Category Archives: Bahamas

There is often talk about trying to get The Bahamas to emulate Singapore as a financial success story but for those dreaming of such things, the words of Gregory Pepin, of Deltec Bank & Trust, are an awakening. A rude one at that.

He dismisses such talk as being as ridiculous as dreaming of becoming a Manchester United in English football terms when in reality you are a Dover Athletic. Who are they? Well, thats the point. We are not anywhere close to the big league, says Mr Pepin.

Its hard to argue with him with the ease of doing business in The Bahamas having long been an obstacle, and the difficulty of trying to generate investment.

He also pointedly refers to the major service providers BPL, Cable Bahamas and BTC as a joke for their unreliable or costly services.

Some will bridle at such criticisms, but we know our own problems. Its not as if we have been able to count on reliable electricity as a constant, for example. At the weekend, there were two major power outages in New Providence, one of them island-wide.

You cant appeal to major investors and say come and build your empire here and then say oh, but our power supply is unreliable.

Time and again, we hear stories of investors finding it difficult to cut through red tape. Where is the investor culture to help people start businesses? Where is the information exchange between fellow entrepreneurs to help develop a different outlook, and to learn from one another to help everyone grow?

Where, for that matter, is the money being put down by the government to encourage financial training, development of essential skills and more? That money is like planting a seed, in the hope it will grow and bring new life to the economy. Instead? We cant even give out student loan money because previous students havent paid theirs back.

So its a harsh truth we hear from Mr Pepin but its a truth nonetheless. If we want to play in the big leagues, we have to make changes.

FAMOUSLY, the phrase Theres a sucker born every minute is associated with one of the greatest showmen of all time, PT Barnum. Ironically enough, he never did actually say those words.

For those who do prey on suckers, however, or the gullible or worse, those in desperate need, there is never a shortage of schemes that can be used.

The Securities Commission has warned, yet again, of the danger of Ponzi and pyramid schemes. What are they? Theyre schemes that promise a big payout for a small investment. They generally require people to recruit two others (or more) to join the scheme. Thats why they call it a pyramid because starting at the person at the top, the base keeps getting wider, and the money flows from those below to those above. The trouble is, there reaches a point where you cannot get enough people to expand the base even if you had the whole planet investing. Thats when the money runs out, tempers get frayed, promises get broken and the whole scheme falls apart.

Such schemes rearing their very ugly head again at a time when so many are short of money is even worse. These schemes capitalise on peoples desperation. When you have only $200 to feed your family and someone tells you how you can turn that into $2,400, of course people at the sharp end are going to hold onto hope that it works out for them.

Sadly, the truth is that these schemes always end with more out of pocket. They end friendships. They cause fights.

Theres an old saying and it holds as much truth in it today as it ever did if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Dont be a sucker, and dont fall for these scams.

Excerpt from:

EDITORIAL: Are we out of our league? - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS For the third consecutive day, the Ministry of Health reported another death was being investigated to determine whether the cause was COVID-19-related.

Health officials are now investigating 12 deaths.

On Tuesday, another death was recorded and being investigated.

On Monday, an 83-year-old man was confirmed to have died from COVID-19 on September 11.

That day, a death was recorded that was under investigation and another death was determined as non-COVID-related, meaning the death was related to another illness.

The death toll now stands at 69.

There have been nine non-COVID-related deaths.

Health officials confirmed an additional 55 cases of COVID in The Bahamas yesterday.

Of the new cases, there were 51 in New Providence, three in Abaco, and one with a pending location.

There have been 3,087 confirmed cases, of which 1,464 cases remain active.

A total of 1,533 cases have recovered an increase of 51 over the previous day.

According to the data, 189 people have recorded since Sunday.

Hospitalized cases also increased from 66 to 74.

According to health officials, 15,840 tests have been performed.

New Providence continues to lead cases with 2,107, while Grand Bahama and Abaco follow with 601 cases and 104 cases respectively.

