NASSAU, Bahamas — The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on January 12 that all air passengers flying to the U.S. from a foreign country will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 viral test (PCR or Antigen test), taken no more than three days prior to the flight. This new regulation will apply to all travellers ages 2 and older, including U.S. citizens and international travellers. The order will go into effect on January 26, 2021.

Furthermore, any person who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last three months must be prepared to show documentation of recovery, which consists of proof of their positive viral test, coupled with a letter from a healthcare provider or a public health official, providing clearance to travel. Airlines will be responsible for confirming the negative test result or documentation of recovery for all passengers before they board, and will deny boarding to any person who does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test.

The Government of The Bahamas has successfully implemented stringent measures to protect its citizens, residents and visitors, and is well positioned to adhere to this new order, seamlessly integrating the CDC’s testing requirements into The Bahamas’ existing COVID-19 protocols. Currently, visitors to The Bahamas who stay longer than four nights and five days are required to take a rapid antigen test on the fifth day of their stay, with a number of testing sites throughout The Bahamas approved to administer tests. This means travellers and residents alike, readily have access to the viral tests, now required to enter the U.S.

“The Bahamas Government will continue to work in accordance with the CDC to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has been our top priority since the onset of this global pandemic,” said Dionisio D’Aguilar, The Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation. “Our journey has not been without bumps in the road, but we have made great strides in combatting this virus as evidenced by the very low case numbers we have now achieved. Visitors to our shores should have peace of mind knowing that we are making every effort to keep The Bahamas safe, and can now offer a turnkey, affordable and reliable testing process that meets U.S. requirements.”

All U.S. travellers to The Bahamas as well as Bahamian citizens and residents are required to abide by the CDC’s protocols to enter the U.S. An overview of these requirements, as well as FAQs, can be found on the CDC website.

For a list of approved COVD-19 testing sites in The Bahamas, as well as a full overview of The Bahamas’ travel and entry protocols, please visit www.Bahamas.com/travelupdates.

Due to the fluidity of COVID-19, the Government of The Bahamas will continue to monitor cases across the islands and loosen or tighten restrictions as needed. The Bahamas is an archipelago with more than 700 islands and cays, spread over 100,000 square miles, which means conditions and instances of the virus can be different on each of the 16 islands available to welcome visitors. Travellers should check the status of their island destination before travelling, by visiting www.Bahamas.com/travelupdates.

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The Brazilian city of Goiânia is mourning the death of its mayor, Maguito Vilela, from complications related to Covid-19.

Fellow politicians and members of the football club he supported have expressed their condolences on social media.

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Vilela was elected in November while he was in an induced coma on a ventilator in hospital. He did not find out he’d won the election until his son told him once the 71-year-old had woken up from the coma.

Maguito Vilela’s family had already been hit hard by coronavirus when he was taken to hospital in October. His two older sisters had died from Covid-related complications within 10 days of each other.

Brazil is one of the worst-affected countries in the world with the second highest death toll after the United States.

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Brazilian health officials are expected to meet on Sunday to decide on whether to allow two vaccines – the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and another by China’s Sinovac – for emergency use. If approved, vaccines could be offered three to five days later, health offici

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Havana (AFP) Cuba will close schools, bars and restaurants and halt all public transport at night from Thursday after a spike in coronavirus cases, the government has announced.

The new measures come after health authorities announced 550 new cases in 24 hours on Wednesday. The country has had more than 16,000 cases in total, and 158 deaths.

Under the tighter measures, only take-out and home delivery will be allowed from restaurants. All public transport will stop at 9:00 pm.

“Severe fines” would be handed to anyone who did not comply with the rules, state newspaper Tribuna de la Habana said, while Education Minister Ena Elsa Velazquez said on Twitter that school courses would be broadcast on television starting next week.

A total ban on public transport, and restrictions on the movement of vehicles and people from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am, were removed from measures after they were initially announced by state media.

