Tag Archives: caribbean

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In US: Former Colombian Military Officer Charged with Moise Murder

A former Colombian military officer has been charged in the US in connection with the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse last July.

Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, is accused of having “participated in a plot to kidnap or kill the Haitian president”, the US justice department said.

He appeared at a Miami court on Tuesday to hear the charges against him.

Mr Moïse was shot dead on 7 July by gunmen who stormed his residence in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

While several arrests have been made in Haiti in connection with the killing, Mr Palacios is the first suspect to face charges.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US justice department said a complaint was filed in the state of Florida accusing Mr Palacios, along with a group of about 20 other Colombian nationals and dual Haitian-American citizens, of “conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping” outside the US.

It said the group was alleged to have “initially focused on conducting a kidnapping”, but that it “ultimately resulted in a plot to kill” Mr Moïse.

“Palacios and others entered the president’s residence in Haiti with the intent and purpose of killing President Moïse, and in fact the president was killed,” the statement said.

Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, a Colombian national, appears at a Miami court
Mario Antonio Palacios (R) appeared in a federal court in Miami on Tuesday

Mr Palacios was recently arrested during a stopover in Panama after being deported to Colombia from Jamaica. He agreed to travel to the US, which had issued an Interpol red notice requesting his arrest.

He is now in US custody and, if convicted of the charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Previous suspects detained were also former members of the Colombian military, many of whom said they were hired to provide “security services” in Haiti and were not told about a plan to kill the president.

The investigation into the murder of Mr Moïse, who was 53, has been slow and has been further set back by the resignations of key officials.

Investigators have also reported receiving death threats and being intimidated.

Separately on Saturday, gunmen tried to kill Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during an event to mark the anniversary of the country’s independence.

The prime minister’s office said “bandits and terrorists” were behind the assassination attempt, and that arrest warrants had been issued for the suspects.

The rise in violence in Haiti and a dire economic situation in the country – made worse by several natural disasters in recent years – have led to a growing number of Haitians seeking opportunities in other countr

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4th Booster Protection, Biden Urges Vaccination, Anger Over Tennis Champ Exemption, World Stats, More

Israeli study shows second booster is safe, gives fivefold antibody increase
By Maureen Breslin

 

An Israeli study looking into the effects of a fourth total, or second booster, of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine showed with a “high degree of certainty” it’s safe and increased antibodies by fivefold one week post-vaccination, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced, per Reuters.

The Israeli government on Tuesday released the preliminary results of the trial, which .give insight to how an additional booster may help offset the impact of the hyper-contagious omicron variant, reports The Washington Post.

Bennett said the preliminary results showed “a very high likelihood that the fourth dose will protect vaccinated people to a great degree against infection to some degree and against severe symptoms,” according to the Post.

Bennett said at Sheba Medical Center, “A week into the fourth dose, we know to a higher degree of certainty that the fourth dose is safe,” adding, “The second piece of news: We know that a week after administration of a fourth dose, we see a five-fold increase in the number of antibodies in the vaccinated person. This most likely means a significant increase against infection and… hospitalization and [severe] symptoms,” reports Reuters.

Side effects reported from the vaccine were similar to those of the second and third shots. Recipients reported fever, fatigue, and headaches, notes Reuters.

A separate group is set to receive Moderna’s vaccine—after initially having gotten three Pfizer-BioNTech shots—for their fourth dose this week and data from that group will soon follow up with the question of a potential superior immune response by mixing-and-matching vaccinations, a Sheba Medical Center spokesman states, according to the Post.

The Israeli government announced on Sunday that Israel will offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to health care workers and individuals 60 years old and older in an effort to bolster protection amid the omicron wave of the pandemic.

Eligible individuals can receive the fourth jab if they received their previous dose at least four months ago.

Bennett called on all eligible individuals to get the second booster before praising his country for being a leader in vaccination efforts.

“Israel will once again be pioneering the global vaccination effort. Omicron is not delta — it’s a different ballgame altogether. We must keep our eye on the ball, act swiftly and decisively if we want to continue engaging and working with an open country as much as possible throughout this pandemic,” Bennett said.

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Biden eases omicron alarm, urges vaccinations

© AP-Carolyn Kaster

President Biden on Tuesday sought to tamp down worries about the omicron coronavirus variant, underscoring that COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness from the virus.

