By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
TRAVEL restrictions from China, Europe, South Korea and Iran will be lifted on July 1 when international commercial flights to The Bahamas resumes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday.
Residents and visitors coming to this country will be required to produce a COVID-19 negative PCR test, unless they come from English-speaking CARICOM countries.
The travel ban involving China was implemented on January 30, the ban involving South Korea, Iran and Italy was implemented on March 4 and the ban against travel from Europe was implemented on March 14. Chinese embassy officials criticised the China travel ban when it was implemented in January, saying strong measures were being taken to contain the virus in that country —where the COVID-19 outbreak began — while noting that the World Health Organisation discouraged travel bans at the time.
Yesterday, Haigang Yin, a top Chinese embassy official, welcomed the impending end of the travel ban. “The epidemic has totally ended in China,” he said. “I believe it’s safe to allow Chinese tourists or visitors to come to this country. We will follow the measures requested by the government. We believe caution should remain in place for the foreseeable future. I think your government is following the situation in the neighbouring regions very closely. From our point of view, we think cautious measures should be taken moving forward.”
Up to press time yesterday, 479,818 people had died globally because of the coronavirus, including more than 120,000 deaths in the United States. A recent near two-week spike in Beijing that has led to 256 cases since June 11 was reported to be firmly on the wane yesterday, with seven cases reported in Beijing, down from 13 the day before.
According to the Ministry of Health’s dashboard, the country continued its streak yesterday of no new COVID-19 case. The last new case was reported on June 14, bringing the count to 104. Only one person is hospitalised and there are only nine active cases, with 84 recoveries. Thus far, 2,366 tests have been completed.
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
We are doomed under Minnis.
ISpeakFacts 3 years, 10 months ago
Yesterday, Haigang Yin, a top Chinese embassy official, welcomed the impending end of the travel ban. “The epidemic has totally ended in China,” he said. “I believe it’s safe to allow Chinese tourists or visitors to come to this country.
Well said, Minnis is back to listening to his Chinese Communist Masters, only a complete idiot would dare open borders to the U.S, let alone Red China where the deadly Chinese virus originated from, who on earth would believe that China has taken care of the virus. Minnis needs to do all of us a favor and resign and go into a retirement home, it seems as if his peanut sized brain has turned into mush due to him being drunk from power!
ISpeakFacts 3 years, 10 months ago
Bringing the Chinese back into this country along with the citizens from the U.S is a big mistake, Minnis will have alot of deaths in his hands because he's an incompetent buffoon
joeblow 3 years, 10 months ago
A person of average intelligence would be embarrassed to make such doltish and shortsighted decisions. Maybe he doesn't know that he does not get to decide who will be affected. On the other hand this may be another way to have new political leaders emerge!
TalRussell 3 years, 10 months ago
The Colony is among 213 countries that report their official new virus counters. Surprisingly, The Colony out of the 213, seems to be at a standstill, and maybe all alone, with zero new cases to report. Once for Yeah, Twice for No?
Hoda 3 years, 10 months ago
One minute Minnis need to open up the country, covid is a hoax... the next week, Minnis letting people in, he crazy aye....the mob is fickle.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
The mob may be fickle but at least they're not certifiably looney like Minnis and the likes of his few supporters like you.
professionalbahamian 3 years, 10 months ago
Seems the politicians are now just trying to justify their existence! “Behave“ they say - wow what are we children?!. Puppets to the red state and others -yes for sure.
My2Cents 3 years, 10 months ago
The comments under this article are nonsensical at best. If we’re accepting tourists from the world leader in COVID-19 cases and deaths (the U.S), a country with a federal government doing virtually nothing to slow the spread, why would we not accept tourists from China or any other country? Especially when they’re for the most part succeeding in bending the curve in their respective countries? Think Bahamas, think.
joeblow 3 years, 10 months ago
...we should not be accepting tourists from any country until we have well established protocols for pre-testing or rapid kit testing here. China has been fudging numbers and research from the very beginning!
Secondly, if we import large numbers of people who may be potentially positive that also severely impacts health care reserves in this country. Has the ministry even procured additional supplies in anticipation of a surge in cases? Probably not and with global shortages in masks and everything else how will we cope?
My2Cents 3 years, 10 months ago
I fully agree with your POV. Ideally, we should remained closed like the Cayman Islands until we have the rapid testing and health care infrastructure in place to deal with a possible surge. But you and I know after decades of poor governance and wasteful spending, we’re not financially stable enough to last that long without dire consequences. My point was it makes no sense to freak out about accepting visitors from China or European countries. If there’s once place we should be making noise about, it’s the US.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
@My2Cents: The very sinister and most evil Communist Party of China isn't paying you enough for your dribble because it's not even worth 2 cents.
Clamshell 3 years, 10 months ago
Sir ... the word is “drivel,” not “dribble.” “Dribble” is what basketball players do with a basketball. Otherwise, I’ll not argue with what you say ... 😎
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
It's also what babies do!
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
It's also what babies do ;-)
My2Cents 3 years, 10 months ago
LOL. Keep trafficking in conspiracy theories and deluding yourself into thinking the US under grossly incompetent Trump is in better condition than China as it relates to COVID-19.
Jim 3 years, 10 months ago
The Communist Chinese fabricate numbers and lied since the release of the virus from their country in December 2019. The CCP wants to enter this county to 1) Buy and or long term lease more Bahamian land 2) Spy on the US. 3) Sneak into US either legally or illegally
The Bahamas was made sterile, minimal deaths from the virus, but at the cost of a devastated economy. Any viruses, flus, colds, ect from outside visitors will spread though out this population who quarantined for so long and diminished their immune system response.
Stay strong Bahamas.
bahamianson 3 years, 10 months ago
government officials , make your best decisions. whatever you decide, I agree with. there is no wrong decision only a decision to keep Bahamians safe. That is the best we can do.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
Keeping Bahamian safe right now, especially given the Covid-19 flare up in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona, just to name a few, means keeping our borders closed to all travellers from North America and of course from the constantly lying Red China.
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