Category Archives: Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The United States will export at least 10 percent of its stock of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by July 4, according to Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt, a senior advisor to President Joe Bidens coronavirus response team.

While it remains unclear which countries will be the beneficiaries of the COVID-19 vaccine from the US, Slavit said the vaccine export is in an effort to help the globe fight the virus.

During a During a White House press briefing, Slavitt was asked about the US providing AstraZeneca to other countries, Pfizers US-based manufacturing facilities distributing shots to other countries directly, and how the US was directing the exports of the vaccine.

Well, as you may be aware, the prior administration prohibited that that type of export, Slavitt said. Weve lifted that.

And just to review some of the bidding so far: With our own vaccine supply, we have been supplying vaccine, we announced, to Mexico and to Canada.

We also announced that we would be exporting the entire block of AstraZeneca vaccines to countries that have approved AstraZeneca just as soon as we have approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

One of the things that president announced yesterday is that, by the time we get to July 4th, a full 10 percent of our stock of vaccines that weve acquired will have been distributed to other countries at a minimum so thats very important as part of our commitment.

Jurisdictions across the globe such as India and Nepal have been dealt devastating blows from the latest surges of the virus.

The US has millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has not been approved for use in the US.

The Bahamas has received 53,600 doses of AZ to date a donation of 20,000 doses from the government of India and 33,600 doses from the World Health Organizations COVAX Facility.

The Bahamas made a down payment to COVAX for the vaccine doses last year.

Another 33,000 doses are expected to be delivered by the end of May, though it remains to be seen if COVID vaccine shortages will impact the timetable of the delivery.

Slavitt urged Americans to get vaccinated sooner rather than later to help other nations receive the vaccine faster.

One of the benefits of everybody getting vaccinated as quickly as possible is it will allow us to do a better job in leading the way in helping the globe get their vaccines as well, Slavitt said,

The senior advisors appeal is not dissimilar to that of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who has encouraged Bahamians to get the jab in order for The Bahamas to reach herb immunity and return to some normality.

More than 25,000 people have received their first dose of the vaccine in The Bahamas.

All persons who have received a firstdoseof the vaccine will be eligible to receive thesecond dose.

Administration of the second doses isscheduled to begin on May 10.

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US to export 10 percent of vaccine supplies to other countries by July 4 - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said yesterday that The Bahamas is not in a good place as it continues to see a climb in new COVID-19 infections.

With a significant increase in cases over the past few weeks, officials have confirmed The Bahamas isexperiencing a third waveof coronavirus infections.

In an interview with Eyewitness News, Sands noted that over the last 14-days the country has averaged nearly 60-cases per day, calling the rise in cases a very unfortunate situation.

Sands said: Weve had more cases in April than March, February, and January combined. That is a very, very concerning issue because cases come first and deaths come after.

Weve seen a number of younger people hospitalized, some in their 20s, some in their 30s, thats not a good thing.

The Bahamas recorded 336 cases in January and 335 cases in February.

Cases nearly doubled in March with 613 cases.

There were more than 1,200 cases recorded in April.

Between Friday and Saturday, health officials reported 96 new COVID-19 cases.

Of those cases, 72 were on New Providence, 13 on Grand Bahama, one on Bimini & Cat Cay, one on Abaco, one on Eleuthera, two on Exuma, one on Long Island, one on Andros; and four additional cases with locations pending.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed six deaths that were previously under investigation to be COVID-related, bringing the total number of COVID deaths to 209.

The six deaths, all on Grand Bahama, included four women, ages 69, 68, 64, and 61; and two men, ages 80 and 56.

Another 24 deaths remain under investigation while a total of 44 deaths have been classified as non-COVID-related.

There are currently 52 hospitalized cases, 48 of which are moderately ill and four are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The total number of cases in the country stands at 10,519, of which 711 remain active.

Sands insisted yesterday that Bahamians must continue to follow public health protocols, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and washing their hands, in order for the country to get a handle on the cases.

That is where we are falling down as a people right now, he said.

He warned that stricter protocols, such as lockdown and shorter curfews, may have to be considered if the behavior does not change.

We are absolutely not in a good place and hopefully we will see the trend turn or the tide change. But to have an average over 14-days of 58 to 60 cases is not good, he added.

