Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D'Aguilar.
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet minister yesterday signalled that post-arrival COVID-19 testing for tourists may be part of the solution to "easing" the mandatory 14-day quarantine impediment to the industry's revival.
Dionisio D'Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, while declining to provide details on the outcome of talks between his officials and the Ministry of Health said an announcement on a proposed solution could "hopefully come this week".
Disclosing that the two ministries, as well as the Prime Minister's Office as the COVID-19 "competent authority", had settled on a plan, Mr D'Aguilar said all government agencies involved in the discussions were now "working on the mechanics" of how it would be implemented and rolled-out nationwide.
Confirming that The Bahamas has no plans to abandon the demand for a negative COVID-19 PCR test from visitors prior to their arrival, the minister said the Government had been maintaining a keen watch on what other tourism-reliant jurisdictions were doing to balance re-opening with mitigating the risk posed by the virus.
In particular, he cited the likes of Bermuda and Hawaii, which are both conducting COVID-19 testing when visitors arrive and, in the latter's case, during their stay. The Dominican Republic, too, has shifted to testing for COVID-19 upon arrival, while Barbados, too, is conducting on-site testing of visitors.
"I think we've decided on a plan; we're just working on the mechanics of how to roll it out," Mr D'Aguilar told Tribune Business. "We are working through all of the possible scenarios. Hopefully this week we will be in a position to make an announcement on the direction we want to go in.
"We've essentially come up with an idea, and are going through all the necessary steps to ensure it can be rolled-out properly. What makes this destination problematic is it's an archipelago, with multiple ports of entry and modes of transportation, and all the pleasure craft as well, which makes it rather complex in trying to get the plan we need to make quarantine work. It's not like Barbados, with one airport and port."
Mr D'Aguilar declined to go into specifics on what the alternative to the 14-day quarantine might involve or look like, but dropped a heavy hint that post-arrival COVID-19 testing of tourists at both the airport and during their vacation could form part of the solution.
"I will say this," he said. "If you look at the number of destinations testing on arrival, if you look at the Dominican Republic, they've gone away from CPR testing before arrival to on arrival. We're not going to be as ambitious as them. The PCR test will remain in place before arrival; it's what happens after that.
"Bermuda is testing on arrival and after arrival. Hawaii has rolled out doing PCR tests on arrival. A lot of countries are looking at ways to mitigate quarantine, and currently it involves increased testing as an alternative. We're looking at ways to incorporate some of these ideas followed to work in our market. We all recognise the current scenario of quarantine is not going to work."
Given The Bahamas' existing difficulties with testing and contact tracing involving its own citizens and residents, some observers are likely to be sceptical as to whether on-arrival and in-stay testing, or a combination of both, will adequately mitigate the COVID-19 risks involving tourists. Tracking down those staying in vacation rental accommodation could prove especially challenging.
Mr D'Aguilar, acknowledging that many countries have still kept their borders closed to travellers from countries with high COVID-19 infection rates, further explained: "We're trying to see how we can ease the restrictions in terms of movement of people but add additional health protocols to mitigate any relaxation of staying in place for 14 days.
"Everything you do has to be the same for visitors and residents. You can't have a bifurcated system. Therein lies your conundrum. This is the reason why we're looking at all of these options because persons involved in the hotel and tourism industry have indicated issues around quarantine. We're reacting to that.
"The whole explanation of a 14-day quarantine is a major impediment. It means the entire 14 days or length of your stay, and you have to explain to people the whole concept of quarantine. By the time you get through that explanation they've already moved on to the next destination. We're looking to change the model, but not increase the risk," the minister continued.
"There's no script on this. This is what our travel partners are saying, and then you try and incorporate the concerns of public health officials and cope up with a solution you hope will work. The Bahamas has not had to deal with a pandemic before, so I'm writing the book as we go."
Comments
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 1 month ago
"the Government had been maintaining a keen watch on what other tourism-reliant jurisdictions were doing to balance re-opening with mitigating the risk posed by the virus."
I suggest they keep a keen eye on the Tribune comments. This was proposed MONTHS ago.
It's literally baffling.
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 1 month ago
The Minnis government is full of idiots, this is nothing shocking!
