By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SENIOR US government officials have assured that shipments of medical supplies to The Bahamas will no longer be blocked or frozen during the COVID-19 crisis, according to Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Sidney Collie.

This comes after three containers of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators ordered by the Ministry of Health were blocked last week, following an order signed by US President Donald Trump directing his administration to stop exporting N-95 masks and other medical equipment. The Tribune was first to report how the US Coast Guard sent a letter to Betty K, a local shipping company, denying the company access to the supplies and demanding the return of the items.

However, that shipment has since been released and is expected to arrive this week, after Bahamian officials made appeals to American diplomats.

Rupert Roberts, owner of Super Value, said on Saturday he too believes his order of 100,000 masks, including 70,000 N-95 masks and 30,000 medical masks, was held up in the US, prompting his need for intervention by the Bahamian government. He said the items should have arrived on Wednesday. He said he intends to distribute the masks to merchants around the country.

Mr Collie said yesterday that Super Value’s shipment has not been frozen by the American government but is in a queue along with other shipments waiting to be released around the region.

“I have been assured by my sources at the highest level of the US government that the shipments for The Bahamas have been released, there are no holds on any of them and the only restrictions now are one of procedure and processing,” Mr Collie said. “There is a long queue of items for 17 other countries in the Caribbean and Central America and you have to hold your spot in the queue and wait your turn.

“There is an enhanced procedure by (US) Customs and Border Protection involving additional steps and every shipment has to be checked in accordance with new protocols. Along with the holiday weekend and reduced staff, there is a backlog. The local customs and border control office is reduced and stagnant. I have been assured that there will not be any blockage or freezing on any shipments coming to The Bahamas as far as the protocol under President Trump’s order is concerned.”

Among the shipments destined for The Bahamas is a large purchase by Ports International, a medical supplies and equipment company.

“I have all of their invoices, I’ve interceded on their behalf and they are also on my radar and I’m doing what I can to expedite their shipment,” Mr Collie said. “Their shipment is much larger than Rupert Roberts’ shipment or the Betty K one.”

Hillary Hall, assistant executive officer of Ports International, said yesterday she is happy to hear their shipment has not been blocked by the US government. She confirmed the incoming supplies are COVID-19 related and include personal protection items.

President Trump was asked at a press conference on Friday about the US blocking supplies to Latin American and Caribbean countries. He suggested the situation was not deliberate, but part of a larger fight to stop drug trafficking.

He said: “We have a tremendous force out there, naval force, and we’re blocking the shipment of drugs so maybe what they’re doing is they’re stopping ships they want to look…we’re not blocking, what we’re doing is we’re making sure, we don’t want drugs in our country and especially with the over 160 miles of wall, it’s getting really hard to get through the border, they used to drive right through the border like they owned it and in a certain way they did, they could drive right there, they human trafficking, all of a sudden they have a powerful wall up and they’re not driving through that wall, that wall is tough…

“A lot of people though what they’re trying to do is come in through the water ways, whether it’s the gulf or the ocean ways and what we’re doing is we’re being very tough and we’re being tough because of drugs and human trafficking and remember the human trafficking, it’s mostly females…we have a big naval force that’s stopping so maybe when you mention that, their ships are getting caught but we’re stopping a lot of ships and finding a lot of drugs.”

However, the Miami Herald reported on Saturday that a spokesperson from US Customs and Border Protection confirmed the agency is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prevent distributors from diverting personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as face masks and gloves, overseas. Ventilators also are on the prohibited list, the Miami Herald said.

“To accomplish this, CBP will detain shipments of the PPE specified in the President’s Memorandum while FEMA determines whether to return the PPE for use within the United States; to purchase the PPE on behalf of the United States; or, allow it to be exported,” the statement sent to the Miami Herald read.