The Nassau Guardian May 8, 2020
The government is “seriously considering” the implementation of a two-week lockdown of Bimini, which has been identified as a COVID-19 hotspot with 11 confirmed cases, Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, advisor to the prime minister, said yesterday.
The announcement came more than a week after West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe requested the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the small island.
“We have heard the recommendation from you and the public to quarantine Bimini for two weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Dahl-Regis said.
“I wish to inform you that this is being given serious consideration at this time.”
Dahl-Regis said Bimini is still showing an exponential increase in new cases.
“When we look at the Bimini projection, I shared with you earlier when we looked at the all-Bahama projection, there was an exponential increase in cases,” she said.
“What we are observing in Bimini is that event.”
Dahl-Regis said 78 people have been tested on Bimini so far.
Biminites have long expressed concern that the island cannot handle a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Those fears were stoked by the death of Kim Johnson-Rolle, a 57-year-old Bimini businesswoman who died after being airlifted to New Providence in April and was later tested positive for COVID-19. She was the first Bahamian to die from the virus.
There were 92 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in The Bahamas yesterday – 72 on New Providence, 11 on Bimini, eight on Grand Bahama and one on Cat Cay.