Health Minister Renward Wells has said the government does not intend to implement stricter protocols and has highlighted a need for more enforcement instead of restrictions.

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TEETERING: More cases in April than first three months of 2021 - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS With hurricane season fast approaching, meteorologists are predicting another busy one this year.

The season runs from June 1 to November 30, but some meteorologists have been lobbying for the seasons start date to be moved up to May 15.

Last year, there were nine named storms between May and July alone.

The Weather Company, a meteorology unit of tech giant IBM, has projected 18 named storms, eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes with Category 3 or greater wind speeds during the upcoming season in the Atlantic.

Despite the above-average forecast, the company does not anticipate conditions to be as favorable for a repeat of the hyperactive levels of storm formations and landfalls observed last year.

Meanwhile, Colorado State has predicted 17 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes at Category 3 or higher.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season saw a record formation of storms, rapid intensifications and numerous landfalls.

There were 30 tropical storms, breaking the 2005 record of 28 named storms.

The vast number of storms forced forecasters to roll out names from the Greek alphabet by mid-September as they had already exhausted the 21 names for predicted storms.

Ahead of the season, there was consensus among forecasters in their predictions of an active season.

The Weather Channel noted that 10 systems last season met the criteria for rapid intensification a term that became familiar in The Bahamas after Hurricanes Matthew, Joaquin and Dorian made landfall.

The most notable of the 2020 season was Hurricane Iota, a Category 5 storm that packed 160 mile-per-hour (mph) winds one of the most intense on record.

Twelve storms made landfall in the US in 2020, another record since 2016.

A total of nine systems made landfall along the US Gulf Coast.

Dorian in September 2019 packed winds of over 185mph when it pummeled portions of Abaco and Grand Bahama.

In each of the last five hurricane seasons, there has been at least one Category 5 storm.

These include Matthew in 2016, Irma and Maria in 2017, Michael in 2018, Dorian in 2019 and Iota in 2020.

Some pundits, politicians and environmental organizations have pointed to climate change as the reason for the increasingly active hurricane seasons.

The government of The Bahamas has concurred, with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis making repeated appeals on the international stage for developed countries to do more to reduce their carbon footprint, as small island nations like The Bahamas take the brunt of the impact associated with climate change events.

A wealth of research, including that of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), points to stronger storms as a result of ocean temperatures rising.

The Bahamas was spared last season, a much-needed reprieve as the nation continued recovery efforts from Dorian on the islands impacted and battled its second wave of the coronavirus, which threatened the public healthcare system as cases spiraled in the thousands.

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WET WEATHER INCOMING: Another active hurricane season projected for 2021 - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The current voters register stands at 189,288 voters, with just over 500 voters added to the register since the beginning of April, according to Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson.

In an interview withEyewitness News, Duncanson advised that as of May 1, 2021, there were 131,074 voters registered on New Providence; 30,214 on Grand Bahama; and 28,000 on the Family Islands.

Various centers have been opened for expanded voter registration exercises on New Providence and Grand Bahama, including for individuals who are not on the 2017 register or who may need to make an address transfer.

There were 181,000 registered voters in the 2017 General Election, with a voter turnout of around 88 percent.

The governmentpassed the Parliamentary Election (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in December, which made the voters register from the last general election in The Bahamas a continuous or permanent register.

There is not an expectation for an influx of people registering before the election is called.

The Parliamentary Voter Registration Department has estimated there will be approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people who may register themselves including new graduates coming out of high school annually.

Constituencies Commission Chairman and Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie has said the commission may recommend adding four more constituencies to the current boundaries three on New Providence and one on Grand Bahama.

He explained that the commission has gleaned from the register that some constituencies have far more voters than others making voter parity in the current form difficult.

Moultrie has also noted that the commission observed a strange phenomenon in a decrease in registered voters on four sparsely populated Family Islands.

The Parliamentary Registration Department has been actively engaged in cleaning up thenow permanent registerby removing those who have died since the last general election and registered voters who have transferred from their constituencies.

The commission has been awaiting legal advice on how to handle displaced storm victims from Abaco and Grand Bahama, who have been unable to return to those islands but were ordinary residents up until Hurricane Dorian decimated those islands in September 2019.

The speaker has previously said the commission wasconsidering a special voting privilegethat would allow displaced storm victims to vote in the constituency in which they ordinarily resided.

