TORONTO, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Canada’s government implored residents on Wednesday not to leave the country as provinces ramp up vaccinations to combat the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, even as efforts to head off a COVID-19 wave are complicated by public fatigue over the pandemic.

COVID-19 case numbers are increasing, with the national seven-day average of new cases at its highest point since Oct. 1, as Canadian hospitals struggle to clear backlogs from months of postponed procedures. Many exhausted staff members appear ill-equipped for another surge in infections.

“I say very clearly: Now is not the time to travel,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference, adding it is clear there is community transmission of Omicron in Canada.

“I understand this sucks,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters as he urged Canadians to follow public health advice and “be careful during this holiday season. Get your kids their shots.”

Children aged 5 to 11 had the highest infection rate of any age group in Ontario for the two weeks ended Tuesday.

Ontario will start offering a third shot of the vaccine to everyone over age 18 this week, while shortening the required gap between second and third doses to three months from six.

The province, Canada’s most-populous, is also reducing capacity by half at indoor events with a capacity of at least 1,000, including sports activities, concerts and commercial film and television production.

Canada has banned travel from 10 African countries because of concerns about the new variant.

The federal government advised residents in March 2020 not to travel abroad unless necessary. It withdrew the notice this past October – before the first Omicron cases were reported – citing the success of vaccination campaigns.

Peter Juni, director of Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table, urged people to take precautions, get vaccinated and not take Omicron lightly.

“What really worries me is that people are asleep at the steering wheel, internationally,” he said. “They have wishful thinking it will be mild. … This is not a realistic attitude.”

Scientists suspect Omicron is more transmissible given its rapid spread, although they caution it is too early to draw conclusions about its severity. read more

‘MASSIVE VULNERABILITY’

There is “massive vulnerability” in Canada’s healthcare systems, said Andrew Morris, an infectious disease doctor in Toronto, who added it is “highly likely” they will be overwhelmed.

In Alberta, a western Canadian province that experienced a punishing fourth wave, Dr. Christopher Doig’s ICU in Calgary still has COVID-19 patients, some of whom have been there for weeks. It is still operating at about 110% capacity, he said.

Shifting staff from other areas lets them “surge up” if needed, Doig said. “The downside of those surges is it pulls staff from other areas,” and the pandemic backlog of surgeries grows.

Health officials are trying to persuade the public to get third doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Amid fears of asymptomatic COVID-19 transmission, provinces that were given millions of rapid antigen tests by the federal government have come under fire for not distributing them more widely.

Ontario promised to make 2 million tests available in “high-traffic” areas and to allot five per student to school children this week. Quebec will hand out five tests per person starting next week. Alberta promised to give out 500,000 starting on Friday.

British Columbia health officials said this week they had not received the tests they were hoping for from the federal government and defended the province’s providing tens of thousands of rapid tests a week to hundreds of private employers.

Ontario said this week it is “temporarily interrupting” its return-to-office plan for provincial employees.

Alberta loosened restrictions on private gatherings on Wednesday, with Premier Jason Kenney citing pandemic fatigue.

Juni said he understands that people are tired of the pandemic.

“I’m completely exhausted,” he said. “I’ve had it. I’m done completely. But the virus doesn’t care.”

Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny and Steve Scherer; Additional reporting by Nia Williams, Allison Lampert, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren and Allison Martell; Editing by Paul Simao and Peter Cooney

The post Canada Advises Against International Travel Amid Omicron Threat appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, December 15, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — The Team Unity Administration will give priority to three pillars identified to enable digital transformation in the public sector, and Prime Minister the Hon Dr.Timothy Harris is commending The Cable for strategically positioning itself to support digital transformation in the country.

“Mr Speaker, while addressing the challenges of the day, we remain focused on creating the necessary environment to boost the economy during the period of recovery that lies ahead,” said Dr Harris. “We therefore propose that the 2022 Budget gives priority to the implementation of initiatives that are targeted at developing three pillars identified to enable digital transformation in the public sector, and the three pillars are, people – hence again the theme ‘investing in our people’, the processes, and the technology.”

