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Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 18 mars 2020

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by April, Chinese officials say

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CORONAVIRUS

Chinese officials say they’ll have a coronavirus vaccine ready next month for emergency situations and clinical trials.

Eight institutes in the country are working on five approaches to inoculations in an effort to combat COVID-19, according to the South China Morning Post. The contagious illness has sickened more than 118,000 people and killed at least 4,200 worldwide, mostly in mainland China, as of Tuesday afternoon.

“According to our estimates, we are hopeful that in April some of the vaccines will enter clinical research or be of use in emergency situations,” Zheng Zhongwei, director of the National Health Commission’s Science and Technology Development Center, said Friday.

While it would take at least 12 to 18 months to ensure the vaccines are safe for the general public, under Chinese law, they can be deployed earlier for urgent use in a major public health emergency, as long as the benefits outweigh the risks.

Zheng waved off concerns about the safety of the vaccines, saying they were being developed in ­accordance with “scientific and standardized technical requirements,” The Australian reported.

In the US, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company Moderna Inc. shipped its vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for testing late last month. Initial results could be released by July or August.

Anatomy of Haiti’s kidnapping epidemic: No one seems immune

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES  MARCH 08, 2020  

What Giscard Borgard remembers most about his recent kidnapping in Haiti is not the beating he took in the car with the butt of a gun or the blood splattered on the walls of the tiny, candle-lit room where he and a friend were held captive for two days.

And it’s not the multiple gunshots regularly fired inside the teeming seaside Port-au-Prince slum, built on top of a landfill, where he was held.

It was the faces he saw the day of his release. The placid faces of the women and the children inside Village de Dieu, Village of God, who ignored him as he was publicly led at gunpoint by one of his captors, past the narrow corridors and mosquito-infested gullies, after his uncle paid his ransom.

“Everybody was selling their little food. Music was playing in the background, people were watching TV at their houses. Kids were playing and guys were walking around with big guns at every corner, like a military base,” said Borgard, 36, a Haitian-American U.S. Navy veteran. “Everyone is immune to it. Everyone knew what was happening. It was shocking to me. Even the little kids, they are immune to it by now.”

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department raised its Haiti travel advisory to Level 4 — Do Not Travel — in the wake of what violent crimes including carjackings and robberies, carried out mostly by armed criminal gangs.

“The updated Travel Advisory reflects that incidents of kidnapping are widespread and have rapidly increased in frequency since December 2019,” a U.S. Department of State official said. “Kidnappings have included targets of opportunity, and victims have included U.S. citizens, as well as Haitians and other foreign nationals.”

Since December, at least nine U.S. citizens and one French national employed by the United Nation’s World Food Program have been kidnapped and released after ransoms were paid, or they escaped. In 2018, there were zero reported kidnappings of U.S. citizens, the State Department official said. Just hours after the State Department’s advisory, three new kidnappings were confirmed.

Borgard and another Haitian American who recently returned from Haiti after being held captive, spoke with the Herald about their ordeal.

Both men are former active duty U.S. military, and one, Jerry Mardy, is still a reservist in the U.S. Army. Both were visiting Haiti on vacation last month when they were grabbed 12 days apart. Borgard had traveled to visit a hospital in the Cité Soleil slum to see about sponsoring children born to rape victims. Mardy was there to check on a house he’s building north of the capital.

Both men are among an unknown number of Haitians, some say dozens, who have been abducted in recent months while doing routine things —leaving church, driving home or riding in a Tap-Tap, the colorful buses and pick-up trucks that serve as public transport.

Some were released without harm, save for the psychological trauma of their captivity. Others never made it out — they were killed after trying to fight back or family and friends failed to secure enough money.

The story of how Borgard’s and Mardy’s abductions unfolded is similar. Both say they were stopped by a car loaded with heavily armed gang members as they drove through the city of Delmas, which has become a hotbed for the spiraling kidnapping epidemic. And both say they were taken across town to the Village de Dieu, the lawless slum that has become the kidnappers’ lair.

Located in the south of Port-au-Prince, the slum’s entrance is at the intersection of Oswald Durand and Boulevard Harry Truman. That’s less than 1,000 feet from the old U.S. embassy building that now houses the Office of the Prime Minister and 1,300 feet from the Haitian Parliament. The slum was, until recently, home to of one of Haiti’s most feared gang leaders, Arnel Joseph.

Joseph’s surprise capture last year by Haiti National Police hasn’t slowed the growing threat that appears indiscriminate in its attacks. His foot soldiers have fanned out across the capital snatching unsuspecting victims with the help of scouters to find their next hostages, and spotters to help nab them.

“The freedom of movement is not guaranteed,” Marie Yolène Gilles, a leading Haiti human-rights activist, told the United Nations Security Council recently about a country in which 23 armed gangs exist just in Port-au-Prince, and where a third of the nation is under gang control. “Roads are dangerous. The fiefdoms of armed gangs have become inaccessible to law enforcement officers and armed gangs claim total control over the civilian population living in these areas as well as those they have kidnapped.”

A LAWLESS SEASIDE SLUM

Haitian police had gained access to Village de Dieu back in November 2018, making some 80 arrests and organizing a mobile medical clinic during their two months’ presence inside. But with the government failing to build on police presence with social protection programs and other services, the area once again fell victim to gang control.

Today, police can’t even approach the entrance. This was underscored last weekend when specialized police units, supported by newly acquired armored vehicles, were met with heavy gunfire when they tried to mount an operation inside the slum. The gang’s fire power damaged several of the armored vehicles, which were later seen in the yard of the National Palace on blocks with missing tires and bullet holes.

In late 2018, Haiti National Police held a mobile medical clinic inside the Village de Dieu, Village of God, slum in Port-au-Prince. Since then, police have lost control of the slum, which today is a kidnapper’s lair.

“This situation is unacceptable,” Gilles told the Herald. “As the only people who revolted to break the chains of slavery, we cannot accept that a group of armed individuals are depriving citizens of their rights. It’s a crime that dehumanizes people... We cannot tolerate this crime in the society.”

Gilles said her human rights group, La Fondasyon Je Klere, has been unable to find out from police how many kidnapping cases have been reported since January and what they are doing to attack the problem. The Herald has also inquired and received no response. A crowd-funded effort to gather information has also been slow to gain traction.

But every day Haitians are sharing stories about individuals who have been kidnapped or videos of attempted kidnappings.

Complicating matters is also the spread of copycat kidnappings by less well-organized groups. Last weekend, one such incident was met with a deadly response when an angry mob in the rural town of Boucan Carré burned four gang members and presumed kidnappers alive after ripping them out of their jail cell.

As the anecdotes spread, some wonder if the abductions, which have involved both poor and rich, are as random as they appear. They also wonder about the role of police, who have said little about the terrifying reality. In a video of a botched kidnapping attempt in the hills above the capital, the armed kidnappers are seen dressed in Haiti National Police uniforms.

There is also another nagging matter. In several cases, after someone has been released, someone else close to the individual is also reported kidnapped. This has led some to believe that the kidnappers — already employing a network of systematic surveillance, spotters and “dispatchers” who deliver victims out of the slum after ransoms are paid — are also using victims’ phones to scout out their next targets.

Before traveling to Haiti, Jerry Mardy, 36, had heard that Haiti was experiencing a wave of kidnappings. He never thought he would become a victim. But that’s exactly what happened the day after he arrived in Port-au-Prince.

Mardy said he was driving back from the town of Arcahaie, about an hour-and-a-half north of Port-au-Prince, with a friend on Feb. 19. They were in a white pick-up truck in the Delmas 75 Fragneauville neighborhood shortly after 9 p.m. when he went to make a right turn to head to his hotel.

Suddenly, he said, there was a car in the middle of the road blocking him and five heavily armed men jumped out with “rifles pointing at me.”

“That’s when they grabbed me and put me in their car,” Mardy said. “Afterward, I kept hearing a lot of stories that there had been a lot of kidnappings in Delmas 75. I was not the first one.”

Mardy said he started fighting with his captors. Then, fearing they would kill his friend, he stopped.

“Because I was fighting with them, when I got to their place, that’s when they started beating us, a lot,” he said.

