By DAHALIA SMITH and KELSIE JOHNSON, NG Sports Reporter, dahalia@nasguard.com, kelsie@nasguard.com

The National Family Island Regatta (NFIR) will go on as schedule despite the recent cases of malaria found on Exuma.

Chairman of the NFIR, Danny Strachan quashed the rumors that people are still at risk of being infected if they attend one of the two largest regattas hosted in The Bahamas.

The National Family Island Regatta will be held in George Town, Exuma, Tuesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 26.

Strachan said: "The Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis made it clear to the public that there are no concerns of outbreak of malaria in George Town, Exuma. That is just a rumor. The Ministry of Health's team was down here and they looked at the cases at the local clinic. In the end they found that there were two cases, both tourists, who have already left the island and The Bahamas. There is no epidemic down here."

Many regatta enthusiasts were worried about attending the fun-filled weekend after learning about the cases.

Regattas are not only celebrated as a yearly activity but they assist in the economy as well. As a result, Strachan confirmed that officials at the Ministry of Health were doing their best to fog the island.

"However the Ministry of Health is down here doing some fogging for several months now," added Strachan. "As a matter of fact, we have been sending weekly reports that goes to the Ministry of Health as it relates to the status of the various ponds around here. So for the record there is no epidemic here. Other than that the usual pre-regatta preparations are ongoing and everything is good to go."

The NFIR attracts some of the country's top sailors. The points from this event are added to the skipper's overall performance at the end of the season. All points received are geared towards the prestigious Boat of the Year award, which gives the sailors bragging rights.