Tag Archives: caribbean

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US: 4 Dead, 21 Injured As Immigrant Boat Sinks Off San Diego

Four people died and some two dozen people were injured after a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego in a suspected smuggling operation.

The overcrowded 40-foot (12m) cabin cruiser broke up on a reef near Point Loma on Sunday morning, tipping some 30 people into the water, officials said.

A major rescue operation was launched to help the injured on shore and retrieve seven people from the sea.

Officials said the boat captain was in custody on suspicion of smuggling.

“Every indication from our perspective is that this was a smuggling vessel used to smuggle migrants into the United States illegally,” Jeff Stephenson, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, said.

“We haven’t confirmed the nationality of the people involved, but our agents are with many of them at the hospital and the man who we believe was the operator… The investigation’s still unfolding.”

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Rescuers were alerted to the incident near the Cabrillo National Monument, at about 10:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

Rick Romero, of the San Diego Fire Rescue Lifeguard, said first reports indicated three or four people needed help but they quickly realised it was “going to be a bigger situation with more people”.

“Once we arrived on scene, the boat had basically been broken apart,” he said. “Conditions were pretty rough: five to six feet of surf, windy, cold.”

Debris from the boat washes up on to the beachimage copyrightGetty Images
image captionAuthorities believe the boat was being used to smuggle migrants into the US

He said people were in the water being taken out to sea by the rip current, while people on shore needed CPR and treatment for hypothermia and other injuries.

In a statement, the US Coast Guard said 29 people had been accounted for, of which 24 people were alive, four people had died and one was in a critical condition.

Footage from the scene showed large pieces of debris washing up on the beach. Jet skis, three more rescue boats and specialist rescue equipment including cranes were brought in to help with the rescue.

At the same news conference, Mr Stephenson said it was not yet known where the boat had come from but many smuggling boats come from Mexico’s Baja coastline.

“The smugglers, they don’t care about the people they’re exploiting. All they care about is profit to them,” he said. “These people are just commodities. So you can see that in the way they treat them, inadequate safety equipment, really poorly equipped vessels and giving them minimal.”

Mr Stephenson said there had been a 92% increase in the number of apprehensions linked to smuggling by sea in 2020, compared with the previous year.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had announced on Friday that it was beefing up its patrols of the coastline over the weekend to try and deter smugglers.

Border patrol agents detained 21 people – 15 men and six women – found on a small open boat, a panga, off the coast of San Diego early on Thursday. They were Mexican nationals with no legal status to enter the US, the CBP said. Two suspected smugglers who were on board the boat will face federal charges.

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Colombia: Proposed Tax Hike Withdrawn After Mass Protests

BBC- Colombia’s President Iván Duque has withdrawn a controversial tax reform bill following four days of huge protests across the country.

In a televised statement, he said his government would work to produce new proposals and seek consensus with other parties and organisations.

He had previously insisted tax rises were needed to respond to the economic crisis generated by the pandemic.

But tens of thousands of people took to the streets in anger at the bill.

Unions, who organised the protests, said it would disproportionately impact the poorest people who were already struggling with the economic impact of Covid-19.

President Duque, in his statement, acknowledged “it is a moment for the protection of the most vulnerable, an invitation to build and not to hate and destroy”.

“It is a moment for all of us to work together without paltriness,” he added. “A path of consensus, of clear perceptions. And it gives us the opportunity to say clearly that there will be no increase in VAT for goods and services.

Colombia’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 6.8% last year, its deepest crash in half a century, and the coronavirus pandemic has further driven up its unemployment rate.

The proposed reforms would have lowered the threshold at which salaries are taxed, affecting anyone with a monthly income of $656 or more.

It would also have eliminated many of the current exemptions enjoyed by individuals, as well as increasing taxes imposed on businesses and the number of goods covered by value added tax (VAT).

The proposals caused outrage among many Colombians who say they are already struggling to feed their families during the pandemic.

Many middle-class Colombians and members of indigenous groups joined the protests.

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Cuba: Govt. Ends Dissident’s Hunger Strike

Cuba’s government put an end on Sunday to a week-long hunger strike staged by a leading dissident – the head of a group that has protested state censorship of artistic works – and was reported by authorities to be in stable condition.

A note published by the Havana Department of Public Health said Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara was “referred” to a local hospital early on Sunday for “self-imposed food deprivation” and arrived by ambulance “and walking without difficulty.” He had spent seven days without food or fluids.

