We ***must no***t succumb to bullying and threat tactics by the US government when they themselves (the world's most powerful nation with the greatest resources) refuse for health and safety reasons of the American people to grant onshore medical help to those on board these ships who are known to have either already contracted the Red China Virus or been exposed to it in a way that makes them likely asymptomatic carriers.

The states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have many more healthcare resources available to them, including assistance from the US Federal Government, than our small nation could ever dream of having. That's just a plain simple fact, period! And the Southeastern Fleet of the US Coast Guard knows first hand just how badly crippled the Bahamas has been left in the aftermath Hurricane Dorian only seven months ago. I find it unbelieveable, no unfathomable, that the US Embassy in the Bahamas has not made it known to all US authorities that the Bahamas is not in a position to lend the assistance sought without jeopardising the overwhelming and total collapse of our very fragile and gravely under resourced healthcare system.

The number one duty of the Bahamian government at this time is to protect the Bahamian people to the maximum extent possible from an explosive outbreak of the Red China Virus that could end up taking the lives of many hundreds, possibly thousands, of souls. It's in the interest of the US at this time to help promote stability in our financially crippled country so that a serious vacuum is not created that allows the ruthless Xi Jinping led communist regime to succeed in its efforts to establish a strategic foothold in a small nation just off the coast of Florida.

@ wellmudda, this is one time I can say I AGREE with you entirely!😶

> In a carefully worded statement, Transport Minister Renward Wells said The Bahamas would help people sheltering-in-place aboard cruise ships in its waters.

> He went on to say: "We have devised safe methods of resupply of our flag cruise vessels that were running critically low on provisions, medical supplies and medical personnel."

Minnis or D'Aguilar should be called on to explain exactly what Renward Wells meant when he uttered the two sentences immediately above. Anyone from our shores stepping on board those ships and interacting in any way with the crew and other persons sheltering on board, poses a great risk of bringing an uncontrollable explosive outbreak of the Red China Virus to our shores.

The Bahamas is not being bullied. They are ships registered in the Bahamas. The first obligations to those ships is the place where they are registered. No one forced us to register the ships. We going after the money made the choice. We can't now seek to drop the ball and say it is not our fault.

Stop being an imbecile. Would you say these ships should be allowed at any of our ports if they contained tons and tons of explosives that could possibly kill many thousands of Bahamians? I think not. You also don't seem to understand that our medical doctors and nurses will soon be unable (unequipped) to help Bahamian victims of the Red China Virus which means they will be forced to begin practicing triage - literally deciding who to let live and who to let die. You need to wake up to the new reality my friend.

In any event, with proper accounting for all the costs of maintaining a ship registry, it can easily be shown that the net money made off of flagging ships in recent decades pales in comparison to the risks assumed by our country. Basically a net pittance, if that. And of course our country never had the means to ensure that it was adequately insured against all of the many great risks involved in flagging ships. The owners of these ships knew just what they were getting by the exceptionally low fees they were paying to carry our flag.

@moncurcool... while simultaneously, countries have an obligation to their citizens. All passengers should be repatriated to their countries while the ship and crew remain offshore in Bahamian waters. That is the reasonable compromise!

This can only be done by US Coast Guard air lifting them by helicopter to a secure facility at an airport in South Florida pending the arrival of aircraft from their home country to take them home.

… how it is done is not as important as it getting done!

Who could've possibly known that unlike state Florida's - we colony of out islands overabundance medical supplies and Toilet-papers, places government in position tend needs possibly hundreds cruise ships and freighters flying colony's flag convenience. Nod once for yeah, twice for no?

Well maybe the Bahamas shouldn't register so many cruise ships as "Bahamas Registered".

Chickens coming home, something, something,something