BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM & AVIATION STATEMENT ON COVID-19
NASSAU, Bahamas, March 27, 2020 – The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation is following guidance from the Bahamas Ministry of Health and other government agencies pertaining to the country’s Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19. Please visit the Bahamas Ministry of Health’s website for the latest information on COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas. Current and future patients are to be isolated in quarantine following the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Further to the Emergency Order, “Emergency Powers (COVID 19) (NO. 2) Order, 2020,” announced by Prime Minister, The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) has closed the Lynden Pindling International Airport to all flights, as of Friday, March 27. The public is further advised that, effective March 27, all airports throughout the entire Bahamas shall be closed to all air traffic.
The Emergency Order remains in effect until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, unless otherwise stated. Preventative restrictions are being enforced to prevent further spread of COVID-19, including:
- No visitor shall be permitted to enter and disembark for any reason including transiting through The Bahamas.
- All airports throughout the entire Bahamas, including private airports and fixed-base operations (FBOs), shall be closed to all flights.
- All sea ports shall be closed to regional and international seafaring and private boating.
- Air and sea restrictions do not apply to: cargo flights or cargo ships, commercial courier flights, emergency medical flights or emergency flights approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
- All international visitors currently in The Bahamas should be prepared to stay for an indefinite period of time.
- No person shall offer for hire or seek to travel on any mail boat, sailing inter island, except for transport of freight; or inter island private commercial sea transport.
- All residents will be placed on a 24-hour curfew and are to remain at home to avoid contact outside of their family, except for those who have been deemed essential workers, or have special permission from the Commissioner of Police.
- Residents can leave their homes for essential travel to the doctor, grocery store, bank, pharmacy or to refuel; as well as for outside exercise, not exceeding an hour and a half per day between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., provided that the exercise is conducted in one’s yard or one’s immediate neighborhood and no person shall drive to any place to exercise.
- Proper social distancing guidelines of at least six feet (6ft.) must be followed at all times while outside the home.
- All public beaches, markets and docks will be closed, and no vehicles are permitted on any public or private roads for any purpose other than stated above.
Full details of this order and the previous Emergency Order may be found at opmbahamas.com.
The Bahamas is conducting COVID-19 testing and has been actively employing several measures used globally to screen visitors and residents and to manage the response to individuals of concern, in line with international health best practices. Traveller health questionnaires and a screening protocol have been used at ports, hotels and rental properties to identify guests who may require surveillance or treatment. In addition, all Bahamian nationals and residents returning to The Bahamas through any point of entry from any of the restricted countries or an area where community infection and spread is present, have been quarantined or placed under self-isolation upon arrival and are expected to follow the protocols of the Ministry of Health.
A destination-wide education campaign continues to remind the public of the basic hygiene practices that can be used to prevent the spread of the virus including frequent, proper hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, frequent disinfection of surfaces and avoiding close contact with those exhibiting signs of respiratory illness.
All COVID-19 inquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Health. For questions, or concerns, please call the COVID-19 hotline: 242-376-9350 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. EDT) / 242-376-9387 (8 p.m. – 8 a.m. EDT).
KITTS & NEVIS
Government Declares a State of Emergency
Tonight at 7:00pm for the Next 14 Days
Basseterre, St. Kitts (March 28, 2020) – At the request of the Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, the Governor General of St. Kitts & Nevis has declared that, effective as of 7:00 p.m. tonight Saturday, March 28, 2020, a State of Emergency will be in effect. This will restrict the freedom of movement of all citizens and residents, who will be subject to a curfew between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. each day for the next 14 days. This is part of the Federal Government’s scaled up response to contain and control the COVID-19 virus and minimize harm to its people.
The Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations require every person to remain confined to their place of residence, inclusive of their yard space, to avoid contact outside of their family except in stipulated circumstances such as essential travel to the doctor, grocery store, bank, credit union, money services, business, pharmacy or to refuel vehicles. The Regulations also require the closure of non-essential businesses and regulate the hours of opening for essential services. For a complete listing of essential businesses, click here to read section 5 of the official Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations document.
St. Kitts & Nevis has also imposed social and physical distancing protocols as part of the increased response. Businesses will be required to observe a physical distance of 6 feet between its customers inside and outside of their businesses. Following a meeting with the operators of the 3 bus lines and ferry operators, given the congestion in public transport vehicles and the potential for contagion, certain restrictions have been imposed to protect operators and their patrons of no more than 1 passenger per row.
