Monthly Archives: August 2021

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation has announced new testing rules for vaccinated cruise passengers. According to a press statement, guests on cruises thatoriginate in and return to The Bahamasmust still apply for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa and follow the new testing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

The new requirements indicate that vaccinated people must provide a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test taken no more than five days before the date of arrival to The Bahamas. Unvaccinated guests are required to obtain a negative PCR test taken no more than five days before the date of arrival to The Bahamas.

All travelers entering The Bahamas on cruises thatoriginate in the U.S.will be subjected to the testing requirements mandated by the cruise line and approved by the government of The Bahamas.

Cruise lines may have different requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests, the ministry noted. Travelers should check with their cruise line for specific details regarding their cruise, it added.

The new testing protocols are for all travelers applying for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa from Aug. 6 and onward who want to enter The Bahamas or travel inter-island within The Bahamas.

Continue reading here:

Bahamas Updates Testing Rules for Vaccinated Cruise Guests ...

I figured there would be beaches at the 2020 Maui Invitational. Probably warm weather. Blue skies too.

So I went.

But when I arrived, there were no beaches. It was 30 degrees in the morning. It was nearly always overcast. The closest thing to white sand was a light dusting of snow.

Maybe thats because the 2020 Maui Invitational was in Asheville, North Carolina.

Now, Im going to the Bahamas. I figure that there will actually be beaches. Probably warm weather. Blue skies too.

But mostly, Im going to watch Indiana basketball. Its been more than four months since the Hoosiers played in their last competitive game. A lot has happened since then: Archie Miller was fired, Mike Woodson was hired, four scholarship players are gone, five scholarship players have arrived.

As I get my first look at Indianas 2021-22 team play against BC Mega, heres a few things that Ill be watching for:

There is so much unknown when it comes to Indianas rotation. Realistically, there are nine guys that could be in the starting lineup, with Trayce Jackson-Davis as the only lock. On Friday, Mike Woodson said that hes been tinkering with different combinations, which Id expect to see in the Bahamas.

But it remains that there are many obvious questions when it comes to who can play where.

Can Woodson put two of his three point guards (Xavier Johnson, Khristian Lander and Rob Phinisee) on the floor at the same time? Is Miller Kopp a reliable enough rebounder to play at the four? Can Trayce Jackson-Davis and Michael Durr play together while avoiding a clogged lane?

Weve heard so much about the four-out one-in offense since Mike Woodson was introduced as Indianas head coach in March. Jackson-Davis gave some insight into what it might look like on Friday, which ultimately boiled down to this: lots of cuts, dribble handoffs and interchangeable positions.

Given Archie Millers often lethargic offense, theres reason to be excited about a more modern, uptempo offense that wont cause you to constantly pull out your hair.

Somewhat lost in the offseason additions are Race Thompson and Trey Galloway, both of whom Im intrigued to see how exactly they fit into Woodsons scheme. Thompson is traditionally big and Galloway is a slasher, but neither is a real threat to shoot from deep. They arent a perfect fit at first glance, but that doesnt mean it cant work.

Among other things, there are two necessary elements for the four-out one-in offense to work: shooting and playmaking. Ironically, Indiana hasnt been good in either one of those areas the last few seasons, which is definitely a point of concern.

In essence, for the offense to work, Indiana needs to turn glaring weaknesses into flourishing strengths.

Armaan Franklin, Indianas best shooter from a statistical perspective last season, is gone. So is Al Durham, who made the most 3-pointers on the team last season. Jerome Hunter, who was tied for third in made 3-pointers, is no longer with the program either.

That means Parker Stewart and Miller Kopp will need to be reliable shooters. Tamar Bates will need to make a relatively quick transition. Rob Phinisee and Anthony Leal both need to make strides.

Theres also playmaking and creating for others, something Indiana has lacked recently. Phinisee led the team in assists last season with 2.9 per game. No single Indiana player has averaged more than 3.5 assists per game since Yogi Ferrell.

This necessary change will largely fall on the shoulders of Xavier Johnson, a transfer from Pittsburgh, whos a dynamic creator. Its also predicated on the growth and development of Khristian Lander.

If Indiana can do those things, it will open up a whole other world for Jackson-Davis inside. If not, Indiana might be in for a long season.

Its important to understand this up-front: BC Mega is good. Nikola Jovic , a 6-foot-10 guard, is a projected lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Former Dayton guard Scoochie Smith is also on the team.

BC Mega should present a significant test for Indiana, especially on the defensive end.

Indianas defense was wildly inconsistent last season. They put up one of the most cohesive efforts on the road against Iowa, only to get diced by Geo Baker and Rutgers. It was the same in Indianas home contest against Michigan State, where the defense completely broke down.

