Tag Archives: caribbean

headline

Record 23 Tons of Cocaine from Paraguay Seized in Germany

Customs authorities in Germany and Belgium have seized a record amount of cocaine – more than 23 tonnes – that was destined for the Netherlands.

German officials discovered 16 tonnes in five shipping containers that had arrived in the port of Hamburg from Paraguay earlier this month.

Police in the Netherlands were notified and a further 7.2 tonnes of cocaine was seized at the Belgian port of Antwerp.

German officials said the cocaine had a street value of billions of euros.

A 28-year-old man suspected of involvement in the trafficking of the drugs has been arrested in the Netherlands, Dutch police said on Wednesday.

The two raids, which took place earlier this month, resulted in the seizure of an “enormous amount of cocaine”, customs officials said.

In Antwerp, the drug was hidden in a container filled with wooden blocks from Panama.

The cocaine found in the northern German city of Hamburg was concealed in tins of wall filler, which had entered Europe on a container ship from Paraguay.

Cocaine found in over 1,700 tins of wall filler in Hamburg, GermanyOfficials ordered the containers to be emptied after noticing “clear irregularities”
Cocaine found in over 1,700 tins of wall filler in Hamburg, Germanyimage copyrightReuters

Customs officers decided to take a closer look at the Paraguayan containers after noticing “clear irregularities” with some of the contents – tin cans that were meant to be filled with putty.

“Beyond a layer of genuine goods, packed just behind the container door, numerous tin cans were in fact filled with other goods,” officials said.Customs officials said the amount of cocaine discovered had a street value of “several billion dollars”

Investigators then ordered the containers to be unloaded, and found cocaine stashed away in more than 1,700 tins.

“This is the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe and one of the largest single seizures worldwide,” German customs said, referring to the Hamburg haul alone.

“We are estimating a street sales value of between €1.5bn and €3.5bn ($1.8bn and $4.2bn) for the 16 tonnes,” Hamburg customs official Rene Matschke told AFP news agency.

Hamburg is Europe’s third biggest port, and the largest in Germany.

Paraguay has been a key transit country for drugs for years.

Powerful drug trafficking gangs from neighbouring Brazil, such as First Capital Command (PCC), have expanded across the border into Paraguay and are running many of the smuggling operations there.

The drugs are often shipped in containers from Paraguay to port cities in Europe.

This latest haul, however, is the biggest ever discovered in Europe.

In October, 11.5 tonnes of cocaine was discovered hidden in scrap metal containers that had arrived in Antwerp from South America.

In August 2019, customs officials at the port of Hamburg seized about 4.5 tonnes of cocaine from a shipment that was listed as soya beans. Officials said at the time that the haul could have been worth up to €1bn, depending on its purity.

High-purity cocaine can be cut up or divided, with different substances added to increase profits when sold on the street.

Last year, about 102 tonnes of cocaine was intercepted while heading for Europe.

The post Record 23 Tons of Cocaine from Paraguay Seized in Germany appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Honduras: Drug War Could Collapse if US Sanctions Country’s President

TEGUCIGALPÁ, Honduras (AP) — Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández says that antinarcotics cooperation with the United States could “collapse” if U.S. authorities believe “false testimony” accusing him of cooperating with traffickers.

Hernández spoke before the Central American country’s Congress on Wednesday, a day after several Democratic U.S. senators backed a bill calling on President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on Hernández and “determine whether he is a specially designated narcotics trafficker.”

Hernández has repeatedly denied testimony by witnesses in U.S. drug prosecutions — one of which convicted his brother — accusing him of taking bribes from traffickers. He has not been charged, however.

On Wednesday, he again asserted that a group known as “Los Cachiros” were seeking vengeance against him for allowing them to be extradited to the U.S. He said they “have been repeatedly lying in the most obvious way” in order to manipulate U.S. authorities into acting against the very Honduran officials pursuing them.

“It would mean, sooner or later, that the systems of effective cooperation that I helped build, that have been recognized and praised repeatedly by Washington, inevitably would collapse — and not only in Honduras, but in several countries of the Americas,” he said.

On Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon introduced a bill that would seek to isolate Hernández, who in recent years has leaned heavily on support within the U.S. government when facing domestic opposition and allegations of connections to drug traffickers.

“The United States cannot remain silent in the face of deeply alarming corruption and human rights abuses being committed at the highest levels of the Honduran government,” Merkley said in a statement. “A failure to hold Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, national officials, and members of the police and military accountable for these crimes will fuel widespread poverty and violence and force more families to flee their communities in search of safety.”

Merkley’s bill was backed by Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts among others.

The bill calls for a suspension of security aid, seeks to prohibit the export of items such as tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets for Honduran security forces and calls on the U.S. to oppose loans to those forces from multilateral development banks.

It also calls on the Honduran government to talk to the United Nations about establishing an anti-corruption mission. Under Hernández, a similar mission backed by the Organization of American States was not renewed after it began to implicate a number of federal lawmakers.

Earlier this month, U.S. prosecutors filed documents in an upcoming trial suggesting the president himself was under investigation. One of his numerous brothers, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, was convicted in New York of a drug conspiracy in 2019.

The post Honduras: Drug War Could Collapse if US Sanctions Country’s President appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

DR Soldier Kills Haitian Attacker at Border Crossing

 

A Dominican soldier shot dead a Haitian who allegedly attacked him with a knife after the soldier refused to be bribed to allow him, along with another Haitian, to enter Dominican territory irregularly.

According to the Dominican army report, Sergeant Pedro Galvá Jiménez, in charge of the surveillance post located at Colonia Libertador La Bomba, in the province of Dajabón (north-west), “was forced to shoot an undocumented Haitian”.

According to the military version, the incident took place around noon on Monday when the military was carrying out routine supervision in the area and detected two suspicious Haitians, who offered him 300 pesos to let them pass into Dominican territory.

When the sergeant refused to negotiate, one of the Haitians allegedly attacked him with a knife trying to seize his M-16 rifle. The sergeant Pedro Galvá Jiménez, injured in his left hand,  had to shoot on one of the Haitians, the report said.

Sergeant Pedro Galvá Jiménez was treated in a medical center in Dajabón and then transferred to the camp of the tenth army battalion, to which he belongs.

The post DR Soldier Kills Haitian Attacker at Border Crossing appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

TV Comedy Frasier Making A Comeback

The hit 1990s US TV show Frasier, which starred Kelsey Grammer as a pedantic psychiatrist with his own radio show, is set to return.

Grammer confirmed the show’s revival saying: “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr Frasier Crane.”

There has been no confirmation that other members of the original cast will also return.

Frasier remains one of the US’s most successful TV sitcoms.

It ran for 11 seasons – between 1993 and 2004 – and won 37 Emmy Awards, including five for best comedy series.

“There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered,” David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, said.

The series is set to be aired on the new streaming service Paramount+, although no date has been given for when audiences might expect to be able to watch it.

Dr Frasier Crane first appeared in another hit TV show, “Cheers”, and the spin-off series charted his return to his hometown of Seattle to care for his cranky father, played by John Mahoney who died in 2018.

The show also followed Frasier’s relationships with his brother Niles, played by David Hyde Pierce, English housekeeper Daphne Moon, played by Jane Leeves, and Frasier’s producer Roz Doyle, played by Peri Gilpin. It is not known if they will return.

In January, it was announced that another hit show from the 1990s, Sex and the City, would also be returning.

The post TV Comedy Frasier Making A Comeback appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Venezuela Expels EU Ambassador Over Sanctions

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of the chief European Union diplomat in the South American nation following the bloc’s decision to impose sanctions on several Venezuelan officials accused of undermining democracy or violating human rights.

Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa was given 72 hours to leave the troubled country. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said Brilhante Pedrosa was declared persona non grata by decision of President Nicolás Maduro.

“The circumstances of aggression leave no option” due to “disrespect for public international law” and in accordance with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, Arreaza said in a statement after a meeting with the European diplomat in the capital, Caracas.

“We do it because there are already 55 decisions, of what they call sanctions in the European Union or in the US system, as if they had a moral authority, which they do not have, nor legal, to impose any punishments on citizens of any other country,” Arreaza said.

