Category Archives: Bahamas

After resuming guest operations earlier in July, Carnival Cruise Line is ready to add more ships and homeports into regular service.

With seven more vessels returning through October, the cruise line will have a total of 15 vessels in service.

Here are the latest details on the additional ships coming into service:

Ship:Carnival GloryCapacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,974Built:2003Homeport:New Orleans Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean or Western Caribbean First Cruise:September 5, 2021

Ship:Carnival Pride Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,100Built: 2001Homeport: Baltimore Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas First Cruise: September 12, 2021

Ship:Carnival Dream Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 3,650Built: 2009Homeport:Galveston Itinerary: Western and Eastern Caribbean First Cruise: September 19, 2021

Ship:Carnival Miracle Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,100Built: 2004Homeport: Long BeachItinerary: Three- and four-night cruises to Baja CaliforniaFirst Cruise:September 27, 2021 (after completing a season in Alaska)

Ship:Carnival ConquestCapacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,974Built:2002Homeport:Miami Itinerary: Three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean First Cruise:October 8, 2021

Ship:Carnival Freedom Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,974Built:2007Homeport:MiamiItinerary: Eastern and Southern Caribbean First Cruise:October 9, 2021

Ship:Carnival Elation Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,040Built:1998 Homeport: Port Canaveral Itinerary: Four- and five-nights cruises to Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas First Cruise:October 11, 2021

Ship:Carnival Sensation Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,040Built: 1993Homeport: Mobile Itinerary: Four- and five-nights cruises to Western Caribbean First Cruise:October 21, 2021

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Here Are The Carnival Ships Returning in September and October - Cruise Industry News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Amid a surge of coronavirus cases and concerns about recent deaths, the competent authority will impose additional restrictions on New Providence, Grand Bahama, and Eleuthera, ranging from an increased curfew and limitations on dining, as on Monday at 5am.

During a Ministry of Health press conference, Minister of Health Renward Wells announced that based on the recommendations of health professionals, the curfew on three islands will be adjusted to a 10pm through 5am nightly curfew.

Travel from New Providence, Grand Bahama, and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island, will require a negative RT-PCR test for those who have not been fully vaccinated.

Religious worship on New Providence and Grand Bahama will be limited to one hour and a maximum of 33 percent of occupant capacity of the religious facility.

Meanwhile, funeral and cremation services will be prohibited indoors.

The requirement to have funeral and burial services at the graveside only will also be reintroduced on Monday.

According to Wells, a maximum of 30 people, excluding the officiant and workers, will be permitted to attend a funeral and weddings, the latter of which may continue indoors and outdoors.

Repasts will be prohibited.

Exercises groups will be limited to 10 people and groups, recreational or sporting will be permitted.

However, professional athletes will be permitted to continue to train.

Groups on beaches and parks should not exceed five people.

Wells also announced that the maximum capacity at gyms and movie theatres will be limited to 33 percent capacity.

Dining on the islands named will also be restricted to outdoors and takeaway services.

It is encouraged that there be no loitering of groups outside restaurants or at the Fish Fry, the minister said.

These restrictions, however, do not apply to hotel properties.

Spas will also be prohibited from opening as of Monday.

He said facilities that offer massages, waxes, treading of hair, and facials.

As it relates to the entire Bahamas, private gatherings will be restricted to five people, provided all individuals gathering have been vaccinated.

Wells also announced restrictions for political groups, with a vaccination requirement for those campaigning.

Persons who are campaigning must be fully vaccinated and campaigning teams are restricted to five persons, he said.

He called on Bahamians to adhere to the public health protocols, though it was acknowledged that COVID fatigue has set in among the public.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan likened what she called a disturbing increased in COVID-19 cases, reflected by graphs, to a plane on takeoff.

Officials maintained that vaccination is the key to getting the nation out of the pandemic, insistingthat while the vaccine does not stop inoculated individuals from getting the virus, it substantially reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and deaths.

More than 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in The Bahamas, with over 40,000 fully vaccinated.

A woman, 53, died from COVID on Thursday and an additional 110 cases were confirmed.

Total deaths from the virus stood at 280, with 23 deaths still under investigation.

Hospitalizations increased to 92, a more than 100 percent increased since the end of June, and pushing the healthcare sector to capacity.

Ten hospitalized cases remain in Intensive Care Units.

