The Bahamas is facing a strict lockdown during the weekend.

The country reopened on July 1, and there was an immediate surge in coronavirus cases.

To prevent a further spread, the Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced an emergency lockdown for this weekend, letting only emergency workers do their jobs while everyone else stays at home.

The total number of infected people is 316, and the new increase is 42 cases. Due to the increase, all Bahamians will need to stay at home over the weekend.

Going out to buy food supplies and seek for medical help is also allowed.

Minnis also said that the government is canceling all social gatherings through the weekend, as well as religious services and dining in restaurants.

He added that institutional lockdown is a possibility for the upcoming weekends too, as that is the only way to slow down and eventually stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Bahamas.

According to the Prime Minister, they won’t stop tourists from other countries to enter the Bahamas, but a 14-day quarantine upon arrival is a must, and a negative test result after the quarantine will also be required.

Minnis warns Bahamians to stay home and avoid traveling to nearby countries that have extreme surges in coronavirus cases.