Tag Archives: caribbean

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Mexico Claims 120,000 Excess Deaths Indirectly Caused By COVID

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Many of the over 120,000 excess deaths Mexico suffered so far during the pandemic may have been indirectly caused by the coronavirus, even if those people didn’t die of COVID-19, Mexican officials said Tuesday.

Not including the indirect deaths, officials list 322,263 deaths directly caused by COVID-19.

A “very significant part” of those deaths were people who were suffering heart problems but were too afraid to go the hospital for fear of getting infected, said Dr. Ruy López Ridaura, the country’s director of disease prevention and control.

“Clearly, even those cases that aren’t directly associated with (coronavirus) infection … in some way are associated with the pandemic, right, because they were associated with the burden on hospitals, the fear that people had,” López Ridaura said.

“It is not unreasonable to think that a very significant part is due to people not seeking medical attention,” he said. “They were in a certain way afraid to go to a system that was caring for a lot of COVID patients, for fear of getting infected.”

The number of deaths from heart disease and diabetes skyrocketed during 2020. For example, deaths from cardiac ailments increased 36% last year, as compared to 2019, and deaths from complications of diabetes were up 46%.

Fear may not have been the only factor. Many hospitals in Mexico simply did not have room for non-COVID-19 patients, or treatment may have been delayed because ambulances were tied up during the pandemic, or because some hospitals would not treat emergency patients until they had been tested for the coronavirus.

While case numbers have been declining, Mexico recorded 807 test-confirmed deaths Tuesday, a relatively high number compared to recent weeks.

Mexico’s toll rivals that of Brazil, which currently has the world’s second-highest number of deaths after the United States. But Mexico’s population of 126 million is considerably less than either of those countries.

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Associated Press World View: Shocking Floyd Testimony, G. Gordon Loddy Dies, Reporters See Bursting Border Detention Camps

March 31, 202

A firefighter who was blocked from helping George Floyd will be back on the stand in the trial of the police officer charged in Floyd’s death.

G. Gordon Liddy, a mastermind of the Watergate burglary, has died at 90.

And the Biden administration for the first time allowed journalists inside its main border detention facility for migrant children, revealing severe overcrowding.

Also this morning:

  • Gonzaga’s bid for a perfect season moves on to Final Four.
  • Volkswagen pulls early April Fool’s Day hoax with fake news release announcing ‘Voltswagen’ name change.
  • Japan’s famed cherry blossoms bloom early as climate warms.

VANESSA GERA

The Associated Press

Warsaw, Poland

The Rundown

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis firefighter who voiced frustration at being prevented from using her EMT training to help George Floyd will be back on the stand Wednesday in the trial of the……Read More

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DONNA, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration for the first time Tuesday allowed journalists inside its main border detention facility for migrant children, revealing a severely overcrowded tent….Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — G. Gordon Liddy, a mastermind of the Watergate burglary and a radio talk show host after emerging from prison, died Tuesday at age 90 at his daughter’s home in Virginia…. …Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is aiming for summer passage of an infrastructure plan that is expected to cost more than $3 trillion, and the White House hopes to take a more deliberate a…Read More

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TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s famous cherry blossoms have reached their flowery peak in many places earlier this year than at any time since formal records started being kept nearly 70 years ago, with……Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

LONDON (AP) — The cobblestones are deserted at the Tower of London. A biting wind blows and there is no sign of life. Even the storied ravens are nowhere to be seen. England’…Read More

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gonzaga’s countdown to perfection has ticked to two. The Bulldogs are back in the Final Four, two wins from becoming the first undefeated team since the 1…Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a prominent conservative in Congress and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, said Tuesday he is being investigated by…Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Journalists are used to being wary about odd pranksters pulling April Fool’s Day hoaxes at this time of year. Few expect it from a multi-billion dollar… …Read More

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Bermuda COVID Cases Soar, as Testing Centres Overwhelmed

Bermuda Health Minister Kim Wilson disclosed that island’ testing centres are being overwhelmed, after it recorded a further 108 cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of active cases to 396.