The beatings stopped, Mardy said, after his captors, members of Arnel Joseph’s gang, went through his telephone and saw a photo of him in his Army reservist uniform. They became nervous.

“They asked for us to give $1 million as ransom,” he said. “I said, ‘How am I going to pay that? There is no way I am going to find that money.’”

“Everyday, they kept calling our relatives to ask where the money was. And everyday, they kept dropping it because we didn’t have that kind of money,” said Mardy, who at the offset was handed his phone to make a call so negotiations could immediately begin.

Sources closely following Haiti’s kidnappings, where female captives also have been subjected to rape, say the gangs are notorious for asking for unreasonable amounts of cash. Eventually, however, they settle for whatever they can get depending on how well individuals negotiate. There is a limit by Haitian banks on the amount of U.S. dollars consumers can get, which perhaps explains why gangs have also started to ask for ransoms in not just dollars but also gourdes, the local currency.

Either way, it has meant that family and friends have had to turn to several banks to assemble the ransom payment, or if they live in the U.S., make multiple wire transactions.

The victims’ cellphones have also become a key prize for the gangs, who try to determine from photos and social media posts what someone may be worth.

The kidnappers apparently don’t care that the phones can be traced: They know that police can’t get into the slum where the bulk of victims are held hostage.

Mardy says he and his friend spent four days inside Village de Dieu. They were fed and allowed to shower, all at gunpoint.

There is no doubt his captors were part of a gang. “There’s a lot of them in that place,” he said, and it was obvious to him they were following strict orders.

“They were talking and one said, ‘That’s what I like about that man. Every time he goes out, he’s going to bring someone,’ “ Mardy said, recalling a conversation he heard between two gang members. “Everyday they go out, they got to bring someone; they don’t want to come back empty handed.”

For the people who live in the slum, there is complicity and indifference.

“Everybody inside knows what’s going on,” Mardy said, recalling how a young woman came into the room where he was being held to borrow a broom and a chair, and not even flinching at the site of him and his friend. “Even though you’re not the one going outside to grab people, you know what’s going on. I heard they give money to everybody.”

One day, as a gang member kept watch over his friend, Mardy said he quickly texted his Army sergeant, informing him of his predicament. The sergeant got the kidnappers’ number from his family and then called the U.S. embassy in Haiti.

“The embassy ended up calling the kidnappers on that Thursday to let them know, they knew about the case, ‘to be careful; we know who you are; we hope nothing happens to him,’ “ Mardy said. “I told the embassy, don’t call anymore because the guys were so mad because they felt threatened.”

He thought the embassy and later the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which interviewed him after his release, would have done more to help.

“I thought they were going to help, money-wise, but they did not do anything,” he said of the U.S. embassy, which does not pay ransoms. “They didn’t do anything. We ended up borrowing money and paying everything by ourselves.’

“It’s kind of frustrating,” he said, going on about his disappointment in U.S. authorities. “I am serving the country, and you don’t need to be a soldier to get help from your country in that type of situation. They know what’s happening and you still didn’t get any help. It’s kind of degrading.”

When he and his friend were eventually released, only the SIM card from his phone was returned. The gang kept his personal effects, including his U.S. passport and clothes, along with some speakers and his rental vehicle.

He returned to New York a few days ago.

“I already told my mother... I am not going back,” Mardy said about Haiti. “Even with the Army, if I have to go, they have to approve it after what happened.”

BORGARD’S STORY

Borgard, who lives in Atlanta, also says it will be a long time before he visits Haiti again.

“Haiti is where I was born, it’s where I am from and where I went to school. I don’t think anyone can scare me off from going back,” he said. “But I would say I am not going back anytime soon; I mean not until maybe four, five years.”

Borgard was kidnapped around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, he said, not far from the mayor’s office in the Delmas 33 neighborhood. He and a friend, who also lives in Haiti, were driving home from dinner in a Kia SUV with dark tinted windows. Bogard was in the passenger seat.

He didn’t know it at the time, but a black Toyota pickup truck had been following them with its lights off. Suddenly, the pickup turned on its high beams, pulled out in front of the Kia and crashed into its side.

In the split second it took his friend to decide whether to put the vehicle in reverse, Borgard said, six heavily armed men “were already pointing big guns in our faces,” banging on the windows, demanding that they open the door.

“Two of them had... 9 mm, small guns,” he said. “The other four had long-range guns.”

After putting both in the back seat of the Kia, while the pickup lead the way, Borgard said his captors started driving off and “hitting me from the side with their gun, telling me someone sent them and that they either are going to kill me or make some money with me.”

“We were scared,” he said. “I thought I was dreaming. I didn’t think something like this would happen to me.”

The car sped through drove Delmas to downtown Port-au-Prince, jumping over speed bumps. As they approached Grand Rue, the main street downtown, Borgard said the kidnappers blindfolded them both with a black shirt.

Recalling his military training, he “started counting seconds to see exactly where we were headed. I know Port-au-Prince and so as they were turning, I had a sense of where I was going.”

After arriving inside the cinderblock slum, they were pushed onto a patio with a carpet. “The first crew who grabbed us, we never saw them again,” he said. “They pick up people and drop them off to a second set of people.”

It was then, he realized he had been kidnapped.

“There were locks on every single door,” he said.

Like Mardy, he tried never to make eye contact.

Over time, Mardy realized that no one had set him up, and perhaps he’d fallen prey because they had been riding “in a nice car.” After asking him to unlock his iPhone, one of his abductors started going through his photos.

“He saw pictures of me traveling; he saw pictures of me with nice cars and he was like, ‘You are better off than [President Jovenel Moise]; you’re traveling all over the place. You must have money,’ Bogard said. “Thankfully, he saw a picture of me holding a gun in uniform. He asked if I were the police. I said, ‘No. I am former military.’ ”

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 24 mars 2020

 Haiti declares emergency over coronavirus, imposes curfew, shuts borders

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haiti’s government on Thursday declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, closing the borders of the Americas’ poorest nation and imposing a curfew after authorities detected the first two cases of infection.

President Jovenel Moise told a news conference that all the Caribbean country’s ports, airports and borders would be closed to people from midnight on Thursday, though they would remain open for goods traffic.

Schools, universities, places of worship and industrial parks would be closed, and a curfew would be in force from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as of Friday, he added.

Haiti was one of the last Caribbean nations to remain coronavirus-free and had suspended flights from Europe, Latin America and Canada and imposed major restrictions on the border with the neighboring Dominican Republic earlier this week in a bid to prevent the disease’s entry.

The country struggles to deal with serious outbreaks of disease because of a lack of sanitation infrastructure and inadequate healthcare services. One of the key recommendations for staving off coronavirus is to wash hands frequently with soap and water, but most Haitians do not have running water.

More than half the population lives under the poverty line of $2.41 per day, according to the World Bank, and the country is only just recovering from a nine-year cholera outbreak that the United Nations said killed nearly 10,000.

Reporting by Andre Paultre; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Haiti Opens National Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory with U.S. Government Support

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Thursday, December 21, 2017, the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) celebrated the inauguration of a national biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory.

The U.S. Government through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and other international and local partners supported the establishment of the laboratory which will be used for tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) diagnosis and treatment. In addition to increasing Haiti’s capacity to diagnose and treat cases of TB and MDR-TB, the lab will allow the country to monitor the evolution of TB drug resistance in Haiti and to handle emerging infectious agents that pose a significant risk to laboratory staff and the environment.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Hannan attended the ceremony noting the critical role laboratory services play in diagnosing, treating, and responding to potential disease threats. “With the opening of the BSL-3 laboratory, Haiti is taking another crucial step toward health security. The Ministry will be able to carry out TB culture, allowing for critical diagnoses; and to conduct the vital research necessary to help better understand and control drug resistance in Haiti.”

Dr. Lauré Adrien, Director General of the Ministry of Public Health and Population, thanked the U.S. Government for their support in establishing the laboratory and noted that a health system cannot exist without a strong laboratory system.

