COVID-19 Update Press Conference – The Ministry of Health Friday, 3 April 2020
Dr. the Hon. Duane Sands Minister of Health
COVID-19 Update Press Conference
The Ministry of Health Friday, 3 April 2020
Good afternoon,
As the Prime Minister mentioned, we sadly had two overnight COVID-19 deaths of hospitalised patients in The Bahamas.
I want to begin by expressing my condolences and those of our health team to the families of the deceased.
Our prayers are with you in these most difficult times.
The Ministry of Health confirmed earlier today that the deaths of two hospitalized COVID-19 patients occurred overnight.
The deceased patients included a 67-year-old female and a 79-year-old male.
Investigations are being conducted into the details surrounding the cases.
Contact tracing continues.
To date, there are 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in The Bahamas. Eighteen in New Providence, 5 in Grand Bahama and 1 from Bimini.
The majority of the cases are stable. Some are very ill.
A total of 281 tests have been carried out.
The pandemic is serious.
Dr. Dahl-Regis informed the country on March 26 that we were in our surge period.
The virus is here. It is spreading in our communities.
COVID-19 has killed more than fifty-five thousand people worldwide.
As there is no vaccine for this virus and no proven treatments, we have put in place public health measures to protect you – to save lives.
Our advice is summarized in these words: Stay at home! I repeat, stay at home!
Only go out for essential items, or if you are an essential services worker, during the prescribed times by the Emergency Orders.
Physical distancing is one of our great weapons in this fight.
When out, maintain physical distancing.
Stay three to six feet apart from others.
For households, it is wise to appoint a designated shopper. That person should go out to the store alone.
Do not go out shopping as a family. Do not take children with you.
When at the store move quickly and keep your distance from others.
Stores serving people essential items should ensure customers are physically distant when on lines to enter, or at checkout.
We also recommend you seek out reputable online home grocery delivery options that have risen in popularity since this crisis.
Having items delivered to your home limits exposure to others.
And remember to wash your hands thoroughly often, and not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth unnecessarily.
On the frontline of this battle against COVID-19 are our healthcare workers.
Day and night they care for the sick, potentially exposing themselves to the virus.
In some countries with large numbers of cases, healthcare workers make up a significant percentage of those infected.
Losing healthcare workers in the midst of a surge has a catastrophic effect.
Let me explain.
If there are fewer trained people to administer care because they are sick, fewer people are treated and the quality of care diminishes.
Consequently, more people die when health workers catch this virus and hospital systems become strained or collapse.
We must protect our healthcare workers.
We are doing our part by ensuring they have the necessary personal protection equipment needed to treat patients.
We have ensured that there is adequate IPC and PPE supplies in sufficient quantity for all those caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
The new Emergency Order has ended many nonemergency medical and dental services.
Of the 24 confirmed cases, five are health workers.
Additionally, more than 50 health care workers are currently in isolation or quarantine have been taken out of the system.
This is a grave concern that 21 percent of our cases are health care workers.
This high percentage of exposure to our health workforce cannot continue, or we will find ourselves without enough workers in our army to wage a war against COVID-19.
I need you to do your part to protect our healthcare workers and not to overburden the system.
Those who have non-emergency needs should call their medical health professionals for assistance rather than coming in.
Those with COVID-19-related questions should call our hotline.
The procedure for emergency calls remains the same: call 911.
We need Bahamians to only seek medical attention if it is necessary during this crisis.
This is important.
We need our medical professionals to be safe. We need them to have time to help with the crisis.
We need to free up our doctors, nurses and medical staff to attend to health matters.
Those who need care and suspect they have COVID-19 symptoms should advise medical professionals of this before coming in so they are prepared.
All Bahamians should be proud of the men and women in our healthcare system.
They are talented, dedicated and hardworking.
They are doctors and nurses. Lab technicians and pharmacists. Cooks and orderlies. Security officers, receptionists, plumbers, janitors and engineers.
They are administrative staff and communications specialists.
There are so many people who make the system work. All of them help save lives. 