Porcupine 4 years, 1 month ago
From June 18th Tribune comments 3 months, 1 week ago
They have a 15 minute turn around Covid test available. We should test every person who comes into The Bahamas, at the airport, or the Port of Entry they use. Don't talk about cost. The Bahamas should buy these tests and than charge the visitors for them. Just like any other of the many fees, taxes, and levies we charge. Waive some other fee if you wish. But, everyone should be tested here. This negative test 3 days prior or whatever time frame makes no sense. What if they are infected in the Miami airport? Why do we allow our ministers to think like 5 year olds, and get away with it?
Porcupine 4 years, 1 month ago
From Sept. 8 Tribune comments, There is an answer. From day one, had we been working on securing a rapid test, we could have demanded that all people coming to The Bahamas be tested upon entering this country. If they are positive, they go home. If they test negative, have fun and no quarantine, I mean Vacation in Place. The lag time in testing, to receiving the results to then be entering our country is a failure of efficacy, a failure to protect our people, and a failure of intelligent reasoning. Yes, perhaps it is a bit more costly. Is it more costly than the paperwork presently in place? More costly than the loss of our entire economy? More costly than the ridiculous advertising campaign now proposed by our tourism boss? More costly? No! Test people when they come to our shores. No exceptions.
Amused 4 years, 1 month ago
Didn't Sebas show and explain on video how he was tested on arrival and was made to wait in his room until the results came? Now the government of the day thinks this is ground breaking what they are doing? Smt. I know folks have been saying for a while test on arrival but the government doesn't listen to the common man
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 1 month ago
"The Bahamas has not had to deal with a pandemic before, so I'm writing the book as we go."
Stop using this we've never done this before cop out. A critically thinking and analytic brain does not go through its training to handle situations that have been thoroughly documented. It's trained to analyze the situation, look at the past, think of all the what ifs and then based on analysis of the BEST effort data gathering, plot the path.
Utterly baffling.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 1 month ago
"We're reacting to that."
Always reacting...because we're incapable of thinking and innovating clearly
lovingbahamas 4 years, 1 month ago
We always had 2 families meet us in the Family Islands twice during the winter. Usually booking their trips about now. Yesterday they informed me they are flying into Miami and driving to the Florida keys where they rented a house. No test, can book plane and car reservations, no quarantine, no health visa, no government having 5 different plans in the last 2 weeks, hospital available, cheaper than the Bahamas, food 1/2 price in the grocery. Let’s see how long it takes our government to realize that instant testing is the only answer. It keeps us all safe and allows us to have an economy. We have become an extremely difficult And expensive tourist destination. If they can test every single US college football player every day we should be able to figure out how to test tourists. This isn’t rocket science!
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 1 month ago
Glad they stayed out of our country. We're doing a horrible job dealing with this pandemic but nowhere near as bad as the US. Let em stay right there. We'll be ok, we just have to ride this pandemic out. It will end, just like the 1918 pandemic ended and life will return to normal. We don't need American tourism right now, those people are walking petrie dishes..
tribanon 4 years, 1 month ago
Minnis and D'Aguilar. What can you say? They're two incompetent and visionless idiots alike. They're always in reaction mode, never proactive. And they're always copying from others because they are incapable of thinking for themselves and therefore are completely devoid of original thought. That about sums up these two buffoons!
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 1 month ago
Minnis is making history before our very eyes, he will go down UNANIMOUSLY as the worst prime minister the bahamas has ever come to know. The bar has been set so low that its nearly impossible to be worse than this nasty SOB!
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 1 month ago
These idiots. They're gonna kill more people. Again.
This is without a doubt the dumbest administration in our ENTIRE history. Muddos...
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 1 month ago
They are gonna kill more people. That's not an exaggeration. There was no vision on July 1 vision and 70 people have perished.
professionalbahamian 4 years, 1 month ago
INSTANT (NOT THE DEEP NASAL Q-TIP CRAP) POST TESTING ONLY. BE SMART BAHAMAS.
SO MUCH LOST REVENUE DUE TO STUPIDITY AND ARROGANCE.
happyfly 4 years, 1 month ago
Ummmmmmmmm. Covid is coursing it's way through our population right now. Has it not occurred to anyone that the horse has bolted and we can no longer pretend that screening tourists entering the country is going to make a pinch of difference. We need to open our tourist industry up without any ridiculous resistances before the country is reduced to nothing but an economic lapdog of the IMF, or even worst the CCP
Jim 4 years, 1 month ago
Good that the Bahamas does not depend on tourism and the the past actions and future plans discourage the tourists. Oh
Jim 4 years, 1 month ago
Good that the Bahamas does not depend on tourism and the the past actions and future plans discourage the tourists.
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