A comment from Reddit - but I am very well connected with the cruiser communi...

A comment from Reddit - but I am very well connected with the cruiser community and these small islands are well ahead of us...

"Like a third world country?” What the fuck? First world countries need to stop using terminology like this as an insult. In The Bahamas we went into lockdown/curfew after our first case showed up. People can leave their homes for essential services only, Monday-Friday 6am-9pm. Nobody is allowed on the streets at any other time. Nobody leaves their property on the weekend.

Within 2 weeks people who were employed in the tourism industry, our number one industry, had already received their first payment of $200 a week for 8 weeks. Self employed people in all other industries started receiving their payments this week. Businesses can apply for government loans at ultra low interest rates. These loans are processed quick with most businesses receive funds within matter of days.

The government has already issued monetary grants and land to anyone interested in farming in an effort to boost food production in country. They are also encouraging individuals to grow vegetables in their backyards where possible.

That’s not to say we don’t have problems. We still have some people who refuse to adhere to social distancing protocols. And we definitely need to do more testing. We also need more PPE. We are also coming to terms with the consequences of having built an economy based on tourism, we definitely need to diversify.

Also check out Barbados who were even more strict than we were. They also started renovating older government buildings into hospitals and quarantine facilities before they started receiving cases.

Just saying it’s insulting to make a statement like that. If he’s doing a shit job just say that. No need to compare the US president’s response to a third world country’s response because you feel they are so far beneath you. The fucking arrogance is unreal."

Originally posted on Facebook on April 22, 2020.