The Bahamas: What Went Wrong with Re-Opening?
The Bahamas re-opened to tourism on July 1st, but things went wrong quickly. We’ll explore what happened and its instructive lesson.
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It seemed like a great idea at the time. On July 1st, The Bahamas re-opened for tourism. The Bahamian economy depends on tourism, and especially American tourists, for approximately 50% of its GDP. So when The Bahamas opened its borders, it became one of a very small number of countries to allow visitors from the United States.
It didn’t last long.
The Bahamas Puts Up New Barriers
Three weeks later, American tourists are finding it very difficult to reach The Bahamas. In a national address on Sunday, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced new restrictions on travel.
- No commercial flights are permitted to land in The Bahamas, except for flights originating in the United Kingdom, Canada, or European Union.
- No commercial passenger boats will be permitted to arrive in The Bahamas.
- Private flights/charters may continue to arrive in The Bahamas; same with private yachts and pleasure craft.
The new rules are now in effect and technically do not prohibit visitors from the United States. But unless you have the means to charter a plane or take your own boat, it won’t be easy. These new restrictions effectively remove the country from our definitive list of places Americans can visit.
Choosing Testing over Quarantine
When developing its re-opening guidelines, The Bahamas decided against quarantining visitors. Travelers could skip quarantine by presenting proof of a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test taken in the 10 days prior to arrival. Visitors would also apply for a Travel Health Visa at least 72 hours before their arrival. These rules remain applicable today.
But once the country re-opened to tourism, Covid-19 cases spiked. Grand Bahama Island had been virus-free, but then reported 31 new cases in just two weeks. Since July 1st, the prime minister said there had been 49 new cases, compared to 104 all-time before then. The New York Times’ database lists 58 new cases in the last 7 days, pushing the all-time total to 194 (as of 7/22).
What Happened?
The Bahamas should be a case study in what went wrong with its re-opening. A couple of things struck me immediately.
- The Bahamas requires Covid-19 PCR testing, but has one of the longest stretches between a negative test result and arrival in the country. A lot can happen in the 10 days between testing and travel.
- The Bahamas is just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, and the state supplies a large number of its tourists. Of course, Florida leads the United States in new coronavirus cases.
These two factors in combination are a recipe for Covid-19 disaster. I wonder how many Floridians were tested before their trip, got a negative result, and then spent another week going about their business.
There’s A Lesson Here
The Bahamas made one key mistake with its re-opening. It’s not that they chose testing over quarantine. I believe that was the correct decision. Covid-19 PCR testing focuses on the goal: identifying people with the virus, and isolating them.
That said, The Bahamas gave travelers too much time between their Covid-19 test and their visit. Many of them tested a full 10 days before their trip, and then went about their daily lives in coronavirus hotspots. The Bahamas should change their rules and require a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival. That’s the common length of time with most countries that allow for testing. A few countries even require a second PCR test upon arrival. Not a bad idea when you’re next door to Florida.
There’s also a lesson for tourists, especially those who might travel from a coronavirus hotspot to another part of the world.
It’s not about you! When you travel, you are a guest in another person’s home. We need to be good guests and do our best to avoid further spreading the virus. I’ve been asking questions about travel right now, for this very reason. It’s a bit of a moral dilemma, but one that can be overcome if we respect others, follow the rules that are designed to protect us all, and do no harm.
Final Thoughts
It’s instructive to take a hard look at what went wrong with re-opening in The Bahamas. Three weeks later, the country is taking action to curb some of the damage.
But is it the right move? The Bahamas will still allow well-heeled U.S. visitors, those arriving by private boat or private/charter plane; as well as flights from the UK, EU and Canada. The country has thus far done nothing to shorten the Covid-19 PCR testing window, leaving altogether too much time between testing and travel. The problem remains, but with far fewer visitors to put Bahamians at risk.
Still, it only takes one….