New Emergency Order outlines changes to indoor dining and travel requirements for fully vaccinated

Restaurants on islands previously prohibited from offering indoor dining may now offer indoor dining to patrons who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in accordance with the recently released Emergency Powers (COVID 19 Pandemic) (Management and Recovery) Order, 2021.

This applies to New Providence and Abaco.

Patrons must provide documentary proof of vaccination. All patrons and employees must continue to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

Also, in accordance with the Order, fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to take a RT PCR test for COVID-19 to travel from New Providence and Grand Bahama, and will not be required to take secondary testing on day five of inter-island travel when traveling from New Providence or Grand Bahama.

A fully vaccinated traveler, including citizens and residents, is not required to take a RT PCR test for COVID-19 to enter The Bahamas. In the case of international travel, a fully vaccinated traveler is defined as a person who has received the required number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and two weeks have elapsed since the person has completed the vaccine.

Fully vaccinated travelers are still required to obtain a Travel Health Visa; however, visa fees for fully vaccinated persons have been reduced for citizens and residents.

International travel health visas for fully vaccinated citizens and residents are $10. Domestic travel visas for fully vaccinated travelers are free of charge.

The fine for submitting falsified vaccination records is $10,000 or two years imprisonment, or both.

Daily curfews have been lifted from all Family Islands where a curfew was in place – Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma.

Grand Bahama’s daily curfew remains 11pm to 5am. The daily curfew on New Providence remains 10pm to 5am.

Under the new Order, the requirement has been removed for RT PCR COVID-19 testing for persons traveling from Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma.

The RT PCR COVID-19 test requirement remains in place for persons traveling from New Providence and Grand Bahama, except in the case of fully vaccinated travelers who are exempted from the test requirement.

To access the complete Emergency Powers (COVID 19 Pandemic) (Management and Recovery) Order, 2021 visit opm.gov.bs.

___________

16 May 2021
Office of the Prime Minister
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Contact:opmcommunications@bahamas.gov.bs
Website: www.opm.gov.bs