A MILLION AUNTIES By Alecia McKenzie

During a discussion of my own novel, These Ghosts Are Family, at a private book club, a group of Caribbean women told me that the one aspect of the story which teems with the supernatural that theyd found the most unbelievable was when a character dies and has his identity stolen because he has no family except for an aging grandmother to come looking for him. That would never happen in the Caribbean, one participant said. He would have cousins, he would have neighbors, uncles he would have aunties! The Commonwealth Prize-winning, Jamaican-born author Alecia McKenzies tender new novel an emotionally resonant ode to adopted families and community resilience fills this gap.

A Million Aunties is a polyphonic narrative with a cast of characters who have experienced betrayal, disaster and loss at different stages of life. Chris, a young Black painter from New York, has just arrived in the fictional village of Port Segovia in rural Jamaica, searching for beauty and solitude after his wifes death in a terrorist attack. Its his first time visiting the island without his Jamaican mother, who died from cancer years before. At the advice of his agent and friend, Stephen, he has come to board with Miss Della, Stephens auntie, a term that transcends blood relation. Once Stephen had mumbled something about his aunt getting him from a place called Anfields Childrens Home in Kingston, Chris recalls. Shed taken him to the country to help her grow plants and told everyone he was her nephew, and it had gone from being a lie to being true.

The novel moves between faraway settings of Jamaica, New York and France (where McKenzie herself lives), and though supporting characters momentarily take center stage, its Chris, Stephen and Della around whom all the others seem to orbit. Stephen serves as a connector, determined to bring people together so they can experience the same healing and warmth that Miss Della and her community gave him as a child. In his most morbid moments, McKenzie writes, he sometimes thought: Lose a mother, gain a million aunties.

Like Chris and Stephen, the broader community within this novel is also transnational. While most of the characters are Jamaican artists and their loved ones, McKenzie brings in others from different countries throughout the African diaspora, such as Fliciane, a French and West African installation artist caught in a love triangle between Stephen and her new boyfriend on the island. Of course no family exists without conflict. In a moving monologue, Chriss father, an African-American Vietnam veteran in failing health, laments Chriss late mothers dismissive attitude toward American racism as the arrogance and confidence of growing up as a majority.

Read more:

In the Caribbean and Beyond, Aunties Are So Much More Than Just Family - The New York Times

Hurricane Iota has roared onto Nicaraguas Caribbean coast as a dangerous Category 4 storm on Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. It hit land along almost exactly the same area that Hurricane Eta devastated 13 days earlier. (Nov. 17) AP Domestic

Hurricane Iota was smashing across Central America on Tuesday, a massive Category 4 storm that blasted ashore less than 15 miles from where powerful Hurricane Eta roared intwo weeks ago.

Iota, the strongest hurricane ever recorded this late in a year,had barely eased from Category 5 status when it began its devastating march through Nicaraguan and into Honduras with sustained winds of 155 mph just two 2 mph below Category 5 status.

The storm could bring one of the worst floods the region has had in a thousand years or more,AccuWeather said. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde warned that power outages could last for months in some areas.

Hurricane Iota will place another catastrophic blow to the region," Rinde said. "No amount of words can describe the problems this system will add to the crisis already occurring in the area."

Hurricane Eta, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Nov. 3, was among the five strongest storms to ever hit the nation. Eta also brought devastation to Honduras and Guatemala with rain measured in feet, heavy flooding and mudslides. More than 130 people died across the region.

'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Iota threatens 'catastrophic' damage

Iota, the first Category 5 hurricane of the season, swept onto the coastabout 30 milessouth of the Nicaraguan city of Puerto Cabezas, also known as Bilwi. The stormwas heading west at 12 mph and was forecast to move farther inland across northern Nicaragua andsouthern Honduras Tuesday night and Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The move over land did ease some of Iota's fury, and maximum sustained winds had decreased to near 75 mph, although some gusts were much higher. Additional rapid weakening is expected today into Wednesday, and Iota was forecast to dissipate over Central America by Wednesday night.

Honduras, northern Nicaragua, southeast and central Guatemala and southern Belize could see up to20 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 30 inches, the weather service said.

"This rainfall will lead to significant, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain," said Eric Blake, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

People hunkered down in Bilwi even before the hurricane arrived, already battered by screeching winds and torrential rains.

Business owner Adn Artola Schultz braced himself in the doorway of his house as strong gusts of wind and rain drover water in torrents down the street. He was amazed that as second storm was following so closely on Eta's destructive heels.

It is like bullets, he said of the sound of metal structures banging and buckling in the wind. This is double destruction. This is coming in with fury."

Neighbors help each other as they evacuate the area before Hurricane Iota makes landfall in San Manuel Cortes, Honduras, Monday, November 16, 2020.(Photo: Delmer Martinez, AP)

Evacuations were conducted from low-lying areas in Nicaragua and Honduras near their shared border through the weekend.

