Category Archives: Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS Health officials have confirmed two additional cases of COVID-19 in Grand Bahama, taking the total number of cases to 113.

This follows an announcement from Pizza Hut Freeport, which advised today that a team member from its Mall location has tested positive for COVID-19.

Grand Bahama has seen a spike in new cases with eight cases in six days.

On Wednesday, health officials confirmed two new cases of COVID-19 on Grand Bahama after there had been no cases on the island for more than 60 days.

The pair confirmed on Wednesday were the first cases for the country in more than three weeks.

The Pizza Hut employee is currently in quarantine and receiving treatment as needed, the company said in a statement.

All employees exposed to the team member have been identified by the Ministry of Health and are in self-isolation, the statement read.

The health and well being of our team members and customers is our number one priority, especially in these uncertain times.

The restaurant was temporarily closed for sanitization and is expected to reopen on Wednesday.

There have been 16 confirmed cases in Grand Bahama, 83 in New Providence, one in Cat Cay, and 13 on Bimini.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health also advised that its dashboard has been updated to include a tab for non-COVID related deaths.

There were two individuals who were previously confirmed to have COVID-19 who passed away, the statement read.

A review was completed with local and international personnel who confirmed that the deaths were not due to COVID-19.

Therefore, the dashboard will now feature the tab Non-COVID Related Deaths to classify a patient that was diagnosed with COVID-19, but the cause of death was not due to COVID-19.

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Two new COVID-19 cases in Grand Bahama - EyeWitness News

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#NASSAU, The Bahamas July 15, 2020 Wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Patricia Minnis has thrown her support behind the launch of a sewing programme under the Over-the-Hill Community Development Partnership Initiative, aimed at economic empowerment of residents.

The programme, which provides free sewing classes, waslaunched on Monday, July 13, 2020 at the Urban Renewal Centerville centre, Deveaux Street. Also present were Minister of Social Servicesand Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie Campbell; Samita Ferguson, ExecutiveManager, Over-the-Hill Unit, Office of the Prime Minister; and Kemie Jones, ProjectManager, Over-the Hill Unit, Office of the Prime Minister.

Mrs. Minnis,in her official function, Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister,underscored the importance of the programme and other such initiatives.

She announced that July 20-24, 2020 her office will hold foodprocessing classes for women and girls to empower them to make a living.

Mrs. Minnis also envisioned plans to duplicate theseinitiatives throughout the Family Islands.

So we are swapping, switching and looking at various thingsthat happen in this, Over-the-Hill community to carry to other communitiesespecially in the Family Islands. They would love to see the sewing machines aswell as the food processing classes going to all our Family Islands, she said.

The Over-the-Hill Community Development PartnershipInitiative donated the 10 sewing machines to two Urban Renewal Centres Centreville and Bain & Grants Town as part of the launch of a suite oftechnical and vocational programmes in the inner city. These programmes are designed to attractresidents who are unemployed or with low incomes to entrepreneurship andapprenticeship. Residents are encouragedto contact Urban Renewal Centres to apply.

Another objective of the sewing programme is to providemale/female residents with opportunities to explore other entrepreneurial pathsto earn a primary or second stream of income and thus reduce poverty inequalitylevels and potentially reduce crime.

The key stakeholders are the Over-the-Hill Unit in theOffice of the Prime Minister, Urban Renewal, Department of Inland Revenue andthe Small Business Development Centre.

The sewing programme is part of components of theOver-The-Hill Community Development Partnership Initiative launched by thePrime Minister in May 2018.

The Initiative is built around six key pillarsdesigned to fully restore the Over-the-Hill community communities. Thepillars are:

Social Empowerment

Economic Empowerment

Rejuvenation

Smart Technology

Green and SustainableTechnology

Programmes for the Youth and the Elderly

BIS Press Release by Lindsay Thompson

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Wife of The Bahamas Prime Minister Supports Sewing Classes in Over-the-Hill Community - Magnetic Media

Monday, July 13, 2020

NASSAU The Bahamas has updated its entry requirements for travellers to include a mandatory Bahamas Health Visa application as well as a negative COVID-19 test result within 10 days of arrival.

