Category Archives: Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Residents in South Beach New Providence experienced a tornado yesterday, according to meteorologists, after waterspouts were spotted in eastern and western New Providence as well as in waters around Eleuthera.

Waterspouts occur over water, however, once they make landfall they are considered tornados.

Craig Lowe, founder of the Storm Intercept Weather Network, told Eyewitness News the organization received information about adverse weather activities in the Marshall Road area and a team was sent out to investigate.

Lowe said: Weve conducted a survey with our disaster assessment team. Based on the initial report that we have right now, the event that occurred on Marshall Road was in fact a tornado.

He explained that initial information showed that the system started over water in the marshland before it made landfall into the dry area of the marshland.

Lowe said the team continued to dissect the matter and consult the Department of Meteorology, which for its part advised a frontal system that was spawning severe thunderstorm cellswas tracking across the northwest Bahamas.

We have concerned reports of not just them (thunderstorms) in the Caves area but in the eastern part of New Providence where the cell was, as well as in Eleuthera, where another waterspout was spotted, said a Met Department spokesperson.

According to the department, the severe thunderstorms and adverse weather, including the waterspouts, are expected to subside sometime today.

The cold front is slowly moving toward the southeast, the spokesperson said.

You do have some instability that is still within the area of the cold front. So, if the bounds of the cold front itself continue to move southward, we will still have those events that will occur until it starts to weaken across the central Bahamas.

Mariners in the northwest Bahamas have been advised to remain vigilant due to the threat of possible waterspout activity.

Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) was also impacted as a result of weather conditions yesterday.

The power company advised that customers in the Winton area in eastern New Providence experienced brief outages due to a lightning strike.

BPL said an on-team site was also investigating outages in the western area but that power supply was restored to those areas by the afternoon.

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TURBULENCE: Parts of Bahamas see tornados and waterspouts - EyeWitness News

The chairman said the plans unveiled today will reset the company and its capital structure, including a new 6.9mln equity raise

() said it will convene an extraordinary general meeting and reveal a number of material changes to the business including a 6.9mln capital raise, a new chief executive,and a rebrand to Challenger Energy Group PLC.

Challenger Energy will in the near-term focus on cashflow and production whilst managing a cost cutting initiative to reduce its operational cost by at least 20% to 30%.

Eytan Uliel, currently commercial director, will become the companys new chief executive and Simon Potter is to transition to a non-executive director role, effective from May 20.

The company is to raise 6.9mln with an open offer to qualifying shareholders, issuing some 1.96bn new shares priced at 0.35p. Shareholders will be able to buy 1 new share for every 2.46 shares they hold. Any shares not taken up will be sold to institutional investors at the same price.

The equity issue will be followed by a 1:10 share consolidation.

"The company is focussed on restoration, renewal and refreshment, said chairman Bill Schrader.

In this context, the company's forward business strategy for the coming 12-18 months has been firmly set, on significantly increasing oil production and thus cashflow from our assets in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, which the board considers to be the most effective manner in which to restore value and create a foundation for future value growth.

Much of the detail in Challengers operations have previously been announced.

The Saffron-2 appraisal well, in Trinidad, will be a highlight as drilling gets underway in May or June.

The well is budgeted to cost US$3mln and is expected to yield 200 to 300 barrels of oil per day (bopd), to generate US$1.8mln to US$2.6mln of cashflow per year and set up a full-field development programme which could establish a base of 1,000 to 1,500 bopd, for US$8mln to US$12mln per year.

A longer term development of Saffron would comprise up to 30 wells to achieve peak production of around 4,000 bopd, it noted.

Separately, an appraisal well at the Weg Naar Zee project in Suriname is slated for July, budgeted at US$0.7mln, to potentially tee up an initial development producing 100 bopd for US$1mln of cashflow per year. A longer term development scenario is projected to generate more than US$2.5mln per year.

Challenger will also continue its schedule of ongoing production maintenance and enhancement work in Trinidad and Tobago where five producing fields currently average production between 450 and 500 bopd, for US$3mln of annual cashflow.

