CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Antigua
Cash-strapped regional airline LIAT,
which is hoping to return to the skies
this month, has informed retrenched
workers that payment of any indebtedness
would not be made at this time
even as it sent letters of dismissals to
several staff members, including pilots,
flight attendants and engineers.
The court-appointed administrator,
Cleveland Seaforth, in a letter to
a shipping clerk with
the airline said that
his position has been
made redundant effective
Nov. 20, 2020.
Seaforth reminded
workers that the coronavirus (COVID-
19) pandemic has caused a major downturn
in the economy and has had a detrimental
impact on the airline, which is
now in the process of being recapitalized
and owing in excess of EC$100 million
(US$37 million) to its creditors.
He said while the list recognizes its
financial obligations to the retrenched
workers, all applicable entitlements will
be discussed with the relevant bargaining
trade unions for resolution and
finalization prior to the workers being
notified of the amount due to them.
Barbados
Two more visitors were tested positive
recently, raising the total to 237
cases in Barbados.
Recently a 21-year-old Jamaican
woman, who arrived
in Barbados on Caribbean
Airlines, was
positive after a second
test.
This was among 515 conducted by
the Best-dos-Santos Public Health Laboratory
when there were 234 confirmed
cases and 217 recoveries. Nine people
were in isolation and the laboratory had
completed 310 tests.
There were seven deaths since the
virus was first detected in Barbados.
Bahamas
The Bahamas government has
announced a slight relaxation on
COVID-19 regulations,
but warned that Bahamians
must get used
to cycles that involve
tightening and loosening
of restrictions
because the pandemic will be “with us
well into next year.”
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis made
the announcement last week while
speaking during a news conference
before the territory welcomes visitors
and returning residents without requiring
that they quarantine for 14 days.
However, the prime minister, who
said all beaches and parks in New Providence
and Abaco will open this week,
Caribbean L 4 ife, November 6-12, 2020
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Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis talks to the media during a news conference in Nassau, Bahamas, Sept. 3, 2019. REUTERS /
Marco Bello, File
could not provide a time-frame for the
country’s state of emergency — currently
extended until the end of this
month — will come to an end.
Concerning weddings and funerals
on Grand Bahama, he said they will be
limited to 10 people, not including officiants
and mortuary workers.
Minnis, who is a medical doctor, also
warned that the pandemic is far from
over.
Guyana
Three private criminal charges filed
against Guyana’s chief elections officer
Keith Lowenfield have been withdrawn
by the Director
of Public Prosecutions
(DPP).
Attorney Nigel
Hughes said that the
charges had been filed against Lownfield
by Daniel Kanhai , the candidate
of The New Movement (TNM) and
Desmond Morian, of the People’s Progressive
Party/Civic, as a result of the
disputed March 2 regional and general
elections.
Kanhai had complained that between
March 5 and June 23 this year, Lowenfield
conspired with a person or persons
unknown to commit the common
law offence of fraud by representing
to the Guyana Elections Commission
(GECOM) that tables attached to his
June 25 report accurately reflected the
true results of the elections in order to
materially alter the results, with intent
to defraud as he knew the tabulation to
be false.
Morian had laid a similar complaint
which was also withdrawn. Hughes said
it is clear that the attorneys representing
those who had filed the private
charges were not prepared to move forward
with the case, despite their public
statements.
Jamaica
The Jamaican government has
extended the island-wide curfew until
Nov. 16 which was implemented as one
of the measures to curb the spread of
the coronavirus (COVID19).
The announcement was made by
Prime Minister, Andrew Holness as he
addressed the digital news conference.
According to Holness,
the curfew hours
will remain from 9 am
to 5 pm.
He said after the
spike in August and
September the growth in new cases
has been slowing down and recoveries
increasing, which has resulted in a
number of active cases showing moderate
and modest decline.
Up to Nov. 2, Jamaica recorded 9,135
cases with 208 deaths.
And Minister of Health,Dr. Christopher
Tufton also announced two nursing
homes have been ordered closed by
the Ministry of Health for not adhering
to COVID-19 prevention measures.
Recently, Dr. Tufton warned of strong
action against group care facilities,
which continue to flout measures.
St. Lucia
St. Lucia has recorded nine new cases
of coronavirus (COVID-19), including a
12-year-old child recently.
The Ministry of Health said the new
cases push the total to 84 with 36 being
active.
It said five cases are
female and four males
with ages ranging
from 12 to 55 years
old. They are from the northern town
of Gros Islet, the capital of Castries and
the southern city of Vieux Fort.
All the cases were placed in quarantine
after testing while awaiting results,
the ministry said.
The Ministry of Health said it was
also taking this opportunity to encourage
“all to look out for one another,”
adding “let’s encourage each other to
act responsibly to reduce our exposure
to the virus.”
Trinidad
The Trinidad and
Tobago government
has approved US1million
(TT$7 million) to
assist citizens who are
stranded abroad.
Continued on Page 18
THE NEWS FROM BACK HOME
Bahamas relaxes covid regulations
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