Effective immediately, all travellers will be required to complete the electronic application at travel.gov.bs prior to departure from their place of embarkation, and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test plus provide contact information.

The Government of The Bahamas will accept the negative COVID-19 RT-PRC (swab) test if the same was taken within 10 days of arrival. Tests over 10 days old will not be accepted.

An automated response will be provided once the application is completed. The only people approved to travel are those who have received a green colour-coded responses as proof of approval. This confirmation must be presented upon arrival in The Bahamas.

Children under two years old are not required to have the test. Children between 3-10 must take a test unless proof is presented upon arrival that their state/county does not administer tests for children in this age range.

As of now, quarantines are not required for those entering The Bahamas.

The Health Visa application process will take 24-48 hours and should be completed with adequate lead time.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in denied entry.

The Bahamas is the latest Caribbean destination to require a negative COVID-19 test result prior to entry. Saint Lucia and Antigua made similar announcements within the past week.

The Bahamas began its gradual reopening of its tourism sector on July 1 with the resumption of both international and domestic air traffic. For a complete list of health and safety requirements go to http://www.bahamas.com/travelupdates.

For reopening updates from other destinations go to https://www.travelweek.ca/news/destinations-reopening-list/.

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Bahamas latest island to require negative COVID test for entry - Travelweek

The Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday that there are three new cases of COVID-19 in Grand Bahama.

The new cases are:

A 16-year-old girl with a history a travel.

A 47-year-old woman with no history of travel

A 39-year-old woman with a history of travel.

All three are in isolation at home.

The total number of cases now stands at 111 with 11 of those active.

Health officials are reminding the public to practice the following measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Wear a face mask when you leave home;

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and if soap and waterare not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol;

Cover your cough or sneeze in your inner elbow or with a tissue; and

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as phones, remotes controls, counters,doorknobs, and keyboards.

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Three new cases of COVID-19 on Grand Bahama - Bahamas Tribune

In a telephone pre-trial hearing yesterday evening, art dealer Inigo Philbrick, who was officially indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theftby the US government on July 13, was denied bail and ordered to be held in a Manhattan correctional facility.

The bulk of the evenings hearing centered on Philbricks actions over the past several months, his perceived intentions, and whether he posed a flight risk.

It emerged that Philbricks mother, Jane, was willing to put up her house in Connecticut as bond for his release. Philbricks fiance, former reality TV star Victoria Baker-Harber, and her family were also willing to put up additional collateral, including real estate in the Bahamas, and other assets abroad, worth an estimated $2 million.

When he left, he abandoned his art galleries and abruptly stopped communicating with clients and lenders. He stopped responding to the legal process, assistant US Attorney Cecilia Vogel, arguing against granting bail, said during the hearing, noting various international legal claims against Philbrick.

Vogel said that following his arrest in Juneon the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, to where he fled in October as a slew of asset-seizure claims were filed against him,he made several post-arrest statements that indicated his intent to flee.

Vogel argued that Philbrick was under the impression that Vanuatu had no extradition agreement with the US or most other countries, so that it was difficult to apprehend him while he was there.

She called $25 million a conservative estimate of his overall fraud scheme and said that wire transfer records indicated that between 2016 and 2019, over $200 million flowed through accounts that Philbrick controlled.

Im not claiming all of it was fraudulent, but it gives you an idea of the volume of business he was doing, Vogel said, adding that it is possible he has assets abroad that allowed him to support himself while he was a fugitive in Vanuatu. She surmised that those same assets might be available to him if he were to flee again.

In a lengthy counterargument, Philbricks attorney, Peter Brill, argued that Philbrick flew very high and sank very low. He said that Philbricks current assets were in the realm of only tens of thousands of dollars, and that his entire business had collapsed and he had no money to pay his attorneys. He has been supported by his fiance and her family.

