Caribbean News
Haiti’s President Reveals the Mystery behind the Country’s Low Covid-19 Infection and Deaths
Haiti is one of the countries with stunningly low cases of Covid-19 patients and deaths in the world. Despite their weak healthcare systems, the country’s population continues with their normal day-to-day activities without wearing masks and keeping social distancing.
President of the Republic of Haiti, Jovenel Moise in a string of interviews including with Emmy Award winning journalist, Calvin Hughes (WSVN South Florida) pointed to Haiti’s relationship with mother nature. Specifically mentioning, a plant – Cerasee – that produces a certain type of tea made with ginger root that is ‘key’ to overcoming the Coronavirus. Even though Moise said he had witnessed the importance of the natural remedy, he explained there is no scientific confirmation it is keeping the virus at bay.
Haiti missed nearly a million doses of AstraZeneca in the first round of free vaccines just a month ago, and Mr. Moise says that even if they get the vaccines, they can’t force people to get a jab. Out of her over 11 Million population, the Caribbean country has recorded 13,164 cases, 1,892 hospitalizations, 12,154 recoveries, and only 263 deaths.
The country seems to be out of the grave grip of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic that has left many economies crumbling. While wearing a mask is the new norm globally, in Haiti, it makes one peculiar.
The vast majority of People in Haiti still find it hard to believe the Coronavirus is a real public health emergency. As a result, they hold many social gatherings and festivals like in the pre-Covid era and get to restaurants unprotected.
Being among the developing countries the Americas, most people in Haiti can hardly afford a few masks. And those who can foot up the cost of the mask can hardly find it in the market due to the high price tag and shortage in supply.
While many rumors are going around social media networks concerning Hait’s resilience to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, none of the claims seem valid from a scientific standpoint. According to one of the locals the nation’s security is more of concern than the global pandemic. After all, many still resist the existence of the Coronavirus.
Speaking of why the country has not yet procured Coronavirus doses and doesn’t seem to have a proper plan for procuring it soon, Haiti president Jovenel Moise mentioned their relationship with nature and the fact that millions believe the natural remedies prevent them contracting the Coronavirus.
While the president said they locked their country for four months to keep the numbers down, experts lean more to a reputation of under-reporting.
It has been offered that Haiti’s dramatically low covid-related case could be due to a combination government’s poor record-keeping and lack of testing sites.
It remains remarkable however, as there are no reports of soaring death rates out of Haiti and that is a fact which would be impossible to hide.
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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