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A L L T H E N E W S Y O U N E E D T O R E A D I N T H E M O R N I N G

VOL. 32 - NO. 28 75 CENTSTUESDAY - MARCH 17TH, 2020

DPM Meets with econoMists

to Discuss coViD-19

4 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest meeting with economists and a range of stakeholdersfrom the private sector on Monday to discuss "Recommendations for Mitigating the Economic Fallout of COVID-19."

(Photo/Ministry of Finance)

Ca rn i va lPostponedBahamas Carnival 2020has been postponed untila later date as a result ofthe confirmed case ofCOVID-19 in TheBahamas.“As the world contin-

ues to grapple with therapid spread of the novelcoronavirus, we have

taken the advice ofMinistry of Health offi-cials and the prime min-ister and postponed theevent,” BahamasCarnival Experienceannounced in a statementyesterday.“As The Bahamas

Public Parks and BeachesAuthority has also sus-

BY DEANDRE WILLIAMSONJournal Staff Writer

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4 WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson

Water and SewerageCorporation (WSC)Executive ChairmanAdrian Gibson hasstopped the disconnectionexercise of water supply,citing the importance ofwater in combating thecoronavirus.Gibson said people

CHERIKA JOHNSON Journal Staff Writer

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WSC Suspends Water Disconnection

Atlantis GivesWorkers Option

tlantis asked itsemployees totake earnedvacation days or

volunteer to take unpaidleave as the resort seeksto protect staff and man-age the impact of theglobal coronavirus(COVID-19).In a letter written to

employees on Monday,Atlantis HumanResources Senior VicePresident Karen Careysaid, “While our efforts

BY DEANDRE WILLIAMSONJournal Staff Writer

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4 Effective immediately, Atlantis asked employees to take earned vacation days or volunteerto take two weeks unpaid leave as the resort shoulders the burden of the impact of

COVID-19.

A

Eight PersonsQuarantinedEight persons are in quar-antine after possibleexposure to the coron-avirus (COVID-19),according to the Ministryof Health.The number of quaran-

tined persons increased

after The Bahamasreported its first case ofthe coronavirus onSunday.A 61-year-old

Bahamian woman testedpositive for the diseaseand according to healthofficials, the woman has

BY DEANDRE WILLIAMSONJournal Staff Writer

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PLP Accepts PM’sInvitation to

Monitor COVID-19Progressive Liberal PartyCOVID-19 TaskforceChairman Senator Dr.Michael Darville said thePLP accepts the primeminister’s invitation tomonitor the govern-ment’s efforts to addressthe impact of the coron-avirus on The Bahamas.

”The ProgressiveLiberal Party welcomesthe statement by theprime minister outliningthe government’sresponse to the COVID-19 virus emergency.Matters are clearly nowat a critical stage as thefirst case has been con-firmed without a recent

BY LAURENCIA I.A. SMITH Journal Staff Writer

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A2 NationalNEWSThe Bahama Journal

Tuesday - March 17th, 2020

Wilson Awaits Plans forEducating Students at HomeBahamas Union ofTeachers (BUT)President Belinda Wilsonsaid she awaits the planfrom the Ministry ofEducation (MOE) for theuse of instructional timefor students, as schoolsclose and childrenremain at home overpublic health concerns ofthe coronavirus.“I am awaiting further

information from theMinistry of Education asto the use of instructionaltime, using technology.So, I will get back toteachers once I get theplan from the MOE onhow we can continueinstructions for our stu-dents during this monthwhile we’re at home,”Wilson said. Wilson said as the

Bahamas GeneralCertificate of SecondaryEducation and Bahamas

Junior Certificate exami-nations approach, shealso awaits informationon the plan forward forthe national exams.On Sunday, the

Ministry of Educationofficially announced clo-sure of all public and pri-vate schools until April14, following one posi-tive case of covid-19 inthe capital.Wilson admonished

teachers to follow pre-cautionary measures and

follow the tips that herunion has issued toteachers to remain safe.Ministry officials said

they are guided by theneed to exercise vigi-lance.Minister of Education

Jeffrey Lloyd promisedto give additional detailson virtual schooling,upcoming examinationsand lunch programs inthe House of Assemblyon Wednesday.