A now-deleted Instagram photo of Victoria Baker-Harber with Inigo Philbrick. Photo courtesy: Wikinetworth.com

Brill did not respond to Artnet Newss additional request for comment.

Brill said Philbrick went to Vanuatu in part at the suggestion ofBaker-Harber, who has family in Fiji.

The cliche of the South Pacific island where no one can reach you is certainly not great optics, Brill conceded. But he was never aware of a criminal investigation, and the way this arrest took place was designed so that he wasnt aware of one.

Brill told the court that Philbricks US passport, which he left in Vanuatu when he was abruptly seized and expelled, has been canceled, adding that, as an asthmatic, Philbrick is more vulnerable to potential COVID-19 infection in jail.

At times, Judge James L. Cott appeared to lean in Philbricks favor, noting that he had no criminal history nor any record of violence, and that he appeared to pose no safety risks to others.

He also noted that Philbrick usedhis own name and passport while traveling internationally, which he said weighed in his favor. But he ultimately decided in favor of the government.

The facility where Philbrick is reportedly being held, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, has housed other notorious inmates, including convicted Ponzi-scheme fraudster Bernie Madoff and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in a jail cell there last summer.

Following reports last week that Philbrick was being held in a county jail in Oklahoma, Tuesdays bail hearingwhich lasted over one hourrevealed that Philbrick arrived in New York on July 14.

The hearing included mention of previous stops at an Immigration and Custom Enforcement facility in Nevada. Prior to that, Philbrick was held in a federal detention center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and in the US territory of Guam.

Judd Grossman, an attorney representing several of Philbricks former clients who allege that they lost millions of dollars as a result of the art dealers misrepresentations, told Artnet News: The court was correct in denying Philbricks bail application based on his significant flight risk now it is time that he remain in New York to face these serious criminal and civil charges.

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Art Dealer Inigo Philbrick Will Be Kept In US Custody After His Fiances Familys Bahamas Real Estate Was Rejected as Bail Collateral - artnet News

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

KIM Aranha, the president of the Bahamas Humane Society, said she is disturbed by reports that police officers shot and killed several dogs that posed no threat to them last week.

Details of the incident are scarce but Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters confirmed yesterday the Royal Bahamas Police Force has received a complaint about the matter and has launched an investigation.

Reports are that between three and five pit bulls were killed, with Mrs Aranha saying she understands three dogs were killed in the High Vista area.

It is absolutely unacceptable, she said. As far as we can tell there was no need for it. The police dont have a very good track record with dogs in yards. There must be an investigation and we will call for one and we are talking to authorities about it.

Its deplorable, its unacceptable and it happens far too frequently. We had a big rash of it last year and we even had it on film where one policeman came into a property and shot a dog that was chained, a dog that could not reach the policeman. The animal was completely harmless. The dog did not die. We went and picked him up and we cared for him and his owner got him back but there was no need to shoot that dog. He was ten feet away on a chain but the killing of dogs in yards happens too often.

It worries me. If a policeman wants to run through my yard and my dog is unchained, my dog wont understand that hes a policeman. Theyre protecting my property. Its not unreasonable that the dog would go after someone who jumps the wall and is running through my property, whether that person has a good reason or not. The Bahamas Humane Society has offered training to the police force. There is a very renowned former police officer who trains police forces all over the world on how to handle aggressive dogs. We have offered our services to the Royal Bahamas Police Force but nobody has taken me up on that. What Im hearing is the dogs in this case posed no threat.

In February 2019, Mrs Aranha complained after two dogs were allegedly shot in their owners yard by police officers.

According to social media reports at the time, the shooting incident occurred while officers were executing a search warrant at a residence. The dogs were said to have been tied at the time and not roaming free.

Mrs Aranha said both dogs, which were pitbull type, were shot twice and taken to the BHS for treatment. One dog underwent surgery at the time due to a bullet being lodged in its jaw, she said last year.

