LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION RESPONDS

Statement By The Leader Of the Opposition

Responding To The Prime Minister’s Statement On Covid 19

For Immediate Release

3 April 2020

This afternoon  you heard the p m say he consulted with me on the additional measures that he announced this evening which shuts down the country  from 8 p m. this evening  until Monday  morning  6 April  at 5 a m.

I wish to say our supporters, people of goodwill  and all Bahamians that we base our decisions about  support on the evidence. The professional people  indicated that they needed a more complete time of quiet and public inactivity in order to defeat the virus. We are asking all to give these measures time to work. 

I want to assure you however  that our concern remains  for the poor and needy. There are people who have no food. We must prepare to feed these people and provide support for them.  We made it plain to the prime minister  our concern for them. The Opposition also continues to stand by its previously held positions of comprehensive testing. These isolation measures cannot be successful unless there is such testing.

We now repeat our pledge of critical support of these measures. We want the country to succeed.  We stand ready to encourage broad support of the measures outlined but we remain watchful on behalf of the public.

End