Speaking before a briefing with his COVID-19 advisers at the White House, Biden said that the U.S. has the tools to protect Americans from severe illness from the virus.

“If you are vaccinated and boosted you are highly protected,” Biden said, noting that those who are vaccinated can still contract COVID-19 but are unlikely to become seriously ill.

“Be concerned about omicron but don’t be alarmed. But if you’re unvaccinated, you have some reason to be alarmed,” he said.

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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.

1. Call to remove travel test rules

As the prime minister hopes England can “ride out” the Omicron wave of coronavirus without introducing further restrictions, travel firms are calling for all remaining measures in their sector to be lifted. Airlines claim passenger testing’s having no real impact and those tests have held the industry back. The government says all measures remain under review and Boris Johnson will be meeting with his cabinet later. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to update Holyrood – a cabinet meeting before the session is expected to discuss whether to reduce the self-isolation period.

Women at airportImage source, Getty Images
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2. Djokovic vaccine exemption fury

There’s been an angry backlash in Australia over tennis star Novak Djokovic’s exemption from vaccination rules. The Australian Open defending champion’s vaccination status is unknown, but said last year: “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.” The player hasn’t been given special treatment, organisers say, but despite that there’s been criticism directed towards officials, politicians and Djokovic himself. Here’s the full story.

Novak Djokovic kisses a trophy he was awarded for winning last year's Australian Open titleImage source, Reuters
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3. President Macron’s pressure on unvaccinated

“I really want to hassle them, and we will continue to do this – to the end,”- French President Emmanuel Macron says warns he plans to make life difficult for unvaccinated people in the country. His comments came as a bill, which would bar the unvaccinated from much of public life, was delayed by opposition MPs. Mr Macron’s political opponents say the language he used is not fitting for a president.

French President Emmanuel MacronImage source, Getty Images
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4. US teacher arrest

A school teacher’s been arrested for allegedly giving a Covid vaccine to a student who reportedly wanted the jab. New York biology teacher Laura Russo gave the dose at her home despite having no legal authorisation to give jabs, or consent from the boy’s parents, police say. If convicted the 54-year-old, who was arrested on New Year’s Eve, could face four years in prison.

The teacher jabbing the pupilImage source, CBS
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5. Covid curfew

As India braces itself for a third wave of coronavirus and its largest cities see a surge in cases, state governments are re-imposing restrictions. In the capital Delhi a weekend curfew’s been put in place, banning all non-essential activity between Friday night and Monday morning.

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SWEDEN NEW RECORD

Sweden set a new daily record for Covid cases, registering 11,507 cases on 30 December, health agency data showed on Tuesday as a fourth wave of the virus spread across the country.

The daily infection figures are typically revised somewhat as any delayed records of additional cases are added to the national total for a given day. The previous record of 11,376 cases was set in late December 2020.

The fresh wave of cases, in part driven by the more contagious omicron variant, hit Sweden later than its Nordic neighbours, but has in recent weeks resulted in a sharp rise in cases and, increasingly, hospitalisations.

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WHO sees more evidence that Omicron causes milder symptoms

More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing milder symptoms than previous variants and resulting in a “decoupling” in some places between soaring case numbers and low death rates, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.

“We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike other ones, the lungs who would be causing severe pneumonia,” WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud told Geneva-based journalists.

“It can be a good news, but we really require more studies to prove that.”

Since the heavily mutated variant was first detected in November, WHO data shows it has spread quickly and emerged in at least 128 countries, presenting dilemmas for many nations and people seeking to reboot their economies and lives after nearly two years of Covid-related disruptions.

However, while case numbers have surged to all-time records, the hospitalisation and death rates are often lower than at other phases in the pandemic.

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

295,640,740

Deaths:

5,474,760

Recovered:

256,193,200
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

[back to top ↑]

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SKN Assumed Chair of OAS Council Until March 31

St. Kitts-Nevis has assumed the chairmanship of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) until March 31.

The twin-island Federation’s Permanent Representative, Warren Everson Alarick Hull, assumed the chair on Monday at a handing-over ceremony at OAS headquarters, noting that he assumed the responsibility in a challenging context for the region.

“The OAS and its member states are at a crossroads: the ongoing pandemic has presented an additional challenge to the region’s resilience,” he said.

