PUZZLER WEDNESDAY
Any Size Soft Drink $1.30
HIGH 89ºF LOW 78ºF
i’m lovin’ it!
Monday,
February
CARS! CARS!
8, 2021
The Tribune Established
Being Bound To
Swear To The Dogmas
1903
Of No Master
The Tribune L A T E S T
Volume: 118 No.197, September 8, 2021
N E W S
tise Call
To Adver
-2351
601-0007 or 502
Starting at
$33.60
CLASSIFIEDS TRADER
ed
VAT includ
Established 1903
O N
T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M
Biggest And Best!
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1
HOW MUCH MORE DO HOSPITALS TAKE?
Minister concedes more beds will be needed and tents may have to be used By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Renward Wells said officials are looking for ways to add more bed space to the public health sector as the system continues to be challenged with capacity due to increasing COVID-19 hospital admissions, which jumped to a record breaking 191 as of Monday. This is the highest tally of hospital cases since the start of the pandemic. Of the 191 cases in hospital, 176 are moderately ill while 15 are in the intensive
care unit. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health added seven new COVID related deaths to the nation’s toll, which means 453 people have now died from the virus Mr Wells said officials are closely monitoring the situation and plan to increase bed capacity through makeshift arrangements if the surge worsens. “We are challenged but we are looking at a quick and rapid way to deploy beds as needed,” he said before going to a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A FORMER finance minister yesterday warned Bahamians must hope “a small miracle happens” if the country is to avoid harsh post-COVID austerity measures and low growth in coming years. James Smith, also an exCentral Bank governor, said the nation faces “enormous challenges” to place its fiscal and economic affairs back on a sustainable footing.
SEE PAGE FOUR
AN alarming number of healthcare workers forced into COVID-19 quarantine has left Princess Margaret Hospital in a state of “unprecedented stress”, a senior Public Hospital Authority official said. Catherine Weech, PHA managing director, spoke to The Tribune yesterday and expressed grave concern with the state of affairs at public facilities regarding
the high influx of COVID19 patients and announced plans on addressing the public this coming Friday. “It’s tough,” Ms Weech said. “As it stands right now we’ve received an alarming number of COVID-19 patients requesting services in our hospital. We are experiencing high rates of staff being confined to quarantine and this has created an unprecedented stress on our ability to be able to staff our facilities (like) we would. SEE PAGE FOUR
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
PRAY FOR A MIRACLE TO AVOID NEW TAXATION
PMH BOSS WARNS STRESS ON STAFF AT RECORD HIGH By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
ALICIA WALLACE: A WEEK TO GO - SO HOW WILL ELECTION DAY ACTUALLY WORK?
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
GOOD AS GOLD THE GOLDEN “Goddess of Elyx” make her way through The Cove’s Sea Glass Lounge during an upscale speakeasy last Friday to close out the summer in style at the Paradise Island resort. The party was one of two major events on which The Cove, Atlantis partnered with the luxury vodka brand Absolut Elyx. See Friday’s WEEKEND section for more. Photo: Farreno Ferguson/AP
QUARANTINE VOTING - STILL NO DECISION By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
ACTING Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson was silent yesterday on whether quarantined citizens or COVID-19 patients will be able to vote in the upcoming general election. He was contacted after Damian Gomez, former state minister for legal affairs in the Christie
MARVIN Dames recently indicated quarantined people would likely not be able to vote. administration sent him a letter giving him 36 hours to confirm whether registered voters who are quarantined
or suffering from COVID19 will be prevented from voting. Mr Gomez said the letter was “in anticipation of litigation” and if the appeal to patriotism did not succeed, the Progressive Liberal Party would commence “expeditious prosecution of court proceedings.” Mr Duncanson, who spoke to The Tribune for just under two minutes, would not respond to the SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
BARBADOS EARLY POLL DAY DELAYED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration has amended the Parliamentary Elections Act through an Emergency Powers Order to allow an advanced poll in Barbados to be rescheduled. The order, released yesterday, says: “For the purpose of the advanced poll to be held in Barbados on the 9 day of September, 2021, for persons voting as overseas voters pursuant to SEE PAGE THREE
TECHNOLOGY: ELECTRIC BOATS MAKING WAVES
- SEE PAGE NINE