Tag Archives: caribbean

The Independent

CNN’s Jim Acosta has labelled former President Donald Trump’s remarks that Haitian migrants “probably have Aids” as “twisted and evil”

“I’m sorry, you can’t listen to what he just said about Haitian migrants and say it’s not evil,” the CNN anchor said on his weekend show.

Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News last week, Mr Trump made several unfounded claims about immigrants.

“So we have hundreds of thousands of people flowing in from haiti“>Haiti. Haiti has a tremendous Aids problem. Aids is a step beyond. Aids is a real bad problem.”

Acosta pointed out the statement was incorrect, with Aids rates in Haiti having declined steeply in the last 15 years after a targeted United Nations programme in the country.

Mr Trump’s “bullying” and “lies” were having a broader impact on the national discourse, Acosta added, with many of his supporters feeling emboldened to threaten people they disagreed with.

“When we become a nation of bullies and the bullied, don’t be surprised if the Bully-in-Chief makes a comeback,” he said.

He asked whether Republican lawmakers such as Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa could “feel the darkness of his soul” when they stand beside the former president at his rallies.

“It feels cold doesn’t it.”

He also called out former Trump acolytes such as Steve Bannon for their support of the “Big Lie” that the election was stolen.

“If the bullies and their enablers can continue to gaslight us with their lies about horse paste and bamboo ballots, then no wonder the Bully-in-Chief is plotting his comeback.”

His comments caused a stir on social media, drawing some positive feedback.

According to the UNAIDS, 150,000 Haitians are living with HIV out of a population of more than 10 million or around 2 per cent.

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U.S. Issues ‘Do Not Travel’ Advisories For 15 Caribbean Countries, SKN is One of Them

2021-10-13 FreeNews

ByAKyle Hulme

The United States State Department has currently issued a total of 15 Level 4 “Do Not Travel” travel advisories to countries in the Caribbean. While they may not be a legal hurdle that will prevent many from traveling, it could have repercussions for tourists looking to purchase insurance before heading to one of these destinations, with many providers not offering coverage to those planning to visit a Level 4 country.

As well as the 15 Level 4 travel advisory warnings, several other Caribbean nations have been handed the slightly level severe Level 3 warnings, while others the low Level 2 travel advisory notice. Here’s a look at which Caribbean destinations have been assigned with warning levels, the impact that it could have on travelers, and why travelers shouldn’t go canceling their travel plans just yet.

The Caribbean’s Travel Advisory Levels – What Travelers Should Know

The Caribbean is a region that is home to a lot of countries that have been deemed to be Level 4. These countries are:

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Saint Kitts, and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.

The Caribbean is also home to a number of Level 3 countries, such as Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Turks, and Caicos, and Trinidad and Tobago, whilst the Dominican Republic is only a Level 2 country. Those heading to Level 3 countries are told to “reconsider travel,” whilst Level 2 destinations come with an “exercise increased caution” warning.

Travel advisory warning levels are determined by taking into consideration a number of factors that could place travelers in danger. Such factors include crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, health, natural disaster, serious weather concerns, and current events.

At present, Covid-19 is a major factor in deciding the warning level of a country, with Level 4 countries typically having a large number of cases or a lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure to deal with a significant outbreak. Whilst warnings cannot legally prevent a traveling from booking a flight and heading to a location, they can pose other problems.

What Does This Mean For Travelers?

Level 4 travel warnings are bad news for travelers who’ve already booked pre-planned and prebooked winter vacations to some of these Caribbean destinations. This is because many American-based travel insurance companies will not cover travel to countries currently under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory. Thankfully, some insurance providers still offer beefy insurance policies that cover countries with a Level 4 warning, with policies that also ensure you’re covered for both cruising and Covid-19.

Global travel insurance provider HeyMondo has a range of policies that cover medical expenses to due illness resulting from a Covid-19 infection, and they even cover accommodation costs if the policy holder is ordered to quarantine. Not only that, but they also offer Covid-19 coverage for medical care on board a cruise ship – which is a very common request for many Caribbean travelers this year, given that so many ships are departing from Caribbean ports once more.

