Health Minister explains why Bahamas is sitting on quick tests for COVID-19; one new case

#TheBahamas, April 17, 2020 — Another COVID19 death; nine for The Bahamas 🇧🇸 said Minister of Health at a media conference moments ago.
54 Confirmed for coronavirus, Bahamas wide to date.

No pending samples but The Bahamas public has cooperated enough to flatten the curve every so slightly.

It was modelled by The COVID-19 Natl Coordination Committee in cooperation with the University of The Bahamas via graphs, the potential impact of the contagion.   These models guided NCC decisions or advices to the Prime Minister which resulted in lock downs.

The graphs were displayed during the virtual media debriefing mere hours ago which illustrated cases were projected be at 90 at this stage.  Again, to date The Bahamas is 54.

Any deviation from practices of social distancing, hand washing and restricted movement might cause The Bahamas to hit a dreaded 160 cases, 66 days out. The goal is to fall well below.

Media was insistent on the point of any need for the Family Islands, where there are no cases and incoming travel is barred.  Consult and Dr Dahl-Regis believes the islands too porous, open to unknown landings… the Minister believes, the need for lock downs there may change.

Some details on the deceased individuals were listed by Dr. Duane Sands: Four were obese, three had high blood, two had asthma, one was with sleep apnea and kidney disease…all said to be with co-morbitities or underlying health conditions.

The 9 deaths were:

67 y-o female from NP

72 y-o male from NP

91 y-o male from NP

57 y-o female from Bim

79 y-o male from NP

80 y-o male from GB

50 y-o male from NP

51 y-o female from GB

56 y-o female from NP

892 contacts identified by Bahamas Ministry of Health.

10,000 quick tests in country, but Bahamas not using for several reasons including the fact that it can be unreliable, with wrong results.
The RTPCR is the “gold standard” test and what BMOH prefers.
Bahamas Reference Laboratory in Nassau is touted as far more reliable; testing samples gathered from the nostril of a suspect and looking for the specific RNA of COVID19. Absence of the genetic code of COVID, results in a negative.

This PAHO approved lab is also supporting Turks and Caicos Islands, which has had 11 positives for the novel coronavirus.