Bahamas has recorded 2,625 cases in August to date — 20 percent greater than last month
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the USA has added The Bahamas to its “Do Not Travel” list, citing the “very high level of COVID-19 within the country”.
The US Department of State, which closely reflects the CDC, revised its travel advisory for The Bahamas from “Level 3: Exercise increased caution” to “Level 4: Don’t travel”.
The advisory noted that the danger of contracting the virus or developing severe symptoms could also be lowered for people who’re fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine.
Local health officials have said The Bahamas stays in a surge, attributing the raging cases to increased travel, COVID-19 variants and clusters inside workplaces, construction sites and social and communal gatherings
The Bahamas has recorded 2,625 cases this month to date, a rise of 20 percent since last month with per week remaining.
A complete of two,185 cases were recorded in July.
One other 159 infections were recorded on Sunday.
These included 117 on New Windfall, 15 on Abaco, 12 on Andros, eight on Grand Bahama, three on Bimini and Cat Cay, two on the Berry Islands and one each on Exuma and Eleuthera.
One other 139 cases were hospitalized, with 11 in Intensive Care Units (ICU).
A complete of three,356 cases remain energetic, with just three cases recovering Sunday.
The CDC added seven countries to its very high COVID-19 travel risk listing last week.
These included destinations equivalent to Aruba, France, Iceland, Israel and Thailand.
The list has over 70 countries in total.
In an announcement, the US Embassy in Nassau said as travelers face ongoing risks resulting from the pandemic, the travel advisory “closely reflects the Centers for Disease and Prevention’s science-based travel health notices that outline current health issues affecting travelers’ health”.
It noted that the CDC recommends that Americans don’t travel internationally until fully vaccinated.
“Furthermore, even fully vaccinated travelers is perhaps at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some COVID-19 variants, and we recommend US residents delay travel unless absolutely essential,” it said.
“If US residents do travel, we urge them to follow all CDC recommendations.”
The Bahamas recorded greater than 1,600 cases in August 2020, across the peak of the second wave.
The nation recorded around 1,900 cases in September 2020 and just over 2,600 cases in October 2020.
Caution
The department maintained its warning to Americans to exercise caution in some areas of The Bahamas resulting from crime.
It said while the overwhelming majority of crime occurs on New Windfall and Grand Bahama, extreme caution must be exercised in inner-city communities referred to as Over-the-Hill, south of Shirley Street.
“Violent crime, equivalent to burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assault occur, but generally not in tourist areas,” the department said.
“Activities involving business recreational watercraft, including water tours, will not be consistently regulated.
“Watercraft are sometimes not maintained, and plenty of firms would not have safety certifications to operate in The Bahamas.
“Jet-ski operators have been known to commit sexual assaults against tourists.
“Consequently, US government personnel will not be permitted to make use of independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Windfall and Paradise Islands.”
