Hield, Ayton staying active

Bahamians Chavano “Buddy” Hield of the Sacramento Kings and DeAndre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns are shown going after each other in this file photo. The NBA is set to allow teams in states that have relaxed stay-at-home restrictions to use practice facilities.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is set to allow teams in states that have relaxed stay-at-home restrictions to use practice facilities for player training no earlier than Friday, May 8, according to an official release by the NBA on its website. It’s a silver lining for fans hoping to see their favorite teams in action again this season.

For the local flavor, Bahamian professional basketball players Chavano “Buddy” Hield of the Sacramento Kings and DeAndre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns are trying to stay engaged, both working out at home, as there is no telling if or when the season will resume.

The release stated that the league will modify the use of training facilities.

“The NBA informed its teams today (Monday) that, as numerous state and local governments have announced modifications of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions on non-essential business activities beginning this week, the league is planning to modify its guidance regarding the use of team practice facilities and player training,” the release stated.

These changes allow for players to train in safe and controlled environments in states that allow it. In addition, the changes will provide a way for players in other states to identify safe training options.

The following restrictions, according to the release, will be applied under strict guidelines.

“No more than four players would be permitted at a facility at any one time; no head or assistant coaches could participate; group activity remains prohibited, including practices or scrimmages; players remain prohibited from using non-team facilities such as public health clubs, fitness centers or gyms,” the release stated.

The NBA suspended the season on the night of Wednesday, March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. With that, the league also suspended teams from using training facilities. In addition, the NBA also prohibited players from using public gymnasiums.

For some, this latest development is a sign that the league will resume usual activities; but things can change quickly, as the press release stated. It was also indicated that the league can also push back the May 8 date “if developments warrant it”.

Before the season was suspended, both Bahamians were in the process of helping their teams fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference of the NBA.

The Kings sit in the 10th spot with a 28-36 win-loss record – three and a half games behind the 32-33 Memphis Grizzlies who occupy the eighth and final spot. Sitting six games behind the Grizzles at 26-29 are the Suns.

Kings’ two-guard, Hield, is the Mountain Dew NBA Three-Point Contest champion from this season. He is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season. The Grand Bahamian is known for his long-distance bombs. He has connected on 244 three-point shots this season, second in the league and 34 shy of his career-high and franchise record of 278 from a year ago. It was the seventh most-prolific shooting performance from downtown in NBA history. Hield is also the fastest player in league history to reach 800 made three-pointers. He accomplished that in 296 games.

Suns’ center Ayton was suspended for 25 games after opening night for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program. That did not stop him from returning to average a double-double so far this season. He is averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game – both career highs. He is also averaging career highs in blocks with 1.7 per contest. Ayton became the fastest Suns player to reach 1,000 rebounds in team history.

The United States of America has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with over one million persons – more than 750,000 higher than the second-highest country, Spain, according to the latest COVID-19 numbers from Johns Hopkins University up to press time. They have also recorded nearly 50,000 deaths.

There is still no official date as to when the league will resume its 2019-2020 season.

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Inecia Rolle wins CC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award

Bahamian collegiate golfer Inecia Rolle was named as the Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2020.

Inecia Rolle got one of the best gifts a collegiate senior could have in the sport of golf when the Conference Carolinas (CC) named her as their 2020 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the sport.

This is Rolle’s first time earning that honor. She is also the first student-athlete for the Chowan University Eagles to win that award.

“It feels amazing to be honored with this award. I truly did not expect it,” she said. “It makes my final year feel even more amazing – to be the first athlete to do this for my school in history.”

The Eagles plays in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II.

Earlier this month, Rolle was named to the Conference Carolinas All-Conference Team for golf – her second time earning the honor after also earning it in her freshman year in 2017. She was also one of 28 Eagles to earn an academic all-conference honor.

To be considered for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher. In addition, the nominees for the award must have been named all-conference in their sport and chosen academic all-conference.

Rolle met all of the criteria and finished with a GPA of 3.95.

“It was a challenge being involved with golf, balancing my schoolwork, trying to help the community and having a social life. However, I loved everything what I did so it never felt overwhelming or too much to do,” Rolle said.

The scholar-athlete awards are presented annually to individuals in each Conference Carolinas-sponsored sport. The Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award winners are chosen by the Conference Carolinas Student-Athlete Affairs Committee.

On the course, the Bahamian was spectacular in her senior season, capturing two individual medalist honors. She was also able to secure seven top-10 finishes this past season.

Rolle finished first at the Pfeiffer Invitational this spring with a score of 73. The senior also won the Marlin Invitational back in the fall, shooting an 80.

“My seven top-10 finishes this season came naturally,” Rolle said. “I was determined to have fun and go out with a bang, putting in the work whether it be in the gym or on the course, knowing that God had me and having the confidence within myself. Knowing I could do it made it happen.”

The avid golfer is set to graduate at the end of the semester with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She plans to further her education in graduate school and obtain a degree in counseling psychology.

As for golf, it is something Rolle will not be giving up as she hopes to play it recreationally if she does not take it up professionally.

Rolle was a part of the coaching staff for the junior and senior women’s national golf teams last year.

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A trio of former Bahamas Bowl players drafted into the NFL

An international event that has been a staple on the Bahamian sports calendar since its inception continues to prove its worth, producing top talent from year to year.

Once again, student-athletes who participated in the Bahamas Bowl were drafted into the National Football League (NFL).

Going into last weekend’s NFL Draft, a total of 23 former players in the Bahamas Bowl had heard their names called in the annual draft from 2015-2019. They were joined by three additional players this year – two from the 2019 Bahamas Bowl and the other from the year before. The two participating conferences in the Bahamas Bowl, Conference USA (10 players) and the Mid-American Conference (two players), combined for 12 total selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Taken in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, No. 102 overall, was defensive end Alex Highsmith out of Charlotte. The Charlotte 49ers lost convincingly to the Buffalo Bulls in last year’s game, 31-9. It was the second-most lopsided loss in the history of the Bahamas Bowl, and the first bowl win for the Bulls in program history.

In the fourth round of the draft, the New York Jets took Highsmith’s teammate, offensive lineman Cameron Clark, with the No. 129th pick overall. Finally, in the seventh round with the No. 221 pick overall, the Carolina Panthers drafted cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver III out of Florida International University (FIU). The FIU Panthers defeated Toledo in the 2018 Bahamas Bowl game, 35-32.

For the first time, the NFL Draft was held in a virtual format due to the restrictions in place as a result of the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken the world by storm, ceasing sporting events worldwide.

