Tag Archives: caribbean

headline

WORLD VIEW: W.H.O.-Treat Omicron like Delta, Racism at West Point, Macron’s UAE Deal, Baldwin Shooting, More

Dec 03, 2021

Alternate text

Good morning. Here is today’s selection of top stories from The Associated Press at this hour to begin the U.S. day.

 

The Rundown

I'm an image

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — World Health Organization officials in the Western Pacific say border closures adopted by some countries may buy time to deal with the omicron coronavirus variant, but measures put in place and experience gained in dealing…Read More

I'm an image

Eight years after he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Geoffrey Easterling remains astonished by the Confederate history still memorialized on the storied academy’s campus – the six-foot-tall painting of Confederate Gen. …Read More

I'm an image

WASHINGTON (AP) — During his confirmation to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh convinced Sen. Susan Collins that he thought a woman’s right to an abortion was “settled law,” calling the court cases affirming it “precedent on precedent” that could …Read More

I'm an image

NICE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the energy-rich Persian Gulf Friday, hoping to seal a major arms contract after this fall’s Australian submarine deal debacle and to strengthen France’s role in the region. …Read More

I'm an image

While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., sending record numbers of patients to the hospital in the Midwest and New England….Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alec Baldwin said he feels incredible sadness and regret over the shooting that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set, but not guilt….Read More

BEIJING (AP) — China and the United States are tussling over President Joe Biden’s upcoming democracy summit, which the ruling Communist Party sees as a challenge to its…Read More

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island man involved in a legal tussle with the town of Portsmouth earlier this year over signs on his property critical of town officials…Read More

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A teenager accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school was called to the office before the shooting but “no discipline was w…Read More

The post WORLD VIEW: W.H.O.-Treat Omicron like Delta, Racism at West Point, Macron’s UAE Deal, Baldwin Shooting, More appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Omicron: SKN Won’t Place Travel Ban on African Countries- Yet

BASSETERRE – The St Kitts-Nevis government says it will not follow other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries and impose a travel ban on several African countries following the discovery of a new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa over the past few days.Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris told Parliament on Wednesday that his administration would follow the advice given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to not impose any travel restrictions on South Africa where the new variant of the COVID-19 virus, now called Omicron, was first reported.

Prime Minister Harris said that while some countries have imposed travel bans on South Africa and other southern African countries to keep the Omicron variant out, the new strain has already been confirmed in other countries.

“The WHO does not support travel bans at this particular time and it has advised that the travel bans that are in place are unlikely to stop the spread of the variant. Of course, we see that although it was reported in South Africa, it has now found itself elsewhere and it has been reported in at least 22 other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.”

With Omicron being designated a variant of concern, the WHO has issued a number of recommendations to the global community, which includes enhancing surveillance.

Several CARICOM countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, have joined the United Kingdom, the United States and others in imposing a travel ban on passengers coming from several African countries including South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

But Prime Minister Harris told legislators, “our health team has advised that it is not necessary at this time to impose a travel ban on South Africa or on the South African countries.

“We will follow what the WHO prescribed in place of travel bans. The WHO has recommended that countries continue to implement the effective public health measures to reduce COVID-19 circulation overall, using a risk analysis and science-based approach. Further, countries should increase their public health and medical capacities to manage an increase in the cases,” Harris told Parliament.

He said local authorities would continue the necessary public health measures that have kept citizens and residents safe and will continue to promote the country’s vaccination programme.

“We want to encourage everyone who is able to, to get himself or herself vaccinated. We want to repeat our appeal to those who are on the frontline, our nurses, our doctors, our police officers, those in the Defence Force, in fact, anyone whether in public or private sector engaged in frontline activity, however defined, they are at the risk being in the frontline and therefore we advise that they protect themselves as much as possible, and the best tool in this fight against a virus that killed millions of people is the vaccine,” said Prime Minister Harris.

