#TurksandCaicosIslands – December 23, 2020 – Turks and Caicos is hoping the batch of free vaccines which will arrive in the territory early in the New Year will run out so quickly that the TCI would be in line for more, enough even doses to inoculate the entire population.
A first batch of Covid-19
vaccines for Turks and Caicos can immunize ten percent of residents and strong
support for the voluntary shot could lead to enough vaccines for everyone.
“If we can’t demonstrate
there is demand for the vaccine on the island or if we fail to use those
vaccines to deliver the best possible effect it will be hard for myself, the
premier and others assembled around me today to make the case that more should
be set to us. If we get this
collectively wrong, we will end up with a very small and I daresay a very
privileged group while the majority are not. We want to avoid that outcome,”
explained the Governor in a midday press conference held at the Office of the
Premier in Providenciales, TCI.
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When British Airways touches
down at the Providenciales International Airport on January 7, it will have more
than sun-seeking passengers on board; there will be precisely 9,750 doses of
the Covid-19 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on board.
It is one of four such
dispatches of the coveted CoVax fanning out to UK Overseas territories in a
demonstration of support from mother England.
Governor of the Turks and
Caicos Islands, Nigel Dakin on Wednesday on national radio and live social
media stream made the announcement.
“In the first delivery, we
will receive 9,750 doses. Since each
person requires two doses, administered 21 days a part, this is enough to
vaccinate 4,875 people around ten percent of our population, if we get this
right, more will follow.”
While senior residents,
medically vulnerable and health care workers have long been touted as first in
line for the vaccine once it was available, the territory’s governor will lead the pack by getting the first jab along
with his wife.
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“Having discussed with the
CMO myself and Mandy will be the first to take it, we feel privileged to be in
this position. We go into Christmas as a
family therefore looking forward to the first weeks of January when we will be
able to protect our health and most importantly we both want to take the first
step which benefits every resident of these islands.”
The governor said the goal
is to get the Turks and Caicos as quickly as possible to herd immunity and he
hopes for a rush of residents who will see the vaccine as the way to protect
themselves and their loved ones.
“To do that, all of us have
to think not only of ourselves but also of the contribution we’re making or not
to the these islands. If we get this right, we will give a huge economic boost
to TCI. We’ll steal business from others as we increasingly become known as one
of the safest destinations in the world.
We are not just securing health, we are generating employment and future
prosperity and we can get there long before others.”
In considering the fear
mongering which has for months been linked to vaccine and the skepticism which
exists in the marketplace, he aimed to quell concerns by labelling the act of
taking the CoVax as the smartest approach; he also did some myth busting.
“The vaccine we are
receiving is the Pfizer vaccine,” he added, “the vaccine does not inject
Covid-19 into you. It instead uses RNA
to trick the body into producing viral proteins, which then delivers immunity.”
The RNA, scientists have
confirmed, cannot alter one’s DNA.
“We have been chosen because
we have direct flights in from the UK. Important because the vaccine has to be
transported as minus 70° and there is a belief we are ready and prepared to use
the vaccine to good effect. This should
be seen as another vote of confidence in TCI. Work has already begun on the
complex logistics and we are confident we can roll this out across the islands.”
Bermuda, Cayman Islands and
Gibraltar will also receive the vaccine from the UK in January.
“This is an enormously
generous offer from the UK and a quite extraordinary opportunity for the
TCI. Given this is a voluntary program,
it’s a moment for us to individually but also collectively seize or to
lose. Our destiny is in our hands, we
can never say we were not given the opportunity.”
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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, May 19th, 2023 – On Thursday, May 11th, 2023, Invest Turks and Caicos’ Business Support Unit (BSU); partnered with the Department of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition to host the Export Opportunities for MSMEs Training. In attendance were nineteen business owners; who participated in the free, interactive training held at Blue Haven Resort from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
The training was facilitated by Ms. Lisandra Colley, Director of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition. During the training, the participants learned the following:
Essentials of accessing the international market
Basics of exporting and the benefits of exporting for MSMEs
Export opportunities to access the Canadian and UK markets
Requirements and procedures for the exportation of goods to Canada and the UK
Understand how to use Canadian and UK government interactive tools to export
Commenting on the Training, Director of Trade, Lisandra Colley expressed, “Bolstered by its trade-related technical assistance pillar, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Fair Competition (DTIFC) aims to provide capacity building training and seminars to equip businesses across the TCI to fully participate in the domestic and international trading systems. The partnership between the DTIFC and Invest TCI to host the Seminar ‘Export Opportunities for MSMEs’ epitomizes our shared commitment to empower micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Through this collaborative effort, we provided participants with the essential knowledge and tools needed to access international markets and leverage preferential trading arrangements. By understanding the benefits of exporting, identifying potential markets, and grasping the requirements and procedures for successful export, participants are better equipped to seize opportunities in the Canadian and UK markets and worldwide.”
