CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
BAHAMAS
The Rastafarian community in the
Bahamas has defended the use of natural
remedies in the fight against COVID-19,
by stating that none of its members has
contracted the virus.
The claim was recently made by High
Priest Rithmond McKinney who declared
that no Rastafarian will take the COVID-
19 vaccine as they believe being injected
with “any foreign substance” is against
their religious beliefs.
In a statement,
McKinney said that
the Rastafarian community
see vaccines as
being detrimental to the
“holistic development of our children.”
“Rastafarians believe that the dangers
of vaccines outweigh the benefits and
are strongly opposed to any policy that
demands immunization as a condition for
education and/or work.”
McKinney said medical officials need
to tell Bahamians how they could help
themselves.
He said the Rastafarian community
totally believes in bush medicine.
“We continue drinking our bush medicine
along with cannabis as part of our
regime to prevent COVID-19,” he added.
BARBADOS
The Barbados government says it has
not yet made a policy decision as it relates
to making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory
for citizens, underscoring the importance
of consultation as the island seeks
to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
that has killed 48 and infected 4,485
since March last year.
Acting Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams,
addressing the first of a series of
town hall meetings sought to dispel misconceptions
that the
Mottley government is
trying to impose the
vaccine on residents,
said people were speaking
about “forced vaccination,” stressing
that “nothing could be further from the
truth.”
He acknowledged that Barbados needed
to develop policies that would ensure the
continued development of its economy
and the safety of its citizens, including
their way of life and their rights.
Abrahams said while there may be varying
views on the subject matter, the town
hall meetings were being held to hear suggestions
from the public.
Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw
said it was important for the consultations
noting that officials were aware that many
people had given thought to COVID-19
and its impact and might have alternative
ideas on how the issue of vaccination and
vaccinating others to get the economy
moving again.
CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Life, A 4 UG. 27-SEPT. 2, 2021
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
In this Sept. 27, 2019 fi le photo, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley addresses the 74th session of the U.N. General
Assembly at the U.N. headquarters. Associated Press /Kevin Hagen/File
The United States last week announced
that it will be shipping
more than 200,000
doses of the Pfizer vaccine
to Jamaica and St.
Lucia as part of its global
efforts to save lives
as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Washington said it is shipping this week
208,160 doses of the Pfizer to Jamaica
and 62,650 doses of Pfizer to St. Lucia,
as the US maintains its commitment to
playing a role in ending the pandemic
everywhere.
Authorities from both countries have
worked together to ensure the prompt
delivery and safe effective vaccine shots to
Jamaica and St. Lucia.
Recently Washington sent nearly one
million vaccines to several Caribbean
countries, including Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, The
Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
and St. Kitts and Nevis.
GRENADA
Hundreds of revellers took to the streets
recently in defiance of a ban on carnival
activities for the second consecutive year
as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in
Grenada.
Parliament had earlier this year
approved of a government motion cancelling
the annual traditional celebrations
over the past two days earlier this month
but that did not prevent hundreds of people
from various communities engaging in
the “jab jab” J’ouvert celebrations.
Police have not yet identified whether
or not any person had been arrested or
charged as a result of
the breach.
Officials of the Ministry
of National Security
said there were small
pockets of revellers in several communities,
including St. Mark and St. Paul, with
the largest gathering taking place in St.
Andrew, which occupies most of the eastern
part of the island.
The revellers beating drums and buckets,
blowing whistles, horns and other
instruments, paraded under the banner
“More Jab Freedom” chanting their objection
to the cancellation of carnival as a
result of the pandemic.
Grenada has so far recorded 178 positive
cases and one death linked to the
pandemic.
HAITI
The “very competent” judge appointed
to lead the investigation into the assassination
of President Jovenel Moise, who
was gunned down at his private residence
on July 7, has stepped down less than a
week on the job.
In his letter to the Dean of the Court of
First Instance in Port-au-Prince, Bernard
Saint Vil, Justice Mathieu Chanlatte has
cited “personal convenience” for his decision
after indicating the regulations provided
for the “examining magistrate may
withdraw from knowledge of the case at
any stage of the proceedings.”
The letter gave no other reasons for his
decision, but Saint Vil had in the past few
days found it difficult to appoint a judge to
examine the file and documents related to
the killing of Moise, because they feared
for their lives.
Media reports said it
seems the lack of security
for him and his family
was the main reason
that led Chanlatte to make his decision.
Death threats are especially common in
high profile slayings in Haiti.
Police said they have arrested 44 people,
including 12 Haitian police officers and 18
Colombians who were allegedly part of the
commando team and two Americans of
Haitian descent.
ST. LUCIA
St. Lucia has become the latest Caribbean
country to confirm the presence
of the Delta variant of the coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar
George told a news conference that
the island has now recorded three cases
of the virus, joining Trinidad and Tobago
and Grenada in registering
the presence of
the deadly virus within
a 72-hour period.
She told reporters
that the three cases
were among six new cases of variants
Continued on Page 24
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