The Venezuelan government action came two days after the European Union’s foreign ministers sanctioned 19 Venezuelan officials, freezing their assets and banning them from traveling to the bloc, citing the deteriorating situation Venezuela faces after the December 2020 elections. The main opposition parties boycotted those elections.

So far, 55 Venezuelan officials have been sanctioned by the European Union.

“The individuals added to the list are mainly responsible for undermining the electoral rights of the oppositions and the democratic functioning of the National Assembly and for serious violations of human rights and restrictions on fundamental freedoms,” the EU ministers said.

It is the second time in almost eight months that Brilhante Pedrosa has been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave Venezuela. Both cases have been related to the EU sanctions against officials and allies of Maduro.

Last June, Brilhante Pedrosa was able to remain in Venezuela after the European Union high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, and Arreaza agreed on the need to maintain diplomatic relations to “facilitate the paths of political dialogue.”

Arreaza on Wednesday lamented that the sanctions were imposed again, saying Maduro had been “generous” to allow European diplomats to remain after many nations formally recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s rightful leader.

Guaidó, former president of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president in 2019 and was recognized by 60 countries as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, arguing that Maduro’s reelection in 2018 was fraudulent. Among the countries that recognized Guaidó were Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Maduro has repeatedly accused the European nations and the United States of trying illegally to force him from power.

Arreaza on Wednesday delivered protest notes to the ambassadors of France and Germany, as well as to the heads of mission of Spain and the Netherlands. The Venezuelan government accused those countries of orchestrating the new sanctions.

European Union spokesman Peter Stano urged Venezuela’s government to reverse the ouster of Brilhante Pedrosa, saying it “will only lead to further international isolation of Venezuela.”

“Venezuela will only overcome its ongoing crisis through negotiation and dialogue, to which the EU is fully committed but which this decision undermines directly,” he said.

Hours later, Maduro said in a televised appearance that “the European Union is welcome in Venezuela” as long as it is respectful and the Europeans “rectify” their position.

Without that, there will be no “kind of dialogue, gentlemen of the European Union,” he added.

Venezuela is mired in a deep political, social and economic crisis attributed plummeting oil prices and to two decades of mismanagement by socialist governments in the oil- country. Venezuela has been in recession for years. Millions live in poverty amid high food prices, low wages and four-digit inflation.

The post Venezuela Expels EU Ambassador Over Sanctions appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Corona Latest: More Vaccines on the Way, Pfizer Vac 94% Effective

CORONAVIRUS: More help on the vaccine front is on the way. That was the message from vaccine developers on Tuesday as they laid out plans to dramatically increase the total amount of doses in the coming months and indicated that the worst of the manufacturing and distribution of the vaccines is in the rearview mirror.

Executives from Pfizer and Moderna, the only two companies that have approved COVID-19 vaccines, said they will be able to deliver more than 130 million additional shots combined by the end of March. The two vaccine producers are also expected to be able to fulfill their contractual obligations to provide 600 million doses by the end of July, giving the U.S. a major boost in its effort to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to a crawl.

“Because of the dire need to vaccinate more people, we have ramped up production of doses,” Pfizer Chief Business Officer John Young told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, noting that the company has invested significantly in domestic manufacturing sites.

Young added that Pfizer has shipped approximately 40 million doses over the first two-plus months and is on track to make a total of 120 million doses available for shipment by the end of March. 80 million more doses are expected by the end of May.

The U.S. is also likely to receive more help in the form of a third vaccine by Johnson & Johnson. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the vaccination for emergency use in the coming weeks, with the company set to have 20 million doses distributed by the end of March (The Hill).

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

Israel Study: Pfizer Vaccine 94% Effective

The first major real-world study of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be independently reviewed shows the shot is highly effective at preventing Covid-19, in a potentially landmark moment for countries desperate to end lockdowns and reopen economies.

Until now, most data on coronavirus vaccines has come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty about how the results would translate into the real world.

The research in Israel – two months into one of the world’s fastest rollouts, providing a rich source of data – showed two doses of the Pfizer shot cut symptomatic cases by 94% across all age groups, and severe illnesses by nearly as much.

