By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AHEAD of the Christmas holidays, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced loosening of COVID-19 restrictions including extra shopping days for retailers, special worship services during curfew hours and social gatherings with a maximum of ten people.

And gym owners, who for months have been agitating for the green light to resume operations, can now breathe a sigh of relief as their facilities in New Providence and Abaco can reopen today under health protocols. Dr Minnis also said the quarantine mandate for travellers from New Providence and Grand Bahama to other Family islands will be lifted today.

While he touted the strides the nation has made in beating back the second wave of COVID-19, he noted there are thousands who are still out of work and in need. As a result, the government’s unemployment and food assistance initiatives will be extended through January 2021.

He made the announcements as he told the nation the sacrifices the country has made during the pandemic have paid off.

“In order to celebrate Christmas and because we are doing generally well at the moment, I wish to advise you of the relaxation of a number of measures,” Dr Minnis said.

He said residents can attend traditional Christmas and watch night services after the 10pm curfew and families and friends can also get together for Christmas dinners with a maximum of ten people.

“For the Christmas season, church and religious services may be held during curfew hours, that is, after 10pm to accommodate midnight mass, watch-night services and other liturgical services,” Dr Minnis advised the nation.

“This applies to New Providence, Abaco, Grand Bahama, Exuma and Eleuthera, as other islands do not currently have evening curfews. This provision extends from December 24, 2020, up to and including January 3, 2021. For the period of December 24, 2020 up to and including January 3, 2021 social gatherings may take place with a maximum of 10 people.”

He said in the event that any church requires additional provisions to appropriately celebrate the Christmas season, they should make requests to the competent authority. The requests will be given consideration with appropriate consultation with public health officials.

These provisions apply to the islands of New Providence, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera which are under curfew.

Retail operators on the islands of New Providence and Abaco will be able to provide services between the hours of 6am and 9pm on Sunday, December 13 and Sunday, December 20. These islands are still under a daily 10pm to 5am curfew and other public health protection measures are still in place.

On inter-island travel, Dr Minnis said: “Travellers from New Providence and Grand Bahama to the rest of the Bahamas will be required to obtain the travel visa, to complete the daily health questionnaire and take the rapid antigen test on the fifth day after their travel.

“This is the same protocol in place for international travellers to the Bahamas. Additionally, the requirement for people travelling from Exuma to the remainder of the Bahamas to take an RT PCR test will be removed.”

He said the requirement for an RT PCR test for travellers from New Providence and Grand Bahama to the remainder of the Bahamas will remain in place.

The unemployed and furloughed will also receive extended support, he said.

“Bahamians are beginning to go back to work,” he noted. “But tens of thousands still remain unemployed and in need. To continue to meet the needs of many of our citizens, the government will extend yet again the unemployment benefit assistance through January 2021.

“This extended unemployment benefit programme, which is funded by the government but administered by NIB, has benefited 36,959 Bahamians whose employment benefits ended after the customary 13 weeks, or who otherwise would not qualify for unemployment.”

Dr Minnis said the payouts for this programme at the end of November 2020 totaled just over $70 million. The extension of the programme through the end of January, he said, will mean that tens of thousands of Bahamians will continue to get some measure of assistance until they are called back to work. The government’s food assistance plan will also be extended.

“Similarly, the government will extend its food distribution programme for the first quarter of 2021 with an allocation of another $10 million dollars to provide food assistance to the most vulnerable in our society,” he continued.

“This programme has to date provided assistance to over 100,000 Bahamians. I want again to thank the many businesses, civic groups and individual citizens who have given their money and their time over and over again to help support the government’s feeding programme and many other programmes.”

Under the relaxed Emergency Orders, Exuma and Eleuthera, effective today, may resume in-person church services following the health guidelines of the Bahamas Christian Council and approved by the Ministry of Health.