[Photo: CNW]

Duane Sands has resigned as Minister of Health, after authorising the entry of six American permanent residents to disembark a plane that also contained COVID-19 tests and swabs. Met with wide-spread criticism as many Bahamian nationals abroad are still waiting for authorisation to return home, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said that the move was a breach of protocol. In a statement, Former Minister Sands said, “I accept responsibility for this breach of protocol. I acknowledge that I acted outside the scope of my authority in this matter. My actions were guided by my great desire to obtain the much-needed testing swabs which are in short supply both here and internationally and which are key to our efforts to trace the spread of the coronavirus so as to better focus our responses.”