Royal Caribbean, giants of the cruise industry, have begun offering cruises for fully vaccinated passengers. Here’s a look at the decision they’ve taken, as well as a look at other companies offering similar opportunities.

Cruise For Vaccinated Passengers – Information for Travelers

Royal Caribbean announced that they were going to offer a cruise for fully-vaccinated passengers in May, which would make them the first cruise line to offer such an opportunity. According to the cruise line, both crew and passengers above the age of 16 are required to have received a full course of the Covid-19 vaccine in order to be able to take part in the cruise. The cruise is only available for Israeli

The cruise is scheduled to depart from Israel, and will be on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas. The options on offer are three-night to seven-night round trip voyages, departing from Haifa and visiting the Greek Isles and Cyprus. Odyssey of the Sea was originally intended to sail in Rome, before making its way over to Florida, but the uncertainty of the situation in Europe is behind the change of plans.

Whilst having previously signaled their intent to vaccinate some crew members, alongside other cruise lines like Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the decision to fully vaccinate their crew is a newer development by the company. At present, there is no timeline for when this is due to take place.

Why Israel?

Israel currently is leading the races towards complete inoculation of its citizens, with around 4.6 million of its 9 million citizens having received at least one dose of the vaccine – giving the country the fastest per capita pace of vaccinations. More than a third of Israelis have received both doses.

In a statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Royal Caribbean’s decision to use Israel as the port of departure “a significant expression of confidence in our policy,” and “an important economic, touristic moment for the State of Israel”. A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean added “with the vaccine rollout in Israel going so well, we felt it was wonderful opportunity to work with Israel and offer sailings for the market.”

For the thousands who have had cruises cancelled in the US and elsewhere around the world, the decision provides hope and potential solutions to what has been a tricky period for customers and businesses alike.

Vaccinations In Other Travel Industry Areas

Cruise lines aren’t the only sector of the travel industry to consider vaccinations in order to continue operations. Several airlines have also committed to vaccinating their crew, in order to keep them safe and give passengers peace of mind. In February, Etihad Airways announced that they were the first airline to have 100% vaccinated crew on board, whilst Singapore Airlines joined them in this feat not long after. The question of vaccine passports for travelers is still a controversial one, yet the IATA’s Travel Pass is expected to be ready in a matter of weeks.

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Admiration has issued an upgrade regarding the series of short training course offered online by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.

The ITEC programmes conducted by the Government of India are diversified in areas of:

a) International E-training virtual course on the roll-out of COVID vaccine programme;
b) International public health management development programme;
c) Virtual training course on building nursing leadership for achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development goals;
d) Next-Generation Distribution System-Transmission towards Smart Grids;
e) E-governance strategies and best practices in India;
f) Technical, policy instruments and frameworks for shifting to renewable energy;
g) Natural resource management for sustainable rural livelihood;
h) Solar energy technologies;
i) Water transmission and distribution engineering;
j) Policies on biomedical devices;
k) Big data analytics for policy planners;
l) Data analytics for beginners;
m) Finance for non-finance background leaders;
n) Financial inclusion and development;
o) Financial instruments and issuance processes;
p) Entrepreneurship and small business development trainers/promoters;
q) Institutional planning and management for heads of educational institutions;
r) Management systems;
s) Promotion of start-ups in healthcare sector; and
t) Laboratory quality management systems and internal audit.

Interested persons must register online at least four days before the start of the course at https://www.itecgoi.in/index. All courses listed above commence in March, and each programme’s commencement date differs.

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – All Nevisians should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration.

Speaking at his monthly press conference on February 25, the Premier said having taken his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine; he wanted to assure the public that it was safe.

“We say to get vaccinated. Don’t wait, vaccinate,” said Hon. Brantley. “The idea is that vaccinations have proven over the years, over the centuries, to be a good way to avoid disease.

“We though it important to show our confidence in the process,” he said. “We thought it important to step forward, cameras rolling that the public can see that we were comfortable and confident, that there was no risk and frankly the process, having gone through it, was painless, it was quick, it was efficient…I can say to the public I have no side effects whatsoever.”

