Minister of Education Jeff Lloyd and his wife were spotted shopping for groceries in Super Value Cable Beach after 7am Saturday morning while he and his wife are supposed to be in self-quarantine for 14 days.
The Gallery spotted the Lloyds on the food store line and his Cabinet Minister car was parked in the food store parking lot on the shopping day assigned to essential workers. He was also seen inside the food store where shoppers could be heard whispering, “Isn’t he in self-quarantine?”
Five days ago, Cabinet Office announced that Lloyd had been tested for coronavirus and is in self-quarantine after he was exposed to a positive case.
Lloyd received a negative COVID-19 RT00-PCR test result on August 8, according to the statement from Cabinet Office.
“Out of an abundance of caution and on advice, Minister Lloyd has voluntarily entered self- quarantine. He continues to perform his functions as Minister of Education, working remotely from home.”
If Lloyd was tested on the 8th then entered 14-day self quarantine, he should still be in quarantine until next week. So why is he out and about among essential workers?
Lloyd and his wife decided to get tested after a male employee of the Ministry of Education walked up to him and told him he was experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Lloyd advised the employee to get tested. That test came back positive. Due to their close contact, Lloyd feared he may have been exposed.
Though Lloyd’s first test came back negative, the incubation period for the virus is 14 days. Hence, the point of a 14-day quarantine. Why would the government make such a big deal of announcing that Lloyd is quarantining if he doesn’t plan to follow the rules?
We are taught to lead by example. What example is the minister of education setting for others who have also been asked to self-quarantine “out of an abundance of caution” only to leave their homes before the two-week period ends?
After several shoppers started whispering, Lloyd left his wife, who should also be in self-quarantine and is not an essential worker, to finish up the grocery shopping.
Their decision to shop together also defies the competent authority’s order that just one family member be designated to shop for the entire household to limit crowds and curb the spread of the virus.
Outraged Bahamians, who are stuck home this weekend and have been chastised for not adhering to orders, took to social media to demand Lloyd’s resignation over his blatant hypocrisy and disregard for emergency orders.
Amid outrage over this apparent breach, Lloyd’s car was parked at the Ministry of Education headquarters on Thompson Boulevard.
Bahamians are now questioning if Lloyd would be subject to the same fines as other residents who leave quarantine before the 14-day period. The question has also been raised, are cabinet ministers and their spouses considered essential workers. They are not listed among essential workers in emergency orders
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