The problem remains that most prospective visitors cannot complete all the cumbersome entry requirements and be in Nassau within the short five day period from the time of the test. The Tourism Minister and staff fail to address that issue. It is a problem for many people to find a test centre where they can get a Covid19 test as a healthy person . Most are unwilling to travel long distances to obtain the test. The tests are expensive and no guarantee when they will receive the results. Then the Health Visa is another bureaucratic hassle with scanning documents to Nassau and hoping they will receive permission to travel before the five day period is ended. If people have connecting flights and come from a distance they are most likely unable to comply. So much business has been lost by this unworkable and unappealing process. Most people will not bother or are going elsewhere where it is far easier to enter. So Bahamians lose out with so many without employment. Why have our local businesses been so silent about these difficult entry rules?

I do not believe that we should change the current Westminster system of deciding on the election date within our five year term limit. Fixed dates are yet another American idea which is alien to the successful way we have carried on elections for many years. The Prime Minister and Cabinet should continue to make the decision and then advise The Governor-General for his consent. We are not Americans and should be more proud of our system of government which has worked well for a long period of time.

I am both disappointed and shocked at the previous comments directed against the American man who has written about his difficulties entering The Bahamas. They are both nasty and venomous quite unlike Bahamians. If we treated our visitors in such a manner we would have no tourist industry at all. I know several Canadians and Americans who want to come here and are winter residents. But the time frame of having to be in Nassau within five days of the test has been impossible to complete. I wonder how many of those people attacking those who have written to The Tribune in concern over the past few months have ever tried themselves to complete the entry rules. Finding a test centre where they will give a Covid19 PCR test to healthy people is difficult. If fortunate to get a test the usual waiting time for the written results is two to three days. They are also expensive varying from $200-$300 each test. Then the results have to be scanned to Nassau with the Health Visa forms which is another time consuming task for many people especially senior citizens. Then there is the uncertainty of when they will receive permission. I have been told this is often a day. The final step is to get a flight which will take you to Nassau by the fifth day of the test. If there are connecting flights then that takes even more time. So when you look at all those challenges and the very few flights available to coordinate with your time limitation people are simply not coming . Those who need hotel accommodation must place funds down along with their air ticket. The uncertainty of travel has meant many will not come. We are losing business to other southern destinations where visitors can simply bring test results with them. The delays of the Health Visa requirements have destroyed our tourism. As the writer indicated when cruise ships return there will be very few people who will want to go through the hassles required to visit The Bahamas. There are too many other places to go. Everyone should be alarmed at the steep decline in tourism. We must have changes soon for our country to survive. Rather than villifying concerned friends of our country who want to come here we should be properly listening to their concerns for our future direction as a nation. We have major challenges to overcome.