Caribbean News
Trelawny Health Department on COVID-19 Education Drive
#MONTEGO BAY, March 19 (JIS): The Trelawny Health Department is undertaking a comprehensive public education programme aimed at increasing knowledge about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and reducing its spread.
Parish Health Promotion and Education Officer, Trelawny Health Department, Althea Gayle Palmer.
Parish Health Promotion and Education Officer, Althea Gayle Palmer, told JIS News that public health personnel have been engaged in sensitisation sessions across the parish, reinforcing the need for people to be vigilant about hygiene practices and social distancing.
“We have all health stakeholders on board, so we are basically working together. We have trained all the vector-control workers; we have trained all our Community Health Aides, all our healthcare workers to execute.
“We are distributing our educational materials; we are using video presentations; we are using the intercom [at health facilities] to sensitise persons. We are doing small group sessions as well as one-on-one educational sessions,” she noted.
Mrs. Gayle Palmer told JIS News that the public has been alerted about the severity of COVID-19 and how behaviour change can reduce its spread and save lives.
“The message is the general message being sent by the Ministry of Health [and Wellness]. Persons are to stay home as much as possible; children are to stay home and limit your presence in the public. They are told to eat healthy by including fruits and vegetables in their diet and, of course, rest, relax, and engage in physical activity,” she said.
“When it comes to hygiene and cough etiquette, we are pushing that. Of course… we are ensuring that persons wash their hands because that cannot be substituted for anything else, but also to have their hand sanitiser just in case they are out in the public,” Mrs. Gayle-Palmer added.
She noted that a number of entities, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the judiciary and the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), have requested educational sessions for their staff in response to COVID-19.
Mrs. Gayle-Palmer told JIS News that from observation in the field, residents have been taking personal responsibility to guard against contracting the virus.
“We are on target and we realise that the public is very much aware. In the health facilities, we enforce the protocols and persons try to maintain their distance. It is not overcrowded in our facilities. Everybody is on board and we are doing what is recommended,” she said.
JIS News by NICKIETA STERLING
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Revenue from the Turks and Caicos’ Financial Services Sector will more than double in the next few years, if E Jay Saunders, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister gets his way. It ‘s one of the reasons the country is investing so much capital into getting off of the EU blacklist and becoming a secure trustworthy financial destination.
“The FSC’s revenues for 2020/21 was $10.5M— the figures for 2021/22, would be about similar,” he said. He further explained that $10.5 million from the FSC represented about 2.6 percent of the country’s 408.5-million-dollar
revenue. Though it increased to $14 million in the 2021/22 financial year, finance is still a small fry compared to tourism or even stamp duties but that will change, says Saunders.
“My revenue goal for the Government by the year 2029 [or] the election after the next election – is $500M. By that time, I want the financial sector (FSC) revenues to represent at least 5% ($25M). So that’s my goal for the financial sector by 2029.”
This goal, should it be met, would increase the Government’s revenue by 100 million dollars, a significant increase in spending power for local upgrades and improvements for Turks and Caicos residents and visitors.
Saunders says it’s time for the TCI to diversify its sources of revenue to make sure that what happened in the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw residents out of a job for months, will not happen again. Tourism now makes up around 80 percent of the country’s GDP. The Minister of Finance wants to push that down to 60 or even 50 percent.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#Haiti, March 17, 2023 – When a CARICOM delegation visited Haiti earlier this month, conspicuously absent was the Turks and Caicos Islands despite being one of the nations most directly affected by the multi-dimensional crisis there. There is no comment, as yet from the Premier, to say why this was the case.
Still, from the expedition, CARICOM heads of Government have informed that there will be lobbying in Africa for assistance in Haiti. They say they have decided that the best course of action for the Caribbean country is to bolster the Haitian National Police and act as intermediaries with Africa and the world. The decision follows a one day visit on February 27th, and a March 5th meeting chaired by the Bahamas.
CARICOM says during the trip delegates ‘met with a broad range of Haitian stakeholders to hear their views on the
way forward to a Haitian-led solution’. With that in mind it has made a decision on how to proceed.
“The Heads of Government agreed to support the Haitian National Police in their efforts to address the security situation. The focus of the Community will be the provision of training for the HNP and the provision of humanitarian assistance to HNP and the wider Haitian society, taking into account the challenging humanitarian and security situation”
It’s not clear yet where and how this training will take place. Also distinctly absent from the report, no more mention of boots on the ground from other countries despite CARICOM Member States indicating they were ready and willing should it come to that.
In addition, recognizing ‘the common historical experiences and the strong African-Caribbean relationship’ CARICOM says,
“Heads of Government also agreed to seek support from African countries for Haiti. They also agreed to work with the Governments of Canada and the United States as well as the UNDP”
Magnetic Media has reached out to the Premier’s Office to get a full debrief of the February 27th visit (led by Jamaica; including The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago) to learn of Turks and Caicos’ posture following the critical sessions.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Musicians from the New World Symphony will be in the Turks and Caicos in concert next month and residents are invited to attend in support of the future of Ashley’s Learning Center. 
A fairly young orchestral academy based in Miami, the New World Symphony was launched in the 1980s by 1987, Michael Tilson Thomas and Ted Arison,Carnival Cruises founder. From the 1500 applicants who vie for a spot each year, the symphony accepts around 35 music graduates annually for training fellowships.
A select few of those graduates will be in country on April 8th headlining at the Ashley’s Learning Center concert ‘We’re all in this together’. The concert which also feature local artistes will be held at Brayton Hall on Venetian Road from 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Tickets are available ON ISLEHELP $75 PER GENERAL SEAT $125 PER PREMIUM SEAT $195 PER GALLERY SEAT – with /FREFRESHMENTS.
For TICKET RESERVATIONs you can call: 649-341-2304 or email EVENTS@ASHLEYSLEARNINGCENTER.ORG
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