St Kitts-Nevis has recorded 28 deaths and 2 786 infections from COVID-19 since the first case was detected here in March last year. (CMC)

 

 

The post Omicron: SKN Won’t Place Travel Ban on African Countries- Yet appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Colombia Seizes Hundreds of Arachnids Being Illegally Smuggled to Europe

 

BOGOTA, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Colombian authorities seized hundreds of creepy crawlies as they were being taken illegally to Europe via the airport in capital city Bogota, officials said on Thursday.

Two Germans were found with 210 plastic containers they were using to carry the arachnids, which included 232 tarantula spiders, nine spider eggs and a scorpion with seven of its young, as well as 67 roaches.

Colombia, which is one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries and boasts tens of thousands of different species, is a target for wildlife traffickers drawn by its biodiversity.

More than 11,000 specimens have been seized during 2021 so far, officials said.

“We haven’t had a shipment of tarantulas this size since 2018 (and) the largest we have had this year was shark fins,” Bogota’s environment secretary, Carolina Urrutia, said in a statement.

In September Colombian authorities confiscated a shipment of 3,493 shark fins – equivalent to between 900 and 1,000 sharks – which were to be illegally trafficked to Hong Kong.

The would-be German traffickers argued that they were shipping the spiders, scorpions and cockroaches for academic reasons but authorities said they did not have the permits to do so.

The animals are being examined by professionals, officials said, who will later decide whether to free or relocate them.

Reporting by Herbert Villarraga and Oliver Griffin; Editing by Mark Porter

The post Colombia Seizes Hundreds of Arachnids Being Illegally Smuggled to Europe appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

‘A Dark Day’-Trump’s Remain in Mexico Policy Restored by Court Order

US human rights groups have criticised the reinstatement of a Trump-era policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while claims are processed.

The American Immigration Council said it was a dark day for the US and the rule of law.

US President Joe Biden had suspended the policy, calling it “inhumane”, but was ordered by courts to resume it.

Under the policy, thousands of migrants were forced to stay in dangerous conditions on the Mexican border.

But Republicans have welcomed the decision as a way to restore order in the border regions.

Mexico has now agreed to accept the policy, known as Remain in Mexico, in exchange for concessions such as a shorter turnaround time for asylum decisions and a US-Mexico development programme for Central America.

Mr Biden’s administration has kept up one other major Trump-era border policy: Title 42, which allows for the quick expulsion of migrants on public health grounds.

Why is Remain in Mexico back?

Former US President Donald Trump introduced the programme, then known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, to send more than 60,000 asylum applicants back to Mexico.

Migrants were often left waiting in Mexico for months, where they sometimes fell prey to criminal gangs.

According to charity Human Rights First, there have been more than 1,500 publicly reported cases of kidnapping, rape, torture and other abuses against migrants returned to Mexico.

Mr Biden suspended the programme almost immediately after taking office, as part of a campaign pledge to reverse hardline immigration policies enacted by his predecessor.

In June, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas terminated the policy.

But in August, a federal court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, ruled that the policy had been improperly cancelled.

The Biden administration is appealing against the decision.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the president stood by past remarks about the “unjustified human costs” of the programme.

“But we also believe in following the law,” she said.

The policy has been revamped to address Mexico’s concerns, including to limit time spent for each asylum application to six months.

Implementation is expected to begin next week at ports of entry in Texas and California.

2px presentational grey line

What does Mexico have to gain?

Analysis box by Will Grant, Mexico and Central America correspondent

Immigration has again proven to be the main prism through which Washington views its relationship with Mexico.

It seems the numbers of people arriving at the US southern border – and the effect that is having on President Biden’s standing in the polls – has meant the administration is happy enough to reinstate the law – albeit having been ordered to do so by the courts.

Yet one might well as ask what Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has to gain by agreeing to carry out his side of the policy, namely accepting thousands of asylum-seekers into Mexican border towns to await their day in a US court. On the surface, he has added a more humanitarian veneer to the policy, tying down a timeline of 180 days in which asylum cases should be heard and development funds for Central America under the name “Planting Opportunities”. But in reality, this is a political risk he can afford to take.

With asylum seekers likely to be living again in precarious conditions in dangerous border towns, the Mexican president may be considering that migrants will have less incentive to travel north. And in the meantime, he has undoubtedly created some useful leverage with President Biden in other areas.