The San Isidro Movement led by Otero Alcantara, a performance artist, is a dissident group that includes a few dozen artists, writers and activists.

The health department said the hospital had found no sign of malnutrition or other chemical imbalances but said Otero Alcantara had been admitted, was in stable condition and was being attended to by physicians.

Members of the San Isidro movement said state security had forced Otero Alcantara from his home and that he was in custody, presumably at the hospital. They questioned the report and demanded more information.

“How is it possible he has no signs of malnutrition or dehydration after being on a hunger and thirst strike for more than 7 days?” the group asked in a Twitter post.

Otero Alcantara’s home had been surrounded by police for days with no one allowed in or out during his hunger strike.

The U.S. State Department in a Twitter post on Saturday had expressed concern over Otero Alcantara’s health and urged “the Cuban government to take immediate steps to protect his life and health.”

People can survive more than a month without food, but rarely more than 10 days without food or fluids.

Members of the San Isidro Movement in November had staged a hunger strike against censorship and harassment of independent creators and activists by the Communist government. Police ended the hunger strike, prompting a rare protest by around 300 people in front of the Culture Ministry in Havana.

Authorities since then have vilified members of the group as outside agitators working with the United States. Its members repeatedly have been temporarily detained and often told they cannot leave their homes, with communications cut.

Otero Alcantara was arrested a few weeks ago as he protested a Communist Party congress by sitting in a garrote. Authorities seized or destroyed some of his art.

In his hunger strike, Otero Alcantara was demanding a return of his art, compensation, freedom of expression and an end to police harassment. The dissident group has been appealing for support since his hunger strike began, gaining little traction in Cuba but notice some abroad including from human rights organizations and the U.S. government.

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Argentina Hospitals Full, Mexico Has Vaccine Troubles, World Stats

Hospitals are full’ as Argentina COVID-19 cases hit 3 million

Reuters
Healthcare workers speak on the phone at an intensive care unit of a hospital prepared for patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/
A demonstrator holds an Argentinian flag as they protest against Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez's lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, outside Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 17, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/
Healthcare workers speak on the phone at an intensive care unit of a hospital prepared for patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/

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A demonstrator holds an Argentinian flag as they protest against Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez’s lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, outside Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 17, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/

Argentina coronavirus cases hit 3 million on Sunday since the pandemic began, as medical workers said hospitals were full to capacity despite toughened government measures to bring down the spread of infections.

The country’s health ministry said there were 11,394 new cases over the last 24-hour period, bringing up the grim new milestone, with 156 new deaths taking fatalities to 64,252.

The government of President Alberto Fernandez this week unveiled a new round of tougher restrictions as a second wave of infections has battered the country, filling up intensive care units and setting new daily records for cases and deaths.

But medical staff said it was still not enough.

“People need to be a little more aware and know that the hospitals are full and that health personnel are exhausted,” said Luciana Berti, a 41-year-old surgical assistant.

The South American grains producer, which has gone through three straight years of recession, exacerbated by the pandemic, is balancing the need to stem the spread of the virus while protecting a fragile economic recovery.

Marcela Cid, owner of a business on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, said that Argentines were increasingly “locked into a situation” that while necessary, was of little help to anyone trying to move beyond the pandemic.

Argentine pediatrician Carlos Kambourian said that the key would be speeding up a stalled vaccination campaign. Otherwise, he warned, hospitals would be overwhelmed. Intensive care beds are around 68.1% occupied nationally, government data show.

“Today the health system does not support one more patient,” Kambourian said. “It is already overflowing.”

“We can continue to extend measures every 15 days from here until two years from now if we don’t do what needs to be done, which is to test and vaccinate, test and vaccinate,” he said.

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Mexico looks for U.S. help as AstraZeneca admits Latin American vaccine delay

Reuters- Dave GrahamAdriana Barrera

 

Vials of the AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are seen in a general practice of a doctor, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Vienna, Austria April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
A woman receives a dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a mass vaccination program in Monterrey, Mexico April 12, 2021. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
Vials of the AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are seen in a general practice of a doctor, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Vienna, Austria April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

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A woman receives a dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a mass vaccination program in Monterrey, Mexico April 12, 2021. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday the United States would probably send his country 5 million more doses of AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine, as the company admitted production in Latin American had suffered multiple setbacks.