Havana’s schools were closed from mid-March to October last year, while those in the rest of the country reopened in September as the epidemic appeared to slow.

The country of 11.2 million people started reopening its economy, and its borders, at about the same time, but has confronted record infection figures following the Christmas holidays.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The newly constructed Annex of the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex will be outfitted with furniture, appliances, and other amenities to make it functional following the completion of construction in late December. As an annex of the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex, the additional court will help in the speedy administration of Justice.

The two-story building will house a third Magistrate’s Court Chamber in District A, a court-connected Mediation Centre, and a Law Library. When fully operational, the services available in the Annex will significantly strengthen the administration of justice.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr., conducted a brief walk-through of the building on January 12. He said that the rule of law is the glue that holds a strong democratic society together and that St. Kitts and Nevis continues to receive high grades as it relates to the administration of justice.

“We are proud that under this administration we have been able to consistently give to our people the confidence that they are living in a society that is just, one in which everyone has access to justice and can get their grievances settled,” said Hon. Byron.

The building boasts many modern features including: closed-circuit cameras for security purposes, and will enable virtual court hearings. People will also be able to connect to several online legal systems such as LexisNexis to conduct research.

Byron commended the contractor B. C. Audain and Associates for the excellent work in constructing the building.

“Mr. Audain has produced a building that we all should be proud of,” said Hon. Byron. “It’s one which we feel very, very good about and is the type of public building that we need to establish ourselves as a small, modern, young democracy.”

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Academic Scholarships for those seeking to study at Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees in Taiwan are now open. Interested persons 18-years-and-older, who possess high school diplomas or above, should fill the following forms and submit them to the Ministry of Education on or before Monday,
March 1, 2021.

1. A completed application form(s);
2. A photocopy of the Passport Biodata page;
3. A photocopy of highest-level educational achievements (complete with transcripts); and
4. Documents to certify their application and acceptance to a Mandarin Language Training Center *For persons applying for degree programmes taught in Chinese, documents should be provided to show application and acceptance to a Mandarin Language Training Center, and a copy of transcript or certificate of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) for level 2 or above.

Applicants are asked to take note that incomplete documents and late applications will not be accepted and/or processed. Award of scholarship decisions is made by a joint committee in Taiwan. Should interested persons or applicants have any questions, they should contact the Embassy of Taiwan at 869-465-2421, or visit the following websites for guidance:

https://taiwanscholarship.moe.gov.tw/web/scholarship.aspx# for Documents download https://www.studyintaiwan.org/ for English Programme List https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en for “About MOFA” – “Scholarships & Fellowships”.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — One person is in custody, assisting Police with investigations into a fatal shooting incident that occurred at Lower Thibou Avenue.

Lamont Heyliger and Jahquan Merritt were both fatally wounded during the incident which took place on January 11.

Investigations into the case are ongoing and persons with information regarding this matter are urged to contact the Violent Crime Unit by dialing 467-1887, 467-1888, 662-3468, their nearest Police Station or the Crime Hotline at 707 where information can be given anonymously.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Team Unity Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, January 11, 2021, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Several issues affecting the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were deliberated on.

• The Cabinet was advised of the usual statistics locally, regionally, and globally on the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Commissioner of Police gave an update to the Cabinet on the crime statistics. He reported that there is a 32 percent decline in crime for the same period last year, and that preparation is being made to train more persons in the security aspects of quarantine.
• The Chief Executive Officer of St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) informed the Cabinet on the statistics relating to the movement of cargo into the Federation and stated that due to the COVID-19 global pandemic the tonnage transported by air into the Federation had decreased by 14 percent and by sea 20 percent.
• Cabinet was informed that the rollout for the COVID-19 monitoring app is ready and will soon be employed to track and trace persons in quarantine and isolation.
• The Chief Medical Officer gave an update to the Cabinet on the medical report of the student from the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine who was attacked by a shark.
• Cabinet approved submissions that will incentivize business and stimulate economic activity in the Federation.

