Tag Archives: caribbean

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‘De Strip’ Project expected to be completed by second half of 2021

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Federation is expected to complete the ‘De Strip’ Project within a six month period, according to Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant.

Upgrade at ‘De Strip.’

Hon. Grant said he hopes that the strip area will be completed by the second half of 2021.

“We had some delays with the strip because we are still in the process of working out what exactly we are going to do with the matter for the sewage at the strip,” said Grant.

“We were between the St. Kitts Marriott in terms of using their facility which is underutilized or engaging persons to build our own sewage system at the Frigate Bay Strip,” said Grant.

He hopes that within the next couple of days, his ministry will get the advice to best determine which actions to take with the sewage system.

“The other things to be completed at the strip will be the grasscrete; the boardwalk; the sewage system; and exit and entrance facilities.”

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Federation recognises 2021, ‘UN International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour’

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Federation recognizes 2021 as the United Nations designated year for the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.

On January 21, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched 2021 as the United Nations designated year for the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour; to bring awareness to the issue of Child Labour and to implement programmes designed to eliminate child labour. The programme will utilize a three-pillow approach to act, inspire and scale up the fact that children deserve their childhood.

In the region of the Americas, the issue of ‘Child Labour’ is being addressed through the Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free from Child Labour, whose goal is to work towards the elimination of Child Labour by the year 2025. St. Kitts and Nevis is a signatory to this initiative, which is five years in the making.

To date, the Regional Initiative has been developing a key role in the implementation of 2021 being the year for the elimination of Child Labour. In particular, we pledge to make 2025 #withoutchildlabour and #endchildlabour.

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Prime Minister Dr. Harris extends congratulations to President Biden, Vice President Harris

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has joined other Caribbean and world leaders in extending sincerest congratulations and best wishes to President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who were sworn in as the 46th President and Vice President of the United States of America on January 20.

President Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris won the hard-fought and historic US Presidential election on November 3, 2020.

“As you accept the mantle afforded to you as the 46th President of the United States of America, allow me to reaffirm the commitment of the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis to continue the longstanding mutual relationship that exists between the Federation and the US, one that was built on mutual respect and support,” said Prime Minister Harris in a congratulatory letter to President Biden.

Prime Minister Harris said he is “Confident and optimistic that through your strong leadership, garnered through years of service as a seasoned politician, particularly the years spent as a former Vice President of the United States, the continued partnership between Saint Kitts and Nevis and the United States of America will not only continue but will flourish.”

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and the United States of America have been diplomatic allies since 1983.

President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

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Police warn cannabis smokers, no lighting up of ‘spiff’ in public places

Superintendent of Police, Cromwell Henry warns not to smoke in public.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Cannabis “spliff” smokers in St. Kitts and Nevis are being strongly cautioned to strictly follow the law of the land and to refrain from smoking in public places.

On January 20, Cromwell Henry, Superintendent of Police and Divisional Commander for District A, said that “while the possession of small amounts of cannabis has been decriminalized, its use in public is still a criminal offense.”
Continue reading Police warn cannabis smokers, no lighting up of ‘spiff’ in public places →

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Alexandra Hospital launches Ambulance Services designated emergency number

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — Persons wishing to access the Ambulance Service at the Alexandra Hospital on Government Road, now have a designated number to do so. As of Friday, January 22, 2021, the emergency number is 469-3333.

The Alexandra Hospital in the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs made the announcement through a press statement urging people to call the number for medical emergencies.

“The general public is asked to call 469-3333 in the event of medical emergencies which can include: loss of consciousness, sudden inability to move or speak, sudden confusion, seizures that are not stopping, pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding that is not stopping, severe allergic reactions, severe burns and scalds and other forms of injury.

“The 469-3333 line is available 24/7 and will connect you directly to emergency personnel in the emergency room, bypassing the switchboard operator,” the statement said.

It indicated that people using the service could expect to provide important information to emergency personnel.

“You will be asked questions to determine the nature of the emergency,” said the statement. “This may include symptoms and medical conditions of the person that needs help. You will be asked the location of the emergency. This may include street name, directions, and landmarks to guide the ambulance to the location where help is needed. You will be asked to provide a number that we can call back in case the call is dropped or in case more information needs to be collected.

