A Roundup of Regional Coronanavirus Headlines
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
GUESTS SELF-QUARANTINE AT HODGES BAY RESORT (antiguaobserver.com) A number of guests have decided to self-quarantine at the luxury Hodges Bay Resort rather than return to the US or UK. Some hotel workers have also decided to stay on the premises, according to an official spokesperson ‘so they would not pose any risks to their families… The guests and hotel staff are living in the same compound under the same rules governing social distancing.’ Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has condemned the irresponsible people who defy the social distancing rules; his criticism came in the wake of crowds of Antiguans flocking to St John’s on Thursday. ‘People believe they’re invincible,’ he said. There are 17 reported cases of Covid-19 virus in Antigua & Barbuda; there have been two deaths.
BAHAMAS
CHINA: US BLOCKING SUPPLIES TO BAHAMAS NOT APPROPRIATE (thenassaurguardian.com) A Chinese Embassy official has said that it was not ‘appropriate’ for the US to block the export of critical medical supplies destined for the Bahamas from China, including 15 ventilators. The items were due to be released yesterday a week after US president Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation to allocate ‘scarce or threatened’ medical supplies for domestic use. The Bahamas Ministry of Education has announced that all educational campuses will remain closed and that national secondary school exams would be postponed until further notice. There are 28 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Bahamas; eight people have died.
BARBADOS
BARBADOS RECORDS 4TH COVID-19 DEATH (nationnews.com). The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that the deceased is a 57-year-old diabetic female, who was infected by a known case who travelled abroad. She came to health services in critical condition and tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30. She is the first woman and youngest person to succumb to the viral illness, so far. The first three victims were all male and ranged in age from 74 to 95. Barbados has recorded 52 active cases.
BONAIRE, STATIA, SABA
30 VENTILATORS, MEDICINES AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ON WAY TO ABC ISLANDS (bes-reporter.com) A KLM flight was due to arrive yesterday in Curacao with medical equipment, medicines and protective equipment for Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The equipment will be shared between the three islands and, if necessary, patients would be transported between the islands using air ambulances. Statia and Bonaire have both recorded two active cases of Covid-19.
CAYMAN ISLANDS
FIRST PHASE OF BUSINESS RELIEF MEASURES ANNOUNCED (caymaniantimes.ky) The government of this British Overseas Territory has announced a package of support for small and medium-sized businesses consisting of a low-interest loan programme, grants and technical assistance and training. The package is seen as an initial stimulus ‘to lessen the impact of Covid-19 on your economy and our people.’ A British Airways flight arrived in Grand Cayman on Wednesday with 58 Caymanian students and other residents on board; all arriving passengers were taken to a government quarantine facility. The flight also carried supplies to the island, including pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment and test kits. The flight will return to the UK with 131 passengers, wishing to be repatriated to the UK and other European countries. The Caymans has 38 reported cases of Covid-19.
CUBA
CUBA’S BIOTECH AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY FIGHTS AGAINST COVID-19 (plenglish.com). Dr Eduardo Martinez, president of BioCubaFarma reports that ‘over the past few weeks, two drugs that strengthen the immune system have been included in the protocol for the fight against Covid-19 disease, Biomodulin and Transfer Factor. A variant of Interferon is also being produced for nasal use, which will be used preventively for the same purpose.’
Cuban scientists are also focused on developing specific preventive vaccines for this virus. ‘We have the design of four vaccines, and we are working, as fast as we can, to start evaluations in animal models in the shortest possible time,said Dr Martinez. Cuba has reported 498 active cases of the virus.
CURACAO
HUMANITARIAN FLIGHT TO FORT LAUDERDALE (curacaochronicle.com). The US Consulate has announced that the US-owned low-cost Spirit Airlines will operate a humanitarian flight on 15 April. The flight will depart from Aruba, board additional passengers in Cartagena, Colombia, and then continue to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The flight has been made available to allow US citizens and legal permanent residents to return to the United States. Passengers in Bonaire and Curacao will have an option to use the Curacao-based Divi Divi airlines to transit to Aruba to catch this flight. Aruba has reported 59 active cases of Covid-19 while Curacao has six active cases.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
NO BILLS FOR THREE MONTHS (dominicantoday.com). The president of the Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Trajano Santana, has advocated that Dominicans be exempt from paying electricity, garbage collection, education, and telecommunications services for three months. In recent weeks, more than 600,000 Dominican workers have lost their jobs. The Dominican Republic has reported 2,396 active cases of Covid-19.
GRENADA
VENEZUELA’S LOGISTICAL SUPPORT ENSURING SAFE ARRIVAL OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO GRENADA (nowgrenada.com). Health Minister Nickolas Steelesaid that Grenada is using ‘non-traditional’ international travel routes to have medical supplies for Covid-19 arrive on the island. As part of that strategy, Venezuela is one of the countries contributing to this humanitarian measure by providing logistical support, said Steele, adding that a Venezuelan aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Grenada with more testing equipment. ‘This is the second time that they have been providing general logistics for us, but not just us, but for other islands in the OECS.’He named Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines as among the other islands who have benefited from the gesture from Venezuela. Grenada has reported 12 active cases of the virus.
