The Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ATLANTIS will temporarily furlough some employees as COVID-19 cases continue to grow in North America and cancellations increase following US President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new quarantine requirement for travellers entering the United States.
In a letter to staff, the resort said it will scale operations, noting that beginning February 4 guest reservations at The Royal will move to The Cove “and some colleagues will be placed on temporary furlough”.
“Our plan and hope are to invite team members back by the spring break season, pending occupancy,” Atlantis President Audrey Oswell said in a letter to staff.
“As the new year progresses, the overall business outlook for Atlantis is hopeful. However, for the immediate future, we face similar challenges as we have in the last months.”
“The pandemic continues to spike in many of our key markets, new and increased travel restrictions and requirements are in effect, and limited airlift present roadblocks for travel.”
This is now the second time in a month Atlantis has announced plans to furlough some staff, dimming hopes for the Bahamian economy after the resort initially welcomed 2,500 employees back in December.
Atlantis representatives declined to discuss the furlough yesterday. It is not clear how many people will be affected by its action.
However, Darrin Woods, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU), said Atlantis told union representatives it “got a lot of cancellations” after President Biden’s quarantine announcement last week.
“They said they had a huge fall off,” he said. “They called us and we asked them to send us information by areas in the hotel so we know which will be open and which will be closed. That will help us know how many will be affected.”
Mr Woods suggested the union is powerless to intervene on behalf of its members.
“If we push back they will still do what they got to do,” he said. “Whenever we think the industry is going in the right direction, something always comes up.
“The restrictions the US president announced probably should’ve been done a long time ago so we wouldn’t be at this point at this time, but the president has to do what he does to manage the crisis. We hope the US views us in a different light from countries where there are a lot of cases.”
Last Thursday, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to require international air travellers to quarantine upon arrival in the US.
Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar reiterated his views yesterday about the harmful consequence of the US quarantine rule, the parameters of which have not yet been revealed.
“The possibility of introducing quarantining when Americans return home, that has had the effect of creating a lot of uncertainty in the market,” he told reporters outside the House of Assembly.
“While it’s debatable whether quarantine is enforceable, I think at the end of the day most Americans want to abide by the dictates of their government. If their government suggests it, then that’s probably what they want to do. So it is very concerning and we’re going to push as hard as we can, see what we can do to mitigate that, but it is in the minds of the traveler, creating a concern.
“The silver lining in all of this obviously is the US government will get COVID under control, President Biden is pushing very hard and he’s very focused on trying to solve this problem, getting the cases down and hopefully this gets solved quicker than we anticipated.”
In an executive order signed last week, President Biden tasked several federal agencies with promptly submitting a plan to codify his quarantine policy. Before his inauguration, American officials announced that beginning today, all travellers into the US must have a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel.
The United States surpassed 25 million confirmed COVID-19 cases this week.
Comments
observer2 3 years, 10 months ago
Imagine coming on vacation to Atlantis at $1,000 a day only to test positive and now being stuck in the Bahamas at $1,000 a night for at least 2 weeks and maybe more.
Once you are stuck in the Bahamas you can't go back to work, you can't see your family, you could run out of money etc.
The wisest thing to do is to cancel your vacation to the Bahamas.
Our government's visionless leadership has let this crises go to waste. We still don't grow anything we eat so precious US dollars are leaving the country with nothing coming back in from tourism.
Ever tried to us a Bahamian dollar in Miami to buy food?
We need to start rationing US dollars, stop the Canadian banks converting B$ profits to US$, using up our precious reserves we replinished with 9% loans, and dividending out tens of millions of US dollars to head office in Toronto made of the backs of poor black ppl. The really don't care about us.
We need to ration fuel consumption. Cut down on the cars on the road.
Cut down ppl buying stuff online.
If we do this now by the time the crises end in 2022 we will have enough US dollars to void starving.
Ohh, and if we have Emergency Laws why are all the super spreader events occuring? Funderals, Junkanoo? Ever been out west on a weekend and seen the crowds at resaturants and bars? Why suspend democracy if we are allowing Covid to spread?
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
THIS POST BY OBERVER2 IS A MUST READ, ESPECIALLY FOR JOHN ROLLE AT THE CENTRAL BANK.
M0J0 3 years, 10 months ago
well said
UN 3 years, 10 months ago
This should have been done by the last president? Yes, these same restrictions would have benefitted us back then too? There is a vaccine which should equal light at the end of the tunnel but we want to continue to paint a dire picture? It truly isn’t about saving lives..
The Bahamian masses haven’t done themselves any favors - those who still have jobs are using their positions to play mind-games. Heard many times restaurants are suffering but let’s serve her taste funny (sperm seasoned?) rice at a Greek cafe (where I’m your daddy keeps forgetting he didn’t create nor raise her), empty for a reason McDonald’s: twice in a row barely edible food (kiddies lashing out at moma for not popping them out?). Bad food everywhere (she don’t cook but I’m not the one taking $ in exchange for inedible food).
Covid era but give money to entitled wannabes and receive bad service in return? Covid era but make a trek to crazy town? Sometimes a look in the mirror is needed..
moncurcool 3 years, 10 months ago
*“They said they had a huge fall off,” he said. “They called us and we asked them to send us information by areas in the hotel so we know which will be open and which will be closed. That will help us know how many will be affected.”
Mr Woods suggested the union is powerless to intervene on behalf of its members.*
Here we clearly see the irrelevance of these unions. What is the point of having the hotel send you information if you powerless to intervene on behalf of your members?
Clearly these unions are the mob. Shaking down members to pay dues, but not being able to do anything for them or give them anything when furloughed.
M0J0 3 years, 10 months ago
union only could help if emergency orders were not in place, read the order as it relates to hotels. May be shocked.
JokeyJack 3 years, 10 months ago
We can all starve to death in the calm and comforting knowledge that we no longer have a racist president - LOL.
TalRussell 3 years, 10 months ago
Time lots confessions that in moments of pandemic weariness but for the Comrade Sister Fat Lady, singing her calypso song, it's all over for the colony's mega-resorts, and floating hotels at sea cruise ships as they've been operating.
Something of little hope that unless shoved and screaming will Dioniso James be submitting to his 'Tourisms come to Jesus moment'.
Can't any longer blame it on the PLP, so the 35 House-elected MP has now shifted blame away from themselves over US president Joe.
Time fast running out on the clock's diminishing window of opportunity to began refocusing what the colony's new economy goin's resemble. Shakehead** a quick once for Upyeahvote, twice for Not?
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