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo said the government had done everything necessary to protect lives, including the evacuation of thousands. She added that Taiwan had donated 800 tons of rice to help those affected by the storms.

This hurricane is definitely worse than Eta, said Jason Bermdez, a university student from Bilwi. We will never forget this year.

Iota is the record 30th named storm of this years extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Such activity has focused attention on climate change, which scientists say is causing wetter, stronger and more destructive storms.

The official end of hurricane season is Nov. 30.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/17/hurricane-iota-roars-through-caribbean-coast-days-after-hurricane-eta/6322063002/

Read more:

'We will never forget this year': Hurricane Iota roars through Caribbean coast just devastated by Eta - USA TODAY

Walt Disney(NYSE:DIS) announced a major expansion of its Disney+ service today, making scores of highly popular series and programs available to viewers in the Caribbean and Latin America for the first time. After a limited-time free seven-day trial, most subscribers will pay the equivalent of $5 to $6 in U.S. currency per month, or around $50 to $60 per year. Some countries will see higher fees, such as Uruguay, where subscribers will pay $7.49 monthly or $74.99 annually.

The hit series The Mandalorian, set in the Star Wars universe and featuring an armored bounty hunter and his young green sidekick, heads the list of offerings, and 40 other series and programs from Disney's regular lineup will also air on launch or in the coming weeks and months. Seventy series and programs produced locally in Brazil, Argentina, and elsewhere are also to be added or are in development in partnership with Disney.

Image source: Getty Images.

Disney+ has experienced red-hot growth during the pandemic lockdowns and recently attained 73.7 million subscribers, putting Disney almost four years ahead of its planned growth schedule, according to CBR. The company originally projected reaching between 60 million and 90 million subscribers by 2024.

Disney's focus on Disney+ and other online and streaming content helped the company maintain momentum despite theme park shutdowns amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. While pent-up demand could yield big profits after a viable COVID-19 vaccine is released, the extension of California business closures ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to increasing cases contributed to an ongoing reduction costing the entertainment giant $1.1 billion in lost park revenue during the fourth quarter, USA Today reports.

Read the original:

Walt Disney's Disney+ Expands to Latin America and the Caribbean - Motley Fool

Along with proximity to the U.S. East Coast and robust business infrastructure, one of our unique selling proposition is, clearly, how well weve been able to manage the virus, said Premier David Burt.

Since launching its remote-worker visa program in July, Bermuda has received almost 600 applications. It may be a drop in the economic bucket but every drop counts.

Comfort zones

Barbados has also pushed hard and, since launching its Barbados Welcome Stamp in July, is playing host to almost 3,000 remote workers.

We have no plans to sunset the program, said Eusi Skeete, the U.S. director at Barbados Tourism Marketing. It has extended the life cycle of visitors on our island.

Competition is heating up. The Cayman Islands, which remains closed to general tourism, launched its Global Citizen Concierge Program last month for remote workers who make more than $100,000 a year and provide proof of employment and heath insurance.

The crowded market means destinations have to move beyond their usual pitch of beach, beauty, rum and sun.

Look, its the Caribbean, every place has beautiful beaches, and we have them in droves, said Rod Miller, the chief executive officer of Invest Puerto Rico, the U.S. territorys investment promotion agency. But we also have a critical mass in terms of business, opportunity and connectivity to the U.S. mainland in a way that these other markets dont have.

Part of Puerto Ricos pitch is that its a seamless transition for U.S. mainlanders a Caribbean island that doesnt require a passport, has multiple daily flights to the East Coast and where your mobile phone, Netflix account and health insurance work as soon as you deplane.

Read more:

'I just never went back': Caribbean islands looking to replace tourists with long-term workers - National Post

(CNN) A total of seven passengers have tested positive for Covid-19 aboard the SeaDream 1 cruise ship docked in Barbados, according to a passenger on the ship.

Forty six passengers who have tested negative for coronavirus began to disembark the SeaDream 1 cruise ship to fly home Saturday, according to passenger Ben Hewitt.

Five passengers who tested positive also disembarked for a private flight back to the United States, according to Hewitt.

The voyage was meant to demonstrate that increased safety protocols, including regular testing aboard the ship, could allow cruise voyages to take place during the pandemic.

Instead one passenger fell ill on Wednesday, forcing the SeaDream 1 to return to Barbados, where all 53 passengers and 66 crew were tested.

SeaDream Yacht Club said in a news release Thursday afternoon that "guests" had received "assumptive positive" results to preliminary rapid Covid tests, but did not specify the number who had done so.

"We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way," said SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad, in the SeaDream release.