The company said it intends to continue low-cost exploration activities meanwhile a farm-out is sought for the groups Bahamas asset.

In Uruguay, the company is conducting initial technical work and in the future it will consider options to farm-out a stake in the project.

Along with the chief executive switch, the company will also see non-executive directors Adrian Collins and Ross McDonald step down, and, Stephen Bizzell will join.

I would like to welcome both Eytan Uliel and Stephen Bizzell on their prospective appointments to the board, as respectively CEO and non-executive director, Schrader said.

Shareholders will already be familiar with the contribution of Eytan to the organisation over the last seven years, and Stephen is highly credentialled in the industry, having successfully assisted many similar companies with significant capital raisings and transformational corporate transactions, as well as having actively supported the funding of this company for the past two years.

Simon Potter stays with us as a non-executive director, where his skills and experience remain available to the organisation.

The chairman added: Taken together, the steps being announced today represent what the board considers to be a coordinated approach to charting a viable and value-restorative future course for the company.

Eytan Uliel, chief executive designate, meanwhile, said: Our company has a diverse full-cycle portfolio of production, development and exploration assets.

The work program for 2021 and beyond is busy, and contains many value triggers.

The re-set proposed today will enable us to get after that value, through building production and cashflow. I am excited by the prospect of leading Challenger Energy Group, and I look forward to engaging with all our stakeholders over the coming months."

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Bahamas Petroleum to reset and rebrand as Challenger Energy Group - Proactive Investors UK

By ohtadmin | on April 21, 2021

The airline revealed in a statement on Wednesday that beginning in May, it is introducing new non-stop Saturday flights between Austin and Nassau.

As international demand has been slower to recover, Americans international capacity will be down approximately 20 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. The airline remains committed to serving as many international destinations as possible and will continue to offer more flights to more destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean than any other airline,American Airlines stated.

American is using wide-body aircraft to match demand from Miami International Airport (MIA); thus, short-haul markets in Latin America and the Caribbean will see select flights operating on Boeing 777s and 787-8s this summer.

American Airlines resumed regular flights to The Bahamas last October from MIA to Eleuthera, Freeport, and George Town.

The airline also flies to Nassau from Dallas, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Los Angeles and Boston, among others.

Flight trends, based on destination searches for flight bookings, have shown a steady increase in travelers interest in The Bahamas, with Kayak.com showing a more than 30 percent improvement in March and April over December 2020.

Earlier this month, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio DAguilar said March was the busiest month for travel to The Bahamas since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the approximately 60,000 travel visas approved by the ministry.

Link:

American Airlines announces service expansion to The Bahamas | New York Carib News - NYCaribNews

NASSAU, BAHAMAS MSC Cruises is giving serious consideration to homeporting in The Bahamas, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio DAguilar, who noted that the company was completing its due diligence and would likely indicate soon whether it will proceed with such an arrangement.

DAguilar told Eyewitness News: There is another cruise company that is seriously looking at using The Bahamas to homeport and that is MSC and they are sort of finishing their due diligence and will probably be in position to say whether its a go or no-go very shortly.

We have Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean already and right now MSC is seriously considering doing it if they havent already made the decision.

Crystal CruisesLuxury Bahamas Escapes will cruise July through October, with anitinerary that includes visits to Harbour Island, Great Exuma, San Salvador Island and Long Island.

Royal Caribbean received approval from the government to homeport Adventure of the Seas in Nassau through mid-September.

DAguilar said the homeporting arrangement has been deemed low-risk in light of the fact that all passengers and crew aboard the vessels will be required to be vaccinated.

This is not a decision that the Ministry of Tourism made in a bubble and we feel that the risk is relatively low given the vaccination status of passengers and crew, said DAguilar.

Obviously that is a bright spot in the tourism rebound.

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GAINING MOMENTUM: MSC Cruises could be third major cruise line this year to start homeporting in The Bahamas - EyeWitness News

Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Individuals establishing a business or practicing a profession that requires additional permits or licensing should seek information from the competent local authorities, prior to practicing or operating a business.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.