“As a family of nations under one umbrella, it serves no useful purpose to hide our frailties. I believe it is of paramount importance that we confront our challenges together.”

Outgoing chair and Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic, Josué Fiallo, thanked all the OAS member-states for their “constant support” and for “the collective effort demonstrated to jointly build a work plan for the quarter that has just concluded.

“This year begins with great challenges,” he said, offering the support and willingness of his country to “work decisively in the direction that the organization determines under your leadership.”

The Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Lou-Anne Gaylene Gilchrist, will serve as vice chair of the Council during the first quarter of 2022.

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Deported from Jamaica: U.S. Arrests Suspect in Haiti Presidential Assassination

Jan 4 (Reuters) – U.S. authorities have arrested a Colombian man for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, an American law enforcement official told Reuters, adding that the man will make an initial court appearance on Tuesday.

The suspect, Mario Palacios, is a former member of the Colombian military who Haitian authorities say was part of a mercenary group that assassinated Moise in July.

Palacios is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The arrest was first reported by the Miami Herald.

Palacios was arrested in Panama on Monday as he was being deported from Jamaica to Colombia, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Haitian authorities have arrested some 45 people in connection with the brazen murder, which created a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation, but have yet to indict anyone.

Critics in Haiti have complained of slow progress, intimidation and witness tampering in the investigation of Moise’s killing.

Reporting by Brian Ellsworth; editing by Jonathan Oatis

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US Sets World Record with 1m Cases in a Single Day

More than a million COVID-19 cases were recorded in the U.S. on Monday, setting a new global daily record, mainly due to the highly mutated and contagious Omicron variant.

The highest daily case count outside the U.S. came during a surge in Delta cases in India, which saw more than 414,000 diagnosed on May 7 last year (though data collection and reporting varies around the world).

Monday’s milestone figure is almost double the previous U.S. record of about 590,000 cases, set on December 30, 2021.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said that this amounts to an almost “vertical increase” of new cases, and hospitalizations are also up. “We are definitely in the middle of a very severe surge and uptick in cases,” he told ABC’s This Week.

“The acceleration of cases that we’ve seen is really unprecedented, gone well beyond anything we’ve seen before.” Fauci is concerned that Omicron is overwhelming the health care system and causing “major disruption” for other essential services.

What happens now? Fauci noted there is “accumulating evidence” that Omicron might lead to less severe illness but cautioned that the data is still early. “I’m still very concerned about the tens of millions of people who are not vaccinated at all because even though many of them are going to get asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic, a fair number of them are going to get severe disease,” he said.

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REUTERS WORLD NEWS: Holmes Guilty, Prince Andrew & Epstein, Big Powers Nuke Pact, Toyota Bigest in US, More

Reuters
The Reuters Daily Briefing

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

by Linda Noakes

Hello

Here’s what you need to know.

  • Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is found guilty of fraud
  • Australian COVID cases overload the testing system
  • Toyota is poised to dethrone General Motors in the U.S.

Today’s biggest stories

FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Andrew speaks2021 to the media at Windsor Great Park, Britain, following the death of his father Prince Philip, April 11,

U.S.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a military exhibition in Moscow, December 21, 2021

WORLD
MARKETS

World shares extended their positive start to 2022 with markets from Europe to Asia shrugging off worries the Omicron coronavirus variant could choke the global economic recovery, while the dollar rose after U.S. bond yields jumped.

Global manufacturing activity remained strong in December as factories took rising cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in their stride, although persistent supply constraints and rising costs clouded the outlook for some economies.

China Evergrande Group’s shares soared briefly in resumed trade after the developer said a government order to demolish 39 buildings on the resort island of Hainan would not affect the rest of its massive project there. Investors in financial products issued by Evergrande protested outside the cash-strapped company’s offices in Guangzhou, with many worried that their returns would be sacrificed to keep real estate projects afloat.

Japanese automaker Toyota is poised to outsell General Motors in the United States in 2021, which would mark the first time the Detroit automaker has not led U.S. auto sales since 1931.

Tesla’s announcement that it has opened a showroom in Xinjiang has attracted criticism from U.S. rights and trade groups, making it the latest foreign firm caught up in tensions related to the far-western Chinese region.
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Video of the day

Winter storm pounds D.C. as it moves up East Coast

The winter’s first blizzard hit the U.S. capital – shutting federal buildings and even delaying Air Force One – and knocked out power from the Carolinas to New Jersey.