The study of about 1.2 million people also showed a single shot was 57% effective in protecting against symptomatic infections after two weeks, according to the data published and peer-reviewed in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

The results of the study for the Clalit Research Institute were close to those in clinical trials last year which found two doses were found to be 95% effective.

“We were surprised because we expected that in the real-world setting, where cold chain is not maintained perfectly and the population is older and sicker, that you will not get as good results as you got in the controlled clinical trials,” senior study author Ran Balicer told Reuters. “But we did and the vaccine worked as well in the real world.“

“We have shown the vaccine to be as effective in very different sub-groups, in the young and in the old in those with no co-morbidities and in those with few co-morbidities,” he added.

The study also suggests the vaccine, developed by US drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, is effective against the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK. Researchers said they could not provide a specific level of effectiveness, but the variant was the dominant version of the virus in Israel at the time of the study.

The research did not shed light on how the Pfizer shot will fare against another variant, now dominant in South Africa, that has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of other vaccines.

Of the nine million people in Israel, a nation with universal healthcare, nearly half have received a first dose, and a third have received both doses since the rollout began on 19 December.

This made the country a prime location for a real-world study into the vaccine’s ability to stem the pandemic, along with its advanced data capabilities.

The study examined about 600,000 vaccinated people against the same sized control group of unvaccinated people. Researchers at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital also collaborated.

“This is more great news, confirming that the vaccine is around 90% effective at preventing documented infection of any degree of severity from seven days after the second dose,” said Peter English, a British government consultant in communicable disease control.

“Previous recently studied papers from Israel were observational studies. This one used an experimental design known as a case-control study … giving greater confidence that differences between the groups are due to their vaccination status, and not to some other factor.“

The study published on Wednesday was the first analysis of a national Covid vaccination strategy to be peer-reviewed. It also offered a more detailed look at how the vaccine was faring at weekly intervals, while matching people who received the shot to unvaccinated individuals with similar medical histories, sex, age and geographical characteristics.

Other research centres in Israel, including the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Institute of Technology have shared several studies in recent weeks that show the vaccine to be effective.

At least three studies out of Israel have also suggested the vaccine can reduce coronavirus transmission, but the researchers have cautioned that wider studies must be conducted in order to establish clearcut conclusions.

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

The New York Times: Federal regulators are expected to allow the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be stored at standard freezer temperatures.

Reuters: AstraZeneca to miss second-quarter EU vaccine supply target by half.

The Associated Press: “Don’t worry, come forward:” Asian nations get 1st shots.

Reuters: South Africa says Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna vaccines for “immediate use.”

> Guidance for vaccinated: Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to release a new set of guidance for individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Fauci told CNN that the new set of guidelines should arrive after agency officials “sit down, talk about it, look at the data and then come out with a recommendation based on the science.” Included in the expected recommendations is that fully vaccinated people no longer have to quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 (The Hill).

ABC News: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) says New Yorkers should double mask until early June.

The Athletic: PGA Championship to allow 10,000 spectators each day of event.

> Masks and seafaring males: The CDC partnered with Discovery Channel to create a public service announcement in Alaska to encourage mask use during the pandemic. The 30-second PSA features fisherman from “Deadliest Catch,” one of Discovery’s top shows, which attracts white male audiences. The spot airs on Discovery beginning this week (Axios).

 

The post Corona Latest: More Vaccines on the Way, Pfizer Vac 94% Effective appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Sustainable agriculture promotes food security, healthy lifestyle

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Coronavirus pandemic has threatened many aspects of human life, and food security is no exception, according to Ian Chapman, Crops Programme Leader in the Department of Agriculture.

“Through sustainable agriculture, farmers can provide a constant supply of healthy nutritious food, be it meat or fruits and vegetables for public consumption,” said Ian Chapman, Crops Programme Leader in the Department of Agriculture. “A sustainable agricultural support approach to our ministry will ensure and make our food system more productive.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our farmers to find new ways of creating or improving our nutrition and our market opportunities,” he said. “We need to transform and re-balance the way food is produced here within the Federation.”