Whilst visiting a Level 4 country is bound to have its risks, following good hygiene and health and safety practices can help mitigate these risks and having a solid travel insurance plan can take the stress out of it and allow travelers to enjoy their vacation, with one less thing to worry about. Travelers should ensure they read the travel advisory pages for each destination before they visit in order to be aware of the situation in the country.

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Cops Find 32 Cuban Migrants in Truck Hauling a Boat

2021-10-13 FreeNews

A traffic stop on U.S. 1 in Marathon early Monday morning led to the discovery of 32 suspected Cuban migrants, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The department said a sergeant with the sheriff’s office stopped a rental truck hauling a boat near 107th Street after noticing that it was traveling below the speed limit.

Inside the truck were four adults and three young children. The children, ages 1, 4 and 5, were not wearing seat belts or in car seats, according to the sheriff’s office. The sergeant also noted that there was an “overwhelming smell of saltwater and body odor.” #

And in the boat? There were more than two dozen people hiding in a room in the bow of the boat, the sheriff’s office said. Among those found: a 17-year-old and two pregnant women.

The driver of the truck, Reidel Garcia-Espino, 29, of Seffner, Florida, was arrested and charged with child neglect because the children were not restrained. Garcia-Espino told deputies they went fishing — but according to the sheriff’s office there was no gear in the boat.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations agents, along with Key Colony Beach Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, responded.

The suspected migrants were taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

It has been a busy few days for the Border Patrol in the Keys. On Sunday morning, a group of 17 people from Cuba came ashore on Smathers Beach in Key West. A Key West resident captured footage of the landing on his cellphone camera. ##

Also on Sunday, four Cuban migrants arrived near Bahia Honda State Park near Big Pine Key, which is about 36 miles north of Key West.

On Thursday, a group of 13 Cuban migrants were taken into custody shortly after they arrived in Big Pine Key. Maritime migration from Cuba to South Florida has spiked substantially this year.

Federal officials track migration by the fiscal year, which begins and ends in October. In all of fiscal year 2020, the Coast Guard said it stopped a total of 49 people from Cuba attempting to make the dangerous journey across the Florida Straits. In fiscal year 2021, the number was just shy of 840 people, according to the Coast Guard.

A traffic stop on U.S. 1 in Marathon early Monday morning led to the discovery of 32 suspected Cuban migrants, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The department said a sergeant with the sheriff’s office stopped a rental truck hauling a boat near 107th Street after noticing that it was traveling below the speed limit. Inside the truck were four adults and three young children. The children, ages 1, 4 and 5, were not wearing seat belts or in car seats, according to the sheriff’s office. The sergeant also noted that there was an “overwhelming smell of saltwater and body odor.” And in the boat? There were more than two dozen people hiding in a room in the bow of the boat, the sheriff’s office said. Among those found: a 17-year-old and two pregnant women. How to eat like a local in Miami Search by neighborhood and by the type of food you’re craving Read More The driver of the truck, Reidel Garcia-Espino, 29, of Seffner, Florida, was arrested and charged with child neglect because the children were not restrained. Garcia-Espino told deputies they went fishing — but according to the sheriff’s office there was no gear in the boat. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations agents, along with Key Colony Beach Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, responded. The suspected migrants were taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It has been a busy few days for the Border Patrol in the Keys. On Sunday morning, a group of 17 people from Cuba came ashore on Smathers Beach in Key West. A Key West resident captured footage of the landing on his cellphone camera. Also on Sunday, four Cuban migrants arrived near Bahia Honda State Park near Big Pine Key, which is about 36 miles north of Key West. Thank you for supporting local journalism Your subscription allows us to provide our readers with quality, relevant journalism that makes a difference. We believe a platform for sharing local news is critical to our community – and we’re glad you think so, too. Have questions about your subscription? We’re happy to help. Contact us On Thursday, a group of 13 Cuban migrants were taken into custody shortly after they arrived in Big Pine Key. Maritime migration from Cuba to South Florida has spiked substantially this year. Federal officials track migration by the fiscal year, which begins and ends in October. In all of fiscal year 2020, the Coast Guard said it stopped a total of 49 people from Cuba attempting to make the dangerous journey across the Florida Straits. In fiscal year 2021, the number was just shy of 840 people, according to the Coast Guard.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article254934522.html#storylink=cpy

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Revered Nevisian Calypso King Binghi Honoured for His Music

2021-10-13 FreeNews

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (October 11, 2021) – Mr. Carlisle Pemberton of Brown Hill, also known by his calypso name as King Binghi, was another of 11 Nevisians honoured during the recent celebration of the 38th Anniversary of the Independence of St. Christopher and Nevis for his contribution in the field of Music./

Born to parents Mrs. Joan and Wilma Pemberton, as a young Rastafarian who could play the guitar, he enjoyed all genres of music especially Reggae.

