COVID-19 demagogues

 The PLP is all about being the shameless demagogues of the COVID-19 war in The Bahamas

By Dennis Dames

I have read and taken note of the PLP’s press release of July 28, 2021 – addressing their official opposition position on COVID-19 in The Bahamas.

The party leader, the Hon. Philip Brave Davis outlined about nine points to forward us out of this emergency. I want to talk about item number five which reads: “Fifth, we need a dramatic expansion of testing and contact tracing. Positivity rates consistently over 20 percent are evidence we are not testing enough. When Family Islands with relatively small populations like Cat Island and Andros have cases, let’s test our way out of the outbreak, instead of locking everyone down. That has proven too damaging to our families and businesses.”

What’s the point of more testing if no plan is in place to effectively quarantine the resulting positive cases? We live in a country where the majority of us reside in modest dwellings with other people, and in a lot of situations we dwell with an extensive extended family. So, where do we go to isolate until we get the all-clear to enter society again? Most of us don’t have the means to effectually quarantine, so who is going to pick up the tab?

Additionally, scientists have told us that COVID-19 – like the flu, is here to stay. So, why does the PLP believe that we can test our way out of this global pandemic? The dramatic expansion of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing is like expanding a wild goose chase in an arena where the majority of people are unvaccinated.

Yes, the vaccinated and unvaccinated are catching COVID-19. It’s unstoppable just now. The only difference is, that the unvaccinated are feeling the brunt of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. So, to propose more testing and contact tracing, does not address the big issue at hand, which is increasing hospitalizations and deaths, especially among the unvaccinated.

The PLP has accepted that most COVID transmissions happen indoors. They stated the following in their release: “Beyond vaccines, there are ways to reduce the risk of contracting COVID, and we need to share, in detail, these risk mitigation strategies with Bahamians. For example, this is largely an airborne virus, and most transmission happens indoors. We’d like to see a public-private initiative to provide guidance and support for improving ventilation and air quality in workplaces, churches, homes and schools.”

The only way to reduce the risk of catching COVID is to stay exclusively to one’s self, in my view. That’s almost impossible with the typical Bahamian, or human generally.

We have to live with COVID-19, but we don’t necessarily have to die from it. Vaccination is our most important partner and tool in the COVID-19 fight right now.

The PLP hasn’t accepted that fact and reality as yet because it doesn’t fit in to their election campaign plans, in my humble viewpoint.

For the PLP, it’s all about being the shameless demagogues of the COVID-19 war in The Bahamas.

July 28, 2021

PLP Demagoguery on CoViD-19 Vaccination in The Bahamas

 The Official Opposition PLP is ready and prepared to win by hook or crook

By Dennis Dames

The leader of the PLP, the Hon. Philip Brave, stated the following among other crazy things in a recent PLP press release: “The PLP’s COVID Task Force continues to promote constructive policy solutions, including a dramatic expansion of testing, more effective masks, a real public education campaign, and close consultation with local medical professionals.”

What about the promotion of national unity and resolve in the COVID-19 war, Mr. Davis? What is the PLP’s COVID Task Force relationship like with the present regime, and other community stake holders?

Where is the PLP’s “get vaccinated” campaign and leadership when the nation really needs them, Mr. Davis? Where is the vital unified political partnership and guidance in The Bahamas when we truly could use them right now, Mr. Davis?

According to Mr. Davis and his PLP: The governing FNM is stupid and inept and the PLP has all the right answers to deal with the onslaught of COVID-19 in our society.

The PLP leader stated further that: “The new Emergency Orders restricting campaigning infringe fundamental free speech rights of Bahamians and are further evidence that the government does not believe it can win a fair fight.”

Mr. Davis’ primary focus and concern seems to be on the next general election. They are ready and prepared to win by hook or crook. Rocking the unvaccinated boat doesn’t fit into their strategy and plan – in my humble opinion.

Do not hide behind, “…close consultation with local medical professionals”, Mr. Davis. Ultimately, the political decisions will prevail in our COVID-19 environment and economy. You and the PLP don’t seem to be up to the challenge of leadership in The Bahamas in this perilous COVID 19 battle.

As long as we are mixing and mingling, COVID-19 will spread more, Mr. Davis. So long as we welcome visitors to our shores, COVID-19 will remain alive and well among us, Mr. Davis.

If we encourage our campaign workers to be careless about vaccination and the COVID protocols, and more concerned about campaigning, COVID-19 would continue to rage on in our communities, Mr. Davis and the PLP.

If the majority of us remain unvaccinated in the face of a very fluid and deadly virus, we could really end up on some painfully undesired tracks, Mr. Davis. Not even you and your party will want to preside over such a failed state. So, let’s therefore promote together: Get vaccinated, Mr. Davis and the PLP.

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, who must be the monster in your dreams, has already said over and over again that vaccination is the only way out of our COVID-19 crisis in The Bahamas and the wider world.

If you agree with that, I invite you to show some genuine leadership and join Minnis and his FNM government in getting those wise and prudent words out. Anything short of that is considered pure demagoguery, in my opinion, Mr. Davis.

Show some true leadership, Mr. Davis, and implement a PLP policy – which requires every PLP campaigner and poll worker to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the interest of the health and wellbeing of our country, The Bahamas.

I’m going to use my fundamental free speech rights to say: Keep your unvaccinated PLP agents to yourself and your PLP party.

It really looks like Brave Davis and the PLP feel that they could win the next government via a campaign by and for the unvaccinated using fundamental free speech rights as a front. The devil is a liar.

Get Vaccinated Bahamas

By Dennis Dames

Get vaccinated soon.

The potentially crippling and lethal Corona Virus is fluid, dynamic, deadly and dangerously potent – and it rages on in many quarters of the universe.  We hear about vaccines, and new variants of the disease regularly, and it appears that no one really knows how to control the contagious and rapidly mutating CoViD-19.

Politicians are doing their best to paint a promising picture for the people with their respective get-vaccinated campaigns.  It’s a noble initiative, but a vaccinated person can still catch CoViD – and possibly die of related complications.  The only difference is that the science says that a vaccinated person has a significantly less chance of hospitalization, and death if they catch CoViD19.

It’s a catch-22 situation.  We have to live and die with the contagion in a rebellious culture – where people ignore the standard protocols of social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and sanitizing and so on; and they are intensely skeptical about the various vaccines.

I bit the bullet one day in May, and proceeded to get my first jab.  I was fortunate enough to be served without an appointment.  There was only an elderly couple before me, who were there for their second shot.

I am relieved that I had made the decision to get vaccinated in an atmosphere dominated by the good, bad and ugly reports of CoViD-19’s impact in our world, and the dreaded vaccines.  I advise my fellow Bahamian brothers and sisters who have not taken the first step yet to get vaccinated against CoViD19 – to bite the bullet and get on with it.