Mexico is struggling with behind-schedule local AstraZeneca production and shortfalls in deliveries from foreign suppliers and has asked the United States to help with more vaccines. read more The request is in addition to some 2.7 million AstraZeneca doses Washington sent to Mexico in March.

“It’s probable that they’ll help us with a loan, while the AstraZeneca plant in Mexico gets up and running,” Lopez Obrador said at a regular news conference.

The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Under a deal reached last year, the mAbxience laboratory in Argentina manufactures the active ingredient of the vaccine and ships it for bottling to a factory in Mexico owned by a company called Liomont. The shots are to be delivered across Latin America, excluding Brazil, which has a separate production deal.

Argentina has delivered cargos of the active ingredient to Mexico, but Liomont’s commercial production has slipped from an original target of March. In a statement shared with Reuters on Friday, AstraZeneca said deliveries of the shots would now begin before the end of June.

AstraZeneca said it regretted the setbacks, which it attributed to limited access to critical supplies, lower-than-expected process yields from initial vaccine batches, and longer times to meet internal “site qualifications” for those batches.

“This will delay the launch of our vaccine in countries across Latin America to be supplied from this supply chain,” AstraZeneca said, without giving more details of what had caused the problems.

The Mexican government has said the Liomont factory has undergone major upgrades to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine, and that it has taken longer than expected for the factory to win regulatory approvals. read more

Liomont referred a request for comment to AstraZeneca.

An additional site in the United States will help meet the target of 150 million doses for the region, excluding Brazil, this year, AstraZeneca said, but 80% of the shots will still be bottled at the Mexico plant.

The problems have affected vaccination programs in the region. Argentina’s government this week formally requested a report on production from AstraZeneca. read more

In Mexico, the problems have been compounded by deliveries of far fewer Sputnik V doses from Russia than had been agreed, and lower volumes than expected of Pfizer Inc’s (PFE.N) coronavirus vaccines.

Reuters reported that Pfizer will ship doses made in its U.S. plant to Mexico for the first time.

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Chilean regulator sees no clouds over Sputnik vaccine despite Brazilian rejection

Aislinn Laing
A medical specialist holds a vial of Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in a department store in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2021 REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo/File Photo

A medical specialist holds a vial of Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in a department store in Moscow, Russia, January 18, 2021 REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo/File Photo

Reuters- The director of Chile’s health regulator said he sees no evidence of safety issues with Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine developed in Russia, despite its rejection by the Brazilian health regulator this week over a lack of information about its safety.

Heriberto Garcia, the director of Chile’s Public Health Institute (ISP), said Chile was seeking clarity from the vaccine’s developers about the potential presence of an adenovirus that could reproduce, possibly creating a negative reaction in recipients. This was the basis for Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, rejecting the vaccine on Monday. read more

But he added that real-world data from Argentina and Mexico, where Sputnik V is already being rolled out, showed instances of significant effects among recipients of the vaccine were no greater than those among Chilean citizens who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) or Sinovac (SVA.O) equivalents.

He said that even if Sputnik V’s developers supplied information suggesting the presence of “replication-competent adenoviruses” (RCA), the ISP would not necessarily reject it.

“We have to balance the benefit of getting vaccinated versus not getting vaccinated,” he told Reuters in a Zoom interview. “If the virus replicates, you’re going to get at most a common cold. If you don’t get vaccinated, you could get COVID-19.”

Adenoviruses – a category of viruses that can cause a range of illnesses in humans like the common cold – are sometimes repurposed as viral vectors for vaccines. However, global health guidelines warn against “replication-competent adenoviruses” that could multiply inside a patient’s body, possibly creating a negative reaction.

Chile is in the final stages of negotiating a deal to buy 4 million doses of Sputnik V as it races to vaccinate 80% of its target population – 15 million people – by July.

Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute which developed Sputnik V said in a statement to Reuters on Friday that no RCA was detected in any of the batches of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Anvisa’s five-strong board voted unanimously not to approve the Russian vaccine, saying it had identified “inherent risks” and “serious” defects, and cited a lack of information guaranteeing its safety, quality and effectiveness. read more

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the Sputnik V vaccine abroad, has rejected Anvisa’s comments, saying the shot’s safety and efficacy had been assessed by regulators in 61 countries which approved it for use.

