WASHINGTON, D.C., April 11, 2020 – His Excellency Sidney Collie, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), has informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Bahamas that following “consultations with US Competent Authorities in Washington D.C., the shipment of COVID-19 medical supplies on the Betty K that were returned to the Port of Miami last week, on order by US authorities, has been released and will head to Nassau on the 14th April, the first available day for shipping by the Betty K.”
Confirming this in a statement issued on Friday, April 10, 2020, The Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes this opportunity to thank US Embassy Officials in Nassau and in Washington DC., for responding quickly to our demarche to have these medical supplies released so that they can be added to our critical stock as The Bahamas continues to protect its citizens and residents from the spread of this terrible scourge of COVID-19.”
The Tribune, one of The Bahamas leading newspapers, also noted that Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said that “a shipment of medical supplies ordered by the Ministry of Health but blocked by US officials will arrive in the country next week.”
Betty K Manager Nancy Cartwright told The Tribune last Wednesday that the company was bringing in three containers of medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for local healthcare workers.
The Tribune’s article added: “The containers, the Tribune understands, also include ventilators, an essential resource for fighting COVID-19. Ms Cartwright said after the ship left the US on Tuesday, US Coast Guard officials sent her representatives a note denying them access to the supplies because of an order President Donald Trump recently implemented. The US president signed an order on April 3 directing his administration to stop N-95 face masks and other protective equipment from being exported to other countries. In a statement, he said his order under the Defence Production Act was to prevent hoarding, price gouging and profiteering by preventing the harmful export of critically needed PPE.”
Asked for an update on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Henfield was quoted as saying: “I’m advised by our ambassador Sidney Collie that the matter has been cleared up. I’m assured by him that the matter has been addressed, the shipment has been released and the matter was simply a bureaucratic misunderstanding. The Betty K won’t be in Florida again until Tuesday and normally arrives in The Bahamas on Wednesday or Thursday so the shipment may reach then.”
At his daily press briefing on Friday, President Trump was asked about the U.S. blocking supplies to Latin American and Caribbean countries, and his response indicated that he was unaware that the order he had issued had resulted in medical supplies shipped to The Bahamas being returned to Florida.
“We have a tremendous force out there, naval force, and we’re blocking the shipment of drugs, so maybe what they’re doing is they are stopping ships…we’re not blocking, what we’re doing is we’re making sure, we don’t want drugs in our country…,” he said in a lengthy rambling response.
Meanwhile, on Friday, The Bahamas Ministry of Health confirmed one more case of COVID-19 in The Bahamas, bringing the total number in the country to 42. The total number of confirmed cases in New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, was 35 and there were six cases in Grand Bahama and one in Bimini. There have been eight COVID-19-related deaths in total in The Bahamas.
As the government continues its proactive approach to addressing the impact of COVID-19 on the country, Bahamians generally have been confined to their homes over the Easter weekend as a result of a nationwide lockdown that began at 9 p.m. on Wednesday an will last until 5 a.m. next Tuesday, April 14.
The government had earlier introduced an Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No.2)(Amendment), which imposed a 24-hour curfew in the country, with certain essential workers being exempted. Although the lockdown ends next Tuesday, the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations remain in effect until April 30.
Here’s a link to President Trump’s response when asked about U.S. government blocking supplies to Latin American and Caribbean countries: https://www.facebook.com/iamkandice/videos/10100405646189908/