2px presentational grey line

‘A dark day’

The move was condemned by pro-immigration groups and lawmakers from Mr Biden’s own Democratic party.

In a statement, American Immigration Council policy director Jorge Loweree rejected the Biden team’s “claims that it can administer the Remain in Mexico program in a more humane manner”, adding: “Today is a dark day for the United States and for the rule of law.”

By expanding the programme to include any migrants from the western hemisphere – including non-Spanish speaking groups such as Haitians – Mr Biden had “made the programme even broader than under Trump”, the group said.

The UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, also condemned the move and refused to help implement the policy.

But Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy welcomed the programme’s reinstatement.

“It is unfortunate that it took litigation to force the Biden administration’s hand to apply this common-sense measure,” he said.

US-Mexico border crossing graphic

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the resumption would lead to “horrific abuse, including torture, rape, and death”.

Texas Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar told The Hill newspaper that the policy “erodes our values as a country” and is “a violation of asylum processing”.

She called for the White House to aggressively fight the order in court, and criticised Mr Biden for not having fixed the system after nearly a year in office.

Democratic Senator Bob Menendez urged Mr Biden to “make every effort” to overturn “this xenophobic and anti-immigrant policy for good”.

The post ‘A Dark Day’-Trump’s Remain in Mexico Policy Restored by Court Order appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Boosters Work, Biden’s COVID-19 Game Plan, Summary, World Stats

Covid booster shots significantly strengthen immunity, trial finds

Jabs offer far higher protection than that needed to prevent hospitalisation and death, Cov-Boost trial lead saysThe findings show that both Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are highly effective boosters.

The findings show that both Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are highly effective boosters. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Covid booster shots can d

ramatically strengthen the body’s immune defences, according to a study that raises hopes of preventing another wave of severe disease driven by the Omicron variant.

In a study published in the Lancet, researchers on the UK-based Cov-Boost trial measured immune responses in nearly 3,000 people who received one of seven Covid-19 boosters or a control jab two to three months after their second dose of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine.

Those boosted with Pfizer after two doses of AstraZeneca had antibody levels a month later nearly 25 times higher than controls. When the Pfizer booster was given following two Pfizer shots, antibody levels rose more than eightfold.

The most potent booster in the study was a full dose of the Moderna vaccine, which raised antibody levels 32-fold in the AstraZeneca group and 11-fold in the Pfizer group. When Moderna is used in the UK booster programme, it is given at a half-dose.

While the findings show that both Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are highly effective boosters, scientists cautioned about comparing their performance as people started with different antibody levels. For example, antibody levels tend to remain high a few months after a Pfizer vaccination, so a booster would not be able to drive them much higher.

“These are remarkably effective immunological boosters, way above what is needed to prevent hospitalisation and death,” said Prof Saul Faust, the trial lead and director of the NIHR clinical research facility at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. While side-effects varied, most people who reported them had fatigue, headache or arm pain and the study found no safety concerns.

Beyond antibodies, the scientists looked at the impact of boosters on T-cells – another crucial component of the immune system linked with the prevention of severe disease. Most of the boosters, including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, increased T-cell levels regardless of the vaccine people had for their first two doses.

One result that has caught scientists’ attention is that the T-cell response was as good against the Beta and Delta variants of concern as against the original virus that emerged from Wuhan. Asked if the finding might be relevant to the Omicron variant, Faust said: “Our hope as scientists is that protection against hospitalisation and death will remain intact.”

Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, who was not involved in the study, shared Faust’s optimism.

“Whilst variants, such as the Delta variant, reduced the overall virus-killing effect of antibodies, the T-cell responses were pretty much unaffected,” he said. “The fact that the mRNA vaccine boosts gave a marked increase in both antibodies and T-cells is great news, especially now, when our attention has been grabbed by the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Boris Johnson switches on Christmas lights at No 10
Covid: Javid says snog who you like under mistletoe, contradicting Coffey

“We still don’t know how this increase in immunity translates into protection, especially against serious disease, but I am still convinced that our vaccines will continue to provide the protection that we need.”

