Daily Archives: August 2, 2021

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Officials in Grand Bahama were last night incinerating insect-infested wood and fumigating exposed areas after a cargo ship reportedly offloaded it without proper approval.

Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard said an investigation has been launched into how the vessel was allowed to drop off the wood.

He addressed the matter as a guest on Beyond the Headlines with Clint Watson.

We have a massive team incinerating the wood at Sanitation, fumigating both at Bradford Marine and Sanitation and we are carefully trying to find out how is it possible that a vessel can come into The Bahamas, dock, drop off the itemsIm not God, so Im not omniscient, so I dont know and thats why we do investigations and to find out how they can drop off the wood, and leave because we intended to detain whoever had done it and we will find out from the shipping agency, the barge that transferred and everyone who had custody of the wood so we are addressing it.

Pintard did not reveal any further details; however, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),in a statement on Wednesday, said a vessel it removed was on its way to Freeport for disposal services.

The CBP said its agriculture specialists at the Port of New Orleans had ordered the removal of a vessel named the Pan Jasmine due to invasive insects found in the wood used to secure their previous cargo.

The vessel was found to be infected with five separate pests, according to the CBP, noting there were two destructive and invasive species beetle and ant that required action.

Due to the large volume of (wood) and the presence of highly mobile pests, the vessel was ordered to immediately depart U.S. waters, load the (wood) into the cargo hold and clean the decks prior to returning to the U.S., the CBP statement read.

The larvae of invasive wood-boring beetles can feed on a wide variety of trees in the U.S., eventually killing them, the statement continued.

The Myrmicinae queen ants are a concern because they are capable of producing a colony. The additional pests found have an established presence in the U.S. including Bostrichidae, a common wood-boring pest.

It furthered the vessel departed on July 21 to Freeport.

According to the statement, New Orleans Area Port Director Terri Edwards said: If the (wood) had been offloaded into the U.S., it would have been put in a Louisiana landfill where the insects could crawl out and invade the local habitat, causing incalculable damage.

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INFESTATION: Sanitation incinerating insect-infested wood offloaded in GB - EyeWitness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Viewers across the entire archipelago have free access to watch the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games thanks to a partnership with BTC and the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB). BTC is the title sponsor to ZNS free-to-air rights to broadcast the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

BTC CEO Andre Foster commented on the partnership, saying: We could not be more proud of this partnership with the national broadcaster to deliver free-to-air coverage of the 2020 Olympics to every resident of The Bahamas, ensuring everyone has access to all the excitement of the games, with or without a television subscription service.

Across the archipelago, all a household needs is a television in the home tuned into the ZNS off-air channels and they will be able to catch all the Olympic action.

BTC, as a carrier of the national broadcaster channels on our Flow TV platform, will also receive ZNS Olympic coverage on our state-of-the-art digital IPTV platform at no additional cost to FlowTV subscribers. Our sponsorship helps to provide every Bahamian home with access to the Olympics and this is just one example of how BTC is giving back to The Bahamas in a really big way.

The countrys pioneer in telecommunications partnering with the pioneer in television broadcast services makes this a very special moment for both of us in serving The Bahamas.

BTC has a rich history of support for sports and over the years, weve heavily invested in track and field and swimming to ensure that athletes were afforded the opportunity to compete and represent the country.

BTC has also provided major endorsement contracts to a number of athletes including our first gold medalist, Tonique Williams. The company has also endorsed the Golden Girls, the Golden Knights and Shaunae Miller to name a few.

We believe in supporting our athletes by providing them with the assistance needed to help to fuel their passion so that they can realize their dreams.

Residents with Flow TV can tune into channels 113 or 115 and the FlowTV mobile app. All other viewers can watch the games on ZNS.

BCB General Manager Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs said: The chairman, on behalf of the board of directors and the executives of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, are very pleased to be partnering with BTC on the free-to-air television broadcast coverage of the 2020 Olympics.

Both entities have a strong relationship presently, as in the past, and as proud Bahamian entities, we are very happy to be bringing the Olympics once again to the Bahamian people.

We hope to foster greater relations as legacy companies and BCB will continue to highlight the great achievements of Bahamians locally and internationally in its programming.

BTC has also enjoyed a long-term relationship with the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) and The Bahamas Olympic Committee and has been title sponsor of the CARIFTA Track and Field and Swimming teams and the IAAF World Relays.