GUADELOUPE
TANKS TO COMPENSATE FOR LACK OF WATER (la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guadeloupe) Firefighters are filling up water tanks in various communities to compensate for the lack of water. Access to water is particularly important during the Covid-19 emergency to allow for hand washing. There are 68 reported active cases in this French department.
HAITI
HAITIANS ARE FLEEING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DUE TO CORONAVIRUS. MANY ARRIVE HOME UNSCREENED (haitiantimes.com). Thousands of Haitians have fled the Dominican Republic in the last few weeks due to the coronavirus. Despite the border being closed, some are going undetected as they return via unofficial crossings and evading military patrols and medical screenings. This is raising concerns about Haiti’s ability to halt the spread of the virus. More than 11,000 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic have returned home since March 29, according to monitoring by the International Organisation for Migration, which has tracked movement across the four official border checkpoints and 46 of the more than 100 unofficial crossings. While about 2,500 passed through official checkpoints, where Haiti’s health ministry has installed hand-washing stations and placed temperature takers to screen returnees for flu-like symptoms, thousands of others have arrived back undetected and unchecked. So far, Haiti has recorded 29 active cases of Covid-19.
JAMAICA
HELLSHIRE FISHERMEN HIT HARD AS COVID-19 STALLS SALES (jamaicaobserver.com) Fishermen from Hellshire beach on Jamaica’s south coast are suffering from loss of sales as the beach, famous for its fried fish restaurants, is closed to recreational activities. The Easter weekend is a popular time when business is usually good. ‘It really bad now because since this virus thing start nobody nah buy no fish. Things slow up, slow up, bad, bad, bad,” said boat owner and fisherman George Smith. Shop owner Winsome Madden, said, ‘A sufferation now and we a suffer. I don’t know what the government can do fi we as some flat foot hustlers but them need to do something.’ Jamaica has recorded four deaths from Covid-19; the total number of reported active cases remains at 63.
PUERTO RICO
PUERTO RICO SEEKS BAN ON FLIGHTS FROM US COVID-19 HOT SPOTS (komonews.com). Puerto Rico’s governor on Wednesday asked federal officials to ban all flights from US cities with a high number of coronavirus cases to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the US Territory. The petition by Gov. Wanda Vázquez to the Federal Aviation Administration came after officials accused some visitors of taking medicine to lower their fevers to avoid being placed in quarantine by National Guard troops screening people at the island’s main international airport. At least two passengers from New York who lowered their fever with medication are now in hospital on the island with COVID-19, according to the National Guard. Vázquez asked to ban flights from New York, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois. Puerto Rico has reported 492 active cases of Covid-19.
ST LUCIA
WATER RATIONING ADDS TO COVID CHALLENGE (stlucianewsonline.com) The Water and Sewerage Company Inc (WASCO) has officially started a water-rationing schedule due to the onset of drought conditions. Customers will experience an interruption in their water supply every other evening from 7pm to 6am until further notice, the company said.St Lucia has reported 14 active cases of the virus.
ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
GONSALVES RESISTS LOCKDOWN (news784.com). ‘I want somebody to tell me how the farmers in my constituency can plant yam and reap potatoes from home. And I want them to tell me too how are fishermen going to throw seine to catch sprat and go out on the boat to catch robin and jacks and tuna by going on the computer.’ PM Gonsalves was addressing calls for government to lockdown the borders and declare a state of emergency in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘I want to say to you, having a state of emergency or having a curfew are not necessary answers. For those who have a state of emergency … fundamental rights and freedom are suspended.’ St Vincent and the Grenadines has reported 11 active cases of Covid-19.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
SPOT TESTING FOR COVID-19 NEXT TUESDAY (newsday.co.tt) Spot testing will be introduced from Tuesday 14 April for viral illnesses, including Covid-19, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has announced. “We will be selecting one health centre in every county where we’ll be sampling people who have viral illness symptoms,” he said. ‘What that will do… is give us an idea of what is circulating in TT beside Covid, and if Covid is there.’ There are 100 active reported cases and eight deaths on the twin island.
CHART NOTES
The chart shows reported active cases of Covid-19. This means that the numbers of those who have either recovered or died are not included. The charts show current, reported active cases only. It is worth noting that although there are still upward curves for Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, the curve for the rest of the region has shown signs of flattening over the last few days.
N.B. Health authorities reported on Thursday evening that 5 of Dominica’s 16 confirmed cases have recovered. There has been no death.
The flattening of the curve is exactly what I expected in light of the role which I expect the weather to play, but I am still baffled with the pattern emerging in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Obviously for the Dominican republic and Puerto Rico, their continued rise could be attributable to new imported cases but what’s up with Cuba?
They are all over the globe helping others, and though a tourist haven under normal circumstances, these are not normal times. Does their reported interferon really work? If so,why are their numbers rising? though admittedly, their rate of rise is slower than for both Puerto Rico and the Dominican republic. They are obviously doing something great there. Is it there interferon? The world is longing to find out but it is time that we let the world realise that in the Caribbean we little but we tallawah, zeen.