COVID-19 pandemic has brought a big shift in geopolitical conditions. The US power is losing its clout and aura with more and more countries denying entry to US tourists casting a damning verdict on its handling of the crisis. Bahamas is latest entrant to the list. Its move is brave as well as significant since the tourism economy of the tiny Caribbean island nation is lot dependent on US tourists. Despite this, less than three weeks after reopening its borders to international visitors, the Bahamas on Sunday announced that it is closing all its airports and seaports to tourists from the United States, effective Wednesday, 22nd July 2020.
Bahamasair, the country’s national carrier, will cease all outgoing flights to the United States immediately. Domestic travel is allowed, but passengers need to have a health certificate. Visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union will still be permitted to visit as long as they can show proof of a negative COVID-19 RT PCR test from an accredited laboratory taken within 10 days of their arrival. Also allowed under the new order are private international flights, charters, and pleasure crafts.
New restrictions were also announced for public and private beaches and parks on New Providence, Rose Island, Paradise Island, Arthur Island, and surrounding keys. Night curfew was imposed in Grand Bahamas from 7 pm to 5 am and all airports and seaports in Grand Bahamas were closed to all international travel. Bahamas has 153 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths. There are 51 active cases with one case considered serious. This number converts to 389 cases per million and 28 deaths per million. On Sunday, the Bahamas Ministry of Health registered 15 new cases of COVID-19. Of the total, 49 new infections have been recorded since the country’s borders fully reopened July 1. And of that number, 31 have been registered on the island of Grand Bahama, which had been COVID-19 free for a little over two months and is still recovering from last year’s devastating hurricane.
Whereas, neighbouring USA records 1,878 cases per million and 433 deaths per million. Less than 100 miles off the Bahamas coast is Florida with new records in infections on a daily basis. Florida records 16,289 cases per million and 232 deaths per million population. The US Sunshine State has 307,133 active cases. Therefore, Bahamas decision seemed necessary to protect the fragile island population and health infrastructure, as well as visitors.
The Bahamas’ tighter restrictions come just days before the nearby Turks and Caicos Islands, which reported a 41.4% increase in new cases last week, is scheduled to reopen its borders to international tourists Wednesday. Americans are allowed there but some residents wanted it to follow the Bahamas way. Similarly, Jamaica is also accepting US tourists.
There are 33 countries in all which have explicitly banned US tourists from coming to their land. Besides the 27 countries from the EU block, others are China, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and now Bahamas. But there are many other countries like India, which are yet not open for any kind of international travel. This makes the number of countries where US tourists cannot travel quite big. And, this does not seem to be changing in near future. With ATP Tour cancelling the CITI Open at Cincinnati, more apprehensions have been cast upon safety of travel to and fro USA.
(All images courtesy: Bahamas Tourism)