British Colonial Hilton extends closure until further notice

British Colonial Hilton extends closure until further notice
The British Colonial Hilton in Downtown Nassau.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — British Colonial Hilton has advised staff members that it will extend its temporary suspension of operations until further notice, citing the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the country.

In a letter to its staff on Friday, the hotel said: “We were hoping to resume our operations in October but unfortunately, this is not the case.

“We continue to see an increase and widespread of the virus with no flattening of the curve right now.

“As a result, we are now faced to further extend the temporary suspension of our operations effective October 1, 2020, until further notice.”

The hotel reminded its staff that the National Insurance Board has launched an extended unemployment benefits program.

“We know that the past months have not been easy and living with all the uncertainties is difficult,” it said.

“We continue to assure you that we are considering all possible measures to assist during these unforeseen times.”

The letter added: “The British Colonial Hotel continues with many ongoing initiatives and measures to ensure the financial stability of the company.

“In the interim, we encourage you to stay as safe as possible.”

The hotel joins a number of resorts that have opted to delay their reopening – including Atlantis and Baha Mar – due to the global pandemic and rising cases locally.

Health officials confirmed 101 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in The Bahamas on Saturday, taking the number of cases to 3,315.

Of the new cases, 69 are on New Providence, eight on Grand Bahama, one on Exuma, and another 23 with locations pending.

The Ministry of Health also confirmed the death of a 69-year-old man of New Providence on September 18. The latest death takes the COVID-19 fatality count to 74.

The death of a 30-year-old woman in New Providence is also under investigation, officials said.

The number of deaths under investigation stands at 16.

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.

1 comments

I sure it has nothing to do with the flattening of the curve and all about the mandatory 14 day quarantine. The major hotels know that tourists will not come to the Bahamas as long as that is in place. It’s a better business decision to remain close and have the idiots in the government subsidize the income of its employees. If the hotels were to open, they are responsible for 100% of the salaries. Paying employees to operate an empty resort. They all know how to take care of ther businesses. It seems like the Incompetent Authority and his ministers have no idea of how to take care of ours. All the while the other countries in the Caribbean and Mexico are open for business and taking away our piece of the tourism pie. And we might very well never get it back.

Just some food for thought.

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