Anissa Adderley, Director of the Business Support Unit, also provided her feedback on the training “To strengthen the awareness of trade opportunities for MSMEs, the BSU will continue its partnership with the Department of Trade. We invite all entrepreneurs and small business owners to participate in our next collaborative training, to be held Thursday, September 12th, 2023, titled Incorporating Product Standards for Sustainable Trade.
Additionally, we welcome all businesses to take advantage of the free services offered by the Business Support Unit, namely Business Planning, Training, Counselling, Administrative Services, and MSME Programme Recipient Support. We provide the support you need to ensure your business is resilient and sustainable. Let us help you take your business to the next level.”
For more information on Invest TCI events, visit www.investturksandcaicos.tc or follow us on social media at @investtci.
#TurksandCaicos, May 25, 2023 – Where and How? Those are the questions now arising from Wednesday’s marine incident which left a young woman without her foot. The police and one local business say it was a shark attack, another government agency, the DECR was much more vague.
In a press release around midday Thursday, the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources said, “A 22-year-old female visitor from Connecticut was severely injured while snorkeling… The matter is still under investigation by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.”
Missing from that press release any mention of or warning to be careful of sharks.
Big Blue Collective on the other hand in a statement to Magnetic Media that same day said this:
“Only two individuals were in the water, which was clear and calm, when a presumed Caribbean Reef Shark left one snorkeler with an injury due to what is known in diving circles as a case of mistaken identity,” they continued, “The calm, quick and measured response from one of our captains and office team meant that the victim was extracted from the ocean and dispatched in the ambulance in 15 minutes, saving them from a potentially life-threatening situation.”
The communications team at Big Blue Collective stressed to us that this was not to be used to characterize the TCIs waters. Both DECR and Big Blue reminded the public that these incidents are very rare.
The DECR said the incident happened in an area known as the Bone Yard Dive Site, part of the Princess National Park; a protected marine environment.
Photos of the victim’s injury show that her foot, severed completely at the ankle, was thankfully recovered whole.
The Police report had inaccuracies and was retracted last night. However, not before news media locally and abroad reported the facts as laid out by them.
The TCI Hospitals’ statement said, “The patient received immediate medical attention by our Emergency Response trauma team. The patient’s injury is considered serious and, after a period of stabilization, was transferred to a tertiary care facility for further management on that evening, Wednesday, May 24th 2023…”
Sources told our news team the nature of the injury requires a multi-agency investigation to sort out what exactly occurred in the water.
#TurksandCaicos, May 25, 2023 – As international media houses report on the recent marine accident in Providenciales where a young woman lost a foot, Big Blue Collective Eco Tours is attempting to set the record straight as they defend the marine life and safety reputation of the Turks and Caicos.
They say the young woman was not on a charter trip with their establishment as reported by some media houses, rather she was on a private vessel when she was mistaken for food by what they think to be a Caribbean Reef Shark.
“The extremely rare and unfortunate incident that happened yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 24th May, 2023, in the Turks & Caicos Islands, outside the reef, involving a snorkeler and a shark, occurred during a private trip. Only two individuals were in the water, which was clear and calm, when a presumed Caribbean Reef Shark left one snorkeler with an injury due to what is known in diving circles as a case of mistaken identity.”
The communications team at Big Blue spoke to Magnetic Media on May 25th, the day after the incident. They expressed concern for the victim and her family, maintaining that her safety was the first priority.
They say that it was a very rare freak incident, “The calm, quick and measured response from one of our captains and office team meant that the victim was extracted from the ocean and dispatched in the ambulance in 15 minutes, saving them from a potentially life-threatening situation. We applaud all the efforts of our team, the paramedics, and the emergency first aid responders. Our thoughts are with the victim, their family and loved ones at this time.”
Reports on Thursday explained an investigation was opened to determine how the Connecticut woman was injured; however Big Blue informs only the Police quizzed them for information on the incident.
We are told the young woman was lucid enough to get back to the boat for help when she realized she was injured. Immediately the team on the boat, which included Big Blue employees, though it was not their charter, jumped into action, retrieving her foot and trying to staunch the bleeding from her limb.
Big Blue told us she was transferred into medical professionals’ care within minutes. Big Blue and the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources are both stressing that incidences of this nature are extremely rare in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and cannot be used to judge the swimming, snorkeling, or overall experience in the country’s waters.
In addition certain marine animals are protected by law in the Turks and Caicos, and should not be hunted or killed for sport, or any other reason without a proper license.