The numbers came from a batch of 3,038 test results, producing the highest single-daily total since records began a year ago.

Just one of the new cases was imported – by a passenger arriving on a JetBlue flight from New York last Friday.

A further 35 cases are classified as local transmission, while 72 are under investigation.

One of the currently active cases is in hospital, while six carriers have recovered from the condition since the last update on Saturday.

Active cases have skyrocketed in the last 10 days, with the island recording more than 200 new cases last week alone.

In a statement on Monday night announcing the latest figures, Wilson said that testing centres were now overwhelmed by demand and that many of the current crop of cases were under investigation.

Premier David Burt has said some seniors in rest homes have yet to be vaccinated because their children have refused to give consent.

Burt said in an online conversation about the pandemic that he was saddened by the number of people who have failed to give consent for their parents to be vaccinated.

He said: “No one can force it – it is not for us to force – but it is very concerning for our most vulnerable population there are children who will not consent for their parents to be vaccinated. In a setting like that if there is one seeding of a contagious virus it can have an impact, an outbreak.

“The truth is we don’t have all of our seniors in rest homes vaccinated and the way this new strain is spreading it is likely that, just as there are cases in the prison, there will be cases in rest homes,” he added.

Burt also confirmed online that an outbreak of the contagious UK variant of the virus had made its way into Westgate, the island’s maximum-security prison at Dockyard.

The number of cases was not confirmed but TNN News reported five infections among inmates, causing all prisoners to need testing.

Bermuda has so far recorded a total of 1,136 COVID-19 cases. Twelve people have died, including three in rest homes.

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A&B Labour Party Booted from Barbuda in Local Polls

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party has suffered a local election whitewash in Barbuda.

“It sends a clear message that Labour is no more. We don’t want no more (Antigua and Barbuda) Labour Party in Barbuda; the people have spoken and I think that is a message to be sent.”

Those were the words of Nico Antonio shortly after midnight on Tuesday, moments after it was confirmed that she was among the five Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) candidates who took a clean sweep of the Barbuda Council elections.

The five BPM winning candidates were Antonio, Mackenzie Frank, Melanie Beazer, Wayde Burton, and Nadia John.

The retired litter warden told Observer she is embracing her new role on the local government body.

“I just want to thank almighty God as it would not have been possible without him…and to thank the people of Barbuda for bringing us through,” she said.

“It was a bit tense but I knew I was going to come through…my pastor told me this is what God said and it has come to pass,” Antonio added.

Final election results

The BPM already held the four other elected seats through Sharima Deazle, Jackie Frank, Devon Warner and Calsey Beazer-Joseph.

The BPM also holds the two appointed seats on the 11-member council through Barbuda MP Trevor Walker and Senator Fabian Jones. It means all nine elected and the two appointed seats on the Barbuda Council are now all held by members of the Barbuda People’s Movement.

The ABLP’s Alvin Tyrone Beazer, Wesley Beazer, Hesketh Daniel, Mackiesha Desouza, and Kelcina George contested the election for the ABLP, while Odrick Samuel ran as an independent.

Former nurse Nadia John, who won her seat, said it is evident that the Barbuda people are in support of the BPM party.

“They are hoping that we carry on the fight against the government and all that they are trying to do to us here in Barbuda,” John said.

“The task ahead is going to be a tough one given the Covid pandemic and our financial constraints,” she added.

Another victorious candidate, retired teacher Melanie Beazer, said her priority is now striving to get council workers up to date with their wages which are weeks in arrears.

“(My priority is) for people to get paid number one. Going all those weeks without money, we have to really look into paying the people,” said Beazer.

Mackenzie Frank said the council is keen to work with the ABLP-run central government.

“What has been done today is indeed historic. There was a time before in the late 70s when there was an all BPM council and at that time our great fight was to separate from Antigua, but now our greatest task is to rebuild the economy of the island and we are looking at the central government to come and sit around the table,” said Frank.

Ahead of the election the parties have clashed on several issues, including unpaid council wages dating back several weeks, issues over land, and different views on how the enormous Peace, Love and Happiness project should proceed.