Drugs: Marijuana and all products that contains its derivatives such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) -- to include gummies, oils and other edible products -- are NOT legal in The Bahamas.Having a prescription or medical card for cannabis/marijuana does not exempt you from being prosecuted under Bahamian law, which makes no distinction between medical and recreational use of marijuana.

The possession or use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, is a criminal offense in The Bahamas and can result in time in prison. While visiting The Bahamas, you are subject to Bahamian law.Drug violators are regularly arrested, even for possession of small quantities. All persons 16 years of age or older in The Bahamas are tried as adults in court. If you are arrested for drug possession, you should expect to spend at least one night, and possibly longer, in custody. Stay away from drug traffickers, who may be often armed and violent. Do not accept packages from people you meet during your stay.

Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately. See our webpage for further information. Travelers should also be aware that Bahamian laws do not include a right to a public defender in lower courts. Any legal representation is at the expense of the visitor.

Faith-Based Travelers: See the following webpages for details:

LGBTI Travelers: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBTI events in The Bahamas.

See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.

Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance. Accessibility and accommodations in The Bahamas are very different from in the United States. Newer buildings, especially in tourism-centric areas are accessible, but many older buildings are not.

Students: See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips.

Women Travelers: See our travel tips for Women Travelers.

For more information aboutcustoms concerns,boating, andwildlife, please visit our website.

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The Bahamas International Travel Information

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The Best Bahamas Vacation Packages 2021 - Tripadvisor

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the travel advice for the Bahamas. And, perhaps not surprisingly, the agency is recommending everyone to avoid all travel to the Islands.

The reasoning is somewhat unclear from the agency. It comes just weeks before the cruise industry plans a major restart in the Caribbean, while several vessels will be sailing from and to the Bahamas this summer.

According to local infectious disease experts, the Bahamas have a relatively low number of cases, although the country has been entering its third wave. Last week saw 297 infections, while the week prior saw 189 infections. Currently, there are 441 active cases spread over the archipelago.

The decision to raise the Covid-19 level to level 4, the highest level, and tell US citizens to avoid all travel to the Bahamas can be called surprising, mainly because it also says all fully vaccinated people should avoid travel to the Islands. Previously, the notice was at level 3. In the meantime, the CDC is saying that travel within the US can be done while vaccinated.

The message on the CDC website reads as follows:

The message from the CDC comes just days after the agency had updated its warning about cruising, warning people to avoid all cruise travel.

With many cruise lines planning to sail from the Bahamas in the upcoming weeks and months, raising the level for the Bahamas could well be seen as a travel block to the Islands for US citizens to avoid cruising from the Bahamas.

So far, the CDC has not placed any restrictions on travel to the Bahamas; cruisers do not have to self-quarantine after traveling to the Bahamas. Although the advice is that anyone who returns from the Bahamas is tested after arrival back in the US.

Also Read: IDEAL Nassau, Bahamas Hotels for Cruise Visitors

The Bahamas itself are reasonably confident that the third wave will not affect the tourism industry as it has implemented a set of measures it is confident will suffice.

Travelers must have a valid PCR test five days before applying for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa. Besides this, the Islands have specific guidelines for each island. According to Both Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis and Health Minister Renward Wells, there are no plans to increase COVID restrictions.

In the meantime, the Bahamas has worked hard to get the economy restarted and hopes to do so with the help of cruise lines.

So far, Crystal Cruises is planning to start sailing from the Islands in July, while Royal Caribbeans Adventure of the Seas will start operating in June. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, amongst others, has announced cruises from the US to the Bahamas in July as well.

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CDC Updates Bahamas Travel Advisory, What's the Impact on Cruises? - Cruise Hive

As the Bahamas prepares to welcome back cruise ships in less than two months, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is telling travelers to avoid all travel to the island destination.