Prime Minister Harris, who is also the Minister of Finance, made the remarks on Tuesday December 14 when he laid before the National Assembly, at a special sitting held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort’s Ballroom, the Appropriation (2022) Bill, 2021, under the theme ‘Investing in Our People – Putting St. Kitts and Nevis back on track’.

He assured that his Team Unity Administration will continue to invest in the development of the country’s public servants to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services to all who require them.

The Government, he added, will also ensure that the synergies between the goal to achieve digital transformation, and the development and expansion of entrepreneurs, particularly the country’s creatives and its innovators would be done through the continued partnership across agencies and sectors such as the Small Business Development Centre, the Department of Culture, the Ministry of Education.

That would include other thriving business operators and noted that he was sure that it would also include the relevant visitors when they come, as these areas are crosscutting and that Government will have a better idea of some of the practical things that are happening and will happen in 2022.

“We will continue, Mr Speaker, the important partnership with The Cable,” said the Honourable Prime Minister. “The Cable has strategically positioned itself to fully support the digital transformation in St. Kitts and Nevis, and I want again to commend its very competent and visionary CEO in Patricia Walters, who is here.”

The Team Unity Government, assured Dr Harris, welcomes the progressive involvement of the Private Sector in the development of a digital economy in the Federation. He pointed out that The Cable continues to demonstrate its good social corporate responsibility by providing a small, medium business package of 100 Megabytes, providing three times the speed for a minimal fee increase.

“Additionally, nine free Wi-Fi hotspots were installed in downtown Basseterre,” stated the Prime Minister. “My understanding is that they provide connectivity to approximately 20,000 residents and visitors each month. So, you do not have internet at home – I would wish everyone would have – there are nine free Wi-Fi hotspots downtown. You do not have data, go to the Square or go to eight other hotspots properly and conveniently located in the Basseterre area. This of course is getting the internet service absolutely free as a result of this intervention.”

Apart from the hotspots in downtown Basseterre, The Cable continues to provide free internet access to 17 community centres on the island of St. Kitts. The company, as a result of its outreach, is uniquely poised to maintain productivity and advance connectivity through the entire island using its fibre optic cables.

The Prime Minister said that he had asked Ms Patricia Walters, The Cable CEO, to provide a paper to Cabinet, “because what we have in terms of our fibre optic cables and network is an important resource that could bring benefits beyond St. Kitts and Nevis. And so, I have put Ms Walters to speak with the regional people who have come forward to me to share this particular view. It is a matter that the former Minister of ICT, the Hon Vincent Byron, and I have spoken on several occasions.”

The Cable, Dr Harris further advised, will also begin to connect homes in communities to its new underground fibre broadband network in the new year. He added it is an important element in facilitating the very important objective of the Government to develop a digital society where affordable and accessible high-speed internet is available to all.

In terms of the country’s skills and human development and expansion, Prime Minister Harris said that it has been already captured the attention of the public by the significant investment the Government is going to be making in 2022 in education – over $100 million.

“I want again to thank The Cable for its partnership with the Ministry of Education over these difficult 21 months, by providing free internet upgrades and of course ensuring that all 15 of our early childhood centres, all our primary and secondary schools, and all our teachers have access to ICT facilities,” said Dr Harris. “I want again to commend you Ms Walters for your yeoman’s service in this regard.”

The post PM Harris: Cable Has Strategically Positioned Itself to Support Digital Transformation appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The UK has reported its highest number of daily infections, 79,000, since the pandemic began, and England’s chief medical officer has warned that more Covid records will be broken.

Speaking at a Downing Street news briefing, Prof Chris Whitty said the Omicron variant was moving at a phenomenal pace and that case numbers would continue to hit new highs over the coming weeks.

In that case, infections will reach a level that will exceed testing capacity. So why is it happening and what does it mean for the NHS? Here are three takeaways from a record day.

