90% of samples sent to CARPHA test positive for BA.2 subvariant Health Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill has confirmed the presence of omicron subvariant, BA.2, in Barbados. Last week, following a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Minister of Health and Wellness disclosed that samples will be sent to Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for investigation. In a statement to the media … [Read more...]
Two years in: CARICOM & WFP study impact of COVID on Caribbean people
Since January 30, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a Public Health Emergency, the socio-economic welfare of Caribbean people has been impacted by multiple lockdowns, changes in travel protocols and drastic declines in tourism, resulting in an economic contraction of 9.9 per cent in the region in 2020 (IMF) with major repercussions for lives and livelihoods in the … [Read more...]
Omicron Variant Spikes In Bermuda
Bermuda in the Caribbean is seeing a spike in the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19, new data confirms. At least 16 of Bermuda’s 35 active coronavirus cases are of the Omicron variant, up from just two last week, health officials there have confirmed. The news came as 20 people tested positive among the latest batch of 6,762 test results announced on Monday night. The active cases are all … [Read more...]
Omicron and Holiday Travel: 12 of the Most Pressing Questions
Vaccination requirements, testing rules, the new coronavirus variant and more: We answer your questions about traveling safely this holiday season. Holiday travel suddenly feels more fraught as the world waits for emerging information on the transmissibility and virulence of the new coronavirus variant. Scientists are racing to see if the current vaccines offer protection against Omicron, but … [Read more...]