Haiti has the highest incidence of TB in the Western Hemisphere. During the 2010 earthquake response, CDC supported intensified disease surveillance, which helped improve diagnosis and treatment of TB cases. The opening of the national BSL-3 laboratory reaffirms Haiti’s commitment to controlling the spread of TB and MDR-TB and addressing infectious disease threats.

Haiti/ Coronavirus: Three store managers in Haiti were arrested for price-gouging

On Sunday, state authorities arrested at least three supermarket and pharmacy managers for price-gouging the products.

Managers from “Fresh Market” and “Konpa Market” and “Obonsoins” pharmacies were arrested on Sunday, March 22 by police and judicial authorities, according to a reporter from Vant Bèf Info (VBI). These arrests were made during a series of inspection visits by the Minister of Trade and Industry accompanied among others by a justice of the peace and police officers.

These company managers are accused of price-gouging products in violation of the law and at the expense of the public.

They took advantage of the Coronavirus situation to increase product prices.

The authorities also visited Big Star Market but did not arrest anyone.

Representatives from Minister of Trade and Industry and other authorities of the judicial system also visited Caribbean Market in Petion-Ville.

Vant Bèf Info (VBI)

Cuba gives permission for cruise ship carrying COVID-19 patients to dock citing solidarity and health as a human right

News from Cuba

A British cruise ship carrying five passengers who have tested positive for the coronavirus was to dock in Cuba after being turned away by other countries. The MS Braemar, which is carrying six hundred passengers, most of whom are British, had been stranded at sea for two days while trying to find a country which would allow it to dock.

Several other countries refused permission, causing the British government to request help from Cuba. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement today which said that "Given the urgency of the situation and the risk to the life of sick people, the Cuban government has decided to allow the docking of this ship."

The passengers will repatriated by air to the UK and their home countries. The Cuban government said: "These are times of solidarity, of understanding health as a human right, of reinforcing international cooperation to face our common challenges, values that are inherent in the humanistic practice of the Revolution and of our people."

Miami Workers Face Bleak Uncertainty as Restaurants Close

ZACHARY FAGENSON

The nightmare scenario arrived Tuesday morning when Miami-Dade County Deputy Mayor Jennifer Moon and Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber gathered with other local officials and business owners at Joe's Stone Crab to announce that restaurants must close all operations except delivery, takeout, and pickup in an effort to curb the growing coronavirus pandemic.

In Miami Beach, restaurant kitchens are allowed to remain open until midnight, while public gatherings of more than ten people will become a crime.

Conspiracy Theories, Misinformation Abound as Haitians Brace for Coronavirus

WASHINGTON / PORT-AU-PRINCE - As Haitian government officials intensify their efforts to inform and prepare the nation for the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, residents of Petionville, a suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince, seemed woefully uninformed about the deadly disease.

“Do you know how people get infected with coronavirus?” a woman who didn’t want to appear on camera asked VOA Creole’s reporter. “It’s the result of too many sins. That’s why the disease is spreading worldwide. This is God’s way of punishing us.”

Louis Jeune Francois, a voodoo worshiper who had just attended a service believes the pandemic is a conspiracy.

“There are 21 families which rule the world. Maybe they feel the population is too big, so they found a way to reduce it. They created a virus to kill a group of people,” he said. “They especially want the virus to kill people in the poorest countries.”

Another voodoo worshiper told VOA she doesn’t believe coronavirus has anything to do with black magic.

“Coronavirus isn’t just a hex on Haiti, don’t you see China is infected with the virus too?” she said. “People who are blaming it on religion are wrong, the virus targets both Protestants and Pagans. You just need to be cautious.”

Another man who didn’t want to be identified seemed to understand the basics.

“From what I understand, the coronavirus is a virus. It’s a virus that’s transmitted through the air,” he said.

Asked what preventative measures they can take to avoid being infected, residents offered various solutions.

“Don’t shake hands, fist bump instead,” one man suggested.

 “Wash your hands, don’t touch your mouth, don’t pick your nose, use a handkerchief,” a woman selling clothing at the local open air market advised.

“I don’t buy this washing hands thing,” another man said. “Of course you have to wash your hands, because if your hand is dirty you won’t be able to use it. I was brought up to do that. But some people say you should eat limes, eat local fruits, because they are natural (and won’t harm your health).”

Expanding on the homeopathic remedy idea, a man told VOA he heard there are vegetable leaves you can boil to protect yourself from the virus.

“Boiling leaves is part of our culture,” he said.

Most people VOA Creole spoke to said the government should act more responsibly to inform the nation about the virus.

“Haiti is a free country, people do whatever they want here, but there are countries where planes are not allowed to land, transportation is restricted, but here there are no restrictions that I’m aware of,” a woman shopping at the open air market said. “We have no protections whatsoever. We’re in God’s hands.”

“If the government forbids groups of 500 people or more to meet, I will know that if I see that happening I should not attend,” one man said. “But if the number they give is 1,000 or 2,000 then I’ll go ahead and attend because it’s hard to get that many people in one place around here.”

Haiti’s Public Health Minister Marie Greta Roy Clement announced Wednesday that the government has stepped up efforts to keep coronavirus out. The measures include screening at the nation’s airports and official border crossings, training for health professionals and journalists, and public service announcements airing on radio and television.

Renan Toussaint in Port-au-Prince contributed to this report.

THOUSANDS ATTENDED MIAMI GAY FESTIVAL AND TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS LATER

By Julian Shen-Berro

As the coronavirus continues to spread and disrupt life worldwide, one festival is finding the memory of its celebrations tinged by the outbreak.

The Winter Party Festival, an annual, weeklong LGBTQ event held in Miami, drew thousands from across the country when it kicked off earlier this month. But though it ended March 10, in the week following the event several attendees have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to festival organizers.

“We know there are many places people could have been exposed before and after Winter Party as this virus has developed, but we wanted to make this information public as soon as possible,” Rea Carey, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, which organized the festival, said in a statement Monday. “The health and safety of anyone who participates in any Task Force event is of great importance to us.”

The festival, which began March 4 and drew 10,000 attendees throughout the week, predates the current wave of event cancellations that have swept through the nation and ranged from sporting leagues to tech conferences. In her statement, Carey emphasized that event organizers “made the most informed decision at the time, following all official guidance available at the time.”

Event organizers took additional precautions during the festival, distributing 10,000 hand sanitizer bottles and hygiene information to attendees. It remains unclear whether the virus was present in attendees for the duration of the festival, as none experienced symptoms at the time, but health officials warn the virus can still be transmitted before symptoms occur. While incubation period estimates range from 1 to 14 days, it is most commonly around 5 days, according to the World Health Organization.

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 6 avril 2020

 Statement by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Haiti

March 27, 2020

Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement:

 “Like many countries, Haiti’s serious economic challenges have the potential to be significantly compounded by the devastating effects of COVID-19. The government is seeking to help protect the people of Haiti from the impact of this rapidly evolving global pandemic and to prevent the further spread of the virus. In the context of adverse global developments, Haiti is facing financing constraints which complicate the provision of the most basic healthcare measures and will require the support of international stakeholders.

 “In light of the urgent need to step up action to protect the Haitian people and the economy, the authorities have requested our financial support through the Fund’s Rapid Credit Facility. The approval of this emergency financial tool, would provide financing in support of policies that would direct funds swiftly to Haiti’s most affected sectors, including the healthcare system, to bolster the initial response to COVID-19. Our IMF staff team is working expeditiously to respond to this request so that a proposal can be considered by the Fund’s Executive Board in the coming weeks. 

 “Our objective is to provide rapid support to help Haiti address the effects of a mounting health crisis and support spending on health and social benefits to limit the human costs of COVID-19.” 

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

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@IMFSpokesperson

Haitians Sewing Together to Make Masks  

More than a thousand independent tailors and sewing ateliers throughout Haiti, many using foot-powered treadle machines, are being mobilized to make masks as the country responds to an announcement of 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus, which is double the number reported last week.

Haiti's borders are closed and a state of emergency is in place that limits gatherings to no more than ten people at a time. Given these new restrictions, and with the nation bracing for a pandemic with echoes of the devastating cholera outbreak of 2010, a consortium of NGOs and businesses has formed under the banner of "Koud Konbit."