The campaign however had a low-key nature with Covid restrictions preventing any mass rallies or events.

Chairman of the Free and Fair Elections League Elouise Roberts said one concern had been noted about influencing which the group was not prepared to speak on yet, but which would be included in its final report.

Meanwhile, the BPM was congratulated on its success by leaders of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP).

Political Leader Harold Lovell said, “The results of the council elections demonstrate resounding confidence in the BPM and an absolute rejection of Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Antigua Labour Party.

“It is clear that the support previously enjoyed by his administration has drastically diminished, as the people have become tired of his abusive, base and insensitive leadership,” he added.

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle said, “Barbuda today; Antigua tomorrow.”

Prime Minister Gaston Browne was also asked for his comments.

“I have accepted that development and political gain are incongruent in Barbuda,” he told Observer.

“When the investments mature and they start to benefit significantly, they will thank us in the future for prioritising development over political gain,” the PM added.

A total of 3,645 votes were counted, indicating a turnout of almost one in three of the sister island’s population.

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Royal Caribbean Ready to Cruise Again

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Chief executive officer (CEO) of Royal Caribbean Group, Richard Fain, says a number of test cruises carried out during the novel coronavirus pandemic and also prior to the start of vaccination programmes by countries have shown that ships are ready to start sailing again.

Fain, in a video message to travel advisors on March 22, said that the sector is now equipped with all the health protocols to safely resume operations.

He indicated that Royal Caribbean Group has carried more than 100,000 guests on over 150 cruises, with only 10 positive COVID-19 cases.

He noted that all of the positive cases “have been handled smoothly and without undue disruption of other guests and without undue burden on the communities and the governments involved”.

Fain said that the company’s experience with the 100,000 cruise passengers demonstrates that the process indeed works.

He noted that the experience was not unique to Royal Caribbean, adding that the industry, as a whole, has transported more than 350,000 passengers “with very few cases and minimal disruption. This is precisely what we thought would be the case”.

“It is important to note that most of these sailings took place before the vaccines were out,” he added.

“Everybody knows that the vaccines are a game changer, but they’re not the only protection we have,” he said, noting that contact tracing is able to be done effectively on the ships.

Fain said that the success of the test cruises “is enabling us to restart cruises in more and more places around the world”.

He said that the response to Royal Caribbean’s decision to begin sailing from the selected ports “has been exceptional” and indicates that there is an enormous amount of pent-up demand to cruise again.

“I expect that we will soon be announcing more such itineraries,” he noted.

He pointed out that Royal Caribbean expects to sail out of The Bahamas and St Maarten with vaccinated adult guests in June, and signalled that there might be other home-porting opportunities for consideration in the region.

This is good news for Jamaica, which is in talks with cruise line executives, including Royal Caribbean, for the island to be considered a major home-porting destination.

 

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George Floyd: Teenage Witness ‘Apologising for Not Doing More’

The teenager whose film of George Floyd’s death sparked global protests said she “stays up apologising” to him for “not doing more”.

Darnella, now 18, was one of four young witnesses to take the stand on the second day of Derek Chauvin’s trial.

She told the court of seeing Mr Floyd “begging for his life”, comparing him to her dad, brother, cousins and uncles “because they are all black”.

Issues of racial equality and policing lay at the centre of the case.

On Monday, the opening session of the trial heard Mr Chauvin, an ex-police officer, knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while arresting him in Minneapolis in May 2020. Prosecutors say this was a “major cause” in his death.

Defence lawyers have indicated they will argue that 46-year-old Mr Floyd died of an overdose. Mr Chauvin, 45, denies charges of murder and manslaughter.

Three other officers who were present – Tou Thao, J Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane – will go on trial later in the year.

What did the trial hear on the second day?

Four children who were all under 18 at the time of the incident gave evidence to the court, but the cameras were switched off so the jurors could not see them and they were identified only by their first names.