His love for Reggae music and inspiration came from Reggae artists including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. They also motivated him to begin writing his own reggae songs which he would perform at the annual African Liberation Celebration.

Mr. Pemberton also had a keen interest in the calypso art-form and paid close attention to calypso contests held locally, regionally and internationally. He had admiration for King Short Shirt from Antigua and Barbuda; the Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad and Tobago; and Sandopey (Curtis Morton) from Nevis.

In 1985, a confident Pemberton decided to compose two songs and entered the local Calypso competition with the sole intention of defeating King “Dis an Dat” and King “Meeko” who at that time reigned supreme in the calypso arena.

“After what he considered to be a most satisfying performance, the judges placed him 2nd runner-up. On cloud nine after such an excellent debut, but not content simply because he felt his purpose was not achieved, he told himself with such a superb start, the only way to go was up,” his profile stated.

The following year in 1986, King Binghi was not able to compete since he had travelled overseas. However, on his return to Nevis in 1987, a highly motivated King Binghi won his first Culturama Calypso crown with a popular tune “Jam Bouncer,” and his Calypso career took off from there. Later that same year he became the first Nevisian to represent Nevis at an international “King of the World Calypso Competition” in Barbados and performed creditably.

In the latter part of 1987, he was crowned as the first St. Johns’ Calypso King, during the St. Johns’ Parish festival.

King Binghi went on to win the Culturama Calypso crown in 1989, 1993 and 2013 after a hiatus of 10 years with his popular “SIDF” song. That same year he ventured to Anguilla to compete in the Leeward Islands Calypso Competition and placed 2^nd runner up. According to his profile, it was the first and only time a Nevisian Calypsonian placed in that competition.

Another of his accomplishments was winning the Farm King crown in 2004, an event hosted by the Department of Agriculture.

In recognition of his accomplishments, in December 2024, King Binghi was awarded the title of Calypsonian of the Year by the Nevis Palm Awards Committee, for his outstanding performance in calypso throughout the year.

Mr. Pemberton’s brilliance at his craft, led to him being called out of “mini retirement” by the Nevis Culturama Committee to join and strengthen the Nevisian calypso team of three, who competed against the Kittitian Calypso team of three in the St. Kitts vs Nevis Calypso Competition. The Nevis team won the competition for the first time since its inception.

Apart from the many crowns he won, he also captured a few 2^nd runner-up positions. Consecutively from 1994 to 1996 and then in 1998.

Pemberton, has always deemed it an honour to represent his home island Nevis on the regional and international stage whenever he had the opportunity to do so.

“Having performed in countries including, Antigua, St Maarten, The Virgin Islands, Barbados, Anguilla and the United States of America, he is elated to have done so, and although he has never entered the National Carnival Calypso Competition, he has not ruled out the possibility.

“King Binghi” is proud that he has not only penned all his songs but continues to assist participants of the Senior and Junior Culturama Calypso Competition, as well as being a source of inspiration for future calypsonians,” his profile said.

Today, Mr. Pemberton continues to urge the nation’s youths to continue honing the art form in an effort to preserve calypso for generations to come.

The Nevisian Calypsonian expressed gratitude to God for bestowing on him talent, strength and sustenance. He also extended his gratitude to his family in particular his parents for nurturing him; his wife Joan Stapleton-Pemberton, his most ardent and loyal supporter; and Jamoy and Javis Pemberton, his two children who he says bring him much joy. He also thanked his siblings and extended family who continue to embrace him.

He also expressed profound gratitude to his current employer of 28 years – S.L. Horsfords and Company Limited both management and staff for their support over the years, and his fans, supporters and sponsors. He also expressed gratitude to those who provided positive critique which led to successful development and growth.