“Not all emergencies are the same. Please provide as much information as you can so that we can provide the best assistance for the situation. Please continue to follow the media for more promotional messages about this emergency service provided by the Alexandra Hospital,” the statement concluded.

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Trump Impeachment Charges to Senate Monday

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Friday that the House will deliver an impeachment article against President Trump to the Senate on Monday.

“Make no mistake, a trial will be held in the United States Senate and there will be a vote whether to convict the president. I’ve spoken to Speaker Pelosi, who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday,” Schumer said from the Senate floor:

A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sending the article to the Senate triggers the start of the trial at 1 p.m. the following day, except for Sundays. Schumer, in his comment, didn’t address the timeline for the trial, as Democrats debate how long they think it should be.

But the announcement from Schumer appears to reject a request from Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that the impeachment trial be delayed until February.

McConnell, under a timeline proposed to the GOP caucus, wanted to wait until Jan. 28, next Thursday, to read the article in the Senate, swear in senators as jurors and issue the summons to Trump.

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US: Nation’s Economic Woes Continue as Virus Rages

President Joe Biden’s administration released its strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic yesterday. At the same time, he has to confront the worst economic disaster since 1929

More than 900,000 Americans filed initial unemployment claims last week, down by 26,000 from the previous week and 25,000 less than estimates.

Despite the slight week-over-week increase, the figure has not dipped below its pre-pandemic record of 695,000, set in 1982, since late March.Claims fell as low as 711,000 in early November before a winter surge in COVID-19 cases across the nation forced many states to reimpose various social distancing measures. Data also revealed an estimated 3 million people fell off the unemployment cliff when pandemic-related benefits lapsed in December as an economic stimulus package stalled in Congress.

Separately, a poll revealed nearly one-third of small-business owners surveyed said they were unable to pay January rent. The trend is the lagging part of what analysts call a K-shaped recovery, which occurs when different parts of the economy rebound at different rates. Conversely, the stock markets, driven largely by tech giants, all closed at or near record highs yesterday.

To launch a fight-back President Biden plans to sign two executive orders today that would increase food aid, protect jobseekers on unemployment and clear a path for federal workers and contractors to get a $15 minimum wage. The actions are an effort to rush financial relief to millions of Americans hurt by the fallout from the pandemic, while Congress begins to consider and debate the stimulus package proposed by Biden. You can follow all developments on that later here.

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Pres. Biden Orders Int. Air Travelers to Quarantine on Arrival in US

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Thursday that would require international air travelers to quarantine upon U.S. arrival, and directed U.S. agencies to implement a federal mask mandate in interstate transportation.

Biden’s order says “to the extent feasible” air travelers must comply with applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines concerning international travel “including recommended periods of self-quarantine.” It does not explain how it will be enforced.

The order also directs U.S. agencies to hold talks with Canada and Mexico “regarding public health protocols for land ports of entry” including implementing CDC guidelines. Nearly all non-essential travel at U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico is suspended through Feb. 21.

The CDC recommends a seven-day quarantine for people arriving in the Unites States from nearly all countries.

The order calls on agencies to “immediately take action” to require masks on or in airports, commercial aircraft, trains, public maritime vessels, including ferries, intercity bus services and all public transportation, but grants them the ability to issue exemptions.

Biden is directing agencies to reconsider international contact tracing requirements for U.S.-bound passengers, which was abandoned by the Trump White House, as well as the possibility of follow-up COVID-19 testing for travelers after they arrive in the United States.

The Biden administration is implementing new coronavirus testing requirements for nearly all international air passengers beginning on Tuesday, following a CDC order last week. Under the new rules, all U.S.-bound passengers age 2 and over must get negative COVID-19 test results within three calendar days of travel.

The Biden administration announced it would reimpose entry bans on most non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and most of continental Europe after President Donald Trump issued an order on Monday lifting them effective the same day the new testing rules take effect.

Biden also wants new public health measures at U.S. sea ports. In October, the CDC let a no-sail order expire for cruise ships. A U.S. House committee said the White House had blocked the CDC from extending the pandemic-related no-sail order through mid-February.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot

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Jamaica’s COVAX Facility Will Begin Corona Vaccinations April 21

Jamaica’s health and wellness minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton announced that Jamaicans will begin getting vaccines from the COVAX Facility on April 21.

