Good Friday: US to release shipment of COVID-19 supplies

Good Friday: US to release shipment of COVID-19 supplies
Sidney Collie.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A shipment of COVID-19 medical supplies that had been blocked by the U.S. will be released today, according to Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Sidney Collie.

Collie said he did not want to divulge any sensitive details on the circumstances that led to a reversal of the decision.

A shipment from Betty K with reportedly “many, many thousands” of critical response supplies was ordered to return to Miami earlier this week.

It follows a decree from American president Donald Trump last Friday, which banned the export of coronavirus protection gear.

“Without going into details of everything that was involved I want to confirm that the U.S. federal authorities at the highest levels advised me last night that the COVID-19 supplies, which were being shipped on the Betty K, which were not permitted to land in The Bahamas because of an April 3 declaration made by President Trump, and which were returned to Miami ,will be released today.

He added: “This blessed Good Friday, thank God.”

According to international reports, a shipment headed to the Cayman Islands was also seized by US Customs and Border Control on Tuesday.

The Cayman Compass reported that shipment has been released and is now due to arrive early next week.

Yesterday, Health minister Dr Duane Sands said impacted shipments included “all of the above, many of the things required to a COVID response, ventilators, testing supplies, personal protective equipment, masks etc.

The seizure was described as a major issue as protective gear has a high burn rate and is critical across all government agencies.

However, Sands underscored the country has sourced supplies from various other countries in their bid to ensure supplies remain well stocked.

In a statement today, the U.S. Embassy official explained the shipment was vetted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and is being released to the carrier for export.

“CBP vetted the shipment in accordance with Presidential guidance to ensure domestic brokers, distributors, and other intermediaries are not engaged in accumulating scarce supplies in excess of reasonable demands for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices,” the official said.

“The United States will continue to support The Bahamas in its fight against COVID-19.”

 

About Ava Turnquest

Ava Turnquest is the head of the Digital Department at Eyewitness News. Her most notable beat coverage spans but is not limited to politics, immigration and human rights, with a focus especially on minority groups. In 2018, she was nominated by the Bahamas Press Club for “The Eric Wilmott Award for Investigative Journalism”. Ava is deeply motivated by her passion about the role of fourth estate, and uses her pen to inform, educate and sensitize the public.

9 comments

Further proof that Bahamas and the entire Caribbean region should ditch the West and look to the East for imports, respect and solidarity. Wake up, Bahamas!

God is still in control…blessings on this Good Friday and always to the Bahamas and all the Caribbean islands

A bless Good Friday to all. I am so grateful to God that the United States has released the medical supplies to the Bahamas as well as the Cayman Islands. I understand their delimna, but despite that they still showed compassion. I pray for a speedy healing for all persons affected and a supernatural eradication of this covd-19 virus. 8n the name of Yeshua, the Risen Saviour, and soon coming King.?

I sure hope this shows our govement that we need to move to manufactuNH our own.
We need to move to sustaining ourselves.

I hope these testing kits are clean because for what I read about what happened in England I don’t thrust NO government right now.

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