Mr. Pemberton also thanked the Nevis Island Administration for selecting him as an honouree for the 2021 Independence Award.

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Major Coffee Buyers Face Losses as Colombia Farmers Fall Short

2021-10-12 FreeNews

By Maytaal Ange

Summary

Traders say up to 1 mln bags of Colombia coffee crop undelivered
Surging prices prompt farmers to renege on previously agreed sales
Colombia coffee federation says delivery defaults widespread

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Coffee farmers in Colombia, the world’s No. 2 arabica producer, have failed to deliver up to 1 million bags of beans this year or nearly 10% of the country’s crop, leaving exporters, traders and roasters facing steep losses, industry sources told Reuters.

World coffee prices have soared 55% this year, mainly due to adverse weather in top producer Brazil, prompting Colombian farmers to default on sales clinched when prices were much lower in order to re-sell the coffee at higher rates.

“Traders are getting defaulted on, it’s a mess. If drought continues (in Brazil), 300 cents (per lb of coffee) is possible. It’s going to be mayhem,” said a dealer at a global agricultural commodities trade house.

He said leading global roasters are planning to change the branding on their ‘single origin Colombia’ coffees due to sourcing problems.

Delivery defaults in a major producer like Colombia can exacerbate price spikes on world markets, although these would be temporary because the coffee ultimately exists and will weigh on markets once it is re-sold.

Colombian farmers say they will deliver the coffee later this year or next but buyers are unconvinced.

Many are opting to see losses now and write the purchases off as defaults rather than wait and risk even bigger losses if farmers still don’t deliver next year and prices rise further, according to a senior trader at another global trade house.

He said several global trade houses are looking at losses of $8-10 million each on undelivered coffee, while Colombia’s coffee growers federation FNC, which represents farmers but also accounts for 20% of the country’s 12.5 million bags of annual coffee exports, faces higher losses.

TAKING THE HIT

“There was easily 1 million bags of forward (Colombian coffee sales) done before the market started rallying mid-May,” said the senior trader. “If you work for a multinational (trade house) your boss will say come on, we have to take the hit.”

Delivery defaults in a rallying coffee market are a huge issue for commodity exporters and traders who often hedge physical purchases by taking short positions in the futures market, causing them to sustain steep losses as prices rise.

Usually, traders would be able to sell the physical coffee they are owed at current lofty rates in order to offset their futures market loss, but in the case of a default, they can’t.

Defaults can also force traders to purchase supplies pre-sold to roasters at a loss in the pricey spot market.

FNC head Roberto Velez confirmed to Reuters that Colombia is facing widespread defaults.

“I can tell you there are few Colombian exporters not suffering (from defaults). All the major trade houses and also the federation as a major exporter, we’re all suffering (losses),” he said.

“When a grower doesn’t deliver, the whole chain gets stuck losing money,” he added.

Traders told Reuters the federation has given Colombian farmers at least another year to deliver the coffee – a move that could force the industry body to approach the government for bail-out funds if the farmers still don’t deliver in time.

MOUNTING LOSSES

A senior Columbia-based coffee trader with Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) left the company in the wake of losses, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

LDC said it does not comment on organizational changes except in relation to executives.

“Companies will be in trouble with (the scale of the losses), big guys will change their team, but smaller guys will go bankrupt,” said a senior trader.

He added major local Colombian exporter La Meseta has been hard hit by farmer defaults and is struggling to make good on its supply deals with international roasters, leaving them exposed to losses.

La Meseta did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Selling coffee forward in Colombia has become popular in the last few years, but up until this year, the move had mostly worked out in favour of farmers as world prices drifted lower so farmers received better prices for their coffee on delivery, not worse.

About 550,000 Colombian families make their living growing coffee and the Andean country is the largest producer of the washed arabica grade on which benchmark futures contracts on the ICE exchange are based.

(This story has been refiled to clarify company name in para 19 is Louis Dreyfus Company)

Reporting by Maytaal Angel in London; Additional reporting by Oliver Griffin and Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota; Editing by David Gaffen, Veronica Brown and Susan Fenton

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro Says He’s ‘Bored’ with Questions on COVID-19 Deaths

2021-10-12 FreeNews

BRASILIA, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that he did not want to be “bored” with questions about the milestone of 600,000 COVID-19 deaths that Latin America’s biggest country passed a few days ago.

