CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP
Bahamas
The Bahamas government has confirmed
that a 61-year-old man has died
from the H1N1 influenza, also called
swine flu.
Minister of Health, Dr. Duane Sands
said the death occurred recently.
H1N1 is a particular subtype of influenza
and the technically correct term is
H1N1 influenza.
Dr. Sands said there was no need for
alarm given the recent
death.
Health authorities
say the high-risk individuals
include youth,
the elderly, morbidly
obese individuals and health care providers.
The minister said the majority of
cases expected are going to be H1N1
and “we now have had 4,500 people take
the influenza vaccine. It is not enough
and we strongly encourage persons to
go and get their flu shots.”
Health officials reported number of
flu cases in the country ranges from
200 to 650 annually during the flu season
that runs from October to May and
peaks in the month of February.
Jamaica
Jamaica is hoping to boost the economy
through the construction of 6,000
additional hotel rooms early next year.
This was disclosed by Minister of
Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, who said the
initiative is expected to begin in January,
2019 and would serve to further
boost the economy by providing opportunities
for local stakeholders, such
as manufacturers, whom he encouraged
to prepare to supply the anticipated
heightened demand for furniture,
among key inputs.
He said the industry
is growing, the
demand is expanding,
noting that at 4.3 million
visitors, the market has increased
by nearly 300,000 per month.
The minister said the potential for
further growth in the local tourism
sector is limitless, relative to how the
industry is projected to grown globally.
Bartlett has called on the financial
industry stakeholders to be more
accommodating of local entrepreneurs
supplying the industry, particularly
manufacturers, by facilitating them
with funding support.
Guyana
United Airlines is exploring the possibility
of adding Guyana to its list
of destinations as the Houston-based
carrier seeks to take advantage of the
South American nation’s emerging oil
and gas economy.
Junior Minister of Aviation, Anette
Ferguson said United Airlines has it
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St. Lucia’s Prime Minister, Allen Michael Chastanet has expressed concern about the level of crime facing his country.
Associated Press / Richard Drew, File
eyes on the Guyana market and a delegation
was soon expected to hold talks
with top officials of Guyana Civil Aviation
Authority (GCAA).
Ferguson is optimistic that United
Airlines would eventually reach an
agreement to fly the Guyana / US route
— thereby providing the Guyanese population
a greater travel experience as
well as more affordable airfare options.
Word of United’s interest in Guyana
first came from outgoing US Ambassador
to Guyana, Perry Holloway during
an interview with
sections of the media
recently.
United, headquartered
in Chicago, Illinois,
is the world’s
third largest airline after American Airlines
and Delta Airlines.
United’s interest in Guyana comes
less than one month after American
Airlines began plying the Guyana /
Miami route.
Grenada
The attorney, who investigated corruption
allegations against the former
Turks and Caicos Premier Michael Misick,
Eugene Otuonye, QC, has been
appointed to head a team to probe
corruption allegation into the Grenada
Marketing and National Importing
Board (MNIB).
In July, 2018, Prime Minister Dr.
Keith Mitchell announced that Cabinet
had approved an investigation into the
affairs of the MNIB as a result of financial
wrongdoing observed by the new
board of directors.
Shortly after, the Integrity Commission,
which the Public Life Act provides
to conduct inquiries of wrongdoing into
any state-owned enterprise, announced
it had begun preliminary work into the
corruption allegations at the MNIB.
A government release said that Prime
Minister, Dr. Mitchell met with the
investigative team at the Office of the
Integrity Commission.
Former general manager of the
MNIB, Ruel Edwards is at the center of
the investigation.
Suriname
More than 11 people died when after
a boat sank on the Coppename River,
including four children.
The bodies of seven people, including
a mother and her two children were
recovered amid fears that the death
toll could rise with several others still
missing.
In a brief statement
the Surinamese government
expressed
“condolences to the
entire community” and said that it
is “devastated by the incident” which
occurred early on Friday, Dec. 28,
2018.
Local villagers said at least 20 persons
have so far been rescued and that
the tragedy has cast a bleak cloud of
mourning over Suriname’s usual endof
the year festivities.
Reports are that the vessel left the
village of Cornelis Kondre, located in
the Sipaliwini district, heading towards
Boskamp in District Saramacca around
midnight, carrying at least 30 passengers,
several of them children.
The boat sank near the village of
Kalebas Creek about halfway to its destination.
Boskamp is a popular transshipment
point from where passengers can catch
the bus to either Paramaribo in the east
or Nickerie in the west, both bustling
with year-end activities. The search is
continuing for other missing persons.
St. Lucia
Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet has
described crime as one of the glaring
challenges facing St. Lucia even as it
celebrates its latest achievements.
Chastanet spoke against the background
of a recent sharp upsurge in gun
violence when he delivered a message
to mark National Day recently.
He noted that 2018 National Day
finds St. Lucia virtually
on the cusps of
a new beginning as
far as development is
concerned, adding “we
have begun to see some
positive projections for our country
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Upsurge in gun violence
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