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MORE AND MORE: Nearly 200000 registered to vote; more than 500 added in the last month - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Executive Chairman Adam Stewart said yesterday he has no doubt that the Royal Bahamian resort on Cable Beach will be fully booked out when it reopens in early November following a $37 million renovation.

Stewart, who gave insight into the renovations to be undertaken while touring the property yesterday, said 980 jobs will be available when the all-inclusive resort reopens on November 4.

According to Stewart, there is no question as to the pent-up demand for travel. He noted that The Bahamas is well-positioned to take advantage of this, given its proximity to the United States and its sterling reputation in the tourism industry over the years.

I think we are going to have a pretty good summer Caribbean-wide and The Bahamas included, said Stewart.

Sandals does a tremendous amount of its bookings many months out and so we have a good pulse of the trend and pace of whats coming. In our own company, we are seeing the booking pace in excess of 25 to 30 percent ahead of 2019. When you see that kind of booking pace, it says that were putting the wheels back on the bus.

He said there is no doubt the hotel will open fully booked out in November, noting that the chain resorts properties across the region are currently seeing occupancy levels in the range of 80 and in some instances 90 percent.

Stewart noted that despite the crippling effect the pandemic has had on tourism in general, the company has benefited from consumer trust, having been in operation in the Caribbean for 40 years.

The company announced last month it will unveil several new features and facilities like the addition of iconic river suites as well as the refurbishment of over 200 rooms and suites ahead at the Royal Bahamians reopening.

The resort had previously been slated to reopen on January 28, but that date was pushed back to March 31 then May 1 and later to the now November date.

Stewart revealed yesterday that the company does not hold a position regarding its employees receiving the COVID vaccine, as some other local organizations have been mandating.

We dont have a position; were agnostic. Its the individuals right unless the government has a policy on that. The government sets policy we follow it, he said.

We are supporting our team members whichever pathway they choose.

Stewart also lauded the success of the resort chains Emerald Bay Exuma property, which reopened in March.

Exuma is up and running and doing very well. What I love about our relationship in Exuma is that we have pulled together, he added.

One of the great things that has happened during the pandemic is that we have come together like never before with the government and other hoteliers, all doing our best to try and earn our way out of a situation that none of us created. The unity in Exuma is at the best I have ever seen it in our 11 years there.

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SUCCESS EXPECTED: Sandals has no doubt NP resort will reopen fully booked out after $37M renovation - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS PwC in the Caribbean and the PwC Charitable Foundation have collectively donated $100,000 to disaster relief and recovery efforts in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

On April 9, 2021, the La Soufriere volcano erupted, sending ash and gas plumes miles into the sky and affecting neighboring islands. The disaster has displaced about 20,000 people and left the population of 110,000 people without clean drinking water or electricity.

PwC firms operating in the Caribbean contributed a total of $60,000. The funds were raised by the partners and staff of PwC firms in The Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, East Caribbean (Barbados and St Lucia), Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

In addition, the PwC Charitable Foundation approved a grant of $30,000 to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross, through the American Red Cross. And a donation of $10,000 was made by L&F Indemnity Limited (L&F), the Bermuda-based captive insurance company for the PricewaterhouseCoopers network of firms.

The funds are being donated to local and international organizations, including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Frazer Lindsay, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers Caribbean Region Ltd, said: We stand in solidarity with the people of St Vincent and everyone affected by La Soufrieres eruption. As we have done in the past with natural disasters in our region, our people have rallied quickly to demonstrate our support for those most in need and we thank them for their tremendous efforts.

Prince Rahming, territory leader, PwC Bahamas, said: The Caribbean region has experienced its share of disasters. We are all connected to each other and in times of devastation and crisis, one countrys loss affects us all.

Many countries came to our aid and provided assistance in response to Hurricane Dorian. Now it is our time to unite and stand with St Vincent and the Grenadines and lend our support.

We are grateful to our people within the PwC network for their efforts in raising these much-needed funds. It shows the power of community and the adage that we are indeed our brothers and sisters keepers.

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PwC in the Caribbean and the PwC Charitable Foundation donate $100K to St Vincent volcano relief efforts - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS While the government saw an improvement in its revenue intake during the third quarter of the fiscal year due to the continued relaxation of COVID-19 restrictive measures and the restart of the tourism sector, total revenue still saw a nearly 30 percent decline over the same period in the previous fiscal year.

