Opposition Leader Philip Davis wants the government to access the retroviral drug Interferon A-B2 through the government of the Republic of Cuba to facilitate the eradication of COVID-19.

The retroviral drug is being used in other jurisdictions to combat the virus.

“I advise that The Bahamas government access Interferon A-B2 through the regional bloc of CARICOM as part of our successful program of functional cooperation on health, national emergencies and disaster management. There are also economies of scale that can be exploited or realized through this procurement process,” Davis said yesterday.

Jamaica Opposition Leader and President of the People’s National Party Peter Phillips reached out to the government of the Republic of Cuba for Jamaica to access the Interferon Alpha 2B medication to treat COVID-19.

In addition, Davis also called on the government to seriously consider the three key components of testing, effective medication and containment.   

“An aggressive random testing regime coupled with a strategy of targeted containment has proven to be an effective preventative measure as evidenced by a relatively low viral transmission rate in countries like Singapore and South Korea,” he said.

The opposition also cautioned the government to exercise with caution, due care and attention, the powers which it has arrogated into itself during this special health emergency.

“Our party intends to watch and monitor carefully the exercise of these extraordinary powers to be sure that these powers are used for the benefit of the Bahamian people,” Davis explained.

“I however note that to date, there has been no reported case of non-compliance by Bahamians to any guideline and public service announcement issued by the government on COVID-19. We commend them for their continued cooperation.

“In light of this, the opposition cautions the government not to overreach on our civil liberties.”

Davis said he raised these critical issues to underscore the need for all Bahamians to be prepared and to leave no stone unturned in this national fight against COVID-19.

“Bahamians are encouraged to continue their cooperation with official directives and guidelines so that together we can put this existential threat behind us in the shortest possible time and return to a life of normalcy,” he said.