CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda health authorities
have confirmed that several toddlers
have been placed in quarantine
after a four-year-old was tested positive
for the coronavirus (Covid-19).
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr.
Rhonda Sealey-Thomas said one of the
individuals who tested positive, a fouryear
old, had been in contact with that
school and the Ministry
of Education.
She said the children
in that school
have been quarantined.
Antigua and Barbuda has recorded
124 cases of the virus, with 18 cases
being active as of last week (Oct. 26).
There has been three deaths so far.
The CMO said she is satisfied the
relevant measures have been taken at
the school to minimize the spread of
the virus among the children.
The testing of pupils and their parents
have begun.
Barbados
The first in a series of marches to
protest against plans to legalize samesex
unions in Barbados was held a
week ago.
More than 200 church members
marched through the parish of St.
James to send a message
to the government
that the church
is not in agreement
with making samesex
unions legal.
According to Dr. Veronica Evelyn,
executive director of the Family-Faith-
Freedom, the registered charity which
organized the march, the gathering
consisted of worshipers and leaders
from different denominations.
And chairperson pastor Paul
Leacock said the series of marches
would demonstrate the church’s disagreement
and request for government
to consider and rescind its decisions
to institutionalize same-sex unions in
the country.
Last month in delivering the Throne
Speech, Governor General Dame Sandra
Mason said a public referendum
on allowing same-sex marriage will
be held.
She said the government would
accept the result of the public vote.
A week ago Pope Francis endorsed
same-sex civil unions saying that
homosexual people have the right to
be in a family, noting they are children
of God.
Caribbean
The University of the West Indies
(UWI) is calling for a US$600 million
multi-donor trust fund to prevent systemic
decline in the region’s higher
Caribbean L 4 ife, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2020
education and research centers.
The call was made by Vice-Chancellor
of UWI, Sir Hilary Beckles during a
landmark meeting on Oct. 14.
According to a press
release, the firstever
virtual Development
Partner Forum
focused on “Investing
in higher education to build more
diversified and resilient post-covid
economies” and was jointly organized
with the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America
(ECLAC).
As part of the emergency investment
in the Caribbean region is a
proposal by Sir Hilary to establish a
US$600 million trust fund, which will
make it possible to undertake urgent
regional projects that would provide
widespread access to higher education
and advance path-breaking research,
the press release said.
He emphasized that the Caribbean
region has been woefully underfunded
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for education and developmental
projects since independence, in spite
of centuries of wealth extraction by
developed countries. As a result, he
said, the contemporary higher education
sector is unfit for purpose with
systemic challenges that need to be
addressed at all education levels.
Sir Hilary called on the private sector
to invest in research, development
and innovation projects that could
help boost economic diversification
and international competitiveness.
Guyana
Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) has
resumed flights between Guyana and
New York from last
week.
In a statement, CAL
said it will roll out the
flight schedule later
this week. CAL Chief Executive Officer,
Garvin Medera said: “The year
2020 has been an unprecedented year
for aviation. Our customers in Guyana
and North Americas can count
on Caribbean Airlines to reconnect
them with their family and friends. We
attach tremendous importance to our
valued Guyanese customers and their
loyalty to the airline.”
St. Lucia
Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has
told St. Lucians that is “no secret”
that the island has exhausted all of the
efforts aimed at providing financial
assistance to citizens
in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
He has appealed to
nationals during a television
broadcast recently to follow the
various protocols and measures aimed
at curbing the spread of the virus that
so far has infected 54 people.
In the broadcast, in which Chastanent
was flanked by Chief Medical
Officer (CMO), Dr. Sharon Belmar
George and Police Commissioner, Severin
Moncherry, the prime minister
acknowledged that it had become difficult
to raise funds both locally and
overseas to finance the program.
“It is no secret the government
has exhausted all of the efforts, all of
the resources with the NIC (National
Insurance Corporation) and donor
agencies to provide a social stabilization
program for the public and for
those persons who have lost their
jobs,” he said.
Chastanet warned that if “St.
Lucians lost its status as a low-risk
destination and the confidence the rest
of the world has with us, it is going to
significantly impact the arrivals that
we are having into our country.”
He said St. Lucians have to act as
if everyone has the virus, noting also
that the public transport drivers were
also guilty of not following the protocols
and allowing more passengers
than required into the bus.
Trinidad
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley
said the government is looking at
removing the exemption
requirement to
allow Trinidad and
Tobago nationals to
return home freely.
Hundreds of Trinidad
and Tobago citizens have been
stranded in other countries, including
the USA with no word when they will
be able to come home.
Under the current system, nationals
abroad have to apply to the Ministry
of National Security for an exemption
since the country’s borders have been
closed since March.
But Rowley said a new system
whereby returning nationals can be
University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor, Hilary Beckles. Photo by George
Alleyne
Continued on Page 26
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