By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister said the Government wanted to "walk before it runs" on the roll-out of arrival and in-stay COVID-19 testing for tourists once the mandatory quarantine is eliminated on November 1.

Dionisio D'Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business in a recent interview that the increased testing regime will be structured as a private-public partnership (PPP) arrangement that will see privately-owned hospitals, laboratories and physicians acquire the antigen test kits, and conduct the necessary examinations and training.

Disclosing that this solution would enable the Government to avoid calling on an already-strained public healthcare system, Mr D'Aguilar added that the cost of these tests would likely be passed on to visitors via the Bahamas' Health Travel Visa.

Explaining why the Government had decided to start with arrivals testing at a select few ports of entry, excluding the likes of Cat Island and Long Island, Mr D'Aguilar said: "It's quite complex to roll it out in every single port of entry. We want to walk before we can run, so we will roll it out at five or six and expand it from there.

"We wanted to pick our busiest islands, but the MPs in those other islands certainly brought to our attention their displeasure at that decision, yet we want to make sure it works in our five to six busiest ports of entry."

Mr D'Aguilar acknowledged the questions over how the five-day in-stay test of visitors will be carried out in the likes of Long Island and Cat Island, and why - if they can perform such tests - these are not done at the airport on arrival.

"We'll see how it works out," he added. "We're going to be working in conjunction with the private sector on this. The private sector will source all the test kits, the labs and hospitals. We've been in deep discussions with Doctors Hospital to source the kits, provide the manpower and training, and provide the service.

"Our public healthcare system is already strained so we don't want to call on them to provide the service. This is a PPP where you seek well-heeled, well-trained partners to assist us. They have a source and know where they can get test kits in sufficient quantities."

The Government has identified only specific airports and seaports where COVID-19 antigen tests will be available. Nassau; Freeport; Marsh Harbour; North Eleuthera; Georgetown (Exuma); Bimini (and Cat Cay); and San Andros are the approved airports.

As for seaports and marinas, the selected venues are Nassau (Atlantis, Bay Street Marina, Lyford Cay and Albany); Grand Bahama (West End – Old Bahama Bay and Freeport – Lucaya); Abaco (Marsh Harbour government dock); Eleuthera (Spanish Wells marina); Berry Islands (Chubb Cay Club); Bimini (Big Game Club and Cat Cay Club); Exuma (Georgetown government dock).