There were also 54 cases in Bimini, 15 cases in the Berry Islands, eight cases in Cat Island, 25 cases in Exuma, 18 in Inagua, 15 in Eleuthera, seven in Acklins, three in Andros, five in Crooked Island, 11 in Long Island, three in Mayaguana, and 111 cases with locations pending.

Although New Providence continues to see double-digit cases on a daily basis, the number of new infections last week compared to previous weeks were down.

There were 20 new cases in New Providence yesterday, 23 new infections Monday and 43 new cases on Sunday.

New cases in Grand Bahama have dropped from the low double-digits to single-digits over the last two weeks.

There were 375 new infections in The Bahamas in the last week, compared to the 440 new infections recorded the week before.

Several Family Islands such as the Berry Islands and Cat Island have not recorded new cases since August 21, while islands, including Ragged Island and San Salvador, have zero recorded cases.

Similarly, Crooked Island has only recorded three new cases in the last month.

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Three days of suspected COVID deaths EyeWitness News - EyeWitness News

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The UK is set to be hotter than the Bahamas next week as tropical air pushes temperatures above 30C.

Over the weekend the mercury could hit 25C (77F) in southern England but it will continue to rise into next week.

In a north-south split, southern parts of the country will have a largely fine and dry weekend with long spells of autumn sunshine, while a weather warning has been issued for western Scotland where as much as 150mm of rain could fall in hilly areas.

Areas will be hit by torrential downpours that could bring almost a months worth of rain in just one day, with a yellow weather warning in place from 6pm on Saturday to Sunday evening.

Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond said the tropical continental air pushing up from a southerly direction in combination with light winds will see temperatures of up to 25C on Sunday and then 29C (84F) by Monday.

The top temperatures expected on Tuesday could hit 31C (88F) and remain into Wednesday, but there is the possibility of some thunderstorms mixed in. The Bahamas is expected to see temperatures of 30C on Tuesday.

People enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

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People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

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People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Durley and Alum Chine beaches in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Boscombe beach in Dorset

PA

People walk along the beach front on Boscombe beach

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Boscombe beach in Dorset

PA

Two paddle boarders in the sea off of Boscombe beach

PA

A RNLI lifeguard patrols the sea off of Boscombe beach

PA

People paddle board as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

People are silhouetted as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

People are silhouetted as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

A beachgoer relaxes on the beach in Brighton

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A beachgoer looks across at seagulls pecking on trash on the beach in Brighton

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Stuart (no surname given) enjoy the hot weather outside a beach hut at Bournemouth beach

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Southend beach in Essex

PA

People enjoy the hot weather on Durley and Alum Chine beaches in Dorset

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Boscombe beach in Dorset

PA

People walk along the beach front on Boscombe beach

PA

People enjoy the hot weather at Boscombe beach in Dorset

PA

Two paddle boarders in the sea off of Boscombe beach

PA

A RNLI lifeguard patrols the sea off of Boscombe beach

PA

People paddle board as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

People are silhouetted as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

People are silhouetted as they enjoy the sunny weather at the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

A beachgoer relaxes on the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

A beachgoer looks across at seagulls pecking on trash on the beach in Brighton

REUTERS

Stuart (no surname given) enjoy the hot weather outside a beach hut at Bournemouth beach

PA

It definitely feels like one last blast of summer even though we are, meteorologically speaking, in autumn, she added.

The September heat follows on from an August heatwave which saw temperatures top out at 34C for six days running last month.

Additional reporting by PA Media

The rest is here:

UK weather forecast: Temperatures to be hotter than the Bahamas next week as mercury rises above 30C - Evening Standard

It was the response Strachan had hoped for. He wanted to confront the children with something alien to show that otherness is OK, and to inspire a curiosity about the world beyond. I think being an artist, to me, always had to do with disrupting some system or another, and just putting that piece of ice there was the most disruptive thing I thought I could have done, he said. It was the opening salvo in what became a long crusade to expose young people in the Bahamas (and elsewhere) to the forms of knowledge he wishes he had encountered as a child.