In a new update today, the CDC raised its warning to Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19 in the Bahamas. The updated advice reads as follows:

Because of the current situation in the Bahamas even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to the Bahamas. If you must travel to the Bahamas, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travelers should wear a mask, stay 6 feet from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the archipelago of more than 700 islands has seen 9,634 cases and 194 deaths among a population of just under 400,000. There are currently 387 active cases and 46 Bahamians hospitalized.

As with many parts of the world where variants are spreading and vaccination efforts are not as far advanced as in places like Israel, the UK, and the U.S., the Bahamas has seen a recent spike in cases to levels that havent been seen in months.

Last Friday, Bahamian newspaper The Tribune quoted former Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands saying that draconian interventions might be needed to bring the rising case count under control.

We have a problem, Dr. Sands said. Its a national problem and its a serious issue that threatens the health and the economic livelihood of The Bahamas. What intervention is required now is going to have to be determined on the basis of the assessment of how severe this situation is.

The news comes as a number of cruise lines plan to operate in the Bahamas this summer in part because of current CDC regulations that are preventing ships from sailing from U.S. ports.

Royal Caribbeans Adventure of the Seas is due to homeport in Nassau beginning in June. Luxury line Crystal Cruises is also heading to the islands, with all-Bahamas itineraries departing Nassau beginning July 3. And Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line recently announced plans to begin sailing the Grand Classica between West Palm Beach and Grand Bahama Island on July 2.

Royal Caribbean and Crystal Cruises will require all adults to be vaccinated, while Bahamas Paradise says its current plans do not include a vaccination requirement.

As Cruise Radio reported last week, the CDC doesnt currently want Americans getting on a cruise ship in the Bahamas or anywhere else. The agencys cruise travel warning remains at Level 4: Very High COVID-19.

CDC recommends that all people avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. Thats because the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is high since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships. It is especially important that people with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises.

For those who choose to travel despite its warning, the CDC website offers advice on precautions to take before, during, and after a cruise.

The cruise industry is currently in discussions with the CDC and White House officials to try and develop a safe path and timeline for reopening the industry. Cruise executives still hope to have at least some ships sailing from the U.S. this summer.

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CDC Raises Warning, Advises Against Traveling to Bahamas - Cruise Radio

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has told Americans to avoid travel to The Bahamas, citing a very high level of COVID-19 in the country.

Yesterday, the United States chief public health agency increased the countrys health notice from level three to level four.

The nation had remained at level three since late January, after previously being listed at level four by the CDC last year due to virus infections.

Travellers should avoid all travel to The Bahamas, the CDC advisory read. Because of the current situation in The Bahamas, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to The Bahamas.

If you must travel to The Bahamas, get fully vaccinated before travel. All travellers should wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid crowds and wash their hands.

According to international media reports, the US State Department said yesterday it planned to boost its Do Not Travel guidance to about 80 percent of countries worldwide, citing unprecedented risk to travellers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The State Department already listed 34 out of about 200 countries as Level 4: Do Not Travel, including places like Chad, Kosovo, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Mozambique, Russia and Tanzania. Getting to 80 percent would imply adding nearly 130 countries, according to reports. The Bahamas currently has a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory from the US State Dept.

Over the last several days, there have been 158 new cases, according to information released by the Ministry of Health, lending to concerns by officials that a third COVID-19 wave is underway.

There were 55 new COVID-19 cases in the country, including nine in Abaco, on Sunday, April 18. Officials said Abacos number reflected a testing exercise on April 1 at an Abaco based construction company.

A further breakdown of Sundays cases showed 21 in New Providence, 12 in Grand Bahama, one in Eleuthera, four in Andros and eight cases with locations pending.

On Saturday April 16 there were 40 new cases, on Friday, 62 cases were recorded and on Thursday 41 new cases recorded.

Additionally, there were 30 on Wednesday, 58 on Tuesday, 45 on Monday and 21 last Sunday for a total of 297 last week.

The week prior saw 189 infections.

With total COVID-19 cases nearing the 10,000 mark, the countrys top infectious disease expert, Dr Nikkiah Forbes believes The Bahamas is now facing its third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Total COVID-19 cases now stand at 9,791.