The Gamaleya Institute has said Sputnik V is 97.6% effective against COVID-19 in a “real-world” assessment based on data from 3.8 million people.

The European Union’s regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is evaluating the shot and its manufacturing process, with a decision on its use expected in May or June.

The ISP’s Garcia said discussions with RDIF had begun a month ago and were “100% positive” so far.

He said he was confident RDIF could supply the extra documentation the ISP had asked for before it began considering Sputnik V for approval for emergency rollout.

“I doubt that there is a problem but we as a regulator need that information so we as a health authority can reassure our population,” he said.

He said Brazil’s rejection of Sputnik V over missing documentation was “valid” but that the ISP would avoid a similar issue by insisting on all the necessary documentation about Sputnik V before formally considering it for use in Chile.

“This avoids generating mistrust about vaccines which won’t get us anywhere,” he said.

RDIF has claimed that Anvisa could have been “politically motivated” to reject Sputnik V. Garcia said there could be no similar claim toward Chile. read more

“The pressure that I have, that we all have, is to end this pandemic soon and for that we know that vaccines are a good tool,” he said. “So we are doing everything possible to have as many vaccines as possible and balance the risks with the benefits.”

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

153,527,802

Deaths:

3,217,267

Recovered

131,578,065

Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

[back to top ↑]

Latest News

May 3 (GMT)

Updates

  • 8,489 new cases and 336 new deaths in Russia [source]

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Caribbean Cruises From Alabama Could Restart Mid Summer

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — With demand for COVID-19 vaccinations lagging at an immunization clinic set up at the Alabama Cruise Terminal, an official said the site could shut down soon as the cruise industry prepares to restart.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines recently that would allow companies that meet certain benchmarks to resume operating around mid-July, and officials are hopeful Carnival Cruise Lines can resume its trips to the western Caribbean from Mobile.

The city’s cruise terminal near downtown is currently being used as a mass vaccination site by the Mobile County Health Department, but Health Officer Dr. Bert Eichold told WALA-TV he expects the operation to wrap up in the next couple of weeks.

“The mega-clinic site seems to be decreasing in demand, so we will be out of that facility when the cruise industry starts back,” he said. “It was a great site. The city was a great partner. Good use of space.”

More than 22% of the residents of Mobile County are fully vaccinated, according to CDC statistics. But the county, with about 413,000 residents, also has one of the higher levels of community disease transmission in Alabama, according to the state.

The area tourism agency said cruises account for 35,000 hotel nights and $150 million annually, and the more than yearlong shutdown of the industry has taken a chunk out of the local economy.

“It’s been a big blow. Tourism’s never, ever seen what they’ve seen in terms of disaster in the economy, from travel, or the lack of travel,” said David Clark, chief executive of Visit Mobile.

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who has pushed for a resumption of cruising, said he was happy the CDC had provided the industry with a roadmap for resuming business.

“The city of Mobile stands ready for the return of Carnival. All our full-time, part-time and contracted employees who interact with passengers on cruise days have already been vaccinated for COVID-19. Our team is prepared to welcome back cruisers safely and with enthusiasm,” he said in a statement.

Alabama is last in the nation in the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 525,000 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus that causes the illness, and more than 10,800 have died.

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Nevis has received the bulk of severance payments so far – Premier Brantley

By Monique Washington

With over thirty million dollars already paid out in severance payment by the Federal Government, the island of Nevis has received 69 percent of that sum.

This is according to the Premier of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley.

Several people lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the borders of the twin islands to be closed in March 2020. Since then, 2884 claims have been made to date – 1837 have been processed, 1047 are to be processed. Of the 1837 processed, 1789 persons have received payment, and 48 are awaiting payment. A total of $30,042,565.65 has been paid out. Employees in Nevis have received 69 percent of that sum.

“We know that many of our people who have lost work and have applied for severance payments have up to date not yet received,” the Premier said.

“We are heartened, because we continue to agitate at the federal level, and to encourage a more rapid movement there.”

Brantley said that the task of sorting people’s severance had been deemed overwhelming, as a number of issues have arisen.

“In fairness, they have been overwhelmed. The number of claims has been quite considerable.”

Brantley explained some of the issues that plagued the Nevis claims.

