“A Study In Confusion” – The Nassau Guardian 20^th April 2020

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis call Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis’ press conference a ‘study in confusion’ as he questioned why Minnis will allow more businesses to open in the middle of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

As he expressed disappointment with the number of people who were still out and about during the 24-hour curfew, Minnis yesterday announced that a number of businesses, including hardware stores, plant nurseries and auto part stores, will be allowed to operate.

In response, Davis wants to see a long –term plan detailing the government’s plan to move forward in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘The Prime Minister’s latest COVID-19 press conference held on Sunday April 19 was a study in confusion,’ he said.

With 60 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in total and two additional confirmed cases announced today, the country remains in the middle of a COVID-19 surge so it was confusing that the prime minister announced the opening up of additional businesses and the domestic economy well ahead of any indication of a leveling of the COVID-19 infection and transmission curve. What is the rationale behind this decision?

Davis added, ‘We are sure the public is relieved that there is a slow return to normalcy but there has to be some idea of what this is based upon and that it is evidence-driven.”

It is indeed odd to hear the Opposition Leader criticize the opening of stores like hardware stores, auto part stores and plant nurseries, when he first criticized that the original emergency order for being “overreaching” and then going on to say “……that there was no evidence that the Bahamian people needed to be coerced into following directives and protocols promulgated by the government.”; ending with asking for the liquor stores to remain open.

As he is now seeing, the Bahamian people needed to be coerced and most still have not taken the current situation seriously but I say the original sentiments of the leader of the opposition, which was basically grown people did not have to be told what to do in their own best interest, represents the mindset of people that need to be coerced.

So now the opposition leader expresses “confusion” as the latest move by the prime minister and his team.  My first observation is that due to the recent lockdowns the rate of infection has seemed to have slowed so there is a plan in place that seems to be working.  Then as for the types of businesses that have opened.  In my opinion, the hardware stores, auto stores and plant nurseuries can operate in the same manner in which the food stores have been operating and with the proper safeguards put in place, one being “no mask no service”, we can have a sector of the economy back up and running.

So, the leader of Opposition claims to be “confused” and many of us are not surprised, not at all because it seems that simple matters that follow along the line of logic and commonsense seems to confuse this new, new, new [new] Progressive Liberal Party.

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