The State Department and CDC recommend against traveling to the Bahamas

As of August 23, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of State are advising Americans to refrain from traveling to the Bahamas due to COVID-19 concerns.

Both agencies have issued Level 4 travel advisories: The State Department has escalated its warning to Level 4: Do Not Travel, while the CDC has raised its alert to Level 4: Very High.

The CDC states, "Avoid travel to the Bahamas. If travel is necessary, ensure you are fully vaccinated beforehand. Given the current circumstances in the Bahamas, even fully vaccinated individuals may be at risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 variants."

As of Monday, August 23, the Bahamas reported 150 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, a decline from just over 100 a week earlier on August 16, according to World Health Organization data. Reuters reports that the Bahamas is seeing nearly 100 new cases per day on average.

On May 1, the Bahamas reopened to fully vaccinated travelers, allowing them to bypass testing requirements. However, on August 6, this policy was reversed, mandating that all visitors, regardless of vaccination status, present a negative COVID-19 test taken within five days prior to arrival. Requirements differ based on vaccination status and age:

• Vaccinated individuals may submit a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result
• Unvaccinated travelers aged 12 and older are required to provide a PCR test
• Unvaccinated children aged 2-11 can present a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result