Keep public schools closed during COVID surge

Dear Editor,

As the proud parent of a University of The Bahamas student, like other parents, students and teachers, we are all anxious that in-person instruction becomes the norm again in the shortest time possible.

Many students unfortunately do not have access to electricity or computers. This greatly curtails their ability to be taught online. There is little doubt that this will negatively impact their grade averages and results of examinations if and when they are held.

The Davis administration and the Ministry of Education are no doubt very anxious to reopen public schools. To do so in January 2022 would not be a wise decision.

In fact. it would be foolhardy and a gross display of mismanagement.

We are now in the fourth wave of the pandemic with Omicron, yet another highly infectious mutation of COVID-19. No one here at home or even worldwide seems to have a clue as to combatting and eliminating these variants. Uncertainty is everywhere and we are all like headless chickens.

It is my position that unless and until we see a drastic decrease in cases of the virus, public schools should/must remain closed to the general public.

What might be a solution is to stagger school days and hours where classes could be held in large auditoriums or even outdoor spaces so as to ensure observations of all recommended health protocols.

For instance, we have huge auditoriums at most of the high schools here in New Providence. In alphabetical order, students could attend in-person classes twice or three times per week, inclusive of Saturdays where necessary.

The enlightened Davis administration should urgently seek to source lap tops and tablets from the United States Agency for International Development and the People’s Republic of China etc.

Bahamas Power & Light should be ordered by the Minister with responsibility, the Hon. Alfred Sears, not to disconnect services for the next month or so. The same should be applicable to the Water & Sewerage Corporation. These are both necessities and as we are all in this together.

The prime minister and his team must also rise to the challenges.

In short, I suggest that in the abundance of caution public schools should not be reopened anytime soon.

In this same vein, I also recommend that large public gatherings should/must be curtailed. In my daily trek across New Providence, especially within the inner-city areas, I have noticed scores of people hanging around bars and liquor stores, most unmasked, enjoying their libations.

Where I would have dared to stop, I have asked numerous proprietors why they are allowing theses flagrant breaches of the law.

Their responses, almost universally, is that they themselves are not vaccinated and that they do not believe in vaccinations seeing that even fully vaccinated people who have also received booster shots are still prone to contracting and spreading the virus. This is a dangerous and deadly way of thinking.

Once upon a time you’d see COVID patrol vehicles all over New Providence. For months now, long before the general election if you were to see just one of them that would be a phenomenon of the highest order. These vehicles must return to 24 x 7 patrols.

In addition, I suggest that a 2 a.m. curfew be introduced.

For the life of me, I fail to see or understand why any sensible and prudent individual needs to be out that late if at all. Ordinary gatherings such as church services, limited funerals and weddings should be allowed to continue with strict protocols.

Beaches and parks should also remain opened but with strict enforcement by the beach police officers.

At the end of the day, we Bahamians will be quite fine but right now we are faced with challenges.

— Ortland H. Bodie, Jr.

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