It’s one step forward and two steps back in The Bahamas it seems as the Caribbean nation tries to get back to business during the pandemic. This week, the country’s most populated island lifted lockdown, but a slew of other islands were placed under emergency measures. At the same time, visitors are now required to produce a negative test result upon entry.
The good news is that updated protocols for New Providence (Nassau) announced by Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis included lifting emergency lockdown measures effective Monday.
Noting that COVID case remain “high” in both Grand Bahama and New Providence, Minnis urged Bahamians: “Do not let your guard down. We are still in a marathon fight against COVID-19.”
Nevertheless, based on new data from the Bahamas ministry of health, the new measures allow businesses in New Providence to resume with appropriate physical distancing measures including but not limited to:
• Outdoor dining, curbside and delivery service at restaurants and retailers
• From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily, beaches will be open to the public
However, while Nassau moves forward, the following emergency order provisions have been put into place for Grand Bahama and various Family Islands, including Andros, Crooked Island, Acklins, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Exuma, Bimini, the Berry Islands, Mayaguana, Inagua and Abaco:
• A mandatory curfew is in place from 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. daily. Residents are not permitted to leave their homes during this period, except to seek urgent medical care at a hospital.
• Hotel facilities and services, including indoor/outdoor dining, casinos, gyms and spas are prohibited.
• All business and commercial activity will be closed and employees required to work remotely, with the exception of essential businesses including grocery stores, pharmacies, water depots, gas stations and hardware stores. Commercial banks and credit unions may also open Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Businesses that can provide curbside, online or delivery services can operate, including retail. Restaurants can open with outdoor dining, takeout, delivery, and drive-through services, except for Fish Fry restaurants.
Family Islands such as Chub Cay, Long Cay, Long Island, Rum Cay, Ragged Island, Harbour Island, Spanish Wells and San Salvador will continue with no curfew, but must abide by physical distancing and sanitation protocols.
Entry protocols
Requirements for entering The Bahamas include:
1. All travellers must apply for a Bahamas Health Visa at travel.gov.bs by selecting the International option and completing all required fields.
2. Effective Sept 1, all incoming visitors, as well as returning citizens and residents, must show proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test, taken no more than five days prior to the date of arrival. All test results must be uploaded when applying for a Bahamas Health Visa.
3. The only applicants who are not required to provide a COVID-19 test are children under the age of 10, and pilots and crew who remain overnight in The Bahamas
4. All visitors and returning residents are required to quarantine for 14-days upon arrival into The Bahamas. Additionally:
• Travellers are permitted to quarantine at a hotel, private club or rented accommodations (like Airbnb), as well as on a private boat.
• Hotel guests are permitted to access all available amenities on property.
• All persons must submit to monitoring and install the Hubbcat App on their cellular phones for purposes of contact tracing.
• After the 14 days, all persons intending to remain in the country may be required to complete another COVID-19 test, at their own expense, to exit quarantine.
Full details on entry protocols to The Bahamas can be found on bahamas.com/travelupdates.