Author: SKNISEditor

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 29, 2022 (SKNIS): Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph Nathaniel France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson said that it is necessary when being in air-conditioned rooms to wear masks and allow periodic ventilation to mitigate against COVID-19 transmission. “I am not saying that one should not use an air-conditioned unit, but people should be wearing their masks, they should be trying to stay as spaced apart as possible and make every effort to bring fresh air in from time to time,” said Dr. Wilkinson at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 briefingon January 26. “The risk of COVID-19 spread is greater if you are in an…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 29, 2022 (SKNIS): Members of the National COVID-19 Task Force have expressed a strong desire to see the resumption of organized sports in St Kitts and Nevis and are encouraging members of the respective organizations to develop a restart plan that outlines how competitions can proceed safely for athletes, coaches, officials and spectators. During the January 26, NEOC COVID-19 Briefing, Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Abdias Samuel, said that he is prepared to meet with sports administrators and executives to discuss health and safety protocols that must be followed. Mr. Samuel said that he received…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 29, 2022 (SKNIS): While cruise ships continue to call at Port Zante on St. Kitts at an impressive rate, Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Abdias Samuel, noted that some vessels were unable to make their scheduled visits as a result of a high positivity rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases. “What we were informed [was] that some of these ships may have had a four or five percent positivity rate on the ship and so, therefore, they themselves would take the position of not coming to our port here in St. Kitts and Nevis to dock,” Mr. Samuel…

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore NEW YORK, 28 January 2022 – “As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues its spread all over the world, we urge governments to do everything in their power to keep it from further disrupting children’s education. “To avert a learning catastrophe and put children back on the learning track, UNICEF recommends the following: “Keep schools open. An estimated 616 million children are currently affected by full or partial school closures. We know that mitigation measures help keep schools open. We also know that investments in digital connectivity can help us make sure that…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 28, 2022 (SKNIS): Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph Nathaniel France (JNF) General Hospital in St. Kitts, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, continues to call on citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis to get fully vaccinated in order to better protect themselves from severe disease, hospitalization, and death from the COVID-19 virus.   Dr. Wilkinson made his most recent remarks at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 briefing on January 26, 2022, at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). He explained, “The vaccinated may continue to get breakthrough infections and will most likely recover, which we have…

Friday, January 28, 2022 — The Seventy-First (71st) Meeting of the OECS Authority was held virtually on Wednesday January 25th 2022, under the Chairmanship of The Right Honourable Dr. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada. Against the backdrop of the continuing challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the main, the meeting discussed, inter alia: a) Status Update on ECCAA b) The acceleration of Regional Integration c) COP26 and the OECS Assembly d) Regularisation of ECLS e) Major Initiatives in Education and COVID19 Update Prime Minister and Chairman of the OECS Authority, The Rt. Hon. Dr. Keith Mitchell in his opening…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 27, 2021 (SKNIS): The protection of the ecosystem remains paramount to the survival of all living creatures for present and future generations. In the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, both government and non-government entities continue to champion environmental conservation as a key part of national development.During the January 26, 2022 edition of SKNIS’s ‘Working For You,’ the discussion was centered around the importance of environmental sustainability. Ms. Lynelle Bonaparte, Environmental Conservation Officer within the Department of Environment spoke to the importance of community involvement in environmental conservation.“At our recent sustainability workshop, I mentioned a co-management…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 27, 2021 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Education has done extensive work in relation to key activities outlined in the 2020-2021 Education Section Plan. In a recent interview with SKNIS, Dr. Tricia Esdaille Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education outlined the progress made thus far.“During the period 2019 to 2021, the Ministry of Education prioritized the programme area: Professionalization of the Teaching Force. Through funding from the Organization of American States (OAS)/Development Cooperation Fund during their education cycle which spans from 2017 to 2021, we were able to secure funding for several activities which were executed…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 27, 2022 (SKNIS): Efforts to ban single-use plastics in St. Kitts and Nevis are expected to gain momentum in 2022 as officials target 2023 as a possible implementation date.Telca Wallace, Project Coordinator of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Project, as well as Lynelle Bonaparte, Environment Officer, appeared on the Working for You radio and television on January 26, 2022, to discuss measures to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.Banning single-use plastics is one component that Ms. Bonaparte explained is very important as improperly discarded plastics harm the environment by clogging drains, harming land and marine creatures, and…

24 January 2022, Belize City, Belize Central America – The Ministry of Economic Development and Investment, The Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, The Belize Fisheries Department, The Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute and The National Meteorological Service of Belize with assistance from The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are officially launching a project entitled, “Enhancing adaptation planning and increasing climate resilience in the coastal zone and fisheries sector of Belize”.This is possible with financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which supports the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenges of climate change. Like many other low-lying coastal nations, Belize is vulnerable to the effects…