Loosely translated as "sewing together," the group's mission is to enlist the people who sew for a living to become part of the front line of emergency healthcare. This complements the efforts of the country's clothing manufacturing sector, which has received permission from the government to opening a limited number of facilities.

Why masks? The fast growing #masks4all movement has analyzed the data for all countries that have had more than 1000 cases currently, and they have observed is that along with washing hands and social distancing, wearing protective masks by everyone, even when home-made, can help slow down the spread of the contagion. This movement started in the Czech Republic where almost all its 10 million inhabitants were equipped with masks within 3 days and the speed of the spread of coronavirus slowed significantly. Wearing masks is not done to protect the wearer, but to protect people against the droplets coming from the respiratory tract of an infected person. It should be noted, however, that the global medical community remains divided on this approach.

"We are forming a grassroots sewing army to help Haiti fight a virus," said Magalie Noel Dresse, whose Caribbean Craft business in Port-au-Prince has been turned into a Koud Konbit production hub for masks, "and the response from the community has been tremendous."

Koud Konbit represents the coming together of several separate initiatives that sprang up over the past week and a half. The Smallholder Farmers Alliance, with support from Timberland, had began to explore having masks made for its members. Separately, Caribbean Craft and 2nd Story Goods in Gonaives were both looking into using their respective network of artisans to sew masks.

Two things happened to transform this set of independent ideas into collective action.

First was requests from four of the largest healthcare providers in Haiti for a source of locally made fabric masks they could give to patients as well as distributing in community settings. The second involved the Scouts of Haiti announcing their "10 Million Masks 4 Haiti Challenge." They had already been among the first to respond to the menace of the coronavirus when they took to the streets three weeks ago with portable sinks for people to wash their hands. 

The net result of these various mask initiatives and expressed needs is the announcement today of Koud Konbit.

"The Scouts of Haiti will make available a network of local tailors and groups of volunteers to make masks as a contribution to the Koud Konbit consortium," said Scout leader Alex Georges, "We want to make washable masks available to the poorest among us, as they are also the most vulnerable."

The first test batch of several hundred masks was completed two days ago by 2nd Story Goods. Normally focused on locally-made clothing and home fashion, they have now become a production hub for Koud Konbit.

The masks were delivered at the weekend to Partners in Health, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Project Medishare and the Caris Foundation. Together they are reviewing the mask design and providing feedback. As well, a special unit of the Government of Haiti has been set up to review all medical items being made in response to the coronavirus, and production of masks will scale up as soon as that review and approval process is complete.

The four healthcare groups mentioned above have also asked Koud Konbit to explore having staff scrubs and patient gowns made. Samples are now being produced for review and adjustment prior to starting production.

It is hard to ask for donations when people everywhere are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, but even $5 would be a big help. The first call, however, is a request for donations directly to groups operating hospitals and clinics in Haiti.

Social Security recipients to get checks under coronavirus stimulus bill. Here’s how

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MARCH 27, 2020 01:43 PM 

• ·
• · Millions of Americans are about to receive stimulus checks from the government — including recipients of Social Security.
• · Adults who learn less than $75,000 a year will receive $1,200 under the $2 trillion coronavirus relief packageCongress has crafted to help ease an economic downturn caused by the spread of COVID-19. An additional $500 will be paid out for dependents.
• · Retirees who get Social Security payments will also get the money. So will recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal program for disabled or blind residents and those who have little or no income, according to the Senate Finance Committee.
• · In 2019, 64 million Americans received Social Security payments, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. About 8 million received SSI benefits. 
• · Social Security recipients typically don’t file tax returns. But “as long as they received an SSA-1099 form (the Social Security benefit statement), the federal government will be able to send them a payment via the usual way they get their Social Security payment,” according to the Washington Post. 
• · Sen. Richard Burr’s office in North Carolina confirmed that, WLOS reported.
• · Without a tax return, “those on Social Security and SSI Disability can use their Social Security Administration data to make their claim,” according to WLOS.
• · Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland clarified that anyone receiving SSI who files taxeswill be eligible for a stimulus check, KREM reported. If someone else claims them on their taxes, that person will get an additional $500 allotted for dependents under the bill.
• · No additional information was availableon the IRS website after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill Friday. There are also currently no sign-ups needed for stimulus payment checks, according to the IRS.
• ·

POPE FRANCIS TO GIVE SPECIAL BLESSING

Pope Francis is giving an ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing, meaning ‘to the city and the world,’ in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This specific blessing is normally reserved for Christmas and Easter. By delivering it today, the Pope is demonstrating how urgently he views this crisis both abroad and in Italy, which has the third highest number of cases in the world. There are over half a million COVID-19 cases around the globe, and over 25,000 people have died.

Haiti Street Vendors Have Little Knowledge of Looming Coronavirus Dangers

 market in downtown Port au Prince. (VOA Creole/Matiado Vilme)

WASHINGTON/PORT-AU-PRINCE - Vendors at the busy Croix-des-Bossales market in downtown Port-au-Prince have not heard much about the coronavirus pandemic that is currently sweeping the world.   

VOA Creole found Monday that half of the vendors were busy trying to make ends meet and had no knowledge or incorrect information about the virus.  

“I haven’t heard about it. I only came back to the capital yesterday,” a female vendor told VOA. “I do have a radio at home, but it’s not working.”  

“I heard it’s people who eat mice who have this disease,” a vendor in her 20s told VOA. “People who eat rats. I heard coronavirus is killing people, but I have no idea whether it’s here in Haiti.”   

Farther down the row of merchants, another female vendor had more accurate information.

A male vendor in his 40s knew that COVID-19 has infected people worldwide. 

“I don’t know much else about it,” he said, “because I’m still waiting to hear what the experts have to tell us.”  

Another vendor told VOA she believes drinking moonshine can keep the virus at bay.  

“I heard the virus doesn’t like hot climates nor strong alcohol, so that’s our protection,” she said. 

Among vendors who had some knowledge of the virus and the precautions they can take to keep it from spreading, several admitted the advice wasn't easy to follow.   

“They told us we shouldn’t touch our faces, but after moving merchandise, sometimes we sweat, and out of habit, we wipe our forehead (with our hand),” a woman said. “How are we supposed to avoid doing that?”  

A vendor selling rice and beans said she washes her hands often, but noted that her clients may or may not do the same. 

“When a person is hungry, they may not remember to wash their hands before they come to my stand to buy food. All they can think of is eating,” she said.  

A male vendor said he was praying for God’s protection. As for social distancing, he said Haitians will never stop kissing each other when they meet. 

“We poor people are used to bacteria, so it doesn’t kill us,” he said, adding that he will say an extra prayer to remain healthy as he continues to greet his friends with kisses. 

Haiti has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 and is working to keep it that way, through nationwide information campaigns, public service announcements on radio and television, and daily press briefings. 

Over the weekend, the National Federation of Haitian Mayors announced a nationwide campaign in the country’s 10 departments to inform people about the pandemic.  

On Sunday, Interior Minister Audin Bernadel Fils announced he would go downtown Monday evening, accompanied by members of the police force and Justice Ministry officials, to shut down roadside merchant stands.   

“We will close them, because coronavirus is not a ghost, it’s not fake news, it’s real,” he said. “We have been fortunate not to have any cases yet, and we intend to keep it that way as long as we can.”  

Monday at midnight, Haiti is shutting its border with the Dominican Republic, where the coronavirus has sickened 11 people.  An exception is being made for merchandise coming across the border, which will be required to undergo screening both in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti immediately after entering the country.   

Haiti has also stepped up patrols of its maritime borders and has suspended air travel from Europe and Latin America.  Air travel between Haiti and the United States has not yet been halted but is currently under review, according to Prime Minister Jouthe Joseph.  

Coronavirus update: Some of the measures taken by Latin American, Caribbean nations

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES,  JIMENA TAVEL,  JIM WYSS, AND NORA GÁMEZ TORRES

MARCH 24, 2020 08:16 PM 

As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, Latin American and Caribbean nations are enacting a number of drastic measures to try to combat the coronavirus. Here is a snapshot of some of the steps being taken in the hemisphere as of Tuesday, March 24.

