NASSAU, Bahamas:

Amid suggestions that Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis broke COVID-19 quarantine rules in order to collect Christmas gifts last month, the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has called for his resignation.

Michael Pintard, leader of the FNM, accused Davis of betraying his oath to uphold the law as the country battles a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, in a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister argued that Davis did not breach the 2021 Health Services Rules established by his own administration when he left quarantine as he had not been ordered to stay sequestered by a medical professional.

Davis had revealed last week that he left quarantine to buy Christmas gifts at a store owned by Leon Griffin, a former Taxicab Union president, moments before learning he had been killed.

In recalling how he found out about Griffin’s death, Davis had said: “To all of my parliamentary colleagues and persons present, I think I was the last person that Leon spoke to in person before he was killed. After that conversation, I got a telephone call from Melanie.”

Griffin’s body had been found outside his home by his wife, former Cabinet minister Melanie Griffin, on the night of December 23. He had been shot in the head.  

“I was supposed to be in quarantine and Christmas was nearing as we know and I ordered all of my Christmas gifts and I needed to pay for them so, I called the store and I said, ‘Look, I’m in quarantine and I need to pay for the things, but I can’t be seen out’,” the prime minister had add as he spoke about the tragedy that struck his friends.

“They said ‘Well, when we close the store, we’ll let you know when the store is empty and you can come by’. So, they called the aide about 10 minutes after six to say, ‘All clear, come now’,” Davis added.

EXPOSED TO PERSONS WHO HAD TESTED POSITIVE

But after hearing the prime minister’s story, former health minister Dr Duane Sands demanded that Davis step down.

Davis had earlier been informed that he had been exposed to persons who had tested positive for COVID.

But from December 22-24, Davis took three COVID tests—two PCR and one antigen—all of which were negative.

“Because the prime minister has had two vaccine shots and a booster shot, in addition to a prior infection, and because he had multiple negative test results, he was informed he posed little transmission risk,” the OPM statement added.

“At no time did the prime minister breach the regulations in the Health Services (COVID-19) (Prevention and Management of Community Spread) Rules, 2021. The prime minister was not ordered into quarantine by a medical officer, as described in Article 19 of (of the Health Services Rules).”

But in his statement, Pintard said Davis’ behaviour spoke to his and his government’s “less than serious” attitude as it relates to enforcing current health rules.

“Prime Minister Davis’ admission to breaking the COVID-19 quarantine law enacted by his own government is a betrayal of his oath to uphold the law. It is a very serious offence for the head of a government to breach laws that he has a legal obligation to uphold.

“This irresponsible behaviour of the prime minister undermines his and his government’s moral authority to compel the public to follow laws that he has willfully chosen to ignore. And as it is another example of the less than serious attitude of the government in promoting and upholding health protocols to contain and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the population.

“Sadly, his behaviour has been revealed only days after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level Four travel notice for The Bahamas advising Americans not to travel here because of the rampant spread of the disease. There must not be one law for the Bahamian citizen and another law for the leader. Law abiding citizens may justifiably question whether this Prime Minister has the moral authority to lead the charge in the midst of COVID,” the FNM leader said.

The 2021 Health Services Rules state that anyone who breaks quarantine after being kept in isolation by a medical professional may be subject to a fine of up to US$1,000 or up to two years in prison.