By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced yesterday that the country will move today to the next phase of re-opening from the COVID-19 lockdown.

He also announced that Family Islands will be gradually reopened according to zones, starting today with the southern Bahamas.

Ragged Island, Rum Cay, Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay will all be able to resume normal commercial activity today, however, Dr Minnis stressed that curfew and lockdown measures in these areas, like all Family Islands, remain in effect.

“Border restrictions as it relates to travel of passengers in the Family Islands remain, except for emergency and other circumstances approved by the Civil Aviation Authority,” Dr Minnis said.

“However, residents of New Providence who are currently in the islands just mentioned, will be allowed to return to New Providence.”

During 1b, the new phase of reopening, businesses, including liquor stores, will be allowed to provide goods and services through delivery and curbside pickup during weekdays while construction will be allowed Monday through Friday. Home and hardware stores, nurseries and auto part stores — which can allow customers in stores on specified days — will now be allowed to expand their services by offering curbside pick-up and delivery throughout the week.

Additionally, exercise restrictions will be relaxed; yesterday Dr Minnis said professional athletes will be allowed to resume training under Phase 1b.

The prime minister said the criteria for moving from phase to phase includes an assessment of the “number of new cases over specified time intervals together with model predictions, the capacity of the health system to respond to increased number of cases, the number and dispersion of contacts of confirmed cases throughout the archipelago, identification of vulnerabilities in congregate facilities, such as prison and long stay facilities, and adherence to existing restrictions.”

There were no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, with the total remaining at 83. The latest case was announced on Saturday: a 49-year-old New Providence woman who is in isolation at home. There have been 25 recovered cases, 47 active cases and 11 deaths. Eight people are currently hospitalised and 1,391 tests have been completed.

Dr Minnis also said Bahamian residents stuck abroad will be returned to the country beginning this weekend.

“As I announced in the House of Assembly this past Monday, the government has made arrangements for the return of hundreds of Bahamians who have been in the United States for some time,” he said. “It is expected that they will begin arriving to New Providence by this weekend.”

In an about-face from comments he made last week, Dr Minnis said these residents will now have the option of self-quarantining at home or being quarantined at the facility the government has identified for a two-week period. Dr Minnis had initially said all returning residents would have to be quarantined at the guarded facility.

Dr Minnis said the National Food Committee “is making preparations to ensure fair and adequate food distribution for all Bahamians and residents.”

He said there are 88 NGOs and private sector entities involved in the effort who have provided information for a national survey.

He said 41,000 public, private and home-schooled students are now registered with the Ministry of Education’s virtual learning platform.

“While the number of registered students is commendable, the ministry is concerned about the approximately 15,000 students who are not engaged in learning at this time, due to a lack of internet, devices or both,” he said.

The Ministry of Education has secured some 5,000 devices for distribution throughout the Bahamas and Dr Minnis said the students who receive them first will be those on the ministry’s lunch feeding programme, followed by others deemed necessary.

If advised by health officials to do so, the government may reintroduce certain restrictions, Dr Minnis said.

“If we are making more progress we may be able to ease certain restrictions quicker,” he added.