News
TCI still at Level 4 COVID risk, but why?
#TurksandCaicos, May 19, 2021 – This morning the Turks and Caicos Islands remain at Level 4 alert on the Centers for Disease Control’s rating which informs: ‘Travelers should avoid all travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands, because of the current situation … that even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and Americans should avoid all travel to the TCI.’
It has long been stated the classification for the Turks and Caicos is too harsh and today, with active cases down to three and hospitalisations at three, it makes one wonder what it takes to be considered a safe destination, from the CDC’s vantage point.
TCI Ministry of Health data reveals that from the start of May to now, only 13 positives for Covid-19 have been found out of 1,159, gold standard PCR tests performed by the National Public Health Laboratory.
The Minister of Health has informed that the infection rate is below the three per cent threshold and even lower when the antigen tests are factored in.
In roughly 18 days, which is from start of the month to now, there have been 15,434 antigen tests performed; this is largely of guests to the Turks and Caicos and carried out by any one of 15 authorised testing centers which includes some resorts.
Yet new infections remained low at 13.
Aside from a new Covid-19 case in South Caicos, captured on yesterday’s dashboard, all virus patients had been restricted to the most populated island of Providenciales, which started the month at 26 and is now down to two.
Deaths have thankfully remained at 17 and when it comes to the uptake of the vaccine; the jump in seven days was 1,583 when you compare the May 2nd and May 9th vaccination dashboards. This put the Turks and Caicos a mere 5,485 people off the goal of 70 per cent or 25,000 adults (fully) vaccinated in order to achieve the so called, ‘herd immunity’.
The Level 4 travel warning is hurtful to tourism, the #1 industry; there have been cancellations and concerns about the safety of the destination.
When former Premier, Sharlene Robinson announced on January 12, 2021 the country had returned to the CDC’s Level 4 high-risk-list; the Turks and Caicos was experiencing a surge in new cases and fresh outbreaks in the islands. Active cases were 185, with double digit growth almost daily.
At the start of his journey in February as the minster for health, Hon E Jay Saunders, Deputy Premier of the TCI said the goal would be to increase testing, increase vaccinations and hopefully see a lower infection rate due to the various restrictions and protocols in place.
It appears the goals are met and being met, yet the Turks and Caicos – with the dramatic changes, sees no change, at least not yet.
#TurksandCaicos, September 29, 2023 – The Integrity Commission advises that the Register of Interests for Members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly, as at 31st December 2022 has been completed.
Members of the House of Assembly are required by the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution, Section 103(2), and the Integrity Commission Ordinance (the Ordinance), as amended, Section 52(1), to file with the Commission, Statements of Registrable Interests. The Commission would, therefore, like to inform members of the public that, it
has compiled the information contained in these Statements of Registrable Interests and has produced The Register of Interests 2022 for the Members of the House of Assembly, as at 31st December 2022.
The Register of Interests 2022 is now available for public inspection at the following locations:
- House of Assembly in Grand Turk
- Office of the Premier – Grand Turk and Providenciales
- Office of the Integrity Commission – Grand Turk and Providenciales (during the hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm from Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 4:00pm on Fridays.)
- Office of the District Commissioner – Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Salt Cay and South Caicos.
The Register can be viewed at these locations during normal working hours or at a time that is convenient for the respective offices.
For further information or any assistance please contact the Integrity Commission:
By telephone at: 946-1941(Grand Turk Office) or 941-7847 (Providenciales Office) By e-mail at: secretary@integritycommission.tc or info@integritycommission.tc
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, September 29, 2023 – With moves to deepen ties, governments of The Bahamas and Qatar have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to solidify agreements in principle surrounding the development of aviation and other related services.
This is according to Chester Cooper, The Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation in a Facebook post.
This comes after The Bahamas Government in a press release on September 24th, revealed that Cooper, was set to meet with the head of Qatar Airways to have talks regarding “multiple mutually beneficial aviation opportunities for both countries.”
The release also said the deputy prime minister and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Aviation are working on “forging strategic partnerships with several Middle Eastern countries to strengthen ties to The Bahamas and the Caribbean,” and this new signing is indicative of such efforts.
Following the September 25th signing, on September 27th, Kenneth Romer, Deputy Director General of Tourism for The Bahamas informed via Facebook some details of the agreement saying, “we have now established a framework for cooperation and formed strategic partnerships with Qatar Airways, Qatar’s Transport, Aviation and Investment Agencies and The Qatar Aeronautical Academy, that will benefit our country.”
Regarding further efforts for the improvement of The Bahamas, Cooper announced on Facebook again on Tuesday September 26th that both countries are working to make Nassau a passenger hub for Latin America and the Caribbean adding that talks are being held for Grand Bahama as a cargo hub.
Additionally, as the press release informed, Cooper is preparing for an on ground visit of Bahamasair domestic operations by Qatar Airways Technical team sometime in October.
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#Guyana, September 29, 2023 – Guyana is making moves to become the primary food production center for the Caribbean, going ahead with plans to develop a USD$14 million regional food hub.
In fact, as reported by the Observer, the facility has already been identified on the country’s Soesdyke /Linden Highway.
Guyana seems to really want this to become a reality and Zulfikar Mustapha, Agriculture Minister, expressed this,
highlighting what Guyana has over its Caribbean sister Islands.
“We want Guyana to be the food hub, the primary production hub of the Caribbean so that we could supply the Caribbean. What we have, our colleagues in the Caribbean don’t have. We have arable flat land and abundant fresh water,” he said, adding that with the multi-million dollar US investment, the country can, “modernise the infrastructure, and start ramping up the productions.”
Also, the Agriculture Minister pointed out that the project is geared to make for a more competitive local Agriculture industry as well as developing high-yielding varieties, pest-resistant and climate-resilient varieties.
Additionally, in the facility’s development, Guyana, Mustapha said, will work with Belize.
In fact, with more on Belize’s involvement, Dr. Ashni Singh, Finance Minister, informed that the Government is in talks with the Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley about sourcing inputs from northern Brazil and transporting them through Guyana to Barbados and vice versa.
Singh also reportedly revealed that the project will help develop the growing logistics industry in Guyana.
Considering regional food import cost, with this development, Guyana is the leading Caribbean Community country pushing ahead with plans to reduce the multi-billion dollar regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, the Observer says.
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