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The Bahamas Travel Advisory

Travel advisory january 26, 2024, the bahamas - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Updated with additional water safety information.

Exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to  crime . 

Country Summary : The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population. Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence.   

 Activities involving commercial recreational watercraft, including water tours, are not consistently regulated. Watercraft may be poorly maintained, and some operators may not have safety certifications.  Always review and heed local weather and marine alerts before engaging in water-based activities. Commercial watercraft operators have discretion to operate their vessels regardless of weather forecasts; injuries and fatalities have occurred. Due to these safety concerns, U.S. government personnel are not permitted to use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.   

Never swim alone, regardless of your age or level of swimming skills.  Keep within your fitness and swimming capabilities. Be mindful of sharks when swimming and engaging in water activities, as there have been recent fatal and non-fatal incidents involving sharks.  Be aware of weather and water conditions and heed local warnings. 

Read the country information page  for additional information on travel to The Bahamas. 

If you decide to travel to The Bahamas:  

• Do not answer your door at your hotel/residence unless you know who it is.  
• Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.  
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.  
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .  
• Review the Country Security Report  for The Bahamas.  
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency and medical situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist .  
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

Travel Advisory Levels

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CDC Adds Bahamas and 5 More Destinations to Highest COVID-19 Travel Warning Level

The cdc advises americans to avoid travel to the bahamas, saint martin, haiti, kosovo, lebanon and morocco due to a rise in covid-19 cases..

Travel restrictions and guidelines are changing daily, and while some spots around the world are opening up to travelers, it’s still important to make sure you’re checking government and world health recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now added six new destinations to its highest “Level 4” COVID-19 travel warning list, including the Bahamas and Saint Martin.

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The CDC advisory warns Americans against traveling to locations designated as Level 4; a destination is considered to have a “very high” level of transmission if 500 new cases or more are recorded per 100,000 people over a 28-day period. The CDC recommends Americans avoid traveling to places within the highest warning category, but if they absolutely must, then they should be fully vaccinated before doing so.

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Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19 (and here’s your daily reminder to get vaccinated , thanks!), though even those that are vaccinated are at risk of contracting variants like the highly contagious Delta variant , especially in destinations with especially high transmission rates.

Along with the Bahamas and Saint Martin in the Caribbean, the CDC also added Haiti, Kosovo, Lebanon and Morocco to the Level 4 list. All of the aforementioned locations, which were previously designated as “Level 3,” are still technically open to American travelers, as long as they follow certain requirements, including vaccinations and negative COVID-19 tests.

Even so, countries have added new restrictions and curfews; the Bahamian prime minister recently issued a pandemic curfew on Saturday, August 21, which is in place daily from 8 pm until 5 am, reports CNN , and includes mainland Exuma, Abaco and Abaco Cays as well as North, Central and South Andros.

CDC and State Department guidelines are subject to change, so make sure to check the specific restrictions and recommendations for your particular travel circumstances if you have any domestic or international trips coming up anytime soon. No matter what kind of travel you’re thinking about, don’t forget to mask up, as the TSA recently extended the federal transportation mask mandate through at least January 18, 2022, which means travelers are required to wear a face covering if they plan on getting on an airplane, train, bus or subway for the foreseeable future.

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