And finally…

Djokovic will defend Australian Open title after exemption from vaccination

 

The world number one will defend his title at Melbourne Park later this month after receiving a medical exemption from getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

More from Reuters

COVID-19 The Great Reboot Disrupted Legal News Breakingviews

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Snap Election: Barbados Political Leaders Confident of Victory

CMC- Leaders of the two main political parties in Barbados on Monday remained confident of victory in the January 19 general elections as candidates were nominated to contest the snap election that Prime Minister Mia Mottley called 18 months ahead of the constitutional deadline.

Mottley, speaking to reporters after completing the nomination process as the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for the St Michael North East constituency, said that in the coming months, tough decisions will have to be made to secure the future of the island.

BLP and Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaking to reporters after being nominated 

“We have to make some decisions that will position this country to face some of the most difficult circumstances in the next 10 to 15 years,” she told reporters.

“If we don’t do it now we will be unprepared,” she said, adding “we have already seen how difficult it is to grow through the (COVID-19) pandemic, how difficult it is to deal with as a consequence of the climate crisis with the freak storm and the hurricane”.

She said it was the first hurricane to hit the island in 66 years and that the global community is also dealing with a number of other perils.

“Domestically we also have to prepare the platform where Barbadians can literally can be the best that they can be and that’s going to mean transformation in a number of areas so that our kids can have the best chances that they can have,” she added.

But attorney, Verla De Peiza, who is leading the opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) into a general election for the first time, told reporters after being nominated to contest the St Lucy, that the party is confident of reversing the 2018 results when it was swept out of office by a 30-nil drubbing at the hands of the BLP.

“It is clear that the dissatisfaction with present administration did not take long to set in and let’s face it, it’s a series of own goals that brought them to that point and our people are very pleased to have the opportunity to signal their discontent earlier than they expected.

DLP leader, Verla De Peiza, fielding questions from the media 

“Ours was always a ground game so that suits us and also we have a young team of candidates, so social media suits us and that really is the focus we have to have going forward because the safety of our people is the immediate  consideration whatever we do in our campaigning”>

De Peiza, who is also the DLP president, said that the party’s mobilisation efforts will continue and “fortunately we have been a bit ahead of the game in that we had certain logistics organised, we are re-jigging a few things.

“Nationally, we were also about 90 per cent ready…and the re-jigging will be to have a care for the climate in which we are in right now,” she said in reference to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is a tough time to call an election, it is not even a necessary time to call an election with 18 months or so to go, it is what it is and we will do our part to make sure that our people are kept safe. There is no intention to endanger the lives of our citizens whilst they exercise their democratic rights”

She said that the DLP is also focusing on winning over “the middle group that takes their speed from the temperature of the country”.

Political observers expect the fight to be a straight battle between the BLP and the DLP, with both parties nominating 30 candidates each for the election.

The Electoral Department has not yet released the total number of candidates that will contest the elections but said that eligible voters, whose names do not appear on the Preliminary List of Electors, are reminded that they must be registered by Tuesday,  the last day for registration for the January 19 poll.

It said inspection of the Preliminary List of Electors and registration to be an elector may be done at any of the Revising/Registration Centres in each constituency and that voters can access the chatbox on the website to confirm their electoral registration status and registration details by entering a query such as, “Am I registered”, followed by entering their National Registration Number.

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Jamaica: Downtown Kingston To Become Music and Tourism Mecca

by Ramona Samuel

The Jamaica Tourist Board and the Tourism Enhancement Fund have approved a major project directed at the development of downtown Kingston into a heritage tourism destination.

Reports from The Jamaica Observer state that “the finer details of the plan and costing are still being worked out but the concept has already been approved for government funding and would be a private-public partnership.”

Regarded as the birthplace of Jamaica’s popular music, downtown Kingston will feature “Beat Street, which will be located at the corner of Charles and Orange streets, which is anticipated to be a crowd-puller among tourists and is being packaged as “the epicenter of a cultural tourism tour of downtown Kingston.”

