Americans warned about travel to the Bahamas as COVID-19 cases surge

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Department are warning Americans against traveling to the Bahamas due to a surge in coronavirus cases from the country.

The CDC put the Bahamas on a “Level 4: Very High” alert for the coronavirus, telling travelers the country should be avoided.

Those who do go are recommended to be fully vaccinated, wear a mask and try to maintain a distance of six feet from others. 

The State Department also announced Monday the Bahamas was moved to a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” alert, warning of the coronavirus and crime in its statement against individuals going to the country.

The Bahamas has been experiencing a record number of cases in the past month, with more than 3,600 cases and more than 60 deaths in August, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

In the past week, there were more than 700 new cases with a record high of 25 deaths.

The country only has 14 percent of its population fully vaccinated as it fights this surge in cases. 

Throughout the pandemic, the country has had more than 17,000 cases and almost 340 deaths.