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Monkeypox spreading too fast says WHO; physical distancing recommended

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

July 15, 2022 – Monkeypox cases have increased high double percentage points over the past ten days with 2614 new cases and 2 new deaths recorded.

Nine new countries have reported cases including four Caribbean countries namely St Lucia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, The Bahamas and now Turks and Caicos Islands have logged suspected and confirmed cases and the  World Health Organization says for the first time local transmission of Monkeypox has been reported in newly-affected countries without epidemiological links to countries that have previously reported Monkeypox in West or Central Africa.

This is concerning news as it means tracing the outbreak becomes more difficult.

The massive spike has forced the WHO to start biweekly reports to keep the world up to date.  The majority of the 6,027 recorded cases so far remain in Europe with 4,920 but the amount of cases in the Americas is rising with 902 cases so far.  The African region has the third least amount of cases with 173 but the three recorded deaths so far have happened in that region.

Closer to home The Bahamas confirmed their single case on June 24th and Jamaica confirmed their single case on July 6th, both positives were recorded from men who had recently been in London.  Both countries say they are establishing contact tracing and quarantine protocols.

Most of the infected parties so far are male but the disease can infect anyone who has close contact with a symptomatic person or the fluid from their rashes.  Additionally citizens and doctors are now being warned to be aware that Monkeypox may not appear as it once did.

Describing the symptoms in this outbreak as ‘atypical’ the WHO said,

“Many cases in newly-affected areas are not presenting with the classically described clinical picture for Monkeypox (fever, swollen lymph nodes, followed by centrifugal rash).  Among the cases who reported at least one symptom, 81% presented with systemic rash (widespread rash on the body), 50% presented with fever and 41% presented with genital rash.”

Less symptoms and a less obvious rash are becoming more common in many cases and people are advised to be on the alert for this.

Advice from the WHO is to keep infected persons isolated, be on the lookout for any rashes and get tested immediately if you spot one in any area of your body.  Refrain from sustained contact with people with symptoms of Monkeypox as that is how the disease spreads.

Wear personal protective equipment like gloves when handling, sheets, clothing etc. that have been exposed to open sores from positive Monkeypox cases and continue to observe social distancing protocols. .

Bahamas News

Husband Murder Plot foiled in The Bahamas; Wife and two others arrested 

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – An American woman has been arrested in The Bahamas, accused of conspiring with two men, one of them alleged to be her lover, to murder her estranged husband.

The woman, 36 year old Lindsay Shiver and the two men, 28-year-old Terrance Bethel, the alleged lover and 29 year old Faron Newbold, were taken into custody last week following police investigation of a reported burglary at Grabbers Bar and Grill restaurant on Great Guana Cay.

The police looked into their cell phones and found WhatsApp messages detailing the assassination plot to kill her husband.

The couple, who built a life in South Georgia have three children and are home owners on the island in the Abacos.

News outlets throughout the US have reported on the scandalous story, including that a nasty court battle over the couple’s reported, $5 Million dollar fortune and three children was underway.  Shiver, an entrepreneur is a former beauty Alabama queen, her husband a former football player was an insurance executive.

According to US media, the husband, Robert, recently filed for divorce from Shivers after a decade of marriage upon discovering she had an alleged extra-martial affair with Bethel whom she met in The Bahamas.

While the husband claims infidelity on the part of his wife, the wife claims he was abusive.

The suspects Shiver, Bethel and Newbold appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday July 28th.  Their next court date is set for October 5th.

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Bahamas News

Alarming Sexual Assault cases raising fears in The Bahamas

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – The Bahamas is now facing an unfortunate reality as sexual assault has become and is a growing issue since 2023.  Women and girls are said to be living in fear for their safety from these perpetrators.

The Royal Bahamas Police force has reported on instances of assault in press releases found on their Facebook page.

One report spoke of a 50 year old they were searching for after he burglarized a home and sexually assaulted an elderly woman, 82 years old.  She was reported to be asleep when he woke and assaulted her.

This took place on Tuesday July 11th, 2023 at the home in the Centreville area of Nassau.

There is another incident that took place on July 17th, 2023 which the police are seeking in catching the suspect as they investigate.  It involves a man believed to the perpetrator in for an armed robbery and sexual assault.

According to preliminary data, he approached the victim, a female, with a firearm, robbed her and sexually assaulted her.  He proceeded to enter the house and robbed a male and escaped.  This happened in the Cowpen Road area; also in Nassau.

The assaults continue to grow in number as the police reported that they were investigating two other incidents that took place on July 24th.

The first had to do with a female, 30 years old who reported she was driving on West on Marshall Road when two men approached her after she slowed down near Faith Avenue.  One of the males with a firearm, forced her from her vehicle and took her to nearby bushes where they sexually assaulted her after which they escaped.

The second incident involved à 32 year old woman who was sexually assaulted by a male known to her.  It is reported that she was walking in the Fleming Street area when she accepted transportation from the suspect, who drove her to a dirt road off Gladstone Road where he presented a firearm and proceeded to rape her.

Furthermore, another assault, this time involving a 9 year old girl, was reported.  As revealed by preliminary information, the victim was playing with friends outside where she lives on Saturday July 29th, 2023 when the suspect, a 42 year old male of Summerset Estate, driving a white Nissan Skyline, arrived and gestured to her to enter the car.

She entered the car after which he took her to an unknown location, threatened her and sexually assaulted her.  She was later found somewhere in Spikenard Road; this also happened in Nassau.

Fortunately, he was caught and arrested for abduction and sexual assault on Sunday July 30th by officers affiliated with the Drug Enforcement Unit.

There are other reports of sexual assault throughout The Bahamas as well as rape and attempted rape during the earlier parts of the year, dating back to as early as February.

 

CAPTION: Women Leaders, including Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister filled the gallery of The Bahamas Senate this week as members of the upper chamber debated the Protection Against Violence Bill 2023.  The debate came just as the country experiences a spike in sexual assaults against women and girls.  Photo by Patrick Hanna, BIS.

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Bahamas News

Premier Misick received a courtesy call from the Bahamas Leader of the Opposition

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#TurksandCaicos, August 5, 2023 – On August 3rd, 2023, Premier Misick met with the Leader of the Opposition of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Honorable Michael Pintard. The discussion was highly productive, and they delved into matters of mutual concern between their neighboring nations. Hon. Pintard was accompanied by other opposition members, including Senator the Honorable Darren Handfield and Mr. Joshua Sears.

 

Group photo caption:

From Left to Right: Mr. Joshua Sears, Senator Hon. Darren Hendfield, Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick, Bahamas Leader of the Bahamas Hon. Michael Pintard and Deputy Premier Hon. Erwin J. Saunders.

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