According to the Ministry of Finances combined nine-month fiscal snapshot and report: The continued relaxation of COVID-19 restrictive measures during the third quarter FY2020/21 and the restart of the tourism sector have improved Bahamian economic activity, resulting in a firming of revenue collection in the third quarter FY2020/21.

Compared with the same period in FY2019/20, however, total revenue declined by an estimated $527.4 million (30 percent) to $1,229.7 million or 70 percent of last years collection and 69.8 percent of budget.

The Ministry of Finance noted that the third-quarter fiscal results confirmed that the Bahamian economy, although still below pre-crisis performance, is steadily progressing along the path of recovery.

Value-added tax (VAT) receipts strengthened to $183.4 million in the third quarter, from $151.7 million in the second quarter and $134.7 million in the opening quarter of FY2020/21.

It was also noted that during the third quarter, there was a boost in collections of real property taxes, increasing year-on-year by $11 million for the quarter due to the Real Property Tax (RPT) Forgiveness Programme, as well as a steady recovery in VAT and business license receipts, in the context of broadening gains in economic activity.

It was also noted that improvement in VAT collections was aided by the expiration of certain clauses of the Special Economic Zone (SERZ) concessions designed to aid in the rebuilding of areas of Grand Bahama and Abaco damaged by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

State Minister for Finance Senator Kwasi Thompson noted: We are seeing moderate signs of economic recovery as we are able to stabilize the public health crises. The third-quarter fiscal results provide optimism for the future.

We are pleased to see economic activity return as the domestic economy and export sector open up more and more. It is important for us to stay disciplined and vigilant, and for the vaccine rollout to continue in earnest, to allow for the ongoing relaxation of restrictions.

It would be clear to all objective observers that the governments Resilient Bahamas Plan has proven effective in providing real and tangible assistance to Bahamians while supporting stable macroeconomic conditions. Further, consistent with the governments strategy, the plan has ensured that the country has been able to weather this economic storm, while still keeping its foreign currency reserves at high levels, allowing the Bahamian dollar to remain as strong and secure as it has ever been.

Thompson further noted: Although we have not achieved pre-pandemic levels, the third-quarter results clearly indicate the situation is improving and we have successfully prevented any worst-case economic scenarios from materializing.

Outside of the necessary increases in social welfare spending to maintain unemployment benefits and to provide food to those in need, we have managed to contain other discretionary expenses to offset these increases.

This is what we set out to do as part of our fiscal adjustment plan: curtail non-essential capital expenditure by $100 million. So far, we have had notable success and we feel confident we will meet our fiscal target.

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SLOW CLIMB: Govt revenue improves in third quarter but still down nearly 30 percent - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, Bahamas, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As travel continues a steady return growth (with safety regulations in place), The Bahamas is excited to welcome back visitors with more flight options and deals this summer.

Given anticipated demand by its consumers, American Airlines has announced direct flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) beginning June 5, 2021. Frontier Airlines has also announced that direct flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Nassau (NAS) will be available four times a week starting July 2021.

To ensure travelers' safety, each airline has implemented travel requirements and safety measures, with more details available by visiting http://www.aa.com and http://www.flyfrontier.com. "We're excited to welcome these new flights to The Bahamas, allowing more options for travelers to book a stay in paradise, now that warmer weather is here," said the Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar,BahamasMinister of Tourism & Aviation.

While on island, wanderlusters will find ultimate relaxation and exhilarating adventure through the destination's rich culture, decadent sea-to-table dining and beautiful natural wonders. From secret sandbars and secluded pink-sand beaches, to deep blue hole diving and swimming with the pigs, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. Not to mention, Downtown Nassau offers 20 square blocks of monuments, murals, and museums for those looking to immerse themselves in The Bahamas centuries-old history.

Those looking to book their next vacation, whether in Nassau or island hopping throughout the Out Islands, can head to http://www.bahamas.com/deals-packages or check with their hotel representatives to learn more about the deals and packages available in the coming months.

ABOUT THE BAHAMASFor an overview of The Bahamas' travel and entry protocols, please visit Bahamas.com/travelupdates.

Explore all the islands have to offer atwww.bahamas.comor onFacebook,YouTubeorInstagram.

