CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Bahamas
Bahamas Chief Medical Officer
(CMO), Dr. Pearl McMilian said that a
COVID-19 vaccine will be available in
the country by March this year.
Speaking during a recent press conference
McMilian said health care workers,
front line workers, people who are
high risk for catching the virus or
succumbing to the disease are prioritized
for the vaccination
first.
She added that a
phased approach will
ensure that high-risk
groups are immunized, then other
groups.
Recently, Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert
Minnis, who is a medical doctor, said
ongoing mitigation measures will be
required to combat effects new variants
of COVID-19 if they are found in the
Bahamas.
He said the virus is more infectious,
not necessarily more devastating in
terms of the degree of the illness that
it might cause, so one has to follow the
same mitigation processes in terms
of facial masks, social-distancing and
sanitization.
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands Premier, Alden
McLaughlin said it is unlikely that
cruise ships will be returning to the
territory this year due
to the ongoing COVID-
19 pandemic.
He told a press conference
that while he
was optimistic that the territory’s vaccine
program could mean a resumption
of some travel and tourism starting in
March, he has ruled out cruise tourism
for the time being.
“Cruise is not on our radar at this
stage. I don’t see cruise tourism resuming
on any sort of significant level
before next year,” he added.
Mc Laughlin also urged Caymanians
to play their part and get the COVID-
19 vaccine to allow them to resume an
even greater sense of normalcy.
Guyana
Guyana has signed on to a new trade
deal that will allow government trade
and investment between the United
Kingdom and the CARIFORUM group
of countries following the UK’s exist
from the European Union.
CARIFORUM is made up of member
nations of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic.
The UK is Guyana’s largest trading
partner in Europe and the sixth largest
trading partner overall.
It accounts for 2.1 percent of imports,
8.8 percent of all exports and is an
important market for exports of sugar,
Caribbean L 4 ife, JANUARY 22-28, 2021
Updated daily at www.caribbeanlifenews.com
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell looks up after casting his ballot at the Happy Hill Primary School in St. George’s, Grenada,
during parliamentary elections Monday, Jan. 18, 1999. Associated Press/Lynne Sladky, File
rice and rum
Previously, CARIFORUM
countries
engaged in trade with
the UK as part of the
CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA)
Dr. Ashni Singh, senior minister in
the Office of the President with responsibility
for Finance recently signed and
issued a Ministerial Order that gives
effect to the CARIFORUM-UK EPA.
A statement from the Ministry of
Foreign AFFAIRS AND International
Cooperation noted that the Ministerial
Order brings into effect, from Jan. 1,
2021 the CARIFORUM-UK EPA agreement.
Grenada
Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell
said he will not be leaving public office
and plans to contest the 2023 general
elections.
During the campaign for the 2018
general election Mitchell, who is leader
of the ruling New National Party (NNP),
then indicated that he would not contest
another general election.
However, in an interview recently,
about two years before the election is
constitutionally due, the Prime Minister
said that he has had to change his
plans about handing over leadership.
“A decision has been
made, I would have
preferred not to have
but there are rationales
based on my own
colleagues views and general perceptions
that the right time will have to be
after the next general election to hand
over the reins to someone,” he said.
Mitchell, who will celebrate his 75th
birthday in November, has served in the
Parliament for almost four decades.
The PNP candidates won all 15 constituencies
in the last general election.
As a result there was not an official
opposition in the Lower House of Parliament
until Tobias Clement who represents
the constituency of St. George’s
North East, crossed the floor and
became the leader of the opposition.
St. Lucia
Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet has
announced that St.
Lucia is prepared to
take in residents of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
in the event that
the current activity at the La Soufriere
Volcano intensifies.
Last month, Vincentians were told
to be on the alert after the volcano
dormant for decades, began rumbling
once again.
The volcano was last active in 1979
when an eruption claimed the lives of
1,000 people. So far, while there has
been no explosion, steam, gas and a
volcanic dome, formed by lava, can be
seen.
Chastanet said if there is an evacuation
of the immediate area, a lots of
lands would be vacated and clearly there
may be need off assistance provided by
the sister islands to assist with that.
He said there is dialogue with several
hoteliers, some of who have not yet
Continued on Page 18
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