Caribzone News Highlight

By Caribzone.com

Antigua

The Antigua and Barbuda government says it will re-open its international airport on June 1, as the country moves to rehabilitate its economy in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that forced a virtual shutdown of the island over the past seven weeks.

In addition, the government said that it will reduce the curfew hours from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am (local time) daily and that it will on Thursday seek parliamentarily approval for a further 60-day extension of the state of emergency (SOE) to July 31.

It said the re-opening of the airport is also to accommodate “returning nationals and guests.

“However, these individuals entering the country will be subject to strict health protocols to avoid any COVID spread among the domestic population and possible community spread.

“Accordingly, all travelers will be required to take a rapid COVID test indicating that they are COVID free. Returning nationals will be quarantined for 14 days and hotels will serve as enclave properties for guests, whose interaction with employees and other locals will be limited and subject to established protocols.”

The government said that it has also agreed to waive all duties and taxes on the importation of building material, furniture, fixtures, and fittings for all investment properties, to include apartments, accommodation and commercial buildings.

It noted that as the Cabinet moves to re-opening the economy “in order to provide opportunities for many workers to earn an income,” government has decided that “all investment properties that commence their construction within this period will be allowed waiver of duties and customary taxes on building supplies, fixtures and equipment.

Construction is encouraged with social distancing, hand-washing, and other healthy practices that will inhibit the spread of the Coronavirus.

The Minister of Health, Molwyn Joseph, has informed Cabinet that only two known persons are now infected with the coronavirus here.

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Grenada

Member states with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) plan on reopening borders to intra-regional travel in the first instance, hopefully by next month.

This is according to Grenada's cabinet minister with responsibility for CARICOM, Oliver Joseph.

“What we are discussing is to first allow regional travel, that is travel within the islands such as travel between Grenada and Trinidad or between Trinidad and Barbados, we are not looking at having international carriers come to the island yet,” said Joseph who last week chaired the 50th meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

During the virtual meeting, COTED approved a strategy for the re-opening of economies in the Caribbean Community.

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Guyana

A team from the COVID-19 Task Force, including a virologist, conducted a site visit of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre – the recount venue – to determine the possibility of establishing additional work stations.

While the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was hoping for on the spot recommendations, the Task Force undertook to provide a report to the Chair Justice Claudette Singh.

This was communicated by Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward, who noted that the Task Force might provide some preliminary findings to the Commission later today.

GECOM is considering increasing the number of work stations at the recount venue in a bid to accelerate the process so it can be completed within 25-days.

There are currently 10 work stations and 2,339 ballot boxes to count. At the end of the first week, 311 ballot boxes were counted.

Based on the recommendations of the Task Force, GECOM will decide on the establishment of additional work stations, including how many more can be accommodated and which areas within the facility they can be set up.

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Sports

The important qualifier West Indies Women were scheduled to compete in, to secure a place in next year's World Cup in New Zealand, has been postponed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A new date for the tournament is yet to be decided,

the International Cricket Council (ICC) disclosed yesterday, in a statement confirming the postponement of the 10-team tournament that was to be held July 3 to 19 in Sri Lanka.

Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced travel restrictions and social distancing measures, and halted sports across the globe, cricket's world governing body said it had consulted with members and the relevant government and public health authorities and decided to postpone that qualifier, as well as the start of the qualification pathway to the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022.

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