With a look at some of the top stories making the news today, May 24, across your Caribbean-American community in South Florida, I’m…for CNW 90.
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Coming up in the newscast, The United States extends TPS for Haitians, Jamaica hunting vaccines due to pause in exports from India and Cayman Islands nears COVID-19 herd immunity.
Now for the news in detail,
The Haitian-American community in South Florida, over the weekend, celebrated the extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians in the United States. In a statement on Saturday, US Homeland Security cited security concerns, social unrest, and other problems in Haiti for the decision. Haitians residing in the United States as of May 21 can now stay in the country until October 2022. The extension was good news for Haitians in South Florida who gathered in Miramar on Saturday to celebrate Haitian Heritage month. Haitian-American Florida State Representative Marie Woodson said the extension made the month extra special.
Now for Caribbean News,
In Jamaica,
Jamaica could very well get its last shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX Facility at the end of May due to the COVID-19 crisis in India. In April, the Serum Institute of India, which is the largest supplier of vaccines to COVAX, said it would be halting the distribution of vaccines until the end of the year. The decision to halt supplies was made as India grapples with the exponential spread of the coronavirus. Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said the halt will not affect the shipment of 55,000 doses of vaccines that was promised to the country this month. But he noted that it will stunt Jamaica’s quest to achieve herd immunity. He said the government is now actively seeking vaccines from other sources.
And in the Cayman Islands,
The Cayman Islands may be the first country in the Caribbean to achieve COVID-19 herd immunity. As per the latest vaccination statistics provided by the government, the country only requires 5,000 more people to get vaccinated in order to reach its national target. The vaccination benchmark for herd immunity and border reopening is 70 percent. As of May 20, 64 percent of the country’s 65,000 residents had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Some 54 percent have been fully vaccinated. The country has just under 10,000 vaccine doses left to be used. Premier of the Cayman Islands, Wayne Panton has said that a target of 70 percent of the total population is “do-able” and that the country is “within striking distance of this now”.
For more information on these and other stories, visit
CNWNETWORK.com. Remember to pick up this week’s copy of our Caribbean National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean – American outlet.
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