CHERIKA JOHNSON Journal Staff Writer

4BUT President Belinda Wilson

Teen Charged with One-Year-Old’s DeathA 17-year-old maleand a 22-year-oldfemale were arraigned

on Monday in theMagistrate’s Court forthe unlawful death ofthe female’s one-year-old child.Guetly St. Fleur, 22,

was charged with childneglect, while the 17-year-old male wascharged withmanslaughter.The crime allegedly

took place in Exumaon March 9, 2020.The two defendants

were not required toenter a plea. St. Fleur is expected

to return to court todayat 11 a.m. for a bailhearing. The 17-year-old

male is currently in the

process of applying foremergency bail andwill return on to courton May 21 for a volun-tary bill of indictment.

TYLER SYMONETTEJournal Staff Writer

A3The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - March 17th, 2020NationalNEWS

GOT NEWS?Please call The BahamaJournal’s News TIP LINE at 356-7254 and let us know!

An historical milestonein the history of theRoyal Bahamas DefenceForce was observed, Forthe first time, theOfficers and Marinesparticipated in a CocktailReception and Silent ArtAuction on Friday past atthe Defence Force’sCoral Harbour Base.As the force celebrates

40 years under the theme“Beyond the Horizon,

into the Future,” a largecrowd was in attendanceto view an array of over30 arts and paintings.These were on displayfor persons wishing topurchase them, whichwere carefully done bythe men and women ofthe force, as well as byRBDF Veterans,Rangers, persons withinthe community and alsofrom the students at The

Bahamas Association forthe Physically Disabled(BAPD). Part proceedsfrom the event, which isone of several that isplanned in observance ofthe organization’sanniversary celebrations,will benefit The BahamasAssociation for thePhysically Disabled.In attendance were the

Minister of NationalSecurity, the Honorable

Marvin Dames and theActing CommanderDefence Force, CaptainRaymond King. In hisbrief remarks, MinisterDames commendedCaptain King along withhis Executive Team andthe Officers and Marinesfor the awesome show-ing.“What you are doing

here this evening speaksvolumes. And it certainly

sets the tone for what alllaw enforcement agen-cies ought to be doing,”said Minister Dames.You and your executiveteam and members of theplanning committeeought to feel proud ofwhat you have accom-plished here today. I hopethat this is the beginningof what is to come.”The Acting

Commander Defence

Force also commendedLieutenant Floyd Moxey,Chairperson of the eventalong with his committeeteam members for mak-ing the night a success.He noted that along withperforming its normalduties of protecting theterritorial integrity ofThe Bahamas, the organ-ization is also about giv-ing back to the communi-ty.

Historic RBDF Receptionand Silent Art Auction

WSC Suspends Disconnectionshould not be withoutfresh water at this time.“As such last Friday, I

directed the immediatecessation of all intendedor proposed disconnec-tion exercise. This deci-sion is to safe guard thehealth of the generalpublic,” he said. “No WSC staff mem-

ber is authorized to dis-connect any home or

building at this time. Alldisconnection is halteduntil further notice. Ihave further directedthat any and all relatedpublic announcement,publications, announce-ment or internal workorders relating to dis-connections be can-celled immediately.” Gibson said no vaca-

tion will be granted andWSC employees onvacation will be recalled.

This, among other ini-tiatives, will be taken tocombat the threat of thevirus, he said.“An isolation area is

being built with an indus-trial nurse to refer per-sons to medical care.She is also in direct con-tact with the Ministry ofHealth making arrange-ments for staff with allmedical facilities.Standard protocols arein place,” Gibson

explained. “Hand washing sta-

tions will be installedthroughout the corpora-tion. Four wash stationswere rented recently.We expect delivery ofthem shortly. “WSC will be out-

sourcing two infraredthermometers for theindustrial nurse to checkstaff as needed. Allplanned WSC vacationis cancelled. No applica-

tion for vacation will besigned off during thisperiod.” Gibson added that

WSC staff should prac-tice social distancingand use hand sanitizers.He said that in-house

training that requireslarge groupings will bepostponed and cashiersare mandated to washand sanitize hands afterthe use of money.Gibson said boxes

containing cleaning sup-plies are being shippedto WSC in the FamilyIslands.The box contains

Clorox spray, alcohol,wipes, Lysol spray, sur-face cleaners, sanitiz-ers, gloves and limitedface masks. Gibson said WSC

had distributed informa-tion sheets about thevirus over the last twoweeks.

