COVID-19 – Latest updates in the Caribbean

Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda will welcome its first international flight on June 4 since the twin-island nation shut its borders as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Minister for Tourism, Charles Fernandez speaking during a virtual meeting on “Reopening Antigua & Barbuda for Tourism” recently said an American Airlines flight from Miami is due to land on June 4, bringing the first set of passengers in 10 weeks.

He said it will mark the start of a slow, phased recovery for the sector and is set to be followed by the Trinidad & Tobago-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL) in mid-June and British Airways in July.

Fernandez said the country would be seeking to ensure international confidence in the country’s ability to keep people safe, and that starving off a second wave of infections will prove critical.

He noted that tourism officials had been hard at work for weeks so they can “hit the ground running.”

The authorities have not yet announced the date for the reopening of VC Bird International Airport, but visitors may have to undergo a COVID-19 test at least 48 hours before boarding the flight, among other proposed measures.

Barbados

The Barbados Ambassador to the United Nations, Liz Thompson, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

It said the diplomat had returned to Barbados recently from New York, which is the epi-center of the outbreak in the United States.

Thompson arrived on a private jet and was tested immediately after her arrival. We received information that her test was positive. There was one other passenger on the plane on which the ambassador traveled. That passenger was also tested, that test is negative,” the statement said.

It said Thompson had come to Barbados to be at the bedside of her 95-year-old mother, who became gravely ill with a heart condition, a non-COVID-19-related condition.

“The Ministry of Health will continue to deal with the situation, as it has all other cases in Barbados, Ambassador Thompson and her family are cooperating fully with the ministry,” it said.

Bahamas

The Bahamas government said it was looking at the possibility of allowing commercial travel on or before July 1, but said the date was not final and that would depend on the current state of COVID-19 in the country.

The Bahamas has recorded 96 positive cases, with 11 deaths.

In a radio broadcast recently, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said that as the country continues to make progress in its efforts to curb the spread of the virus, it would act on the advice of health officials “on the phased and gradual reopening of various islands and certain areas of our economy for daily life that will be with us for some time.”

“We must abide by regional and global health protocols as we reopen our economy and society if advised by heath officials, we will return to certain phases to re-impose certain restrictions in order to limit community spread. We have to balance the health, economic and social needs of citizens and residents,” the prime minister said.

Jamaica

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a US$520 million disbursement to Jamaica under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to aid with COVID-19 relief.

This is 100 percent of the allotted amount that Jamaica can access.

In a statement the IMF, said these funds will help meet “the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, while catalyzing additional support from development partners.”

The COVID-19 shock Jamaica only a few months after the successful completion of it precautionary stand-by arrangement with the IMF, which was underpinned by strong ownership and civil oversight, the fund noted.

“Jamaica’s established track record of economic reforms has created buffers that are invaluable today in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, despite the authorities’ proactive mitigation strategies the pandemic is significantly impacting Jamaica’s economy,” the statement said.

Jamaica is the hardest hit English-speaking Caribbean country with 530 confirmed cases as of May 17.

The Jamaica government has declared the entire island as a disaster area and has established a special task force to coordinate the country’s COVID-19 response. -(CMC)