BRIAN SEYMOUR WRITES PLAYING WITH FIRE
Playing With Fire
Below is the last paragraph of a statement posted by myself on my Facebook page, June 8th, under the heading, Vision.
If after 1st July 2020 opening of the economy without rigorous protocols in place that will keep the population safe from Covid-19, we will see, by August, a surge in numbers because we threw caution to the wind. The Minnis administration is playing with fire and, I fear, will become the authors of their own destruction.
Today, the country from Inagua in the south, to Walker’s Key, Abaco in the North is on lockdown as covid-19 outbreak makes its way through the archipelago. The Prime Minister, in his capacity as the competent Authority, with all the Constitutional Powers, must take full responsibility for our state of affairs.
He cannot like Adam in the Garden of Eden blame Eve because he was placed as head, so he alone is responsible. Likewise, as the competent Authority, The Honorable Prime Minister is responsible for the health, safety, and well-being of the Bahamian people under the emergency Powers Resolution.
The Prime Minister cannot have his cake, and eat it, too. He sent mixed messages to the Bahamian people. He asked them not to travel out side of country unless for emergency reasons. On the other hand, he allowed the national flag carrier, Bahamasair, to fly into South Florida, a covid-19 hotspot with a record-setting15,300 cases a day; at a reduced fare of $229 per person. I called it, the bring back covid-19 promotion to this country. To add insult to injury, he allowed residents to return within 72 hours without having to take a test on reentry, and move freely among the population. (IRRESPONSIBLE!!)
In Grand Bahama, the fast Ferry was allowed to go into Fort Lauderdale with local passengers and returned within 72 hours with no protocols in place. (UFORTUNATE !!)
On the tourism front, the Minister of Tourism is on record as saying the protocols in place allowed some tourists to slip through the system. He is, also, on record as not wanting Tourists to be tested because it was “too cumbersome” before entering the Bahamas. So we have no surprises that loopholes exist in the system which allows abuse.
In Abaco, the Mexican workers brought in as cheap construction labor has turned up one case of covid-19 so far.
Today, we in the Bahamas are where we are in crisis, with rising covid-19 numbers, because of self-inflicted wounds, folly, lack of vision, gross incompetence, and a lack of Courage around the cabinet table that would speak truth to power.
It would appear, no one was prepared to put one’s cabinet salary on the line for the health, safety, and welfare of the Bahamian people. Instead, let us collectively blame the Bahamian people for the present outbreak.
Finally the Minnis Administrations has lost the moral authority to govern under his present leadership and his government in face with two options. Save the ship or everyone go down with it
The ship is now listing 10°. The question is can the ship now be saved.. The people of this country has had enough. Today’s outcome was predictable.