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

4 Petty Officer Mary Sweeting and Leading Woman Marine Stacey Ferguson viewing an artpiece. (RBDF Photos by Marine Seamen Michael Turner II and Wellington Ramsey)

4 The Minister of National Security, the Honorable Marvin Dames and Mrs. Dames and theirdaughter Kai; the Acting Commander Defence Force, Captain Raymond King and Mrs. King.

4 From L-R: Petty Officers Charles Edgecombe, Mary Sweeting and Antoine Adams, andLieutenant Commander Natasha Miller at the RBDF Cocktail Reception and Silent Art Auction

on March 13 at the Defence Force Base.

A4 The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - March 17th, 2020 NationalNEWS

Atlantis GivesWorkers Optioncontinue and we work onthis together, it is essen-tial and important for usto make changes and takefurther steps to help us allmanage through this assituations evolve. To thisend, we are asking teammembers to take earnedvacation days or volun-teer to take two weeksunpaid leave of absenceeffective immediately.“We encourage you to

speak with your manager

today and confirm yourdates.“We want you to feel

absolutely confident thatwe are doing our best toshoulder the burden ofour operations to secureour future and to lessenthe burden that this situa-tion imposes on you.”Over the years, Carey

said Atlantis has continu-ally demonstrated itsenduring values regard-ing the safety, satisfactionand well-being of itsguests and team members

and in this current cli-mate, where COVID-19is impacting everyoneglobally, it is no differentfor us. “We are all in this

together so, let’s continueto be resolute and strong.We remain optimistic thatwe can count on yoursupport and cooperationat this critical time. Wewill get through this!” shesaid.The first case of the

coronavirus was con-firmed in The Bahamas

on Sunday after a 61-year-old woman testedpositive for the disease. During his national

address on Sunday, PrimeMinister Dr. HubertMinnis said the coron-avirus crisis will have agrowing adverse impacton confidence, travel, andsupply chains across theglobe. “This will affect

Bahamian workers andbusinesses and will havean impact on the poorerand more vulnerable in

our country,” Dr. Minnissaid.He added that no sec-

tor is more at risk thantravel.“This crisis will have a

tremendous and wide-spread economic impact,”Dr. Minnis explained.“Tourism accounts for

an estimated 50 percentof our gross domesticproduct, just under 50percent of direct employ-ment, and has a cascadingimpact across the broadereconomy.

“Another importantfact is that over 80 per-cent of our stopover visi-tors are from the UnitedStates, which is reportingincreasing cases of thevirus and 75 percent ofour visitors come bycruise ships, which aresuspending cruises. “All of these develop-

ments signal to us thehuge exposure our econo-my faces from the spreadof the virus, which hasalready began to showup.”

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A5The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - March 17th, 2020EditorialNEWS

E D I T O R I A L

The Bahama Journal Is An Independent Newspaper - Published Week Days By The Communicators & Associates In Affiliation With Jones Communications Ltd.