With Hightower’s selection, at least one Bahamas Bowl athlete has been taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft in five consecutive years. The 22-year-old edge rusher was tied with the 13th best score for players from his position at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. He is a third-team All-American as named by the Associated Press (AP), becoming the first 49ers player to earn AP All-America honors. Hightower was first-team all conference in both his junior and senior seasons. This past season, he was fourth in the nation in sacks (14) and fifth in tackles for loss (21.5).

Clark was a three-year starter for Charlotte and a first-team All-Conference USA selection as a senior in 2019, splitting time between offensive tackle and guard positions. The 22-year-old massive offensive lineman was tied with the sixth-highest score among guards at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Clark helped anchor an offensive line that led Conference-USA and ranked 30th in the nation in rushing offense (a school-record 203 yards per game).

Thomas-Oliver converted from a wide receiver in 2017 to a solid defensive back in his final two seasons with the Panthers. He was a second-team All-Conference USA selection this past season, and an honorable mention All-Conference USA performer in 2018.

The Bahamas Bowl game’s top overall draftee was former Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis by the Tennessee Titans in 2017. He was the No. 5 overall selection. A bowl-record of seven former Bahamas Bowl players were taken in the 2016 NFL Draft, and a total of 30 former Bahamas Bowl players have played in at least one game in the NFL, including nine undrafted players.

Bahamian offensive lineman Chris Ferguson, who played collegiately at the University of Cincinnati, was hoping to hear his name called last weekend, but unfortunately wasn’t drafted, and will now hope to sign as an undrafted free agent with any of the NFL teams in the next few weeks.

As for the Bahamas Bowl, it is the longest-running international bowl game in college football history and is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. The seventh annual game is set for December 2020 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

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Spelling bee champion ‘disappointed’ Scripps National Spelling Bee canceled

Roy Seligman, 11, a student at Lyford Cay International School and two-time national spelling bee champion, is understanding of the global public health issues the world is grappling with to contain the spread of COVID-19, but he is still sad and disappointed the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee had to be canceled. LYFORD CAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Bahamas National Spelling Bee champion Roy Seligman was looking forward to a second consecutive run at the Scripps National Spelling Bee title. That won’t happen as the 93rd national finals that were scheduled for May have officially been canceled due to the ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 and uncertainty around when public gatherings will be possible or advisable.

Scripps officials determined there is no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020.

The decision to cancel the 2020 bee comes following an announcement on March 20 that it was suspending the national finals and hoped to reschedule.

While Seligman, 11, is understanding of the global public health issues with the world grappling to contain the spread of COVID-19, he said he was still “sad and somewhat disappointed” the bee was first postponed on March 20, and then officially canceled on April 21.

“I was ready for May’s competition,” said the Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) student. “I had a daily schedule that involved me getting up early in the morning and studying various lists. I built in time throughout the day to explore new words and add to my vocabulary. Reviewing, learning and practicing words from around the world has become a part of my everyday life.”

This year marks the only time since World War II (1943-1945) that the bee has canceled the national finals since the program’s inception in 1925.

The first cases of coronavirus were first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The United States confirmed its first case on January 21. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic on January 30.

The Bahamas had 80 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths and 792 people in quarantine as of yesterday. Worldwide, there were 3,110,219 confirmed cases with 216,808 deaths.

The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee is scheduled for June 1-3, 2021, in National Harbor, Maryland.

“Our first priority has to be the health and well-being of our spellers and their families and the hundreds of staff and spectators that come together for Bee Week,” said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, on their website.

Students who have advanced beyond the eighth grade are not eligible to participate in the spelling bee program.

“Our hearts go out to the spellers who won’t get their final shot at winning because of the pandemic and the difficult decisions it is prompting us to make,” said Kimble. “They are now part of a widely expanding group of children and adults who are missing out on opportunities due to the coronavirus.”

Prior to the official cancelation, Seligman said he had worked consistently and felt he would have been ready for this year’s competition, whether it was held in May or rescheduled for later in the year. He said extra time to prepare is always welcomed.

“Studying for the competition is a continuous process which is never fully complete. Almost infinite in number, there are always new words to learn and engage with. I was certainly more prepared than I was my first time in Washington,” he said.

Seligman described Scripps as an amazing experience and said he had been looking forward to this year’s competition.

“I was more comfortable with the process this time around and I had developed new strategies and personal learning goals to help me stay focused during the preparation time. My parents and coach allowed me to drive this process in many ways and I took greater responsibility for it. My commitment to the bee is unwavering because it represents a very significant part of my history.”

Prior to the Scripps cancelation, he had still been training for the bee using the routines set in place before the postponement. But, without a deadline, he said his training was much less intense than before.

“I’m now studying entirely out of interest and for enjoyment.”

But he said he would definitely continue to read a lot and add to his word lists, and use online resources and games.

“My parents and coach are not leading any sessions at this time – online or otherwise. Instead, I am continuing the learning process on my own because spelling and exploring words is a genuine interest at this time.”

With his 2019 win, Seligman became the first LCIS student to win the national title. He followed that up with a second win this year.

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Friends of the Blood Bank chairman encourages blood donations

Basil Christie, chairman of the Friends of the Blood Bank organization, encourages people to donate blood during today’s national blood drive. Christie, who has been donating blood every eight weeks since 1966, is pictured during a previous blood donation. BASIL CHRISTIE

Basil Christie has been donating blood once every eight weeks for 54 years. There are two reasons he does it – his number one reason being giving blood saves lives and it’s the charitable thing to do; his second reason being giving blood is good for the donor. With that said, Christie encourages people to make a blood donation during today’s national blood drive.

“I started giving blood in university [since 1966], because they used to pay,” he said. “They don’t pay you here.”

As a college student, he received $25 a pint.

Ever since he returned home, Christie has donated blood voluntarily, every eight weeks.

“When I came home, my good friend [Michael Bullard] was in charge of the Blood Bank and I just kept giving because I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and I saw how easily giving blood saved lives, so that is what motivates me most strongly.”

Christie last made a blood donation on February 20, and is due to give today.

Christie, who is also chairman of the Friends of the Blood Bank organization, said the goal of today’s drive is to collect at least 100 units of blood at the donation site set up at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (entrance lobby). Donations will be collected between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Donors are expected to eat at least 30 minutes prior to donating blood, and rest at least 10 minutes after donating blood. Blood Bank officials will also do free pre-screening tests on donors to ensure they are healthy enough to donate.

People wanting to donate blood were encouraged to pre-register to receive an appointment to make their blood donation.

Christie said the response was favorable up to yesterday afternoon, with about 60 people responding online. He encourages people who did not pre-register to make a blood donation to still come out.

“They can just show up and we will register them there. We’re not going to turn away anybody if they’re healthy,” he said.