Read more in this week’s Observer Newspaper

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Vaccines’ impact remains relevant – Health Minister

 

Minister of Health Akilah Byron-Nisbett has noted the impact that vaccines has had on the socio-economic systems of St. Kitts and Nevis, and has indicated that these mechanisms are important, if the federation is to turn the tide for COVID-19.

Byron-Nisbett was at the time making an address in observance of World Immunization Week, that runs April 24 to 30.

She said the week was the time of year when there is substantial focus on vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease, and being cognizant that immunization saves millions of lives every year, and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective public health interventions.

She said the week is celebrated under the theme “Vaccines bring us closer”.

“This is a compelling reminder of the power and strength of vaccines to save lives, through collective efforts and successful immunization campaigns.”

The Minister of Health said the theme is even more important when at this juncture, globally, the world is confronted with the Coronavirus pandemic, that is wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods. 

“Only vaccines and immunization can foster physical proximity and bring us closer to each other. 

“As more people are protected from COVID-19 through vaccination, our goals of achieving maximal closeness again, reducing travel restrictions, masking and distancing requirements will undoubtedly be closer to attainment.”

Byron-Nisbett noted that vaccines have been protecting the people of St Kitts and Nevis and the world over for decades. 

“Not only have vaccines protected us for decades, but it has been proven that vaccines will continue to help us with our usual, traditional, existential way of life.”

She said the COVID-19 vaccines can free the Federation, as other vaccines have done in relation to other dangerous diseases.

“The COVID-19 vaccines will allow us to freely gather safely, whether for work, leisure, learning, duty or worship; will facilitate the building of bridges across generations, protecting the very young and old, by preventing disease transmission within households, and among caregivers.”

She said a successful vaccination campaign will help to reach full potential and safeguard from dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases 

“It is the Ministry’s fervent desire to see our citizens and residents venture out into communities, the workplace, and the wider world, with confidence to contribute and thrive throughout their lifespan.”

The Minister of Health said that the potential can only be realized with the COVID-19 vaccine. She said the Ministry can effectively roll out the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“With a childhood immunization rate of over 96%, our citizens are accustomed to vaccinations. It has become imperative to depend on effective vaccines to turn the tide of this pandemic.

“However, the tide can only be turned when we reach a large number of our population, no matter where they live or who they are.”

She warned that the consequences can be dire, if vaccinations are too slow.

“If we fail to achieve this, the impact on our health and socio-economic systems will take months or even years to reverse.

“The Ministry of Health will vigorously engage in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign and remains committed to demonstrate the value of vaccines in the health of children, communities and the world.”

The Health Minister also spoke about the successes of the Federation’s National Immunization Programme, which includes vaccines for the prevention of the diseases mentioned above, and boasts of an admirable childhood immunization success rate of 96 to 98 percent from birth to grade six. 

In addition to the common childhood vaccines, the influenza vaccine was introduced in the St. Kitts and Nevis immunization programme in 2018, with a focus on clients and groups identified as high risk. 

“The targets and groups are health care workers, pregnant women, older adults and persons with chronic diseases. Further, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine , was introduced into the St Kitts and Nevis National Immunization programme in October 2019 to grade six students with an impressive 92% coverage, having seen 758 students vaccinated, from a target population of 824.”

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A&B: Even Vaccinated, Travelers Will Still Need to Quarantine

By Orville Williams

Antigua Observer- Passengers arriving in Antigua and Barbuda will now be allowed to complete only one week of quarantine – instead of the previous two weeks – once they can prove that they have been fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19.

The Cabinet announced that adjustment to the regulations yesterday, joining many countries around the world that are allowing increased freedoms to people who have been vaccinated against the virus.

Along with valid proof of their two-dose, or in the case of some, single dose vaccinations, incoming travelers will be expected to provide a negative Covid-19 PCR test on arrival at the VC Bird International Airport, before being placed into a mandatory seven-day quarantine.

On the fifth day of the quarantine, each traveler will be required to take another PCR test and will then be allowed into the population after completing the seven days if the test returns negative. If the test should return positive, the individual will be isolated as per the existing quarantine protocols.

This will come as welcome news to nationals who reside abroad and residents who travel frequently, as many have complained that the two-week quarantine was not only expensive, but also inconvenient for those looking to do business.

Tourists, however, would still be allowed to “quarantine” at their hotels, which are still considered bio-secure facilities.

