CARICOM’s heads of Government are determined that the region will see herd immunity of 80 per cent coverage before the end of 2021 and, to this end, agreed to redouble their efforts to acquire adequate supplies of vaccines at this week’s heads of government meeting. The group tabled a report on the COVID-19 situation from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in particular citing the … [Read more...]
Cayman Islands starts genome sequencing of COVID-19 cases
The Cayman Islands has started genome sequencing of local COVID-19 cases making the territory the first in the region, outside of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), to do so. This was revealed by Governor Martyn Roper who said that this puts the British overseas territory in a different league, as no one else in the Caribbean is doing it. “Other territories and countries are … [Read more...]
CARPHA, Canadian health agency join forces on COVID
Port of Spain – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it is collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to build capacity to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. CARPHA, the sole public health agency responsible for preventing disease, promoting and protecting health in the Caribbean, said together with PHAC, they are continuing to … [Read more...]
Caribbean gov’ts face dilemma over vaccinated visitors
Elysa Leonard, 54, a scuba diver from Virginia in the United States, has not travelled in over a year. When the coronavirus pandemic shut down global economies last year – with travel and tourism among the worst hit – Leonard was preparing to fly to the Caribbean to engage in coral restoration in Bonaire with the charity Aquarium Divers for Corals. Now, having had her first shot of the Moderna … [Read more...]
Caribbean nations explore new ideas, directions to recover from pandemic
[Reprinted: The UM News, 11-20-2020] Caribbean experts assessed the coronavirus’s impact on the region in a webinar on Nov. 19 hosted by the University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas. Owing in part to its geographic terrain, the Caribbean has fared relatively well from a health standpoint in managing the COVID-19 virus, yet the region has suffered economic devastation … [Read more...]