Measures have become even more stringent, with places like the Turks and Caicos and French overseas territories instituting stricter measures. There are only a handful of countries that have not confirmed cases, while many more have cut themselves off to U.S. flights and tourists from elsewhere.

Anguilla: There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date in the British overseas territory. Effective March 20, all airports and seaports were closed for 14 days to all passengers, only the movement of goods allowed. All persons arriving in Anguilla who have traveled outside of the Caribbean region within the last 14 days will be quarantined for 14 days on arrival. All non-essential travel for public servants is suspended. Schools are to remain closed until April 3. The government had previously announced a ban on direct flights originating from Europe, including the United Kingdom, for the next 14 days; a ban on cruise ships with passengers who had visited Europe in the last two weeks and a 45-day ban on public and private large gatherings that are likely to involve visitors from overseas.

Antigua and Barbuda: There are three cases following confirmation of its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 13. At the time, the government announced a 30-day ban on all parties, festivals and similar social gatherings. Foreign nationals who have traveled to and from China, Italy, Iran, Japan, Korea and Singapore the past 28 days are not being allowed in. Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda as well as resident diplomats will be allowed entry.

Argentina: On March 20, President Alberto Fernández ordered all non-essential businesses to shut down and all Argentines to stay in their homes until March 31. Previously, on March 15, the country had closed its borders to all non-resident foreigners. The country now has 266 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

Aruba: On Monday, March 23, Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes announced a third case the coronavirus. Two days after the government of Aruba confirmed its first two positive COVID-19 cases on March 13, officials announced a complete “lockdown” for all international incoming passengers starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 17 until March 31. Residents will still be able to enter, but the government is advising against nonessential travel. Cargo will continue to be able to be flown in and relief flights will be possible as long as the airline is willing to operate them.

Bahamas: The country is under a complete lockdown after confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to five and a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was extended to 24 hours, effective Tuesday, March 24. All Bahamians are to remain confined to their homes. All airports, seaports and public beaches are closed. No tourists are allowed to enter the country. The penalty for breaking the orders is a fine of up to $10,000, up to 18 months in prison or both. The government had already closed businesses, schools until April 14, banned parties and public gatherings and imposed travel restrictions for nonresidents who had traveled to China, Iran, Italy,South Korea, and Europe in the last 20 days. Returning residents are subjected to quarantine for a maximum of 14 days if they have visited the countries. All national sporting events and permits for use of public spaces also suspended.

Barbados: The country confirmed its 18th case Tuesday, March 24, and has temporarily suspended outgoing international mail due to the coronavirus. Last week, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced in Parliament that Barbadian-born songstress Rihanna has offered to donate $700,000 worth of ventilators to the island-nation. On March 19, Mottley declared that all persons coming from the U.S., U.K. and the rest of Europe will need to self-quarantine for 14 days. Mottley, who had been reluctant to implement travel restrictions, made the announcement after confirming Barbados now had five confirmed cases. Barbados had announced a restriction on public gatherings to no more than 100 people, suspension of visits to nursing homes and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Belize: Effective Wednesday, March 25, all restaurants are closed for indoor dinning; so too are bars and casinos. The Ministry of Health announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Monday, March 23. The patient is a 38-year-old Belizean national who arrived in the country from the U.S. on March 19. Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that additional measures will soon be announced and a team of about 60 Cuban doctors will soon be dispatched throughout the country to help contain the virus. Belize had previously announced a travel ban on visitors who had, within the last 30 days visited, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, South Korea and Europe.

Bermuda: After Premier David Burt confirmed six cases of COVID-19 in the British territory on Sunday, March, 22, he ordered the closure of most retail stores and cinemas to shut their doors. He said 1,400 hotel workers have been laid off as a result of the pandemic. Bermuda had previously called for all arriving passengers as of March 17 to self quarantine for 14 days, and be subject to Public Health monitoring, the government said. There is a travel ban for visitors arriving from countries where there is a sustained community spread of COVID-19. There are no confirmed cases.

Bolivia: Bolivia imposed a national lockdown on March 20 but has been struggling to make people comply. It also closed its borders and airspace over the weekend. Interim President Jeanine Áñez said she will be taking further measures on March 25. The government began barring travelers from Europe’s Schengen bloc, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iran on March 18. Previously, travelers from Spain, China, South Korea and Italy were barred. The South American country has 27 cases of the coronavirus.

Bonaire: The government of Bonaire said there were no confirmed cases. It previously announced a suspension of flights from Europe until March 31. This includes flights originating in the European Netherlands. A 30-day ban on cruise ships also took effect on March 14.

Brazil: Brazil closed all its land borders on March 19. However, there are currently no entry restrictions for visitors arriving by air or sea. Brazil, the first country in the region to register a case of the coronavirus, has also implemented enhanced screening and quarantine measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The country has more than 1,500 cases.

British Virgin Islands: The British territory has not recorded any COVID-19 cases to date. But as of 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 23, the country’s airports and seaports were shut to inbound and outgoing passengers until April 6. Internal travel between the four main islands of Anegada, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke will continue. Non-essential gatherings of 20 persons or more are prohibited, and all businesses, services and recreational facilities have also been ordered closed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. until April 17. The government previously banned cruise ships for 30 days starting on March 14, and announced the immediate closure of the Tortola cruise port. The BVI also limited international arrivals to just three ports.

Cayman Islands: Effective Tuesday, March 24, Caymanians came under a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew after the British overseas territory confirmed two more cases, to bring its total to 5, including one death. The curfew will initially be in force 10 days and reassessed by the Police Commissioner every 48 hours. Anyone breaking curfew will be subject to arrest without a warrant and on summary conviction will be liable to a fine of $3,590 fine or imprisonment for one year, or both. Inbound passenger air traffic has ceased and, as of Sunday, March 22, restaurants are only allowed to do take outs and delivery. The government has also hardened a ban on public gatherings, including church services, from 50 persons to no more than 10 people. Exempt businesses must put provisions in the workplace to prevent employees from coming within six feet of each other, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced. The government had already suspended international mail services until April 13; banned cruise ships for 60 days and closed schools until April 26. Effective March 13, a 60-day travel ban was expanded to include visitors from the 26-country Schengen bloc in Europe, China, Iran, Japan and South Korea. The British overseas territory recorded its first COVID-19 related death on March 14, a 68-year-old Italian cruise ship passenger with a heart condition. At least two of the cases worked at Health City Cayman Hospital, where the man had been hospitalized.

Chile: The country shut its borders to all non-resident foreigners starting, Wednesday, March 18, and is requiring all those arriving to self quarantine. It has also imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and obligatory isolation for those over 80 years old. Previously, it was prohibiting all gathering of 50 people or more. Chile also has suspended classes at the elementary, secondary and university level in the capital of Santiago and 20 other cities to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

Colombia: The South American country has declared a 19-day national quarantine that runs through April 13 and is on lockdown — with all incoming flights suspended. Previously, on March 20, residents over 70 years of age were ordered to go into isolation until May 31. And on March 17, the South American nation closed all of ts land, sea and river borders through May 30.

Costa Rica: The Central Amerian nation confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 8. The tally has since risen to 134. On March 16 President Carlos Alvarado Quesada declared a state of emergency. All non-resident foreigners are barred from entering the country through April 12. In addition, foreign-residents and asylum seekers in the country will lose their status if they leave. Public Security Minister Michael Soto said the measure is meant to discourage people from leaving the country as Costa Rica tries to limit the spread of the virus via travel. The country has also imposed a nighttime curfew.

Cuba: After weeks of keeping the country open, the government announced March 20 it would no longer take tourists starting Tuesday, March 24. Only Cubans who reside on the island and foreign citizens who are permanent residents or work on the island will be able to re-enter the country, and they will be put into quarantine for 14 days in medical facilities.

Under these rules, Cuban Americans and Cubans permanently living abroad won’t be allowed in. Cubans living on the island are not allowed to travel overseas until further notice. Tourists who have not yet left the country will be confined to state-run hotels. Schools will be closed starting as of March 24 at least until April 20.