Woodson said that most of the emphasis this summer was on the defensive end.Much of their success is reliant on simply staying in front of the ball, something that Indiana largely struggled with last season. When Indiana got gashed off the dribble, it opened up wide-open shots on the perimeter like at home against Michigan State. Woodson also said hes been reviewing how to recover, should the defense break down.

Filed to: 2021 Bahamas Trip

Go here to see the original:

What we're watching for during Indiana's exhibitions in the Bahamas - Inside the Hall

UPDATED, 2:30 p.m. ET

It is, first and foremost, a basketball trip. But for Indiana's basketball players, a week in the Bahamas is all about team bonding and having a laugh or two.

So far, mission accomplished.

After a good practice on Wednesday at the Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas, the Indiana players donned wet suits and swam with the the dolphins in the afternoon. And, based on this video sent out by the university, it looks like they had a great time.

The Hoosiers took a direct flight to Nassau on Tuesday night, and are all settled in at the swanky resort. They will play two exhibition games on the trip against a top-level professional club team out of Serbia, BC Mega. The first game is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET and the second game is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The games are not being televised or being broadcast on the radio. There is also no live streaming online of any of the game action.

The biggest benefit for Indiana is getting 10 extra practices in before the games, which is huge with new coach Mike Woodson now in charge. He is installing new schemes, both offensively and defensively, and all the extra time will pay huge dividends when the regular season rolls around in early November.

The Hoosiers have been working hard, and Woodson, who's been stressing conditioning, has been pleased with their progress, though he's quick to point out that "we still have a long way to go.''

But it's been a good month of workouts together so far, and a week-long getaway to the Bahamas will be part work and part fun. Since being hired in late March, this is Woodson's team now, and the first road trip together will be fun.

"Going to The Bahamas and being able to get away with my teammates, that's going to be good because we've been going at it the last three months,'' Indiana junior Trayce Jackson-Davis said. "It's been a long summer. Playing against another good team in Serbia, they're going to bring a challenge for us.

"It's really going to test ourselves to see where we are, what we need to work at, what we're good at. I think it's going to be good for us. I just can't wait to get out there and play, honestly.

The BC Mega club team, one of the best teams in the top Serbian professional league, has produced several NBA players, including current Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. They also have a projected 2022 first-round pick on their current roster,Nikola Jovic, a 6-foot-10 forward with guard skills is only 18 years old but he's considered one of the top prospects in Europe. He could very well be a top-10 pick next year.

"With the Mega team, we are watching film on them. They are a big team. They are a team that plays well together,'' Woodson said. "They have got a pretty good little point guard that kind of directs traffic, so we really going to have to control him and put heat on him when he's got the ball in his hand.

"They have a lot of shooters, a lot of big guys. So, it will be a test for our ballclub to see how we compete and how we can play at a high level. That's kind of why I'm anxious to get to the Bahamas to see where we are as a team.''

UPDATE: Indiana will be shorthanded on the blocks for these two games. According to Peegs.com, neither 7-foot USF transfer Michael Durr or incoming 6-9 freshman Logan Duncomb are going to play in the games this weekend because of some nagging injuries.

Here is the original post:

Practice in Paradise: Hoosiers Arrive in Bahamas for Exhibition Games Getaway - Spartan Nation

NASSAU, BAHAMAS United States Embassy Charg dAffaires Usha Pitts said the US is in early negotiations with the government of The Bahamas to contribute personnel to the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight.

This comes as the nation enters an unprecedented phase of the pandemic with record cases and hospitalizations.

The US has, throughout this pandemic, weve been focused on the support, Pitts said.

Its not just about vaccines, right?

So, we donated diagnostic equipment. We donated the freezers to store the vaccines, PPEs.

We are constantly working with the Bahamian government to find out what we can do to support them.

Samaritans Purse has been a partner to The Bahamas ever since Dorian and theyve always come through really well.

We understand that the hospitals are really suffering because basically they need more personnel.

Thats on our list too to see if we can support them with medical personnel to treat COVID cases.

Asked if the personnel would include doctors and nurses specifically, Pitts said she was unable to disclose finite details as the discussions were in the preliminary stages.

I cant comment just yet; were just in the early phase of discussions, the charg said.

So, like this third wave in The Bahamas, it is becoming a critical issue on the medical side of things. So, were just starting discussions on how we can support The Bahamas.

Hospitalized cases have increased to 146 cases, up from the 138 reported on Tuesday.

Of those, 15 cases were in Intensive Care Units.

The Bahamas has around 140 beds for COVID patients.

