NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – Health Minister Renward Wells says the territory is closely monitoring the situation in the United Kingdom following reports of a virulent strain of the coronavirus emerging in that country.
According to Wells, said there are no immediate plans to impose a travel ban against the UK, but presently, there are no direct flights from the UK to the Bahamas.
“I think those flights are supposed to start again in February and so, we’re just observing it. We’re seeking to ensure that we maintain the health protocols that we have in place that anyone who’s coming into the country has to be able to take the RT-PCR test before they come in. So we’re seeking to deal with this particular strain at the borders,” the minister said.
“You’re speaking about the virulent strain that is now in the UK – it’s not more deadly than the current COVID that we’re experiencing though it transmits much more readily, much more easily. But we’ve had other strains of COVID also if you remember back in February, March and in Italy, there was a particular strain in Italy that was extremely infectious as well,” he added.