Caribbean News
TCI: Ministry of Health Updates on COVID-19 Antigen Testing Numbers
The Ministry of Health wishes to update the general public on the recent inclusion of antigen or lateral flow device testing numbers on this week’s national COVID19 dashboard.
Since January 2021, the MOH has approved testing for COVID-19 using lateral flow devices (LFD) in response to the requirement for all travelers to be tested before entering the US and UK. Testing was scaled up to meet these requirements in order to ensure that travelers, whether locals or visitors, were able to enter countries who required proof of negative COVID19 tests.
The TCI has approved four lateral flow devices for use in the TCI which have undergone evaluation by Public Health England and meet their requirements for efficacy in testing for COVID19. These devices are able to provide results within 30 minutes.
Since the approval of LFDs for testing, Approved Travel Testing Centers have been in operation after undergoing the relevant inspections, training and fulfilling the relevant requirements to test by the Ministry of Health in accordance with the Public and Environmental Health Testing of COVID19 Regulations. A total of 21 testing sites have been approved.
Results of these tests are submitted to the Ministry of Health daily and have now been incorporated into the daily dashboard. To date (19.3.2021), a total 20,896 tests have been carried out. Since the 25th January 2021, a total of 94 persons have tested positive. 902 tests were carried out on 19th March 2021 with a total of 3 positive results reported for that date (0.3%). The number of positives pale in comparison to the number of negatives.
Positive cases undergo confirmatory testing at the National Public Health Laboratory and are included with the total number of positives reported.
It should be noted that the persons being tested includes both locals and visitors. The MOH will also be extending testing the use LFDs for the purposes of community screening to ensure that testing for COVID19 is more accessible as testing on a wide scale in addition to vaccination of a large proportion of the population are critical in the ongoing national response to the COVID19 pandemic.
More will be announced on this in due course.
All residents are encouraged to get tested through the various community testing venues throughout the TCI and register to get vaccinated on the vaccination portal at https://covidvaccineregistration.gov.tc/ or contact your Primary Health Care clinic for further information.
Bahamas News
Work of NAECOB critical in ensuring high standards in education, says Minister Hanna-Martin
“We’re the Ministry of Education and they’re our schools. We are accountable to NAECOB. They ensure that what is happening on the campuses throughout the nation meets the physical standards and the qualitative standards of education. You would have heard classroom size and teacher/student ratio. We may have challenges, and we do at the Ministry of Education but when these issues are brought to our attention we are obliged and compelled to seek resolution to ensure that the standards are met.
the criteria to offer an educational service in The Bahamas as outlined in the Education Act. She said it is mandatory that all educational institutions/provider offering/proposing to offer an educational service in the Bahamas must be registered according to the NAECOB Act and the Education Act.BIS Photos/Mark Ford
Header: Seated at the table, from left: – Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin; Dominique McCartney Russell, Acting Director; Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer; Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson; Howard Newbold, Inspector, Council Member; Shena Williams, Council and Inspector; Dorothy Anderson, Inspector; T. Nicola McKay, Deputy Chairperson; (seated behind) Willard Barr, Council and Inspector.
1st insert: Thelma Grimes, Council Chairperson
2nd insert: Howard Newbold, Inspector and Council Member
3rd insert: The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training
4th insert: Cassia Minnis, Registration Officer
#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – As the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence approaches, Bahamians everywhere are teeming with excitement and expectancy around the year-long celebrations set by The National
Independence Secretariat.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister joined H.E Leslia Miller Brice, Chair of The National Independence Secretariat to unveil the Calendar of Events for the 50th Independence celebrations.
The calendar comprises a host of events, initiatives and recommendations for celebrations throughout all 33 islands of The Bahamas.
At this jubilant occasion the PM stated, “Celebrating independence is about acknowledging the greatness around us, the greatness within us, and the greatness ahead of us.
We are Bahamians. That identity is special.”
View the newly released calendar of events here:
#Kingston, March 28, 2023 – There are currently 12,362 seniors registered under the Government’s new Social Pension Programme.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda, made the disclosure during the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House on March 2, at Gordon House.
The initiative targets all Jamaican citizens 75 years and older who are not currently in receipt of a pension (overseas or local) or any other retirement, old-age or disability benefit or regular income, and are not living in a government
institutionalised care facility.
“We are evaluating the manner in which we qualify persons to go on the programme. This is a discussion we will have to have, as some people fall through the cracks simply because they might have a refrigerator, or they might be lucky enough to have a television at home,” Mr. Samuda said.
“The direction in which we are heading, to have those things, does not move you from poverty to prosperity. So, the Government has an obligation to do everything possible to improve their quality of life, and so we will be looking at that,” the Minister added.
Mr. Samuda said between March 2022 and January 2023, the programme disbursed $446 million.
To register for the social pension programme, persons may visit any of the Ministry’s parish offices islandwide.
They will be required to complete a social pension application form, accompanied by their Tax Registration Number (TRN), National Insurance Scheme (NIS) card, and proof of age in the form of a birth certificate or a valid passport.
They should also take along a valid identification (ID), such as a driver’s licence, passport or voter’s ID, proof of bank account and any other document that may be required to process the application, for example, proof of citizenship.
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