Nassau, BAHAMAS- A sick drug suspect who forced a lockdown of the cellblock at the Magistrates’ Court Complex on Thursday has tested negative for COVID-19.
The 38-year-old Jamaican national showed possible signs of the deadly coronavirus before and during his court appearance on April 2.
Police arrested the man for drug possession with intent to supply on March 31 after the seizure of six pounds of marijuana.
As a precautionary measure, a magistrate arraigned the man by video-link. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors dismissed the charge against him after his co-accused took the rap.
Though wearing a mask, the inmate sometimes removed it as he came into close contact with other detainees and police officers who work in the cell block.
The Ministry of Health surveillance team tested the inmate and all of the other people that he came into contact with.
COMPLETE SHUTDOWN TO STOP THE CORONAVIRUS
As of today, three of the country’s 24 known cases of coronavirus have died. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis ordered a complete closure of all businesses until April 6 to force compliance with a 24-hour curfew that took effect on March 24.
The 24-hour curfew restricts residents to their homes unless they work in essential services or for exempted businesses. Residents can only leave their homes to go to the grocery store, bank, pharmacy or a medical emergency.
In spite of the national curfew, traffic jams continue as people continued to conduct businesses.
With the shutdown, residents have no excuse to be on the streets.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Hubert Minnis commented on the lack of compliance with the curfew.
He said, “Some people have very hard heads. Well, this virus is harder and badder than even the hardest of heads in this country…There are still too many people on the road.”
Minnis announced plans to introduce a shopping schedule to reduce crowding at shops. Under the proposal, people would receive assigned shopping days based on the first letter of their surnames.
To date, police have prosecuted more than 160 people for violating the curfew.
Worldwide there are more than one million cases of coronavirus, with over 58,000 deaths.
