Column: Famous On Facts, Conspiracies, More
[Opinion column written by MP Chris Famous]
The funny thing about social media is that anyone can make a statement or claim without actually presenting evidence and facts.
I listened to a recent interview on Facebook. A statement was made that the Covid mitigation measures that Bermuda had implemented were more stringent than other islands.
Quarantine Guidelines
It takes a few minutes actually to check the guidelines in other countries, so here it goes:
Jamaica: Incoming persons have to take a Covid test and then quarantine for 14 days.
Barbados: Incoming persons have to take a Covid test and then quarantine for 8 days.
Cayman Islands: Incoming persons have to take a Covid test and then quarantine for 14 days.
St Kitts and Nevis: incoming persons have to take a Covid test and then quarantine at a government facility for 14 days.
Trinidad and Tobago: Incoming persons have to take a Covid test and then quarantine for 14 days.
So, in comparison, it seems like almost every island has the same or similar conditions for incoming persons.
In our sister Overseas Territory [OT] of Anguilla, this has happened on April 22:
“Anguilla is on a government-mandated 14-day lockdown, effective at midnight April 22, due to a surge in Covid-19 cases on the island, according to Shellya Rogers-Webster, deputy director of tourism.”
In another OT of the Cayman Islands, they have not allowed anyone into the island for over one year unless they are Caymanian or a resident.
Global Conspiracies
During the same Facebook interview, another claim was that the world is grappling with Covid due to a “global conspiracy.”
The question then becomes, “to what end?”
Which government is going to choose to do the following willingly:
- Shut their borders,
- Have a large percentage of their population taking ill
- Unneeded deaths
- Massive jump in unemployment benefits
- National deficit and debt increase
The simple answer is that no country in the world will make those choices if they did not have to.
Furthermore, which political entities will kill their very own elected members?
Reality Check
Here is the reality check.
Every island is overly dependent on tourism to keep thousands of persons employed, such as taxi drivers, hotel workers, restaurant staff, tour operators, or AirBnB owners.
Therefore, Governments cannot disregard science and just pretend that Covid is suddenly going to go away and then open up its borders. This irresponsibility would lead to endless amounts of spikes, as seen in Brazil and India.
Having mass outbreaks of Covid and ending up on the CDC level 4 high risk list simply means fewer tourists will choose to travel to those locations. In turn, this means more locals will remain underemployed, unemployed, and challenged to meet financial obligations such as utilities, rent, or mortgage.
In closing, conspiracy theories do not feed people, save people from sickness, or pay bills.
Authentic leadership cannot afford to sit up on social media and create alternative facts; they have to make real-life decisions.
- Chris Famous
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You can find more information on the links below and also on our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccinations: Data covering vaccinations here
- Live Updates: Continuous updates here.
When Chris Famous writes something that makes sense, you know cats and dogs will be living together!
He did, however, miss out forced vaccination programs and a discussion of EU travel and quarantine regulations but we’ll forgive him this time.
“you know cats and dogs will be living together!“
Or de Foxes will lie down whiff de Lambs!
You wouldn’t know a fact if one walked up to you and introduced itself as a fact! Total BS and crap comes out of your mouth! STFU
If what he has presented in your opinion isn’t correct, then why don’t you present validated facts that refute What Mr. Famous has presented as fact? If you can’t then we all will know where the fecal infested verbiage is actually emanating from.
I’m good with quarantine for 14 days, but at least let me quarantine at home, not your government facility. It you run your facility like anything else you try to run it would be pure hell. This rule just shows that you don’t trust the majority of your people. The more you push the more defiant people will be.
UK is doing government approved facilities and your own cost. Suck it up buttercup.
You only have to stay in a government facility if your coming from a country on the red list. I also believe if you’re a resident of the U.K you can quarantine at home.
Correct. The point is, there is precedent for dealing with plague rats
Do you put much thought into being caustic or does it just come naturally?
It’s a gift.
For most countries the UK is fine with you quarantining at home.
Travellers only have to stay in a government facility if they have visited certain high-risk countries – Brazil, South Africa, India, Pakistan, etc.
and it’s 10 days, not 14.
Correct you are
Actually, I don’t think it has anything to do with not trusting the majority. It’s not trusting that you can tell who the minority are. You know, the ones who’d say ‘yeah, I’ll follow the quarantine at home’ and then go about life as normal, very possibly infecting others.
By keeping people in a government facility (likely a hotel which would have the facilities to also feed people), they can actually be certain people stay in quarantine, keeping the majority of those on island safe until they’re certain no one is bringing in a nasty new strain of the virus. There is no way to enforce quarantine, which it has been shown is apparently necessary, on people at home. Check on them? yes. Enforce, no.
Please note, I am not a fan of any of the restrictions, however, I do understand why we need them and do follow them, and would accept the quarantine at my own expense because, quite simply, I don’t want to ever think I might be responsible for causing the death of someone else, someone unable or unwilling to take the vaccine.
Also this quarantining at a specific facility isn’t a creation of the local government, it’s one that’s been implemented in other countries, not just recently, but back during the first wave. I imagine that the government didn’t want to put something like that in place, but circumstances being what they are, feel they have little choice in the face of the new strains that are being found.
Quote….The funny thing about social media is that anyone can make a statement or claim without actually presenting evidence and facts.
Famous does the above all the time!