The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said “no decision” has been taken on imposing tighter COVID-19 travel restrictions ahead of the Christmas/New Year holiday peak period for tourism.

Dr Michael Darville, minister for health and wellness, acknowledged that mandating RT-PCR tests for all incoming travellers might be viewed as excessive, but said: “The reality is the Ministry of Health’s first priority is the health and safety of the Bahamian people.

“We have to do what’s best for us to be able to control COVID-19. Meanwhile, it’s important for us to listen to the stakeholders because we’re trying to juggle the economy while, at the same time, ensuring the protection of our citizens. It’s a difficult thing to do.”

Resort owners have pleaded with the Government not to have “a knee-jerk reaction” to the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, and require that all visitors - both vaccinated and unvaccinated - produce negative PCR tests that are more expensive and less readily available. They fear this could deter “a large volume of guests” travelling during the busy holiday period

Dr Darville confirmed: “Ongoing discussions are taking place with the private sector, particularly hoteliers, and the Ministry of Tourism so we can strike a good balance.

“We are watching everything as it relates to how virulent, and how transmissible, the OMICRON variant is, and our committee will have to make decisions in the best interest of the Bahamian people.

“We are watching everything and, as things progress, we will have to make a decision very shortly as it relates to what type of testing or whether or not we’re going to tighten testing on our borders.”

As for the tightening of COVID restrictions for the Christmas holidays, Dr Darville did not commit to anything other than to say he is “concerned” about tourists and residents alike following the health care protocols. “It’s important for our citizens to realise that we have this variant that’s out there, and the possibility of it coming into our country is a real threat,” he said.

“I’m advising everyone during the Christmas holidays to make sure to wear a mask, socially distance, and to sanitise. These are proven mechanisms to prevent the spread. For us, we have a country and economy to grow.

“Our number one industry is tourism. We have to be very mindful of the fact that we are in challenges economically, throughout the country. We have to pay bills, and we need to ensure that we have a robust tourism sector. But we need to do it in a safe and protective way,” Dr Darville continued.

“So again, I’m pleading to the entire nation to practice the proper protocols. As you come together, be mindful that we do have this virus that is out there. We are not out of the woods. We believe that this virus will be around for many years to come, and how we manage it on the ground will determine exactly how we reduce the possibility of community spread.

““We are watching everything, but we have not made any recommendations as to whether or not it’s necessary to tighten anything. As it stands now the numbers are low, the viral load is low.”