Health officials continuing to assess those increase in covid-19 positive cases on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera; in fact, as we just reported. New cases were recorded on three of those islands Monday.
Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis speaking out for the first time – in an exclusive telephone interview with our news team on those new travel measures for mainland Eleuthera and Harbour Island instituted in the emergency powers covid-19 orders last week.
Persons traveling from Harbour Island and Eleuthera will need a RT-PCR covid-19 test to obtain a travel health visa. Travelers from Eleuthera and Harbour Island will also need a covid-19 rapid antigen test on the fifth day after arrival to their destination within the Bahamas and submit the results to the Ministry of Health online through the health travel website.
“I know that there have been big concern about the individuals in Harbour Island having to receive a PCR before they can travel to any of the other mianlands but that is to avoid the possibility of infections being transported to other family islands then face challenges but hopefully that is only a temporary measure.
“I hope they will understand that it is in the interest of the nation so that we can open as quickly as possible and get our citizens employed, get our businesses open and get our economy starting to re-open” Prime Minister Minnis said.
We also asked the Prime Minister the question on the minds of many Bahamians, whether any more restrictions will be implemented on any other islands soon.
“We will only institute what is absolutely necessary and the advice of the health professionals.
“We must strike that balance between quality of life, saving life and at the same time economy. It’s very difficult to shut down an economy and its difficult to rebound you have to take that into consideration.
“We are still dealing with the balancing act. Fortunately, they have the vaccines and the vaccines can be a rescuer for us and we have to continue aggressively vaccinating as many as possible and we will continue aggressively pursuing more vaccines so that we can have our entire nation vaccinated” Prime Minister Minnis said.
