Caribbean News
THREE MORE MONTHS, TCIs Cabinet extends Covid-19 Vaxx Mandate
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, December 20, 2022 – Even as the United Kingdom and the rest of the Caribbean move away from vaccine mandates the Turks and Caicos is still clinging to a rule which bars unvaccinated travellers from entering the islands, including those coming in on cruise ships. On Monday, December 19, the TCI Cabinet approved an extension to the Covid-19 vaccine mandate which should have expired on December 31st, enforcing it three extra months. It now expires on March 31 2023.
On Monday, Magnetic Media had reached out to Shaun Malcolm, current Minister of Health for an update on the mandate and whether it would be allowed to expire to no avail. Upon learning that the mandate had been extended, our news organization reached out again and again, there was no reply to the query.
As it stands now, the Turks and Caicos, heavily reliant upon travel and tourism is the only British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean holding on to the COVID vaccine mandate as a travel entry requirement according to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. It is in fact the only Caribbean country listed by the CHTA as still requiring that travellers be fully vaccinated for the coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health has always maintained that it is ‘following the science’ when it comes to decisions on the coronavirus. It has also been strongly intimated, and in some decisions stated by officials that the TCI is following the United Kingdom’s lead in the national response to the pandemic.
This latest decision elicits, however, a new string of questions from residents who are asking for a “reveal” of the evidence guiding the move to continue the mandate. Many feel the rule has run its course and overstayed its welcome.
Stacy Cox, CEO of the Turks and Caicos indirectly confirmed that the vaccine mandate sets TCI apart as a competing tourism destination, expressing earlier this month that bookings for the Christmas season could not be readily calculated “due to us being one of the only islands in the Caribbean that still has a vaccinated guest-only policy for entry while our competitors have dropped all requirements, advertising aggressively and are fully open for business.”
The mandate has also brokered ill-will between the country and unvaccinated homeowners who have not been able to see their luxury investments in over a year. Some of them have reached out to Magnetic Media, frustrated over the decision to treat them as visitors for whom the inoculation is mandatory.
No indication was given that they were considered at Cabinet and former Health Minister Jamell Robinson told us previously that schemes he had created to facilitate them had been rebuffed.
A Carnival Cruise Line blogger has added insight to the fall out about the prolonged vaccine mandate. Writing that among the top concerns about destination Grand Turk is the non-existent access unvaccinated cruisers have to the island.
But Government’s reluctance to alter the steady progress since the early days of the pandemic and the onslaught of Omicron could be attributed to the record setting tourism arrivals, boom in real estate sales and TCIs ability to freeze COVID deaths to 36 along with very low numbers of new cases – 17 as of December 13. Those in favour of the mandate say it is a rule which has not hurt tourism and may be helping to protect a fragile public health system.
Despite, there is new uncertainty about the fate and expectation of expatriate workers, all of whom were required to take the vaccine in order to have their work permits renewed or granted.
There was no indication, in the Cabinet report, whether the law mandating work permit holders to be fully vaccinated would be drawn back or upheld.
Permanent Secretary of Health has promised a statement in the coming days.
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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