Bahamas closes borders to U.S. tourists after COVID-19 cases spike; others still welc

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by slug

Without tourism these countries will shrivel up and die

With tourism the plague will kill people

What is your solution?

This doesn’t jibe with your next post about the virus moving with people.

The problem is you can’t do without people moving, while I was in Long Island and not allowed to get off the boat, the mail boat was arriving from Nassau, which it had to, people have to eat, and the crew got off as always and went into town as always and got take out.

So, what’s the more likely vector, a person that was on the island that was a hot spot yesterday, or the Yachtie that hasn’t moved from the anchorage for more than two weeks?

Logic wasn’t and isn’t being applied. Logic would say that if there was evidence that you had been in their harbor for more than two weeks, that you should be allowed to come ashore to buy groceries, and logic would say that the people coming from the known infected island should not be allowed off the boat.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Now of course what I’m going to post is an opinion, and only my opinion. However we were there last Winter when it all started, and the whole time we were there, “Essential” businesses were allowed to remain open. Cell phones, gas stations, Grocery stores, power companies etc. remained at work, for obvious reasons.
However what was interesting was that swimming pools maintenance companies and lawn maintenance was allowed to continue unabated. No airline flights, and no inter island travel, but private aircraft flights and Charters continued as normal. The seaplane flights to the private islands and Mansions never slowed a bit.

Right?

I was taken aback by people I know in real estate sales and construction who said they were "essential workers" and needed to keep their busineses going.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Now of course what I’m going to post is an opinion, and only my opinion. However we were there last Winter when it all started, and the whole time we were there, “Essential” businesses were allowed to remain open. Cell phones, gas stations, Grocery stores, power companies etc. remained at work, for obvious reasons.
However what was interesting was that swimming pools maintenance companies and lawn maintenance was allowed to continue unabated. No airline flights, and no inter island travel, but private aircraft flights and Charters continued as normal. The seaplane flights to the private islands and Mansions never slowed a bit.

We stayed until almost the end of may. The private planes definately slowed down. It was only one or two per week near the end. My guess is those were mostly supply like makers air.
I was very impressed with how well they clamped down on inter island travel/ spread. I'm hoping to go back myself, but not till after hurricane season. The biggest concern is do I want to go back into the USA to where the boat is? That's a much bigger risk than anything in the bahamas

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

...However what was interesting was that swimming pools maintenance companies and lawn maintenance was allowed to continue unabated. No airline flights, and no inter island travel, but private aircraft flights and Charters continued as normal. The seaplane flights to the private islands and Mansions never slowed a bit.

Are you suggesting money talks ?

[slug]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

This doesn’t jibe with your next post about the virus moving with people.

The problem is you can’t do without people moving, while I was in Long Island and not allowed to get off the boat, the mail boat was arriving from Nassau, which it had to, people have to eat, and the crew got off as always and went into town as always and got take out.

So, what’s the more likely vector, a person that was on the island that was a hot spot yesterday, or the Yachtie that hasn’t moved from the anchorage for more than two weeks?

Logic wasn’t and isn’t being applied. Logic would say that if there was evidence that you had been in their harbor for more than two weeks, that you should be allowed to come ashore to buy groceries, and logic would say that the people coming from the known infected island should not be allowed off the boat.

When you walk into town , jump a taxi or do anything.. your local host has no idea who you are ...only that you are a foreigner

You put needless stress on your host

If all foreigners were tested , your local host could relax

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by slug

If all foreigners were tested , your local host could relax

We put way too much emphasis on testing, and I believe now, all foreigners will be tested, or at least that is the requirement?
So can they relax?

Anyway testing if it’s 100%, and nothing ever is, but assume it is, only can determine your not infected at the time of the test.
It would be very valid if for instance you could be tested just prior to getting on an airplane and the results were instant or nearly so.

But as I understand it, if I got a test today, it can be up to a week for me to get the results? Unless I was put into isolation for that week, then the test isn’t as effective as it could be.

Logic would say, you arrive, get tested and go into quarantine and are released once the test results are in, if you fail. Your immediately deported back to the country of origin.

Now that won’t happen of course because people would just stay away before they would submit to a week long lock down.
But with the latency of testing, I’d bet testing isn’t any more effective than temperature screening.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

We put way too much emphasis on testing, and I believe now, all foreigners will be tested, or at least that is the requirement?
So can they relax?

Anyway testing if it’s 100%, and nothing ever is, but assume it is, only can determine your not infected at the time of the test.
It would be very valid if for instance you could be tested just prior to getting on an airplane and the results were instant or nearly so.

But as I understand it, if I got a test today, it can be up to a week for me to get the results? Unless I was put into isolation for that week, then the test isn’t as effective as it could be.

Logic would say, you arrive, get tested and go into quarantine and are released once the test results are in, if you fail. Your immediately deported back to the country of origin.

Now that won’t happen of course because people would just stay away before they would submit to a week long lock down.
But with the latency of testing, I’d bet testing isn’t any more effective than temperature screening.