Early results from the Cov-Boost study underpinned the decision by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to shorten the time people had to wait for a booster from six to three months. The study found AstraZeneca to be an effective booster too, raising antibody levels three and five times after primary vaccination with AstraZeneca and Pfizer respectively.

Further results from the study suggest that booster programmes could switch to half-doses of the Pfizer vaccine without losing much protection. The data shows that half-doses of Pfizer boosted antibody levels in the AstraZeneca group nearly 17 times and more than six times in those who had Pfizer for their first two shots.

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

Biden Lays Out Winter Covid Game Plan

President Biden has laid out a multi-pronged plan to confront the delta and emerging omicron variants of the coronavirus that includes an expansion of at-home diagnostic tests, stricter testing rules for international travelers and new efforts to encourage vaccines and boosters.

During a speech at the National Institutes of Health, the president also sought to brace the public for a rise in COVID-19 cases this winter, urging those eligible to get their vaccine booster shots even as he showed optimism about the country’s continued efforts against the virus.

“My plan I am announcing today pulls no punches in the fight against COVID-19 and it’s a plan that I think should unite us,” Biden said. “I know COVID-19 has been very divisive in this country. It’s become a political issue, which is a sad, sad, commentary. It shouldn’t be.”

Biden reiterated that the new variant is “cause for concern but not panic” and pledged to fight it “with science and speed, not chaos and confusion.”

The Biden administration early next week will put in motion a new policy for international travelers to test negative for COVID-19 within 24 hours of boarding flights to the U.S., rather than the current policy of within three days.

The administration has held off on implementing vaccine or testing requirements for domestic flights, though officials maintain that it and other steps are not “off the table.”

The Transportation Security Administration is also extending its mask mandate for flights, trains and public transit until March 18.

As part of Biden’s plan, the administration will also move to allow Americans with private health insurance to seek reimbursement for at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury will issue guidance by Jan. 15 on the new rule.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that additional details would be available in January that will shed light on when Americans can expect to get reimbursed for the tests and whether the costs would ultimately be covered by the government or the insurers.

The White House is also launching hundreds of family vaccination clinics and rolling out a new public education campaign to reach seniors who haven’t gotten their booster shots, as part of an effort to increase the uptake of vaccinations and booster shots.

In his Thursday speech, Biden called on private companies to offer workers paid time off so they can get their booster dose.

The new measures come as Biden’s vaccine mandates for private companies and healthcare workers have been stalled amid legal challenges.

“While my existing federal vaccination requirements are being reviewed by the courts, this plan does not expand or add to those mandates,” Biden said, calling it “a plan that all Americans can hopefully rally around.”

Despite his plea for unity, neither the emergence of the omicron variant nor the new White House steps to address it have shown signs of unifying the country. There are partisan divides on masks and vaccinations and Republicans have attacked Biden over his vaccine mandate for businesses.

Two cases of omicron had been detected in the U.S. — one in California and the other in Minnesota — at the time of Biden’s speech. A third was disclosed in Colorado shortly thereafter. While little is known about the new variant, first identified in southern Africa, health experts believe it has the potential to be more transmissible and that the vaccines could offer less protection against it.

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

US confirms at least three omicron cases

© (Associated Press photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota and Colorado confirmed the country’s second and third COVID-19 cases involving the omicron strain, one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the first in California.

The second was detected in someone from Minnesota, whose only recent travel had been to a convention in New York City. He developed symptoms on Nov. 22, a full week before the travel ban took effect, an indicator that the strain was already circulating in the U.S.

The third was found in Colorado, in a person who traveled throughout Africa and returned to the U.S. late last week.

All three individuals were fully vaccinated and endured only mild symptoms.

“While this is clearly something to take seriously … it is not a reason to panic,” Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said during a press conference.

Though no cases of omicron have been confirmed in New York, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said on Thursday that people should assume the variant is already present in the city.

