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Almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States will now require that all incoming passengers, including American citizens, present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight.

The announcement was made by the country’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a statement, the agency said that, “testing before and after travel is a critical layer to slow the introduction and spread of COVID-19. This strategy is consistent with the current phase of the pandemic and more efficiently protects the health of Americans.”

The announcement is also in light of new strains of COVID-19 now being detected in the country. A CDC map shows that there are 72 strains of the new variant of COVID-19 in the United States (as of January 11), with Florida and California having the most reported cases.

As per the new guidelines, air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19.

Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk,” says CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, “but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations.”

This order was signed by the CDC Director on January 12, 2021, and will become effective on January 26, 2021.

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Joshua Seemungal

and Geisha Alonzo

The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) has listed ways the organization believes that a Carnival can still be held in Trinidad and Tobago this year.

Among the concerns of the Port-of-Spain business organization, is that the lack of some sort of Carnival can have psychological effects on nationals.

However, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell is maintaining that Carnival this year remains canceled.

DOMA laid out its position in a media statement yesterday, reminding the government that Carnival is part of the ‘economic DNA of T&T’ and is usually what kickstarts the economy each year.

“We however also wish to posture that, in our respectful opinion, Carnival is also part of our cultural and psychological DNA for huge cross-sections of our citizens especially our young people. It represents our creativity, exuberance and fun-loving nature that has made us the popular Carnival destination that we are. It’s absence could have a very depressing effect on us psychologically,” DOMA said.

In that regard, DOMA outlined five ways in which, what it called a COVID Carnival can be held.

The measured included:

(1) A unique limited edition 3ft diameter costume that by definition would keep two masqueraders at least 6ft apart.

(2) A moving parade of reduced numbers, which carefully supervised, would maintain social distancing and because of reduced numbers would be allowed to move freely through the streets.

(3) A moving Panorama competition, judged on the move by judges who are also moving on platforms and including a rearrangement of pan so that the sound effect is not diminished by the requested social distancing.

(4) An open-air calypso tent reminiscent of the very geniuses of calypso who sang under a tent with all applicable seating arrangements and distancing employed with all safety protocols applied.

(5) The creation of a unique Carnival Covid Mask (perhaps a Carnival Mask Competition with health criteria included in the conditions) which not only protects the spectators and the masqueraders but becomes a symbol of the design genius among our citizens which is often paid lip service but hardly given its rightful recognition by those who hold the reigns.

DOMA said that to discard Carnival 2021 without any efforts to find an imaginative alternative, “is to say that we have also discarded our creative thinking that we so often pride ourselves on.”

It added: “We, of our own volition, seem to be giving back the cultural ‘trophy’ that the world gave us and standing on the sidelines without any effort at innovation. We seem to be fulfilling the doctrine of underdevelopment of ‘why take risks when we can do nothing and have nothing to do’.”

It added that comparisons with other major carnivals that have been cancelled will only prove a “special T&T brand of intellectual impotence.”

“The mere fact that others have canceled their Carnival actually leaves the proverbial stage of life vacant for us here in T&T to host some type of unique evolutionary festival. Scaled-down substantially of course but an exhibition nevertheless of our great talent and cultural richness,” DOMA noted.

DOMA argued that the Carnival vacuum created internationally by COVID-19 represents a novel opportunity for this country to prove its Carnival worth and creative genius to the world.

Responding to DOMA’s proposal, Minister Mitchell reiterated that, “Carnival 2021 was canceled as announced by the Prime Minister. This decision was based on the best health data and advice in order to protect the lives of our citizens and to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

Pan Trinbago’s President Beverly Ramsey-Moore saw merit in a possible moving-pan competition but said it certainly will not be Panorama.

“Not a Panorama. We don’t want to take away from Panorama. You don’t want to do something that takes away from what Panorama is really all about – the vibes, the presentation and musical arrangement,” Ramsey-Moore said.

Saying Panorama typically begins in December, Pan Trinbago’s president said the competition is all about community, meaning it involves high levels of interaction between people.

“It’s community soul,” she added.

Given the continued threat of the pandemic, she added, Pan Trinbago is not prepared to take any chances.

“Because it encourages large crowds and because people come from all over Trinidad and Tobago, then we have to be extremely careful. Our first priority is the lives of our players and people coming to the panyard,” she said in closing.

Attempts to contact the chairman of the National Carnival Commission Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters by telephone for his views were unsuccessful.
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The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Central Electoral Board of the Dominican Republic signed an agreement today to promote the quality of the electoral processes of the Dominican electoral body in accordance with the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The Chair of the Board, Román Jáquez, stressed that the initiative will allow working under the electoral standard ISO 54001, which complies with a series of international standards to carry out transparent electoral processes. “We are sure that this agreement will strengthen electoral integrity, democracy, institutions and ultimately the electoral system of the Dominican Republic,” said Jáquez.

