By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville announced yesterday the government will remove its COVID-19 testing requirement for vaccinated people entering The Bahamas beginning Sunday.

Preceding this announcement, Tourism Minister Chester Cooper revealed the travel health visa will also no longer be needed beginning this coming Sunday.

However, unvaccinated people will still be required to produce a negative test prior to arrival in the country.

Yesterday, Dr Darville said the decision to remove the testing protocols for vaccinated people was science-based and followed recommendations from both local and regional epidemiologists, adding it was also “consistent with US CDC guidelines.”

He also suggested that officials came to the decision after receiving positive feedback from several neighbouring nations on the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “Bilateral meetings with regional leaders were very successful and lesson learned proved to be invaluable,” he said during his contribution to the 2022/2023 Budget debate.  “Follow up meetings at the Summit of Americas solidified many plans inclusive of the US CDC’s announcements on the removal of the COVID testing requirement inbound to American citizens as of Monday June, 13 2022.”

 “This is good news for our tourism sector and begs the question when will The Bahamas follow suit and revisit the testing and mask mandated currently in place in our country. These questions have been addressed by the EOC in my ministry and I am pleased to report that inclusive of removal of the travel health visa on Sunday, the 19 of June 2022, at 12:01am - effective June 19 2022, at 12:01, the Ministry of Health and Wellness will also remove the testing requirement for all vaccinated persons entering The Bahamas.”

 For his part yesterday, Mr Cooper announced travel health visas will no longer be required for international visitors beginning Sunday, something he had previously foreshadowed.

 The health visa was implemented under the previous administration in 2020 as a means to validate and keep record of the COVID-19 status of visitors and residents at the pandemic’s height and ensure compliance of other travel requirements.

 The travel protocol, however, was eliminated for citizens and residents of The Bahamas back in December by the Davis administration in keeping with their promise to have the protocol removed entirely.

 He said the move was being done to ensure the country is able to “get the numbers that we need for our tourism product and economy,” adding officials believed the timing was just right.

 However, he also reminded visitors and Bahamian residents that they are still required to produce a negative COVID test no older than three days before entering the country.

“The rules regarding air travel and the changing guidelines have reshaped the airline landscape,” Mr Cooper said during his budget communication in the House of Assembly.

“We have had to adjust. We will continue to do so. Our goal is to encourage more flights in from our key markets so that we can get more people here safely, quickly and affordably, whilst protecting public health.

 “Yes, I support the review of travel testing rules. We must reduce the friction as we ramp up for the summer months and, therefore, I am pleased to announce that the Cabinet of The Bahamas has approved the elimination of the travel health visa.

 “This is going to take effect at 12:01 on Sunday, just in time for Father’s Day.”

 Yesterday, Mr Cooper was asked by the opposition whether officials planned to use an alternative method to collect important travel data that was gleaned from the visa programme.

 He replied: “The answer is that we’re not eliminating testing as I’ve indicated before – the ongoing management of COVID, as has been the case before, will continue to be done by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Contact tracing will continue to be done by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”

 The removal of the travel protocol comes as the nation’s tourism industry continues its rebound from the COVID-19 crisis. It also follows the United States’ decision to remove COVID entry testing for visitors.

 Yesterday, Mr Cooper gave an update on tourism arrivals, saying the country’s rebound levels were similar to that of 2019 pre-pandemic records.

 “As far as tourism numbers, we are still processing the May data and we hope to have that within the next 10 days,” he said. “ But, I can say that foreign air and sea arrivals to The Bahamas from January to April this year totalled 1.9 million people. Of that number, just over 460,000 visitors were stopover visitors.

 “In April alone, we had 586,574 visitors by air and sea. Air and sea arrivals through April year-to-date were up by 950 percent over the same period of 2021.”

 The Deputy Prime Minister also revealed a nearly 1,000 per cent increase in arrivals to The Bahamas for the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.

 He continued: “Arrivals are up, occupancy levels and hotels are up. Cruise arrivals up. We are rebounding faster in the Caribbean.”

 Notwithstanding these improving figures, he said the government has set an ambitious target to double the number of stopover visitors to The Bahamas in three years.

 “It sounds aggressive,” he added, “but simply put, they spend more and to do this and we need more airports, we need more flights, and we need more rooms.”

 In this vein, Mr Cooper announced plans to construct new airports on several Family islands, including Exuma, Eleuthera and Cat Island.

 “We’re looking out for the Family islands,” the Exuma and Ragged Island MP continued. “We will complete the new airports at Exuma and North Eleuthera. We’re going to build a beautiful new airport at Deadman’s Cay, Long Island. We gone have a new FBO and 5,000 ft runway Black Point, Exuma.

 “All of these airports will be facilitated through public private partnerships. The Great Harbour Cay airport will be opening shortly with new opportunities for jobs, and retail opportunities and we have designed the New Bight Airport in Cat Island.

 “We will shortly engage interested parties for a PPP and we expect construction to begin in early 2023. Cat Island, I want you to know that your MP is working for you.”