University Drive - P.O. Box N-8610Telephone: 242-325-3082 - Fax: 242-356-7256

Kimaley P. JonesVice President/Operations

Wendall K. Jones Publisher/Chief Executive Officer

The Level Of AnxietyThis is a difficult time for the Bahamas.The country seems to be falling in a deepeconomic hole. There is no doubt thatgovernments around the world are hardpressed in dealing with the currenthealth and economic crisis caused by thespread of the Coronavirus that is sweep-ing the world. Most countries are closingtheir borders and have put in place strin-gent measures to contain the virus or tomitigate against the damage that is beingcaused to local economies.In the Bahamas we have to prepare for

the fallout that is sure to come in the nextfew weeks and months when the fullbrunt of the crisis is felt. We are hopingthat on Wednesday of this week CabinetMinisters will allay the fears ofBahamians that we are not able to comeout of this crisis whole and that we candig ourselves out of the economic holeand remain highly competitive intourism.The Cayman Islands is now a major

competitor to the Bahamas in financialservices. The following is how the Premier of

that British Colony announced measuresto deal with COVID 19: “The events ofthe last few days, with the confirmationof the first COVID 19 infected person,combined with his subsequent death andthe impact on Health City CaymanIslands has understandably created muchconcern in our community. A concern that I am sure has been

heightened by the images that we see onour TV screens and on social media ofwhat is playing out in Italy and else-where. A concern that similar scenescould play out here at home. Let me say two things. I am concerned

as well. But we should not panic. I saythis because I, as Premier, and the entireGovernment, have been focusing on thisfor weeks. Our health professionals havealso been focusing on this. And we willcontinue to focus and take the bestadvice available and to then make thedecisions that we believe are in the bestinterest of all of the community . Whilst the Government and health

professionals play our part each personliving here also has a part to play to helpkeep the community as safe as we can.Dr. Lee will, I am sure, remind us againwhen he speaks about social distancingand hygiene. But I do want you to know that we are,

I am, taking the march of COVID 19through the Caribbean very seriously.The primary role of Government is toprotect the health, safety and well-beingof its people. I, along with myGovernment take this role very seriously.This has been at the forefront of every-thing that we have done over the past twoterms. And this is why we took the decisions

that we did on Friday last to ban cruise-ships for 60 days and to close education-al facilities; cancel the final day of theinter-primary sports day; and to imple-ment a ban of on no more than 50 per-sons at places other than supermarkets,medical facilities, pharmacies. Thisexcludes staff at their places of work -though if at all possible we encouragebusinesses to allow those staff who canwork from home to do so. We also added several at-risk coun-

tries to the list of banned countries. Butas I indicated on Friday there were othermeasures being considered to help pro-tect and safeguard our Islands. It isimportant that while we as a country seekto minimise the possibilities of localtransmission that we do all we can toensure that we prevent new infections

reaching our shores. So today I am announcing that the

Cabinet has approved the following: 1. To close the Owen Roberts

International Airport and the CharlesKirkconnell International Airport forinternational passenger flights for a tem-porary period of three weeks, beginningSunday, 22 March, 2020, at 11:59 pmuntil Sunday, 12 April, 2020, at 11:59 pm

2. For all destinations except for theUnited Kingdom, inbound flights fromThursday, 19 March, 2020, will operatefor returning residents only.

3. Outbound flights will operate asusual through Sunday, 22 March 2020.

4. With immediate effect, any personarriving in the Cayman Islands will berequired to be isolated for 14 days.

5. Inter-Island flights will continue;however, flights from Grand Caymaninto Cayman Brac and Little Caymanwill be restricted to residents and essen-tial persons, for example, medical staff,etc. This because, as we all know,Cayman Brac has a significant elderlypopulation and we want to ensure thatthey are protected.

6. Cargo flights, as well as courierflights, will continue as will be emer-gency medical air- ambulance flightsneeded to take residents overseas formedical treatment. We have not taken this decision light-

ly, but it is in the best interest and for thehealth of the people of the CaymanIslands. As a premier vacation destina-tion of choice, this decision will helpensure that the Cayman Islands will beable to not only protect our people but toalso protect the welfare of our tourismbusiness and our guests over the longterm. We should always remember that

because we have our own airline,Cayman Airways, we can maintain ourair links as necessary. There are alsooptions being pursued by the Governor,for which I thank him, to ensure thatthere is an ‘air-bridge’ maintainedbetween the UK and its OverseasTerritories during this period. We willadvise more on this once details are con-firmed. I can also state that the decision,