Bolsonaro’s poll numbers have fallen due to his handling of the pandemic, rising inflation and a weak economy. Brazil has the world’s second highest COVID-19 death toll after the United States, and Bolsonaro has long sought to minimize the impact of the virus, touting unproven cures and railing against lockdowns.

On Monday, Bolsonaro was surrounded by supporters at the beach in Guaruja, in Sao Paulo state, when a journalist asked him about the country’s death toll.

“In which country did people not die? Tell me!” he responded. “Look, I didn’t come here to be bored.”

Currently, 601,011 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, with over 21.5 million cases total.

Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Editing by David Gregorio

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U.S.-Bound, 19,000 Migrant Children Cross Dangerous Jungle – UNICEF

2021-10-12 FreeNews

PANAMA CITY, Oct 11 (Reuters) – On their trek north towards the United States, some 19,000 migrant children have crossed the dangerous jungles that sprawl the border between Panama and Colombia so far this year, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said Monday.

The number of children who crossed the Darien Gap is almost three times higher than the total for the previous five years, it said in a statement, adding that one in five migrants crossing the border are children, and half of them is under five years old.

In 2021, at least five children were found dead in the jungle, the agency said, adding that “more than 150 children arrived in Panama without their parents, some of them are newborn babies – a nearly 20-time increase compared to last year.”

Migrant children sometimes travel with relatives or in the hands of human smugglers.

Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director, said: “Deep in the jungle, robbery, rape and human trafficking are as dangerous as wild animals, insects and the absolute lack of safe drinking water. Week after week, more children are dying, losing their parents, or getting separated from their relatives while on this perilous journey.”

UNICEF said migrants of more than 50 nationalities – from Africa, South Asia and South America – have crossed the area.

In early 2021, Panamanian authorities had warned of a possible crisis after opening the borders that had for months been closed because of the pandemic.

By September, the immigration authorities of the Central American nation reported a record number of 91,305 migrants who entered from neighboring Colombia. Of these, 56,676 were Haitians and 12,870 Cubans.

The Darien Gap is an extensive and inhospitable strip of tropical forest that divides Panama and Colombia, considered the most dangerous on the continent.

Migrants move along trails, exposing themselves to drug gangs and assailants, as well as wildlife and rivers.

Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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Report: UK Initial Pandemic Response Worst Health Failure, Praise for Vaccination Program

2021-10-12 FreeNews

By Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

BBC

The UK’s failure to do more to stop Covid spreading early in the pandemic was one of the worst ever public health failures, a report by MPs says.

The government approach – backed by its scientists – was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection, it said.

This led to a delay in introducing the first lockdown, costing lives.

But the report by the cross-party group said there had been successes too – in particular the vaccination programme.

It described the whole approach – from the research and development through to the rollout of the jabs – as “one of the most effective initiatives in UK history”.

The report predominantly focuses on the response to the pandemic in England. The committee did not look at steps taken individually by Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The findings are detailed in the long-awaited report – Coronavirus: Lessons learned to date – from the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science and Technology Committee, which contain MPs from all parties.

Across 150 pages, the committees cover a variety of successes and failings over the course of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 150,000 lives to date and is described by the MPs as the “biggest peacetime challenge” for a century.

Tory MPs Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, who chair the committees, said the nature of the pandemic meant it was “impossible to get everything right”.

“The UK has combined some big achievements with some big mistakes. It is vital to learn from both,” they added in a statement to accompany the report.

A government spokesperson said lessons would be learned, which was why there would be a full public inquiry next year.

He added: “We have never shied away from taking quick and decisive action to save lives and protect our NHS, including introducing restrictions and lockdowns.

“Thanks to a collective national effort, we avoided NHS services becoming overwhelmed.”

But Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the findings were “damning” and showed what “monumental errors” had been made.

And the group representing families who have lost loved-ones during the pandemic – Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice – criticised the committees for not speaking to any relatives of people who died.

Lockdown delay mistake – but scientists to blame too

When Covid hit, the government’s approach was to manage its spread through the population rather than try to stop it – or herd immunity by infection as the report called it.