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Administrator Mark Walker revealed that PMHs cases grew from 39 to over 50 on Friday and the hospital has lost over 90 beds due to exposures on certain wards.

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LOCK AND KEY: Wide sweeping restrictions reintroduced on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera - EyeWitness News

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A PAN American Health Organization official said there is evidence the Alpha variant of COVID-19 has infected Bahamians, but there is no evidence the highly contagious Delta strain is here.

During PAHOs weekly webinar yesterday, Dr Jairo Mendez Rico, PAHOs virology advisor, said although the Delta virus has not been detected, surveillance units must remain on the lookout for it.

Several samples from The Bahamas have been sent to the lab in Brazil, said Dr Rico. According to the most recent information, the Alpha variant of concern has been detected in most of the samples together with other variants with less proportion.

So far there is no evidence of the Delta variant in The Bahamas. Nevertheless, the surveillance unit should be mandated to detect the possibility of the Delta or any other variant.

According to the World Health Organization, the Delta variant is the fastest and fittest variant yet. It is said to be as much as 50 percent to 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant which was already 50 percent more transmissible than the original strain of COVID-19.

WHO officials say the Delta variant poses a serious risk to people who are not fully vaccinated, as it is highly contagious. There is also some indication the Delta variant may result in more severe symptoms.

Although a slight decrease was seen in the region, PAHO director, D. Carissa Etienne said infection rates in the region continue to be very high.

Over the last week, our region reported over 967,000 new cases and 22,000 deaths, a slight decrease from the previous week, Dr Etienne said. More and more, disease trends are showing a region divided by vaccine access. In countries with adequate vaccine supply, infections are decreasing; in places where vaccine coverage is still low, infections remain high.

COVID infections are decreasing across Canada and most of the US. The US states that are reporting increases are the ones with lower vaccination rates, demonstrating the importance of vaccines to control this virus.

Several countries like Honduras and Haiti have yet to reach even one percent (vaccination rate). And while vaccine donations are on their way to these countries, vaccine coverage remains dangerously low in many more countries across our region.

On the subject of variants, Dr Etienne said any virus has only one goal and that is to multiply and COVID-19 is no different.

Thats why they often adapt to become less dangerous but more contagious over time, she said. And thats what were seeing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Many of todays variants of concern spread more easily, so theyre driving new infections in our region and around the world.

So far, 47 countries and territories in our region have detected at least one variant of concern and 11 have detected all four of todays most concerning variants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. New variants will emerge as long as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread.

Just this week, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the country was under two pandemics, one for the vaccinated and the other for the unvaccinated.

The one thing the Bahamian populace must understand: were in two pandemics, he said. The vaccinated individuals are now out of the pandemic. The pandemic is finished for the vaccinated individuals. The unvaccinated individuals are still in the pandemic and, therefore, its essential for us to be aggressive, of which were doing.

US President Joe Biden recently said, The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated.

Dr Etienne had similar sentiments.

We face a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and the only way to stop it is to expand vaccination, she said. Vaccines are critical, even if no vaccine is 100 percent effective. Just as important are public health measures like physical distancing, mask wearing, avoiding crowds and infection control measures like testing, contact tracing and quarantining.

Together, these measures are the fundamentals of our response and they remain effective against variants of concern. COVID cases are accelerating in most Central American countries. In the Caribbean, COVID cases and deaths are spiking in Cuba, where many provinces are reporting dramatic increases in new infections. The situation is especially acute in the province of Matanzas.

Cuba is not the only one: many smaller islands are also reporting an increase in infections. Over the last week, Martinique has seen a tripling of cases mainly among young people in their 20s driven by large gatherings.

These trends illustrate how COVID-19 remains entrenched within our region, particularly in countries with low vaccination coverage. And the spread of variants only makes matters worse.

Dr Etienne said thanks to the efforts of countries across the Americas, the region has built a robust and innovative surveillance network that enables us to keep a close eye on the emergence and spread of COVID-19 variants.

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No evidence of delta variant in The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

Alpha variant detected in most of Bahamas samplesSo far, there is no evidence of delta variant circulation in The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The alpha variant of the coronavirus, which is estimated to be between 40 percent and 80 percent more transmissible than the original, has been confirmed to be present in The Bahamas, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

During its weekly briefing, PAHO Regional Advisor for Viral and Emerging Diseases Dr Jairo Andres Mendez-Rico was asked whether the organization had confirmed additional variants in The Bahamas since the onset of the pandemic.

