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VAZ
VISA
ROW Jamaican minister gets back
his visa but controversy swirls
Vol. 32, Issue 40 QUEENS/LONG ISLAND/BRONX/MANHATTAN October 1-7, 2021
By Bert Wilkinson
Two years ago, the US government
mysteriously yanked
the American entry visas of
Jamaican government minister
Daryl Vaz, his wife and that
of former opposition lawmaker,
Phillip Paulwell and, as usual,
gave no reason for doing so,
routinely citing federal confidentiality
laws.
The visa revocation led to
widespread speculation as to
the reasons for doing so as
the officials did not budge over
the period but developments in
recent days have shed new light
on why Vaz was forced to work
and live without being able to
travel for the US since 2019.
Just as mysteriously as his
visa was taken away, the US
mission in Kingston, the capital,
contacted Vaz recently to
indicate they would reinstate
his entry permit. Vaz, minister
of Science, Energy and Technology,
was elated but there
has been so much controversy
surrounding the issue that
the main opposition People’s
National Party (PNP) has called
on the Andrew Holness administration
to both explain it to
the Jamaican public and to terminate
his services. There is,
however, a howler in the reinstatement.
Detailed in special immigration
codes in his new oneyear
visa is an embarrassing
and humiliating special waiver
which reads as “212 (Small D)
(3) waiver of 212 (A) 92C) (1)”
meaning that federal officials
still have cause to believe that
the applicant or visa holder
has in the past been linked
to the drug trade as an aider,
abettor, conspirator and related
activities according to the
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a news conference about the coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) vaccination mandate for healthcare workers, in New York
City, U.S., Sept. 27, 2021. REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado
Vaccine mandate shows results
By Nelson A. King
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday
announced that health
care staff vaccination rates
continue to rise throughout
New York State, according to
the latest data reported by
health care facilities to the
Department of Health.
This new information
comes as the vaccination
mandate for health care staff
in hospitals and nursing
homes is now in effect.
“This new information
shows that holding firm
on the vaccine mandate for
health care workers is simply
the right thing to do to
protect our vulnerable family
members and loved ones from
COVID-19,” Gov. Hochul said.
“I am pleased to see that
health care workers are getting
vaccinated to keep New
Yorkers safe, and I am continuing
to monitor developments
and ready to take
action to alleviate potential
staffing shortage situations
in our health care systems,”
she added.
Hochul said “considerable
progress” has been made
since she was sworn-in on
Aug. 24.
She said vaccination rates
among health care workers
have continued to increase,
even in the last week leading
up to the deadline.
The percentage of nursing
home staff receiving at least
one COVID-19 vaccine dose
Continued on Page 12 Continued on Page 12
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