Darville: Minnis, Election To Blame For Covid Spike

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Free COVID testing to begin on Inagua tomorrow as a part of a pilot program. It comes as some Family Islands continue to experience a spike in COVID cases, which Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis blamed on the Davis administration’s response since taking office.  

However, Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville says no one else is to blame than the one who called an early election in the midst of a third wave.

Kyle Walkine has the story… 

With the former Prime Minister blasting the Davis administration’s handling of the pandemic during its first month in office as “disastrous and incompetent”, Health Minister Michael Darville points to last month’s general election- in particular events held on those islands by the now opposition Free National Movement.

Darville said even when it came to ensuring vaccine supplies didn’t run out, the Minnis administration failed in that regard.

Free testing- a major promise on the campaign trail by the PLP- soon to be a reality, according to Darville, with a pilot to begin on Inagua tomorrow.

In the meantime, health teams and officers are on islands like the Berry Islands and Eleuthera trying to tackle a cluster of cases.

According to Darville, the root of these clusters appears to be people leaving quarantine and mixing with other residents. There are said to be dozens of Eleuthera residents alone in quarantine.

The Ministry of Health reported 16 new covid cases yesterday- 13 on new providence, two on Eleuthera and one on the Berry Islands.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Nikkiah Forbes told members of the media yesterday that some islands also have cases that are underreported because they may be using the Antigen test, instead of the PCR, which is reflected in the ministry of health’s numbers.

For Our News I’m Kyle Walkine.