Update: March 24, 2020, 3:00 p.m. ET
In enhanced efforts to prevent community spread of COVID-19, Bahamian Prime Minister, The Most Honorable Dr. Hubert Minnis, has announced the enactment of an additional Emergency Order, entitled "Emergency Powers (COVID 19) (NO. 2) Order, 2020".
These New Emergency Powers and Regulations go into effect today and are planned to expire at 9:00 a.m. on March 31, 2020, unless otherwise stated.
The latest restrictions are as follows:
-No visitor shall be permitted to enter and disembark in The Bahamas for any reason, including as part of transit to a separate destination.
-All airports, including private airports and fixed-base operations (FBOs), shall be closed to incoming international flights carrying any visitor, unless written permission of the Competent Authority has been granted.
-All seaports shall be closed to regional and international seafaring, and private boating.
-Air and sea restrictions do not apply to: outgoing flights or ships, cargo flights or cargo ships, commercial courier flights, emergency medical flights or emergency flights approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
-All international visitors currently in The Bahamas are urged to immediately work with their airline to make travel arrangements to safely return home. Those who choose to remain in The Bahamas should prepare to do so for an indefinite period of time.
-No person shall offer for hire or seek to travel on any mail boat, sailing inter-island, except for transport of freight; or inter-island private commercial sea transport.
-All residents will be placed on a 24-hour curfew and are to remain at home to avoid contact outside of their family, except for those who have been deemed essential workers or have special permission from the Commissioner of Police.
-Residents can leave their homes for essential travel to the doctor, grocery store, bank, pharmacy or to refuel; as well as for outside exercise, not exceeding an hour and a half per day between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
-Proper social distancing guidelines of at least six feet must be followed at all times while outside the home.
-All public beaches, markets and docks will be closed, and no vehicles are permitted on any public or private roads for any purpose other than stated above.
With four coronavirus cases now confirmed on Nassau, The Bahamas is stepping up its actions to confront COVID-19, while the pandemic continues to escalate worldwide.
The four patients who've tested positive are being quarantined in isolation according to guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation continues to implement updated protocols and protection measures, guided by the Ministry of Health and other government agencies, in alignment with the country's Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19.
On March 20, 2020, Bahamian Prime Minister, The Most Honorable Dr. Hubert Minnis, announced some fresh preventive measures and heightened protocols aimed at minimizing the virus' potential spread.
New measures include:
-A newly-imposed curfew, which extends from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each night, to take effect immediately.
-Expanded travel restrictions, which deny entry to foreign individuals who have passed through the United Kingdom, Ireland or mainland Europe within the past 20 days. These new controls apply on top of existing restrictions on persons coming from China, South Korea, Iran and Italy.
- A requirement that Bahamian nationals and residents returning to the Bahamas from restricted countries (or any area where there's community spread of the COVID-19 virus), via any point of entry, will be quarantined or placed under self-isolation upon arrival, and obligated to follow the Ministry of Health's explicit instructions.
Measures already in place include:
-Arriving visitors are required to complete health questionnaires and undergo official screenings at ports, hotels, and rental properties in order to identify those who may require monitoring or treatment.
-Conducting COVID-19 community surveillance testing, screening residents and visitors alike, and responding to high-risk cases with quarantine protocols that adhere to international health organizations' best-practice standards.
The Bahamian Ministry of Health is handling all COVID-19-related inquiries. For questions or concerns, its COVID-19 hotline is available from (8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT) at 242-376-9350 or 242-376-9387.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