To that end, Strachan later established the Bahamas Air and Sea Exploration Center (B.A.S.E.C.), a community organization where children can perform experiments, conduct research and meet visiting artists and scientists. With a collapsing educational system and the distraction of tourism, a focus on developing an agency that allows its citizens to expand beyond its waters seems appropriate, Strachan wrote about B.A.S.E.C. This project, though difficult for me to summarize, comes down to the belief in the possibilities of what art can do and where it may take us. In 2011, Strachan launched B.A.S.E.C., which supports teaching programs in the Bahamas with a clothing line exclusively made by locals in collaboration with his mother.

That project is tied to Strachans training as a cosmonaut at Star City, a complex of Brutalist buildings about an hour east of Moscow. Being there was essential for Strachan, for whom the usual academic definitions of research are insufficient. I needed to go and experience it versus reading about it, he said. Every part of the trip was a challenge, from the stomach-churning effects of being strapped in a chair and spun upside down, to the more intangible ones: Its hairy being a Black man in Russia, he said. But physical and mental discomfort parallels nicely with the project of being an artist.

DURING THE EARLY stages of Strachans career, each piece became a strategic means of funding the next one. If he sold an artwork its not like he bought himself some shoes or whatever, said Hoover, who noted that he was impressed that Strachan didnt just want to do expensive things, but [that] he wanted to do these expensive things to invest in himself. In the case of the cosmonaut training, Strachan convinced Grand Arts, an erstwhile project space in Kansas City, Mo., founded by Margaret Silva (a Hallmark heiress), to underwrite the experience. The negotiation process felt familiar. Rewind back to RISD, rewind back to the meeting with the provost, he said. You ask 16 times, and the 17th time, you get it.

Strachans refusal to take no for an answer is inextricably tied to the life he left behind in the Bahamas. Seeking hard-to-reach places with no guarantee of success is what motivates him, and the uphill process of blasting through invisible barriers is as important to him as the physical objects that might result. I do imagine that these actions add up to something, but I think for me the joy of it is the pursuit, he said. And theres a certain pain-to-pleasure ratio in that pursuit, because its a super risky enterprise, its a risky set of problems that youre creating and inventing for yourself and its why I think most artists do what they do.

Most artists, though, do not train as astronauts to make work about space travel. Strachan sees artists like Titus Kaphar and Tala Madani painters who engage, in markedly different ways, with issues of representation and the Western canon as his immediate peers, but his scientific experiments, adventures to remote destinations and pure ambition set him apart. For Strachan, science is not just a subject but a medium, one that allows him to aim a floodlight at the shadowy reality that knowledge and truth do not just exist in the world but are actively created by society. Science is widely held to be an objective, authoritative discipline, but Strachans work reminds us that it is also a subjective, interpretive practice that exists within larger systems of control. A huge part of scientific narrative has to do with power, he said. Biology was for centuries used to legitimize racist eugenic theories and colonial oppression, and even now, science remains part of a capitalist structure, one that determines which types of research get funding and support.

Read more here:

The Artist Whose Medium Is Science - The New York Times

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Family Island hotels are exploring how they can "pool resources" to substantially lower the costs associated with testing staff, vendors and suppliers regularly for COVID-19.

Kerry Fountain, the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Boards (BOIPB) executive director, told Tribune Business that it was working out how its 30-plus member properties can exploit "economies of scale" by buying the rapid COVID-19 testing kits in bulk from the supplier.

Revealing that the Board has identified the BinaxNOW test produced by the healthcare firm, Abbott, as a potential candidate, Mr Fountain said The Bahamas' safe tourism re-opening from October 15 onwards depends on creating a "safe bubble" for the entire guest experience - not just the 'Vacation in Place' in the hotels.

