The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

WHILE some Bahamians are ready to take a trip abroad after several months of the country’s borders being closed, others are hesitant to travel overseas due to rising COVID-19 cases in some parts of the world.

Paulette Culmer says she plans to travel to Florida as soon as she gets some time off work.

“Well, how I look at it is they beat down in our heads to wear masks and wash our hands to keep safe,” Ms Culmer said. “So if we are going to a state where a million people might have the coronavirus then we should be safe if we continued to wear masks and wash hands.

“Bahamians clearly know how to keep safe. We have low numbers and few deaths from this virus so all we have to do when we go abroad is to just continue doing whatever we were doing when we were at home. As for me, the minute I convince my boss to give me some days off, I will be on Bahamasair and out of here, Miami bound.”

Some Bahamians though are still sceptical about flying off to other countries that have high COVID-19 positive numbers.

“I will not be the one to travel at this time,” said Thelma Walkine. “I have no desire to go away and risk my life to COVID-19. This is my family’s time for travelling to New York. We visit the city every summer and then fly off to other destinations from there. We will forego our trip this year to be safe.

“We can control our safety so we choose not to travel at this time to be safe. What I am concerned about, however, is our borders being opened and the ‘free-for-all’ starting for all and sundry to come here. I don’t think that was a good decision. We have been doing very well as a small nation keeping our numbers down. Dr Duane Sands (former minister of health) and his team did a fantastic job in keeping us safe when they got a handle on things. Why at this time should we mess up all their good work by letting all these people in from the United States where they have admitted COVID-19 is out of control?”

Flights from Houston, Florida, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland and Canada are expected in today. Several of these cities from where these flights originate are seeing serious spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Donna Williams said she does not plan to travel overseas anytime soon.

“I am not going a step,” she said. “We been locked down for months and I am used to it. I now have a garden of vegetables which I will be catering to this summer. The prime minister said you should consider not travelling if it’s not essential. Shopping is not essential and Bahamians need to learn that. I am following the advice of the prime minister. I will be enjoying The Bahamas this summer. Home is where the heart is. I am not going one step.”

For Dale Curry, taking her children to Florida is a must. She said they look forward to it every year and she is not going to deprive them of the trip.

“We go to Florida in July every year,” said Ms Curry. “I am not going to let COVID-19 stop that. The Lord has not given me a spirit of fear. So we are going to let the first two weeks pass so the big rush can go by and then we will be heading to Miami.

“Some people will call me foolish but we are covered by God’s grace. We will go to Miami and we will not get sick. I shop for school supplies and food and snacks every July and December and I will not stop that tradition for anything.”

The arrival and departure of international flights comes after the restart of domestic flights a few weeks ago.