Local health professionals have long speculated the presence of additional variants, but had not publicly confirmed based on samples sent to labs.

In close collaboration, with the Genomic Surveillance Regional Network, several samples from The Bahamas have been sent to the Sequencing Reference Lab in Tu Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where actually complete genomes have been obtained, Mendez-Rico said.

According to the most recent information to be officially verified by the country, but already available, in global databases, the alpha variant of concern had been detected in most of the samples, together with other variants in less proportion, including the iota, which has been classified by WHO (World Health Organization) as a variant of interest.

So far, there is no evidence of delta variant circulation in The Bahamas; nevertheless, the genomic surveillance should be maintained to timely detect the possible introduction and spread of delta or any other variant.

According to Johns Hopkins data, the alpha variant was first detected in southern England last year, with patients of alpha facing a greater risk of hospitalization and death.

An Oxford study showed that after adapting to covariables, patients receiving primary care and infected with the alpha strain were more likely to die in 28 days than those infected by other strains of the virus.

The alpha, beta, delta and gamma have been classified as variants of concern, which denotes evidence of an increase in transmissibility; more severe disease, including increased hospitalization or death; and reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines.

Variants on interest those with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes to receptor binding and reduced ability to be neutralized by vaccines include epsilon, nextstrain, iota and kappa

According to PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne, 47 countries in the region have detected at least one variant of concern.

Meanwhile, 11 have detected all four variants alpha, beta, gamma and delta.

The Bahamas has recorded 13,781 cases of the virus since last March and 274 deaths.

The nation has administered around 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines, with 39, 366 fully vaccinated around nine percent of the population.

The COVAX program, of which The Bahamas is a part, will see 3.7 million more vaccine doses sent to countries in the Americas region through the end of July, said PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa.

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THEY'RE HERE: Alpha and iota coronavirus variants confirmed in The Bahamas - EyeWitness News

Train enthusiasts will get a second chance to see the 45596 Bahamas this weekend.

Crowds gathered at Newbury Station last Sunday to see the steam train 'Bahamas pass through the district.

The train arrived at Newburys platform 1 just before 10.30am on its way from London Paddington to Salisbury.

It passed back through Bedwyn and Newbury on the return leg later that day.

But if you missed it last weekend, you will get another chance to catch a glimpse of the steam engine as it passes through Newbury once again tomorrow, Saturday July 24.

The Bahamas will pass through Newbury at approximately 10.14am to pick up passengers on its way from Paddington to Bishops Lydeard, where another steam engine will take over to carry on to Minehead.

You could also catch a glimpse of it at Theale, Newbury Racecourse (we can't confirm, but it looks like it might be stopping there for a bit), Hungerford and Bedwyn.

It will pass through again on the return journey at approximately 8.44pm.

The locomotive 45596 Bahamas was built in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow for the London Midland & Scottish Railway.

It was designed by Sir William Stanier and entered service in 1935.

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45596 Bahamas steaming through Newbury - Newbury Today

Bahamas locomotive Photo Antony Christie

By John Horton and David Burrin

The Bahamas steam locomotive is coming through Thanet, not once but twice today (July 22).

Railway enthusiasts across the Isle will be able to witness a unique steam train as it passes through Minster, Ramsgate, Dumpton Park, Broadstairs, Margate, Westgate, and Birchington en route to Faversham from London Victoria this may change to being diesel hauled due to extreme heat being a fire risk.

The Kentish Belle will be hauled by steam Loco Bahamas, number 45596, a 4-6-0 Jubilee locomotive, one of 191 which were built between 1934 and 1936,concurrently alongside Black 5s 4-6-0s for the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) both of which were designed by William Stanier.

BAHAMAS was formerly based at Stockport, Manchester working passenger services from Manchester Central to London St Pancras along the former Cheshire Lines route, and following withdrawal from service at the end of steam operation, 4 of the class were preserved:-

45593 KOLAPHUR Withdrawn October 1967

45596 BAHAMAS Withdrawn July 1966

45960 LEANDER Withdrawn March 1964

45699 *GALATEA Withdrawn April 1936

*GALATEA contains many parts from loco 45562 ALBERTA all used on GALATEA

BAHAMAS was stored for many years at Stockport Depot before she was moved to Leeds for Repair and onto the Dinting Railway Museuem. She returned to mainline service in 1972 and did many trips on the mainline, another overhaul began in 2013 and BAHAMAS returned to service in 2019. It is the only preserved Jubilee to sport a double chimney.

