The 2021 Caribbean Premier League tournament (CPL) will be played entirely in St. Kitts and Nevis at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium Minister Of Sports Jonel Powell has announced.

Powell speaking at a CPL media conference on Tuesday made the announcement noting that the Cabinet on Monday approved the hosting of the games.

Powell also announced that as of May 15 half capacity will be allowed at sporting stadiums for fully vaccinated individuals.

The tournament is set to bowl off on August 28th and will run for a four week period all 33 games will be played at Warner Park.

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Washington: The US Department of Justice in Puerto Rico has announced a record-breaking cocaine bust after officials seized a submarine in Caribbean waters.

Officials captured a 15.8-metre-long, 2.4-metre-wide semi-submersible carrying 2,500 kilograms of cocaine worth about $US75 million, US Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Stephen Muldrow said.

The vessel had allegedly left Colombia’s northern coast with the goal of unloading its cargo in Puerto Rico. The submersible and three Colombian crewmen were detained by the US Coast Guard about 24 kilometres north of South America on April 8 and the men were indicted April 14. But the Department of Justice announced the bust Monday (Tuesday AEST).

Semi-submersible and fully-submersible drug-trafficking vessels are captured off the Pacific Coast of Central America frequently, but it’s unusual for such a craft to be intercepted in the Caribbean, Muldrow said.

It’s too soon to tell if the submarine represents a new smuggling tactic in the region.

“Only time will tell,” he said. “These things are very hard to find, very hard to detect and very costly to construct.”

Because Puerto Rico is a US jurisdiction it’s seen as “an ideal objective” for drug trafficking groups that want to ship their profits home in US dollars, Muldrow said.

Since October, the US Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, as the law enforcement group is known, has seized 17,000 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $US510 million off the coasts of the US territory, a figure the Department of Justice said “significantly outpaced” the previous two fiscal years.

Bloomberg

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The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) on Monday urged countries to close the immunisation gap that resulted in hundreds of thousands of children missing vaccinations last year, due in part to the interruptions in health services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The call for stepped-up immunisation coincides with the April 24-30 Vaccination Week in the Americas and World Immunisation Week, regional and global events when countries launch immunisation campaigns. The 2021 theme, “Vaccines bring us closer”, highlights the need to focus on closing the immunisation breach.

“The Americas has been tremendously successful in immunisation against many serious diseases,” said PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne.

“We were the first region in the world to eliminate smallpox, polio, and rubella. But we are now seeing declines in immunisation, and we must reverse that trend not only for the health of our children but also for the well-being of our entire society.”

In 2020 in the WHO Region of the Americas, 18.2 per cent fewer children (474,395 in total) received all three shots of DPT3 vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, compared to 2019. Also in 2020, 13.9 per cent fewer children (379,208 in total) received their dose of MMR1 vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, compared to the year before.

COVID-19 restrictions on movement contributed to fewer vaccinations. In addition, many people were reluctant to go to health facilities to request vaccinations for fear of COVID-19 transmission.

“The Americas has been at the forefront of reducing deadly and life-altering disease through vaccination,” said Dr Cuauhtemoc Ruiz Matus, Chief of PAHO’s Immunisation Unit.

“In recent years, we have seen a dangerous decline. This year’s Vaccination Week in the Americas is a chance not only to celebrate the availability of immunization but also to get vaccination back on track.”

Urging countries to increase immunisation, Etienne called for government policies to strengthen public confidence in vaccination. She urged the promotion of immunisation during the COVID-19 pandemic and support for the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines.

She also called for maintaining public health measures – physical distancing, mask-wearing and proper hand hygiene – throughout the COVID-19 vaccination process and until the pandemic is defeated.

Amid the decline in immunisation last year, there was good news. During the 2020 vaccination week, 16 countries immunised populations against influenza, prioritising health care workers, older adults and people with chronic illness.

More than 100 million people were vaccinated, reducing the potential that health systems already taxed by COVID-19 could be overwhelmed by flu patients.

In 2020, 10 countries vaccinated more than 250,000 children and adults against measles. Nine countries vaccinated against polio, and eight countries immunised against HPV (human papillomavirus) during that week.

For over 40 years, PAHO’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has helped make the Americas a global leader in the elimination and control of vaccine-preventable diseases – rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, measles, and neonatal tetanus.

Since the creation of the EPI in 1977, countries have moved from using six vaccines in their national vaccination schemes to an average of more than 16 vaccines, which represents greater protection for the population.

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Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis says that persons who are fully vaccinated will be able to travel to The Bahamas as of May 1 and be exempted from testing requirements.

“Therefore, I encourage individuals, receive the vaccines as soon as possible. I’m aware of CDC regulations. CDC states that there must be a two-week delay post the second vaccination shot. However, within The Bahamas, we recognize the antibody level and immunity (level), therefore that two-week requirement is not necessary. Once you receive the second dose, you could move. However, you must still adhere to mitigation protocols in terms of social distancing, mask-wearing, sanitization, etc.

“Effective the 1st of May––this is important for tourism so as to give them adequate time to put out necessary warning and alerts––those travelling to The Bahamas from outside the country will be exempted from a COVID-19 test if they are fully vaccinated and have passed the two-week immunity period. A full vaccination will be required. If an individual is not fully vaccinated, that individual will still be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test. This will greatly assist our economy and will also assist in reducing the number of infections.”

Minnis, who is also a medical doctor, said fully vaccinated people will get other benefits.

‘Once individuals are fully vaccinated,” he said, “individuals can participate in a closed environment, once all within that closed environment are fully vaccinated. The mask would not be necessary and they can participate within that environment. That means indoor dining can resume for those individuals who are completely vaccinated.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged that enforcement will be key as vaccination status determines what people can and cannot do.

“Most important as we move forward, enforcement must be adhered to,” he said. “I recognize (the) excellent work the police and COVID ambassadors are doing and I recognize many of them are probably burnt out, but I ask them to just provide us with that extra burst of energy for the next two weeks so that we can enforce our laws, our order, especially with all the events that are occurring around our islands.”

He added that the country is expected to receive 33,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine before the end of May through the World Health Organisation’s/Pan American Health Organisation’s COVAX facility.

Minnis’ comments came as health officials have warned of a third wave of COVID-19 cases amid a steady rise in infections.

The case increases have been linked to travel and relaxed adherence to guidelines and officials warn that variants of concern may be in the country.

CMC

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