Regarding the public service, all essential workers must report to work during the time of the State of Emergency. The Secretary of Cabinet will determine any other category required to report for duty.
To ensure that persons are faithfully complying with the curfew and other restrictions, strong penalties including fines of up to $5000 and/or a term of imprisonment of up to 6 months can be imposed on those who fail to comply with the Regulations.
While it is highly uncommon to restrict free movement, this is an unprecedented time and the dangers that confront the Federation demand that Government takes serious actions to confront and overcome this pandemic. These strong measures are in place for 14 days, in the first instance, and Government shall continue to evaluate and adapt the Regulations as necessary as the situation evolves.
As the result of actions by local experts, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), St. Kitts & Nevis was able to keep the virus offshore until as recently as March 25, 2020, when two Kittitian nationals arrived from New York and were tested positive for COVID-19. In fact, St. Kitts & Nevis was the last place in the Americas to confirm positive cases of COVID-19. This is due to its “Life First” strategy by limiting cruise ships and taking precautionary measures with commercial airline passengers arriving from designated hot spots or displaying symptoms of respiratory illness, quarantining or refusing entry as warranted. Once these two cases of COVID-19 were imported into the Federation, the Federal Government needed to become more aggressive in its actions and this State of Emergency was declared.
The borders of St. Kitts & Nevis are closed from 11:59 p.m. on March 25 to April 7, 2020 to commercial air and sea vessels. Travellers are advised to contact their travel advisor, travel provider, hotel and/or airline for information about policies for rescheduling trips. Our hearts are with you, as we are all in this together. We look forward to once again welcoming you to the sun-kissed splendour of St. Kitts & Nevis. In the meantime, we ask all persons to stay informed about the latest news and developments relating to COVID-19 and to take all recommended precautions to stay safe and healthy.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and/or http://carpha.org/What-We-Do/Public-Health/Novel-Coronavirus. For more information about St. Kitts, visit www.stkittstourism.kn.
US VIRGIN ISLANDS
Please click on the link below for the Department of Tourism’s latest Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) tourism update. As circumstances change, this document will continue to be refreshed.
CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE
ANGUILLA
Caribbean Commercial Complex, D3 Building PO Box 60, The Valley, AI-2640, Anguilla BWI Tel 🙁 264) 497 3930/3042 ▪ Fax: (264) 497 5695 Website: www.gov.ai
Today, March 26th at 1:04pm we received notification from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), that two of the four samples sent on Monday, March 23rd have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and two have tested negative. The first positive case is an imported case – a 27-year old female visitor from the US, who arrived in Anguilla on March 11th. The second positive case, a 47- year old male resident, is a close contact of the first case. This is also an indication of local transmission. In accordance with public health practices for containment and prevention of spread:
The individuals, who both presented with mild symptoms, were placed in isolation upon suspicion and they remain in isolation at this time. the Ministry of Health and Health Authority colleagues have initiated aggressive contact tracing to identify every individual who may have come into close contact with this patient. All individuals thus identified will placed under quarantine and tested.
Furthermore, additional social distancing measures for the general public as outlined in the Plan for Escalation of Measures for COVID-19 will be announced shortly.
The Government of Anguilla has been preparing for the arrival of COVID-19 since late January. We urge residents not to panic and instead be guided by the helpful practices that you can do prevent the spread of COVID-19. To date, out of a total of nine suspected cases of COVID-19, five have tested negative, two have tested positive and two are pending.
Members of the general public are once again urged to follow proper hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and comply with the social distancing guidance in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health and the Government of Anguilla maintain that the health and safety of the nation continue to be the utmost priority.
The Ministry will continue to provide timely and accurate information as the situation continues to evolve. Persons with any questions or concerns that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should call the Ministry’s hotlines at 476-7627, that is 476 SOAP or 584-4263, that is 584-HAND.
The Ministry of Health will continue to provide timely updates through our media partners, our official Facebook page or at www.beatcovid.ai.
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BARBADOS
BARBADOS MOVES TO STAGE 3, ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES
Barbados has announced a 24-hour curfew. As of 5pm tomorrow (Friday) all supermarkets and minimarts shall remain closed until further notice and people can only be on the road if they are seeking medical attention or going to the pharmacy, or if they are part of the essential services.
Please click on the following link for the full statement from the acting prime minister, Santia Bradshaw. https://bit.ly/2R8IFGF.
