By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AMID rising COVID-19 cases in the United States, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said while officials are concerned about the number of US infections being recorded daily, they are hopeful COVID-19 travel protocols will help minimise the threat of transported cases.
His comments came as major hotels across the country prepare to re-open this month, with Atlantis scheduled to resume operations on Thursday, followed by mega resort Baha Mar on December 17.
Hailing the scheduled reopenings as a “water-shed moment” for the country, Mr D’Aguilar told reporters yesterday the long-awaited hotel industry’s return will allow for thousands of Bahamians to return to work, helping to aid the country’s economic rebound from COVID.
“So absolutely, the tourism industry is beginning to re-open,” he said. “We start with Atlantis on the 10th, Baha Mar on the 17th, the Hilton on the 15th notwithstanding there’s been some hotels already opened during this whole time like the Ocean Club and the Marriott downtown have been operating throughout this entire pandemic.
“But it is indeed delightful that these major properties are opening and thousands upon thousands of Bahamians are being called back to work so this is really a watershed moment. It’s great, it’s wonderful and we got to really make it work.
“And we have to ensure that the foreign visitors when they come here have an exceptional experience and we really get the engines and the cogs of our tourism industry back to work. After all, that’s two thirds of our economy and two thirds of every job, 50 percent of our total economic output so it’s very important.”
Many major hotels closed in March after COVID-19 cases began to spread locally.
Some resorts had initially scheduled to reopen in July when the country first re-opened its borders, but had to delay their dates due to high COVID-19 cases in the country and certain restrictions.
After the country began its second re-opening attempt in November, many of the larger hotel properties announced they would officially re-open in December.
However, this comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are surging in the US – the country’s core tourism market. A similar situation was seen when the country first reopened in July.
While acknowledging that the situation is worrying, the minister also said tourism officials feel confident in the current travel protocols.
He said, “Of course, I’m concerned. I mean everybody turns on the television every night. They see the volume of people coming through the door and they see the cases, the deaths. It is very concerning, but we are hopeful that our protocols in place have been doing a fairly good job thus far.
“The numbers are down, I think people are getting a little slack so people have to double down, wear your masks, do what you have to do in order to stay safe in the tourist comeback.”
Current COVID-19 travel protocols mandate that returning residents and visitors present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test no older than five days and have an approved Bahamas health travel visa.
Travellers must complete a daily online health questionnaire for symptom tracking purposes and also will be required to take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test on day five of the visit (unless departing on day five).
According to health officials last month, four people who travelled to the Bahamas during the country’s first week of re-opening tested COVID-19 positive five days after arrival.
One of the travellers was identified as a Bahamian and the other three as work permit holders.
Comments
TalRussell 4 years ago
WHAT sayd the tounge Comrade DionisoJames about, goin' help minimise the threat of transported COVID cases reaching we airports and ports? Shakehead a quick once for upyeahvote, a slow twice for not?
Clamshell 4 years ago
Huh?
ThisIsOurs 4 years ago
"we are hopeful that our protocols in place have been doing a fairly good job thus far."
but they know they're exempting people, I'm assuming rich people, from adherence to the protocol. like the lyford cay lady who arrived having failed the covid test and immediately had a party
TalRussell 4 years ago
Here's must cease upon a profit-makin' scheme for we colony's comrade Straw Vendors.
ALL members PopoulacesOrdinary at large POAL, tourists, and visitors be required to wear must be locally produced, easily identifiable alert red coloured straw hat to lower the concerns POAL, for a period 14 days after their arrival from any point into the colony. Shakehead** a quick once for upyeahvote, a slow twice for not?
John 4 years ago
The US and UK are part of the conspiracy to force these ‘vaccines’ on the world’s population. How can you trust Bill Gates to be involved in ty administration of a vaccine to save people from a virus when he feels the earth’s population should be reduced by at least, at least 1/3? So some may get ‘the vaccine’ and others will get a pure dose of death!
John 4 years ago
And if Bill Gates believes so strongly in population reduction,why doesn’t he volunteer to be one who is exterminated?
johnmcntsh 4 years ago
John, Bill Gates? Bill Gates thinks that is women in poor countries in Africa should have access to birth control so they can better plan their families. Bill gates also wants to make sure everyone has access to health care whether they can afford it or not How in the hell does that mean he wants to euthanize a third of the population. Stop posting nonsense, John.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2…
tribanon 4 years ago
You must know a different Bill Gates who has a well oiled publicity machine exclusively spooning to you and others like you the nonsense that you so eagerly and fully deserve to devour.
Sign in to comment
OpenID