This, he explained, meant it was critical to also test staff at dive, scuba and snorkel providers; fishing guides; excursion and transportation firms; and regular suppliers if the tourism re-opening benefits are to extend beyond the hotels and visitors enjoy the activities they "came to the destination for".

"The gold standard [PCR] test for COVID-19 is very expensive," Mr Fountain said. "But the minister said you are allowed to use the rapid test for hotel staff members. I want to, if I'm a hotel, to test staff members when they come back to create a safe bubble.

"Maybe not test every day, but you should do it randomly throughout the week. We've done our homework, and identified the Abbott rapid test, encouraging and informing our members that this is what we want to use to test staff members randomly, and any vendors such as the dive operator, fishing guide and tour operator. That will allow guests to participate in some of the activities they came to the destination for in the first place."

Mr Fountain continued: "How can we now pool our buying power to take advantage of any economies of scale? The whole idea is to get the unit cost as low as possible. How can we all buy from the same place to take advantage of economies of scale. These are the things we are talking about in terms of preparation.

"The trick is not just providing a safe bubble at your hotel, but a safe bubble throughout the entire stay."

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Out Island resorts eye COVID testing savings - Bahamas Tribune

Cryptocurrencies have now officially made a debut on the balance sheet of a central bank; could this lead to an entirely new cryptoasset reporting framework?

In Pictures via Getty Images

Recently it was discovered that Central Bank of the Bahamas had included its newly created cryptocurrency, known as the Sand Dollar, on its balance sheet during April 2020. Although the amount that was actually listed was only equivalent to $48,000, the implications of this inclusion are profound.

This revelation comes on top of the news of just how comprehensive blockchain projects are at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where over 30 blockchains are in various phases of testing and evaluation for possible implementation.

Cryptocurrencies have moved quickly from the fringe to the mainstream conversation, taking the form of decentralized financing, stablecoins, and most recently, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Even as the ecosystem has rapidly accelerated, however, there is still ambiguity as to how exactly different types of cryptocurrencies should be treated from a reporting and disclosure perspective.

This ambiguity exists even as industry associations and regulators, including the Association of Internal Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), the Financial Standards Board (FSB), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) have begun to issue thought leadership on the subject. Despite these recent publications, in addition to the numerous opinions issued by other securities and market regulators, there is not a definitive guide or framework for how cryptocurrencies should be valued and reported.

The Sand Dollar amount might have only been for the equivalent of $48,000, but with central banks across the globe moving quickly to develop and beta-test versions of central bank digital currencies, it is only a matter of time until the financial impact scales materially. Given that, it is worthwhile taking a look at a prevailing opinion for reporting as well as an alternative that might make sense for certain organizations.

Mark-to-market. Marking assets value to market, on the surface, seems to make logical sense as well as to be reflective of market realities. Marking assets to current fair market value already occurs for certain financial instruments, and in some cases entire asset classes, so this is not an abstract concept. This prevailing opinion by practitioners and firms, classifying cryptocurrencies as intangible assets, also incorporates this concept of adjusting value based on market changes.

That said, the price volatility (which does not have to be good or bad) associated with cryptocurrencies and the alt-coin market specifically tempers enthusiasm for this approach. Price swings might make for great headlines and commentary, but can cause headaches for merchants and individuals seeking to use cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange. Coupled with the lack of price transparency for some thinly traded crypto, marking to market might not be as simple as it might appear.

Addressing the volatility issues is actually one of the primary selling points of stablecoins and CBDCs, and arguably has been a driving force behind the rapid growth and investment in these assets.

A new asset class. An alternative to what is basically trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole - classifying cryptocurrencies as intangibles and marking to market - would be to create an entirely new asset sector for the cryptocurrency space. Creating a new asset class might seem like an extreme reaction to the growth of cryptocurrencies, but upon closer examination it might make more sense than it initially appears.