Passenger Gene Sloan took this photo during the cruise that's been cut short by a Covid-19 outbreak.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

Intercom announcement of positive test result

Passengers were instructed to return to their cabins and remain isolated there, he said.

The ship, which was in the Grenadines at the time of the first preliminary positive test, docked in Barbados Wednesday evening.

Passengers were tested in advance of traveling to the ship and also before boarding the ship, Sloan said.

"And SeaDream also was testing passengers four days into the trip," he said. "We were scheduled to be tested again today. That's a more rigorous testing plan than most lines had been discussing for the restarts."

The protocol is due in part to the strict testing required by Barbados, where the ship will be based for the season, Sloan noted.

"I think what this shows is it's going to happen. And until there's a vaccine or herd immunity, when cruising starts up you're going to see things like this happen. The question is how often and how big?"

The current sailing was carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew, Sloan said.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

Voyages from Barbados

SeaDream's winter voyages from Barbados started on November 7 with the sailing that has now been cut short.

"After completing a successful summer season in Norway, we implemented even stricter health and safety protocols for our Barbados winter season. All guests were tested twice prior to embarkation and we are in the process of retesting guests," said SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad in the statement released on Thursday.

Hewitt, the YouTube host, expressed his disappointment and frustration with the virus in an interview Thursday from his stateroom.

"It's just so disappointing that this has happened because everybody has their hopes up high, and we can't see anything more that they could've done," said Hewitt.

"It's just such a horrible virus, it just gets everywhere even with the constant testing."

The use of masks on the voyage has been far less stringent.

Sloan told CNN that initially no one was wearing face masks, not even the crew. Crew members told him they weren't necessary since the ship was a Covid-free "bubble."

Then a few days into sailing, SeaDream instituted a mask policy but didn't offer an explanation, he said.

Fewer than 250 guests

SeaDream's ships, which the company refers to as "superyachts," have 56 staterooms, with a capacity for 112 guests and 95 crew.

Carrying fewer than 250 guests outside of US waters allows SeaDream to operate outside of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's orders around cruising.

The CDC recently issued a "Framework for Conditional Sailing Order for Cruise Ships."

Safety measures may not be enough to contain the virus.

Gene Sloan/The Points Guy

On Friday, a letter signed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) called on the CDC to reinstate its no-sail order for cruise ships and reverse efforts to restart the industry's US operations.

The letter cites the outbreak aboard SeaDream 1.

Despite precautions, "the virus was still able to infect multiple people on the ship, with the possibility of more confirmed cases emerging as passengers and crew are retested," the letter reads.

"Unfortunately, this troubling development is not surprising and reaffirms the need to exercise extreme caution before sending passengers and crew back out to sea on cruises."

Photo from SeaDream Yacht Club. CNN's Tamara Hardingham-Gill contributed to this report.

More here:

Covid-19 outbreak strikes first cruise to resume sailing in the Caribbean - CNN

Dustin Johnson pocketed over $2 million in prize money for winning his first Masters title on Sunday, and he's wasting no time in splashing the cash to celebrate.

Just a day after his record-breaking victory at Augusta National, the American alongside his fiance, Paulina Gretzky, and a group of friends took a private jet to the Caribbean island of Saint Barthlemy, where they set up shop in luxury villa by the sea.

Kristina Melnichenko, who is on the trip with Johnson, shared snaps of the vacation on her Instagram account, which showed the group taking shots and playing giant Jenga.

Johnson and company flew out in a private jet. Instagram/kmelnichenko

They are staying in a luxury villa by the sea. Instagram/kmelnichenko

They have been passing the time with drinking games. Instagram/kmelnichenko

Melnichenko also posted a picture of the NHL legend Wayne Gretzky Paulina's father wearing one of the famed white boilersuits caddies at the Masters wear during the tournament.

Johnson set a Masters record during the weekend by finishing the tournament an astonishing 20 strokes under par as he claimed his first green jacket.

Afterward, he gave an emotional victory speech in which he was unable to hold back his tears.

"This is just a dream come true, as a kid, I always dreamed about being a Masters champion," he said."It's hard to talk. It's just incredible, as you can tell. Sorry.

"I've never had this much trouble trying to gather myself. On the golf course, I'm pretty good, but out here I'm not. I have a great team who Jesus, I can't even talk!"

Read more:

Dustin Johnson's Masters victory speech was so emotional it even made Tiger Woods cry

Dustin Johnson had to tell his younger brother caddying for him to stop crying on the final hole so he could wrap up the Masters

Bryson DeChambeau's plan to overpower Augusta National backfired spectacularly

Read this article:

Photos: Dustin Johnson toasts Masters win with Caribbean vacation - Insider - INSIDER

WestJet today released its updated December schedule featuring up to 55 daily flights to sun destinations in the Caribbean, the United States (including Hawaii) and Mexico. The schedule also highlights increased domestic frequencies for travel starting December 5, 2020 through to January 4, 2021.

