Monthly Archives: April 2020

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The United States has advised its citizens in The Bahamas that it doesnot anticipate arranging repatriation flights from the country, as it advised of the nationwide lockdown set to go into effect at 9 p.m. tonight.

On Monday, the government extended its state of emergency until April 30 and announced shutdown of all business in The Bahamas until April 14 and additional weekend lockdowns, in an effort to curb the surge of coronavirus cases gripping the nation.

The U.S. Embassy Nassau has continually warned citizens who wish to return to the U.S. to make commercial arrangements as soon as possible unless prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.

We urge all U.S. citizens still in The Bahamas and its territorial waters to shelter in place or stay in your home and yard, on your vessel, or in your hotel/lodging during these lock down periods, until the regular 24-hour curfew regulations resume, the embassy said, in its most recent health alert.

For those U.S. citizens on private vessels, theembassy urged pleasure crafts currently anchored or moored in The Bahamas to depart directly for their country of origin.

The embassy further noted that while vesselscan transit on a direct route back to the US, they willnot be able to refuel or make use of fuel docks during the full lockdown period.

Departing vessels from The Bahamas must avoid unnecessary deviation on the way to their final destination and crew and passengers must remain aboard their vessel.

We urge all US citizens to return to the US as soon as possibledont wait; the time to leave is now, as soon as weather and provisions allow, or be prepared to stay in The Bahamas for an indefinite period, it added.

It bears repeating, restrictions to movement in The Bahamas continue to evolve rapidly, and we cannot predict if, when, for how long, or how severely movement through The Bahamas may be restricted. All vessels must always follow the directions of the Bahamian authorities.

The embassy noted that while it will make every effort to assist citizens still in the country, it cannot circumvent the emergency orders put in place by the Bahamian government.

The advisory comes as other countries move to repatriate their citizens home.

The British High Commission organised a flight to pick up some45 British national tourists, short-term residents and their direct dependents from Nassau on Tuesday, along with 150 others from the Cayman Islands.

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U.S. will not repatriate citizens still in The Bahamas - EyeWitness News

The best word to describe the Chicago Bears uniforms is classic. They represent so much history. Aside from a few minor tweaks over the last 100 years, they've remained consistent with their colors and the 'C' logo on the helmet.

The Bears' uniforms have withstood the test of time, which is especially incredible considering how many teams have changed theirs (multiple times) in just the last few seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are the most recent examples as each team unveiled new kits this week.

Surely, the history and overall clean look of Chicago's uniforms make them rank among the best in the league, right?

Wrong.

According to a recent ranking of all 32 NFL uniforms, the Bears check-in at No. 25:

This is another team set with its traditional look, and we respect that. The Bears also rank higher than the Colts because they at least have some versatility with their orange alternate jerseys andthe classic lookthey used in 2019.

The Bears uniforms, though, are dull. As blasphemous as it sounds, a styling change in the number font and sleeve striping could work wonders. Chicago also could experiment with some white facemasks.

Chicago has a great color scheme, which makes the teams insistence on sticking to its traditional look frustrating.

Dull? A change in the number font? WHITE FACEMASKS?!

The one constant that Bears fans have been able to hold onto throughout the years is that special uniform. The special helmet. The navy and orange; that number font. There's something special about that consistency, especially for a team that's had more lows than highs in recent seasons.

So, no, there won't be white facemasks or a different font on the jerseys. The Bears' uniforms will remain what they've always been: classic.

And there aren't many teams that can say that anymore.

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Cutler is waiting out the outbreak in The Bahamas - NBCSports.com

ELEUTHERA SUR, The Bahamas There are much less enviable places to be locked down than the Bahamas, but being that far from home carries anxieties. Just ask Joe Weathers and Lynne Muller.

Theyve just froze the country, Weathers told First Coast News Wednesday afternoon. Theres no anything. No one can leave their house, their yard. No stores are open.

The couple is accustomed to solitude living on a 42-foot sailboat even while home and working on the First Coast, Weathers and Muller said the social distancing mandated by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic hasnt been among their greater challenges lately.

We were self-isolating before it was cool, right? Muller quipped of their general lifestyle. What has been a challenge has been obtaining supplies and consistent information. The couple left northeast Florida for the Bahamas in March.

We went to the Abacos to bring some relief supplies for a former client, Weathers said. The rest of their three-month sailing permit in the island nation was to be enjoyed at leisure. But a lot has changed since then.

We had local police and customs agents come to the boat and distribute information to us, Muller recalled, asking us to not go on shore but providing us with telephone numbers for local fuel and groceries and propane.

Those orders specifically meant that Muller and Weathers arent allowed to even try to shop, restricting their land access to a deserted beach, where they walk their three small dogs.