Chapman said the production of local crops, and harvesting local meats help to eliminate the unhealthy chemicals that are placed on imported food to preserve them until they reach into the consumers’ hand. The availability of locally grown food ensures that there is a healthier supply of food to satisfy the citizens’ needs for food and nutrition. Additionally, it reduces the fear that citizens may face about the unavailability of food due to the import-export challenges associated with COVID-19.

“We are promoting healthy diets to strengthen our immune system,” said Chapman. “Unhealthy eating has far-reaching consequences that surpass the individual and places a strain on the public health system.”

The panelists agreed that eating healthy helps to minimize the presence of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension associated with the consumption of unhealthy foods.

Chapman said one key initiative by the Department of Agriculture to help promote healthy eating is the “Farmers Agriculture Assistance Programme that will assist farmers in enhancing their productivity.”

Further support by the Agriculture Department to promote food security and healthy eating as noted by Director Melvin James, focused on preserving the lives of the livestock through the Tick Prevention Programme.

“We were able to make good strides in our Tick Control Programme, in our Pest Surveillance and Disease identification,” said Chapman.

“Over the years, the Tick Prevention Programme, which started in 2018, has contributed significantly to the preservation of livestock,” said James. “Drawing a parallel to demonstrate the effectiveness of the programme, the presence of ticks on the animals didn’t just affect the skin of the animals but also their survival. We had 1,230 animals that we lost; 308 goats, 290 sheep, and worse, affected cattle, over 600 cattle.”

Taking the initiative, the department was able to reduce the presence of ticks on the animals and subsequently the mortality rate, thereby ensuring the security of meat for consumption by locals.

The post Sustainable agriculture promotes food security, healthy lifestyle appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

International agencies present new ambulance to Ministry of Health

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Minister of Health, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, expressed profound thanks to St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society, which partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the United States Agency for International Development to deliver a brand new ambulance to the Ministry of Health on February 24, at the Joseph N. France General Hospital grounds.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Health, and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the United States Agency for International Development for this significant donation,” said Mrs, Byron-Nisbett, at the presentation ceremony. “I also wish to convey our profound gratitude to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and to Hester Rawlins executive of St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society for such humanitarian foresight.”

Dr. Delores Stapleton Harris, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.

Hon. Byron-Nisbett said that their strong collaborative technical support and the overall vital role they played from the conceptualization of the gift, the engaged enthusiastic discussions, and the persevering actions and engagement with the key stakeholders brought the project to fruition. “We are so very grateful for your commitment.”

Mrs. Byron-Nisbett noted that the receipt of the ambulance is timely and important for the Ministry of Health as it will help the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Such an addition to the existing fleet of ambulances ensures that there is an adequate first respondent mechanism for nationwide medical emergencies,” she said. “Having a large number of EMTs is simply not enough. There must also be the required vehicular capacity to respond in a timely manner.

“With the addition of the new ambulance, the health system will be better able to have an ambulance stationed at the two main satellite institutions, the Mary Charles Hospital and the Pogson Medical Centre,” said Mrs. Byron-Nisbett.

The new ambulance parked near the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
Interior of the new ambulance.

Minister Byron-Nisbett said these ambulances are well equipped and can safely and properly transport to and between hospitals.

She emphasized the importance of the build out of ambulances to the rural areas as persons will no longer have to wait on an ambulance to be deployed from the Joseph N. France General Hospital in Basseterre or the Pogson Medical Centre in Sandy Point.

“This is indeed exciting, and this gesture is such a very good way to commence the year, building our health capacity during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” she said.

According to Hester Rawlins, Director General of the SKNRCS, who also spoke at the presentation ceremony, the donation was possible through the generous funding of the American people through USAID.

“This fully-equipped ambulance was donated as a part of the COVID-19 response project, partially funded by the United States of America,” said Rawlins. “A similar donation of a passenger bus was presented to our National Society as we endeavour to assist the most vulnerable members of our communities, while we strengthen our axillary role to government during these trying times.”

Also, at today’s ceremony, USAID gifted a brand new passenger bus to the SKNRCS.

Dr. Stapleton-Harris stated that the gesture demonstrates USAID’s continued commitment to countries such as St. Kitts and Nevis. She added that it allows the ministry to honour its commitment to provide an improved healthcare system in a holistic manner for the entire population.