1. We’re seeing two epidemics at once

Omicron is spreading rapidly, but Delta is not disappearing. It means we have two variants circulating together. It is still early days, but it does appear to be different from what we have seen before when Alpha wiped out the original variant circulating in the UK and was then itself displaced by Delta.

This is likely to be because Omicron is able to get past some of the body’s defences built up by vaccination and previous infection. The two variants are not competing for the same people.

It means at the moment we have a fairly stable number of cases of Delta – as we have had pretty much since the summer.

But Omicron cases are rising rapidly and driving the overall number of cases up. Latest data suggests about a quarter of cases are Omicron – that would mean around 20,000 of Wednesday’s reported 79,000 cases have been caused by the new variant.

It is quite possible these two variants will circulate together for a while, although the expectation is that Omicron will eventually displace Delta given how much immunity vaccination and our high levels of infection give against that variant.

2. Infections are rising at break-neck speed

Health officials have been saying for days that we should expect cases to surge.

And these are just the ones that come forward for testing – the true level of infections will be much higher.

Omicron cases are rising rapidly, probably now doubling every two days, so it was only a matter of time before a new high was set – although the lack of testing at the start of the pandemic means comparisons with that wave are difficult.

Expect new records to be set day after day as these numbers are only going to go up from here.

If the two-day doubling continues, by Christmas Day 640,000 Omicron infections would be being recorded and early in the new year the whole population will have been infected.

That said, the cases would never be spotted as testing capacity is limited to fewer than one million a day.

Clearly, however, that rate of growth will slow. There are already signs this has started happening in South Africa.

But not before we get to – in the words of UK Health Security chief Dr Jenny Harries – staggeringly high rates of infection.

3. The threat to the NHS is uncertain

What is not clear is what it means for serious illness.

There are suggestions Omicron is causing milder illness.

There is logic to that – reinfections or infections post vaccination are likely to be milder.

But if infections continue to rise as quickly as they are, that will push up hospital admissions.

Even if the severity of the virus is halved, as soon as the total number of infections double, hospitalisations will go up.

Left unchecked, with no extra restrictions than we have now, the peak will come quickly. How big it will be is uncertain.

Modelling from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has suggested that in a best-case scenario hospital admissions in England could peak at just over 2,000. But in a worst-case scenario they could exceed 6,000.

To put that into context, last winter it topped out at 3,700 a day after lockdown was introduced.

Privately ministers accept that if the numbers go past 2,000 a day, with no sign of them levelling off, the NHS would be at real risk.

================================================

Omicron not derailing US vaccine strategy

 

© Getty

No big change-up in the composition of the vaccines is imminent to fight omicron, President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

Fauci said at this point there is no need for a modified vaccine specifically to fight the omicron variant, instead urging people to get a booster shot of the existing vaccine.

“Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron,” Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said at a press briefing. “At this point there is no need for a variant-specific booster.”

Vaccine makers like Pfizer said that they had started work on a modified vaccine for omicron soon after it was discovered in case it was needed, and that it could be available in less than 100 days. But as more data has emerged, there have been some reassuring signs about the effectiveness of three doses of the existing vaccines against omicron, though protection from two doses significantly falls off.

Not having to implement a new vaccine could eliminate many logistical and supply hurdles to the vaccination effort.

Data so far on current vaccines: Fauci said the omicron variant “undoubtedly compromises the effects” of two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines in preventing infection with the omicron variant. Effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine with two doses fell to just 33 percent in a South African study, though there was better protection against severe disease, at 70 percent.

Early studies have shown much stronger protection after three doses, though. Early data from the U.K. showed effectiveness against infection with three doses rose back to 75 percent, from about 30 percent after two doses.

============================================

MOST BREAKTHROUGH HOSPITALIZATIONS INVOLVE SENIORS

A large majority of fully vaccinated patients hospitalized and diagnosed COVID-19 between June and September were seniors, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis released Wednesday.

Almost 70 percent of fully vaccinated patients admitted to hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 were aged 65 and older, making up a “disproportionately large share” of breakthrough hospitalizations.