For his part, the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, recalled the joint work carried out both in the field of electoral observation and technical cooperation in the country, highlighting the link between the recommendations presented by the OAS Electoral Observation Missions and the content of this Agreement.

“We are pleased that technical cooperation mechanisms are being established to carry out a diagnosis and analysis related to ISO standards regarding electoral technology, information security and the quality of electoral processes in general,” said Secretary General Almagro, who congratulated the Board for its “willingness to join efforts that contribute to institutional strengthening.”

The signing ceremony was held at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., and was attended by the ambassadors of the Dominican Republic to the White House, Sonia Guzmán and the OAS, Josué Fiallo, among other authorities.

Reference: FNE-100258

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GENEVA — Global scientists are intensifying research into COVID-19, as the World Health Organization (WHO) moves to expand its scientific collaboration and monitoring of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

A day-long virtual meeting of scientists from around the globe, convened by WHO, brought together more than 1,750 experts from 124 countries to discuss critical knowledge gaps and research priorities for emerging variants of the virus.

Welcoming them, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: “Science and research have played a vital role in responding to the pandemic since day one and will continue to be the heartbeat of everything WHO does.”

The consultation was structured around six thematic areas covering epidemiology and mathematical modelling, evolutionary biology, animal models, assays and diagnostics, clinical management and therapeutics and vaccines.

Scientists noted the importance of research to detect and understand early on the potential impact of emerging variants on diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.

There was a consensus on the importance of integrating the new SARS-CoV-2 variants research into the global research and innovation agenda while enhancing coordination across disciplines.

“Our collective goal is to get ahead of the game and have a global mechanism to quickly identify and study variants of concern and understand their implications for disease control efforts,” said Dr Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, Head of WHO’s R&D Blueprint.

It is normal for viruses to mutate, but the more the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to change. High levels of transmission mean that we should expect more variants to emerge.

Of the significant variants reported so far, some are associated with increases in transmissibility but not disease severity. Research is ongoing to address whether the changes impact public health tools and measures.

Genomic sequencing has been critical in identifying and responding to new variants.

“So far an astounding 350,000 sequences have been publicly shared, but most come from just a handful of countries. Improving the geographic coverage of sequencing is critical for the world to have eyes and ears on changes to the virus,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Technical Lead on COVID-19.

Increasing sequencing capacity across the world is a priority research area for WHO.

Better surveillance and laboratory capacity to monitor strains of concern needs to be accompanied by prompt sharing of virus and serum samples via globally agreed mechanisms so that critical research can be promptly initiated each time.

Scientists highlighted the importance of national data platforms to document critical clinical, epidemiological and virus data that facilitates the detection and assessment of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Government officials here and at other US state capitals are preparing for a violent weekend due to continuing threats by Republican Party radicals who indicate they will continue to hold protest marches against the “Marxist Left” and “complicit mass media.”

Local newspapers across the US are warning government officials, and residents to be prepared for political marches and perhaps even violence as radicals march on state capitals.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned all its offices in major cities across the US to be vigilant and watch for subversive activities.

The St. Croix Republican Committee in St. Croix, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, urged on its website that its members should, “prepare for war.”

“We will be continuing to motivate and activate conservative patriots with solid, tangible action items. Let’s follow the example set by President Trump in the last four years and fight for the preservation of the principles of the founding of our Country.

“If you want peace, prepare for war and calls “Peace Through Strength,” a cornerstone of conservative beliefs.

“Welcome to the digital battlefield. Never before has the mission of the Conservative patriot been so clear. We watched for the last four years as Democrats in concert with the Marxist left and a complicit mass media has done everything possible to overturn the 2016 election through any means necessary.

“During the 2020 election cycle, while Republicans focused on playing the game, Democrats focused on changing the rules of the game and pushing every boundary. They worked diligently at sowing as much chaos as possible using every dirty trick imaginable to insure that they would not be caught by another surprise loss.

“It worked.

“President Trump radically changed the Republican Party in 2016, now it’s up to us to follow that lead. Patriots need to continue the fight to make sure that we put America and its citizens first, and hold all of our elected representatives accountable to their oaths to uphold the Constitution.

“It’s time to stand and be counted as a conservative warrior in the on-going fight to preserve our Constitutional Republic. Please join us. We need to start local by removing leftist tyrants from all local and county positions in the future April elections.”

Representative Daniel Webster, from Florida’s 11th District commented saying, “The violence and attack on the U.S. Capitl and law enforcement on Wednesday was wrong.”

“Protesting is a fundamental hallmark of our country and a protected constitutional right,” said Rep. Webster. ‘However, as I said last summer – violence, riots, and actions that destroy property and disrespect law enforcement is wrong.

“Those that perpetrated this violence, destroyed property, and defamed peaceful protesters must be held accountable. My prayers have been with Capital Police Officer Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood’s families and their fellow officers.