Dr Tufton made the announcement on Tuesday in parliament where he also tabled what he called the COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment and Vaccination Interim Plan. This plan details the national strategy for the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in Jamaica.

According to Tufton, healthcare workers, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, members of the Jamaica Defense Force, correctional officers, custom immigration officers, parliamentarians, persons in infirmaries and the elderly are at the top of the list to receive the jabs first.

The vaccine is to be administered in two doses, which will be given weeks apart.

Vaccination sites will be set up at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Bustamante Hospital for Children, National Chest Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital, Mandeville Regional Hospital, Cornwall Regional Hospital and St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital for frontline staff.

Some health centers are also being contemplated to be used as vaccination sites.

Dr. Tufton also detailed the phased rollout plan for vaccination. Phase one is expected to be completed this year. Other members of the population are expected to vaccinated in 2022 and beyond. The minister noted that the COVID-19 vaccine could become part of the island’s routine immunization efforts.

While the government hopes that the deployment of the vaccination will go smoothly, Tufton noted that convincing Jamaicans to get the shot will not be an easy task.

He announced that the ministry of health plans to embark on an education campaign to quell the vaccine fears of Jamaicans. Tufton noted that “vaccine acceptance” is an important part of the rollout program.

Tufton told parliament that the government will get nearly 300,000 of the vaccines from the first batch which is enough for five percent of the population.

Jamaica is scheduled to receive additional doses of vaccines on July 21 and December 21.

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Peru: Medics on Hunger Strike Over COVID Funding as Cases Soar

(CNN) Some Peruvian medics are going on hunger strike to demand more funding as cases of Covid-19 spiral in the country, according to a statement from Peru’s Social Security National Medical Union (SINAMMSOP) published Wednesday.

The health workers began their hunger strike Tuesday in front of Peru’s Ministry of Labor in capital city Lima. About a dozen medics from the national social security union have been taking part in protests there as the health system struggles to cope with a second wave of Covid-19.
“We have begun a hunger strike,” said Teodoro Quinones, a doctor taking part in the protest, according to Reuters.
Quinones said the strike would last until Peru’s Labor Minister removes the head of the country’s Health Social Security, Fiorella Molinelli, who oversees government efforts to set up temporary health and isolation centers for Covid-19 patients.
As of Thursday, Molinelli, has not commented on the union’s demands.
The protesters have been sharply critical of the government’s approach to the pandemic, and are asking for increased investment in the health sector.
“Our ICUs are collapsing and we are not receiving any response and we are seeing the indifference of a government that assigns us the budget,” Peruvian nurse Ketty Solier told Reuters Tuesday.
“We urgently need to acquire this equipment to prevent more Peruvians from dying. The Peruvian state has a constitutional obligation to guarantee the accessibility of health services and right now they are denying access to hospitals because we no longer have the capacity to provide patients with what they need so much,” she added.

Police stand guard outside the Ministry of Health as health workers protest in Peru on January 13.

Police stand guard outside the Ministry of Health as health workers protest in Peru on January 13.
“People are infected, there are no ICU beds, soon there will be no more hospitalization. Again we are going to see people dying in the streets. About the vaccine, we have no hope for the vaccine, we do not know when it will arrive,” Ronald Castañeda, a relative of a Covid-19 patient, told Reuters.
ICU occupancy rates are at 90% in some parts of Peru, according to Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa Etienne, who described struggling health systems throughout Latin America at a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
The hunger strike is just one of many protests by Peru’s medics and health workers in recent days, as a second wave of Covid-19 engulfs the population. The country has recorded more than one million total cases and more than 39,000 Covid-19 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU.)

Peru's interim president resigns after just five days

Peru’s interim president resigns after just five days
“We are starting on a second wave [of Covid-19 cases]. This wave is rising. I can tell you that we’ve made some calculations and we are more or less right were we were in mid-April, and the figures keep ascending,” Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti told local media Monday.
On Tuesday, Peru’s interim President Francisco Sagasti approved a decree to finance the set-up of more than 16 temporary isolation centers across the country and to hire additional staff to expand health services, according to a Tuesday press note from the Ministry of Health.
Sagasti became president in November 2020, becoming the third president to be sworn in in just over a week as the country struggled with political turmoil amid the pandemic.

CNN’s Tatiana Arias reported from Atlanta, Zamira Rahim wrote from London

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