While this winter travel season looks quite different from years past, we are pleased to be able to offer our guests a variety of flights during the holidays, said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. Whatever the reason for travel, WestJet continues to safely connect Canadians to destinations across our network and will continue to make changes to the schedule to meet the ever-changing needs of our guests and airline.

For sun seekers the airline is adding December flights to Liberia (Costa Rica), Punta Cana, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), Bridgetown (Barbados), Mazatln (Mexico), Huatulco (Mexico), Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu (Oahu) and Kahului (Maui).

WestJet continues to operate at a reduced schedule and has removed over 63 per cent capacity year over year, including approximately 73 per cent capacity from the December schedule alone. During the holiday season, the airline will offer flights to 54 destinations including 33 in Canada, nine in the U.S. including Hawaii, five in Mexico, five in the Caribbean, one in Europe and one in Central America. Frequencies will increase throughout the month of December, full details at bottom of the release.

Canadians travelling back through Calgary see benefits of post-travel testing trial

On November 2, YYC Calgary International Airport began the COVID-19 testing trial supported by the Governments of Canada and Alberta, trialing a reduced quarantine period in Alberta, while protecting Canadians from COVID-19.

Many Canadians are seeking alternatives to the 14-day quarantine and the testing trial at Calgary International Airport is a welcome first step, continued von zur Muehlen. We are optimistic in the early results of the YYC COVID testing trial and hope to see future expansion of testing opportunities closely follow at airports across the country.

Canadians travelling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country if not eligible for Albertas COVID-19 testing trial program.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, WestJet has implemented more than 20 additional health and safety measures during the travel journey and continues to evolve its cleaning to meet the needs of guests and WestJetters through its Safety Above All program.

Link:

WestJet Adds Flights to the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica - RusTourismNews

It is easy to share the excitement felt across the Caribbean at President elect Joe Bidens victory in the US polls.

However, a calmer voice within suggests that while the outcome will bring some short-term big-picture policy gains for the region, the extreme political polarisation the election highlighted does not bode well for the country that matters most to the region.

That said, and despite Mr Trumps apparent interest in a confused and vindictive transition process, Mr Biden is already advancing plans in several policy areas of general significance to the Caribbean. These relate to climate change, addressing COVID, the roll out of a vaccine, and stimulating the US economy.

In the case of climate change, Mr Biden will reverse the Trump Administrations withdrawal from the 2016 Paris climate change accord and seek a significant role in the delayed COP 26 global climate summit, now to be held in Glasgow in November 2021. The US president elect has already said that he will listen to science, that it is his intention the US achieve net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century through radical reform measures, and will integrate climate change targets with US foreign policy.

The incoming administration is expected to re-join the World Health Organisation, establish a new COVID-19 task force, and allocate US$25bn for vaccine development and distribution. It will probably also support the WHOs COVAX facility that will benefit most Caribbean nations by providing at reduced cost significant quantities of vaccines as they become available.

Assuming Congress can agree, the region also stands to benefit indirectly from the Biden presidencys intention to deliver a package of domestic measures aimed at stimulating post pandemic economic growth. This and a possible vaccine should enable the Caribbean, two years out, to see the return of significant demand for US travel to the Caribbean.

Of almost as great importance to the region will be a change in US government values in the form of a commitment to multilateralism, an end to the induced polarisation in organisations like the Organisation of American States, the reassertion of ethical values on black lives and gender equality, and respect for and support for allies.

Although easy to overstate, given the global pressures they will face, Mr Biden, his wife and Ms Harris all know and understand what motivates and matters to the region. In addition, the often-underestimated importance of the expert advice and analysis provided by long-suffering career service officers in the Caribbean and in the US is now expected to be better heard.

On trade and investment policy the tone and approach of the Biden presidency will be different and linked less transactionally to the USs security and political concerns. However, there is little reason to believe that the new administration will do anything other than continue to secure the hemisphere as an integrated special trading partner in order to lessen Chinese influence, stimulate near shoring, and continue existing policies that support a central developmental role for the US private sector.

In contrast, the coercive and regionally divisive approach taken by President Trump in seeking a coalition of willing Caribbean states prepared to trade off an improved economic relationship against meeting US trade, political and security objectives, is expected to end. Despite this, the pressures in relation to Chinese 5G and other emerging technologies will continue, albeit based on a common Western approach to investment screening.

On security, the USs regional and hemispheric concerns and support are unlikely to alter. However, of particular significance to the Caribbean is an awareness in the Biden camp that the vacuum created by isolating Venezuela and Cuba has created a destabilising refugee crisis, citizen poverty, and instability, offering geopolitical opportunity to Russia, China, Iran and Turkey.

