The Bahamas has suspended national school examinations following a spike in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country in recent days.

The Ministry of Education said that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis had on Sunday announced the lockdown of the island of Grand Bahama until August 7 due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

The ministry said that in an effort to ensure the safety of all concerned and to protect the integrity of the national examinations, “the 2020 sitting of the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examinations is temporarily suspended effective immediately until further notice.”

Students were advised to continue their preparations for the exams which will be held at a later date.

Last Sunday, Minnis said that he understood the some citizens may be frustrated with the government reimplementing restrictions.

“But as a country, we have to do what is right and necessary. If we do not take these measures now, we will pay a higher and deadlier price later,” he added.

Bahamas has recorded 153 confirmed cases of the virus and 11 deaths.