The Bahamas recorded 1,221 cases this month alone.

Last month, a total of 2,185 cases were recorded a record number of cases in a single month.

Another 130 cases were recorded on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the US donated 128,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines the single largest tranche of vaccine doses received to date.

It is the first tranche of a total of 400,000 doses of the US-manufactured vaccine.

More here:

SENDING HELP: US in negotiations to send personnel to The Bahamas to assist with COVID fight - EyeWitness News

DAguilar:Visitors staying longer and spending moreIf you were thinking of The Bahamas as an aircraft, first class is clearly filling up before economy class

NASSAU, BAHAMAS For the first six months of 2021, The Bahamas welcomed just over 400,000 stopover visitors, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio DAguilar.

DAguilar, who was addressing the 9th annual Eleuthera Business Outlook, noted that by the fourth quarter of this year, this nation is projected to be back to pre-pandemic airlift capacity of over 4,000 seats daily.

He said that while at initial glance current arrival numbers may seem low, that number has been increasing every month.

DAguilar noted that 2019 was a record year for tourism arrivals, with 7.2 million visitors visiting The Bahamas 1.8 million by air and 5.4 million by cruise ship.

In that year, visitor arrivals into the Eleuthera mainland amounted to 45,000, up 21.6 percent from the previous year, and tourism arrivals into Harbour Island amounted to 19,000, up 13.1 percent from the previous year, he said.

If you look at June 2021 alone, just over 135,000 stopover visitors would have come to The Bahamas, representing almost 70 percent of the total in June 2019.

Every month, more and more visitors are returning to The Bahamas and the difference between 2021 visitor arrivals and 2019 visitor arrivals is declining with each passing month.

DAguilar noted that while visitor arrival numbers may not be near pre-pandemic levels,visitors are staying longer and spending more.

The more exclusive and therefore the more expensive components of our tourism product are rebounding quicker, meaning that even though the heads may only be 70 percent of what they once were, the spending by visitors is probably closer to 80 percent of what it once was, said DAguilar.

According to the tourism minister, for the first six months of 2019, tourist arrivals in the Family Islands represented 20 percent of the total arrivals in The Bahamas. For the six months of 2021, tourist arrivals in the Family Islands represented 35 percent of total arrivals.

DAguilar noted that Eleuthera is the best performing island by far, with 27 percent of visitors traveling to the Family Islands this year going there mainly to Harbour Island.

In addition to the Family Island rebound, the amount of private jets, the amount of private yachts, the amount of persons seeking the most expensive accommodation we have to offer indicates to us that if you were thinking of The Bahamas as an aircraft, first class is clearly filling up before economy class, said DAguilar.

As we look further out into the year, we naturally expect the historical downturn in September and October as kids return to school and parents return to work after the summer holidays, but as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, we expect the numbers to rebound very robustly.

See the article here:

INCREASING EVERY MONTH: Bahamas welcomes 400K stopover visitors in first half of the year - EyeWitness News

Multiple cold-storage boxes containing a total of 128,700 Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines arrive in The Bahamas in several cold-storage containers

NASSAU On the morning of Thursday, August 12,the United States delivered 128,7000Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dosesto The Bahamas, making good on the promises of the Biden-Harris Administrations global vaccine sharing framework. Prime Minister the MostHonourableDr. HubertMinnisand U.S. ChargdAffairesUsha E. Pitts were on the tarmac at Jet Aviation, ready to receive the deliveryof this first tranche of a total of 379,000 total vaccinesthat the United Stateshas pledgedtoThe Bahamas.

In addition to the vaccines themselves, the United Stateshas contributed over $1.5 million dollars to the fight against COVID-19in The Bahamas.As recently asJuly, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) secured four ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers required to store and distribute the Pfizer vaccine. Valued at a total of over $100,000, the freezers can cool doses at up to -122 degrees Fahrenheit and store over 168,000 vaccine doses each. In addition to the ULT medical freezers, USNORTHCOM also provided the additional medical supplies needed to administer and handle Pfizer vaccine doses, including syringes, phlebotomy equipment, and specialized tools and personal protective equipment for manipulating materials at sub-zero temperatures.

This represents a way for us to really break the back of this pandemic, said ChargdAffairesUsha E. Pitts after delivering the donation, calling this a wonderful day. She added that she was very proud to be the representative of the United States here today. This gift from the American people to The Bahamas is of course an enduring representation and symbol of our friendship.Speaking to journalists after her formal remarks, Charg Pittsalsohighlighted the U.S. governmentsgrant of $750,000 to The Bahamas through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in late 2020, which providing critical supplies and support to the countrys healthcare workforce, and an $85,000 state-of-the-artBioFirerespiratory disease diagnostic machine to Princess Margaret Hospital. In June, USNORTHCOM contributed an additional $535,000 in respirators, medical equipment, and Personal Protective Equipment to The Bahamas, adding to nearly $10 million they contributed to disaster preparedness and resilience over the past year.