Taking a look at cryptocurrencies, it is relatively clear that these financial instruments do not fit neatly into any existing accounting classification. Depending on the cryptocurrency that is examined, it may or may not have characteristics of equity securities, interest paying instruments (similar to preferred stock), interest bearing deposits, intangible assets, or something akin to airline miles or reward points. Put another way, the very innovative spirit that has catapulted the cryptocurrency space to its current prominence has also led to a relatively messy reporting conversation.

By creating a new asset categorization for cryptoassets, organizations and policymakers will both have an opportunity to start fresh and to actually create reporting and disclosure standards that make sense for blockchain and cryptocurrencies. For example, cryptocurrencies could be classified by use case, or be reported depending on trading volume and market capitalization. There might even be different reporting obligations depending on what cryptocurrency is being analyzed.

Think of the following for a moment. Generally speaking, the cryptocurrency space can be broken down into three areas, especially for non-expert users. There are cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin that are completely decentralized and untethered to underlying assets. In addition, there are stablecoins that are more centralized (issued by an organization) and are connected to some external asset. Finally, there is the growing field of CBDCs issued and governed by a nation state or central bank and (most likely) connected to the fiat currency of that nation.

Does it make sense for such radically different instruments to be categorized and treated the same?

That question should be top of mind for organizations, users, and regulators as these different iterations of cryptocurrency continue to develop, compete, and gain traction in the marketplace.

Read the original post:

Blockchain, The Bahamas, And Future Directions In Cryptocurrency Reporting - Forbes

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas is at risk of losing 80 percent of its landmass in the next eight decades due to the current pace of global warming,according to Bahamian T Oneil Johnson Jr.

I want to make this abundantly clear, The Bahamas is perhaps one of the most vulnerable countries to sea-level rise, he stressed, as he spoke on the topic, Climate Change - the Reality of Our Warming World to the Rotary of Club of Grand Bahama via Zoom.

Mr Johnson - who has a Masters Degree in Foreign Impact of Hurricanes and Climate Change on Education said Climate Change is real and threatens The Bahamas, the Caribbean and other small countries.

He noted that sea level is projected to rise by as much as one metre by 2100. Eighty percent of The Bahamas landmass is less than one metre above sea level, he said.

The Bahamas is at risk of losing 80 percent of its landmass by 2100 if sea level continues to rise the way that it is, Mr Johnson warned.

Sea level rise, which we are hearing more and more about in The Bahamas, is perhaps one of the most vexing concerns for small island developing states because most of us are very low-lying.

Countries, such as Guyana is at risk of losing 90 percent of its landmass if sea levels were to rise one metre, and Guam, the US Territory is already experiencing the impact on sea-level rise, Mr Johnson pointed out.

The US, he added, is also at risk of losing 40 percent of its landmass in Florida.

Mr Johnson said greenhouse gases caused by pollution in the atmosphereare responsible for global warming, which is causing glaciers to melt around the world.

He noted that countries such as China and the US are mainly at fault, with the former accounting for more than one-quarter of global emission of greenhouse gases, and the latter 14 percent, while the rest of the world contributes less than 22 percent of emission.

Mr Johnson indicated The Bahamas emission is 0.001 percent. So obviously, we are not causing global warming and we are not causing climate change, he said.

Most of the information on climate change can be obtained from the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (ITCC), which is an international agreement containing information regarding CC, said Johnson, who noted that Bahamian Dr Dell Thomas is a contributing author to the panel on CC.

It is unbelievable to know the state that the world is in, said the senior officer in the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management ,and Reconstruction in Grand Bahama.

Other threats of climate change, he mentioned are ocean acidification and more intense hurricanes.

Referring to Hurricane Dorian as one of the strongest recorded in the Atlantic basin in modern history, Mr Johnson said the increase in ferocity and strength of these systems as they pass through The Bahamas is a serious concern for climate scientists.