The Premier said that as more vaccines become available, persons should go out and be vaccinated free of cost. The Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health is leading the education drive to provide information to the populace regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

“The vaccines are available. They will continue to roll out the public relations exercise, they will continue to roll out the campaign,” said Brantley. “They will continue to ensure that the people of Nevis are made aware and that they understand and recognize that getting vaccinated is really the way to go.

“I think we need to just finish away with a lot of the chatter,” said Brantley. “Just get to it, get it done, and keep us safe. Remember nobody is safe until everybody is safe and so the idea really is that all of us should get vaccinated.”

Brantley commended the health officials and COVID-19 Task Forces on both islands for their efficiency in managing the spread of the virus in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The island of Nevis has had 12 reported cases since the Federation’s borders reopened in October 2020, and no positive cases since the January 6.

Brantley admonished people to continue to practice the established non-pharmaceutical protocols even with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination.

“The vaccine now provides us with that additional layer of protection,” concluded Brantley. “It is not to suggest that we abandon the non-pharmaceutical measures that have kept us safe thus far. “We continue to encourage our people to physically distance, to wear their masks when in public or interacting with other persons, and certainly to wash their hands frequently…and sanitize.”

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Underdogs ASC Jay Hawks overcame the odds to dethrone defending champions Bird Rock Uprisers in a highly exciting game, held at Basketball City on Saturday February 27, to clinch the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Junior Division Under-20 Basketball Championship Title.

Being seeded fourth at the semi-finals stage was no hindrance for the determined ASC Jay Hawks players when in the final of a best-of-three games they beat second-seeded and defending champions Bird Rock Uprisers 102-92.

The game saw playoffs’ MVP Aaron Wilkinson of ASC Jay Hawks scoring 41 points, and making nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in the very tight game that had the eventual champions narrowly leading all the way.

Wilkinson’s gallant exploits were emulated by his colleagues, Zendai Richards, who scored 20 points and returned 15 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, while Makimba Fahie scored 22 points, returned 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

For Bird Rock Uprisers the league’s MVP Cecil Angel scored 29 points, Luis Amparo scored 23 points, while Gary Thompson scored 21 points.

Distribution of awards and trophies was done immediately after the game by Marketing and Product Development Officer at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Ms. Chantelle Rochester, assisted by President of the St. Kitts Amateur Basketball Association (SKABA), Glenville Jeffers.

ASC Jay Hawks players were all awarded individual championship medals and the club took the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Junior Division Under-20 Championship Trophy, while players on the Bird Rock Uprisers team received individual second place medals and the club took the second place trophy.

Awarded for ‘most points’ was Cecil Angel of Bird Rock Uprisers, 292; ‘Most rebounds’ Cadeau Straun of Ram’s Hitters, 160; ‘most assists’ Aaron Wilkinson of ASC Jay Hawks, 36; ‘most steals’ Cecil Angel of Bird Rock Uprisers, 64; ‘most blocks’ Nigel Challenger of Wolf Pack, 45; while the league’s MVP was Cecil Angel of Bird Rock Uprisers.

“As the proud sponsors of the junior basketball league, we at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis wish to congratulate the St Kitts Amateur Basketball Association for overcoming hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to execute a successful league,” said Ms. Rochester. “Keeping our youth constructively occupied through sports should receive the support of all as we aspire to develop our Federation holistically.”

Six clubs took part in the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Junior Division Under-20 Championship League, which started in mid-January. These were the defending champions Bird Rock Uprisers, Ram’s Hitters, ASC Jay Hawks, Ram’s FRUTA Falcons, Dynamic Ballerz from Nevis, and AC Wolf Pack.

Teams played each other twice and in the end two teams, Dynamic Ballerz from Nevis, and AC Wolf Pack eliminated, while four teams proceeded on to the playoffs. Ram’s Hitters were top seeded, followed in order by the defending champions Bird Rock Uprisers, Ram’s FRUTA Falcons, and ASC Jay Hawks.

In the semi-finals fourth seeded ASC Jay Hawks beat top seeded Ram’s Hitters 77-57 while second seeded Bird Rock Uprisers beat third seeded Ram’s FRUTA Falcons 97-94 to set the stage for the Bird Rock Uprisers and ASC Jay Hawks final.

