#Bahamas closes borders to US travelers over coronavirus concerns

Enlarge Image

Passengers disembark from the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship in March, which still operated in the Bahamas as the pandemic spread.
AP

The Bahamas is closing its borders to visitors from the United States over the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis cited recent spikes in COVID-19 cases as the reason for the restrictions, which he announced on Sunday — three weeks after the Caribbean country largely reopened to international travel, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

“Regrettably, the situation here at home has already deteriorated since we began the reopening of our domestic economy,” Minnis said.

“It has deteriorated at an exponential rate since we reopened our international borders.”

All air and sea travel — to and from the neighboring US — will be shut off as of Wednesday at midnight, he said.

Any Americans still on the islands will be allowed to leave after that date under special accommodations.

Tourists from Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union will still be allowed — as long as they provide proof they tested negative for the virus at least 10 days ahead of their arrival.

The island nation of about 390,000 recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing its total to 153, according to the Bahamian Ministry of Health. Eleven people have died of the virus in the Bahamas.