Bahamians Set to Return Home on Friday
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190 Bahamians will return from Florida in a phased approach
One hundred ninety Bahamians will return to the Bahamas on Friday, the first returnees since the borders were shut in the country’s fight against COVID-19.
In a press statement the ministry said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was given responsibility to prepare a strategy to return Bahamian Nationals and residents to The Bahamas who are still abroad in various places around the world, as a result of travel restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.
This is scheduled to be the first phase of repatriation since the borders were shut.
The ministry said, in this first phase, the national flag carrier, Bahamasair will be used to bring to New Providence and Grand Bahama 190 persons who have tested negative for COVID-19 and have agreed to adhere to the strict regime determined by the Ministry of Health.
The ministry said it has registered hundreds Bahamians and residents outside the country globally of which the majority are in South Florida, through its embassies and consulates.
The ministry said its immediate focus was to organize the return of those in Florida–South Florida, West Palm Beach and Miami.
“Government facilities will be provided for quarantine, when that determination is made by the Ministry of Health,” the statement goes on to say.
“Though these persons would have been tested negative for COVID-19, protocols have been put in place to ensure that anti COVID-19 spreading measures are practiced while they proceed to their eventual destinations.”
The ministry said Bahamian citizens and residents in jurisdictions outside of South Florida will be reminded when the repatriation exercises will be done.
Ministry said the exercises will be in a phased and executed in an orderly manner, depending on registration data received from the Embassies and Consulates abroad.
The ministry said it will create a new web page on the current MOFA website that will support the online repatriation registration process which will allow Bahamians abroad, as a result of COVID-19, to expedite the application process to repatriate.
The new online portal to be available soon, according to the ministry.
The public is encouraged to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website http://www.MOFA.gov.bs for important notices and updates regarding this ongoing exercise.