In the first of best of three finals, defending champions Bird Rock Uprisers beat ASC Jay Hawks 104-92, but ASC Jay Hawks turned the tables on the defending champions by beating them 102-69 in the second game to set the stage for the final game played on Saturday February 27, which was won by ASC Jay Hawks.

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The Biden administration on Tuesday is announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s poisoning and jailing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Biden administration is imposing sanctions on seven members of the Russian government and export controls on several entities involved in biological agent production.

The sanctions include Russian officials and a Russian research center that were previously sanctioned by the European Union (EU) last October in connection with Navalny’s poisoning in August 2020.

At about the same time the  Biden Administration seems to be giving a pass to Saudi  Arabia for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, an American journalist,  ordered killed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Trump administration knew it. Pretended it never happened.

And now the Biden administration knows it. Doesn’t seem to care all that much. Behind-the-scenes-slap-on-the wrist diplomacy won’t do the trick.

The sanctions, which are being coordinated with EU partners, come after an intelligence community assessment concluded with “high confidence” that officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) used the Novichok nerve agent to poison Navalny last August, Biden administration officials said.

“We’re sending a clear signal to Russia that there are consequences for the use of chemical weapons,” a senior administration official said.

The Biden administration is also notifying Congress that Navalny’s poisoning triggered further sanctions under the 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

This developing report will be updated.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Twenty-thousand doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis arrived in the Federation on March 1 at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw Airport from the Republic of India.

Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, and the Premier of Nevis and Foreign Affairs, and Nevis Honourable Mark Brantley, extended their gratitude to the donation from the Government of India.

The vaccines, were part of a larger batch of some 570,000 doses donated by the Government of India to the CARICOM region. Of that number, 125,000 doses went to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States countries. Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines received 40,000 doses each, Saint Lucia got 25,000 and St. Kitts and Nevis received 20,000.

The donation of 20,000 doses of Covishield vaccine- the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, is the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in St. Kitts and Nevis. The vaccine was manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

The vaccines were presented to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis by His Excellency Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, High Commissioner of the Republic of India accredited to the Federation.

In accepting the donation, Prime Minister Harris said the additional doses of vaccine represent “real hope for our people that working together we can defeat COVID-19.”

“Through His Excellency Srinivasa, High Commissioner of the Government and people of India accredited to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, I would like to thank the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for the compassion he is showing other nations during this period of the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hon. Dr. Harris. “His generous heart and enduring sense of caring and solidarity are important values which our governments share.”

“We welcome this diplomatic success in strengthening our bilateral relations with India. India has demonstrated in a tangible way its commitment to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Premier Brantley. “This donation of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines is a humanitarian effort which is unsurpassed in its generosity. We thank Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi, his government and the people of India for their commitment to strengthening and deepening the relationship between our two countries.”

Prime Minister Harris noted that one of the lessons learnt during this pandemic is how interconnected and interdependent we are as a global community.

“Against this backdrop, no nation is safe, no nation is secure until all nations are safe. If the world is truly to be rid of COVID-19, then the global community has to work together,”
said Dr. Harris. “Donations of vaccines, like these from India, show that developing nations need help and need support. If richer nations hoard their vaccine supplies, not sharing their vaccines with those nations in need, their security will be a hollow and a shallow one. I repeat then that no nation is safe, no nation is secure until all nations are safe.”

Hon. Brantley also thanked His Excellency Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, High Commissioner of India to St. Kitts and Nevis and Ambassador of India to the Caribbean Community, for his efforts in getting the vaccines to the Federation in a timely manner.

During the presentation ceremony H.E. Dr. Srinivasa said, “Being able to assist its ally nation occupies a very special place in India’s foreign policy. “It is in times such as these emergency situations that the real friends come out, and I must say this day really marks a special milestone in our bilateral relationship.”
H.E. Dr. Srinivasa said being able to assist its ally nation occupies a very special place in India’s foreign policy.
“It is in times such as these emergency situations that the real friends come out, and I must say this day really marks a special milestone in our bilateral relationship,” said Dr. Srinivasa.

Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and His Excellency Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, High Commissioner of the Republic of India accredited to St. Kitts and Nevis at the March 1 presentation ceremony for 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

His Excellency Dr. K. J. Srinivasa, High Commissioner of India to St. Kitts and Nevis and Ambassador of India to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), left, with Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Foreign Affairs Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Some of the 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated to St. Kitts and Nevis by the government of India being offloaded at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport on March 1.

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Fidel Castro’s nightclub-owning grandson sparks fury with video boasting about speeding in his luxury Mercedes in Cuba as the country suffers Covid economic crisis

• Sandro Castro was filmed speeding in Cuba by a young female companion
• The young nightclub owner is one of former dictator Fidel Castro’s grandsons
• He is shown in the video reaching 90 mph, with Cuba’s speed limit set at 62 mph
• Castro, believed to be in his 20s, has faced accusations of gross hypocrisy  
• His grandfather banned any ostentatious displays of wealth among his family

By Chris Jewers For Mailonline

He then encourages her to record the car’s speedometer, which shows the car is travelling close to 90 mph, bragging that the Mercedes ‘eats up’ the highway.

In Cuba, there is a 100 km/h speed limit (62 mph) on motorways due to poor road conditions.

Sandro Castro – who is said to be in his early twenties – faced criticism for posting the video from some traditional supporters of the revolution, who accused him of gross hypocrisy.

The Facebook group Patria o Muerte — Fatherland or Death – called for an investigation into how Castro was making his money, and that he should be jailed if any illegal activity is discovered.

Sandro Castro reportedly has a reputation as being the most ostentatious of the former communist dictator’s grandchildren.

While Fidel Castro did have some luxurious tastes, such as wearing a Rolex is his younger years and spending time on a private island off southern Cuba – he was also careful to convey an image of austerity and egalitarianism to his followers.

As a result, ostentatious displays of wealth were banned among his family members.

In 2020, Cuba faced its worst economic downturn since the early 1990s – subsidies from the collapsed Soviet Union disappeared – with GDP shrinking by 11 per cent.

The drop has been blamed on tourism becoming virtually non-existent due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has put a stop to most global travel.

As of March 1, Cuba has record 50,590 cases of the coronavirus, and 324 confirmed deaths related to the virus.

Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary and communist dictator

Fidel Castro was a Cuban revolutionary and communist dictator who served as the country’s Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976, and as its president from 1976 to 2008.

He also served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011, and ideologically was a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist.

As the longest serving non-royal head of state in the 20th and 21st centuries, Castro polarised opinion throughout the world.

His supporters hold him up as a champion of socialism and anti-imperialism, with critics calling him a dictator who oversaw human rights abuses and mass displacement.

Views also differ over Cuba’s economy under his rule, with critics saying he was behind the impoverishment of the country’s economy, while his supporters say he advanced economic justice and secured its independence from U.S. imperialism.

Pictured: Fidel Castro in 1989 during a visit from Mikhail S. Gorbachev’

Castro’s leftist and anti-imperialist ideology found its roots while he was studying law at the University of Havana.

After, he went on to participate in rebellions in Columbia and the Dominican Republic, and planned to overthrow the then-Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, launching a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.

He was imprisoned for a year, before travelling to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group called the 26th of July Movement, with his brother Raúl Castro and Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara.

Upon his return to his home country, he played a key role in the Cuban Revolution, leading the movement’s guerrilla war against Batista’s force, who was eventually overthrown in 1959.

Castro assumed military and political power as Cuba’s Prime Minister, and during his time office, the United States government came to oppose him.

The US failed in its attempts to assassinate him, imposed an economic blockade on Cuba, and attempted to lead a counter-revolution – including the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961.

To country these threats, Castro allied with the Soviet Union, and allowed it to place nuclear weapons on Cuba, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 – a defining incident of the Cold War.

Under his rule, Cuba became the first state in the Western Hemisphere to become a one-party socialist state under Communist rule, leading to state expansion but also state control of the press and suppression of dissent.

Abroad, Cuba backed the establishment of other Marxist governments in Chile, Nicaragua and Grenada, and sent troops to the Yom Kippur, Ogaden, and Angolan Civil War.

Following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, Cuba suffered an economic downtrun in which it embraced environmentalist and anti-globalization ideas.

Castro handed leadership responsibilities to his brother and Vice President Raúl Castro in 2006, who was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly in 2008. He continues to lead to this day.

