Boating Business

Bahamas Bans U.S. Tourists and Canada Closes Border

Privately owned vessels and charter yachts flying a U.S. flag will still be welcomed in the Bahamas.

Less than three weeks after reopening its borders to international visitors, the Bahamas announced on Sunday that it is closing all of its airports and seaports to tourists from the United States effective today. Fortunately, for boaters, the ban is not all-encompassing. Private charters and pleasurecraft are still allowed, according to the Miami Herald. Additionally, CNN reported on July 16 that Canada is expected to extend its border closure another 30 days.

Virus Spikes

Last Sunday, the Bahamas Ministry of Health registered 15 new cases of COVID-19, for a total tally of 153 cases. Of the total, 49 new infections were recorded since the borders reopened on July 1. Of that number, 31 reportedly have been on the island of Grand Bahama, which had been virus-free for more than 2 months and is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian.

While Florida in particular represents the largest tourism market for the Bahamas, the Sunshine State also recently had a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. On July 19, Florida’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 12,478 new cases in a single day and this week, the state’s 80,236 new cases pushed the total past 350,000.

Abaco island is a popular spot for U.S. based fishing boats to pull into.

Faced with those numbers, Bahamian officials were left with no choice. The Ministry of Health warned that more restrictive measures could come if the number of infections for the island nation don’t drop. As of Monday, all public and private beaches on the island of New Providence, Paradise Island, Rose Island and Athol Island and surrounding cays were closed. Additionally, a nationwide curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. will go into effect and all indoor dining, public and private beaches and parks will be closed until further notice. Anyone who presents a falsified test will be subject to a $2,000 fine, two years imprisonment or both.

Canada Closes

The premier of Ontario, Canada’s largest province, also pointed to Florida’s spikes as a reason to continue the closure of the border to the U.S. Overall, Canadians are allegedly “apprehensive” about Americans visiting their country.

The white line on this map shows the border between the U.S. and Canada on land and water.

In Atlantic Canada, the governments of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador agreed to allow citizens to move freely throughout the “Atlantic Bubble” without having to self-isolate for 14 days. But there’s no indication that visitors from south of the border are going to be welcomed any time soon.

U.S. citizens who are deemed essential for business like truck drivers can cross the border. Otherwise, the only U.S. travelers allowed to cross are those visiting immediate family if they stay for at least 15 days.