NASSAU, BAHAMAS — For the second year in a row, the annual National Family Island Regatta will not be held this year as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
National Family Island Regatta Committee Chairman Danny Strachan made the announcement in a statement released today.
“I am saddened to confirm that the 2021 version of the National Family Island Regatta is canceled,” he said.
“As with our consideration during early March 2020, during the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Family Island Regatta Committee met and reviewed available options, including postponement.
“Once again, members concluded that this was in the best interest of our national requirement to comply with the government’s advice to curtail large social gatherings.
“All past regattas have brought together many thousands of persons in George Town, Exuma, onshore and on boats in the harbor in extremely close gatherings.
“We cannot invite such a gathering with present circumstances.
“We have met with the minister responsible for regattas, Hon. Michael Pintard, and the Regatta Desk in the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, to offer the assurance of our commitment to the national fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. He supports our position for cancellation.”
Strachan said it is “painful” to not have a regatta to look forward to, but noted the committee wanted to give sloop owners advanced notice to prevent them from wasting resources preparing in vain.
He expressed gratitude to sponsors, advertisers and the community for its continued support, while apologizing “in a heartfelt way” for disappointment or lost opportunities some may be faced with as a result.
The chairman stressed, however, that the committee’s priority “is the health of the public”.
“We hope that all who hold the National Regatta dear will, along with the committee, seek to reimagine options for staging a meaningful and safe regatta when national and international circumstances will permit us to appropriately gather,” Strachan said.
“Hopefully, we will stage the event next year after we all would have spent this year recovering from the pandemic.”
As of Monday, the country had 1,080 active COVID-19 cases.
The Bahamas remains in a state of national emergency, with government-imposed measures including curfews and social restrictions to prevent spread of the virus still in place.
Last week, Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme Dr Nikkiah Forbes said The Bahamas had passed the point of flattening the curve of the second wave.
In recent days, there has been an uptick in new daily confirmed cases, though it remains to be seen if the trend will be sustained.
Loading ...