While the appeal for blood donations are year-round for blood banks, the drive at the national stadium takes place as the country battles the global COVID-19 public health pandemic.

The Bahamas had 80 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths and 792 people in quarantine as of yesterday. Worldwide, there were 3,110,219 confirmed cases with 216,808 deaths.

Christie said the number one excuse he has heard from people as to why they don’t donate blood is that they are afraid of needles. But he said the needle is harmless, and the process painless.

“And giving blood really enhances your health. It regulates your iron, it regulates your blood pressure, it minimizes your risk of cancer and it keeps you healthier because you get fresh blood every time you give.”

The Friends of the Blood Bank chairman encourages men and women to attend in droves to make a donation, keeping in mind that easily 50 percent of women that donate blood usually can’t give because they have low iron.

“That’s our most common cry – women come, they can’t give because their iron is low. And women are usually the ones to respond to the appeal,” he said.

Christie said every donor showing up today will be pre-screened to ensure they are healthy to give. The Public Hospitals Authority says people should not attempt to give blood if they are coughing, have a fever or having difficulty breathing.

Donors are expected to have their NIB card or driver’s license.

The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) encourages people who are well to continue to donate blood if they are able, even if they are practicing social distancing because of coronavirus.

 

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‘No actual help for renters’

Dr. Hubert Minnis.

Realtors are calling the government’s recently announced rental assistance policy nothing more than a Band-Aid.

President of the Bahamas Real Estate Association (BREA) Christine Wallace-Whitefield said initial feedback from agents on the policy indicated that many seem to be very concerned about the terminology used — “rental assistance” and “relief” — as it’s misleading.

“The program really and truly is only providing a temporary Band-Aid to allow tenants to remain in their homes who may be facing eviction. We are already finding that some tenants are misunderstanding the intent and interpreting it as if they don’t have to pay any rent for 90 days,” she said.

“But, many realistically can’t pay a dime at the moment as they live week by week and are unable to come up with even 60 percent at this time. We are finding that landlords are therefore extremely concerned as they feel they will never be paid back. This is still fresh, but this has been the initial consensus so far.”

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced in the House of Assembly on Monday that landlords of residential tenants in good standing up to March, who were affected by the COVID-19 crisis, must defer 40 percent of their rent for the next three months.

The policy applies only to Bahamians or legal residents with a monthly rent of $2,000 or below, and allows for them to repay the deferred amount over 12 months.

Wallace-Whitefield said this discount is of no actual benefit to renters, and although commercial banks have indicated they are open to deferring the mortgage payments on rental properties for affected landlords, it doesn’t help all.

“In my opinion, they will be in worse shape when they have to pay their rent back at a higher rate in 90 days when they still may not be employed and have other bills to catch up on,” she said.

“Landlords are extremely concerned, not all have mortgages, so the mortgage relief won’t help everyone. Many landlords rely solely on their rent as their only source of income.

“Many landlords are facing no rental income as their tenants can’t even come up with the 60 percent, yet they are now obligated to keep them in their properties, and in many cases, to keep the utility payments current for their tenants as well as themselves, and keep their own family fed with no income coming in.”

While the announcement provided guidelines for help to residential tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures – which have resulted in thousands of Bahamians being laid off because of shuttered hotels and other businesses – it made no mention of commercial rental assistance.

Wallace-Whitefield said there are many who also need commercial rental assistance.

“Yes, we are seeing a large number of commercial rental waiver requests. Businesses are asking landlords to either waive the rent or to reduce the rent, and again, the landlords have their own bills to pay,” she said.

Real estate companies, just like all other entities considered non-essential, were forced to close their doors last month after the governor general declared a public state of emergency.

Wallace-Whitefield said this left many transactions that had reached a critical stage hanging in the balance.

“We have reached out to the government seeking permission to have real estate deemed essential, but have not received a reply other than a few weeks ago to reiterate that we are not allowed to operate. Many of our tenants, for instance, need to move urgently and appraisals need to be done in order to complete transactions,” she said.

“We have some guests stuck in very costly Airbnb rentals who need longer- term solutions, domestic matters where one member of the household needs to move, properties that are in need of urgent repair that tenants are stuck in and so on. The revenue through VAT (value-added tax) from our transactions are a huge source of income for the government and it’s possible for us to operate under strict guidelines.

“We understand it won’t be a normal day in the life of a real estate agent and that very strict protocols will need to be implemented, but we can at least be of some assistance to our clients and generate some much needed income for the government purse.”

Nevertheless, Wallace-Whitfield said realtors are thankful, appreciate everything that the government is doing and understand the measures being put in place.

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Customs officials seize liquor from sports bar

Bahamas Customs Department officers remove dozens of cases of alcoholic beverages from Made Men Sports Bar on Faith Avenue yesterday. Ahvia J. Campbell

Bahamas Customs officers seized an unquantified amount of alcohol from Made Men Sports Bar on Faith Avenue yesterday, alleging that the goods were “uncustomed”.

“We had suspicions that the persons operating that liquor store…they might have had uncustomed goods in the store,” said Bahamas Custom Superintendent Tyrone Sands.

“And so, we went there; at customs we would have had our own search warrant, so we would have gone there and we did our initial search and, of course, we discovered a variety of alcoholic beverages that were uncustomed.

“…When we say uncustomed goods, we simply mean the duty was not paid on them. They could not satisfy us that the duty was paid.”

Sands added, “Further, we also discovered that they were operating without a valid business license.

“And so, based on all of that, the comptroller advised the team to confiscate or seize the goods, and so that’s what you all would have seen – the officers just seizing those goods until we make our initial investigation.”

Several uniformed officers packed the goods into trucks yesterday morning, but Sands could not give an estimated value of the liquor or how many truckloads were confiscated as the investigation was still in its initial stages.

Bahamas Customs Department officers remove dozens of cases of alcoholic beverages from Made Men Sports Bar on Faith Avenue yesterday.
Ahvia J. Campbell

Liquor stores were among the countless businesses ordered closed on March 20 under the government’s emergency measures intended to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the country. 

Sands also said the customs comptroller will have to decide whether the matter would be referred to police based on the results of the investigation. 

However, he said that the owner of the store could not provide supporting documentation for why he had the goods nor could he provide any evidence showing that duty had been paid.

“We give you an opportunity to prove,” he said. 

“If we see this thing here, you know, what you say duty is paid [on], prove it. Show me your receipt, okay? Duty can be paid though they came directly from a foreign source or duty could be paid by it being bought locally.

“So, in either event, show us, prove it. At that point they were unable to do that.”

Sands added, “[W]e still have to do some paperwork because they’re (the owner) saying one thing…so we need to do an investigation.