The report said this was based on dealing with a flu pandemic, and was done on the advice of its scientific advisers on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

But the idea was not challenged enough by ministers in any part of the UK, indicating a “degree of group-think”.

Although to some degree other parts of Europe were guilty of this too, the MPs said.

It meant the country was not as open to approaches being taken elsewhere, such as Asia where countries imposed tight border controls as soon as Covid started circulating.

Chart showing that the number of daily cases remains high

Chart showing that both Covid deaths and excess deaths have been rising again recently. Updated 5 October.

The result was that too little was done in the early weeks to stop Covid spreading, despite evidence from China and then Italy that it was a virus that was highly infectious, caused severe illness and for which there was no cure.

“The veil of ignorance through which the UK viewed the initial weeks of the pandemic was partly self-inflicted,” said the report.

The committees said decisions on lockdowns and social distancing during the early weeks of the pandemic – and the advice that led to them – ranked as “one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced”.

The advice from scientists changed on 16 March 2020, but it was only a week later that a lockdown was announced.

“This slow and gradualist approach was not inadvertent, nor did it reflect bureaucratic delay or disagreement between ministers and their advisers,” the report says.

“It was a deliberate policy – proposed by official scientific advisers and adopted by the governments of all of the nations of the UK.

“It is now clear that this was the wrong policy, and that it led to a higher initial death toll than would have resulted from a more emphatic early policy. In a pandemic spreading rapidly and exponentially, every week counted.”

It suggests a reported crowd of more than 50,000 at a Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid football match on 11 March – the day the coronavirus was categorised as a pandemic by the WHO – and the 250,000 at Cheltenham Festival of Racing between 10 and 13 March, may have spread the virus.

The MPs also highlighted how ministers in England rejected scientific advice to have a two-week “circuit-breaker” in the autumn.

They said it was impossible to know whether that would have prevented the second lockdown in November, although they pointed out it had not in Wales.

Asked who was accountable for mistakes made, Greg Clark, the chair of the science and technology committee, said that in any democracy, politicians were accountable, but stressed everyone, from the prime minister down, was trying to do the best they could.

“We did get some things right and we got some things wrong and it seems essential we don’t just let that pass without trying to squeeze out the lessons and confront some difficult truths,” he told BBC Breakfast.

The ‘slow and chaotic’ start for Test and Trace

The UK was one of the first countries in the world to develop a test for Covid in January 2020, but despite this failed to translate that into an effective test-and-trace system during the first year of the pandemic.

Testing in the community stopped in March 2020 and for weeks during the first peak only those admitted to hospital were tested.

It was not until May that the NHS Test and Trace system was launched in England, but the report described its start as “slow, uncertain and often chaotic”.

It said the system was too centralised, only later making use of the expertise in local public health teams run by councils.

But it did praise the target set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to get to 100,000 tests a day by the end of April, saying it played an important part in galvanising the system.

The vaccine rollout and other successes

The greatest praise though was reserved for the vaccination programme and the way the government supported the development of a number of vaccines, including the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

It said the whole programme was one of the most effective initiatives in history, and will ultimately help save millions of lives here and across the world.

Chart showing that the total number of vaccinations given in the UK is now more than 94 million

A key step, taken early on following a suggestion from chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, was to set up a task force that combined the talents of scientists, the NHS and the private sector led by the “bold leadership” of venture capitalist Kate Bingham.

The development of treatments, such as dexamethasone, for Covid through the UK Recovery Trial was another area where the UK’s response was genuinely world-leading, the report said.

And the NHS and government were also credited with the way hospital intensive care capacity was increased to ensure the majority who needed hospital treatment received it.

How certain groups fared worse

The MPs said the pandemic had also exacerbated existing social, economic and health inequalities which would need addressing.

The report highlighted “unacceptably high” death rates in ethnic minority groups and among people with learning disabilities and autism.

For ethnic minorities, there were a variety of factors, including possible biological reasons and increased exposure because of housing and working conditions.

For people with learning disabilities, not enough thought was given to how restrictions would have a detrimental impact on them – particularly in terms of accessing health care more generally. Do not resuscitate orders were also used inappropriately.

There was a lack of priority attached to care homes too at the start of the pandemic.

The rapid discharge of people from hospital into care homes without adequate testing or isolation was a prime example of this.