“I am very grateful for the actions of Law Enforcement to protect myself, my colleagues, our staff and the many support staff who help ensure Capital Hill functions,” concluded Rep. Webster.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — At a time when the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic appears not to be abating anytime soon, especially with the emergency of new variants of the virus, the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis has stepped up its Covid-19 fight using the latest technology.

“The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis is leading the charge in the Federation in combatting the spread of the novel coronavirus by using the latest in thermal scanning technologies and adjustments in their standard of operating procedures and policies,” said Michael Peets of Digital Security Services Ltd.

Thermal imagining cameras have been installed by Digital Security Services Ltd. at the bank’s head office at the corner of Church and Central Streets in Basseterre, and at the branch office on Chapel Street in Charlestown, Nevis. The cameras allow for clients’ temperatures to be taken without any contact as they are mounted on the wall, eight feet above the ground.

“What we have here is our thermal imaging solution,” explained Peets after the installation of the thermal camera at the head office in Basseterre. “It measures the temperature as you walk through the door and come into the establishment, a contactless solution.”

Security guards and frontline staff members at the head office and at the branch office have been trained to use a tablet to retrieve the information from the cameras. According to Peets, that information is important when it comes to contact tracing should any client show signs of the disease and can also be shared with the Ministry of Health.

Those trained in Basseterre, include Manager Human Resource Unit, Ms. Danienne Brin; Manager of the Management Information System Unit, Laurinston Matthew; Management Systems Technical Officer, Eldean Huggins; Marketing and Product Development Officer, Ms. Chantelle Rochester; Customer Service Representatives, Ms. Vershary Hanley, and Raheem Rogers; and Alpha and Omega Security Solutions Security Guard, Ms. Terrianne Bahadur.

Nevis training was provided to Branch Manager, Ms. Hyacinth Pemberton; Customer Service Representatives, Ms. Tywana Cranston and Chemor Bartlette; and Alpha and Omega Security Solutions Security Guard, Lincoln Dyer.

According to Human Resource Manager at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ms. Danienne Brin, guidelines on how to use the thermal cameras have been circulated. All clients are aware that when they enter the establishment they will have their temperatures taken using the new cameras.

“We are now in the second week since the implementation and pleased clients are responding to it,” said Ms Brin. “The guidelines outline that bank customers need to have on a mask. Our security personnel will sanitise customer’s hands and the dispenser is available if customers want to do it. The security person will direct customers to a marked area where they stand and position themselves to look up to the camera, which will take their picture and temperature.”

If the temperature is normal, the camera will release a recorded message ‘testing pass.’ The client can then proceed on to their appointments or discussions with bank officers.

If the temperature is elevated, the recorded message will say ‘warning high temperature.’ At this stage, the client will be requested to take a seat for about five minutes to cool off before they are asked to come forward to have their temperature taken again.

“The temperature is displayed on the monitor so the client can see it on the screen instead of someone telling them their temperature,” said Ms. Brin. “If testing is done a second time, and it is normal, the customer can move beyond in the camera and institution based on their scheduled appointment. If it is still elevated, the customer will be asked to touch base with their officer by telephone or email. That officer will determine the best way to serve the customer, given their elevated temperature.”

Both Ms. Brin and the Nevis Branch Office Manager, Ms. Hyacinth Pemberton, said they are pleased with how the cameras are operating. She said that the only time red flags will be raised will be due to a client’s elevated temperature due to being out in the hot sun for a lengthy period, as a second reading would be normal.

“As part of the COVID-19 fight at the Nevis branch office we moved a step ahead when it comes to the implementation of the Covid-19 protocols,” said Ms Pemberton. “Last August, we relocated to new offices on Chapel Street and when the building was being refurbished; permanent social distancing markers were included outside the office leading to the front door. Clients have to stay behind those marking before they come into the establishment. This has worked out very well.”

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Nevis Island Administration Ministry of Human Resources has announced the availability short-term Canada-Caribbean Community Skills Training for the Green Economy Scholarships programme.

This new short-term exchange opportunity, funded by Global Affairs Canada, targets people interested in pursuing certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in areas such as:
• Climate-smart agriculture;
• Coastal and fisheries management;
• Renewable energy;
• Sustainable building techniques; and
• Agro-forestry.

The benefits of the scholarship include:
• Visa/study/work permit fees;
• Airfare;
• Health insurance;
• Living expenses;
• Ground transportation; and
• Books and supplies.

The duration of the scholarship is a minimum of four months or one academic term and a maximum of eight months or two academic terms. The application period is from January to March 2021.

For further assistance and/or information, please visit the following link or contact the following persons:
https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships-bourses/can/institutions/ccstge-ccfpev.aspx?lang=eng

Kalima Ali-Jagnarine
Development Officer
High Commission of Canada
Phone: (592) 227-2081-5 ext. 398 3453
Email: Ka******************@**************gc.ca

OECS Communications
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
Phone: (758) 455-6327
Email: me***@**cs.int

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