Important to note: Since omicron’s emergence, health experts have stated that it is still unclear how well the strain evades immunity offered by currently available COVID-19 vaccines. Numerous vaccine developers have hypothesized that oral COVID-19 treatments and booster shots should be effective against the variant.

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

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

A person exits a train at Westminster Underground station during morning rush hour, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in London, Britain, December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/file photo
People pull shopping carts as they walk past an information board, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bolton, Britain, June 16, 2021. REUTERS/Phil Noble
People wearing protective masks walk on a street, following new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Shanghai, China, November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

People pull shopping carts as they walk past an information board, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bolton, Britain, June 16, 2021. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Omicron marches on as Biden prepares U.S. for grim winter

Australia, despite restrictions on international visitors, became the latest country on Friday to report community transmission of Omicron, a day after the coronavirus variant was found locally in five U.S. states.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that infections will rise during the northern-hemisphere winter and the European Union’s public health agency said Omicron could account for more than half of all infections in Europe within months. read more

New U.S. international travel testing rules take effect Monday

New rules requiring international air travellers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET (0501 GMT), according to an order issued late Thursday.

The administration is considering whether to grant temporary exemptions for about two dozen countries where access to same-day testing is limited, but the details are still being finalized, the sources added. Those exemptions could last for only about a week and are expected to be detailed on Friday. read more

Novavax says it could start making Omicron-specific vaccine in January

Novavax Inc said on Thursday it could begin commercial manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine tailored for the Omicron coronavirus variant in January next year, while it tests whether or not its current vaccine works against the variant.

Laboratory data expected in the coming weeks will show whether antibodies from individuals who have previously received Novavax’s COVID-19 shot can neutralize the variant, according to the company. Novavax also said it has started developing an Omicron-specific spike protein antigen and will begin laboratory tests of a new vaccine to target the variant in a few weeks. read more

China easing rules for US business travellers, approvals in 10 days

China will cut to no more than 10 days the time required for approval of travel by U.S. business executives, its ambassador to the United States said on Thursday, promising to turn “an attentive ear” to concerns raised by businesses.

Qin Gang, who arrived in the United States in July, told a dinner hosted by the US-China Business Council that Beijing would also work to make COVID-19 testing more convenient and allow executives to work during quarantine. Qin said Beijing would share its specific workplan “very soon” with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. read more

Nightclubs, cafes and casinos reopen in Auckland

Aucklanders returned to nightclubs, cinemas and cafes on Friday as New Zealand’s biggest city exited pandemic lockdown after more than 100 days. Retailers threw open their doors to vaccinated customers as the country ended lockdowns and moved into a new ‘traffic light system’ that rates regions as red, orange or green depending on their level of exposure to COVID-19 and vaccination rates.

Auckland, the epicentre of the country’s Delta outbreak, will start at red, making face masks mandatory and putting limits on gatherings in public places. Bars, nightclubs and restaurants can open to guests with vaccine certificates but with a limit of 100 people and 1 metre social distancing. Outdoor events are allowed. read more

UK study finds mRNA vaccines provide biggest booster impact

COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study published on Thursday has found.

When AstraZeneca, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and Curevac were given as boosters, they increased antibody levels for either initial vaccine, albeit to a smaller degree. However, while Valneva boosted antibodies in people initially vaccinated with AstraZeneca, it did not provide a boost for Pfizer. The study found that booster shots also helped to generate a broad T-cell response against the Beta and Delta variants, which may play a key role in longer-term protection. read more

Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Kim Coghill
===================================================

WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

264,609,618

Deaths:

5,253,114

Recovered:

238,626,255
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 ↑]

Latest News

December 3 (GMT)

Updates

  • 26,965 new cases and 470 new deaths in Poland [source]
  • 541 new cases and 4 new deaths in Libya [source]
  • 32,930 new cases and 1,217 new deaths in Russia [source]
  • 3,146 new cases and 287 new deaths in Mexico [source]

The post Boosters Work, Biden’s COVID-19 Game Plan, Summary, World Stats appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Covid Set to Cost Tourism Industry $1.6 Trillion This Year. Omicron Could Make it Worse

 

Tourists walk near the Colosseum in Rome in the summer of 2021 after the lifting of some restrictions. (Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images)

 

The return of stricter covid restrictions to fight the latest variant, omicron, has already left some travelers stranded. For many tourism businesses, it’s also threatening hopes of an upcoming holiday boost this year — especially after last year’s shutdowns emptied out popular destinations from the Colosseum in Rome to the resort island of Bali.