Curaçao: There are four confirmed cases, including one death. As of Sunday, March 15, Hato Airport in Curacao was closed to all traffic from Europe until further notice. The decision came after Curacao recorded its first positive case. The government has enacted temporary restrictions on flights and has limited incoming traffic to returning residents, essential medical specialists, nurses, and professionals. The airport has also suspended all operations of its immigration E-Gates to control the spread of COVID-19.

Dominica: On Tuesday, March 24, the island’s Catholic bishop suspended all religious gatherings following the government’s confirmation the previous day of its second positive COVID-19 case. Bishop Gabriel Malzaire also said funerals should be attended by no more than 10 persons and take place in a reasonable short period of time. The government also announced a ban on all public gatherings of more than 10 persons; non-essential public services are also suspended. Dominica registered its first case on Sunday, March 22, and in both cases, the patients had travel history involving the United Kingdom. The country had previously banned all travel to and from China. Arriving passengers must complete a health declaration form and be screened for elevated body temperature. Anyone showing flu-like symptoms or who has been to an affected area in the past 14 days may be placed in 14-day home quarantine.

Dominican Republic: As of Tuesday, March 24, the country, which shares the same island as Haiti, saw its confirmed COVID-19 cases jump to 312 — a 67-case increase from the previous day. The island announced its first death on March 16, a 47-year-old woman who recently returned from Spain, along with a country total of 21. The next day the country announced that as of March 17, it was suspending all international flights for 15 days as well as closing its land border with Haiti, though deportations continue and Haitians continue to cross over through the barriers. Most hotels have said they are ceasing operations due to zero occupancy. The country previously canceled flights from Milan, Italy, and announced travelers from locations with a higher incidence of COVID-19 cases may be subject to additional screening or self-isolation.

El Salvador: As of Tuesday, March 24, the country had five confirmed cases. Even before registering its first COVID-19 confirmation, President Nayib Bukele imposed some of the most extreme measures to try and prevent the virus from reaching the country. On March 14, Bukele declared a state of national emergency and enforced severe measures, from shutting down the airport to commercial flights to sending home all non-essential public employees for 30 days. El Salvador is currently under a 21-day quarantine, which bans all foreign visitors who are not diplomats or permanent residents, and forces all Salvadoreans returning home to quarantine. Anyone attempting to enter the country through “blind spots” risks jail time, Bukele has said. Schools were also closed for 21 days, while bars, nightclubs and gyms were ordered closed for two weeks. Bukele has asked all public transport units to be sanitized three times a day, and all workers to wear masks. He has also announced the construction of what he has called the “largest hospital in Latin America” to address the pandemic. He has also ordered private companies to send employees who are older than 60, who are pregnant or who have underlying conditions, home on paid time off for 30 days. Additionally, private companies who don’t deal with food, medicine or supplies, and decide to send all of their workers home on paid time off will be eligible for government help.

Ecuador: On Monday, March 23, the government reported 981 confirmed cases and 18 deaths. The following day, Ecuadorian police began dismantling pen markets to limit large groups of people coming together. The country had previously barred all non-resident foreigners from entering the country and has shut down gyms, theaters, cinemas and other non-essential businesses. It has also suspended some public transportation services.

Grenada: Effective Monday, March 23, all airports were closed to commercial flights after the government announced Sunday its first confirmed COVID-19 case: A 50-year-old female who arrived from the United Kingdom on March 16. The country had previously said travelers who have been to Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Iran, Italy, or Germany in the last 14 days are subject to quarantine or other restrictions.

Guadeloupe: There are 62 confirmed cases including one death. The travel restriction and stringent measures applied to Martinique, also are in place for Guadeloupe, French St. Martin and French Guiana. For more information, travelers should visit the public health website.

Guatemala: President Alejandro Giammattei confirmed in a televised address Monday, March 16, that the country had six COVID-19 cases. To contain the disease, he suspended all flights from March 16-30, except for cargo. Guatemalan residents and citizens and diplomatic staff can still enter the country via land. The Ministry of Public Health reported on Sunday, March 14, Guatemala’s first death: an 85-year-old who had arrived from Spain on March 6. That same Sunday, officials announced all schools and universities would close for three weeks, all sports events would take place without fans and all gatherings of more than 100 people were prohibited.

Guyana: The South American nation is investigating reports that two Cuban nationals, who recently visited Guyana, tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease upon their return to Cuba. On March 18, Guyana closed its airports to all arriving international travelers for two weeks. It recorded the first COVID-19-related death among Caribbean Community nations on March 12. The woman had recently traveled from New York and had underlying health conditions. Schools were also ordered closed for another week until April 3. The High Commission of India has suspended consular services.

Haiti: As of Tuesday, March 24, the country confirmed 7 cases, including a Belgian national who operates an orphanage and a popular artist who recently returned from France. President Jovenel Moïse confirmed the country’s first two positive COVID-19 cases on Thursday, March 19, and announced sweeping new “lockdown” measures. A partial travel ban that still allowed flights from Cuba and the United States was expanded to a full shutdown of the country’s two international airports and seaports. Schools, universities and factories were also closed, and an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was imposed. Declaring a state of emergency, Moïse said gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited and the population should practice social distancing. Over the March 21 weekend, police arrested several pastors and Vodou priests, accusing them of defying the order. Four managers and owners of supermarkets and pharmacies were also arrested, accused of price gouging. All have been provisionally released. These measures are in addition to a closure of the country’s border with the Dominican Republic and a ban on foreign travel by members of the government.

Honduras: The entire country has been virtually shut down. With 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, March 23, schools remain closed. President Juan Orlando Hernández has also banned all public events, regardless of the number of attendees for seven days. Additionally, all non-essential businesses were also ordered closed, except for supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, hotels, banks, hospitals, and restaurants with drive-through or delivery services. Visits to nursing homes, hospitals and the like are also prohibited. All borders are closed except for cargo, Honduran residents and citizens, and diplomatic staff. Nearly all private and public workers went home, and public transportation halted. Hernández declared a “red alert” on all 18 departments until March 28. Anyone who doesn’t comply with the directives is subject to a jail sentence ranging from 6 months to 2 years.

Jamaica: The country confirmed 21 cases as of Monday, March 23. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country is approaching the community transmission, which usually means an escalation in COVID-19 cases. The government had previously announced limits on the number of people allowed in taxis and restaurants and restrictions for visitors who must remain confined to their hotels. All non-essential employees also must work from home. The government had also announced a two-week closure of schools, and a ban on all public gatherings. There’s also a ban on travel for individuals who have visited China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Singapore along with the suspension of flights from Spain, France and Germany. Parts of the island remain under quarantine and the government recruited retired medical professionals. Holness has declared Jamaica a disaster area because of the threat of the coronavirus infections and said he was seeking 100 Cuban nurses to help.

Martinique: As of Monday, March 23, the French overseas territory reported 44 COVID-19 cases. Following a quarantine implemented by the French government, tourists are encouraged to leave and locals must remain in confinement until further notice. In order to go out for any reason an exemption certificate is required. All leisure activities, restaurants, bars and businesses are closed. Public transportation is no longer in operation. After having no travel restrictions, stringent measures have been imposed in the French Caribbean: No cruises, maritime transportation or inbound flights allowed. All international flights to and from Martinique are interrupted as of Monday, March 23, 2020. Flights from Martinique to France have been restricted and apply between the five French overseas Islands: Saint-Martin, Saint Barthélemy Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique. Travelers returning from risk zones are asked to monitor their temperature, wear a surgical mask, reduce non-essential activities, and avoid places with at-risk individuals for 14 days. For more information, travelers should visit the public health website.

Mexico: The government has issued orders for all schools to close for a month beginning Friday through April 20. The country currently as 82 cases after it jumped from 53 in a day.

Montserrat: The government confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 17. It was among several suspected cases being investigated after a flight with Antigua and Montserrat-bound passengers turned up positive in Antigua. Prior to the news, officials had already restricted gatherings in excess of 50 people until April 3. Schools are also closed until April 3. St. Patrick’s Festival activities were also officially canceled and contrary to previous reports, the ferry service between Antigua and Montserrat remain operational.