Teamwork between the United States and The Bahamas was also on full display when several U.S. government entities worked with the Bahamas Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee to distribute vaccines to eight Family Islands. First in April, and again in June of 2021, the Rhode Island National Guard provided a C-12 plane and crew, while U.S. NORTHCOM donated specialized coolers to keep the thousands of vaccine doses viable as they were delivered toMayaguana,AcklinsIsland, Crooked Island, Cat Island, Long Island, Inagua, Bimini, and Eleuthera. The two missions also transported Bahamian healthcare workers and volunteers to these remote locations, and another mission is being planned now that more vaccines have arrived in-country.

The arrival of this tranche of 128,700 Pfizer vaccinedoses to The Bahamas is just one part of the United States commitment to fighting COVID-19 across the globe, and to laying the groundwork for increased vaccine supply and access around the world. Pfizer-BioNTechs focus is on helping to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere, and that requires the hard work and collaboration of many said Pfizers Latin America President Carlos Murillo. Due to the generous support of the U.S. Government and the commitment of CARICOM and the CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) to ensure that their citizens are protected, we will be able to accelerate access to our COVID-19 vaccine for the people of the Caribbean at no cost, expanding our global fight against this deadly disease.

As both the United States and The Bahamas celebrated their independence in July, we were reminded of our shared democratic values, long history of partnership, and enduring social and cultural ties. Together, we will defeat COVID-19 and continue to build a world that is safer and more secure from infectious disease and other shared threats.

By U.S. Embassy Nassau | 12 August, 2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases

Read more:

US Embassy Delivers 128700 Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines to The Bahamas - US Embassy in The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Disabled Persons Organization (DPO) has officially installed its new executive team, which plans to take the organization to higher heights during the next two years of tenure.

The DPO is a cross-disability non-profit organization founded in 1981 by the late Phillip Smith. It was established to promote the human rights of all people with disabilities, to promote effective measures for the equalization of opportunities and encourage their full participation in society.

Antoine Munroe has been reinstated as DPO president and during this second term, he is determined to help make the DPO mission statement a reality.

The mission: To establish social, educational and training programmes to ensure that persons with disabilities in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas lead independent lives to the maximum extent possible.

Munroe said: During this, my second tenure, I wish to achieve more visibility for our organization, showcasing the wonderful talent of our members, especially the youth.

We have a very active, vibrant youth arm and we want the public and private corporations and businesses to see what we have to offer. Disabled persons have proven themselves effective in various sectors of society once given a chance.

I also want to be able to hire one or two people during this tenure. In addition, I want to bring back the pillow-making project. This was once a thriving project that members of the public greatly supported. We will bring this back and aim to hire at least ten people to fulfill this project.

Other members of the newly-inducted DPO executive team include: Ashanity Armbrister, first vice president; Abbie Munroe, second vice president; Lester Ferguson, treasurer; Stephan Pitt, assistant treasurer; Rickia Pratt, secretary; Lecheka Minnis, assistant secretary; Sheri Fountain, director; Gary Ferguson, director; Brenda Charles, trustee; Troy Fisher, trustee; and Tyrone Johnson, public relations officer/chaplain.

Since the incorporation of the DPO as a legally registered organization in 1996, the organization has taken tremendous steps in promoting and encouraging the education and training, economic empowerment, social development and integration of people with disabilities in society.

The DPO is of the conviction that within every person with a disability lies an equal or greater ability. This is why the organization continues to invest in the development of its members through education and training.

The DPO is the only organization in The Bahamas that has membership in the Disabled Peoples International (DPI), which is a network of national organizations or assemblies of people with disabilities. President Munroe has the honor of being the first Bahamian to sit on the executive team of the DPI. He currently serves as public relations officer.

The DPO also has membership in DP North American and Caribbean Regional Council. The DPO is also one of the founding members of the Disabled Peoples Organizations of the Caribbean (DPOC), which was founded in 1997 to promote and advocate for the empowerment of persons with disabilities. The DPO is a member of the Bahamas National Council for Disabilities, the umbrella organization for people with disabilities in the Bahamas.

The organization also has a good working relationship with the Disability Affairs Division, the leading government agency on disability under the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.

View original post here:

Bahamas Disabled Persons Organization announces new executive team - EyeWitness News