including the timing, was not made inisolation. Since Friday and over theweekend the Government has held meet-ings with key segments of our economyand more are planned. These include thebanks, water companies, telecoms com-panies, Caribbean Utilities, the Chamberof Commerce, the supermarkets andmain food and goods importers, thefinancial services sector, the tourism sec-tor, and doctors representing the CaymanIslands Medical and Dental Society. Conversations were wide ranging andencouraging. I am satisfied that everyoneis taking this threat seriously and every-one supported the measures being takenby Government. From what was said they all have

plans to protect their staff and to keeptheir key businesses running. This isimportant to ensure that we maintain theservices that a modern society requires. I was also heartened by what I heard

with regards to a willingness to assistthose persons who will be hit hard by theeconomic reality that we are facing. Theban on cruise ships automatically meansthat several thousand people working inthis industry will be impacted. In discussions with the banks, they

have all agreed to work individually withclients with mortgages and loans who are

Wendall JonesArt ExhibitionEditor:

Many of us know Wendall Jones is adraftsman, journalist, entrepreneur,media magnate and social commen-tator. Through his art exhibition atthe Central Bank, we see him as anartist.Wendall is not a formally trained

artist. He has God given talent. Theworks displayed show an impres-sionistic style, conveying moodthrough the interplay between lightand color. That someone not formal-ly trained paints in an impressionis-tic style suggests that person hastremendous courage.Impressionism conveys mood. Theartist lays bare his emotions for pub-lic scrutiny. These paintings alsoconvey a courageous manbecause, as anyone who has tried topaint knows, putting colour on top ofanother colour and next to a colourrequires technical knowledge andskill. Paint does what it must. It isnot respecter of people. The canvas,sometimes mercilessly, reveals all.Also, the use of the paint brushes,the thickness and quality of thestrokes, to capture mood or essencerequires skill. Wendall has obviouslyspent hours mastering these skills.This is no surprise because through-out his life, Wendall has shown dis-cipline and determination to masterany arena into which he entered.I think that the paintings capture

the essence of The Bahamas andBahamians, people whoseindomitable free spirit cannot becaged. In them I saw sunrise andsunset colors; various shades of ourocean; and the plethora of colors ofour flora and fauna. I recall some-one saying that impressionist art islike wine – a matter of taste. It’swonderful to have with others a dis-cussion about how a painting makesyou feel or what you see in the paint-ing. These paintings evoke livelydiscussion.I loved the works that were paint-

ed as a triptych but not displayed assuch. Although I saw women danc-ing in celebration, others may have

seen something else. The colorsused made me wonder whether thewoman/women were on a journey orwhether they epitomized the pro-gression of women over time. Theartist, maybe wisely, won’t say whathe was feeling. Also, I thought that itwas a good idea that they werepainted so that they could standalone, or as a triptych. This first exhibition, at the Central

Bank, a premier space to displayBahamian art, is a reason to cele-brate Bahamians. My Grandmother,the late Meta Davis Cumberbatch,called the Mother of the Arts in TheBahamas, spoke unceasingly aboutthe tremendous artistic talent andcultural richness of Bahamian peo-ple and The Bahamas. We are giftedpeople, filled with artistic talent andcultural richness. Wendall’s exhibi-tion of paintings that can hang in anycollection alongside acclaimedBahamian and international art ismore evidence of this fact.Wendall for decades has found

ways, including through books and“the Person of the Year” to honour,celebrate and acknowledgeBahamians. Is it now time for TheBahamas to honour him – aRenaissance Man?

Sincerely,Allyson Gibson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

4 allyson Maynard-Gibson, QC

CORONAVIRUSEditor:

Just some words of encouragementto persons who may be a littlebewildered because of the situationwe now face. I think we could turnthis coronavirus setback" intosomething positive. When we wereadvised to stay away from crowdsand we would be "homebound"more or less for the next four weeksat least, my daughter and I satdown last night and mapped out aschedule as to how we would worksmart over the next four weeks. Wehave not been home like thistogether ever.We would exerciseeach morning then we wouldimprove our surroundings on adaily basis. We would deep clean,paint, beautify every room then wewould improve our yard/gardenetc. We would once again startpracticing our musical instruments;she the saxaphone and I the piano.

