By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THERE has been no slowdown so far in bookings after the US Centers for Disease Control raised the COVID risk rating for The Bahamas to level two - but hoteliers are on the alert as new subvariants are spreading in the US and could reach our shores.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s president, told Tribune Business: “Recognising that the continued prevalence of highly transmissible Omicron subvariants globally (in particular within key source markets) may be helping (amongst other factors) to fuel the uptick in cases globally; while the level 2 (Moderate) CDC travel health notice designation is not the direction we wish to go as a destination; it is not inconceivable that we would experience our own uptick in cases locally.

“In keeping with international and local health authorities’ observations and recommendations re the efficacy of vaccinations; we continue to recommend mindfulness of the need to take reasonable precautions against infection and we continue to urge persons to get vaccinated and boosted - to be considerate of the health and wellbeing of family, community members, fellow employees and those persons who may be more vulnerable to the severe illness due to infection.”

COVID-19 cases have been slightly rising in the country over the past two weeks.

Additionally with the Omicron variant a new BA.2 subvariant is rising in the US as well and will probably become the dominant form of the virus in the United States in the next few weeks.

Other resorts around the country shrugged off the level two CDC rise as not particularly concerning.

Matthew Brear, Cape Santa Maria’s general manager, also said: “I don’t think anybody looks at those situations, I don’t think anybody is going to lose any sleep over it.

“I think that if we went from level one to level four, then people would be concerned, but honestly I don’t think anybody looks at these if they are only bouncing between level one and level two.”

Muna Issa, SuperClubs Breezes managing director, also said that the level two warning “has not put a damper” on bookings at all.