Bystanders watching the incident unfold on 25 May 2020image copyrightCourt TV
image captionWitnesses: 1. Donald Williams. 2. Darnella. 3. Darnella’s cousin. 4. Alissa. 5. Kalen. 6. Genevieve Hansen

Darnella, then 17 years old, was walking to the Cup Foods shop with her nine-year-old cousin when they came across the arrest on the street outside.

She told the court she started filming on her phone because “I saw a man terrified, begging for his life. It wasn’t right – he was in pain.”

She described hearing Mr Floyd “saying ‘I can’t breathe’. He was terrified, he was calling for his mom.”

Darnella said witnessing his death had changed her life.

“When I look at George Floyd I look at my dad, I look at my brother, my cousins, my uncles – because they are all black,” she said, audibly crying. “And I look at how that could have been one of them.”

“I stay up apologising to George Floyd for not doing more.”

Her young cousin also gave evidence and said she felt “sad and kind of mad” by what she saw. “It sounded like he was hurting”.

Two friends, Alissa, 18, and Kalen, 17, had driven up to the store when they came across the arrest. Both described feeling helpless as they watched Mr Floyd’s last moments before “he was just laying there, no longer fighting or resisting”.

The last witness of the day was Genevieve Hansen, an off-duty firefighter, who said the officers prevented her from administering medical help that would have saved Mr Floyd’s life. She was rebuked by the judge for her testy responses to defence questioning.

What else has the trial heard so far?

One witness, Donald Williams II, who is trained in mixed martial arts, was questioned for over an hour by the prosecution and defence on Monday and again on Tuesday.

He told the court Mr Chauvin had used a dangerous technique called a “blood choke” and was moving his knee back and forth to increase the pressure on Mr Floyd’s back and neck.

Courtroom graphic
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He rejected defence suggestions that he and other bystanders’ interactions with police had been threatening to the officers there.

In opening statements on Monday, Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told the jury that Mr Chauvin had “betrayed his badge” by kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck, and using “excessive and unreasonable force” to detain him.

Meanwhile, Mr Chauvin’s lawyer Eric Nelson said the case was about the evidence, not about a “political or social cause”. He said Mr Floyd had ingested drugs at the time of his arrest “in an effort to conceal them to police”, and suggested this contributed to his death.

Mr Chauvin has been silent but remained engaged during the proceedings, taking almost constant notes on a yellow legal pad while listening to the evidence.

A graphic showing the breakdown of jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial
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Why is this such a high-profile case?

Darnella’s video footage of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck was replayed the world over and sparked mass protests and a racial reckoning in the US.

To many, Floyd’s death while in police custody became a vivid symbol of police brutality – particularly against people of colour – and it sparked worldwide demonstrations for racial justice.

But despite the global outcry this is not an open and shut case. In the US, police are rarely convicted for deaths that occur while they are on duty, if they are charged at all.

The verdict in this case will be widely seen as an indication of how the US legal system treats deaths that occur while in police custody.

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Brazil’s Military Leaders Resign Amidst Bolsonaro’s Shake-UP

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The leaders of all three branches of Brazil’s armed forces jointly resigned Tuesday following President Jair Bolsonaro’s replacement of the defense minister, causing widespread apprehension of a military shakeup to serve the president’s political interests.

The Defense Ministry reported the resignations — apparently unprecedented since at least the end of military rule 36 years ago — in a statement released without giving reasons. Replacements were not named. But analysts expressed fears the president, increasingly under pressure, was moving to assert greater control over the military.

“Since 1985, we haven’t had news of such clear intervention of the president with regard to the armed forces,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo.

Bolsonaro, a conservative former army captain who has often praised Brazil’s former period of military dictatorship, has relied heavily on current and former soldiers to staff key Cabinet positions since taking office in January 2019, but Melo said the military itself has so far refrained from politics.

“Will this resistance continue? That’s the question,” Melo said.

The announcement came after the heads of the army, navy and air force met with the new defense minister, Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto, on Tuesday morning.

Braga Netto’s first statement on the new job showed he is aligned with Bolsonaro’s views for the armed forces. The incoming defense minister, unlike his predecessor, celebrated the 1964-1985 military dictatorship that killed and tortured thousands of Brazilians.