This move will no doubt please several of Jamaica’s outspoken musical stars including, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul, Chronixx and Foota Hype who have all been vocal over the years about the government’s lack of proper time, attention, efforts and investments that are not made into Jamaica’s musical influence, and the appeal of reggae and dancehall music globally.

In September 2014, Chronixx criticized the Portia Simpson-led Government’s Lisa Hanna and Damion Crawford, who were responsible for the Youth and Entertainment portfolios at the time, in an Instagram post stating that they have “never erected a live music venue in honor of Reggae music even though it is the only reason why people is still visiting this beautiful island of bankruptcy”.

Sean Paul had also expressed in an interview in February of this year on Radio Jamaica, that the authorities capitalizing on the city’s 2015 UNESCO designation as a Creative City of Music, and being the birthplace of Jamaica’s six distinct musical genres: Mento, Ska, Reggae, Rocksteady, Dub and Dancehall.

“An I keep saying, what I want from this Government is a Mento Yard Boulevard, Ska Corner; wi waan si wen yuh go round deh pure Ska Bar and people guh round deh wid dem afro an dem bell foot pants and tourists can come off on a boat weh dem have inna di harbor (Port Royal) deh and come ova, and guh to Reggae Road an Dancehall Drive and those things,” he said in the interview.

Orange Street and its environs are where the record stores, the bars, and the tenement yards were located that many of the pioneers and legends of Jamaican popular music operated from. Personalities like Leroy Riley, Jack Taylor, Roy White, Tom “The Great Sebastian” Wong, Headley Jones, Leslie Kong, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, Prince Buster, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Bunny Lee, Sonia Pottinger, and so many others made their start in the business within that area.

Jamaica’s music holds a premium place internationally, these projects provide an opportunity for local businesses to cash in and take their operations to another level, internationally.

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Caribbean COVID-19 Totals, CDC Issues Cruise Warning, Rough Start for Airlines, Boosters for US Teens, More

Coronavirus cases in the Caribbean to date: 2,266,904

Loop News

Confirmed Caribbean coronavirus cases as of today, January 3, 2022

  • Cuba- 966,942 cases, 8324 deaths, 956,792 recovered
  • Dominican Republic- 421,953 cases, 4249 deaths, 409,026 recoveries
  • Puerto Rico- 199,965 cases, 3310 deaths
  • Jamaica- 92, 177 cases, 2476 deaths, 65,813 recovered
  • Trinidad and Tobago- 92,659 cases, 2914 deaths, 74,266 recovered
  • Guadeloupe- 56,035 cases, 750 deaths, 2250 recovered
  • Suriname- 52,895 cases, 1190 deaths, 49,089 recovered
  • French Guiana- 48,937 cases, 339 deaths, 11,254 recovered

  • Martinique- 48,473 cases, 779 deaths, 104 recovered

  • Guyana- 40, 060 cases, 1055 deaths, 37,708 recovered
  • Belize- 32,840 cases, 602 deaths, 30,604 recovered
  • Barbados- 28,960 cases, 262 deaths, 27,213 recovered
  • Haiti- 25,985 cases, 766 deaths, 23, 289 recovered
  • Bahamas- 25,285 cases, 717 deaths, 21,840 recovered
  • Curacao- 22,551 cases, 189 deaths, 18,323 recovered
  • Aruba- 21,471 cases, 181 deaths, 18,175 recovered
  • Saint Lucia- 13,816 cases, 301 deaths, 13,183 recovered
  • US Virgin Islands- 10,106 cases, 89 deaths, 7867 recovered
  • Cayman Islands- 8943 cases, 12 deaths, 5237 recovered
  • Dominica- 6862 cases, 47 deaths, 6485 recovered
  • Bermuda- 6420 cases, 110 deaths, 5788 recovered
  • Grenada- 6306 cases, 200 deaths, 5694 recovered
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines- 5952 cases, 83 deaths, 5305 recovered
  • Sint Maarten- 5301 cases, 75 deaths, 4683 recovered
  • Antigua and Barbuda- 4283 cases, 119 deaths, 4063 recovered
  • Saint Martin- 4250 cases, 58 deaths, 1399 recovered
  • Turks and Caicos- 3562 cases, 26 deaths, 3220 recovered
  • British Virgin Islands- 3492 cases, 39 deaths
  • Bonaire- 3446 cases, 23 deaths

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis- 3252 cases, 28 deaths, 2793 recovered

  • Saint Barthelemy- 1895 cases, 6 deaths

  • Anguilla- 1674 cases, 5 deaths, 1640 recovered

  • Saba- 57 cases, 26 recovered

  • Montserrat- 53 cases, 1 death, 44 recovered

  • Sint Eustatius- 46 cases, 30 recovered

  • ================================================

CDC designates cruises a “Level 4” travel warning

Our now daily ritual of checking new COVID guidelines continued over the weekend as the CDC announced it is strongly advising Americans to avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status.

