HIGHER ED TODAY
Caribbean Life, M 14 arch 27-April 2, 2020
CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
“We have two problems we are facing
right now- a collapse of commodity
prices and the business slowdown that
will naturally come from the precautions
taken to deal with the covid-19
pandemic,” he said.
Two weeks ago Imbert announced
that the government would revise its
price estimated for oil from US$60 per
barrel to US$40 per barrel and natural
gas from US$3 to US$1.80 per mmbtu.
He had estimated the revenue shortfall
would be around TT$3.5 billion.
Imbert said the government would
have to consider alternative means of
financing the budget deficit, which
would be projected at TT$10 billion,
including borrowing, dipping into the
Heritage and Stabilization Fund and
selling state assets.
Virgin Islands
The government of the Virgin Islands
has announced the immediate closure
of the Tortola cruise port, allowing no
cruise ships to call on the territory for a
30-day period in an effort to protect the
territory from potential contamination
of the coronavirus. At present there are
no confirmed cases on the island.
A statement from
the Caribbean Tourism
Organization (CTO)
also said the number of
international ports of
entry into the British Virgin Islands
(BVI) have been limited to facilitate the
effective screening of passengers.
It said the entry of passengers and
crew members, who have traveled to,
from or through COVID-19 affected
countries as specified in a list of countries
of special interest within a period
of 14 days or less, will not be allowed.
The CTO said any mass gathering
or festivals that were scheduled to take
place in the BVI during next month will
be postponed until further notice.
— compiled by Azad Ali
Continued from Page 4
In times of crisis, institutions like
CUNY that are integral to the life of New
York and its future have an especially
important role to play.
CUNY’s responsibility in these extraordinary
times is both to protect
the safety of our community members
and to ensure that all of our students,
regardless of their circumstances, are
able to continue their education. But we
are also called to step up, to put the country’s
premier urban public university at
the service of the state and city we call
home.
I have been moved by the resilience,
fortitude and innovation that have been
on display across the university in the
face of this unprecedented health emergency.
CUNY’s 275,000 students and
nearly 50,000 faculty and staff have been
at their best.
In a five-day recess, CUNY accomplished
the Herculean task of transitioning
to distance learning most classes
across 25 campuses and five boroughs.
By the time classes resumed, on March
19, up to 95 percent of CUNY’s 50,000
course sections had moved to distance
learning instruction, and 95 percent of
its nearly 50,000 faculty and staff to working
remotely. Today, those numbers are
closer to 100 percent. My most sincere
thanks to all the faculty and staff who
keep the University going while facing
disruption, fatigue and anxiety in their
personal lives.
Our efforts are also aimed at doing
our part to aid the widespread campaign
to slow the coronavirus spread and help
those in need.
Just as we made our services available
following Superstorm Sandy and
the 9-11 attacks, CUNY facilities including
cafeterias, gyms and some dorms
are available to the State and City to
increase health care capacity, when
and where needed, in the fight against
COVID-19.
Essential campus services like food
pantries remain open in our campuses
to serve our most in need students. Child
care centers are operating with low demand
but they remain open so they can
be fully activated as part of Governor
Cuomo’s efforts to support the needs of
families of medical first responders.
Responding to the need for personal
protective equipment for frontline workers
and other essential employees, several
of our colleges have combined to
donate N-95 masks, nitrile gloves, shoe
covers, disposable lab coats and bottles
of 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Working with Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, we have helped
establish a testing site on universityowned
property on Manhattan’s Upper
East Side. The Graduate School of Public
Health and Health Policy is releasing
a weekly survey that provide a datadriven
picture of the pandemic’s effects.
Queensborough Community College is
in discussions to manufacture, through
3D-printing, much-needed equipment
for hospitals through its Advanced Manufacturing
Lab.
As we move forward with the critical
effort to preserve the health and wellbeing
of our city, I am grateful to the professionals
and unsung heroes who have
marshaled their services to ensure that
CUNY remains a stabilizing, reassuring
force.
Our response to this global pandemic
is yet another way that CUNY is going to
bat for all New Yorkers. It is yet another
reminder of why I couldn’t be prouder to
be CUNY’s chancellor.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY
WINNER
Vitamins Minerals Proteins
Sports Nutrition
Cold and Flu Preventatives
Go to www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com
for the latest in Caribbean news
/www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com
/www.CaribbeanLifeNews.com