NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Residents across several islands with no COVID-19 infections to date are nervous about inter-island travel, and the possibility of exposure as they try to get back to some form of normalcy.
San Salvador and Ragged Island remain the only major islands that have yet to record a case of the virus, along with Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, Long Cay, Chub Cay, and Rum Cay.
Long Island recorded its first case on Sunday. Mayaguana recorded its first two cases on Monday.
Myron Lockhart-Bain, a Ragged Island resident, told Eyewitness News yesterday that there is a level of “semi-paranoia” over the possibility that the island could be exposed to the virus.
He noted, however, that because things on the island have been halted since Hurricane Irma ravaged it in September 2017, there is a lower chance of exposure.
“We COVID-free and we don’t control that factor of it,” Lockhart-Bain said.
“We might just be lucky. We have the mailboat come every week. We haven’t been getting too many people coming to the island, or transfer through the mailboat other than three people who are living here.
“And we haven’t had the influx of fishing boats that we usually get this time of the year.”
He noted that residents on the island are trying to follow social distancing and mask-wearing protocols as best as possible among themselves, given the very small community.
There are approximately 50 residents currently living on the island.
The island still has no public school, police station, clinic, or administrator’s office since it was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
San Salvador resident and fisheries officer Bruce Niro said that many residents on that island are happy and relieved there have been no positive cases and want to make sure the island remains COVID-free.
Niro noted that while everyone who comes to the island is required to take a COVID-19 test, residents also want assurances that those people will quarantine for 14-days as well.
Speaking to the restart of domestic travel and Bahamians visiting from other islands, Niro said: “We don’t want them here”.
“We can’t stop you as a Bahamian, but we don’t want you here,” he said.
“If you are a San Salvadorian then we can’t really say anything about it. But if you are from another island, you really ain’t welcomed because we don’t know what you’re bringing in.”
He urged Bahamians throughout the country to stay home, wear masks, and practice safe social distancing.
“We don’t want you mixing or interacting or coming here on the island,” Niro continued.
“…We like the way it is right now.
“Even for visitors where you have private airplanes or private boats, they may come here with their COVID-19 tets, but I feel they should still be quarantined for 14-days.”
Niro noted that with the temporary closure of Club Med, many people on the island are now unemployed.
However, he said with the recent reopening of the restaurants, bars, and number houses, the economy is starting to move again.
Lynton Pinder, designated administrator for Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, and North Eleuthera Proper, said the residents on the untouched islands are “happy but cautious”.
“I think everyone is concerned to be quite honest,” Pinter told Eyewitness News in a recent interview.
“The Bahamas is a very small country and we have friends and family all over the islands.
“We hear the stories of persons who have been affected, persons that have been sending out voice notes warning others to adhere to the health and safety protocols and basically stay home.
“[People] would like to see things get back to normal, however, we know it’s going to be a new normal for now.
“We are happy but cautious.”
Pinder said inter-island travel in Eleuthera continues daily with the mailboat and ferries, insisting that residents in districts such as North Eleuthera still have to get to other settlements for essential items.
“You have persons who want to completely isolate, you have persons who want to open up but want very strict measures under which they are to be guided, and then you have other persons that are just wanting to get back to normal and have a free-for-all,” he said.
“There is a variety of emotions and the approaches are various.”
He insisted however that it would be unfair to stop transportation and disenfranchise some residents from their needs.
Pinder urged residents in Eleuthera to continue to stay vigilant and follow all protocols.
“You have to protect yourself in order to protect others and frontline workers.”
He applauded frontline workers in North Eleuthera for the tremendous job they have done in managing mitigation efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
Last week, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis had announced an immediate seven-day lockdown of New Providence. The move was repealed one day later.
Minnis sought to defend his decision, insisting that it was being made to contain the “explosion” of cases on the island and prevent Family Islands with older populations from being exposed.
In just two months, the novel coronavirus has spread to nearly every major island of The Bahamas.
As of July 1, there were 104 cases of the virus dispersed across four islands — New Providence with 82, Grand Bahama with eight, Bimini with 13, and Cat Cay with one case.
Grand Bahama saw a rapid rise in cases around July 14, just two weeks after the resumption of international commercial carriers.
Since the country reopened its border to international travel, 2,337 COVID-19 cases have been recorded across 14 major islands with 102 cases pending locations.
Of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1,476 have been confirmed in New Providence, 557 in Grand Bahama, 71 in Abaco, 54 confirmed in Bimini, 20 in Exuma, 15 cases in the Berry Islands, 11 confirmed cases in Inagua, eight in Cat Island, seven in Eleuthera, seven in Acklins, three in Long Island, two in Andros, two in Crooked Island, two in Mayaguana, and 102 confirmed cases with locations pending.
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