BTC congratulated Joanna Evans for her second place finish in the womens 400m freestyle heat and Izaak Bastian for his performance in the mens 100m breaststroke. The company wishes the entire team Samson Colebrooke, Steven Gardiner, Jamal Wilson, Donald Thomas, Tynia Gaither, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Brianne Bethel, Anthonique Strachan, Pedrya Seymour, Doneisha Anderson, Megan Moss, Lacathera Cooper, Joanna Evans, Laura Morley and Izaak Bastian best of luck.

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BTC teams up with the Broadcasting Corporation to bring the Tokyo Olympic Games free to all viewers across The Bahamas - EyeWitness News

Club Med helped pioneer the concept of all-inclusive vacations in the 1960s and 1970s, and people of a certain age doubtless remember the hotel chains jingle from the time: The Club Med vacation/The antidote for civilization.

Originally a no-frills concept with tented accommodations on the beach, Club Med has changed with the times and now offers travelers an experience thats entirely, well, civilized. Upscale and more family oriented, Club Med has properties in some of more intriguing locations in the Caribbean and still retains some of the quirky touches that made the resorts famous, such as trapezes and circus-themed play areas.

The Club Med properties of the Caribbean include:

Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, Dominican Republic

The newest Club Med in the Caribbean debuted in late 2019, shut down soon thereafter due to COVID-19, and has now reopened as an essentially brand new resort. As part of Club Meds Executive Collection, the eco chic resort on the Dominican Republics northeast coast offers premium level accommodations and amenities in a part of the country as yet only lightly touched by tourism. Rooms are spread out in four villages scattered on 93 lush tropical acres and facing a long stretch of pristine beach. The Archipelago village is adults-only, while the Explorer Cove village welcome families with kid-friendly amenities and a private pool, plus an exclusive resort-within-a resort dubbed La Perla. Wellness-oriented travelers gravitate to the Emerald Jungle with its spa and Zen Pool.

Club Med Turkoise, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Set on one of the worlds best beaches, Grace Bay, the adults-only Club Med Turkoise has brightly appointed guest rooms in low-rise buildings, including top floor oceanview deluxe rooms with balconies. In addition to the main restaurant serving three meals daily, all-inclusive dining options include Sharkies Grill & Beach Bar, the oceanfront Blue Coral bar, and a wine bar serving premium vintages at additional cost. Activities include tennis, a fitness center, and watersports (including scuba diving); spa services are available, but cost extra.

Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The Club Med Punta Cana has an exclusive adults-only enclave (the Zen Oasis) and the family friendly Tiara collection of 32 suites with separate bathrooms and bedrooms for kids, five-star amenities, and activities that include fitness, golf, and archery lessons. The resort has a kids club for guests ages 4-17 and a unique Cirque du Soleil activity area where adults and kids alike can learn bungee jumping, flying on a trapeze, aerial silk dancing, tightrope, trampoline, juggling, percussion and more. All-inclusive dining options include 7 restaurants and bars.

Club Med Caravelle, Guadeloupe

Club Med feels quite at home in the French Caribbean, and the all-inclusive Club Med Caravelle resort welcomes families to a familiar hotel brand where you can enjoy authentic French Creole cuisine at the restaurants, French wine in La Cave, and a local ti punch at the Mango Bar. The resort features family friendly connecting rooms to create mini suites, kids clubs catering to all ages from infants to teens, a SOTHYS spa for the parents, and yoga, cardio, fitness, and trapeze classes.

Club Med Buccaneers Creek, Martinique

Guided hikes, mangrove paddles, and kitesurfing lessons point to the true nature of this all-inclusive resort in the French West Indies, which takes full advantage of its lush beachfront locale to offer a broad range of included activities to guests. All rooms have ocean views, and dining options include a buffet restaurant, a new open-air beach eatery serving local Creole cuisine, and drinks and snacks at the rustic Madou bar.

Club Med Columbus Isle, Bahamas (Reopening in 2022)

San Salvador in the sister islands of the Bahamas was hit hard by Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, with the Club Med Columbus Isle suffering severe damage. The resort remains closed as renovations continue, but a reopening date has been announced for October 2022 (pushed back by COVID-19 from a hoped-for December 2021 reopening). When it does start welcoming guests again, the resort will have ocean view rooms on one of the best beaches in the Bahamas.