“There was a kind of sunrise on the horizon” earlier this year, said Tobias Warnecke, the German hotel association’s economic adviser. Now, thanks to infections and rule changes roaring back, and fears over omicron, “we have a lot of cancellations, and we’re on our way down.”

With scientists rushing to better understand the variant and its high number of mutations, governments including in the United States have started tightening masking, quarantine and travel rules. Many have closed their borders to the southern region of Africa where scientists first detected the variant, though it has since popped up in more than a dozen countries, from Canada to Japan.

The timing also has the aviation industry worried. The president of Emirates airline has noted that a hit to the peak travel season in December could cause “significant traumas in the business,” which had been seeing a recovery.

The pandemic was already projected to cost the world’s tourism sector a loss of $1.6 trillion in 2021, the U.N. tourism body said, an estimate it made shortly before the discovery of the omicron variant, which the World Health Organization warns poses a “very high” global risk.

Revenue from global tourism and arrivals rebounded this year to some extent from 2020, while remaining below 2019 levels before the pandemic battered the sector, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said in a report published this week. Last year, the direct economic loss in tourism was about $2.0 trillion.

“Uneven vaccination rates around the world and new Covid-19 strains could impact the already slow and fragile recovery,” the U.N. body also warned.

A souvenir vendor waits for customers near the Eiffel Tower in July 2020. (DPA/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)

Weeks before the spread of omicron, a wave of coronavirus infections had already prompted closures and curfews in much of Europe. Warnecke, from the German hotel association, described the new variant as “another bad news,” although he added it was too early to predict its full impact on hotels before it is clear how it interacts with existing vaccines.

For Golden Tours, a London tour operator that takes visitors to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour — where fans can see the sets from the Harry Potter films — trips are still going ahead but cancellations have started streaming in, according to office supervisor Frank Jacobs.

Britain’s high vaccination rates and the lifting of restrictions — including a mask mandate that has just come back — led to a rise in bookings since the summer and an expectation of booming business for the Christmas holidays, he added. “We had December completely booked up,” he said. “But now since last week, everything is changing.”

Berlin also saw “massive cancellations” in the last two weeks, according to Thomas Lengfelder, head of the city’s hotel and restaurant association. Employees were “once again very unsettled” about the possibility of a new lockdown cutting back work, he said, and called for the ramping up of vaccinations.

Still, some businesses remain optimistic about their Christmas prospects.

For Le Meurice hotel in Paris, as well as others the Dorchester Collection oversees in Rome, London and Los Angeles, omicron has yet to hit holiday bookings beyond a “slight” uptick in cancellations. “So far, despite news of the new variant, the end of this year is still looking positive for us,” the hotel operator said in an email. “2021 has definitely been a better year than 2020 and should remain so.”

The post Covid Set to Cost Tourism Industry $1.6 Trillion This Year. Omicron Could Make it Worse appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

10 Nevis Men Honoured for Fostering Better Gender Relations

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 02, 2021) — Ten men on Nevis were honoured for their positive impacts on island communities at an Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Department of Gender Affairs on November 30 at the Nevis Performing Arts Centre.

It was to mark the annual observance of International Men’s Day on November 19. The theme was: “Better relations between men and women.