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Police probe reports that officers shot several dogs - Bahamas Tribune

According to Netweather, the next few days will be cloudy at times, with high pressure lingering towards the south.Weather fronts from the Atlantic will bring more cloud, especially across the north and west as southern areas remain most dry, before sizzling temperatures arrive later this week.

The weekend will offer some hope to Britons wishing to take a short holiday thanks to a heatwave.

The Met Office prediction for Friday onwards reads: More unsettled conditions with spells of rain and strong winds are likely to affect the north and northwest at times.

There is chance that these wetter interludes could spread more widely and affect much of the UK.

Temperatures are likely to be mostly around normal, although it may become warm for a time in the south and perhaps very warm in the southeast.

Towards the end of the period, more settled conditions are likely to develop, across many parts.

Spells of wetter and windier weather are possible across northern and western areas at times.

Nick Finnis at NetWeather said today is likely to see a fair amount of cloud again, with a few light showers around, more general rain moving in across Scotland and N. Ireland in theevening.

Cooler across the south compared to Monday.

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Temperatures ranging between 15-16C in the north to 17-19C in the south.

He added the sun will come out later in the week.

Mr Finnis said: Some uncertainty over detail from mid-week, with weather models differing a bit between them with detail.

But it looks like Wednesday may be another generally cloudy day, with showery rain spreading southeast across more western areas, drier towards the east, perhaps with some brightness towards eastern coasts.

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Cloudy again on Thursday and Friday, with a few light showers or patchy drizzle, but some brightness possible east of high ground and across the south and east of England.

Feeling humid though and warm where the sun does come out in the south and east.

Oli Claydon, of the Meteorological Office, said: As the week goes on, temperatures are going to rise but there will be quite a lot of cloud around so there are not going to be crystal-clear conditions everywhere.

By Wednesday, we could see temperatures climbing as high as 75-77F (24-25C) in the South-East, rising to 81-84F (27-29C) by Friday and Saturday.

The sunniest weather and highest temperatures are likely to be south-east of a line stretching from The Wash to Southampton.

But even as far north as Newcastle upon Tyne it could reach 72-73F (22-23C), and there could be highs of 73-75F (23-24C) in Plymouth.

Met Office data for the month so far suggests July is on course to be the coolest since 1988.

Precipitation is also close to double the normal so far, at 30mm in England and Wales, Met Office figures revealed.

The prediction comes after June was one of the wettest for 89 years - wetter than all but eight Junes since 1931.

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UK heatwave map: Scorching Atlantic plume to bake Britain hotter than Bahamas - Express.co.uk

The controversy over the federal government's decision to granta $912 million contract to a charity with links to the prime minister's family opens Prime Minister Justin Trudeau up to the conclusionthat he violatedfederalethics rules athirdtime.

What impact could it have on public opinion?

Twice already, Canada's conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, has found the prime ministerviolated ethics rules. The first occasion was in 2017,when former commissioner Mary Dawson ruled onTrudeau and his family acceptinga vacation on the Aga Khan's private islandin the Bahamas.

The second occasion was just last year, whenthe current commissioner, MarioDion, found thatTrudeau had tried to influence then-justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybouldto overrule a decision not to grant a deferred prosecution agreement to SNC-Lavalin.

Dion alreadyhad announced he would be looking into the decision to grant the WE Charity a sole-sourced contract to administer the Canada Student Service Grant whenthe charity revealed it and its affiliates had paid the prime minister's mother and brother about $300,000 for speaking engagements over the last four years.

It takes time for the commissioner to complete an investigation. His office tweeted Friday that it usually takes about seven months. But if this scandal does any political damage to the prime minister and his party, it's likely to inflict it now and not when the commissioner finally releases a report.

That's what happened the last two times, at least.

The vacation on the Aga Khan's island in 2017 effectively ended Trudeau's post-election honeymoon. His party had racked up huge leads in the polls after its 2015 victory, surging to between 45 and 50 per cent support. According to the CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals had about 43.2 per cent support before the story about the vacation was first reported.