“After that is done then the comptroller would decide. She would make the determination where we go from here.”

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Sixty-eight senior officers promoted

Sixty-eight senior Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) officers were promoted yesterday, according to an order signed by Commissioner Paul Rolle.

Twenty-three officers were promoted from the rank of superintendent to chief superintendent. Forty-five officers were promoted from the rank of assistant superintendent to superintendent. 

The promotions come a week after three police officers were promoted to assistant commissioners of police.

A manpower audit of the force found that the organization was too top-heavy with senior officers.

The audit, which was conducted in 2017, found that there was an 800-officer deficit in the rank of constable. 

The audit noted that for the rank of chief superintendent, “the RBPF policy has job descriptions for only 11 head officers, but 23 persons hold this rank”.

It recommended that only 11 officers hold that post as “review of the rank structure and associated primary duties revealed absolutely no differences in the job descriptions of superintendents and chief superintendents”.

It also found that the promotional practices on the force are “outdated, lack consistency and standardization”.

Following the audit, the force’s top brass was gutted when eight senior officers, including then-Deputy Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour, were sent on leave.

 

Promotions

The promotions took effect January 1, 2020 and were dated April 28 and signed off by Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle.

Jamuel Ferguson and Wayne Woodside, both from the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), and Anton Rahming of the Criminal Division, were promoted to chief superintendent.

Matthew Edgecombe of the Financial Crime Investigations Unit was promoted. Anthony Curtis and James Miller, both of the Internal Security Division, were also promoted to chief superintendent.

Prince Charlton of Marine Support Services; Adrian Strachan from the Ministry of National Security; Oswald Nixon of the Mobile Division and Shanta Knowles from the National Crime Prevention Office were promoted to chief superintendent.

Brian Miller from the Police Control Room; Mary Mitchell and David Lockhart, both from the Police Tribunal; Earl Thompson of Scientific Support Services; and Mareno Hinds of the Traffic Division were also among those promoted to chief superintendent.

Other New Providence officers who were promoted to chief superintendent on New Providence were Benson Cunningham from the Central Division; Damian Robinson from the Northeastern Division; Christopher Wright from the Paradise Island Division; Mark Barrett from the Southcentral Division and Roberto Goodman of the Southeastern Division.

Three officers on Grand Bahama – Brian Rolle, Kimberly Taylor and Kenwood Taylor – were also promoted to chief superintendent.

Forty-five officers were promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent. Deborah Thompson of the Financial Crime Investigation Unit; Elvin Missick of the Business Licensing Division; Sybrina Poitier, Raynard Woods and Michael Johnson of the Central Detective Unit and Darron Nixon of the Central Intelligence Bureau were all promoted to superintendent.

Others promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent were: Betty Bodie and Dornell Brown from the Complaints and Corruption Branch; Stacy Bowe-Curry and Alfred Dean from the Criminal Records Office; Weymond Demeritte and Clarence Major of the Drug Enforcement Unit; Kent Butler from the Exhibit Room; Angela Johnson from the Financial Services Section; Kenrick Morris from the Fire Branch; Bradbury Styles from the Firearm and Anti-Gang Unit; Laura Stuart from the Human Resources Department; Kevin McGregor and Karoldann Darville from the Information Technology Department; Eugene Strachan from the Mobile Division; Seldin Adderly from the Police Band; Geoffrey Ferguson from the Police Control Room; Marcus Williams from the Police Training College; Raymond Hanna and Claudine Hutchinson from the Police Tribunal; Harris Cash from the Security Intelligence Branch;  Indirah Adderley from the Strategic Policy, Planning and Research Branch and Paul Cash of the Traffic Division.

Other New Providence Officers promoted to superintendent were Wilton Johnson and Cedric Bullard of the Central Division; Kelly Kemp and Dwight Smith from the Southern Division; and Wil Hart of the Northeastern Division.

Seven Grand Bahama officers were promoted to superintendent – Edroy Ferguson, Kosygen Ewing, Ann Neely, Terecita Pinder, Hawthorne Russell, Calvin Robinson and Michael Thurston.

Marcus Sands from the South Andros Division; Royston Moss of the Bimini Division; Franklyn Neely of the Eleuthera Division; Gregory Lockhart of the Inagua division and Ezra Duncombe of the Long Island Division were also promoted to superintendent.

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Jamaican woman caught selling liquor out of her home, fined

A 47-year-old Jamaican woman who illegally sold alcoholic beverages from her home has been fined $1,100 or six months in prison.

Police went to Maxine Dixon-Whymms’ home at Lightbourne Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. on April 24 after they received information.

The court heard that officers parked their patrol car on the corner. They walked near Whymms’ home and watched her sell beers and cigarettes to two men.

After observing the illegal transaction, the officers searched the home.

Whymms did not have a liquor license.

Police seized four cases of beer; a case of Marc Rogers Napoleon brandy; 12 half pints of vodka; two and a half pints of Bacardi Superior; nine cans of Bud Light Mangorita; 10 cans of Bud Light Strawborita; 37 packs of Grabba Leaf; 37 packs of GAZA Leaf; and other tobacco products.

Whymms pleaded guilty to breach of the Liquor Licenses Act and violating the emergency order by operating a non-essential business when she appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.

Whymms, who is married to a Bahamian, said that some men whom she had refused to serve, threatened “to call the man” to shut her down.

She said she operated a restaurant from her house. Whymms said she applied for a liquor license but had been refused.

“I have two kids in university,” she said. “I was trying to turn my hand.”

The magistrate said that she was still breaking the law.

He fined her $1,100 or three months in prison for selling liquor without a license.

Forbes handed down a fine of $1,000 or six months in prison for operating a non-essential business. The sentences will run concurrently.

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Marsh Harbour still without power

Stacked utility poles outside Dundas Town, Abaco on February 4. There is no electricity in the area as yet.

Despite promising that power would be fully restored to all of Abaco by May, some parts of the island are still without electricity nearly eight months after the island was devastated by Hurricane Dorian.

Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister suggested yesterday that Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is challenged with a shortage of trained staff to carry out necessary restorations on the island.

He was also unable to give a timeline for the full restoration of the island.

“I don’t think we ever had a timeline,” he said.

“This is the worst hurricane that’s ever hit our country. When you talk about timelines, you talk about something like electricity, it’s impossible to have a timeline.

“The Ministry of Works, for example, has to send inspectors down there to inspect houses before you could turn power on in those houses.

“You can’t have a timeline when people have to get insurance money. They have to rebuild or fix their houses and once their houses are renovated or rebuilt then they have to be inspected before BPL can connect the house.

“So, this is a long-term project. Anyone who is looking for a timeline hasn’t seen Abaco and doesn’t understand what people in Abaco had to endure.”