Nicaragua: One of the last Central American nations, along with El Salvador and Belize, to confirm COVID-19 cases, the country had two confirmed cases as of Tuesday, March 24. Spirit Airlines announced the suspension of flights as of Tuesday, March 24; American Airlines said it plans to suspend flights to and from Managua beginning March 27; and United Airlines beginning April 1. The country has been flouting medical advice and norms. On March 14, the Daniel Ortega government held a “Love in the Time of COVID-19” parade, which included a rally in downtown Managua.

Panama: On Tuesday, March 24, Panama’s health officials reported 443 cases. As of 5:01 a.m., Wednesday, March 25, nationwide movement restrictions, also being referred to as quarantine, go into effect. After registering the first COVID-19 death in Central America, Panama announced the temporary closure of all schools and universities located in the regions of North and Central Panama, and San Miguelito.

Peru: As of Tuesday, March 24, there were 395 COVID-19 cases and five virus-related deaths. On Tuesday, March 17, the country closed its borders to international travelers and non-resident foreigners, leaving thousands of U.S. citizens stranded.

Puerto Rico: The U.S. territory declared a state of emergency, while prohibiting all large gatherings and ordering the National Guard to begin health screenings at points of entry. It also introduced a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and has closed all non-essential businesses and most government offices.

St. Barthelemy: The French overseas territory has reported three infection cases. Restrictions for Martinique apply here as well.

St. Kitts and Nevis: With no confirmed cases as of March 24, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis began requiring all incoming air passengers to list the countries they had visited in the last six weeks. It also asked anyone who had traveled to the following countries in the last 14 days to not visit: China, Italy, Iran, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain. Persons who arrived in St. Kitts & Nevis from these destinations are subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period following screening at the port of entry. The same applied to residents and citizens. It also prohibited passengers exhibiting flu-like symptoms from disembarking as well as those who had visited the restricted COVID-19 countries. The prime minister also announced the recruiting of more officers, updating the travel advisory and restricting visits to elderly centers and prisons.

St. Lucia: After confirming three cases, the government declared a state of emergency on Monday, March 23, and announced a partial scale down of all non-essential economic and social activities until April 5. All airports are closed to incoming commercial and private flights. Cargo flights and repatriation flights from Saint Lucia will be permitted. Only restaurants that do take out, delivery or drive-thru are allowed to operate. In an effort to contain the disease, the government had already closed schools, banned cruise ships, imposed travel restrictions for several countries and scaled back non-essential services. Persons who travel from the U.S. within the last 14 days who develop respiratory symptoms will be isolated and tested for COVID-19. Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, who went into self-quarantine after experiencing a cough upon following a visit to Miami, reported he tested negative for COVID-19.

St. Martin: There are currently eight confirmed cases. The measures in place for Martinique and other French overseas territories apply in St. Martin as well.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: The country reported its only COVID-19 case so far on March 11. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has announced that he will seek help from Cuba to combat the coronavirus. He also said his administration is seeking to employ at least 20 nurses locally in addition to three medical doctors from Havana, who specialize in handling infectious diseases, including COVID-19, according to local press reports. To limit spread of the virus through its nine inhabited islands and cays, the government has ordered the suspension of certain formal ports of entry while the hours of operation at other ports will be expanded in some instances.

Sint Maarten: The Dutch territory now has two confirmed cases after the government registered its first case of COVID-19 on March 17. Effective that day, all international flights and cruises originating from the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom to Sint Maarten were canceled for 21 days, upgraded from two weeks. Travelers from China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea , Macao, Singapore, Spain and Germany in the past 21 days, were also banned from transiting or entering St. Maarten. The travel restriction also applies to other seafaring vessels, according to a travel advisory from the U.S. Consulate General in Curacao. U.S. citizens who wish to depart Sint Maarten on planes to the United States after March 17 will still be allowed to do so.

Suriname: A 51-member Cuban medical brigade recently arrived in the Dutch-speaking South American nation to help combat COVID-19. With still one confirmed case, the country’s airports and land borders have remained closed after Vice President Michael Ashwin Adhin announced the closure as of March 14.

Turks and Caicos: On Monday, March 23, the British overseas territory confirmed its first case. After weeks of promoting that its international airports were still open while others were closing their borders, the territory announced no visitors will be allowed to enter for 21 days effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, March 25. Airports and seaports will only be open for cargo, returning residents and emergency international and regional flights. Hospitals have restricted visiting hours. Schools are closed until April 20. The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital received a public health notification that a temporary worker who visited the country March 8 to 13 to train hospital employees tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after his return to the U.S. Investigations are ongoing to determine how and at what point in time he may have contracted the virus. The temporary worker is a 35-year-old American man and he is currently being isolated at home in the U.S. in stable condition.

"I've been and I continue to be a troubled parent. 

My daughter is in ground zero in New York right now." 

— Keith Rowley (@DrKeithRowley) March 23, 2020

Trinidad and Tobago: The health ministry reported 53 confirmed cases on Tuesday, March 24, including the first positive COVID-19 case in Tobago. The news came several days after the health ministry reported that 41 out of 68 passengers on the ill-fated Costa Favalosa cruise ship had tested positive after returning home from Guadeloupe. The country has closed its borders to all international flights, expanded COVID-19 testing and designated March 29 as a National Day of Prayer. It also previously announced: the closure of the National Archives’ public search room until further notice, restrictions on hospital visiting hours and visitors and closure of the country’s land and sea borders to non-nationals for 14 days, effective 12:01 a.m. 

Wednesday. The twin-island also has Imposed a fine of $889 or six months in prison for those who breach quarantine.

U.S. Virgin Islands: Effective Wednesday, March 25, the U.S. Virgin Islands will close its doors to all visitors for 30 days. The U.S. territory now has 17 confirmed cases. Hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts and charter vessels also are restricted from accepting new guests. Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has ordered all non-essential businesses, including bars, closed and for residents to stay at home. No in-restaurant dining is allowed. The territory had previously instituted travel restrictions similar to those announced by President Donald Trump, which includes China and Iran, and certain European countries.

Venezuela: The country has declared a national quarantine, requiring businesses to stay shut and people to stay home in most of the country. It has also canceled all flights to Europe and Colombia for 30 days.

Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald reporters Jacqueline Charles, Jim Wyss, Jimena Tavel and Nora Gámez Torres compiled this list using information from the Pan American Health Organization, US. embassy travel advisories and governments of the region. It is being updated as information becomes available.

MARCH 24, 2020 8:52 PM

CORONAVIRUS

Royal Caribbean cruises suspended for an extra month due to coronavirus, company says

MARCH 24, 2020 8:46 PM

SEE ALL 9 STORIES

 To try and stop COVID-19 from arriving in Haiti, the country has shut down its border with the Dominican Republic for two weeks. Here Haitians are crossing the northern border with the Dominican Republic between the cities of Ouanaminthe and Dajabón on market day.

To try and stop COVID-19 from arriving in Haiti, the country has shut down its border with the Dominican Republic for two weeks. Here Haitians are crossing the northern border with the Dominican Republic between the cities of Ouanaminthe and Dajabón on market day.

(The latest Covid-19 numbers and measures in the region).

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article241249651.html

Détails

Catégorie : What's up Little Haiti

Création : 9 avril 2020

 A global shortage in key ingredient could affect coronavirus testing in Caribbean

A global shortage of a key ingredient in the COVID-19 testing process could lead to a slowdown in some Caribbean nations’ ability to rapidly test for the virus that causes the respiratory disease just when the toll of the global pandemic is expected to surge.

Dr. Lisa Indar, deputy director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency, or CARPHA, which is doing testing for 18 Caribbean countries in its regional medical laboratory in Trinidad and Tobago, said the lab is actively looking for reagents. The chemical ingredient is critical to the chemical analysis recommended by the World Health Organization that’s being used to detect COVID-19 in specimens.

“Our current reagent capacity is such that we have enough media to take us through the next three weeks,” Indar, an infectious disease specialist, said Wednesday during a video press conference. “We are actively looking for more media.”

Indar said pre-orders were made as far back as January but it’s taking time to receive the supply of reagents for the molecular tests because of the global shortage.