The awardees were Mr. Leroy Parris Jr. for his contribution to the Arts, specific to music; Mr. Masefield Nisbett, and Mr. Dulani Phillip in the area of Sports; Mr. Gareth “Gary” Wade, Mr. Shefton Liburd, Mr. Alexis Browne   and   Mr. Sylvester Pemberton in the area of Community Service; and Mr.   Euclid Lawrence, and   Mr. Conrad Smithen in the area of Counselling and Spiritual Guidance

Mr. Kareem “LL” Herbert was presented with the Minister’s Award for his unwavering and priceless assistance

Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Health and Gender Affairs, in presenting plaques to the awardees, lauded them for their indelible and impactful contributions which serve to engender better relationships between men and women on Nevis

“Awardees, we at the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs, and by extension the Nevis Island Administration award you. We salute you. We esteem you. We congratulate you… We are filled with pride. We are filled with so much pride this evening… I want you to wear this accolade with…pride and use it to inspire others to reach and maintain the heights of greatness to which you have all scaled

“You were selected because you embody the true qualities of manhood. You have shown yourselves to be men that foster, encourage and support the necessary bond between men and women, and this was done through your genuine contributions in areas such as the performing arts, spiritual guidance, community service, counselling and sports,” she said.

Minister Brandy-Williams took the opportunity to urge the honourees to continue to bring positive value to their families, communities and to all of Nevis.

Among those present at the ceremony were Her Honour Mrs. Hyleeta Liburd, Deputy Governor General of Nevis accompanied by her husband Mr. Elmo Liburd; Hon. Eric Evelyn; Hon. Spencer Brand and Mrs. Sheila Brand; Ms. Shelisa Martin-Clarke, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs; Ms. Latoya Jeffers, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs, Mr. Dion Browne, Gender Field Officer in the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs on St. Kitts and Mr. Mario Phillip, Gender Affairs Officer who chaired the ceremony.

The post 10 Nevis Men Honoured for Fostering Better Gender Relations appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Premier Brantley, Cabinet Colleagues Pleased with Status of Wӓrtsilӓ Generator Installation

 NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 02, 2021) — Ongoing installation works of a new US multi-million-dollar 3.8-megawatt Wӓrtsilӓ generator at the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) power station at Prospect is drawing rave reviews from officials of the Nevis Island Administration Cabinet.

Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Public Utilities and Energy, who was accompanied by Deputy Premier Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Hon. Eric Evelyn and Hon. Troy Liburd on a tour of the facility on December 02, 2021 expressed satisfaction with what they had seen.

“We were all very impressed at what we saw here at the plant, the modernity, the sophistication that everything here now is fully automated, fully computerized and we are very, very impressed with what we are seeing…

The entire team, we just want to say thanks to you. We know the general manager could not be here this morning but we want to say thanks to him as well for all the hard work that you’ve been doing in ensuring that the people of Nevis stay powered up, and that we continue to have lights all over the island especially now at Christmas that we keep the power on,” he said.

Premier Brantley noted that the investment of a new generator was a timely one and one which would allow for greater flexibility to look at renewable energy without having to worry about whether the demand for electricity could be met.

The Premier underscored the commitment of the NIA through NEVLEC to provide a clean, affordable and stable supply of energy to the people of Nevis

“That is what we have been seeking to do and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Premier Brantley explained that the provision of a stable power supply is critical, particularly as the NIA continues to seek more investment which will bring greater growth.

“We see more construction, more homes and buildings going up, we understand that we are going to have an increase in the demand of power, and so I really want to thank Chairman Tross and his Board and I want to thank the Cabinet colleagues who willingly supported this major undertaking for us, this major investment for us, and I want to thank the men who make this all possible, who run the plant, who run NEVLEC and ensure that the people of Nevis have a reliable power source,” he said.

Meantime, Mr. Earl Springette, Generation Manager and Project Manager explained that both the NEVLEC and Wӓrtsilӓ teams have been coordinating to ensure a successful and safe completion of the implementation and gave an update on the project’s status.

“We are about 80 percent completed in terms of the project and it’s been going very well. Between now and the end of the month we will be doing some pre commissioning of the fuel system, the lube oil system and the air staring system.

“Hopefully by early January we will be commissioning and doing our performance test by maybe the third week of January, and we should have the engine in commercial operation maybe the first day in the fourth week of January,” he said.

Also present was Mr. Stedmond Tross, Chairman of the NEVLEC Board of Directors; Mr. Jevon Eaton, Generation Superintendent and Assistant Project Manager; Mr. Ian Ward, Chief Engineer; and members of the Wӓrtsilӓ team of experts.