There was an immediate impact on Liberal support, with the party falling to 37.3 per cent over the subsequentsix weeks. Those 5.9 percentage points were never entirely recovered to this day, the Liberals have never hit 43.2 per cent in the Poll Tracker again.

Butwith a solid majority government, the Liberals had time on their side. By the beginning of February 2019, the party was still polling at 37.5 per cent support and in a decent position heading into an election year.

The SNC-Lavalin affair was a bombshell. Support for the Liberals plummeted, hitting a low of 29.6 per cent by the beginning of May. That loss of 7.9 points was not recovered in time for the October election, which saw the Liberals take 33.1 per cent of the vote.

Both of these ethics violations contributed to a segment of the Liberal Party's support base peeling off some of it temporarily, some of it for good.

It was easier for the Liberals to bounce back from the public opinion hit caused by the Bahamas trip. After just over four months, the Liberals were back up to 42.3 per cent support in the Poll Tracker a recovery of all but 0.9 percentage points of the initial 5.9-point loss. The Liberals were able to retain their lead over the Conservatives for another year until the prime minister's trip to India.

Making up the party's SNC-Lavalin losswas more difficult. After the story initially broke, the Liberals' polling peak came only eight months later, when the party hit 34.3 per cent support with just two weeks to go before voting day in October. By then, the Liberals had recovered just 3.2 points of their 7.9-point loss.

It took a global pandemic to push the Liberals above their pre-SNC-Lavalinlevel of support.

It wasn't until the beginning of April 2020 over a year after the Globe and Mail broke the SNC-Lavalin story that the Liberals surged past the 37.5 per cent support they had at the beginning of 2019.

The latest polling estimate gives the Liberals 40.4 per cent support and a 12.5-point lead over the Conservatives. With those kinds of numbers (drawn from polls conducted before the latest ethics controversy), the Liberals would be nearly assured of winning the majority government they failed to secure last year.

The question is what kind of impact this week's news will have on Liberal support an especially delicate question in a minority Parliament.

If the Liberals experience the same six-to-eight point slide, by the late summer or fall the party would find itself roughly back where it was last election night. All of the political capital the Liberals have gained over their handling of the COVID-19 outbreak would be gone. The odds of the Liberals calling an election on their own would be slim to none, and it would be up to the opposition parties to decide whether to take advantage of it by forcing another election themselves.

Not all controversieshave the same impacts,however.

When photos were published in the midst of the last campaign showing that Trudeau had worn blackface on multiple occasions before entering politics, there was enormous potential for a career-ending blow to the prime minister.

Instead, the Liberals saw their support hold steady. The party was polling at 34.2 per cent when the story broke. It only dropped by less than a percentage point a week later a loss the party made good two weeks after that.

The dynamics of the election campaign played an important role in the resilience of Liberal Party support, but polls and the party's own research suggested that Canadians didn't believe Trudeau was racist and felt he had made a sincere apology.

It's too early to plot the political ramifications of Trudeau's WE controversy. Canadians might not be paying attention to the same degree as they would if it weren't summer or if there wasn't a global pandemic to worry about. Nevertheless, the Bloc Qubcois is calling for the prime minister to step aside and the Conservatives want the police to investigate.

But in the court of public opinion, the decisive factor might prove to be whether after blackface and two prior ethics violations Canadians are still willing to give Trudeau the benefit of the doubt.

Original post:

Trudeau's past ethics transgressions hurt the Liberals. Will it happen again? - CBC.ca

Royal Bahamas Police Force, 47th Independence Anniversary, Clifford Park.

The Independence Celebrations Committee in conjunction with the Bahamas Christian Council marked the countrys 47th Anniversary with an innovative made-for-television virtual programme that kept Bahamians entertained from start to finish, showing abundant young talent in a four-hour special.

