The Bahamian Government's order to ban for 21 days all commercial flights and boats from Haiti on its territory came into effect on Monday, February 15, 2021.

This ordinance states "The entry into the Bahamas of any vessel or person who has left Haiti, whether by direct transport routes or by transit through another jurisdiction and arriving by air or sea will be prohibited for a period of 21-day beginning Monday February 15 at midnight."

Darren Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield, said it was a precautionary measure to avoid the potential spread of Covid-19, as Haiti holds its national carnival which began on Sunday February 14 despite the health crisis.

Minister Henfield recalled, "You know in the Bahamas we didn't do our 'Junkanoo' season like we normally do. Trinidad didn’t have a carnival so we’re careful here. The Member of Parliament for North Abaco, who agrees in the same direction," justifies this order by affirming "We believe that the carnival atmospheres can constitute a potential spread of the virus [...]"

Remember that this is not the first time that the Bahamian Government has issued travel bans due to the pandemic. In March 2020, the borders were closed to all inbound travelers, including citizens of the Bahamas, in an effort to prevent the spread of the Covid. International commercial travel resumed on July 1st, but a travel ban was subsequently reimposed on all international flights and ships except those from a few countries, after the Bahamas saw a surge in new cases and then those travel restrictions were lifted later last year.

SL/ HaitiLibre