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BELIZE
Government of Belize Enacts Quarantine Order for Entire Country
Belmopan. March 26, 2020. The Government of Belize, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, and in an effort to mitigate the negative impacts that could result from a potential community spread of the deadly virus enacted Statutory Instrument Number 38 of 2020 on March 25, 2020.
This Order made by the Quarantine Authority of Belize, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by section 6 of the Quarantine Act, Chapter 41 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, outlines a set of immediate measures to be implemented by the Government that are deemed as necessary to safeguard public health and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This Order shall apply to the country of Belize with the exception of Ambergris Caye, which is governed by the Belize Constitution (Emergency Powers) (Ambergris Caye) Regulations, 2020, provided however that on the expiration of the period of emergency pursuant to the Proclamation declaring a state of public emergency in Ambergris Caye, this Order shall apply to the entire country of Belize.
These measures, referred to generally as the QUARANTINE (COVID 19 EMERGENCY MEASURES) ORDER, 2020 include the following:
Limitation of gatherings of ten persons or less
Subject to the provisions of this Order, no person shall gather in numbers of more than ten persons at a time, anywhere in Belize, whether in any public place, public space or on private property provided that a gathering of ten or more persons on private property is allowed where persons are residents of that property. Except for residents of private property, persons in a gathering of ten persons or less shall maintain a distance of no less than three feet between each person.
Social distancing.
For the purposes of this Order, every person shall practice social distancing.
Transportation.
Notwithstanding the restriction and limitation on public gathering, the provision of public transportation by bus is limited to the seating capacity of the bus.
Every bus operator arriving at a terminal in Belize shall park the bus, instruct the passengers to disembark and oversee the sanitization of the bus by personnel on site at the terminal.
Prior to boarding any bus at a terminal, every passenger shall wash and sanitize his hands at the conveniences provided at the terminal.
Closure of businesses.
The following establishments shall close until further notice–
casinos and gaming establishments;
spas, beauty salons and barber shops;
gymnasiums (gyms), sporting complexes;
discotheques, bars, rum shops and night clubs;
restaurants, saloons, diners, and other similar establishments, provided that restaurants, saloons diners and other similar establishments may operate to offer take out services only;
any other establishment or business designated by the Quarantine Authority by Notice published in the Gazette.
Social distancing protocols.
Every business establishment allowed under this Order to operate shall:
ensure that all customers and staff maintain physical distancing of no less than three feet (3ft.) in or outside their business;
determine the number of persons that may be permitted in the establishment at any one time;
within twenty-four hours of the commencement of this Order, place distance markers three feet apart, indicating where each customer must stand on a line at a check out point;
within twenty-four hours of the commencement of this Order, place distance markers three feet apart on the outside of the establishment, indicating where customers must stand while waiting to enter the establishment.
Restriction on social activities.
No person shall host nor attend–
a private party which includes any person from outside of the immediate household of the house occupant;
a recreational or competitive sporting event;
a wedding which hosts ten or more persons other than the bride, bridegroom, official witnesses and the marriage officer;
a banquet, ball or reception;
any social event;
any other ceremony of public worship in any facility or public place which involves the participation of any member of the general public or a congregation;
a funeral, except ten members of the immediate family and at least one officiant and essential mortuary staff; or
a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club or civic association or organization.
Closure of markets and other public places
In the interest of public health and safety, the Quarantine Authority may by Notice published in the Gazette, declare the closure of any market or other public place.
Reporting of suspected COVID 19 to Ministry of HealthA person who develops flu-like symptoms and who reasonably suspects he may have had contact with someone who has travelled to a country affected by COVID 19 or is infected with COVID 19 shall immediately inform the Ministry with responsibility for health; and
go into self-isolation in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry responsible for health.
Every person, upon entry into Belize from any port of entry, shall (1) immediately inform the Ministry with responsibility for health of their entry into Belize; and (2) go into self-isolation in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry with responsibility for health.
Employers to grant permission
An employer shall have a duty if satisfied that an employee is able to discharge the duties of that employee from the employee’s place of residence, to grant the employee permission to do so without imposing any adverse consequences to the employee in respect thereof.
An employee whose assigned tasks can only be discharged at the place of employment is required to attend for work at that place unless otherwise permitted by the employer as a part of the employer’s measures to combat the risk of transmission of the COVID 19 at the place of employment. The grant of permission to an employee under this paragraph shall not count against the leave entitlements of that employee unless otherwise agreed between the employer and the employee.