 

 

The post Premier Brantley, Cabinet Colleagues Pleased with Status of Wӓrtsilӓ Generator Installation appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

CCHR Claims Abuse at T&T Prisons, Calls for Monitoring

CMC- Amid allegations of abuse of prisoners in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) on Thursday called on Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds to allow for independent monitoring of prisons to verify the treatment of inmates and their conditions

“We hope the honourable Minister will accept our offer of service in an effort to respect the human rights and dignity of those he has been entrusted to care for,” it said in a statement.

The CCHR said it continues to be deeply concerned about the alleged inhumane conditions in the prisons, the persistent allegations of abuse of prisoners by prison officers and the lack of any monitoring system to ensure that prisoners’ living conditions meet the minimum human rights standards.

“The conditions in remand, in particular, are horrific and the state should hang its head in shame,” it claimed. “It should be noted that these are also the conditions that prison officers are forced to work in and would no doubt fail any health and safety inspection.”

Urging an end to such conditions, the CCHR quoted Nelson Mandela who said “the way…a society treats its prisoners is one of the sharpest reflections of its character….We will not find lasting solutions if we continue to treat our prisoners in the old way, denying them their dignity and their rights as humans.”

The group said that reports of the conditions in remand and other places of detention in the twin-island republic had been shared with international human rights bodies who were shocked and horrified at the conditions.

It pointed out that other independent bodies had not been allowed to conduct monitoring visits to assess the living conditions of prisoners, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is no way to independently verify the claims of the prisons authorities with respect to the treatment of prisoners. Also concerning is that the Inspector of Prisons position has been vacant for about three years,” it added.

“Convicted persons are sent to prisons as punishment, not for punishment. Prisoners are entitled to their basic human rights such as freedom from torture, freedom from cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, the right to health, the right to decent living conditions and the right to adequate nutrition.

“Given that Trinidad and Tobago is experiencing the highest levels of COVID-19 cases and deaths since the start of the pandemic, the conditions in the prisons should be of tremendous concern to the public and a top priority in the state’s COVID response. Prisons do not operate in isolation and are a breeding ground for diseases,” it added.

The post CCHR Claims Abuse at T&T Prisons, Calls for Monitoring appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

SV&G: La Soufriere Goes Back to Sleep, Scientists Go Home

Loop- Scientists attached to The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) have ended their tour of duty in St Vincent and the Grenadines at the La Soufriere volcano.

Activity at the volcano has declined steadily since the last explosive event on April 22, 2021, and all currently available monitoring data points to an end in eruptive activity.

However, residual steaming at the summit and lahars (mudslides) in the valleys surrounding the volcano will continue to be observed for some time.

The Soufriѐre Monitoring Unit (SMU) at the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) will now assume responsibility for the operations of the Belmont Observatory. Day to day monitoring of the volcano will be supported by the UWI-SRC remotely from its base in Trinidad.

Environment

La Soufriere volcano updates to be issued on a monthly basis

By Melissa Wong

The on-island scientific staff rotation ends an almost year-long occupation of the Belmont Observatory.

After the detection of the new lava dome at La Soufriѐre in late December 2020, UWI-SRC scientists based at the observatory oversaw the upgrade of the local seismic and ground deformation monitoring networks, conducted other fieldwork and ground-based measurements, and advised the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the run up to the onset of explosive activity on April 9, 2021.

Senior Research Fellow (Geologist) at the UWI-SRC, Professor Richard Robertson believes that the volcano will now go through a period of adjustment saying: “The mountain went through a traumatic experience and will take some time to reshape itself”.

UWI-SRC Director, Dr Erouscilla Joseph reaffirms the Centre’s commitment to St Vincent and its residents indicating that “we continue to monitor La Soufrière in this new phase of activity and provide support to NEMO and the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines”.

The volcanic alert level at La Soufriѐre remains at YELLOW.

The post SV&G: La Soufriere Goes Back to Sleep, Scientists Go Home appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.