The government of Barbados will introduce a travel bubble for specific countries in the Caribbean with a low incidence of COVID-19 cases, which takes place on 30 June. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced during a speech to update the country on the COVID-19 situation that ‘persons fully vaccinated with a negative PCR test comintg from Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Anguilla, … [Read more...]
Can the USA return to pre-COVID-19 normal by July 4?
As of May 17, 2021, more than 270 million vaccine doses have been administered in the USA, with over 123 million people fully vaccinated, having received the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) or one dose of the single-shot vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). President Joe Biden has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of adults by July 4 for the nation to return … [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...]
The interplay between COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination
An intervention is only as effective as the extent to which people are willing to adopt recommended measures. One obstacle to the success of COVID-19 interventions, especially in the USA, has been the politicisation of control measures, including the adoption of masks and physical distancing. Interplay between acceptance of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination shapes local transmission … [Read more...]