No longer are we seeing weak Category Three storms like Jeanne, Wilma and Ike - we are now seeing these explosive Category 5 storms, like Dorian and Irma. And it begs the question, is Dorian going to be our new reality? I think last year was a humbling experience for The Bahamas and it shows us we must really take serious action, he said..

Climate change also impacts all sectors of the economy from Agriculture, Tourism, and Education.

Caribbean countries are experiencing extreme drought more than ever before, such as Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, said Johnson.

He stated that the Tourism sector is going to be crippled by the sun, sand, and sea.

According to exit surveys, tourists are now complaining about the heat in Caribbean countries. This is, of course, very concerning because we are expected to see an increase in temperature,and tourism is the lifeblood, the bread and butter of many economies in our region, he said.

In terms of education, Mr Johnson said ifThe Bahamas has more hurricanes children are going to be out of the classroom for more extended periods.

Mr Johnson said that all is not lost as there are things that can be done to mitigate the effects of climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by requiring countries like America, Japan, European Union by resorting to more environmentally friendly means of doing business, with renewable energy.

Adaptation by reducing The Bahamas vulnerability and enhancing resilience is another weapon in the war against climate change, according to Mr Johnson.

This could range from building sea walls, which I am totally against, to research, preventative measures, and passing legislation and environmental laws, mangrove rehabilitation and restoration, he said.

Mr Johnson commended the government for the establishment of the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management, and Reconstruction and Disaster Reconstruction Authority. It is the first institution of its kind in the region, he said.

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Global warming's huge threat to Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

Shore Thing Escapes has partnered with Sea the Shore and Duffy Box & Recycling to provide aid to the Bahamas.

NASSAU, Bahamas (PRWEB) August 25, 2020

Shore Thing Escapes has provided coronavirus relief to Bahamian citizens. Still reeling from Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the islands have had to face this new threat and implement ever-evolving strategies for containing the virus as the months have passed.

Due to a lack of medical facilities, Bahamian Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis has suspended all commercial air travel with the United States and ordered any arriving visitors to go into a two-week quarantine, after which they would need to test negative for the virus.

These events have once again stopped almost all tourism and hindered other industries in various ways. Those who work in the tourism industry are suffering greatly. Despite these circumstances, Shore Thing Escapes are optimistic that things can take a positive turn, largely thanks to the efforts of Sea the Shore and Duffy Box & Recycling, who have inspired them to lend a hand as well. To start their efforts, they have sent two shipments containing 4 gallons of eco sanitizer and 1,000 masks to be distributed to those who need them. In addition, they have sent a large amount of food and baby supplies. They are committed to continuing their efforts, and encourage anyone else with the means to donate to the people of the Bahamas to do so.

About Shore Thing EscapesShore Thing Escapes is a tour excursion company in the Bahamas. They offer boat tours and the opportunity to swim with pigs and sharks, as well as interact with other wildlife. A portion of their proceeds are spent on helping marine life. They are committed to the maintaining the health and beauty of the environment they operate in, which has led to their direct partnership with Sea the Shore

About Sea the ShoreSea the Shore is an organization dedicated to cleaning and supporting the wellbeing of the ocean, its inhabitants, and the coastal communities that depend on it. With an emphasis on educating others, Sea the Shore knows the importance of our future generations and therefore places a large focus on children.

In a followup to efforts in providing relief to survivors of Hurricane Dorian, as well as aid in the transport and evacuation of citizens, Sea the Shore has continued support efforts in the Bahamas and surrounding islands during the COVID-19 crisis. They have distributed PPE such as masks and dispensers to those who need them, in addition to an immense amount of baby supplies and food. Through education, support, cleaning, and more, Sea the Shore strives to ensure that the ocean and its surrounding communities continue to thrive for future generations.

About Duffy Box & RecyclingDuffy Box & Recycling is an industrial recycling company committed to the prosperity of an environmentally conscious infrastructure. They have been delivering their used boxes to some of Americas biggest companies since 1930. To date, they have saved over 35,000,000 trees.

