EDITORIAL: US cheek to issue travel warning

As of Friday, August 7, 2020

IT takes some audacity for the United States to issue a “do not travel” alert for The Bahamas because of the risk of catching COVID-19.

Yet here we are, with the US Embassy public affairs officer explaining yesterday that “the travel advisory for The Bahamas is now Level 4 (do not travel), due to health and safety measures and COVID-related conditions”.

We should note that the US is not alone in imposing restrictions on our nation. The UK and Switzerland have both added The Bahamas to their lists of countries from which travellers have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

What is worth noting is that both of those countries have driven down their numbers of new daily cases. We, of course, are experiencing our second wave, a surge in numbers that has resulted in the two-week national lockdown we are now under.

The US, however? It still tops the world in most cases, most deaths and more. There have now been more than five million cases in the US alone, more than a fifth of the world’s total.

In Florida, there have been more than 500,000 cases – and with the spike in The Bahamas being blamed on residents from here travelling to that state and returning, bringing the virus back with them, it begs the question, is the US State Department urging residents not to jump into the fire, but rather stay in the frying pan?

Yesterday, Florida had 7,650 new cases of COVID-19. The Bahamas had ten.

Now none of this is to say that we should be resting on any laurels – far from it. That total of ten cases is a relief compared to recent days, and we hope that continues. We know we must keep working to keep numbers to an absolute minimum. But our new cases have come from the US, it would seem, not the other way round.

We would also note that the travel advisory issued by the US warned of the dangers of crime – despite crime falling as a result of the enforcement measures such as curfews and lockdowns. Worse, some of the specific warnings are again out of date. They mention the Sand Trap as an area of concern – there’s been nothing in that area for years now.

We sincerely hope there is no part of this warning that is in any way a tit-for-tat measure in response to The Bahamas’ earlier measure of stopping commercial flights from the US.

Indeed, we hope that as neighbours and major partners, there would be understanding of any measures needed to stem the spread of the virus.

There is nothing we would like better than to see the US replicate our early success in defeating the first wave, and hopefully emulating our efforts to suppress a second wave. After all, there should be no rivalry to see who is dealing with this better – rather we should learn from one another so that we can all succeed. The only enemy here is the virus.

Jim 3 years, 8 months ago

No news on the contact tracing and the number of people he had contact with of the water taxi driver from N to S Bimini who tested positive for the virus. Thank goodness he is better though.

DDK 3 years, 8 months ago

Our Uncle Sam neighbour has always been big, as it is on everything, on tit for tat, especially now with The Trumpster at its helm!

tribanon 3 years, 8 months ago

Not to worry. You've now got the opportunity to be beholden to Minnis as the supreme representative of the very sinister and ruthless communist regime of Xi Jinping.

Porcupine 3 years, 8 months ago

Some people get paid to think, others get paid to write. This editorial is a good example of the latter. 10 cases is now 69 one day later?. There is almost no honesty nor demand for truth in this country, just like the US. This country is also led by a person drunk on power with little to no sense. Worse, the educational level of adults here is much lower than in the US, as if this has no bearing on anything, except perhaps why editorials like this can get published. This inability to critically think is evident in most every aspect of life here, just like in the US. Both narcissistic and selfish cultures. Yes, it is ludicrous for the US State Dept. to blacklist The Bahamas, however it takes a truly dense mind to argue for others to emulate us in our approach to the virus. And, while we most likely saw the increase in cases from the US, it was not the US that caused these cases. It was stupidity, selfishness and carelessness on our part. Nobody in the US forced our own citizens to travel there, and then to ignore quarantine and go party. And no editor, "The only enemy here is the virus", is not correct. Cars aren't the enemy, food isn't the enemy, guns are not the enemy. Only when these things are not taken seriously by people, and abused, do they become dangerous. Only when our hubris takes hold of us, as it has, do the things of the world become an "enemy". We can beat this virus by using something that we have given little to promote in our history; Education. Unfortunately, it is a little late for that now.

ColumbusPillow 3 years, 8 months ago

I wonder if 100% of the population was tested that we may find that a very large percentage of the population has or HAS HAD the infection. Thus the rate of infection may be related to the rate of testing. Actually the weekly death rate is much more revealing about the severity of the pandemic.

thomas 3 years, 8 months ago

It's an "advisory" nothing new. They do it when necessary. There is crime in the U S and when necessary they issue a crime advisory.

stoner 3 years, 8 months ago

The question we have is,How many people in the Bahamas have been tested and is it only the ones that get sick with the Covid-19 is reported.

SP 3 years, 8 months ago

Popular synopsis is only the sickest of the sick end up in hospital for COVID19 tests, and that is how they're determining infection numbers. The U.S. is actually using the same criteria and estimates only around 10% of infected persons are actually showing up for the tests as the remaining 90% of infected are either not sick enough to seek medical attention or too terrified to further expose themselves!

Throw in the opening of schools while the virus is totally out of control and this instantly becomes an untenable situation that can and WILL only snowball to larger problems.

Why and how Jeff Loyd and Cabinet came to the conclusion that opening schools in the middle of a pandemic made any sense whatever is beyond comprehension. But these same people thought opening the borders to the U.S. was a prudent idea!

The idiots in the U.S. and the idiots here following the great orange wizard Trump stupidity of opening schools in the middle of this CORONAVIRUS pandemic are about to have their ass's handed to them on a thin paper platter!

TalRussell 3 years, 8 months ago

Comrade Editor, if you really goin' to write about what is real cheeky nervousness, look no further than home at us's own colony of out islands, cays, and rocks.
Just yesterday was when the most reliable of my inner circles' sources were saying how the red party's Leadership Replacement Advisory, had secretly rushed to huddle to discuss Comrade Renward's unexpected, sudden rise up the contenders' ladder by more than just a slight notch. Nod Once for Yeah, there is a newfound fear abound within cabinet rank, Twice for No?

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