Offence and Penalty
A person who contravenes or incites a person to contravene any provision of this Order, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for six months or to both fine and imprisonment.
Duration of order
The Order shall be in valid until revoked by the Quarantine Authority.
Anyone having any questions regarding this Order, may contact the Ministry of Health in Belmopan at 0-800-MOH-Care, or visit covid19.bz for more information.
DOMINICA
Roseau, Dominica – (April 2, 2020) Discover Dominica Authority informs its regional and international audience of the current status of tourism industry given the current coronavirus pandemic.
Ports of Entry: All ports of entry are closed to passenger traffic until further notice. As such, no airlines or ferries are operating into Dominica with passengers. In Keeping with S.R.O. 13 of 2020, only air and sea cargo are allowed with exceptions for Aircraft, Ships or Other vessels carrying the following passengers; (a) Citizens of Dominica ; (b) resident diplomats; (c) medical personnel; (d) any other person authorized in writing by the Minister with responsibility for National Security.
Hotels: Properties are closed or in the process of temporary closures as guests have all departed. Please contact the property directly to get the latest update.
Yachts: Entry into the country and mooring offshore is not permitted at this time.
Ecotourism sites: All (12) ecotourism sites managed by the Government of Dominica through the Division of Forestry or Ministry of Tourism are closed until further notice. This is specifically to curtail the spread of the virus at the tourism facilities where hikers may use the washroom and interpretation facilities.
Educational institutions: All educational institutions including day care centres and preschools were closed on March 23, 2020.
Essential services: Banks, supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies and medical facilities are open for limited hours on weekdays.
Assistance to the Industry: Given the significant economic impact which the coronavirus pandemic will have on the tourism industry, the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association is advocating for fiscal and other support from local banks and the government for its membership. The Ministry of Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives is working with stakeholders within its portfolio to collect data to galvanize assistance for the tourism sector.
State of Emergency & Curfew: Effective April 1, 2020, the President of Dominica, His Excellency Charles Savarin issued Statutory Rules and Order No. 15 of 2020 which places the island in a State of Emergency as a result of COVID 19. As such, curfew hours are in effect as follows:
- From 6 pm to 6 am from April 1, 2020 to April 20, 20, Mondays to Fridays.
- From 6 pm on Fridays to 6 am on Mondays between April 1, 2020 to April 20, 2020.
- From 6 pm on April 9, 2020 to 6 am on April 14, 2020.
- Banks, credit unions, grocery stores, supermarkets, village shops, bakeries and petrol stations may remain open from 8 am to 2 pm Monday to Friday, while pharmacies may open between 6 am and 4 pm Monday to Friday.
- Movement of persons beyond the curfew hours shall only be permitted for work and providers of essential services (as outlined in SRO 15 of 2020), to seek urgent medical care, shop for groceries, conduct banking transactions, to care for a family member, pet or livestock or to engage in construction or manufacturing.
- Religious places of worship are closed except for weddings and funerals, which must be conducted utilizing stipulated guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
- All liquor licenses are suspended from April 1, 2020 to April 14, 2020.
For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.DiscoverDominica.com, follow Dominica on Twitter and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.
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GRENADA
ISSUED APRIL 1, 2020
GRENADA ADDS FURTHER MEASURES UNDER THE LIMITED STATE OF EMERGENCY TO STEM THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
With effect from Tuesday March 30, 2020, the state of Grenada is in a 24 hour curfew to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. As of Sunday March 29, Grenada has 9 confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus, all being imported or import related cases. The Government of Grenada has taken these proactive measures to safeguard the citizens and visitors on island. The curfew is in effect until April 6, 2020 in the first instance when it will be reviewed.
Grenada closed its borders with effect from March 22, 2020 and only passenger flights to repatriate visitors to their home countries have been granted permission to land at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA). We are grateful to all our international partners who have assisted us with this unprecedented exercise.
The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) offices are currently closed during the limited state of emergency period from 6pm on March 25 until April 15, 2020. The team at the GTA is working remotely and can be contacted on their work mobiles or company email.
We remain confident and optimistic that these measures will be effective in protecting the islands. We ask everyone to make a collective effort to stay at home and stay safe. The Government of Grenada will review the situation on April 15, 2020 and provide an update on the timelines to receive visitors again.
For further information please visit the Government of Grenada’s webpage at www.mgovernance.net/moh/ or the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page at Facebook/HealthGrenada.
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