NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis today announced that Cat Island and North and Central Andros will face a 14-day full lockdown, beginning tomorrow at 8pm, in an effort to mitigate against a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases on those islands..
During a national address, the prime minister said the lockdown was imposed based on the advice of medical professionals.
Travel to and from Cat Island and North and Central Andros will be prohibited during the lockdown.
All businesses will be closed with the exception of essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, government healthcare clinics, and vaccination sites.
No burial will be permitted during the period.
Administrators on the island will be permitted to distribute food and water on behalf of the government.
“There will be no in-person activities permitted,” Minnis said.
The prime minister pointed out there is limited capacity on the Family Islands, including ventilators and more sophisticated equipment needed to treat COVID patients.
“Because of these limits, as a government, we cannot allow Family Island outbreaks of the pandemic to get out of control,” he said.
“In these communities, there are no big hospitals or intensive care units.
“There are a limited number of healthcare professionals, due to the small sizes of the populations.”
The government has mobilized resources and support for the islands during the restricted period, including food and economic support, according to the prime minister.
Earlier this week, the prime minister announced a two-week lockdown on Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands.
Today, he said he will continue to “act aggressively” to protect lives in The Bahamas.