Specifically, on Cuba, the Biden team made clear before the election that it wants to restore a working relationship over time but that this cannot be the same as existed under President Obama. As in the case of Venezuela, this may involve a negotiated step by step approach that seeks to ease tensions, addresses the USs border refugee crisis, establishes on a multilateral basis support for the Cuban people, and slowly restores travel, trade and limited forms of cooperation.

What this caution reflects is concern among Democrats that the Cuban American vote in Florida and voter perceptions of socialism impacted to their detriment in what was once a swing state. Although Cuba has yet to say more about the election outcome, one interesting commentary in the state media has suggested that misplaced political perceptions about a relatively small group of Cuban-Americans in Florida may determine future US-Cuba policy. By focusing on that tiny vote, in national terms, both parties are unaware of the position of broad sectors of US voters who favour the most normalised relationship possible with Cuba and who have specific interests in business, science, culture, academic relations, health and other sectors, Cubadebate wrote.

More generally the Biden presidency is expected to continue the process of strategic reorientation begun under President Obama that recognised that the US would over time cease to be the sole global hegemon and that it needs to address Chinas rapid technological advance.

Caribbean leaders have congratulated President-elect Biden and in private are now looking forward to a period in which many of the economic and political issues that matter most to the region will receive a more sympathetic, less transactional hearing in Washington.

However, it is far from clear, even with a friend in the White House, whether a divided and poorly integrated Caribbean still struggling to overcome the pandemic has the energy and leverage to successfully prosecute its case.

Beyond the good news, the region urgently needs to end its graduation out of concessional financing, needs a well-supported multilateral post pandemic recovery package, and to convince Washington that fairly achieved US, Chinese, European and other investment all have a future place in the region. It needs to engage now.

David Jessop is a consultant to the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at

david.jessop@caribbean-council.org

Previous columns can be found at https://www.caribbean-council.org/research-analysis/

Continue reading here:

The US and the Caribbean: time to seize the moment - Stabroek News

Sabadeco Terrace is about five miles north of Kralendijk, a small coastal city with a few thousand residents and a strip of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and other amenities, Mr. Bartikoski said. The 111-square-mile island of Bonaire is a magnet for scuba divers, but also attracts wind surfers to Lac Bay and kite surfers to Atlantis Beach. Pink Beach, on the islands southwestern shore, and Washington-Slagbaai National Park, on its northern tip, are each less than 20 minutes away by car. Bonaire International Airport is a 15-minute drive.

The Dutch island of Bonaire, with about 21,000 residents, has long attracted outsiders with its arid climate, coral reefs and relatively low risk of hurricanes. In recent years, its largely tourism-based economy has generated a flourishing real estate market, and not unlike many other tropical locales, its allure seems to have grown during the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak of the pandemic has only enhanced the islands appeal, Mr. Cooper said. Weve seen a steady rise in inquiries this year, including a huge surge the day after the U.S. election.

According to Bonaires most recent official data, reported by Statistics Netherlands in 2018, the housing index showed prices for residential properties were on average 21.6 percent higher than they were the previous year. The number of housing transactions from 2017 to 2018 grew by 52.8 percent, from 214 to 327.

Official data for 2019 is not available, but real estate experts said the market has continued apace. Its been insane, said Roderick Groenman, a notary with the office of Aniek H. Schouten. For the past three or four years, things have been going really well.

Mr. Groenman attributed the consistent growth to the islands status as a special municipality of the Netherlands, which provides free, high-quality health care to residents. (Aruba and Curaao, by contrast, are autonomous constituent countries of the Netherlands.) He also pointed to Bonaires stability on the U.S. dollar, which the island adopted as its currency in 2011. The economy has been expanding, with a 3.9 percent increase in the gross domestic product in 2018, and this year the Dutch government has provided subsidies to thwart an economic downturn.

Read the rest here:

House Hunting on Bonaire: Perched Above the Caribbean for $1.5 Million - The New York Times

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since the cruise industry ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic has confirmed cases of the virus among its passengers.

In a press release on Thursday, the SeaDream Yacht Club said guests aboard the SeaDream I vessel have tested positive for COVID-19.

The release did not say how many passengers tested positive for the deadly and infectious coronavirus but said all crew have been tested and their results came back negative.

Due to the positive cases, the SeaDream I has "paused" its current Caribbean voyage and has returned to Barbados, the company said.

"We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way," SeaDream's Andreas Brynestad said in the statement. "Our main priority is the health and safety of our crew, guests and the communities we visit."

All guests and non-essential crew have been quarantined to their staterooms while SeaDream awaits authorization from the Barbados government to disembark guests, the statement said.

