The Tribune

HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said mechanisms are in place to ensure people take a rapid antigen test 72 hours after travelling from abroad or from New Providence or Grand Bahama as required by new rules.

The Davis administration relaxed restrictions so that people entering the country or travelling inter-island from Grand Bahama or New Providence are required to obtain a COVID test within 72 hours of travel and a negative rapid antigen test on the fifth day of arrival.

“Coming into the country the Ministry of Immigration and other digital platforms are able to determine those individuals who have arrived,” Dr Darville told reporters yesterday.

“Notices will be given so that those individuals will be reminded of the need to have the test done and once the test is done we are putting in place additional parameters in order to capture, if not 90 percent, the entire amount of individuals who have travelled back into the country. But to say that, we’re noticing the trends, there are some additional amendments that will come that will be able to give even more freedom and abilities for Bahamians to travel back into the country.

“The travel health visa was not removed for everyone. It was removed for Bahamians and so every foreign national who comes to our country must do a 72-hour test … That information is embedded into the parameters of the travel visa and Bahamians who fall into that category coming into the country, we do instruct Bahamians to have the test done and that information is brought to us as well via labs.”

Dr Darville said health officials will continue to recommend relaxed restrictions as the need arises.

“We’ve been watching the numbers and over the last couple weeks, we’ve predicted a trend and we’re seeing the numbers going down but what is even more important is our hospital cases,” he said. “The two together make the determination where the EOC will go and Saturday we loosened some of the rules as it relates to restaurants, funerals and weddings and even the issue of testing, travelling back into the country. We’re noticing that the trends are continuing and as they continue you’ll notice more coming from the Ministry of Health to get us back to a degree of normalcy.”

The relaxed COVID-19 rules state that church services in New Providence and Grand Bahama can now have a maximum seating capacity of 50 percent as opposed to the previous 25 percent occupancy limit.

Weddings and funeral services may also be held in a religious facility provided that all guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health are followed. A casket or urn can also be present during funeral services, the ministry added.

For social gatherings, people may attend or host events indoors at a private residence with no more than 40 persons who are either fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test.

The same rule applies for gatherings held outdoors where up to 100 people are now allowed to attend.

However, the ministry has warned that large events still remain prohibited at this time.

“Anyone who hosts or attends a social gathering contrary to the above rules commits an offence and is liable upon summary conviction in the case of a host, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to a fine not exceeding $300 for each person in attendance, and in the case of an attendee, to a fine not exceeding $300,” the statement added.

The rule also said that restaurants can operate indoors with a seating capacity of 75 percent provided that all customers are either fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test.