Bannister’s comments directly contradict statements made by John Michael Clarke, chairman of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority. 

During the launch of the government’s Small Home Repair Programme on Grand Bahama on February 10, 2020, Clarke said electricity would be fully restored on Abaco by May. 

“Utility restoration continues in the impacted zones,” Clarke said.

“According to the latest BPL timeline, power should be fully restored on the island of Abaco and, particularly, within the Marsh Harbour district by May of this year.

“We are continuing discussions to make sure that the water utilities, both in Abaco and in Grand Bahama, are fully restored.”

Dorian tore through Abaco and its cays last September, damaging electricity poles, buildings and other infrastructure in the process.

The Category 5 storm impacted nearly 30,000 people in the northern Bahamas.

The minister noted that electricity has been restored to much of Abaco and some of the cays.

“…Some of those cays are different because on those cays they [don’t] want underground utilities,” he said.

“That is the case, with underground utilities, you can expect the fact of two or three times the cost of normal utilities.”

Bannister said BPL has put solar lighting in Marsh Harbour “so that the city itself…can have lighting during the night”.

He suggested that BPL is challenged with a shortage of staff trained to carry out necessary restorations on the island.

Bannister said linemen who are sent to Abaco need to have a minimum of eight years’ experience.

“You have a limited number who were already in Abaco and a limited number in New Providence,” the minister said.

“Those who are working now had to be rotated in and out.”

Held up

Amos Weatherford, a Sweetings Village resident, told The Nassau Guardian yesterday, “We’re held up by a lack of electricity.”

He described reconstruction efforts as going at “a snail’s pace”, noting that “no one’s happy with how slow it’s going”.

Weatherford said Abaco is not prepared for hurricane season, which starts in about a month.

Ken Hutton, president of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce, said reconstruction efforts on the island have slowed down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said this was the result of non-governmental organization (NGO) workers having to return home.

“To say it’s a concern is putting it very, very lightly,” Hutton said.

“We’re very concerned because even at this point we have no hurricane shelter in Abaco, at least not Central Abaco. We still have a lot debris on the ground. It’s very concerning.”

Katherine Forbes-Smith, managing director of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority, said some of the organizations still have skeleton crews on Abaco.

“As soon as it’s possible for them to come back to the island, they want to come back to the island to do work,” she told The Guardian.

Bannister said BPL plans to supplement the staff, who would’ve left, with “another group of professionals”.

He said that is anticipated sometime in May.

 

The post Marsh Harbour still without power appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/29/marsh-harbour-still-without-power/

Bahamas COVID-19 death rate still among highest in region

With a case fatality rate (CFR) of nearly 14 percent, The Bahamas continues to have one of the highest rates of death from COVID-19 in the region.

There have been 80 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country and 11 deaths.

The only country in the Caribbean with a higher rate is Sint Maarten, where 13 of the 75 confirmed cases have died, resulting in a CFR of 17.3 percent.

In the English-speaking Caribbean, Jamaica and Trinidad both have more cases than The Bahamas but fewer deaths.

As of yesterday, Jamaica had 364 cases and seven deaths – a CFR of 1.9 percent. Trinidad had a CFR of 6.9 percent with 116 cases and eight deaths.

Barbados, like The Bahamas, had 80 confirmed cases, and six deaths.

The Cayman Islands, with 70 cases, had only one death — a CFR of 1.4 percent.

Having had 282 COVID-19 deaths  – the most in the region – the Dominican Republic, with over 6,200 cases has a CFR of 4.5 percent.

Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands has on several occasions raised concern that the large percentage of Bahamians with comorbidities could be contributing to the high CFR.

However, in a contribution to the House of Assembly on Monday, Sands said The Bahamas’ case fatality rate will fall as more people are tested.

“Notwithstanding the significant level of comorbid illnesses that have contributed to this level of lethality, we expect the case fatality rate to fall as we liberalize the criteria for testing,” he said.

“More tests, more positive cases but that will then lead to a lower case fatality rate, as long as we don’t have an increased number of deaths.”

As of yesterday, Sands said, 1,118 people had been tested in the country.

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Playtech Systems evaluating its financial position

Sebas Bastian.

Playtech Systems, parent company of Island Luck, is evaluating its financial position over the next two days, given that its formerly announced six-week payroll continuation since the shutdown ends tomorrow, Island Luck Chief Executive Officer Sebas Bastian told Guardian Business yesterday, adding that the company, with a million-dollar monthly operational cost, has seen an 80 percent decline in revenue.

Bastian noted that if the government had added dates to its phased opening plan, that would have helped the company in terms of cash planning.

Playtech announced at the start of The Bahamas’ shutdown due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, that it would pay its staff for six weeks.

That time has run out and the government has extended its emergency orders until the end of May, without announcing any changes for gaming houses.

“I’m using the next two days to re-evaluate,” said Bastian.

“We were always going to use the 30th as a checkpoint to see where we are with the virus, where we are with the economy opening back up. We’re working over the next few days to determine the way forward and part of that decision was we were hoping to obviously get some word as to when the reopening was going to occur, so we could align our affairs with that.

“Besides staff costs, we rent 80 percent of our stores. I haven’t heard a landlord yet offer me assistance. I have rent, I have staff, I have utilities companies still charging. I have all the bills as if I was open, but I’m closed.

“So if we look at our affairs it’s not just staff-centric, we have to look at it in a more global way, because our monthly operating costs is in the millions and with revenue being down almost 80 percent, we have to have a full picture of where we’re going, to determine how we get there.”

Bastian said the well-being of Island Luck’s more than 700 staff is paramount. He said the company set aside cash for natural disasters, which is now being used to help employees and others.

“The well-being of our staff is always going to be of the uttermost importance and so we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we can offer as much support to them as we can,” Bastian said.

“But there’s a side to this business that exists besides them and we really need to have some dates to be working towards, so that we can make certain projections and be in good footing.”

Island Luck negotiated a deal with the National Insurance Board, so that it can pay the unemployment benefit of its more than 700 employees if that time comes, in return for a credit later on.

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Many Bahamians are in survival mode

Many Bahamians are now in survival mode after the government moved to extend the public state of emergency, the 24-hour curfew and weekend lockdowns to stave off the spread of COVID-19.

Pensioner Curtis Deveaux said he doesn’t know how he’s going to survive without having to resort to borrowing money from family members or friends.

When asked how he’s making it, all Deveaux could say was: “I don’t know.”

“I’m almost broke right now,” he told The Nassau Guardian.

“I keep thinking, ‘What I gone do?’”

As scores of non-essential businesses were ordered closed because of the curfew order, thousands were laid off.