Fidel Castro died in 2016. His cause of death was not shared.

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Sun-Times- Chicago actress and stand-up comedian Erica Watson died in Jamaica on Saturday from COVID-19 complications, according to a family member. She was 48.

On Sunday, Watson’s brother, Eric Watson, confirmed his sister’s death via a Facebook post, writing, in part: “We are not taking this easy. Please respect our privacy right now … as we make arrangements to bring my sister home. Keep us in your prayers.”

Watson, a Kenwood Academy High School and Columbia College alumna, wore many hats as an actress, stand-up comedian, public relations representative and activist. Her acting credits and media work include Showtime’s “The Chi,” NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” Spike Lee’s feature film“Chi-Raq,” ABC 7’s “Windy City Live” and WCIU’s “The Jam.”

South Side businesswoman Qiana Allen met Watson in 2014 when she attended “Fat B****!” — the show written and performed by the actress.

As the two became friends, Watson assumed a role as Allen’s publicist. She says Watson was working remotely from Jamaica due to concerns she had regarding COVID-19 in the states.

“[Erica] would share all of her knowledge with anybody, especially if she sees something in them,” said Allen, the owner of Culture’s Closet and co-owner of Beverly cereal bar, Munchiez. “She had so many dreams and aspirations that she wanted to complete, and that bothers me the most — she’ll never get a chance to fulfill those things.”

In 2018, Watson created “Fierce,” a cosmetic collection in a brand partnership with Nena Cosmetics, where she was one of the cover girls for their advertisements.

“When I was a little girl ‘What Are Little Girls Made Of’ was my favorite nursery rhyme, but I wasn’t the normal little girl where it was just sugar and spice and everything nice. There was a little naughty in the mix,” she told the Sun-Times in 2018.

Watson, whose birthday was last Friday, was well-known to a variety of Chicago creatives and civic leaders who took to social media when news spread of her passing.

Gabriel and Soldayane Miranda, owners of Temple Fuel, a meal prep and catering company, met Watson at a 2013 event. Watson started out as their mentor, but eventually became part of the their family.

“[Erica] was always looking out for us; looking for jobs or opportunities for my husband as well,” said Soldayane Miranda. “She was always there willing to help, or hear us out, or guide us through any anything. She was very, very sweet, caring and selfless. She was always looking out for others.”

“When I was going to be on TV, she would call me, prep me, and give me the confidence to be myself — this is heartbreaking,” said Gabriel Miranda.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx tweeted: “Erica was a talented, bright light. With every conversation, she made you feel as if you had been friends for years, even if you had only met virtually.”

On Monday, the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) released a statement on Watson’s passing. She performed at their 2020 holiday event.

 Sarah Baniak/ABC 7 Chicago

“Erica Watson was a dear friend of NABJ Chicago. She was a servant leader who, despite her multiple projects and initiatives, always put her community first,” the statement read. “That extended to our mission of media inclusion and diversity. That shared passion, combined with her unbridled talent and joyful spirit, make for an incredible loss for Chicago. She loved her hometown, and we loved her back. Rest in power, sis. We send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the Watson family.”

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Jamaica Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has indicated that more than 70 nurses at the University Hospital of the West Indies have been lured by overseas recruiting agencies since January.

The roundup of the nurses by foreign countries has had a devastating blow to the public health system and has added pressure to the remaining staff at the hospital, Tufton said at a Jamaica House press conference on Sunday evening.

He admitted that the countries that recruited them were paying much more attractive salaries.

Tufton said the health ministry has increased the hiring of staff in the South East Regional Health Authority, which covers St Catherine, St Thomas, Kingston and St Andrew, with 43 additional temporary doctors being approved for employment.

Four of them will receive contracts to start working on March 1.

Two hundred and thirty-six nurses, assistant nurses, and patient care assistants are to be hired and deployed within the region in two weeks’ time.

Over at the Western Regional Health Authority, 18 additional temporary doctors have been approved for hiring with six to commence working as soon as today (Monday).

The regional authority oversees St James, Westmoreland, Hanover, and Trelawny.

Some 42 nurses, assistant nurses, and patient care assistance are being hired with some 14 to be interviewed on March 1 as well.

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