November 13, 2020, Covid 19 in Florida, the DR, Haiti, Cuba, Porto Rico and Jamaica
These statistics come from the website of the Johns Hopkins University that publishes such statistics periodically for 188 countries and Florida state.
O) The State of Florida, with a population of 21.5 million people, has 870,552 cases (853,107 active) and 17,445 deaths, corresponding to 2.04 % of the cases.
O) The Dominican Republic, with a population of 11 million people, has 132,554 cases (21,006 active) and 2,280 deaths, corresponding to 1.72% of the cases.
O) Haiti, with a population of 11 million, has 9,168 cases (1285 active) and 232 deaths, corresponding to 2,53 % of the cases.
The cases and deaths in Haiti represent 6.9 % and 10.2 % of the Dominican figures respectively for the same global population of 11million.
It must be stressed that close to half a million Haitians live and work in the DR where thousands of Haitians also attend Dominican universities.
I have learned from two reliable Haitian sources recently that many Haitian residents in the DR have elected to return home to avoid infection by the virus.
Haiti seems to experience lower rates of infection due perhaps to a smaller touristic influx than the DR!
O) Cuba, with a population of 12 million people, has 7,541 cases (445 active) and 131 deaths, corresponding to 1.74 % of the cases. The lower number of cases in Cuba
reflects the fact that Cuba in March put an end to its tourism to protect its population. Cuba reopened its major airports to tourism late last month. It felt obligated to do so to
to restore the flow of hard currencies (Canadian $, the Euro, as well as Chinese currency) to its economy.
O) Porto Rico, with a population of 3.2 million people, has 41,119 cases (4,921 active) and 914 deaths, corresponding to 2.22 % of the cases.
O) Jamaica, with a population 3.2 million has 9,723 cases (4328 active) and 227 deaths, corresponding to 2.33% of the cases.
I have included the state of Florida as the American reference closest to the Caribbean. Haiti, Cuba and the DR are the larger states in the Caribbean. Porto Rico and Jamaica are more representative of the smaller islands.
All in all, the Caribbean has 41+ million people.
This viral monster is only at the beginning of its rampage: it will do more damage in the near future; that damage will also be socioeconomic!
These states are becoming tragic in the US as well!
MAX BLANCHET
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince,
Events: Pronounced increase in kidnappings, including U.S. citizens has led the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince to temporarily restrict personal travel after dark (5:30pm) to the Tabarre area only.
Actions to take:
· Always ensure your communications equipment is functioning and charged before you travel.
· Always carry your cell phone.
· Always ensure that you have important phone numbers programmed into your phone.
· Travel in groups of at least two people.
· Be aware of your surroundings. If you notice something suspicious, try to retreat to a safe area.
· Do not travel in areas unfamiliar to you and be aware that navigation apps are highly unreliable in Haiti.
· Travel at times when traffic is expected to be lighter, such as early in the morning.
· Ensure adequate spacing between vehicles to provide options for evading a potentially dangerous situation.
· Patronize shops or restaurants that provide secure, enclosed, and well-lit parking.
· Install window tint/mylar film on personal vehicles.
· If being confronted by armed perpetrators, do not resist. Comply with their instructions and avoid any movement or action that would give them reason to believe you are resisting.
· Always make sure your vehicle is in good driving condition. Check the vehicle fluids and spare tires.
· Avoid travel after dark in Port au Prince.
· Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks.
· If you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area.
· Read the full Level Four travel advisory for Haiti at : https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/haiti-travel-advisory.html
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre
Emergencies: +509-2229-8000
Non-emergency inquiries:
AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES
U.S.EMBASSY
Due to covid-19 the US EMBASSY’S SUSPENSION OF ALL ROUTINE VISA SERVICES REMAINS IN PLACE. AT THIS TIME, ONLY EMERGENCY NON-IMMIGRANT AND A RESTRICTED NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT VISA CASES CAN BE PROCESSED.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR VISA WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.
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Natalie Marika Fouché
OCTOBER 13, 1989 – NOVEMBER 11, 2020
Natalie Marika Fouché, age 31, of Queens Village, NY, passed away peacefully at home on November 11, 2020, after a long battle with Lupus and ensuing complications.
She lived a full thirty-one years. Her passions included movies, reading, travel and writing scripts. She enjoyed an extensive collection of thriller and horror movies.
She had the good fortune to travel through the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. She lived in Gwangju, South Korea, teaching English to young students for a year.
Her career in tennis, from the age of seven through High School, was rewarded with many honors, including the Mayor’s Cup Junior Championship and High School City Doubles Championship, despite her debilitating illness.
She also enjoyed a rewarding career in the field of advertising and media. Towards the end of her life she was instrumental in supporting her mother’s efforts in providing aid and education to the children of Haiti, through the production of writing and film.
She is a graduate of St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 2011.
She is survived by her Mother, Marie; Father, Pierre; Brothers, Patrick and Philip; Sisters-In-Law, Lori and Jenny; and nieces, Hailey, Lindsay, Emily and Eliza.
The mass for Natalie will be held on Saturday at 10:00 am at Incarnation Parish and we STRONGLY encourage everyone to view the service on https://incrcc.org/ due to COVID-19 concerns.
For more details about Natalie’s life please visit: https://tinyurl.com/yxklperd. The family welcomes you to add your memories of Natalie.
We in the Haitian Apostolate share the sorrow of Pierre and Marie Fouché at the death of their beloved thirty-one year old daughter Natalie Our condolences extend also to Patrick and Philippe the two younger brothers of the deceased as well as to their wives and children.
Natalie has been a very gifted young lady who excelled as a teacher, who travelled extensively in an insatiable thirst for knowledge and for people. She visited Europe, Asia and many of the Caribbean islands. She excelled in many fields.
We can appreciate the deep pain of her parents and as we offer our sincere sympathies we pray that the lights that shine from the Risen Lord will dispel the gloom inevitably associated with death. Life on earth is passing. REAL LIFE is BEYOND THE VEIL. The FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUNTER WITH LIFE ITSELF is our real destiny. Death is not extinction, it’s a bounce toward ETERNITY. It’s the crossing of the RED SEA toward the PROMISED LAND.
Our prayers escort Natalie in this crucial JOURNEY and you too Pierre and Marie we pray for you that HOPE will be your SHIELD! Death is a step forward, the “far better thing” in the words of St Paul.
Bishop Sansaricq / National Center of Haitian Apostolate