The state of emergency, originally put in place until the end of April, was extended to the end of May.

Tens of thousands of Bahamians have been forced to seek aid from the Department of Social Services or claim unemployment benefits from the National Insurance Board (NIB).

Collin Galanos, 57, said he is choosing not to rely on NIB for support.

Galanos said has been self-employed since 2013, and that he is not worried about how he’s going to survive despite the pandemic’s effect on his sources of income.

“I’ve been deep in survival mode like most people, I guess,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, even though it’s been a continuous struggle, I’ve been managing. I’ve always been very resourceful…”

He added, “I anticipated that it (the state of emergency) wouldn’t end when people said it would and I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.

“I think we’ll find that in the long run everyone is going to have to dig in deep, deep and do what they can.”

Galanos said he had just begun teaching computer lessons and graphics and illustration classes at Incudesk on Chesapeake Road before the pandemic took its toll.

“I was gaining momentum there, and that took a hit so it’s a setback, really,” he said.

“But no use crying over it… I’ve been on my own long enough and been a survivor long enough to know that I’ll be okay.”

David Spence, 64, a hotel worker who was laid off, said he’s trying to “hang in and try help yourself”.

“With work stopped, ain’t nothing much you could do,” Spence said.

“You just got to hang in and try help yourself. Along with this COVID-19 thing, stay away from social gatherings and then you know the rules what they put down.”

Spence said his family “could hold on, by God’s power, for as long as this lasts”.

“My NIB [unemployment benefit] is on track, that’s moving properly; and then I have a daughter, she works for the [Public Hospitals Authority] so she works between now and then,” he said.

“She don’t live here, but she’ll call me sometimes and check on us and see what’s happening.”

Another laid off hotel worker, 47-year-old Karen Thompson-Rox, said she is doing her best to budget the unemployment benefits she receives from NIB to get by.

She said she “thanks God” that her unemployment benefits are coming in, as many Bahamians have claimed to be waiting months with no response.

“How I’m coping is through the payments from NIB,” Thompson-Rox said.

“I try to stretch that the best way I could, and just try to keep the basics in the house like water, which you normally need, and little hygiene things like soap and stuff like that. Keep your bleaches and stuff around, try to stretch the money the best way you could.”

Unlike Spence, who has no dependents living with him, Thompson-Rox has four children to look after.

“I have three kids – actually four, because my son, he lives with my mum, but through the daytime he comes here seeking food and stuff,” she said.

“But I have three that are in-house with me and my husband. But he just went back to work.

“He was on vacation during this time. He just went back to work as a security officer, so, you know that also helps with stuff because his pay only pays part of the rent because they don’t get pay much. So I try to keep his funds what he [gets] to pay rent.”

In the House of Assembly on Monday, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis revealed a rental assistance program for residential tenants which would enable them to defer a portion of their rent for three months.

But Thompson-Rox said that as much as possible she would avoid having to use that program.

“I saw that but I try not to have things build up on me, because if I could pay it the best way I could rather than just split the rent half-half and stuff like that, I would try to see the best way,” she said.

“Sometimes my mum will step in and help and I’d pay my rent just like that. But I try not to let those stuff pile up on me.”

The post Many Bahamians are in survival mode appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/29/many-bahamians-are-in-survival-mode/

Man found with marijuana given conditional discharge

A magistrate gave a 61-year-old man arrested with marijuana an opportunity to keep his criminal record clean.

Police arrested Gregory Taylor around 6:15 a.m. on April 28 in Pinewood Gardens after they found ounces of marijuana under the driver seat of his car.

Taylor admitted to a charge of possession of dangerous drugs at his arraignment before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes yesterday. The prosecutor, Inspector Lakisia Moss, told the court that Taylor told officers that he made marijuana tea.

His lawyer, Calvin Seymour, said that Taylor had been forthright from the outset.

Seymour said that a conviction would affect Taylor’s employment at a security company.

According to Seymour, Taylor used marijuana to treat his hypertension.

The magistrate granted Taylor a conditional discharge. If he successfully completes drug counseling and passes his drug tests, his guilty plea will not appear on his record.

However, if he doesn’t abide by the conditions, he will be sentenced to three months in prison.

Taylor returns to court on April 27, 2021 for an update.

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Solar works on Ragged Island done

Desmond Bannister.

Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister said yesterday the solarization of Ragged Island has been completed.

The island has been lacking basic infrastructure since it was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

“I know that the solarization is complete and they’re testing it,” Bannister told The Nassau Guardian.

“There may be one or two little hiccups in getting everything together but as far as I know that would be the first example of what we can do in the Family Islands in terms of renewable power that’s reliable.

“At some stage, before the end of the year, we anticipate that the media will go in and look at the solarization and the construction that’s going on.”

The solar project on Ragged Island was initially expected to be completed by the end of December.

However, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) Chairman Dr. Donovan Moxey reported in January that the project had been delayed due to Hurricane Dorian.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract was awarded to Tugliq Energy Co. and its construction partner, SALT Energy, in July 2019.

Waugh Construction, which is based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, was subcontracted to work on the project.

The damage caused on Ragged Island by Irma was so extensive that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) deemed the island “uninhabitable”.

Scores of people left the island in the aftermath of that storm.

However, some have since returned.

After the storm, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced that the island would become a green island.

However, there is still no government school, post office, administrator’s office, police station or clinic on Ragged Island, as all of those buildings were destroyed during the hurricane and have yet to be repaired.

The government has pledged $12 million to restore public infrastructure on the island.

The post Solar works on Ragged Island done appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/29/solar-works-on-ragged-island-done/

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to begin sailing again in June

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which sailed predominantly into Grand Bahama with both stopover and two-night cruise passengers, is the latest cruise line to announce its intention to begin sailing once again in June.

Chief Executive Officer of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Oneil Khosa noted in a statement on the cruise line’s website that travelers will be seeking “quick and safe” getaways when the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has subsided in the United States.

“We appreciate the support of our valued guests, partners, regulatory agencies, staff and crew during this challenging time,” said Khosa.

“We are utilizing this time to ensure that we are ready for our guests once we resume cruising. Travelers will be seeking a quick and safe getaway once leisure travel fully restores and we look forward to welcoming them onboard for a unique, short-cruise getaway to paradise.”

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line noted it plans to resume sailing its Grand Celebration ship on June 13 and its Grand Classica cruise ship on July 10.

The cruise line traditionally operated from Florida to Grand Bahama, until the effects of Hurricane Dorian on the island forced it to begin an itinerary into Nassau.

The cruise line, while advertising a start date, stated it is “continuing to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and is in communication with all affected guests, as well as its travel advisor partners”.

