Category Archives: headline

headline

Boston Building Trades Unions applaud Walsh appointment as US Secretary of Labour

BOSTON, Massachusetts — The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions released the following statement today following the announcement and confirmation issued by the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden that Boston Mayor and union member Martin J. Walsh will be appointed to the position of U.S. Secretary of Labour.

“The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions, like President-elect Biden and incoming U.S. Secretary of Labor Walsh, believe in building an economy where all workers can thrive and access family-sustaining careers. We have seen first-hand the incredible work that incoming U.S. Secretary of Labour Walsh has done to build the middle class and to improve the lives of workers across industries in his time as the President of Labourers Local Union 223, as a legislator, as leader of our Boston Building Trades Unions, as Mayor, and as someone who has dedicated his life to combatting inequities and to building a more just future and a more just economy for all.

“A tested legislator, union leader, and successful mayor, Marty Walsh has stood up for all workers, including low-income workers and workers of colour. During his tenure as Mayor, 135,000 new jobs were created. He has worked tirelessly as Mayor and throughout his career to rebuild the middle class, to build a more inclusive and resilient economy, including by supporting the fight for a $15 minimum wage.

“The appointment of incoming U.S. Secretary of Labour Martin J. Walsh is great news for working people across the country. We applaud his appointment by the Biden-Harris administration. He will lead a Department of Labour that centres its policies on the interests of workers.

“Marty Walsh is an authentic and effective leader who will help the nation build back better. He recently helped us convene the Construction Stops COVID coalition, uniting labour unions, industry partners, and global health experts in order to keep workers and our communities safe and to fight back against the pandemic — together.

“He centred his work within, through and in partnership with the labour movement to advance an agenda through the lens of racial, gender, social, environmental and economic justice. Through his enormous empathy and ability to bring people together, he has made life safer and better for working families. Throughout his entire career as an organizer, as a legislator, and as Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh has been guided by a profound commitment to pursuing policies, reform and progress that help to advance the public good and the needs of working people.”

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Senior health officials prepared to take the lead in being inoculated

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Two senior health officials in St. Kitts and Nevis, who have been at the forefront of crafting the successful COVID-19 health and safety protocols, are prepared to take the lead in being inoculated when COVID-19 vaccines become available in the twin-island Federation.

On Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws and Medical Chief of Staff of the Joseph N. France General Hospital Dr. Cameron Wilkinson signalled that they are willing to take the jab publicly to reassure residents.

“I believe in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine,” said Dr. Wilkinson. “When the vaccine becomes available, and if I am considered to be on the priority list, I will be happy to take it so that we can demonstrate to the entire nation that the vaccine is safe.”

Dr. Laws supported Dr. Wilkinson’s stance noting, however, that she would avoid taking the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to her aggressive allergic reactions. Health professionals advise persons with severe allergic responses not to take the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech.

Instead, she said that she will “probably take the Moderna or the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.”

As for the timeline when a vaccine may be made available for use in St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Laws estimated that it may be some time in the second quarter of 2021.

“Anywhere between April, May, June,” said Dr. Laws. “That’s the projected timeline. However, once we are told specifically the date, the general public will be informed.”

St. Kitts and Nevis has signed on to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX) and will receive enough vaccines to cover 20 percent of the population in the initial stages. The Republic of China (Taiwan) has also pledged financial assistance of US$600,000 to purchase vaccines for the twin-island Federation.

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Police Commissioner pledges to always support young people

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) will continue to always support the Federation’s youth, according to Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Explorers Clubs Headquarters, Commissioner Brandy said that the Force believed in the creation of loving, caring and supportive environments for young people to develop into healthy and productive members of the community.

The Explorers Clubs have been rolled out through collaboration between the Ministry of National Security and the RSCNPF. To date there are 12 clubs, with more than 1,000 members. Police Officers assigned to the National Intervention Team coordinate the various clubs. Team Leader, Inspector Rosemarie Isles-Joseph, is credited as the movement’s Founder. The initiative is considered an important part of the Force’s community policing effort.

“The vision was clearly laid out in our Strategic Plan in 2016,” said Brandy. “The Force decided that community policing would be one of our main priority areas. It was also decided, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, that youth diversion educational programmes would be the centrepiece of the new vision.

“The construction of the state-of-the-art building represented an unprecedented interest in the nation’s youth,” he said. “Through the headquarters and the clubs, greater ties between the Police and the community can be forged.

“We truly believe that with the construction of this edifice, a new era of cooperation between the community and the Police will be realised,” concluded Brandy. “It is our belief that this building and the young Explorers will result in improved public support and trust in the Police.”

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UK approves third COVID-19 vaccine as London declares 'major incident'

Britain has authorised a coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna, the third to be licensed for use in the country as it ramps up a vaccination program critical to lifting the UK out of the pandemic.

The Department of Health said Friday that the vaccine meets the regulator's "strict standards of safety, efficacy and quality."

Britain has now ordered a total of 17 million doses that will have been delivered by the spring.

Moderna vaccine

READ MORE: Why new UK strain of COVID-19 has health authorities so worried

"Vaccines are the key to releasing us all from the grip of this pandemic, and today's news is yet another important step towards ending lockdown and returning to normal life,'' Business Secretary Alok Sharma said.

So far, Britain has inoculated 1.5 million people with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines.

It plans to vaccinate some 15 million people by mid-February.

The authorisation comes as the need for help grows ever greater with Britain recording 1325 new coronavirus deaths on Friday — it's highest figure since the peak of the pandemic when 1224 deaths were recorded back in April.

The figure brings Britain's official death toll from the coronavirus to 79,833, the highest in Europe and fifth highest number in the world, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

London declares 'major incident' as hospitals overrun

London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a "major incident″, as the rapid spread of the virus threatens to overwhelm the capital's hospitals, with cases now exceeding 1000 per 100,000.

Other emergency services are also under strain, with hundreds of firefighters now driving ambulances, for example.

"Our heroic doctors, nurses and NHS staff are doing an amazing job, but with cases rising so rapidly, our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed,'' Mr Khan said.

"The stark reality is that we will run out of beds for patients in the next couple of weeks unless the spread of the virus slows down drastically.''

Mr Khan said the city was at a crisis point.

A major incident is defined as being "beyond the scope of business-as-usual operations″ and as one which is likely a risk to life and welfare.

It requires special arrangements between more than one emergency agency, the mayor's office said.

"If we do not take immediate action now, our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die,'' he said.

NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens said on Thursday that the pressures facing hospitals in London and the southeast of England are so acute that the Nightingale hospital at the ExCel London will be opened next week.

The hospital was one of several built in the spring to help during the pandemic, but wasn't used.

They were named after Florence Nightingale, widely considered to be the founder of modern nursing.

"The entirety of the health service in London is mobilising to do everything it possibly can, but the infections, the rate of growth in admissions, that is what collectively the country has got to get under control," Stevens said.

The UK is recording virus-related deaths on a par with some of the worst days early in the pandemic.

On Thursday, government figures showed that another 1,162 people were reported to have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus.

The UK's total virus-related death toll is now 78,508.

According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the UK has the most COVID-related deaths in Europe and the fifth highest number in the world.

New restrictions enforced

The British government says that beginning next week all people arriving from other countries will have to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within the 72 hours before departure.

There are exemptions for some, including truckers, airline crew and children under 11.

Heathrow Airport

Many public health experts have long urged the UK to adopt the measure as a way of reducing imported infections, though the virus is more widespread in Britain than in many other countries.

The government said Friday that the new measure will help protect against new variants of the virus, such as one recently identified in South Africa.