So early this morning we went for ajog/run/walk as soon as it was day-light. When we returned we pre-pared breakfast. Then we cleanedone room from the ceiling fan to thefloor, moving around all the furni-ture. We then had lunch and took arest. Later we will practice ourmusical instruments do some read-ing, computer etc. and enjoy theevening. Mr. Jones it may seem ambitious

but we are determined to follow thehealth instructions and still be asactive as possible. We will not getbored at home. Maybe employers can make this

time vacation time for their employ-ees and when this is over our coun-try could be further ahead. I hope I can inspire someone thatthere is much we can accomplishand help ourselves and our countryduring this time.

GOT NEWS?Please call The BahamaJournal’s News TIP LINE at 356-7254 and let us know!

g See page 8...

A6 The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - March 17th, 2020 NationalNEWS

Bahamas Customs Celebrates 106thAnniversary in Church Service

4 The Bahamas Customs and Excise Department celebrates 106th Anniversary with a church service on March 15 at Bible Truth Ministries. Comptroller Dr. Geannine Moss delivered remarkson behalf of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Peter Turnquest and the Bahamas Customs Choir rendered a selection. (BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)

Carnival Postponedpended both existing per-mits for organized publicgatherings and theissuance of any furtherpermits, our team has

decided to err on the sideof caution for the wellbe-ing of everyone interest-ed in participating in thisyear’s Bahamas CarnivalExperience.”Bahamas Carnival

Band OwnersAssociation PresidentRafel Dean explainedthat the move is one sup-ported by mas bands astheir main priority aswell is the health and

safety of their supporters.“This is obviously

something the world iswatching and everyone isconcerned,” Dean said.“With travel bans

being put in place and

governments on highalert, we think it’s imper-ative that we put thehealth of our supportersand Bahamians, in gener-al, first. The band lead-ers have agreed to this

change and assure oursupporters that we willaccommodate any ques-tions or concerns. TheBahamas CarnivalExperience will still be agreat one.”

Eight Persons Quarantinedno history of travelingoutside the country withinthe last 20 days. She is receiving care in

a designated isolated areaat the Princess MargaretHospital (PMH). During a press confer-

ence on Sunday, healthofficials said the patient’sfamily and social contactsare currently being inves-tigated to establish thesource of her infection.

Health officials alsoexplained that the patientwent to PMH after show-ing signs of a respiratoryissue. She was then testedfollowing morning andearly Sunday morning hertest was confirmed posi-tive for COVID-19. A total of 30 person

have been released fromquarantine, according tothe Ministry of Health. Prime Minister Dr.

Hubert Minnis advisedduring his national

address on Sunday that allBahamian nationals andresidents returning to TheBahamas through anypoint of entry from any ofthe restricted countries oran area where communityinfection and spread ispresent will be quaran-tined or be placed underself-isolation upon arrivaland are expected to followthe protocols of theMinistry of Health.Dr. Minnis also advised

that Bahamian nationals

or residents returning toThe Bahamas who havebeen abroad and believethat they may have beenexposed to COVID-19 areasked to contact theMinistry of Health’s hot-line or their local healthprovider.“Non-essential travel

by Bahamian nationalsand residents and othercountries is highly dis-couraged,” Dr. Minnissaid.“Let me repeat this. If

you do not need to traveloverseas at this time, Ihighly urge you to remainat home.Dr. Minnis also remind-

ed Bahamians of some thesymptoms of COVID-19.“Common signs of

infection include respira-tory symptoms, fever,cough, shortness of breathand breathing difficul-ties,” he said. “In more severe cases,

infection can cause pneu-monia, severe acute respi-

ratory syndrome, kidneyfailure and even death. “Most people who con-

tract this virus will fullyrecover. But there are anumber of people who areparticularly vulnerable,including the elderly andthose with chronic dis-eases, such as hyperten-sion and diabetes, andthose with compromisedimmune systems. “We do not know how

long this crisis will bewith us.”

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