CONCERN about contracting the Delta variant was among the reasons residents turned up at Loyola Hall yesterday to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Last month, Dr Jairo Mendez Rico, a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) virology advisor, said there is no evidence yet that the highly contagious Delta strain is in The Bahamas. #However, due to the current surge in cases, deaths and hospitalisations, some in the healthcare field suspect the variant is here, but has not yet been detected. #The Tribune spoke with several people who were at the vaccination site yesterday to get the jab. #Hector Lightbourne said he is worried about the variant and also wants to protect his wife, children and others who are around him. #“I understand that without the vaccine you could die. The reason why I take it is because I don’t want to go down that road to get sick and decide you only have one choice,” the 54-year-old told The Tribune. #“Right now while I’m healthy and alive, let me take it before I get sick and then decide I should have and when you sick, it ain’t no should have no more, it’s too late. I take it while I can to make myself safe and be healthy.” #He knows a few people who had the virus, but thinks if they had been vaccinated, they may not have ended up in hospital. #Valderine Adderley, 70, got her first dose out of caution due to the fast spread of the virus. She is also concerned about COVID variants and explained why she waited so long to get her shot. #“I didn’t get it at that time because I wasn’t too sure of it. So after seeing a lot of people taking it and it seems like it’s helping so I decided to make up my mind that I will do it,” she said.

Last month, Dr Jairo Mendez Rico, a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) virology advisor, said there is no evidence yet that the highly contagious Delta strain is in The Bahamas.

However, due to the current surge in cases, deaths and hospitalisations, some in the healthcare field suspect the variant is here, but has not yet been detected.

The Tribune spoke with several people who were at the vaccination site yesterday to get the jab.

Hector Lightbourne said he is worried about the variant and also wants to protect his wife, children and others who are around him.

“I understand that without the vaccine you could die. The reason why I take it is because I don’t want to go down that road to get sick and decide you only have one choice,” the 54-year-old told The Tribune.

“Right now while I’m healthy and alive, let me take it before I get sick and then decide I should have and when you sick, it ain’t no should have no more, it’s too late. I take it while I can to make myself safe and be healthy.”

He knows a few people who had the virus, but thinks if they had been vaccinated, they may not have ended up in hospital.

Valderine Adderley, 70, got her first dose out of caution due to the fast spread of the virus. She is also concerned about COVID variants and explained why she waited so long to get her shot.

“I didn’t get it at that time because I wasn’t too sure of it. So after seeing a lot of people taking it and it seems like it’s helping so I decided to make up my mind that I will do it,” she said.

 

The country’s third wave of COVID-19 has been raging since March.

With COVID’s contagiousness and rate of death in the third wave, lax protocol adherence by some in the country, and a prior removal of testing requirements for vaccinated travelers, it ought to have come as no surprise that The Bahamas, much like other countries, would reach record daily cases and unmanageable hospitalizations this year.

By the time government moved to have the House of Assembly adjourned until September 22 back on June 22, over 60 confirmed COVID-19 deaths had been reported since March, capacity at Princess Margaret Hospital was stretched, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had warned that the Delta variant could become the dominant strain in America.

When the government chose to go on a three-month vacation from Parliament, it was well aware that the current proclamation of emergency would expire on August 13, over one month before its vacation from the House was due to end.

We have studiously called for the implementation of a legislative framework to manage the pandemic, so that the country could move beyond a protracted suspension of constitutional rights arising from a state of emergency.

Though repeatedly foreshadowed, government did not follow through on bringing such proposed legislation to Parliament prior to taking its vacation therefrom.

With no legislative framework in place once the current state of emergency would have expired, and a declaration by several Cabinet ministers that the state of emergency would not be extended, there would have been no protocols with the force of law in place to manage the ongoing pandemic.

This meant that orders including those mandating testing, quarantine, mask wearing, curfews and limits on gathering sizes, would fall away with no laws to take their place.

It was soon speculated that Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis may have been planning to dissolve Parliament before September 22, a suspicion fueled not only by government’s unfounded confidence that emergency COVID protocols would no longer be needed after August 13, but by Minnis’ call to Bahamians shortly after the House’s adjournment to get registered “in the shortest possible time”.

THE Bahamas Rastafarian community says none of its members has contracted COVID-19 thanks to natural remedies that have safeguarded them as cases surge in the country and around the world.