At the time of our FaceTime interview, Weathers and Muller were anchored off the west side of Eleuthera, an island about 110 miles in length but only a few miles wide at its broadest. Their travels there were driven by necessity and with a few stops along the way.

The bigger problem is, transient dockage doesnt exist, going ashore is prohibited, a lot of fuel and services are closed, Weathers said, adding that Its always a worry. Its much more expensive here, buying groceries and fuel.

A couple of different anchorages, in search of propane, Weathers described, and then we finally ended up in Rock Sound. And now that were here we are on lockdown, were not allowed to leave.

He elaborated on that latter point by saying theres been some ambiguity. Early in the crisis some boaters apparently ignored orders to stay where they were, fleeing the Bahamas altogether. Whether that was an act of defiance or confusion even seemed unclear, as, according to Weathers, the rules have sometimes been ambiguous.

Conflicting information between the prime ministers office and then what the police say, and then, what the U.S. embassy had to say, Weathers described the situation, acknowledging that some confusion anywhere isnt surprising in such severe and unprecedented circumstances.

We pool our knowledge [with nearby boaters] and see what other people are doing, what theyve listened to or heard, he said.

But Weathers and Mullers sunny disposition comes tempered with heartache.

You know, we had plans to head back home for Lynnes sons graduation, which has been postponed and most likely will be canceled, Weathers said.

And, March 30th, Weathers father passed away unexpectedly in New Hampshire. Weathers couldnt get to his fathers funeral in New England.

Basically there was no way. [My parents] were on lockdown as well, at an elderly facility. Describing the service, Weathers said, They had just -- 10 people were the maximum, and they live-streamed it.

Despite his sadness about the situation, Weathers was clearly thinking beyond just himself. Im sure thats happening to thousands of other people around the country, he said.

Its a blend of conflicting concerns, really. Weathers readily admitted some trepidation about returning to Florida too soon.

Our biggest anxiety, honestly, is heading back to the United States and hotbeds of pandemic, Weathers said.

And although he and Muller respect the limitations of their supplies, they remained clearly optimistic, saying they could get by for six weeks, maybe eight, with what they have aboard after recently replenishing some supplies.

They also repeatedly spoke of how genial their visits from the authorities have been.

Theyve been very gracious, he smiled, concluding with a contagious optimism. Were OK, just waiting out the duration here, I suppose.

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First Coast couple locked down in their boat home in the Bahamas - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

The Iyer family of Exton had planned to board a plane for New Mexico when school let out for spring break. The Kukals of Cumberland County, N.J., had booked their first international trip. The Hoffmans of Northeast Philadelphia were headed to the Bahamas.

Then came COVID-19, closed schools, and a ban on all nonessential travel.

Most schools, now educating students remotely, are still taking the spring breaks that had been scheduled for this week and next. But families are finding that their plans are vastly different.

They are taking nature walks instead of traveling to theme parks. Theyre working through vacations and in some cases not even telling kids this was supposed to be their spring break.

Its the opposite of the Bahamas, said Patty Hoffman.

Angelee Rivera, a Philadelphia teacher, had planned to travel to Puerto Rico it would have been her first time on a plane in 30 years. Rivera and her cousin wanted to visit their grandmothers grave.

Instead, shes quarantined at home. Rivera cares for her mother and got word this week that a nurse who visited their home had tested positive for COVID-19, so now, Riveras family is in seclusion at home.

So far, the family, including three school-age daughters, is healthy. But things still feel strange.

FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered.

Everyones schedules are all off, my kids are singing Jingle Bells at 2 a.m., said Rivera, who lives in the Northeast and teaches fourth grade at nearby Farrell Elementary.

The Mocey kids Sienna, 7, Cameron, 5, and Nathan, 4 had been over the moon at the thought of a spring break Walt Disney World trip.

Though the coronavirus made that an impossibility, their parents decided to make the best of it. On Tuesday, when they were supposed to leave, mother Kelly dressed the trio up in Disney T-shirts, posing them on the front steps of their home in Harleysville with the new suitcases they got for Christmas.

Sienna cried a little when she realized what was happening, but has rallied, and all in the family are trying to be good sports. Kelly and Steve Mocey promised the kids a Disney day, with Disney waffles, Disney snacks, and a Disney-themed playlist.

I still want them to experience some Disney magic, Kelly Mocey said. The family is also planning an outdoor day to play backyard games, and a day of service, when they will clean out closets and set aside things to donate to local charities.

The Kukals, of Millville, like to take road trips on spring break. But 2020 is a year of milestones for them a high school graduation for Alexandra and her admission to the Coast Guard Academy, 50th birthdays for parents Bobbi and Anton, plus their 20-year wedding anniversary so they were going big, to Paris, their first European trip.

Were frugal, weve been saving, we found a great deal, Bobbi Kukal said. We had it all planned out, and now we dont. We have our garden and yard work, and cutting wood.

