Bahamas shuts down country amid COVID-19 outbreak

“There has been an exponential increase in the number of cases, an increase in hospitalizations, an increase in the demand for ICU beds, and sadly, an increase in the number of deaths,”

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis

(CMR) The Bahamas is heading back into an initial two-week national lockdown for the entire country starting tonight at 10:00 p.m. after re-opening their borders proved to be a more than the country could bear.

The announcement came Monday via Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis as he revealed that ICU beds were now at capacity and non-critical beds were approaching capacity because of the continued surge in COVID-19 cases.

Grand Bahama was already under a lockdown order that will expire on Friday, August 7 that will be re-assessed on Friday. However, these tighter restrictions now impact the entire country and will be evaluated at the end of a two week period. Minnis pleaded for those in quarantine to remain in isolation until the end of that period, and for the wider public to adhere to health protocols.

Health official reported 31 new confirmed cases, 22 in Grand Bahama and nine in New Providence. He noted recent data shows direct links to travel to COVID-19 hotspots, adding most of the cases are individuals between the ages of 20 and 40.

These increases have stretched their resources with the government confirming they have limited resources available to deal with the numbers.

However, he underscored the nature of the virus required “quick and aggressive” action.

Today, health officials reported 31 new confirmed cases, 22 in Grand Bahama and nine in New Providence.

The prime minister warned a further increase is expected before the current surge is brought under control. He noted that:

“The longer we take collectively to bring this second wave under control, the longer it will take to resume to a sense of normalcy. All of our actions collectively make a difference during this pandemic. We all have a personal and social responsibility in the fight against COVID-19.”

Minnis said careful consideration has been given to essential needs. Some essential services will be available to on a limited basis to those who need them. It was also revealed that 108,000 people are receiving food assistance from the National Food Distribution Taskforce, based on a household average of four people.

Initially, Bahamas had shut down its borders to Americans only on July 19 after a surge in the number of imported infections after re-opening it's borders on July 1.