Ten percent of breakthrough hospitalizations occurred among those younger than 50, and one-fifth occurred among those aged 50 to 64.

But unvaccinated COVID-19 hospital patients skewed younger, with 41 percent of cases involving patients younger than 50 and 30 percent involving those aged 50 to 64.

Seniors who experienced breakthrough cases also appeared to have shorter hospital stays on average. The median stay for fully vaccinated patients was 5.6 days, compared to 6.7 days for those who were unvaccinated.

A larger portion of fully vaccinated hospital patients had a comorbidity than unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. But less breakthrough patients had COVID-related respiratory complications or treatments, indicating they may have been admitted for “unrelated reasons.”

“If this is the case, it would mean that the gap in risk of COVID-19 hospitalization between vaccinated and unvaccinated people is even greater than previously known,” KFF noted.

The post UK: Record Daily Cases–2 Variants Together, Most Vaxed People with Covid are Seniors, More appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 15, 2021) — The Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) will host its second edition of “Nothing like a Nevisian Holiday” at The Hermitage Inn from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on December 18, 2021.

Mr. Devon Liburd, Director of Sales and Marketing at the NTA, says this year’s event will be open to the public.

“This year in addition to the virtual component, the Task Force has allowed us to have an in-person aspect of this ‘Nothing like a Nevisian Holiday.’ So it’s open to the public this year. We have a cover cost of $10 for anyone wanting to visit…We are going to present to you some of the experiences, some of the sports, some of the dance, some of the music that we as Nevisians use during the celebration of Christmas…

“We are going to have string band music; we are going to have the Big Drum music; we are going to have masqueraders; we are going to have carolling by the Coelis Choir; we are going to have the Cake Walk dancers; we are going to have the Moko Jumbie; we are going to have a demonstration of how to make…a traditional Christmas dish – potato pudding; we’re going to have a demonstration of an individual creating a Christmas cocktail,” he said.

Mr. Liburd noted that this year’s event will give patrons an opportunity to purchase gifts.

“In addition to all of these performances, we’re going to have a number of vendors, just eight or so vendors. We know that persons will be looking to purchase last minute gift items for their family and friends, so we’ve invited a few vendors to be at the event.

“This was not a part of last year’s event so this aspect of it is new so we are going to have some craft vendors. We are going to have Mark from LL Rum and we are going to have some general artisans displaying their items and persons will be free to purchase their items also,” he explained.

The NTA official added that a local cook who demonstrated how to cook Nevis-style coconut tarts at the first event will only be present to sell tarts.

The first “Nothing like a Nevisian Holiday” last December, was executed in the hope of bringing local Christmas traditional celebrations to the homes of both members of the diaspora and visitors virtually, since traveling restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic prevented persons worldwide from visiting Nevis..

Mr. Liburd described the first event, which was held in collaboration with the Department of Community Development and The Hermitage Inn, as a successful one which prompted the NTA to host the second “Nothing like a Nevisian Holiday” event.

“Last year was such a successful event we decided that this year we are going to have a second staging of that event. As a matter of fact, in 2020 we had up to 10,000 social media views on the various channels that we had and we decided that was good. Persons received it very well. The comments were very positive. People were able to have that nostalgic experience of being at home and felt very good not being able to be in Nevis at that time,” he said.

The event will be carried via the Nevis Television and the Nevis Tourism Authority media platforms.

Later that evening Mr. Liburd noted that The Hermitage Inn will host its West Indian Feast and pig roast from 7 p.m. at a cost of EC$145.

The post Public Invited: NTA to Host 2nd Edition of “Nothing Like a Nevisian Holiday” appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS— The Nevis Island Administration, Ministry of Human Resources is pleased to inform of the Colombia Scholarship Offer, which provide applicants with the opportunity to specialize in Masters and/or PHD programs in Colombia.

In order to apply, candidates must meet the following requirements:

i.       A foreign undergraduate degree in any area of knowledge;

ii.        At least 4.0 GPA of the undergraduate program;

iii.         At least one (1) year of professional experience in the related field;

iv.         Have a high command of the Spanish language; and

v.        Must be in a range of age between 25-49 years old.

