Business

Government Intervenes in Atlantis COVID Testing

Atlantis workers can breathe a sigh of relief for now as government intervention has prompted the resort to halt a new COVID testing policy.

Published

4 years ago

September 30, 2021

Our News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Atlantis workers can breathe a sigh of relief for now as government intervention has prompted the mega-resort to hold off on a new policy, which requires unvaccinated workers to pay for their own COVID-19 test.

Atlantis Resort has agreed to postpone its new covid testing policy, according to Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell.

Just yesterday the company announced that as of October 1st it would no longer pay for COVID testing for unvaccinated employees.

In a letter to employees, company Ceo Audrey Oswell said Atlantis was proud to join many other Bahamian companies in requiring employees who are not vaccinated to be financially responsible for their weekly rapid antigen test.

The mega resort secured a discounted rate of $16.50 per test.

Oswell indicated the issue of vaccination is more significant than any one individual or Atlantis, but is a matter of putting the community’s health and the economy first.

But Bahamas Hotel Catering And Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Darrin Woods isnt having it.

This is not the first time the union has spoken out against this issue.

While he’s encouraging his members to get the jab, the union leader maintains the new policy is meant to force workers to get vaccinated.