“The armed forces ended up assuming the responsibility for pacifying the country, facing the challenges to reorganize it and secure the democratic liberties that today we enjoy,” said Braga Netto, who did not discuss the departure of the military chiefs. “The 1964 movement is part of Brazil’s historic trajectory. And as such the events of that March 31st must be understood and celebrated.”

A retired army general who has a relationship with the three commanders as well as with Braga Netto told The Associated Press that “there was an embarrassing circumstance so they all resigned.” He agreed to discuss the matter only if not quoted by name, expressing fear of retribution.

Bolsonaro on Monday carried out a shake-up of top Cabinet positions that was initially seen as a response to demands for a course correction by lawmakers, diplomats and economists, particularly over his handling of the pandemic that has caused more than 300,000 deaths in Brazil.

That included the replacement of Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva, who said in his resignation letter that he had “preserved the armed forces as state institutions,” a nod at his effort to keep generals out of politics.

Bolsonaro has often bristled at the checks and balances imposed by other branches of government and has attended protests targeting the Supreme Court and Congress.

He has also criticized the Supreme Court for upholding local governments’ rights to adopt pandemic restrictions that he adamantly opposes, arguing that the economic effects are worse than the disease itself.

His recent slide in popularity, and the sudden likelihood that he will face leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 presidential election, has analysts saying he is looking to the armed forces for support.

Retired Gen. Carlos Alberto Santos Cruz, who previously served as Bolsonaro’s government secretary, appeared to refer to such concerns when he responded to early rumors of military resignations with a tweet saying, “THE ARMED FORCES WON’T GO ON AN ADVENTURE.”

Since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985, the armed forces have tried to keep a distance from partisan political quarrels.

“The government has to give explanations to the population about the change in the Defense Ministry,” Santos Cruz added.

Sen. Kátia Abreu, who heads the Senate’s foreign relations commission, said it would be “prudent” that the new defense minister speak to “calm the nation down about the impossibility of a military intervention.”

“I have a conviction that we built a strong democracy. The armed forces are part of the Brazilian state and they have the confidence of all of us,” said Abreu, a right-leaning Bolsonaro critic.

Earlier this month, Bolsonaro began mentioning the armed forces in connection with his dispute with state governors and mayors over restrictive measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Latin America’s largest nation.

“My army doesn’t go to the street to force people to stay at home,” Bolsonaro told reporters March 19.

Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst, told AP that it was the first time in living memory that all leaders of the armed forces had quit simultaneously.

“He wants people who will do whatever he wants, and so it is extremely risky,” Traumann said. “He can put the army out to allow people to go to work. So the army would be in his hands, and not in the hands of the generals.”

Speaking to supporters outside the presidential palace Tuesday night, Bolsonaro did not discuss the three commanders. When asked about the pandemic restrictions imposed by governors and mayors, the president said he respects the constitution, though he added: “But it has been some time that some authorities are not playing within the limits of the constitution.”

Bolsonaro saw his popularity rise last year, thanks to a generous pandemic welfare aid program. That popularity has dropped since the program ended in December, and there have been renewed protests against him as the nation’s daily death toll surged to the highest in the world.

Further clouding the outlook for Bolsonaro is the reemergence of da Silva after a Supreme Court justice annulled two corruption convictions and restored his political rights. Early polls indicate he would be a formidable challenger in next year’s election.

In other Cabinet changes, Bolsonaro replaced Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo, who was accused by some of impeding the supply of vaccines by making comments seen as insulting to the Chinese and by not aggressively seeking sources.

Earlier this month, Bolsonaro also replaced his health minister, active-duty army Gen. Eduardo Pazuello, the third health minister to leave office since the beginning of the pandemic. Pazuello’s tenure coincided with most of Brazil’s 317,000 COVID-19 deaths.

On Tuesday, Brazil’s health ministry said a new daily high of 3,780 deaths related to COVID-19 had been registered in the previous 24 hours. The previous high of 3,650 deaths was recorded Friday.