The train will depart London Victoria and head down to Ashford, Canterbury West before passing through Thanet on its way to Faversham, the train returns later in the afternoon heading back to London. The Jubilee class never appeared in the South East in regular service and its appearance is unique to the class as it is therefore the first ever visit of such a loco to the South East.

The timings of the train as it passes are as follows:

MINSTER 11:37

RAMSGATE arr 12:04 dep 12:07

BROADSTAIRS arr 12:12 dep 12:14

MARGATE (Plat 3) arr 12:18 dep 12:21

The return times are :

MARGATE (Plat 1) arr 16:52 dep 16:58

BROADSTAIRS arr 17:05 dep 17:07

RAMSGATE (Plat 2) arr 17:12 dep 17:14

MINSTER 17:22

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The Bahamas steam locomotive scheduled to pass through Thanet today - The Isle of Thanet News

A virulent and fast-moving coral disease that has swept through the Caribbean could be linked to waste or ballast water from ships, according to research.

The deadly infection, known as stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), was first identified in Florida in 2014, and has since moved through the region, causing great concern among scientists.

It spreads faster than most coral diseases and has an unusually high mortality rate among the species most susceptible to it, making it potentially the most deadly disease ever to affect corals. More than 30 species of coral are susceptible. It was found in Jamaica in 2018, then in the Mexican Caribbean, Sint Maarten and the Bahamas, and has since been detected in 18 other countries.

In Mexico, more than 40% of reefs in one study had at least 10% of coral infected by SCTLD, and nearly a quarter had more than 30%. In Florida, regional declines in coral density approached 30% and live tissue loss was upward of 60%.

Scientists have not yet been able to determine whether the disease is caused by a virus, a bacterium, a chemical or some other infectious agent, but the peer-reviewed study in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science supports the theory that ballast water from ships may be involved. Conducted in the Bahamas by scientists at the Perry Institute for Marine Science, it found that SCTLD was more prevalent in reefs that were closer to the Bahamas main commercial ports, in Nassau and Grand Bahama, suggesting a likely link between the disease and ships.

Judith Lang, scientific director at the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment project, which has been tracking the disease, said: The prevailing currents in the Caribbean push seawater to Florida and not in the reverse direction, and the predominant wind direction is westward. So human dispersal [to those three territories] in 2018 seems necessary.

In 2017, the spread of deadly pathogens by ships when they discharge ballast water prompted the International Maritime Organization to implement the Ballast Water Management Convention, which requires that ships discharge their ballast water used to maintain the ships stability 200 nautical miles from shore in water at least 200 metres deep before entering port, to ensure they do not bring in harmful foreign pathogens.

In the Bahamas, SCTLD has spread rapidly since first being identified in December 2019.

Krista Sherman, senior scientist at the Perry Institute and a co-author of the recently published paper, said: The disease is spread along about 75km of reef tract, about 46 miles so for Grand Bahama that is a large structure of reef. Were talking about mostly covering the entire southern coastline of the island.

The disease is also widespread in the coral reefs of New Providence, where the Bahamas capital, Nassau, and main port are located. The study notes the presence of international container ships, cruise ships and pleasure boats at that location, as well as a fuel shipping station.

Infection rates among the most susceptible species were 23% and 45% across New Providence and Grand Bahama respectively, and recent mortality rates have reached almost 43%.

With the exception of two species, the researchers found there was a significant relationship between the disease and proximity of reefs to the major shipping ports. They noted an increasing proportion of healthy colonies as distance from the port increased on both islands, and a greater proportion of recently dead colonies closer to the port than farther away.

The locations where SCTLD is prevalent in the Bahamas are all popular with tourists, recreational fishers and divers, Sherman said.

There are concerns that the coral disease could affect the countrys main fishery export, spiny lobster, said Adrian LaRoda, president of the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance. Although the lobster fishers work further out to sea, the industry would be affected if the reefs die. The spiny lobster fishery brings in $90m (66m) a year and employs 9,000 people.

Any negative impact on our reefs would definitely drastically affect our spiny lobsters because the mature animals migrate [from the reefs] to the fish aggregating devices [a technique for catching fish], LaRoda said. He added that the lobsters reproduction rate and the food supply for juvenile lobsters in the reef would also be affected.

