CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
Regional heads of government have
been asked to help cover the cost of severance
entitlements of more than EC$70
million of former employees of regional
airline LIAT.
In a letter dated Jan. 22, the courtappointed
administrator, Clevland Seaforth,
said that as April 2020, the total
unpaid entitlements to workers across
the region amounted to EC$119,006,962.
Of this amount,
EC$79,011,337 is in
respect of the employee’s
legal severance
entitlements.
He said based on preliminary
estimates, it is highly unlikely
that any significant portion of the workers’
severance entitlements will likely
result from the estate of LIAT (1974) Ltd.,
upon its eventual liquidation.
The administrator also pointed out
that “the employees were of the firm view
that by virtue of the company being primarily
owned by the governments of the
region, it was most unlikely that hardship
would come to them, because there was
an expectation that the company would
never be abandoned by the respective
governments.”
He further stated, that based on discussions
with the various unions in each
of the territories, it is clearly evident that
both current and former workers are
experiencing severe financial hardship
and a high level of disappointment, in
what is perceived as a lack of support from
the respective governments.
Barbados
The Barbados government is providing
financial assistance to small businesses
that were closed during two-week lockdown.
This was revealed by Minister of Energy,
Small Business and Entrepreneurship,
Kerrie Symmonds.
He said shops would
receive Bds$$1,500
(US$750) from Feb.
3-17 period, while vendors
would receive Bds$500 (US $250),
and water sports operators, barbers, beauty
salons, nail technicians and taxi operators
would also receive a cash injection.
However, he stressed that there would
be a verification process to ensure only
businesses that qualify can access the
funds.
Symmonds said shopkeepers were identified
based on the 1,444 liquor licenses of
retail nature that were issued.
Additionally, he said, Cabinet had
agreed that mini marts in rural districts,
where there was no ease of access to
supermarkets would be allowed to open
Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 3 pm.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley, in
announcing the lockdown, had said village
shops and mini marts would have to
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Police offi cers detain a man during protests against Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Feb. 8, 2021. The
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be closed during the period, however, this
was changed after further consideration.
Caribbean
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
has announced a new agreement
with airlines to suspend travel to the Caribbean
and Mexico due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the BBC reported.
Canada’s main airlines, including Air
Canada and WestJet “will end service
immediately and organize to return travel
for those currently abroad,” the story
said.
The Canadian government
will also mandate
new testing and
three-day quarantine
periods upon arrival in
Canada.
The decision was made amid reports of
many Canadians traveling internationally
this winter.
“The new variants of COVID-19 pose
a real challenge to Canada,” the BBC
quoted Trudeau as saying.
He announced that Air Canada, West-
Jet, Sunwing and Air Transat have all
agreed to suspend their flights to socalled
“sun destinations” until April 30.
All visitors to Canada must take a
mandatory COVID-19 PCR (polymerase
chain reaction) test on arrival at the airport
in addition to the pre-boarding test
that is already required- and must stay at
Canadian government approved hotels at
their own cost for up to three days while
awaiting results.
The prime minister said it would cost
travelers more than Can$2,000 (US1,560)
for the hotel stay and those who test negative
can complete the remainder of their
two-week quarantine period at home, the
report said.
Guyana
Bars closed in Guyana since March
2020 will now be allowed to open their
doors, although at limited capacity, under
the updated government COVID-19 measures
announced last week.
However, the measures maintain the
daily curfew from 10.30 am to 4 am and
restrictions on social activities until at
least Feb. 28.
The new guidelines allow bars and restaurants
to open from 4 am to 9.30 pm,
but restricts indoor dining to 40 percent
of capacity of the building with tables
places six feet apart and no more than
four persons allowed at one table.
The guidelines restrict social gatherings
and recreational activities, including
private parties, receptions,
wakes and vigils.
Gyms are allowed
to open at 50 percent
capacity while sporting
events are subject to approval from the
Ministry of Health and must comply with
the measures.
The latest statistics provided by the
Ministry of Health show that up to Jan.
31, Guyana had recorded 7,641 cases, 60
of those being recorded with the last 24
hours of the data being gathered.
The country has 874 active cases.
Jamaica
Jamaica’s Minister of National Security,
Dr. Horace Chang, is blaming gang warfare
for the surge in murders across the
country since the start of the year.
Chang revealed that more than 100
persons had been killed across the island
so far up to the first week in February.
He said efforts by the police to dismantle
gangs have been working, despite it not
being reflected in the murder statistics so
far this year.
The minister cited another feature of
gang violence that has been contributing
to the nation’s high
murder rate was young
gang members being in
what he described as “a
state of depression.”
Chang noted that one of the problems
“we have is that most of the big gang leaders
are the big killers (the ones who give
the chilling orders) but they actually have
been apprehended or some have removed
from the scene.”
He said as a result, “there is no order or
discipline” in the gangs, which has virtually
spilled over into the society, causing
violent crimes.
According to Chang, who is also the
deputy prime minister, the government
has deployed more police in crime-
Continued on Page 22
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