Concerns have been raised about the rush to travel, given the sustained periods of lockdown in many countries, and the fact that some unscrupulous persons may look to exploit the allowances being given by countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, by producing falsified vaccination documentation.

Considering this recent change in the regulations, Cabinet Spokesperson and Information Minister, Melford Nicholas, was questioned how the authenticity of that vaccine information would be determined.

He explained that the ‘vaccine passport’ concept would be relied on in the long term, with countries having digital access to the information that is, for now, largely being produced through a physical document.

“[This] is certainly an issue for all jurisdictions, [and] what is being contemplated is a global repository…where one would be able to access the information, to validate or authenticate the presentation of a physical document,” he said.

Until that is finalised and put in place though, Nicholas said the country will rely upon the experience of the port health personnel, who he says would have been gathering that experience since earlier in the pandemic.

“As of last June, when we opened the borders, the port health would have aggregated some experience, in terms of being able to filter some of these false representations and they will build upon that.

“It’s the same thing that a computer model will do – referring to artificial intelligence – they will look at past experiences and look at these flaws.

“The real foolproof mechanism, [however], would be to be able to be participating in a global vaccine passport.”

Nicholas added that the vaccine information will likely be linked through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) platform – which is accessed by border authorities globally – to ensure that authorities in each receiving country can view data from the country of origin, toward authenticating any vaccination information presented by a traveller on arrival.

 

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ILO: Solidarity is key to Our Common Survival and Prosperity

May 1-International Labour Day

In a statement issued to mark May Day, ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, calls on workers, employers, governments, international organizations and all who are committed to building back better, to join forces to bring in a world of work with justice and dignity for all.

Date issued: 30 April 2021 | Size/duration: 2:55

This year we again celebrate May Day, International Workers’ Day, under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has devastated the world of work, destroying jobs, enterprises and livelihoods, throwing millions into poverty and global development into reverse.

And like most crises, it has hit the weakest and the most vulnerable, the hardest, making an unequal world even more unequal.
The pandemic and its consequences are a stark reminder of global interdependence.
That applies to health as much as it does to our working lives.
  • No one is safe until everyone is safe.
  • No one can afford to be indifferent to the situation of others in the face of the fragility of the interdependent world that we have constructed.
  • Solidarity is key to our common survival and prosperity, within borders and across borders.
As we deal with today’s crisis and look to the future, one thing is clear: we need a human-centred recovery, with justice and equity, a recovery that is sustainable and inclusive of all.
Building back better means making deliberate and coherent policy choices:
  • to generate jobs and do a short, decent working conditions for everybody;
  • to extend social protection;
  • to protect workers’ rights; and
  • to use social dialogue.
 And on this May Day, we recall historic struggles that brought hard-won gains.
Today, again, extraordinary sacrifices are being made by people in the world of work to beat COVID-19.
We salute them, just as we mourn those whose have lost their lives, but, we must never sacrifice our values of social justice, nor our fundamental rights at work, nor our determination to build the better future which, is the meaning and the purpose of those who have celebrated May Day around the world for so many years.
In many ways, the pandemic has brought darkness to our lives and made that task more difficult.
Yet, it has also brought new possibilities that we can and must pursue.
The flux of crisis gives us space to rethink, make new choices and new commitments for people, for planet and for prosperity.
On this International Labour Day, the ILO calls on workers, employers, governments and international organizations, everybody committed to building back better, to join forces, to bring in a world of work with justice and dignity for all.

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Haiti: Kidnapped Catholics, Others Freed

HT- At least nine people kidnapped were set free separately on Thursday in Port-au-Prince, including the six remaining Catholics that “400 Mawozo” gang members took hostage earlier this month.

Reports did not mention whether a ransom was paid for any of the victims.

The Catholics, initially a group of 10, were kidnapped in Croix-des-Bouquets, a town six miles from Port-au-Prince April 11. One worshipper was released days later after the gang members received USD $50,000, according to local reports. The gang members set free three more worshippers a week ago without ransom.

The churchgoers included five priests, two nuns and three members of a priest’s family. One priest and one nun are of French nationality.

Also released Thursday are Youri Dérival, a psychology student, Marie Josette Malvoisin, a professor and Manuel Gaston Orival, a former police commissioner.

Orival was kidnapped on Tuesday in his home at Avenue Pouplard in Port-au-Prince. News of his release brought much relief and joy to his neighborhood.

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