The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was given responsibility to prepare a strategy to return Bahamian Nationals and residents to The Bahamas who are still abroad in various places around the world, as a result of travel restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.
The Ministry, through its Embassies and Consulates, has registered hundreds Bahamians and Residents outside the country globally. The majority are in South Florida.
The immediate focus of the Ministry was to organize the return of those in Florida, more specifically South Florida, West Palm Beach and Miami.
In this first phase, Bahamasair will be used to bring to New Providence and Grand Bahama 190 persons who have tested negative for COVID-19 and have agreed to adhere to the strict regime determined by the Ministry of Health.
Government facilities will be provided for quarantine, when that determination is made by the Ministry of Health.
Though these persons would have been tested negative for COVID-19, protocols have been put in place to ensure that anti COVID-19 spreading measures are practiced while they proceed to
their eventual destinations.
Plans are in place to execute the first phase of this strategy this Friday, 8th May, 2020. Bahamian citizens and residents in jurisdictions outside of South Florida should be reminded that the repatriation exercises will be done in a phased and orderly manner, depending on registration data received from the Embassies and Consulates abroad.
Going forward the Ministry will create a new web page on the current MOFA website that will support the online repatriation registration process.
This would allow Bahamians still abroad overseas as a result of COVID-19 to expedite the application process to repatriate. We expect this new online facility to be available soon.
The public is encouraged to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website www.MOFA.gov.bs for important notices and updates regarding this ongoing exercise.
6th May, 2020
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
West Bay Street
Nassau, Bahamas