I'd be happy to submit to a week on my boat or in my house. I think it makes sense to treat that demographic differently than a bachelor party or family on a week long vacation. They are more like residents (many U.S. homeowners technically are) and giving them the option to submit to more extreme measures makes sense and doesn't increase risk much at all.

[s/v Jedi]

The simple reality is that there are no recorded cases brought in by cruisers. All cases are Bahamians that got infected in the US during shopping or family visit trips. The Bahamas government blocks the travel that results in infections and allows travel that does not cause trouble while bringing in money.

Also, the people here are relaxed, there is no craziness going on like in the US.

[a64pilot]

It would I think be the logical thing to do, but as I said, I don’t believe that logic is dictating actions of very many.
You could even set up points of entry Marina’s and require arriving boats to stay in a slip and no one disembarks until the test came back clean, if they are infected, untie the lines and they go home. Make as many docks quarantine docks as necessary, if you don’t want to pay for a test and a week in a Marina while not being able to leave the boat, don’t come.

The flip side to that is that once you have gone through testing and quarantine, that your not treated as Typhoid Mary.
But anyway the tourists that do the Bahama’s the most good are the ones that spend a lot of money in a short time. Whether they are renting houses or yachts, or whatever.
Even the Mega Yachts that hang out at Staniel Cay aren’t doing them all that much good.
The Bahamas people really get the short end of the stick very often, the Disney Cruise ship that pulls up and dumps off thousands of people onto the Disney owned island etc doesn’t do the Bahamas much good.
I’d suspicion that even Treasure Island makes a few rich, but may not do all that much for the common person, but I have never been there, so I don’t know.

So I doubt we will see anything like this implemented.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The flip side to that is that once you have gone through testing and quarantine, that your not treated as Typhoid Mary

I don’t know where you get that from so let me repeat: I’m there right now and everything is okay and nobody is treated as Typhoid Mary. People are happy with the cruisers around and busy rebuilding their houses and livelihoods

[Doubleplay]

IMHO this whole discussion is a mute point unless you are a Bahamian citizen. I'm sure their government weighed the pros and cons and doing the best for their citizens. With very few exceptions almost all the countries are not allowing US residents and rightfully so! Look at Canada, they are losing billions in tourist dollars but valuing their citizens life more...

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I don’t know where you get that from so let me repeat: I’m there right now and everything is okay and nobody is treated as Typhoid Mary. People are happy with the cruisers around and busy rebuilding their houses and livelihoods

I’m glad it’s not that way now, and it apparently varied widely depending on where you were earlier, because on our way back once we hit Staniel Cay, it was a whole different attitude, all they were asking was to wear a mask when you went shopping, but other places you were confined to the boat and had to call and pay delivery fees for any food or fuel etc, and weren’t allowed to leave.

But I can assure you, other places you were treated as a plague carrier, it didn’t matter if you had been in the Bahama’s for months, or in their anchorage for weeks.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’m glad it’s not that way now, and it apparently varied widely depending on where you were earlier, because on our way back once we hit Staniel Cay, it was a whole different attitude, all they were asking was to wear a mask when you went shopping, but other places you were confined to the boat and had to call and pay delivery fees for any food or fuel etc, and weren’t allowed to leave.

But I can assure you, other places you were treated as a plague carrier, it didn’t matter if you had been in the Bahama’s for months, or in their anchorage for weeks.

That was the lockdowns and curfews. They start that on Grand Bahama Island again for a 2-week period. May come to the US as well when the hospitals and morgues are full...

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Doubleplay

IMHO this whole discussion is a mute point unless you are a Bahamian citizen. I'm sure their government weighed the pros and cons and doing the best for their citizens. With very few exceptions almost all the countries are not allowing US residents and rightfully so! Look at Canada, they are losing billions in tourist dollars but valuing their citizens life more...

Exactly right. I think it would be interesting to know how they came to their decision. I know here in Canada we've decided to bar most non-essential travel for Americans. That includes people wanting to sail here.

Indeed, Canada is suffering Big Time over the loss of tourism dollars. Some of our areas and provinces rely heavily on American tourists. It hurts. But we've made the decision to try hard to control the virus. So far, we're doing pretty good.

BTW, this is a joint agreement by both sides of the border. I believe Canadians are treated the same by the USA.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Exactly right. I think it would be interesting to know how they came to their decision. I know here in Canada we've decided to bar most non-essential travel for Americans. That includes people wanting to sail here.

Indeed, Canada is suffering Big Time over the loss of tourism dollars. Some of our areas and provinces rely heavily on American tourists. It hurts. But we've made the decision to try hard to control the virus. So far, we're doing pretty good.

BTW, this is a joint agreement by both sides of the border. I believe Canadians are treated the same by the USA.

I could be wrong, I haven't really checked for a week or so, but I beleive we can still fly to many American cities without problem. Some require a quarantine. The border closure southbound is mostly land and water crossing. Coming back obviously requires a quarantine so basic tourism/holiday would not justify that.
Going back to our boat(virginia) we are told is pretty simple. Although we are waiting to see just how bad it gets before we decide