For more information on Shore Thing Escapes and Sea the Shore, please contact Katie Moran at info@shorethingescapes.com or info@seatheshore.com. You can also reach her at 301.639.5210.

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Shore Thing Escapes Provides Coronavirus Aid to the Bahamas - PR Web

The Bahamas government says it will soon outline new measures aimed at reviving the economy in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic even as it announced a relaxation of the lockdown measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus, particularly in New Providence.

We are all living through the worst economic crisis in more than 70 years. I will give a major national address with emphasis on the economy in short order. We are working on a revised detailed phased plan to boost jobs and economic growth domestically, even as we plan for the reopening of our vital tourism sector, which is dependent on conditions at home and abroad, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said during a news conference on Monday night.

He said reminded that early in the pandemic he had established an Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) and that it is providing the government with advice and recommendations to position the country to emerge from the economic crisis, as rapidly as possible.

Minnis said that the ERC will deliver its full report in September as planned and that even as it is working to do so it has provided to my office several interim recommendations and considerations to help focus on the immediate situation.

It is essential to reopen the domestic economy as soon as possible, with the reopening of the external economy to follow as soon as feasible given the economic conditions overseas. We are seeking to ensure that reopening is subject to established COVID-19 protocols.

Minnis said that the government agencies and private sector stakeholders must commit to greater adherence and compliance to established safety standards.

Based on the ERCs recommendations, we are preparing a strategy to approve all pending viable private sector and construction projects that are currently under consideration, and to fast track those approvals.

The approval and execution of these projects will generate immediate employment and business opportunities for Bahamian contractors and trade professionals.

Minnis said that his administration is accelerating the execution of the budgeted public infrastructure and construction projects, and will pay special attention to the smaller scale projects that benefit multiple smaller contractors.

This will allow for increased employment in many vulnerable segments of the economy and benefit a number of Bahamian small firms, he said, adding that the government is also looking at ways to provide special support for the creative community, and further support for Bahamian small businesses and entrepreneurs to provide them with the resources and expertise to be able to showcase and deliver their products to the world.

As with every other country, there will be no quick fix to this grave global economic situation. But provided we all are prepared to move out of our collective comfort zone and undo the constraints that have too often defined us for decades, we can and we will shape a future Bahamian economy that is more dynamic, more resilient, more sustainable and most of all, more inclusive.

He said street vendors play an important role in the local economy and his government will be offering a way for enterprising Bahamians to be able to sell their products on the streets of their respective islands, and to be able to do so in a safe and sustained manner.

The government will review the current licensing and regulatory procedures for street vendors. Our intention is to enable street vendors to be able to sell their products in safe and secure venues.

We will make available additional funding to the Small Business Development Center for business loans or grants for these street vendors that will allow them to adjust to the current circumstances and to support their business start-ups or expansion.

Minnis said that it was also imperative for the country to get its vital tourism sector up and running, as safely and as rapidly as possible.

Thus far, there is no other economic sector as prepared to deliver the range of employment and the depth of tax revenues with great immediacy, like tourism, Minnis said, adding our task now is to restore our confidence in ourselves by shutting down community spread and flattening the COVID-19 curve of transmissions and infections once again, over the next several weeks.

In his broadcast, Minnis offered condolence to the family of Bernadette Rolle, a registered nurse at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC), who died after testing positive for the virus.

We mourn the loss of a brave warrior from the frontline in our fight against the pandemic COVID-19. The nation is grateful for her service and for all of those on the frontlines of this battle.Nurse Rolle was dedicated to her family, to her patients, and to the institutions of nursing and the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, Minnis said, telling the population to also remember in their prayers, the Opposition Leader Phillip Davis and other legislators and government officials hospitalised as a result of the virus.