This, combined with untested staff bringing infection into homes from the community, led to many thousands of deaths which could have been avoided.

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group said many people would see the report as a “slap in the face”.

“The report it’s produced is laughable, and more interested in political arguments about whether you can bring laptops to Cobra meetings than it is in the experiences of those who tragically lost parents, partners or children to Covid-19,” said Hannah Brady, the group’s spokeswoman.

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Merck Requests FDA Authorization for COVID-19 Antiviral Pill, AstraZenica’s New COVID Drug, More

2021-10-12 FreeNews

Merck said on Monday that it has requested authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its antiviral coronavirus pill.

Merck said in a statement that an emergency use authorization was requested “for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.”

The pharmaceutical company said earlier this month that testing showed that molnupiravir, which is administered as a five-day treatment and was developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, reduced the risk of hospitalization by 50 percent.

“The extraordinary impact of this pandemic demands that we move with unprecedented urgency, and that is what our teams have done by submitting this application for molnupiravir to the FDA within 10 days of receiving the data,” Robert M. Davis, CEO and president of Merck, said in a statement on Monday.

Merck has said that its pill, which targets the enzyme that allows the COVID-19 virus to make copies of itself, is likely effective against COVID-19 variants, including the highly infectious delta variant.

Big picture: Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has referred to molnupiravir as a “game changer.” He predicted last week that the “pandemic phase” of COVID-19 would likely come to an end with the approval of antiviral pills as well as the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12.

However, he also said that 1.7 million courses of the medicine would not be enough and said rationing would be likely.

The price tag could also pose a challenge: The U.S. bought those 1.7 million courses of treatment for $700 each, and the price could change going forward once the treatment is authorized.

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AstraZeneca says COVID-19 drug helps cut risk of severe disease, death

An AstraZeneca logo

AstraZeneca announced on Monday that its experimental COVID-19 treatment has been found to be effective in late-stage trials at preventing severe illness or death.

When compared to a placebo, AstraZeneca’s antibody treatment, called AZD7442, reduced the risk of developing severe COVID-19 or death by 67 percent, the company said in a press release.

“These important results for AZD7442, our long-acting antibody combination, add to the growing body of evidence for use of this therapy in both prevention and treatment of COVID-19,” Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s executive vice president, said.

“An early intervention with our antibody can give a significant reduction in progression to severe disease, with continued protection for more than six months,” Pangalos added.

AstraZeneca said AZD7442 had been shown to prevent COVID-19 viruses from binding to host cells and was able to neutralize COVID-19 variants including the delta and mu strains.

Last week: AstraZeneca applied for an emergency use authorization for the preventative treatment, citing data from a trial showing that AZD7442 was 77 percent effective at stopping symptomatic cases of COVID-19.

The U.K.-based drugmaker has said discussions for setting up a supply agreement with the U.S. are “ongoing.”

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FAUCI ON VACCINE MANDATES FOR AIRLINES: ‘I DON’T SEE THAT IMMEDIATELY’

Anthony Fauci on Sunday said he does not anticipate vaccine mandates for domestic airline travelers any time soon.

“It’s always discussable. We always wind up discussing it,” Fauci said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Right now, I don’t see that immediately.”

A vaccine mandate for domestic air travel would likely be staunchly opposed by Republican lawmakers and the travel industry as such a mandate could be viewed as government overreach by the Biden administration.

Fauci declined to take a position on the issue, saying he did not want his comments taken out of context.

“I don’t want to be weighing in, because we wind up then having people taking things out of context. We have everything on the table, and it will be discussed by the medical group,” Fauci said on Sunday.

Fauci has previously indicated some support for a possible mandate for airline travelers if the president wanted to move forward with one.

There has been some movement among Democrats in Congress for air travel mandates: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would require either vaccination, a negative test or proof of recent recovery from the virus mandatory to fly domestically. In the House, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) proposed legislation to require proof of vaccination or a negative test for domestic air or Amtrak travelers.

The post Merck Requests FDA Authorization for COVID-19 Antiviral Pill, AstraZenica’s New COVID Drug, More appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Nevis & Booze Now Go Together With ‘Neviq’-The Island’s Own Liqueur

2021-10-11 FreeNews

Loop- Clifton Estate’s NEVIQ Tropical Liqueur is the newest locally made liqueur on the market and it is already the talk of the town — Charlestown that is, and just about everywhere else across the twin-island federation of St.Kitts and Nevis, as a matter of fact.