There are 53 passengers and 66 crew aboard the ship, Cruise Critic reported.

The voyage, which set sail from Barbados over the weekend, was the first of 22 roundtrip sailings of the West Indies the company had planned for the SeaDream I following the completion of 21 voyages in Norway during the summer season, it said.

"This journey will take us to beautiful beaches while enjoying a safe environment onboard and SeaDream's signature service," the company said in a tweet as guests were boarding the ship late last week. "Proud to be the only line currently sailing in the Caribbean!"

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that research shows cruise ships pose a greater risk for transmitting COVID-19 than other settings due to their high density of their populations.

The CDC had issued a no sail order from March 14 to Oct. 29 and is currently taking a phased approach to resuming passenger operations, it said.

During the first months of the pandemic, several cruise ships became infected with the coronavirus.

In January, the Diamond Princess was moored off the Port of Yokohama in Japan after infections of the coronavirus were discovered among passengers on board. By the last passenger to disembark from the vessel, a total of 712 of the 3,711 passengers on board had tested positive for the virus.

In March, the Grand Princess docked off the California coast with at least 21 positives coronavirus cases.

The SeaDream Yacht Club said every crew member has been certified by the World Health Organization to prevent and control COVID-19 and has undergone the COVID-19 contact tracing course offered by Johns Hopkins University.

Read the original:

Positive COVID-19 tests reported on first Caribbean cruise to resume operations amid pandemic - UPI News

Statement from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In the face of rising COVID-19 cases, Caribbean economies will need more aggressive fiscal actions to protect their productive assets and invest in ways that ensure more sustainable growth in the future, according to a new reportby the Inter-American Development Bank.

While fiscal space is a constraint, as a nascent economic recovery emerges additional resources should be channeled to high-productivity infrastructure products to further stimulate growth, the study notes.

The report A Pandemic Surge and Evolving Policy Responses is part of the Quarterly Bulletin Series put together by the economics team of the Caribbean Department of the IDB. It includes detailed analysis for Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising worldwide and in most Caribbean countries, negatively impacting the tourism industry just as it enters its peak season.

First and foremost, countries need to stop the coronavirus from spreading, said David Rosenblatt, regional country economist for the Caribbean at the IDB, noting that the number of virus cases was rising everywhere with the exception of Barbados. Countries will need to use sophisticated tools that look at closure or reopening of their economies with decisions based on susceptible, infected and recovered models, both at source and destination countries.

Looking ahead, Caribbean economies face a challenging peak tourist season with double digit contractions, plus commodity shocks on non-tourist economies of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, though Suriname and Guyana will see a boost from high prices for gold. Early tourism booking data suggest sharp declines for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Barbados.

Governments have drawn on existing programs to ramp up social assistance as well as created new instruments to address the crisis.

A well-designed public investment program can help stimulate a lasting economic recovery, and several governments are already considering the options, said Henry Mooney, the Research Economics Advisor for the Caribbean department. Fiscal space will remain an important constraint, but as a nascent economic recovery emerges, additional resources could be channeled to productivity-boosting infrastructure projects to further stimulate near term growth, and long-term development.

Better roads or airports facilitate the transport of goods and services to market. Improved water and power infrastructure enable industries to operate at lower costs and improves an economys productive capacity.

Over time this drives higher levels of private investment, incomes, and consumption. Importantly, both economic theory and empirical evidence suggest that countries with relatively less public capital, or where the stock of capital is in need of improvement, stand to benefit most, according to the report.

About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region.

Go here to read the rest:

Caribbean economies urged to invest in infrastructure to secure post-COVID growth - BNamericas English

With so many films and a massive production, it makes sense that there would be some continuity errors in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Pirates Of The Caribbeanfilm serieshas spent endless amounts of money on theexecutionof the five movies that have hit thetheaters. This is especially true when it comes to hiring some of the most acclaimed actors in the world, like Johnny Depp, who portrayed the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow character. However, because talent doesn't equal perfection, and an actor's performance is just part of a much bigger process, fans have been able to spot some very obvious continuity errorsthroughout the saga.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 15 Best Jack Sparrow Quotes

There's no doubt that the franchise is one of the most successful ever created, having grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide.Still, editing and writing mistakes were made and many viewers have scratched their heads when they see some of these most glaring continuity errors.

In the first movie, "The Curse Of The Black Pearl," Hollywood star Orlando shows off an inappropriate tattoo on his wrist, during a scene where he (Will Turner) is engaging in an acrobatic duel with Johnny Depp (Captain Jack).

In one of the shots, as he leans over to taunt Jack, a rather unusual tattoo is exposed. You can see the word "Nine" that is a tattoo he and his castmates had done as an homage to the time theyworked onanother very successful franchise - "The Lord Of The Rings".

