The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MOTHER had an emotional reunion yesterday with her four-year-old son who was stuck in Cat Island for more than two months due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The boy, Leroy Hutchison, was only expected to have a short visit with his grandmother in Cat Island when COVID-19 disrupted life for many.

He was one of scores of people arriving in Nassau as yesterday on the first day of the resumption of domestic travel.

His mother Niketa Wilson and brother, who held a “welcome home” balloon, were waiting for the child at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA). Ms Wilson told The Tribune that Leroy was accompanied by a family friend who was an officer. His mother explained that the four-year-old was originally supposed to be with his grandmother for the Easter break, but she sent him to Cat Island as soon as the schools were closed in March due to the pandemic.

His visit was prolonged due to the government closing the domestic borders.

People have criticised the government’s decision to repatriate Bahamians living overseas but not assisting Bahamians stuck on local islands; Ms Wilson shares the same sentiments.

“Well me speaking as a mother and emotionally I felt it was unfair. I felt it was unfair because here it is, my baby was stuck, he was only (supposed to be) there for a short period of time and ended up staying almost three months - like two months and three weeks. It played a good part in my depression,” she said.

The dilemma has apparently affected her son as well. “It was a process of just them two staying home - no beaches, no nothing - and where the house was recently built it wasn’t things there to accommodate his time,” his mother explained.

“It played a part with him too because some days his grandmother told me he would just sit in bed and just stare at the ceiling and then would just start crying.

“. . .(I made) four phone calls a day and just guiding him through it and everytime he would hear our voice he would break down in tears and I would just tell him ‘Mummy coming to get him.’”

While there were many New Providence residents returning home yesterday, the airport also had Family Islanders who were stuck in the capital and were ready to return home. Among them was Mary Knowles of Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands who came to Nassau to buy groceries and has her own home in the capital.

She also chimed in on the domestic border closure debate by stating Berry Islanders felt as if the prime minister did not listen to the people.

She said: “He (the prime minister) asked for comments on how we could help him. . .The Bahamas is not one big mass of land. . .so therefore I feel like from the break he should have never shut down the whole Bahamas. He should’ve only shut down Nassau, Bimini, and Freeport (which had active cases).”

She thinks Family Island residents who were stuck in Nassau should have been allowed to return home earlier once they provided a negative COVID test.

Charmaine Francis from Grand Bahama visited Nassau for her aunt’s funeral with her mother, sister, and brother-in-law. Her sister and brother-in-law were able to leave before the border closed, but Ms Francis and her mother were not able to leave in time.

Family and friends took care of her in Nassau during their stay. While happy to be going home, she said she had questions beforehand about the process.

“Prior to this process, it was very very difficult,” she said. “I mean the prime minister made his announcement and he said that there were only going to be two forms to fill out but confirming that information I contacted Bahamasair. I contacted the Minister of Health. I contacted the 311 emergency number and nobody was able to give me a definitive answer on what the process really was and this was the reason for coming here early enough to make certain the process was exactly what he said it was and fortunately for us it was.”