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Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

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US, 13 Countries Not Totally Happy with Data in WHO Virus Origin Report

 

By Peter Sullivan

The U.S. and 13 other countries on Tuesday released a statement raising “concerns” with a report from a World Health Organization (WHO)-convened team into the origins of coronavirus, saying it lacked full access to the information it needed.

“We voice our shared concerns that the international expert study on the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples,” the countries said in a joint statement.

There have long been questions raised about the independence of the WHO-convened team of experts, working jointly with Chinese scientists, and whether the Chinese government was providing full access to needed information on the origins of the virus.

Asked on Tuesday at a White House press briefing if China had cooperated enough with the report, press secretary Jen Psaki said: “They have not been transparent, they have not provided underlying data, that certainly doesn’t qualify as cooperation.”

“We don’t believe that in our review to date that it meets the moment,” Psaki added of the report.

The joint statement was the first reaction after the official release of the report earlier Tuesday. The report did not reach a definitive conclusion, but found the virus likely jumped from animals to humans, and was unlikely to be the result of a lab leak.

“Scientific missions like these should be able to do their work under conditions that produce independent and objective recommendations and findings,” the 14 countries said.

The WHO said Tuesday in reaction to the report that research is continuing and that it is not ruling out any hypotheses at the moment.

“Going forward, there must now be a renewed commitment by WHO and all Member States to access, transparency, and timeliness,” the statement from the 14 countries added.

Along with the U.S., the statement was joined by Australia, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out China more pointedly in comments on CNN on Sunday.

“We’ve got real concerns about the methodology and the process that went into that report, including the fact that the government in Beijing apparently helped to write it,” Blinken said then.

 

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Even With Vaccines, COVID-19’s 4th Wave Hitting US Hard, World Stats

By Reid Wilson

A fourth wave of coronavirus infections is beginning to mount in states across the nation as health experts and officials beg pandemic-exhausted Americans to stay vigilant.

The United States has reported an average of 65,000 new cases in the last seven days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up about 10,000 cases per day since the most recent nadir two weeks ago.

Those figures are well below the January apex of the third wave of infections, when a quarter-million people a day were testing positive for the virus.

But while millions of Americans are receiving vaccinations, progress toward herd immunity has not kept pace with the new spike. Cases are rising in about half the states, led by big spikes in New York and especially New York City, Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

“Our work is far from over. The war against COVID-19 is far from won. This is deadly serious,” President Biden said Monday at the White House, hours after CDC Director Rochelle Walensky pleaded for the public to keep up mitigation strategies. “If we let our guard down now, we could see a virus getting worse, not better.”

Scientists say the new spike is being driven by the emergence of variants of the coronavirus, most notably a more readily transmissible and virulent strain known as B.1.1.7, first identified in the United Kingdom. CDC data shows that strain is responsible for an estimated 13 percent of new cases in Florida and 9 percent of cases in New Jersey.

But the number of cases is also being spurred by behavior changes as weary Americans increasingly participate in nonessential activities. States have loosened restrictions, in some cases altogether, and several states have dropped or are planning to scrap mask mandates.

“There is more indoor crowding. If I walk out in the street in Boston I see indoor crowding in restaurants and shopping,” said Abraar Karan, an internal medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Medical School. “We knew that when you start to reopen there will be more social and physical interactions.”

After a year of errors and missteps in handling the pandemic, the vaccination campaign stands out as a distinct bright spot.

The number of Americans who have received a vaccine against the coronavirus is growing by more than 2 million a day, according to CDC data. The United States is vaccinating a larger share of its population than any nation other than Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Chile and the United Kingdom.

More than 17 million doses have been administered in California, and more than 11 million have been given in Texas. More than a third of residents of smaller states like New Mexico, Connecticut, South Dakota, Alaska and Maine have received at least one dose.

Vaccine administration rates are highest among the elderly, who received top priority as early rounds of vaccines were rolled out over the last several months. But millions more must be vaccinated before the United States reaches some form of herd immunity.