The news sent cruise line stocks on a brief downward spiral, compounding what has been a rough few weeks for the industry. December saw several high-profile outbreaks force port closures and onboard passenger quarantines despite high vaccination rates and routine testing.

But it looks like the Level 4 advisory isn’t stopping much. Multiple ships set sail over the weekend and plenty more are scheduled for the rest of the week.

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Rough start to 2022 for airlines

Those in the airline industry hoping for a fresh start in 2022 were bitterly disappointed as the Omicron variant continued to cause chaos across the world.

In the US alone, where winter storms are exacerbating the situation, more than 2,700 flights were canceled on both Saturday and Sunday, with a further 1,800 already grounded as of 7 am this morning. Since Christmas Eve, there have been over 15,000 cancellations.

Staff shortages due to positive COVID tests continue to be a dominating factor. To counteract this, some airlines are increasing incentives for those willing to work extra flights. United tripled the pay for pilots working extra routes, while Spirit doubled onboard staff pay through January 4th.

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The Netherlands Mandate 10 Day Quarantine Period For Americans

The Netherlands has begun enforcing a new mandatory quarantine period for travelers from the US. The rule applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.

However, the US isn’t being singled out. The UK and several other countries with steadily rising COVID rates all face similar restrictions. The Netherlands itself is currently in lockdown due to its own COVID woes.

Visitors can get out of quarantine early with a negative test on the fifth day…although, with a national lockdown in place, you may as well hang out in your hotel room.

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Boosters OK’ed for 12- to 15-year-olds

coronavirus COVID-19 community spread vaccine development food and drug administration FDA approval emergency use authorization two month new safety recommendations tensions CDC public health block

© Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized Pfizer booster shots for people aged 12 to 15 years, another expansion in the population eligible for the third shots.

Booster shots are seen as a key tool in fighting the omicron variant, which has shown a heightened ability to infect people who have received two shots, though vaccinated people still have important protection against severe disease.

The FDA also shortened the time for all adults to get their booster shots, down to five months from six months after the initial shots.

Finally, for children 5 to 11 years old, the FDA authorized a third shot for certain immunocompromised children, who it said might not respond fully to two shots.

The FDA said the decision on boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds was based off data from 6,300 people in Israel.

“These additional data enabled the FDA to reassess the benefits and risks of the use of a booster in the younger adolescent population in the setting of the current surge in COVID-19 cases,” the agency said. “The data shows there are no new safety concerns following a booster in this population.”

The FDA said there were no new cases of myocarditis in that group from Israel, referring to heart inflammation that officials have been monitoring as a rare vaccine side effect, particularly in younger people.

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Brazilian Cruise Ships Pause Operations After COVID-19 Outbreaks

BRASILIA, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Cruise ship companies in Brazil will suspend most operations until Jan. 21, an industry association said on Monday, after health authorities recommended against cruise ship travel following several offshore outbreaks of the coronavirus.

The industry association Clia said no ships will cast off during the “voluntary” suspension period, which could be extended, while those at sea will complete their voyages.

Last week, Brazil’s national health regulator Anvisa recommended cruise companies temporarily pause operations after five ships off Brazil’s coast registered over 300 new COVID-19 cases.

“During this pause, Clia is working on behalf of the cruise companies that operate in the country – MSC Cruzeiros and Costa Cruzeiros – to look for points of alignment with the federal government, Anvisa, states and municipalities,” the association said in a statement.

MSC Cruzeiros and Costa Cruzeiros are subsidiaries of Swiss-Italian cruise line MSC Cruises and Carnival Corp (CCL.N), respectively. Clia made its announcement after federal, state and municipal officials met with representatives of the tourism industry about the issue.

Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Gram Slattery; editing by Grant McCool

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