Minnis, who said he has since tested negative for the virus, said that his administrations plan from the start of the pandemic was to utilize a range of public health tools to get the highly contagious COVID-19 virus under sufficient control in order to gradually re-open our economy and society, and to return to some level of growth and normalcy.

In the past few weeks we have been fighting our second wave of the global pandemic, he said, noting that changes have been made to the Emergency Orders for Grand Bahama and various Family Islands that take effect from Tuesday.

I am happy to tell you that the health team sees positive trends developing regarding the situation in New Providence. At this time a hard lockdown is no longer recommended for New Providence, Minnis said, warning however that if the data points to the need for other restrictions in the future to address community spread, such restrictions will be put in place.

There is still no vaccine for this virus, he said, adding that the very latest data has led to new measures being put in place here.

To continue to slow the current spread of the virus on New Providence, the current provisions that are in place will remain in place until 5.00 am (local time) Monday 31st August In order to give business owners time to put the necessary measures in place, and to be able to properly plan your activities, please note that effective 5.00 am, Monday, 31st August 2020, many businesses on New Providence will be able to resume normal activity with appropriate physical distancing measures

We will continue to monitor and analyse the data during the course of the coming week. If the data points to it we will announce the relaxation of some other measures. We are committed to a measured phased re-opening of the economy and society, based on specific health metrics, Minnis said, adding that it is hoped that this will aid the public, to gauge when there may be more relaxed or more restrictive measures.

CMC

More here:

Bahamas Government to Outline New Economic Measures to Deal with Impact of COVID - caribbeannationalweekly.com

The only thing better than watching Bryan and Sarah Baeumler renovate their luxury Bahamas resort is checking in. Unfortunately, Renovation Island fans havent been able to book a room and experience their talents firsthand so far. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced the property to remain closed to visitors for the safety of everyone.

But now that most countries are reporting fewer and fewer cases of the virus, international travel bans are beginning to loosen. Fans who were stuck in their homes for months can only dream of staying at the idyllic island retreat the Baeumlers created on HGTVs Renovation Island.

When can you travel to see the Baeumlers in South Andros and how much will it cost? The answers are all right here.

The timing might be a little confusing for new fans of the Baeumlers. The couple found the shuttered property during a vacation visit to South Andros Island and came up with the wild idea to renovate it. Bryan was already a seasoned renovation pro, lending his talents to HGTV shows including Disaster DIY and House of Bryan.

The show Island of Bryan (later renamed Renovation Island in the US) began filming in 2018 after the Baeumlers and their children sold their forever home in Canada. They quickly got to work renovating the 18 room hotel and clubhouse, which also had 22 villas, turning it into a dreamy boutique hotel destination.

The Caerula Mar Club opened for business in winter 2019 after a close call with Hurricane Dorian.

Everything was going well for the Baeumlers, minus a few snags with delivery delays, until an unprecedented global crisis changed the world overnight. Bryan and Sarah were forced to shut down the resort in 2020 not long after it first opened for business.

However, theres a bright side to the story. The Caerula Mar Club recently announced they were accepting reservations beginning Oct. 24, 2020. The website confirms that the date is subject to change based on conditions.

They also offer peace of mind to guests by allowing them to postpone dates of travel for up to one year past the original reservation date.

If you are interested in a tropical getaway, its time to start saving up now. The gorgeous Caerula Mar Club includes luxury accommodations, amenities, and gourmet dining that doesnt come cheap.

A room at Caerula Mar Club starts at $385 per night. A private beach villa will set you back $865 per night and up. But with that, youll have access to the million-dollar views, white sand beaches, and total tranquility. And, seeing the spot that the Baeumlers poured their hearts into is a must for any fan.

Dates are filling up quickly. Make a reservation at the Caerula Mar Club website or, take an armchair vacation by catching Renovation Island on HGTV.

Follow this link:

'Renovation Island': The Baeumler Family's Luxury Bahamas Resort Is Finally Open for Reservations - Showbiz Cheat Sheet