This error is a classic one: a character uses one hand in one shot and the opposite in the next. When watching The Curse Of The Black Pearl," one cancatch thiserror in a specific scene.

When Captain Jack is trying to put together a crew, he encounters a female enemy from the past and receives one of his traditionalface slaps. After this heated moment, the woman (played by actress Zoe Saldana) is angrywith Jack, pointing at him with her right hand. Everything would be fine if she didn't end up pointing at Sparrow with her lefthand in the very next shot.

Fans might be disappointed to realize that an intimidating moment in which a character points a pistol at a foe in their favorite movie actually poses no real danger. And that is exactly the case here.

During On Stranger Tides,there's a scene that involves Captain Jack and Blackbeard as they battle as true pirates.As Jack finds himself with his back to a cliff and a gun in his face, a closer look reveals that Sparrow is actually safesince his enemy'spistol is only half-cocked. Consequently, the threatening dialogue that follows doesn't sound believable, as the gun wouldn't have been able to fireanyway ifanyone would have squeezed that trigger.

Some opinionssuggest that there is some inconsistency as far as the timing of when Captain Jack Sparrow became official. Proof of this is during a flashback scene in Dead Men Tell No Tales that shows an 18-year-old Jack Sparrow taking command of a caravel that caused the downfall of a Spanish pirate hunter. The surviving pirates then name Jack as their leader.

RELATED:Which Pirates Of The Caribbean Character Is Your Soulmate, Based On Your Zodiac?

But according to his chronological appearance in "The Price Of Freedom"novel, when Jack is 20, he is an ordinary deckhand aboard Captain Teague's ship. Thus, fans are left wondering how this scene fits in the narrative, continuity wise, when it comes to the chronology of the story.

In At World's End, Jack Sparrow steals a map from Hector Barbossa with the aim to use it to find the renowned Fountain Of Youth.

Viewers can see that this map shows the route towards Florida and the Fountain's specific location is marked with an X. However, if one watches the following movie (the fourth one entitled On Stranger Tides,) this exact Fountain is said to be placed on an unnamed island (not Florida or anything similar to it). This is clearly not a well-thought out part of the writing and a very obvious continuity error.

The internetwent above and beyond when the fifth movie in the franchise,Dead Men Tell No Tales,was released. Some consider it the least interesting in the series and an attempt to continue a saga that has increasingly lost its charm throughout its production.

Moreover, there are unexplained facts in the fifth movie that have left fans wondering about some plot holes. One of them is the appearance of Captain Salazar and his crew, who are turned into ghost pirates after their shipis wrecked. Though it's clear that this was caused by some sort of curse, it is never explained why this happened.

Captain Jack's compass is definitely an iconic part of the franchise. Most people who have watched the movies know that this little object doesn't point North, but rather to the thing its holder wants most. But this has been far from consistent.

During Dead Men Tell No Tales, viewers learn that if someone "betrays" the compass, it releases that person's greatest fear. Yet, facts show that over the course of the series, Jack has given away or lost his compass several times without activating any curses. Naturally, this has upset fans, who expected a sense of continuity with the powerful meaning behind this supposed magical treasure.

In the first movie of the Pirates Of The Caribbean saga, The Curse Of The Black Pearl, people have exposed a continuity error in one scene where they are able to see a fort, a parapet and a line Jack used to slide down.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Times The Movies Referenced The Ride

But in the next scene, during daylight and at the exact same camera angle, these elements are gone. It's not a disastrous failure, yet it is worth noting since it's simply wrong.

Fans have spotted another error that surely was due to distraction by the crew when filming or editing a specific scene of The Curse Of The Black Pearl movie.

Here, one can see someone who looks like a crew member right next to the other pirates. Not only is he wearing an out-of-place cowboy hat, but he also wears a white T-shirt, which makes him look modern and completely out of context in the 1700's time period The Pirates Of The Caribbeanfilm series is set. This detail has been widely discussed on the web and has left people wondering how could such a distracting mistake not be corrected.

Captain Hector Barbossa had his share of continuity errors, too, especially in The Curse Of The Black Pearl. A brilliant character, portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, he is definitely one of the strongest in the entire saga.

He is master of his own fate and considered "the ultimate survivor" throughout the film series. However, he was not a master at keeping his teeth looking consistent. There were shots where his teeth go from presentable to filthy - seemingly out of nowhere. The make-up artist responsible for Geoffrey's character might have forgotten to check the actor's teeth at all times.