The January 11 Cabinet meeting was chaired by The Honourable Dr. Timothy S. Harris, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, National Security, Sustainable Development, Constituency Empowerment, and Human Resource Management and Information.

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — Miss Kianna Lawrence of Nisbett Settlement in Newcastle, Nevis, is proud to be the first Nevisian awarded a scholarship to study in Romania.

The scholarship was awarded by the Romanian Government to pursue studies in Graphic Design at the West University of Timisoara. Ms. Lawrence expressed appreciation for the opportunity to further her studies.

“I am a proud recipient of the Romanian Scholarship which affords me the opportunity to pursue a Bachelors’ Degree in Graphic Design at the West University of Timisoara,” said Ms. Lawrence. “I am humbled and ecstatic to be one of the first recipients of this Romanian Scholarship as I have always dreamt of studying in Europe.

“Europe is known for its architecture and design, hence gaining knowledge and experience from this region would be a steppingstone in advancing my career,” she said. “Research is an open door to success, however, to be successful you must take advantage of every opportunity that can help you achieve your goal.”

The scholarship recipient also urged others to take advantage of opportunities to advance their career goal.

“Many persons have asked me ‘why are you going so far?’ My simple reply is, ‘the US is also far,” said Lawrence. “Never turn down an opportunity to achieve your goals, regardless of how far you must go to achieve them. Trust in God and he will direct your path.”

Ms. Lawrence was awarded the scholarship by the Romanian state through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NIA offers congratulations

The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) extended congratulations to Ms. Lawrence.

“The Ministry of Human Resources congratulates Miss Kianna Lawrence on her well-deserved success, and wishes her all the best throughout the course of her studies,” the ministry said in a press release on January 13.

The Romanian scholarship programme is offered by the Romanian state through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to citizens from countries that are not members of the European Union.

The programme affords citizens the opportunity to undergo bachelors, masters or doctoral degrees in fields of Political and Administrative Studies; Education Sciences; Romanian Culture and Civilization; Journalism; Technical Studies; Oil and Gas; Agricultural Science; Veterinary Medicine; Architecture; and Visual Arts.

The Ministry of Human Resources also expressed gratitude to their colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and to Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister responsible for the Ministry.

“The team has demonstrated much dedication in ensuring that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to receive full support regarding higher education scholarship opportunities,” said the press release.

“The Ministry of Human Resources is extremely delighted, and will continue to ensure that Public Servants as well as the Nevisian communities are cognizant of the advantages of scholarships and their benefits to our economic growth and stability.”

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Academic Scholarships for those seeking to study at Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in Taiwan are now open. Interested persons 18 years and older who possess high school diplomas or above, should fill the following forms and submit them to the Ministry of Education on or before March 1, 2021:

1. A completed application form (to be completed online at: http://web.icdf.org.tw/ICDF_TSP/WelcomeStart.aspx) printed and signed;
2. A copy of Passport Biodata page;
3. A copy of the highest-level diploma and academic transcripts. (Must be certified by the Ministry of Education and authenticated by the Taiwan Embassy);
4. Two Letters of Reference; and
5. Any other documents specifically requested by the Embassy of Taiwan Each applicant can only apply for one programme at a time and must submit a separate programme application to his/her chosen university.

Each applicant should visit individual programme websites, provide all enrolment application documents required by that university (print out and sign), and mail to that chosen university in Taiwan.

Enrolment applications should be received by the universities they choose before the deadlines set by those universities. Original application documents must be authenticated by the Human Resource Management Department. Also, a complete set of original and authenticated documents and an additional copy of the documents are required.

Applicants are asked to take note that incomplete documents and late applications will not be accepted and/or processed. Award of scholarship decisions is made by a joint committee in Taiwan. Should interested persons or applicants have any questions, they should contact the Embassy of Taiwan at 869-465-2421.

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