While much faster rapid testing has become available, including a two-minute test the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for the coronavirus, Indar said such tests are not yet recommended by the World Health Organization. The time-consuming, intricate polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, procedure “remains the gold standard for COVID-19” due to its accuracy, she said.

Trinidad and Tobago currently has 90 confirmed COVID-19 cases and has registered five deaths related to the disease, according to its health ministry.

The rate of testing has sped up in the last two weeks, according a ministry representative. St. John said. She noted that CARPHA runs every sample that fits the criteria. However, they currently do not test for people who are asymptomatic or samples older than 10 days. Also it does not test for Haiti, Cuba or the Dominican Republic, three of the region’s most populous countries. Those countries have their own national laboratories.

Dr. Jacques Boncy, who runs Haiti’s national lab, said the country is not experiencing any shortages yet. Haiti has 16 confirmed cases and has so far run 154 tests.

“We project that when the number of cases begins to increase we will face a shortage,” Boncy said. “Most of the rapid PCR assays [for the detection of the virus] are being used for U.S. needs.”

Miami Compas Fest is canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, which is surprising to no one

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

MARCH 31, 2020 03:03 PM, 

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone watching the coronavirus global pandemic from the confinement of self-isolation on their couch. But Haitian music fans, here it goes: This year’s 22nd annual Haitian Compas Festival has been canceled.

Organizers say with the “Stay at Home” directive and the calls for social distancing — you know this just doesn’t work for konpa music — this year’s show, scheduled for May 16 at Mana Wynwood in Miami with some of the hottest acts in Haitian music, can’t go on.

In fact, with all of the public health emergencies, calls for social distancing, lockdowns and prevention guidance, the realization of the festival, which is also pays tribute to Haiti’s May 18 Flag Day commemoration, is just — well, “impossible.”

“We understand how crucial it is that Compas fans have time to make important decisions and plans,” organizers said. “But you understand, this is totally out of our control. We continue to defer to the authorities for guidance and there is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and physical well-being of each of you and your families.”

The festival has been rescheduled for May 15, 2021.

For those of you who already purchased tickets, they will be “honored and transferred to Haitian Compas Festival 2021.” No need to do anything, other than to call your airline and tell them Miami is out of the question for now.

AMERICAS

Every country in Latin America and the Caribbean now has coronavirus cases, health group says

Indar said the testing process at the regional Caribbean lab starts as soon as the samples are received, and depending on the time results can be turned around in 24 hours. Each testing kit can produce between 40 and 50 individual tests, and the process itself requires two steps for each sample and the use of two kits.

In the first step, lab technicians extract the virus’ RNA. This process takes about two hours.

In the second step, special chemicals are mixed with each sample and the combination is run in a machine for analysis.

At this stage, which can take six to eight hours, “the first thing is to determine if it’s coronavirus, and then the second is to determine if it’s COVID-19,” Indar said. ‘’If it is positive for the coronavirus, it is only then we would go into COVID-19 testing.” Not everyone who gets the virus will get sick; most people will experience only mild symptoms.

BARBADOS ACCUSES U.S. OF BLOCKING VENTILATORS TO HELP WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

April 06, 2020 Updated 11 hours 37 minutes ago

Barbados is the latest country to accuse the United States of blocking it from acquiring critical medical equipment to fight COVID19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

In a national briefing Sunday, Health Minister Lt. Col Jeffrey Bostic said that 20 ventilators purchased by a philanthropist had been seized in the U.S.

“Those ventilators were actually stopped in the United States, the exportation of those 20 ventilators,” Bostic said.

Bostic did not say who the good Samaritan was and corrected an earlier statement when he incorrectly stated that the seized ventilators were from Barbados-born songstress Rihanna. Five of those ventilators, which were announced last month by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, are scheduled to arrive next week, he said.

The Miami Herald emailed, called and texted Bostic for further details on the shipment, including whether he had reached out to the State Department or the U.S. Embassy in Barbados about his concerns. He did not respond.

A State Department spokesperson seemed to suggest that some previous media reports about seized medical exports may not be accurate.

“We remain concerned about pervasive attempts to divide international efforts through unsourced, unattributed disinformation campaigns,” a spokesperson said.

Earlier, Barbados Health Minister stated that ventilators purchased by @rihanna were seized in US; correction was subsequently issued indicating the exportation of 20 ventilators stopped in the US were not of Rihanna's order but of another philanthropic order

In recent days number of countries —Canada, Germany, France — and even some U.S. states, have accused the Trump administration and American suppliers of diverting medical equipment and not playing by the rules in the hunt for ventilators and scarcely available personal protective equipment such as N95 respiratory face masks as they struggle to mange their outbreaks.

The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported Friday that a delivery of protective equipment ordered by the State of Berlin in China for the coronavirus had reportedly been intercepted and diverted to the United States. Berlin’s Interior Minister Andreas GeiseI said they considered the confiscation to be “an act of modern piracy” and urged Germany’s government to demand that Washington play by international trade rules.

“This is not how you deal with transatlantic partners,” Geisel said. There shouldn’t be “wild west methods,” he said, even in times of global crisis.

That same day, the Guardian reported that a French official from a hard-hit region also complained about having a shipment of medical masks from Shanghai diverted to the U.S. after being outbid by “Americans.” “They offered three times the price and they proposed to pay upfront. I can’t do that. I’m spending taxpayers’ money and I can only pay on delivery having checked the quality,” the Guardian said Valérie Pécresse, the influential president of the Île-de-France region, told BFMTV. “So we were caught out.”

On Thursday, President Donald Trump lashed out at the Minnesota-based N95 respiratory mask manufacturer 3M, tweeting that “We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks.”

The next day, he invoked the Defense Production Act to require 3M to prioritize orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its N95 mask, and to ban “unscrupulous actors and profiteers” from exporting critical medical gear. The company almost immediately pushed back in a statement.

The administration, 3M said, had asked it to cease exporting its N95 respirators that it currently manufactures in the United States to the Canadian and Latin American markets.

“There are, however, significant humanitarian implications of ceasing respirator supplies to healthcare workers in Canada and Latin America, where we are a critical supplier of respirators,” the statement said. “In addition, ceasing all export of respirators produced in the United States would likely cause other countries to retaliate and do the same, as some have already done. If that were to occur, the net number of respirators being made available to the United States would actually decrease. That is the opposite of what we and the Administration, on behalf of the American people, both seek.”

The company said it had already secured approval from China to export 10 million N95 respirators manufactured by 3M in China to the U.S.

“3M and its employees have gone above and beyond to manufacture as many N95 respirators as possible for the U.S. market,” the company said.

During Sunday’s press conference, Barbados’ health minister sought to reassure the nation that they had other channels to secure ventilators as the number of COVID-19 cases in the island of nearly 288,000 inhabitants rose to 56 and the first coronavirus-related death was recorded Saturday. The deceased is an 81-year-old Barbadian male who had a pre-existing medical condition.

As the number of cases in the Caribbean and Latin America continue to escalate, the role of the U.S. in helping nations in the region deal with the global pandemic is an emerging concern. Already cash-strapped, countries are facing everything from a shortage of test kits to ventilators and medical gear for health workers.

Recently Haiti’s new foreign minister, Claude Joseph, invoked the country’s vulnerability as he sought the help of chief of missions in helping the government acquire a list of medical equipment, including 100 ventilators and 200,00 N95 masks, in addition to the $18 million worth of purchase orders that had already been made to China. Haiti currently has 21 confirmed cases and on Sunday recorded its first coronavirus-related death, a 55-year-old male with diabetes and hypertension.

Cuban officials also recently complained about the U.S preventing aid from getting to them, citing the U.S.’s six-decade embargo. Chinese business magnate and Alibaba founder Jack Ma recently announced that his foundation was shipping 2 million masks, 400,000 rapid test kits, and 104 ventilators to 24 countries in the region, including Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Peru.

But Cuba’s shipment never made it, according to Cuba’s ambassador to China, Carlos M. Pereira.

Pereira said on his blog that Ma’s foundation tried to send Cuba 100,000 face masks and 10 COVID-19 diagnostic kits along with other aid including ventilators and gloves, but the airline would not transport them, citing the U.S. embargo. Cuba currently has 320 positive cases and has confirmed eight deaths.