Lakshmi Iyer and her family, including fifth-grade twins and a kindergartner, were supposed to make a trek to New Mexico. Instead, the kids are riding bikes and having plenty of screen time while their parents work.

If I didnt have to work, we could go on hikes and walks, said Iyer. But Im holding back on taking my time off. What if something happens to me and my husband? I dont want to use all my time.

With the Norristown Area School District on break, Yen Tang-Dietrich and family were bound for the Outer Banks in North Carolina until COVID-19 upended everything.

Tang-Dietrich told her fifth grader, second grader and kindergartner: Finish your Chinese school homework and forget about school until Monday. (Two out of three took her up on it. The 5-year-old is a holdout.)

For the most part, were letting them run feral, Tang-Dietrich said. If the weather cooperates, well go outside. The rest of the time is spent letting them play a zillion hours of video games.

Kristin Miskos family wasnt planning to get away for spring break. But at least it would have been a break for Misko and her husband and five kids, a first grader through a high school freshman in Philadelphia district schools.

Shes eased up on the school front this week, said Misko, a former teacher who lives in Bridesburg. But mostly, its the same new, strange normal, with cabin fever and a lot of snacks.

Ive struggled with corralling all my kids during these last few weeks, especially with varying amounts of provided work and some of them having to share access to devices, said Misko. I needed spring break this week, so were on it.

2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Spring break during the coronavirus pandemic: 'It's the opposite of the Bahamas' - Reading Eagle

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas government has provided cash to some desperate Bahamians stuck in the United States, often to help with their living accommodations during the COVID-19 crisis, according to Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Sidney Collie.

The State Department, he said, has also worked with this countrys immigration department to ensure Bahamians approaching the end of their visit are not found in violation of US immigration laws.

Mr Collie said small funds have been given only in cases of real emergencies, stressing the government cannot fund long-term accommodations for Bahamians stuck in the US.

In some cases, exceptional ones, where theres absolutely no other accommodations that have been found we have provided financial assistance but the Bahamas government is not able to commit to providing long-term accommodations for people, the accommodations are very short-term and we try to work out some other form of accommodations for persons in distress, he said.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the closure of this countrys borders to incoming flights on March 23.

About 270 Bahamian students in Florida are among those eager to return home, Mr Collie said.

They have been made to understand that the border is closed, theres an emergency and theres no chance deep into this lockdown that its going to be opened, he said. Weve advised them they have to ride it out where they are and those who need subsistence living assistance, weve given those and as issues pop up in emergency cases where there is a real need for small cash, that has been provided.

Profiling those needing assistance, Mr Collie said: We have Bahamians who got caught, didnt make it back home, didnt pay attention, ran out of money, are living in hotels and had to vacate the hotels.

Theyre mostly in South Florida. Some dont have a credit card or the card maxed out so emergency arrangements have been worked out for them at consulate offices. In the rest of the US, most students and other Bahamians have made satisfactory arrangements to stay in the country.

Mr Collie said there are about 40,000 Bahamians in the US.

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Govt gives cash to help Bahamians stuck in US - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The process of establishing the Bahamas credit bureau continues,according to Central Bank Governor John Rolle

Rolle told Eyewitness News that its value is even greater now for those who will require credit support when the COVID-19 pandemic abates.

Acreditbureau effectively acts as a central database that lenders can use to obtain a more complete, accurate picture of the riskand creditworthiness presented by a particular borrower.

Rolle said: The process of establishing the credit bureau continues. It provides medium and long-term benefits for The Bahamas that should not be sidelined. The bureaus value is even increased now for those who will require credit support after the pandemic abates.

He added: Although many borrowers will encounter financial difficulties, they should maintain close contact with their lenders, so that their obligations can be managed. The deferral of loan payments should not be seen as a default or blight on their credit record. They will still be able demonstrate their good standing, by honoring their debts, when their incomes recover.

Back in January,Credit bureau and business information company CRIFa leader in the provision, management, and operation of credit bureaus worldwideofficially launched its operations for the creation of the countrys first credit bureau.

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Bahamas credit bureau still a work in progress - EyeWitness News

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#Nassau, The Bahamas April 10, 2020 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises that H.E Sidney Collie, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States of America has informed that following consultations with US Competent Authorities in Washington DC., the shipment of COVID-19 medical supplies on the Betty K that were returned to the Port of Miami last week, on order by US authorities, has been released and will head to Nassau on the 14th April, the first available day for shipping by the Betty K.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes this opportunity to thank US Embassy Officials in Nassau and in Washington DC., for responding quickly to our demarche to have these medical supplies released so that they can be added to our critical stock as The Bahamas continues to protect its citizens and residents from the spread of this terrible scourge of COVID-19.

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE BAHAMAS

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Bahamas Embassy informs seized medical supplies released with help from US Embassy - Magnetic Media