The cruise line stated it is offering guests who were forced to cancel their previous trip because of the pandemic a 125 percent cruise credit for a future sailing.

Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar told this paper recently that travelers who choose to cruise again in the near future will likely opt for trips with short itineraries.

Both Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and Carnival Cruise Line have announced this month that they will continue their suspensions until June, though they noted some of their itineraries will suffer longer suspensions.

RCI moved its initial May restart date to early June, while Carnival is eyeing the end of June to get back to business.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked the cruise lines for action plans to help prevent, mitigate and respond to the spread of COVID-19 through the “monitoring of passengers and crew medical screenings; training crew on COVID-19 prevention; managing and responding to an outbreak onboard; and submitting a plan to the United States Coast Guard and CDC for review”.

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Tourism emergence strategy is to wait on major tourist centers

The Bahamas’ tourism emergence strategy will largely depend on how and when the United States and Canada come out of their own COVID-19 lockdown measures, Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar said yesterday.

D’Aguilar said since the majority of tourists to The Bahamas come from those jurisdictions, The Bahamas is watching the developments in those countries and how they emerge from the pandemic very closely.

“The first thing to recognize is that 82 percent of our foreign visitors come from the United States and another seven percent come from Canada, so almost 90 percent of all of our foreign visitors come from those two countries. So, we have to first wait for them to get on the other side of this. And in Canada, you’re still probably experiencing lockdowns in a number of provinces and of course the largest source of our foreign visitors is New York and Florida, but they come from all states in the United States,” he said during a live interview with John Kirk, president of Canadian media company Travel Pulse Canada.

“So we sort of have to wait for the United States to get on the other side of this, not only to stop the lockdown and open up, but to get people re-employed. So they have a large amount of people that are unemployed, their GDP has gone down significantly, so I don’t think people are going to have on their mind, even on the other side of this, that they want to go on vacation.”

The overarching strategy revolves around how the Ministry of Tourism can attract those millions of people who may have been laid off and are in the middle of a recession to The Bahamas, the minister indicated.

To this end, D’Aguilar said the hotels and ports are collaborating with cruise lines and airlines on a strategy to ensure people are comfortable when it’s time to “pull the trigger”.

“There are two considerations. The first is, how do we attract people to our country, giving them the feeling genuinely that this is a safe country to visit? And secondly and more important as a politician is, how do we ensure our people that when the foreign visitors come here they’re not going to make them sick? So, we’re looking at all of the protocols, we’re learning from other destinations,” he said.

“You know you only have to go on the internet and see what Singapore is doing and what Dubai is doing. Are they testing people before they come? How are they getting people into their airports, into a taxi and into their hotels safely? How are they rolling out social distancing? Tourism is a contact sport and there’s a lot of closeness involved and it’s those personal touches that people look for. It’s not just a room, a taxi and a hotel. It’s that interaction with a Bahamian that makes the vacation special. So, how do you do that safely and have our foreign visitors that come here feel that it’s going to be safe?”

Since the public state of emergency was announced last month, the government has estimated it has lost about 70 percent of revenue anticipated during this period.

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Airbnb releases protocols for hosts to follow when borders reopen

Online short-term rentals company Airbnb revealed yesterday in a statement that its overall bookings six months out from March are trending higher than the previous year. It released a set of protocols for hosts to follow when borders reopen after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) threat has subsided.

New Providence alone has more than 1,400 active properties in the vacation rental market, according to market research website AirDNA.

In August 2017, The Bahamas signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbnb in order to regularize and tax the sector.

Vacation home rental services such as Airbnb have been touted as creating new opportunities for Bahamians to earn from the tourism sector and for The Bahamas to expand its available accommodations outside of hotel properties.

In its statement, Airbnb contends that following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that travelers will want to avoid excessive interactions with high-traffic areas, thus possibly opting for vacation rentals over mega-resorts.

Airbnb’s statement explains its new cleaning protocols, which are informed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“As governments handle the health crisis and begin to review restrictions in advance of reopening their communities for travel, at Airbnb we are working hard to support our community and prepare for the future of travel, focused on health and prevention,” the statement notes.

“Today we are announcing our advanced clean initiative to provide hosts with educational resources and two options to offer accommodation according to enhanced cleaning and prevention measures. Guests will be able to identify and book accommodation included in this program, which will be launched globally in May.

“Although risk in travel can never be fully eliminated and the science is still evolving, this initiative is designed to support and protect our stakeholders. Guests will be able to search for and easily identify Airbnb listings that meet their needs and expectations and are part of the program.

“Hosts will have access to expert-backed cleaning educational materials and will be supported to show that they take cleanliness and prevention seriously. Governments, health authorities and communities will be able to refer to this inventory, allowing for a controlled approach to reopen travel and reignite tourism economics. And we will continue to collaborate with local governments, medical experts and other authorities to help ensure appropriate precautions are taken to support COVID-19 response efforts.”

According to Airbnb, its survey of hosts revealed that 92 percent plan to continue to host as often as before after the pandemic has subsided.

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PM unveils reopening plan

w Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis outlines the measures and plans that the government intends to follow in an effort to reopen the economy, during his contribution inside the House of Assembly Monday. Ahvia J. Campbell

As he announced the extension of emergency powers for another month, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday presented planned phases for the reopening of The Bahamas, though no timeline was given.

“I know that some will be disappointed by the extension of the emergency orders, including workers and businesses who are hurting,” said Minnis in the House of Assembly.

“But I assure them, and I assure all Bahamians and residents, that this short-term sacrifice and pain is absolutely needed.”

On March 23, in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in The Bahamas, the prime minister announced the implementation of a 24-hour curfew and the closure of international and domestic borders.

The plan Minnis presented for the reopening of the country is divided into six phases. The prime minister noted that they are subject to change on the advice of health officials.

Currently, the country is in the first phase — Phase 1A, Essential Services and Hurricane Preparedness.

During this phase, there is a 24-hour curfew through the week and weekend lockdowns.

During the curfew, people are allowed to exercise for 90 minutes each day in their immediate neighborhood. During lockdowns, everyone must remain within their yards.

Essential businesses and NGOs and churches permitted to provide for the needy are allowed to remain open. Additionally, home and hardware stores, nurseries and auto parts stores are open for two days of the week.

Businesses that manufacture personal protective equipment  (PPE), as well as landscaping and property management businesses, are permitted to open from Monday to Friday.

Phase 1B, Delivery and Curbside Service and Construction, will allow businesses that can provide delivery and curbside pickup services to resume operations from Monday to Friday. 

Home and hardware stores, nurseries and auto parts stores will be allowed to open five days of the week with online curbside and delivery services. Construction on New Providence will resume from Monday to Friday.

This phase will also allow relaxation of the exercise restrictions.

