The Tribune

THE US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has de-escalated The Bahamas’ COVID-19 travel risk advisory rating to a Level 2, moderate risk, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday.

The de-escalation in rating comes just two weeks after the CDC reduced the rating from a Level 4 to a Level 3 on March 10.

The Level 2 rating advises international travellers to be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines before travelling. It also recommends that unvaccinated travellers who are at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid non-essential travel.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said compliance is key to attaining this type of success.

“We all hold the key to our success,” he said in a statement. “Free testing is available for anyone who wishes to know their COVID-19 status. And getting vaccinated remains the scientifically-proven best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.”

The announcement by the CDC came by an advisement from CARPHA, the Caribbean Public

Health Agency yesterday, the ministry said.

A formal announcement of the de-escalation in travel risk to The Bahamas will be posted on the CDC’s Website and Social Media sites on Monday, the ministry added.

This comes as local COVID-19 cases remain low.

On March 23, the Ministry of Health recorded just four new cases, bringing the nation’s toll to 33,242.

However, one more COVID death was also reported: a 73-year-old Grand Bahama woman who died on March 7.

Six people are in hospital with the disease.

Last week, Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Ministry of Health, said while The Bahamas has successfully flattened the curve on the most recent COVID wave, people should still wear their masks.

“At this time the number of cases per day and the average number of cases per week are down, we have flattened the fourth COVID wave,” she said in a recent interview with The Tribune.

Dr Forbes also said that healthcare workers are “happy” with the current low number of COVID cases, noting that hospital cases are also low.

However, while she sees the current trend in cases as encouraging, she believes that COVID cases will “flare up” and settle down again periodically. Dr Forbes said COVID is “here to stay”.