After a phased opening in July, the Government of The Bahamas closed the islands borders in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases, to bring the infection rate under control and protect the health of locals and visitors.

Beginning October 15th, Grand Bahama Island will enter Phase 3 of The Bahamas Tourism Readiness & Recovery Plan, ahead of the busy holiday season. Beaches and major hotels will reopen across the island, with a 14-day (or length of stay) Vacation in Place (VIP) for all guests through October 31st. Vacation in Place (VIP) means that guests must remain on the hotelproperty, where all amenities, including hotel spas, gyms, bars and more will be accessible.

On November 1st, The Bahamas will remove the mandatory VIP requirement for all visitors, returning citizens and residents, which will allow everyone to explore and enjoy the island. Attractions, excursions and tours are also set to reopen on November 1st as part of the Phase 3 plan.

A variety of establishments on Grand Bahama Island are fully operational and eagerly awaiting visitors in order to display their special brand of island hospitality.

Acurfew is still in place from 10 PM to 5 AM, but social events such as Weddingsand Receptions are now allowed both outdoors and indoors as long as they are inaccordance with the guidelines and protocols set forth by the Ministry ofHealth. This bodes well for guests who travel far and wide to the islandthat has a reputation for romantic escapes and destination weddings.

Throughoutthe lockdown period, the International Airport at Freeport, which is in themidst of a terminal expansion project, remained open and was fully operational,receiving cargo, private flights, emergency and humanitarian flights. Theairport is now accepting international flights such as Silver Airways out ofFlorida; American Airlines returned on October 8th. Bahamasairhas been in operation domestically, but they are yet to announce when they willresume international flights.

TheMinistry of Tourism continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health toestablish and evaluate protocols and timelines with respect to the RT-PCR testingin advance of travel and curb any potential spread of the virus.

As areminder, the Bahamian governments new entry requirements for visitors, whichcame into effect on September 1st. 2020, include:

Theonly applicants who are not required to provide a COVID-19 test are:

Inaddition to the above protocols, a rapid antigen test will be conducted uponarrival, and then again four days (96 hours) after arrival in The Bahamas. Therapid tests are quick and easy with the results being provided electronicallyin less than 20 minutes. All visitors who are leaving on Day Five of theirvisit will not be required to take the second test. The cost of the rapidtests on and after arrival will be included in the cost of the visa.

All persons arriving by yachts or other pleasure craftswill be able to make arrangements for their mandatory rapid tests at the portof entry.

It is recommended that all travelers interested in visiting The Bahamas review requirements applicable to each member of their party before booking a trip, to determine what steps need to be taken to be granted entry.

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Grand Bahama Island ready to welcome visitors on October 15 Skip - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News