Phase 2, Expanding Operations, will see business operations resume on Family Islands with no COVID-19 presence. It will also increase the number of businesses allowed to operate curbside and delivery services.

Service, healthcare and manufacturing companies that can ensure social distancing will also be allowed to reopen.

During this phase, people will be allowed to attend church services so long as social distancing can be ensured. Exercise restrictions will also be further relaxed.

Phase 3, Beginning the New Normal, will allow the opening of non-essential businesses with only the workers essential for the businesses to function. Protocols and staff training will be required. Additionally, the number of customers allowed in stores will be limited.

This phase will also see limited educational operations, such as the sitting of national exams. Restrictions on weddings, funerals and social gatherings will be relaxed, and beaches and parks will be reopened with social distancing still required.

Restaurants, cultural facilities, gyms, cinemas and entertainment facilities will be allowed to reopen during Phase 4, Moving Forward. However, businesses will have to ensure social distancing protocols are in place, and customers will be required to wear masks.

Offices will be allowed to open during this phase with social distancing measures in place. Hair and nail salons will be able to open with the use of PPE. Educational operations will be expanded with social distancing protocols.

Domestic travel will be allowed to begin with strict screening measures. Group exercise with social distancing will also be allowed to resume during this phase.

Phase 5, Restarting Tourism and Opening the Borders, will see the resumption of international travel with strict safety protocols.

Hotels and other tourism businesses will be allowed to reopen with safety protocols. Public transportation will be resumed and restrictions on movement lifted.

The post PM unveils reopening plan  appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/28/pm-unveils-reopening-plan/

Davis expelled from House

The sergeant at arms escorts Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis out of the House of Assembly on Monday afternoon after the speaker expelled him. YONTALAY BOWE

Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis was expelled from the House of Assembly on Monday afternoon after House Speaker Halson Moultrie accused him of disrespecting his authority.

 

Davis and Moultrie got into a row shortly after House members passed a resolution extending the state of public emergency in The Bahamas to May 30 as authorities seek to contain COVID-19.

 

The argument was over the length of time Davis was allowed to speak.

 

In the end, Moultrie ruled that Davis had “disrespected the chair” and ordered the sergeant at arms to remove the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP from the chamber. 

 

Davis then stood up, put on his face mask, grabbed a printout of a comic strip and moved toward the exit. 

 

Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper accompanied Davis. 

 

The police officer followed him.

 

Davis told The Nassau Guardian after, “It is not surprising that the speaker once again demonstrated his inability to hold the role of speaker. I was only attempting to be heard. I was doing it within the rules. He asked me to withdraw from the House without explanation and it was not grounded. It is time for him to be out of the office. On the anniversary of Black Tuesday, I was removed from the House. It is clear that we are still fighting against tyranny.”

 

The House has been adjourned to May 27.

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LUCINDA MAE FORBES

Graveside Funeral Service for LUCINDA MAE FORBES, RETIRED ACTING PRINCIPLE NURSING OFFICER, age 81 years of Dunmore Drive, Coral Harbour, New Providence will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24th 2020 at Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery, Soldier Road.  Officiating will be Father Dwight H. L. Rolle assisted by Fr. Berkley Smith.

Due to the Government’s Orders and related restrictions placed on Funeral attendance as a result of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic, the family will comply with the governments special regulations pertaining to funerals and apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused.

There will be a memorial service at a later date to be announced to accommodate Lucinda’s many relatives and friends.

Left to cherish her memories: Husband Ivan Oswald Forbes Senior, two sons: Andrew Dwayne Forbes and Ivan Oswald Forbes II, daughter: Tanya Jessica Forbes, adopted sister: Linda Darnell Johnson, two grandchildren: Kaiden and Kailey Forbes, aunt: Retired Nurse Ophelia Munnings, Nieces: Vashon (Tyrone) Scavella, Patrice Johnson, Gina (Benjamin) Houlgrave and Nephews: Superintendent Warren Johnson (Patrice), Lt Commander Clint Johnson, Sargent Reginald Johnson (Paula), Sargent Marv Johnson (Diane), Glenville Johnson III, Manasseh Rolle, Lamont Hamilton. Brothers-in-laws Kermith and family, Holland and family, Eustan and family, Basil and family, children of Reginald Forbes, sister in-law: Marilyn Johnson and Mary Forbes, daughter-in- law: Jeneva Robinson-Forbes, Cousins: Claretta (Small) Duncombe and family, Brenda Davis and family, Iona Williams and family, Ronald (Gail) Duncombe and family, descendants of Ophelia Munnings, Hilda Cargill, Surrogate sisters: Leona Janet McCartney and family, Shelia Balliou and family. Other relatives and friends: Descendants of the Newton Family, Saunders family, defendants of the Seymour family (Cat Island), Blair, Whymns, Johnson families of Stanyad Creek, family of the late Ivy Bannister, Lucille Williams and family, The Bain family, Family of the late Mizpha Antoine, Cynthia Barr and family, Sylvia Woodside, Siblings of Lernix Taylor, the Bannister family, the Newbold Family, the Woodside family, Bastian Family, Catherine Hinsey and family, The Honorable Loretta Butler Turner and family, Iris Smith and family, Hazel Hamilton and Family, Abigail Bethel and family, Antoinette Hall and family, Shirley Lightbourne and family, Lorna Sands-Hunt and family. Carlotta Klass and family, Stanyard Creek Family and all the nurses who served during the time of Lucinda’s postings at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Sandilands and Community Nursing, Special friends: Antoinete Okponia, Sylvia Bevans, Veronica Smith, Edna Ojeoma, Emily Osadabay, Celleste Lockhart, Roslyn Johnson, Natalie Bonimy, Anita Clarke, Yvonne McKenzie, Gwen Turner, Letecia Curry, Prescola Simms, caregivers: Carmetta Johnson and Shelia Balliou. Father Dwight Rolle and family, members of St Ambrose Anglican Church especially the Anglican Church Women (ACW), Catherine, Joan and Randy. Special thanks to Dr. Delton Farquharson and team, Dr. Theodore Ferguson, Dr. Vaughn Curling and family, Dr. Turnquest, Dr. Roberts, Dr Cyprian Strachan, doctors nurses and staff of oncology clinic, and members of Sister-Sister Breast Cancer group of survivors. Members of the Zion Baptist Church Choir and Usher Board with whom Lucinda served in her earlier years.

 

Viewing will be held at Newbold Brothers Chapel, Palmetto Avenue and  Acklins Street on Thursday, 23rd. April  between the hours of 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

 

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING HANDLED BY HOUSE OF PARADISE MORTUARY.

 

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/27/lucinda-mae-forbes/