The Bahamian government has set up a national taskforce to tackle the problem. Currently, the most effective treatment for the disease is the application of the antibiotic amoxicillin directly to the corals, which has seen some success in reducing mortality, but no realistic permanent solution is available.

According to Lang, rather than treating the symptoms, there is a need to tackle the possible human-made causes. Given a chance, nature can heal naturally, she said.

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Deadly coral disease sweeping Caribbean linked to wastewater from ships - The Guardian

DAVIS, WEST VIRGINIA The National Youth Science (NYS) Foundation has extended congratulations to the 2021 National Youth Science Camp delegates from The Bahamas who were selected to represent the country at the 2021 National Youth Science Camp, held virtually from June 28 to July 21, 2021.

Rowelinda Alcius is a student at CR Senior High School who is pursuing a career as a medical technologist.

Cobe Minnis is a student at CV Bethel who is planning to attend a Florida university, pursuing a career as a marine biologist.

The delegates joined around 140 other top science students from across the nation and around the world for this acclaimed honors science leadership program.

Over the last month, the delegates have been immersed in science lectures and directed studies led by some of the top scientists and professors from around the world.

NYSCamp Director Dr Brian Kinghorn noted: NYSCamp delegates are some of the best and brightest STEM students from across the world and deserved to be recognized for their protentional for leadership and achievements.

The virtual camp will provide them with opportunities to interact with STEM experts, build lasting friendships and get a jump-start on changing the world for good.

Delegates had opportunities to interact and connect with each other and to join in interactive sessions with presenters. Even though delegates were unable to gather in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, the 2021 National Youth Science Camp proved to be an engaging, exciting and unforgettable experience for them.

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Two delegates selected to represent The Bahamas at 2021 National Youth Science Camp - EyeWitness News

Arriving in Margate Photo Frank Leppard

Railway enthusiast have been out with their cameras as The Kentish Belle hauled by steam loco Bahamas travels through Minster, Ramsgate, Dumpton Park, Broadstairs, Margate, Westgate, and Birchington en route to Faversham from London Victoria.

Loco Bahamas, number 45596, a 4-6-0 Jubilee locomotive, is one of 191 which were built between 1934 and 1936, concurrently alongside Black 5s 4-6-0s for the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) both of which were designed by William Stanier.

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BAHAMAS was stored for many years at Stockport Depot before she was moved to Leeds for Repair and onto the Dinting Railway Museuem.

She returned to mainline service in 1972 and did many trips on the mainline, another overhaul began in 2013 and BAHAMAS returned to service in 2019. It is the only preserved Jubilee to sport a double chimney.

The return times today are :

MARGATE (Plat 1) arr 16:52 dep 16:58

BROADSTAIRS arr 17:05 dep 17:07

RAMSGATE (Plat 2) arr 17:12 dep 17:14

MINSTER 17:22

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Photos and video: Kentish Belle hauled by steam loco Bahamas passes through Thanet - The Isle of Thanet News

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 23) Two more alumni from Saint Augustines University (SAU) are at the Summer Olympic Games.

Rupert Gardiner is in Tokyo as an assistant coach of the Bahamas National Track & Field Team. A 1982 SAU graduate, Gardiner ran cross country for the Falcons before establishing himself as a well-respected track & field coach and administrator in his country.

The Bahamas relay squads have earned international acclaim under Gardiner, the countrys national relays coordinator. In the 2000 Olympics, Gardiner guided the Bahamas womens 4100 relay team to a gold medal.

SAU alumna Cora Hepburn is part of the Bahamas National Team as an administrator. She is the first female to be named Chef de Mission by the Bahamas Olympic Committee. The definition of Chef de Mission is a person in charge of a national team at an international sports event.

Hepburn was a volleyball standout at Saint Augustines in the early 1980s. A 1983 SAU graduate, Hepburn won CIAA Player of the Year, All-District and All-State honors and led her alma mater to multiple conference titles and national acclaim.

Gardiner and Hepburn are two of five SAU alums taking part in the Olympics. Tia-Adana Belle and Shawn Rowe will compete in the 400-meter hurdles for Barbados and Jamaica, respectively, and Gabriel Burnett is head coach of the Barbados National Track & Field Team.

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Five St. Aug alumni taking part in Tokyo Olympic Games - HBCU Gameday