The virtual show was created to adhere to protocols to avoid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in the nations Independence history, Bahamians could not gather together on Clifford Park to celebrate and anticipate the Flag Raising at midnight, and fireworks, to bring in Independence Day.

Two events, pillars of the traditional celebration, were held at Clifford Park: the Ecumenical Service to begin the programme, Thursday evening, July 9, and Flag Raising and Fireworks at midnight to mark the dawn of Independence Day, July 10, 2020.

Most of the programme was anchored at studios of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, and comprised a jubilant, creative showcase, with occasional greetings from Bahamian nationals in other countries via ZOOM all viewed from the comfort of home.

From Clifford Park, President of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church and Third Vice-President of the Bahamas Christian Council, and Savannah Sound, Eleuthera native, Reverend Carla Culmer delivered the charge to the theme, Pressing Onward: A Time of Hope, Triumph and Transformation. In the charge, she called for continuance of the hopefulness, resilience, and community togetherness that have helped sustain Bahamians over the years.

At the end of the night, the Bahamas Christian Council and uniformed branches at Clifford Park conducted the Flag Raising. And Fireworks signaled the long awaited moment to celebrate at dawn of Independence Day, July 10, 2020.

Source:Bahamas Information Services(BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)July 11, 2020

Original post:

47th Independence Celebration, A Display of Innovation and Creativity - The Eleutheran

All Islands Of The Bahamas Will Reopen to International Boaters, Yachters and Private Aviation

NASSAU, Bahamas, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation has announced the destination will begin Phase 1 of the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan on Monday, June 15, which welcomes international boaters, yachters and private aviation back to Bahamian shores, across all The Islands Of The Bahamas.

During Phase 1, hotels will also reopen for staff to return to work and put in place all the measures required to ensure they are ready to welcome guests at the onset of Phase 2.

Commercial airlines will also be allowed to bring in Bahamian citizens, legal residents, homeowners qualifying for economic permanent residency, or the immediate family members or significant others of any of these groups. It is anticipated that during this period of time there will be a reduced flight schedule as airlines begin adding The Bahamas to their schedules once again.

This is the first part of the strategic, phased reopening approach for the tourism sector that ensures critical health and safety protocols are being adhered to, and that the Health sector remains well equipped and ready to respond as necessary. The plan was constructed by The Bahamas Tourism Readiness and Recovery Committee, a group comprised of public and private sector partners. Allowing Phase 1 access to these smaller, special interest groups will allow a more controlled segment to test the country's new measures. The second phase will commence on July 1 with the resumption of international commercial travel.

Guidelines, Policies and Procedures for International boaters, yachters and private aviation visiting The Bahamas between June 15 June 30 are, as follows:

This June 15 tourism re-entrybuilds on and supports existing government rules and regulations, which already allow for inter-island domestic travel for Bahamian citizens and residents.

Per the direction of the Bahamas Ministry of Health, Bahamian Citizens, Residents and Homeowners Returning from CARICOM countries are not required to present a COVID-19 RT-PCR Negative (Swab) Test upon arrival. However, they remain subject to other public health measures.

Reopening of borders will continue to be monitored and guided by The Bahamas government and health officials. Reopening dates are subject to change based on COVID-19 trends, if there is a deterioration in improvement, or if government and health organizations deem these phases unsafe for residents or visitors.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation believes it is an absolute baseline requirement for consumers to have a comfort level that The Bahamas is a safe and healthy destination to visit, and the ultimate goal is for that to remain the case. For more information, or to view the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan, please visit: http://www.bahamas.com/travelupdates.

All COVID-19 inquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Health. For questions or concerns, please call the COVID-19 hotline: 242-376-9350 (8 a.m. 8 p.m. EDT) / 242-376-9387 (8 p.m. 8 a.m. EDT).

PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation [emailprotected]

Weber Shandwick Public Relations [emailprotected]

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

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Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Prepares For Phase 1 Reopening June 15 - PRNewswire