Dr Forbes, a COVID-19 task force member, said the nation could still get a handle on the situation if Bahamians continue to follow all of the health measures among other things.

She also noted vaccinations, COVID-19 testing and isolation strategies will be key in helping to tackle this wave of the pandemic but said all measures will have to be done in combination.

She said: The public health measures are very effective, but the key is for that to work is everybody has to follow themThe other way that the COVID outbreak could be stopped is a full robust vaccination programme but that takes time and we have to get a very large proportion of the population immunised and that takes time so theres two partsprevention like the vaccine and public health measuresand then theres control measures.

(This includes) having public health platforms that identifies the cases early and early means it has to be done very early like within a day or two and put those cases in isolation and find the high-risk contact and put them in quarantine and do follow up testing and it can work, but all those things have to be done in combination.

The countrys death toll is 194.

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'DON'T GO THERE': U.S. puts Bahamas back on top level alert as cases rise - Bahamas Tribune

Like many Americans, by the time spring rolled around after a long, cold, lonely COVID winter, I was ready to get the hell out of dodge for sunnier climes where I could at least pretend life was normal.

But where to go? The pandemic still runs amok, and it seems that fewer people are taking it as seriously as they did last year. I desperately wanted to sit on a beach, swim in the ocean and relax so, Florida? After all, much of New York seems to have moved there.

Then I saw reports of hordes roaming maskless in the streets, bars and restaurants. Miami Beach even sent SWAT teams out to enforce itsemergency curfew, albeit it to little avail as spring-break partiers twerked the night away. This was a non-option for me.

Fate intervened, however, when friends asked me to stay with them on Kamalame Cay, a private island in Andros, Bahamas. I had also heard about Baha Mar, the huge resort in Nassau, Bahamas, that launched a travel with confidence program in February: If a guest tests positive for COVID-19 while staying at Baha Mar, the hotel will put them up for 14 days in a suite or fly them privately to the US for free.

Still nervous, I did my research and found that the Bahamas which has a population of less than 400,000 had had only 9,460 cases of COVID with just 190 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic. Thats just over a 2 percent infection rate and just under a .05 death rate. Miami-Dade Countys 2.7 million population, meanwhile, has reported a 17 percent infection rate and a .22 death rate. So I decided to spend two days at Baha Mar before joining my friends on Kamalame.

The Bahamas low rates are mostly due to the island taking COVID so seriously. Anyone arriving in the country must obtain a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (swab) test taken no more thanfive days prior to the date of arrival.

Once you land, your health visa lasts for five days. As I had already spent three days on the island, I had to get another PCR test in Nassau before I was allowed to travel to Kamalame Cay in Andros.

Kamalame Cay

Kamalame Cay

The Tennessee teen who was fatally shot by police after...

Tourism is our life here we had no life for a year, and one bad apple can ruin it for all of us, Wilda, a taxi driver told me. We take this very seriously.

And they do. Mask wearing is rigorously enforced inside buildings and in public areas. Sanitization stands are everywhere. Before you can officially check into Baha Mar, you are sent to see the doctor and then quarantined in your room until you get your test results (usually within 20 minutes). Youre then required to wear masks everywhere but the dining areas, pools and beach.

Paula Froelich

Kamalame Cay

Kamalame Cay

Kamalame Cay

Kamalame Cay

The Tennessee teen who was fatally shot by police after...

Things were different at Kamalame Cay, a private island with just 27 beachfront bungalows and villas. In fact, it was almost as if COVID hadnt happened at all. Thanks to regular testing, a plethora of open-air common buildings, and the fact that quite a few people on island havent left for months, masks are not worn at all.

All food comes from the small islands farm or the sea, and people milled together for movie nights, barbecues and cocktail parties.

It turns out Bahamas was the ultimate luxury, not just because of where I stayed, but because it made me feel safe and normal.

While Miami and Palm Beach might have been nice for a few hours, the worry of Will I get COVID? would have ruined any relaxation and kept me shut in my room. I can stay in New York for that.

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Why vacationing in the Bahamas now is a dream come true - New York Post