It has not only made an impact for its uniquely sleek and intrinsically detailed appearance which adds a hint of St. Kitts and Nevis’ culture, with the engraving of the Moko Jumbies on its back, this liqueur’s tropical, fruity taste lets the drinker know that is it made in the tropics.

With 20% alcohol, NEVIQ offers just enough diversity to be served iced or straight from the bottle, with or without added ingredients.

Having heard about this new gem, Loop Caribbean visited the L&L Rum Shop in Nevis to chat with Chief Blender and Neviq Creator, Mark Theron.

The name Neviq, he explained, was conceptualised to pay homage to it’s island home, Nevis.

“There are a few products on the market that are in the liqueur business that ends with a Q and I was trying to come up with something a bit similar,” he said. “There is Nevis and so I thought Nevis ending with a Q was appropriate. It’s a product being made on Nevis. I think it’s a fairly catchy short name and so it just works. I think it’s something Nevis people can really identify with and enjoy.”

And indeed they do. While at the shop we got the opportunity to observe Mark interacting with customers, explaining the concept of NEVIQ and offering samples to very appreciative groups. The colour coupled with the bottle and the shimmer catches the eye.

“Feedback has been above my expectations; it has been really, really good. People love the look of it, they love the shimmer effect but more importantly for me, is that people like the flavour of it. Honestly, it was developed more with the ladies in mind but it is very interesting to see the guys reactions there’s very few of them who have said they don’t like it. It has been a good response.”

Speaking about how the concept for NEVIQ came about, Mark told Loop, “I was looking to come up with something that was a little bit different, something that was fun, something that the local market would really appreciate.

It all came together slowly. I had the idea of wanting to put the shimmer dust in it so I sourced that along with the colouring options. The flavouring was trial and error and I eventually selected the fruity tropical punch. I think it has all come together quite nicely; the bottle, the packaging, the flavour and the fun of having the shimmer dust. We were just trying to put together something a little bit different, another product made on Nevis and I think we have done a fair job of it.”

It is at this point that we take a moment to acknowledge one of the elements that make NEVIQ so unique. Though it has been mentioned before, the signature of this liqueur is what Mark refers to as magic dust.

“There is actually FDA approved shimmer dust inside,” he said with a smile. “I like to call it magic dust. It settles at the bottom and when you give it a little shake you get millions of galaxies inside your bottle!”

So what makes Neviq special and cements its position among the best Caribbean-made liqueurs?

Theron said:

It is made on Nevis.
It is meant to be fun. We have put the shimmer into it so that makes it special. There aren’t too many drinks, beverages, liqueurs on the market that have that. While it’s not entirely new, there aren’t many.”
I think this is really what’s quite special about it: you can drink it by itself or you can mix it with a variety of chasers, sodas, fruit juices. Squeezing lime juice with it works really well, mixing it with pineapple juice is really good, Ting and almost all of the local sodas including club soda work well with it so I think that’s quite special ….its uniqueness is in its versatility.

Mark is also the producer of the original Clifton Estate Rum. “ Clifton Estate is our brand identity. It started off with Clifton Estate Rum. I was making a spiced rum. I live on Clifton Estate in Nevis and so it was originally developed on Clifton Estate in my kitchen and it has just caught on. It’s a great name for a liquor brand so that’s what we have been working with and we are looking to grow the brand.”

This new Clifton Estate Liqueur is currently only available at Land L rum shop located in Charlestown, Nevis. The Libation and Leaf (L&L) rum shop has an exceptional variety of rum, offering over two hundred different types of rum from all over the world. And now NEVIQ Tropical liqueur has been added to its offerings.

Mark said there are plans to sell his liqueur on St. Kitts and hopes for future exporting opportunities. ‘We would love to see this become a regional product and even beyond the region, that would be the ultimate end goal.”

“NEVIQ has the look, the flavour and the branding, It is meant to taste good, it’s meant to be fun, it’s meant to be versatile.”

The post Nevis & Booze Now Go Together With ‘Neviq’-The Island’s Own Liqueur appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.