#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Hon. Clay Sweeting said The Bahamas has made great strides to work with CARICOM countries to enhance The Bahamas’ poultry industry.

Minister Sweeting traveled with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Hon I. Chester Cooper, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Leonardo Lightbourne, Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) Ambassador H.E. Winston Pinnock and other top tourism officials to the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo held in Guyana from May 18-20.

The event was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center under the theme ‘Investing in Vision 25 by 2025’.

During the conference, Minister Sweeting met with several CARICOM leaders in Agriculture.  He said he felt encouraged that the region would work together to reduce its food import bill and increase food security.

“In coming to Guyana, we wanted to explore opportunities and options, meet with other countries where we can work with other CARICOM leaders who also share the same focus as The Bahamas in developing their agricultural sector. We are trying to get to the point where we reduce imports by 25 percent by 2025.  The Bahamas is a part of CARICOM and so we are committed to that and we’re looking for sectors to do that. We feel that poultry is one of the sectors that we can do that very quickly and microgreens through vertical farming,” he said.

Minister Sweeting added that many countries are merging their poultry sectors with other food items that they can export.

“As we look around, countries have done very well in the sector. We understand that Guyana is one of the countries that has done well in Agriculture especially in poultry and coconut production.  So, it seems that many countries are merging the two industries,” he said. “That’s what seems to be happening across CARICOM. For persons that are interested in investing in Agriculture, other countries are finding ways to work together to fight food insecurity together and as a unit.

“We feel both are bankable products and we are exploring opportunities to garner attraction in both of those. We were able to visit the poultry farm here in Guyana – Bounty Farms – that has done a wonderful job and produce around 25,000 chickens per day, and we are looking to do something of that sort in The Bahamas as well.  Once we create this poultry industry in The Bahamas, it would create opportunities for Bahamians, for farmers and persons who want to get involved in producing feed. So, it is a full circle industry where thousands of Bahamians could benefit.”

Minister Sweeting noted that countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana are eager to assist The Bahamas.

“What is very interesting and exciting is that the Ministers from Guyana and Jamaica have expressed their assistance to us as a country. If we are looking at the poultry sector, they are looking to help us in any way that they can. The comradery that we have had here over the last few days speaks to what we want to do as a CARICOM country and how our deficiencies could assist them and where they have deficiencies, we can work together. The minister of tourism met with other ministers of tourism and offered them some advice on how they can work with their tourism product and where we lack in agriculture they can assist in that manner as well,” he said.

Minister Sweeting said the government will work towards changing policies to encourage chicken production.

“Chicken is something that we can produce very quickly once we have the right policy in place to protect the farmers, the producers and processors and create an industry. A chicken from egg to adult is very minimal time. We want to be very aggressive with this and as soon as we can create a proper policy in this sector, we want to make it happen,” he said.

Release: Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources

#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released its Official List of Shelters for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season which commences June 1 and ends November 30, 2022.

Weather forecasters at The Bahamas Department of Meteorology are predicting another above-average season with 19 named storms, including  9 hurricanes, four of which are expected to become major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher with maximum sustained winds of 111mph or higher) on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale.

There are two main drivers for this Season’s forecast: An El Nino weather event is not expected in the Pacific during the 2022 Hurricane Season, and water temperatures in the Atlantic are hotter than normal. When an El Nino forms in the Pacific, it produces strong wind-shear in the upper levels of the atmosphere across the Atlantic Ocean which limits the formation of hurricanes. Warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic, on the other hand, fuels the formation of hurricanes. With the absence of an El Nino, the 2022 Season is expected to be active.

The names of the 2022 Atlantic storm are as follows: Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.

The National Emergency Management Agency urges all Bahamians and residents, who have not already done so, to finalize their individual, family and business plans ahead of the start of the Season. Those plans should include an Emergency Supplies/Preparedness Kit that should include a small First Aid Kit and needed medications, non-perishable food items, battery powered radios, flashlights, extra batteries, hygiene products, masks, whistles (for alerting others if necessary), copies of important documents such as insurance papers and identification (sealed), a list of emergency numbers, cash in small bills, rope, tools, and clothing.

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT  DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS 2022 OFFICIAL HURRICANE SHELTERS

(UPDATED AS AT 13 MAY, 2022)

ABACO, CENTRAL DISTRICT

ABACO, NORTH DISTRICT

 ABACO, SOUTH DISTRICT

 ACKLINS

 ANDROS, CENTRAL DISTRICT

 ANDROS, MANGROVE CAY DISTRICT

 ANDROS, NORTH DISTRICT

 ANDROS, SOUTH DISTRICT

 BERRY ISLANDS, GREAT HARBOUR CAY

 BIMINI

 CAT ISLAND

 CROOKED ISLAND & LONG CAY

 ELEUTHERA, CENTRAL DISTRICT

 ELEUTHERA, NORTH DISTRICT

 ELEUTHERA, SOUTH DISTRICT

 EXUMA

 GRAND BAHAMA

 HARBOUR ISLAND

 INAGUA

 LONG ISLAND

 MAYAGUANA

 NEW PROVIDENCE

 RAGGED ISLAND

 SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY

@ 9 May, 2022 DOSS, Disaster Management Unit

 PLEASE NOT THAT THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; IF NECESSARY

#TheBahamas, May 26, 2022 – Minister of Health & Wellness, the Honourable Dr. Michael R. Darville confirmed that there has been an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in particular in New Providence over the past three (3) weeks. The Minister added that samples to test for the Omicron BA.2. Variant were collected and sent for genome mapping.

The Disease Surveillance Unit he said has turned specific focus on schools in the country as cases continue to rise.  “This Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Education & Technical & Vocational Training as well as with the unions”, Minister Darville said, “…on ways to mitigate the potential spread in our schools so that we do not disadvantage our children from getting access to education.”

He noted the increase in hospital cases was not directly related to COVID-19 but associated with complications from Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCD’s). The Health Minister described it as a “common occurrence in countries battling CNCD’s because the pandemic pushed these comorbidities to the back burner as it relates to usual care”. Hospital officials are working assiduously he said, to address bed spaces to accommodate a surplus in admission cases.

Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Managing Director Aubynette Rolle added that the number of positive cases are being recorded at the hospital because testing for the virus is a prerequisite for admission. Much of it, MD Rolle said, falls into the category of a secondary diagnosis. She echoed a previous statement by Health Minister Darville who confirmed that there is no cause for alarm when it comes to adequate supplies of medicine.

Bahamians and residents are urged to continue to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols which help to limit the spread of the virus.  Persons can also guard themselves from severe COVID-19 infection by getting the COVID-19 vaccine, 1^st and 2^nd boosters and extended series doses for persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.  Appointments can be made online at vax.gov.bs or walk-ins are welcomed at vaccination sites.  Persons with mobility challenges may request a home visit by emailing vax242.mobile@gmail.com.

The public is encouraged to access community clinics for primary and urgent care and the Princess Margaret Hospital Emergency Department for emergency care only.  The hours of operation for the New Providence Polyclinics are:

• Elizabeth Estates Clinic: 9:00a.m. – 9:00p.m., Mondays – Fridays
• Flamingo Gardens Clinic: 8:00a.m. – 9:00p.m., Mondays – Fridays
• Fleming Street Clinic: 8:00a.m. – 8:00p.m., Mondays – Fridays
• South Beach Health Centre: 9:00a.m. – 8:00p.m., Mondays – Fridays.

Release: Ministry of Health & Wellness