PRESS INQUIRIESAnita Johnson-PattyBahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation[emailprotected]

Weber ShandwickPublic Relations[emailprotected]

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

http://www.bahamas.com

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The Bahamas Welcomes Visitors With Even More Ways To Travel This Summer - PRNewswire

NFL stars are soaking up the sun in the Bahamas during the off-season.

After Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski was spotted at Baha Mar resort with his family celebrating the 60th birthday of his mom, Diane, NFL running back Todd Gurley was separately seen hanging poolside at Baha Mars members-only NEXUS Club.

Adding to the beachside roster, Falcons star and former Gurley teammate Julio Jones was also at the resort last week, sources said.

Gurley was later seen getting a sneak peek of Baha Bay, the resorts multimillion-dollar waterpark thats expected to open in July.

Also on the sporty scene, ESPN commentator and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreitwas seen dining at the resorts outpost of sushi spot Katsuyaalong with Kenny Dichter, the CEO of private-jet firm Wheels Up.

Former Giants star, Tiki Barber, was also recently vacationing at the same resort with ex-Yankees hurler CC Sabathia and their wives.

Buccaneers tight end Gronk posted pics on Instagram of his familys celebration, which included an enormous arch of pink balloons and flamingos.

He was joined by brothers Glenn and Chris along with their significant others.

It was beautiful and very special watching them celebrate their mother the entire weekend, a spy told Page Six.

In February, Gronkowski celebrated his fourth Super Bowl win his first for Tampa Bay and being reunited with his former Patriots teammate Tom Brady. Gronk and hisgirlfriend Camille Kostekalso shared a sweet moment on the fieldat Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

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NFL stars converge on the Bahamas to soak up the sun - Page Six

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations will not be sending a team to the fifth edition of the World Athletic Relays, scheduled for May 1-2 at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, Poland.

After hosting the first three editions of the World Relays in 2014, 2015 and 2017 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, the fourth edition was moved to Yokohama, Japan in 2019 after the Bahamas Government declined to provide the necessary funding.

The Bahamas decided to send a mens team to compete in both the 4 x 200 and 4 x 400m relays, but neither team fared that well.

In fact, the mens 4 x 400m relay didnt compete.

But in the 4 x 200m, the team of Cliff Resias, Stephen Newbold, Anthony Adderley and Shavez Hart advanced to the final with a second place in their heat in 1:22.40 for the sixth fastest time.

However, in the final, the team of Resias, Newbold, Adderley and Rico Moultrie didnt finish.

BAAA president Drumeco Archer confirmed that the Bahamas will not be going to Poland because it doesnt have sufficient athletes available to compete.

We didnt have athletes who are available to compete, Archer told The Tribune. Shaunae (Miller-Uibo) and Steven (Gardiner) camp indicated that they have decided not to travel outside of the US because of COVID-19.

And a lot of our elite athletes are still in university and college, who are not going to be released from their duties. So, we thought it would be prudent for us not just to take a team for teams sake. If were going to take a team, we will take a team that will have an impact.

World Athletics has released a statement indicating that 127 relay teams from 37 countries will compete in Silesia.

Archer said its disappointing that the Bahamas wont be represented.

When asked how he feels World Athletics will take it, he noted that he cant speak for World Athletics, but it was not for a lack of trying to get a team into Poland.

We have done all we can to get the athletes to compete, he said. I cant speak for Shaunaes or Stevens camp. We have always asked for their participation. We have communicated with their management team for them to compete under the banner of the Bahamas, particularly for relay duties.

They are two global beaters, and they certainly make a difference. We have expressed our concerns at every level, management and personal, for them to compete in the relays. The decision ultimately rests with them. They will have to decide if they are going to compete or not.

With the Olympic Games as the biggest sporting spectacular on the calendar this year after it was postponed last year, Archer said he know that the athletes are preserving themselves to travel to Tokyo, Japan to compete.

The Olympic Games is the big dance and from all indications, you can see that the athletes are ready to run, those at the collegiate level and the professionals. They are all doing very well, Archer said.

The Olympic Games have been rescheduled for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo. The event comes under the auspices of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, who have indicated that all systems are for Team Bahamas to compete.

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No Bahamas team for the World Relays - Bahamas Tribune