She noted that ambulance services are critical to the urgent response to medical and trauma-related emergencies.

“In fact, it is a mandatory 24/7 service. Thus it is envisaged that such an expanded fleet would provide a more efficient emergency medical service, emergency intervention, and timely transport of patients in a variety of situations and environments,” she said. “Undoubtedly, such a system will increase the overall efficiency of our health care service and improve the health outcomes of our people. This is a very strong demonstration in a very tangible manner of strong partnership and genuine concern on the part of USAID and so we are very grateful.”

The post International agencies present new ambulance to Ministry of Health appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

If everyone is vaccinated Herd Immunity will combat COVID-19

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Herd Immunity refers to resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within a population that is based on pre-existing immunity of a high proportion of individuals as a result of previous infection or vaccination.

In the case of COVID-19, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said that based on research by health experts, vaccinating a large portion of St. Kitts and Nevis’ population can assist in achieving herd immunity.

“When we vaccinate enough of our population, we achieve our goal of reaching what the medical fraternity refers to as herd immunity or what is sometimes called population immunity,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or through previous infections.

“Herd immunity can be achieved once the Federation reaches its vaccination target based on scientific research,” said Dr. Harris. “In the case of the Coronavirus disease the scientific community has estimated that herd immunity comes when between 70-90 percent of the population receive vaccines.”

Dr. Harris encourage everyone to play their part in helping the Federation to achieve herd immunity by getting vaccinated.

“It is extremely important that we in St. Kitts and Nevis and the region achieve this goal,” explained Dr. Harris. “No one should be left behind. Everyone should be interested in protecting him or herself from the dangerous consequences of COVID-19.”

He noted that persons can visit the Newtown, Basseterre, Sandy Point, and Tabernacle Health Centres in St. Kitts, and the Charlestown, Gingerland, and Combermere Health Centers in Nevis to make an appointment to be vaccinated.

The post If everyone is vaccinated Herd Immunity will combat COVID-19 appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Premier Brantley, other NIA Cabinet Ministers receive COVID-19 vaccines

Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Senior Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration took his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Charlestown Health Centre, Nevis on February 24.

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, along with the other Cabinet Ministers of the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) became the first persons on Nevis to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on February 24.

The Premier, Ministers Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Deputy Premier, Hon. Eric Evelyn, Hon. Spencer Brand, Hon. Troy Liburd, Hon. Hazel Brandy Williams, and Cabinet colleagues received their first dose of the vaccine at the Charlestown Health Centre.

Brantley, NIA Senior Minister of Health, said his Cabinet is leading by example to demonstrate to the Nevisian public that getting vaccinated against the virus is safe and highly recommended if Nevis is to achieve herd immunity.

“Today is a very historic day for us because the entire Cabinet, led by myself as Premier, and certain healthcare and frontline line workers, all took the step of getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Hon. Brantley. “The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is what we have, and we have demonstrated that it is safe and it is the only way to get our people past this COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am delighted that all of our Cabinet colleagues have come out to lead by example and to show the population there is absolutely no risk,” he said. “We look forward to the rest of the population getting vaccinated. We know nobody is safe until everybody is safe. “We encourage one-and-all to go out and get vaccinated. Let’s fight this COVID-19 together and keep Nevis and the Federation safe.”

Hon. Hazel Brandy Williams, NIA Minister of Health, said the jab was quick and virtually painless. She encouraged everyone to make appointments at their nearest health centre to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Several senior health professionals including Dr. Judy Nisbett, Medical Officer of Health in the NIA Ministry of Health and Chair of Nevis’ COVID-19 Task Force, and Chandreka Persaud-Wallace, Matron-designate of the Alexandra Hospital also took their first dose of the vaccine.

Cross-section of the audience at the roll out of the Nevis Island Administration’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

St. Kitts and Nevis launched its national vaccination program on February 22, from its first batch of 2,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, courtesy of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Wednesday’s vaccinations signaled the roll-out of the NIA’s program on Nevis. Frontline workers and at risk persons are among the first wave of persons that will receive the COVID-19 vaccines.

The post Premier Brantley, other NIA Cabinet Ministers receive COVID-19 vaccines appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.