Office of the Prime Minister sources have informed the Gallery that the government has no intention of locking down New Providence this week and is instead looking at beginning the process of opening some businesses later this week and next week.
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis will address the country during a Ministry of Health press conference today at 5pm. Bahamians have been dreading this address out of fear that Minnis will announce another complete lockdown.
However, OPM insiders say the public doesn’t have to worry about rushing to the food store to stock up.
This dramatic change in course follows Bahamians’ withering criticism of Minnis last week after he announced a complete seven-day lockdown “effective immediately.”
Three of Minnis’ cabinet ministers threatened to resign and dozens of inner city residents defied lockdown rules to march to show their frustration. Church leaders, who usually try to straddle the fence, have also spoken out against the lack of compassion shown to the country’s most vulnerable groups.
Over 50,000 workers in hospitality businesses, jitney drivers, taxi drivers and other small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Bahamas have not worked in almost six months and the country can’t subsidize them as the National Insurance Board can not afford to pay the large volume of unemployment benefits after September.
Bahamians have reached their boiling point and many have written the competent authority admonishing him to provide some kind of relief.