also land on nearby surfaces.

When you touch these surfaces and put your hands in your eyes, mouth or nose you can infect yourself.

Hand hygiene is crucial to success in the fight against the coronavirus.

We urge you to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

Washing your hands with soap and water, or using alcohol-based sanitizer, kills viruses that may be on your hands. 

I am sure you know that the coronavirus seems to have an oily coating on its surface. And I am sure you know that soap and alcohol are very effective in dissolving this greasy liquid coating.

The actual scrubbing physically inactivates the virus so it can’t attach to and enter human cells.

The water and scrubbing with your hands create more soap bubbles, which disrupt the chemical bonds that allow the virus to stick to surfaces. 

You want to scrub, build up bubbles and scrub some more, getting into every crack and crevice of your hands and fingers, including under your fingernails, for at least 20 seconds.  

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective too if they are used properly.

They need to have at least 60 percent alcohol in them, and you must use enough all over the surface of your hands.