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The Club Med Resorts of the Caribbean, Explained - Caribbean Journal

NASSAU, BAHAMAS None of the COVID-19 hospitalized cases at Princess Margaret Hosptial (PMH) or COVID-19 related deaths have been individuals who have been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme Dr Nikkiah Forbes.

The data revealed by health officials during a press conference last week comes as the country sees another surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

As of Saturday, there were 14,119 COVID-19 cases in the country with 1,455 still active and 100 hospitalized cases 90 of which are moderately and 10 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Forbes noted that 98.3 percent of those patients at PMH have not had any vaccinations and a smaller number had had one dose and all got COVID less than 14-days of getting the vaccine.

COVID spreading is a problem for all of us, she said.

With the healthcare system being over capacity there is a lot of diversion from other services.

There is fall out from that, so it is all of our problems.

If you get vaccinated you will be largely protected from hospitalization and death.

As of Saturday, 103,164 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered across The Bahamas.

There are some 43, 943 people who have been fully vaccinated, including Bahamians and residents who received their jabs abroad and registered through the government vaccination platform.

Some 60,578 people have received one dose of the vaccine.

According to the data, 7,470 still have to receive their second dose.

There was a decrease in the number of second doses administered because of the challenges with global supply, said Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillian.

Last week, the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee limited the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to second doses by appointment only for those who are eligible.

The measure will continue until additional doses of the vaccine arrive in-country.

Last week, The Bahamas has received 3,496 doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine as the result of a donation from the British Overseas Territories of Montserrat and Anguilla, with the assistance of United Kingdom High Commissioner Sarah Dickson.

The country also continues to await the delivery of an additional 33,000 doses of AstraZeneca and some 57,330 doses of the Pfizer vaccine through the COVAX facility.

The US is alsoslated to donatea tranche of AstraZeneca doses from its surplus, though quantity and dates have yet to be announced.

McMillian insisted that the only way the country can get out of the pandemic is to have enough people vaccinated some 70 percent of the Bahamian population.

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NOT VACCINATED: 98 percent of COVID-19 hospitilzation and deaths were not vaccinated, remaining only had one jab - EyeWitness News

These bugs can devastate the forest; they are infamous for what they doBNT exec: We really hope none of them escaped

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA Local environmentalists expressed dismay and concern after a vessel reportedly carrying wood infected with tree-killing beetles was allowed to offload on Grand Bahama.

Joe Darville, chairman of Save The Bays and Waterkeeper Bahamas, told Eyewitness News Thursday night that he initially became very concerned after a news article in the New Orleans Advocate indicated US federal agents had ordered the Pan Jasmine cargo ship out of the country after finding it infested with a type of Asian beetle that has been destroying trees in the US for more than two decades.

Darville said he found it most alarming that the ship was said to have departed for Freeport on July 21 for wood disposal services. To his further dismay, Darville said subsequent to his inquires, he discovered that the ship had arrived in Freeport and offloaded its cargo.

I found out that this stuff was already offloaded in Freeport under the guise that it was tonnage to be taken to the landfill, said Darville.

These bugs can devastate the forest. They are infamous for what they do.

Im trying to trying to find out how in the world this ship got permission to come here and offload cargo that is so infested. I cant understand it. It is horrifying that something like this could happen.

Grand Bahama is not a dumping ground. I am really disappointed about this. I understand that sanitation services collected the stuff and sprayed it but the question is did anything escape.

The ship, which was reportedly flagged under Panama, had previously offloaded a shipment of aluminum in Veracruz, Mexico, after departing a port in India. According to the report, the wood onboard was found to have five pests, two of them the beetle and a type of ant considered serious risks to US crops.

Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Executive Director Eric Carey told Eyewitness News: Everyones been tracking it and we have been talking to the environmental agencies. From what we have been able to understand, the boat has already offloaded cargo on Grand Bahama.

To the best of our knowledge, it was taken under the control of sanitization services.

He added: This Asian beetle us already in the United States. We also have wood-boring insects in Abaco. The trees are already stressed because of Dorian, et cetera, and they dont need this type of infestation.

We really hope none of them escaped.

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HORRIFYING: Environmentalists concerned whether tree-killing beetle onboard ship let loose on GB - EyeWitness News