The scholarship benefits include:

1. Tuition fee;
2. Living expenses;
3. Health insurance;
4. Books and materials;
5. Visa application; and
6. Reallocation grant.

For detailed course information and application guidelines please visit the below website:

https://web.icetex.gov.co/becas/programa-de-reciprocidad-para-extranjeros-en-colombia

Note that applications must be completed online via the aforementioned website and a copy of the completed application must also be forwarded to the Ministry of Human Resources by Monday, 20^th December, 2021.

The post Colombia U. Post Grad Scholarship Offer Open for Applicants…Dec. 21 Deadline appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post Former Haiti Minister: Govt. Lacks Will to Arrest Those Responsible for Moise Murder appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

The Associated Press

Major fire traps hundreds in Hong Kong tower, 12 injured

HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of people were trapped on the rooftop of a Hong Kong skyscraper after a major fire broke out on Wednesday, as firefighters rushed to rescue them and put out the…Read More

*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

US COVID death toll hits 800,000, a year into vaccine drive

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 800,000 on Tuesday, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine bec…Read More

*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. strode onto the stage at a Southern California church, radiating Kennedy confidence and surveying the standing ovation crowd with his pierci…Read More

*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

On a single Kentucky street, the tornado killed 7 children

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — The little red wagon was strewn upside down on a heap of rubble — a pile of boards and bricks, a mangled blue bicycle, a baby doll. Behind it, there was little …Read More

*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=26083666&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

The AP Interview: Karzai ‘invited’ Taliban to stop chaos

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban didn’t take the Afghan capital — they were invited, says the man who issued the invitation. In an Associated Press interview, former Afghan Presiden…Read More

The post WORLD VIEW: Hong Kong Fire Traps 100s, US Covid Deaths Top 800K, Tornado Aftermath, More appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

VATICAN CITY, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Wednesday asked for prayers for the victims of a fuel truck explosion that killed at least 60 people in Haiti, lamenting that the country was being hit by one tragedy after another.

“Poor Haiti, one thing after another,” Francis said at his weekly general audience. “They are a people who are suffering. Let us pray, pray for Haiti. They are good people, good people, religious people. But they are suffering much.”

The explosion in Cap-Haitien in the north of the country followed the destabilising effects of the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which created a political vacuum and allowed criminal groups to expand their territory. read more

Haiti also suffered a devastating earthquake in August that killed more than 2,000 people.

“I invite you to join me in prayer for these brothers and sisters of ours who are undergoing such difficult trials,” Francis said.

Reporting by Philip Pullella. Editing by Jane Merriman

The post Pope on Deadly Explosion: ‘Poor Haiti, One Thing After Another…The People are Suffering’ appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post NY Times Opinion: Drug Trafficking, Assassination Have Deepened Haiti’s Chaos appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

Prime Minister the Hon. Dr Timothy Harris announced that the Federal Cabinet has approved the payment of an extra month’s salary to be paid during December 2021 to all public servants, including employees of the various statutory bodies and pensioners.

The NIA Cabinet, having considered the decision made at the Federal Cabinet-level has also approved the payment of an extra month’s salary to all public servants, including employees of the various statutory bodies and pensioners on Nevis.

Please note that the salary date for the month of December 2021 is set for Wednesday 15th December and it is customary for the amounts payable for salaries to be submitted to the bank at least 48 hours before the salary due date, so as to allow the banking system sufficient time to credit the salary payments to the accounts of all employees.

Given the timing, it will not be possible to put the necessary mechanisms in place at the Treasury Department and at the various commercial banks to execute this payment of the bonus salary by Wednesday 15th December, 2021.

The Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Department have already commenced preparations and are in discussions with the various commercial banks, so that the necessary mechanisms can be put in place to have this bonus salary credited to the accounts of the recipients as soon as possible.

The post SKN: Extra Month Salary To Be Paid to All Public Servants appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.