“It’ll be at least another six to eight weeks before we get that kind of coverage,” said Celine Gounder, an infectious diseases specialist at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine and a member of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 advisory board. “We’re almost there, it’s just not the time to give up.”

The high number of older Americans who have been vaccinated coupled with improved clinical care practices are reducing the number of deaths caused by COVID-19. Fewer than 1,000 people a day have died of the virus over the last week for the first time since November. The number of Americans being treated in hospitals is around 40,000, less than a third of the number of patients in January.

“I’m hopeful that even if we do have another surge, we’ll deal with it better this time. But the surge was avoidable,” Karan said. “Now that the train has been set in motion, infections that are happening today you’ll see in the next couple of weeks.”

Even with the progress, health care workers and experts have been left exhausted by the pandemic that has killed more than 550,000 Americans. Amy Arlund, an intensive care unit nurse at Kaiser Fresno Medical Center, said her hospital went through a period in which every person admitted to the ICU died.

“I just had to stop counting the body count. After 100 people dying in my ICU, the numbers just became overwhelming,” Arlund said. “It’s hit me that I’m not so sure I want to do this anymore.”

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

World Stats

Coronavirus Cases:

128,821,818

Deaths:

2,816,470

Recovered:

103,951,138
ACTIVE CASES
22,054,210
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

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Latest News

March 31 (GMT)

Updates

  • 5,068 new cases and 807 new deaths in Mexico [source]

Archived

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Development Bank Partners with SKN Strongest Man, Fittest Woman Competition Organisers

 BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, March 30, 2021 (DBSKN) — A firm believer in the adage ‘a healthy nation is a wealthy nation’, the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis is partnering with the organisers of SKN Strongest Man & SKN Fittest Woman Competition in staging the event whose first round, Bench Press, will be held on Sunday April 4.

According to the main organiser, Romaine Belgrove, the competition was first held in 2019 at the Vibes Beach Bar on The Strip in Frigate Bay but could not be held last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be held at the same venue from 1:30 pm on Sunday.

“The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis was one of my sponsors in 2019, and have this year graciously come back on board to partner with us in hosting this competition for which I thank them,” said Belgrove. “I have a good working relationship with the Development Bank as my business, ‘Quality and experience tyre repairs and services’ in West Basseterre, benefitted from the institution’s Fresh Start loans.

Belgrove made the remarks last week when he received the sponsorship cheque from the Marketing and Product Development Officer at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Chantelle Rochester.

“Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are common in most of our Caribbean countries, and health experts have all along been saying that exercises are one of the most effective methods of keeping the NCDs at bay,” said Rochester. “SKN Strongest Man & SKN Fittest Woman Competition is one event that encourages people to exercise and we at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis support the organisers of the event.”

 Belgrove who is in partnership with Mr Troy ‘Spuddy’ Hendrickson, CEO of Vibes Beach Bar, said that women shied off in 2019 but several have shown interest this year. Apart from the defending champion, the organiser has stated that some of those who took part in the 2019 competition have confirmed that they will take part.

Others in the organising team are Althus Herbert, Team Member;  Judith Isles, Team Member; and Dr. Garfield Alexander, Team Member/Doctor.

“The winner in 2019 was Vernard Woodley who won some prize money, a championship belt and a rotating trophy that he kept for almost a year,” said Belgrove. “His name was put on the rotating trophy as the first winner. The championship belt and rotating trophy are now back in my possession so once we have the competition again they will be turned over to the next winner going forward.”

While the first SKN Strongest Man & SKN Fittest Woman Competition in 2019 ended in December Belgrove is hopeful that they will be able to get through with the competition events by September and have the awarding of trophies done by Independence Day.

Several activities, starting with Bench Press Competition on Sunday, will take place in the remaining days leading to September. The organiser noted that some of the events they had time included vehicle pull, lift weights put together and walk with them a certain distance and come back, the fireman carry, kettle ball throw and stone carry for men.

“Women will do the tire flip,” explained Belgrove. “They would do more of the cardio stuff – not too much of the lifting, but will do things like push-ups and sit-ups. Women events will take place this year as a number have so far indicated that they will take part.”

 

 

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