High Priest Rithmond McKinney made the claim yesterday while stating that no Rastafarian will take COVID-19 vaccinations as they believe being injected with “any foreign substance” is against their religious beliefs. #Mr McKinney made it clear Rastafarians use a more natural approach to warding off COVID-19. #“The Prime Minister said we must not use bush medicine against COVID as there is no benefit,” said Mr McKinney. “It’s ironic that he never said how we can boost our immune systems, especially those who have not made up their minds to take the vaccine. He never said how they can prevent themselves from getting it, different from wearing masks and social distancing. #“I think medical officials here should have told Bahamians how they could help themselves this way. The Rastafarian community totally believes in bush medicine. We continue drinking our bush medicine along with cannabis as a part of our regime to prevent COVID.” #Adamant against the vaccine, the Rastafarians produced a document that reads as follows: #“RNA & DNA from 11 species contaminate vaccines. We see the vaccines being detrimental to the holistic development of our children. Recent court decisions have upheld the rights of individuals seeking exemptions from immunisations based upon personal and religious reasons. #“Rastafarians believe that the dangers of vaccines outweigh the benefits and are strongly opposed to any policy that demands immunizations as a condition for Education and/or work. #“We therefore declare our fundamental right to refuse the Novel Covid -19 vaccines in any of its brands and ask that the fundamental rights and freedom as enshrined in our Constitution be respected.” As early as last December while celebrating Human Rights Day at their community on Fire Trail Road, Rastafarians made it clear that they had no intention of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

High Priest Rithmond McKinney made the claim yesterday while stating that no Rastafarian will take COVID-19 vaccinations as they believe being injected with “any foreign substance” is against their religious beliefs.

Mr McKinney made it clear Rastafarians use a more natural approach to warding off COVID-19.

“The Prime Minister said we must not use bush medicine against COVID as there is no benefit,” said Mr McKinney. “It’s ironic that he never said how we can boost our immune systems, especially those who have not made up their minds to take the vaccine. He never said how they can prevent themselves from getting it, different from wearing masks and social distancing.

“I think medical officials here should have told Bahamians how they could help themselves this way. The Rastafarian community totally believes in bush medicine. We continue drinking our bush medicine along with cannabis as a part of our regime to prevent COVID.”

Adamant against the vaccine, the Rastafarians produced a document that reads as follows:

“RNA & DNA from 11 species contaminate vaccines. We see the vaccines being detrimental to the holistic development of our children. Recent court decisions have upheld the rights of individuals seeking exemptions from immunisations based upon personal and religious reasons.

“Rastafarians believe that the dangers of vaccines outweigh the benefits and are strongly opposed to any policy that demands immunizations as a condition for Education and/or work.

“We therefore declare our fundamental right to refuse the Novel Covid -19 vaccines in any of its brands and ask that the fundamental rights and freedom as enshrined in our Constitution be respected.” As early as last December while celebrating Human Rights Day at their community on Fire Trail Road, Rastafarians made it clear that they had no intention of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan is urging vaccinated people to continue following public health measures like mask wearing, noting they can still contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

She said as the virus continues to affect the world, people must individually and collectively protect themselves. #“I think with the way the virus is being spread with the Delta variant there is concern that the vaccinated can still spread it so that’s why we continue to make the recommendation to keep your mask on,” she said. #“You would see they are moving toward saying that wearing the mask - even after you have been vaccinated - is the best way to go. This thing continues to evolve and as it evolves you have to be mindful that certainly the public health measures that we carry out, mask wearing, sanitisation, must continue as we move toward getting vaccines and also increasing our capacity to get people to take the vaccines. #“You don’t just drop one because you have the other. You have to be vigilant if we are going to be able to continue this long haul. It’s not a spring. COVID is with us and the better we protect ourselves individually and collectively the better we will get through this whole cycle and right now we are in problems with our capacity so I urge people, we are getting additional vaccines, get vaccinated, but please do not drop all of your public health measures that we have been saying you should carry out.” #Vaccinated people travelling to and throughout The Bahamas are now required to produce either a negative antigen or PCR test result in response to emerging data about the ability of vaccinated people to spread the Delta variant of COVID-19. #Dr McMillan said officials continue to send samples away for variant testing, though the results have been slow to receive. #“We get results way after,” she said. “Based on what we’re seeing, we believe the Delta variant could be here so let us act as if it is. The likelihood that it is circulating is high.”

She said as the virus continues to affect the world, people must individually and collectively protect themselves.

“I think with the way the virus is being spread with the Delta variant there is concern that the vaccinated can still spread it so that’s why we continue to make the recommendation to keep your mask on,” she said.

“You would see they are moving toward saying that wearing the mask - even after you have been vaccinated - is the best way to go. This thing continues to evolve and as it evolves you have to be mindful that certainly the public health measures that we carry out, mask wearing, sanitisation, must continue as we move toward getting vaccines and also increasing our capacity to get people to take the vaccines.

“You don’t just drop one because you have the other. You have to be vigilant if we are going to be able to continue this long haul. It’s not a spring. COVID is with us and the better we protect ourselves individually and collectively the better we will get through this whole cycle and right now we are in problems with our capacity so I urge people, we are getting additional vaccines, get vaccinated, but please do not drop all of your public health measures that we have been saying you should carry out.”

Vaccinated people travelling to and throughout The Bahamas are now required to produce either a negative antigen or PCR test result in response to emerging data about the ability of vaccinated people to spread the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Dr McMillan said officials continue to send samples away for variant testing, though the results have been slow to receive.

“We get results way after,” she said. “Based on what we’re seeing, we believe the Delta variant could be here so let us act as if it is. The likelihood that it is circulating is high.”