REGIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

CARICOM: ‘Turn words into action’ regarding Haiti

CMC:

CARICOM is calling on the global community to respond “swiftly and meaningfully” to the situation in Haiti, where an earthquake last Saturday killed more than 2,000 people, injuring thousands, with several others missing and feared dead.

“There is an urgent need for the entire global community to respond swiftly and meaningfully to the dire situation of the Haitian people within a framework of transparency and accountability,” said Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), at the meeting of the Permanent Council.

Speaking on behalf of the 15-member regional integration grouping, he said, “We in CARICOM urge international development and financial institutions and governments to help to the fullest extent of their capabilities, making sure that assistance is provided to the needy and vulnerable in a fair and equitable manner.”

The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which is coordinating CARICOM’s response to the situation in Haiti, said in its latest bulletin that 2,189 persons had died; 12,268 others injured; and 332 missing as a result of the quake, which – while not as devastating as the 2010 earthquake, which killed more than 200,000 people – flattened several buildings, including churches and hotels.

The disaster was intensified by Tropical Storm Grace, which generated widespread flooding and landslides.

Sanders disclosed that the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility agreed to pay out US$40 million to Haiti, with the first instalment of $15 million being paid to the government early next week, and the remaining $25 million being delivered within the next 14 days.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank has also given support to Haiti by paying, in whole or in part, Haiti’s insurance premiums for earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and excessive precipitation.

“CARICOM is doing all in its power with its limited resources to respond to the crucial emergency needs of the Haitian people,” Sir Ronald said, calling on the international development and financial banks and wealthy governments “to turn words to action”.

“The Haitian people have suffered enough,” he added.

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UWI not considering mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for students and staff at this time ...but

CMC:

The St Augustine campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) said while it has for now taken a decision that it will not mandate staff and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, its position may change based on if the matter is legislated or pronounced upon by the courts.

In an email sent to staff and students, pro-vice-chancellor and campus principal, Professor Brian Copeland, said given the ongoing public debate on COVID-19 vaccination, the campus had taken the position that, until such time as the matter is legislated or pronounced upon by the courts, “we will not be mandating staff members nor students to vaccinate.

“However, it is to be noted that non-national students and staff must demonstrate to immigration officials that they are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccine in order to enter the country,” he said.

“We encourage all staff and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The data clearly shows that the non-vaccinated remain most vulnerable.”

FULLY VACCINATED

Copeland said that one exception is the case of the Halls of Residence, where “only fully vaccinated students, whether nationals or non-nationals, will be allowed to stay.

“In any event, non-national students would have to be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine in order to enter the country to take up study,” he said, adding that only two halls of residence will be open for the arrival of residents from August 29.

“Although there remain a few details that need to be worked out, there is agreement on the need to do all that is necessary and possible to ensure that staff and student safety is of the highest priority. For staff, details will be included in a revised Return to Work Policy which will be shared in the near future,” he said.

The Trinidad and Tobago government has said it has no intention at the moment of implementing a mandatory vaccination policy, even as it urges citizens and residents to fully participate in the national vaccination programme.

Trinidad and Tobago has so far recorded 1,208 deaths and 42,582 positive cases of the virus and the government has signalled its intention to extend a state of emergency by a further three months when the current one ends on August 29.

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St Vincent and the Grenadines looking to use volcanic ash to develop products

CMC – The St Vincent and the Grenadines government is challenging inventors within academia and private enterprise to explore the potential of using plastics, and possibly volcanic ash, as raw materials in the production of useful products.

The government says the ‘Recycling Innovation Challenge: Recycling at an Island Level’ is open to national, regional and international stakeholders and is hopeful that it would yield a range of ideas and concepts. It remains open until September 11. The winner will be announced at the end of September.

Plastic waste constitutes a significant percentage of pollutants posing a threat to the region’s marine space and St Vincent and the Grenadines says it is still grappling with the extensive socio-economic impacts resulting from the April 2021 eruption of La Soufriere Volcano.

It said volcanic ash is another major pollutant to air quality and ecosystem health.

“Therefore, the purpose of the challenge is to support research that addresses the problems caused as a result of plastic waste and whose solutions are suitable to the context of Small Island Developing States, such that they can make an important contribution in reducing plastic waste, at a local, national and regional level,” the government stated.

Kingstown said that the winning proposal will receive a grant of US$20,000, funded under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) project, Building Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean through Reduction of Marine Litter and Pollution Project (ReMLit), a three-year project being implemented by the OECS with funding from the Norway government.

St Vincent and the Grenadines is one of six OECS member states funded under ReMLit to implement country level projects which directly contribute to the aim of reducing marine litter.

The island’s project, titled ‘Partnering to Combat Land-Based Sources of Pollution and Improve Ocean Ecosystem Health in St Vincent and the Grenadines’, is a two-year initiative aimed at reducing land-based sources of marine pollution by increasing local recycling of plastic waste through public-private partnership.

“The winner’s grant of US$20,000 will fund the development of the selected proposal for demonstration purposes. Adjudicators of the challenge are scrutinising submissions for possible creative use(s), novel ideas and solutions, potential to reduce social impacts of plastic, and if possible volcanic ash for diversification of agricultural input products with export potential, possible contribution to economic growth, creation of livelihoods, and the involvement of communities,” according to a statement.

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Barbados suffered largest decline in economic history due to COVID-19

CMC:

The senior economic adviser to the Barbados government, Dr Kevin Greenidge, wants a quick solution to the issue of vaccines so as to allow for a turnaround in the economic fortunes of the island.

Greenidge said that the pandemic had resulted in the local economy collapsing by almost 18 per cent with at least $2 billion (one Barbados dollar=US$0.50 cents) in economic activity being lost, the largest decline in the country’s economic history.

The senior economic adviser said that a second outbreak of the virus, last December, which led to a shutdown in February this year, saw a further decline in economic activity by over 20 per cent or “another BDS$500 million lost in one quarter”.

Greenidge said Barbados is a tourism-dependent economy, and 40 per cent of its income activity is tourism. He said 40 per cent of the country’s employment, both direct and indirect, come from the sector, with over 50 per cent of foreign reserves from taxi operators coming from tourism.

At present, there are 4,000 workers in hotels and restaurants, as opposed to over 16,000 before the pandemic, which, according to Greenidge, resulted in unemployment claims “going through the roof”.

“Whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated, we all have to do what we have to do at the individual level to ensure that we protect ourselves and we protect those around us, so that we do not get another outbreak, and get this country back on track,” he said.

“Everybody got to do their part … the big picture is that we got a lot to lose if we don’t get this act together.”