NEXT:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 5 Reasons Curse Of The Black Pearl Is The Best (& 5 Reasons It's Dead Man's Chest)

Next 9 Past Best Picture Nominees Directed By Women (& 1 Winner)

Soraia Ferreira is a self-called Dreamer Virgo Artist. She has always been fascinated with films and stories, especially writing and producing them. Both her creativity and her too freaky organizational skills have greatly supported her work as a TV/Digital/Media Content Producer for more than 10 years.As a highly creative professional, Soraia's core skills are on producing audiovisual/digital projects, campaigns and social media content strategies both in Portuguese and English languages. Besides, she is very experienced with translating and proofreading all sorts of texts for both languages (press releases, e-mails, presentations, promotional info, display ads, videos and internal/external communication materials). Since 2009, Soraia has been writing, producing and developing all sorts of projects/campaigns/ads/work with clients from several backgrounds in the Media industry. More recently, she has developed a keen interest in Digital Marketing, which led her to expand my professional skills on this area too. At heart, Soraia is a storyteller that has learned to shape her talent into various platforms and different communication channels (offline and online media).She believes Art represents a huge spectrum of lifes expressions and exploring its many forms is a continuing process of learning about the world and us individually. So, she likes to think that she is a dreamer because she looks for fulfilling her hearts passions while also being a great doer and turning those passions into concrete solid action steps like a disciplined Virgo. So, here it is: a Dreamer Virgo Artist!

Excerpt from:

Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Most Glaring Continuity Errors In The Film Series - Screen Rant

NEW YORK A newly married couple from New York drowned on their honeymoon at a Caribbean resort, family members said.

Pakistani American corporate attorney Mohammad Malik, 35, and his bride, Dr. Noor Shah, 29, were swimming near their Turks and Caicos Islands resort on Oct. 28 when they were pulled under by strong riptides, R. Maqbool Malik, the grooms father, told Newsday.

Witnesses pulled the couple from the water and performed CPR, but they died at the scene, the bereaved father said.

The pair had married four days earlier in East Meadow, New York.

Its a devastating loss, Malik said. This is a shock beyond belief. And its a tragedy of different dimensions when you have to lay two children to rest in a joint funeral.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths.

Malik criticized the resort, Como Parrot Cay, for failing to post warning signs about potentially dangerous riptides. Chris Orlikowski, a spokesperson for Como Hotels and Resorts, said in a statement Nov. 10 that company officials are deeply saddened by the tragic accident. He said the company is cooperating with the investigation.

India-West Staff Reporter adds: Mohammad Malik, a graduate of Cornell University and an attorney at Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP in Manhattan, was dating Shah, a fourth-year surgical resident who was applying to a vascular surgery fellowship this year, for about two years, according to Newsday.

In a statement, Olshan Frome called the couple shining lights who touched everyone who had the benefit of knowing them. Mohammad was a humble, bright and talented attorney and a truly kind and gentle soul. Mohammad always strove to live life to the fullest and to appreciate the richness of human experience.

Shah, who grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, according to the publication, was a graduate of Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a fourth-year resident in the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health.

See the rest here:

Bride and Groom from New York Drown on Caribbean Honeymoon - India West

Posted: Nov 15, 2020 6:11 PM CST

Updated: Nov 15, 2020 7:20 PM CST

by Ben Lang

It was a mostly cloudy morning with scattered showers about, but sunshine was back in time for sunset. The clouds and rain were due to a cold front pushing through the area. The front is clearing southeast Alabama late this afternoon. Cooler air filters in tonight, with temperatures quickly falling through the 50s this evening. Expect a clear sky overnight, with lows in the low to mid 40s.

After a chilly Monday morning, a clear sky and abundant sunshine results in high temperatures in the 60s to near 70. Winds remain out of the north at 5 to 10 mph. Monday night looks clear and cold with lows near 40. Tuesday through Thursday look like sunny days with clear nights. Expect highs in the upper 60s to low 70s each day. Lows fall into the upper 30s to low 40s each night. Friday ends our week on a mostly sunny and dry note, with high temperatures in the mid 70s. Friday night wont be as cold, with a low near 50.

Mostly sunny/mostly clear skies prevail next weekend. It could be a bit warmer, with highs in the mid to upper 70s each day. Our next chance for rain may not arrive until early next week. At this time, it doesnt look like a sure bet or widespread, significant soaking of rain. Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy the long stretch of sunny, dry, and tranquil weather.

Iota is a hurricane in the Caribbean now, and the National Hurricane Center forecast calls for rapid intensification over the next 36 hours. It could be a category 4 storm with winds near 140 mph by midday Monday. Landfall occurs Monday afternoon or evening along the northern Nicaragua coast. Unfortunately, this is virtual the same area that received a direct strike from Eta on November 3rd, or Election Day. This storm likely slams into the same area with similar intensity. Certainly not a good situation for central America.

Excerpt from:

Sunny And Cooler Days This Week; Iota Rapidly Intensifying In The Caribbean - Alabama News Network

Its always a sad sight to see an actor leave a role, but the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise needs to move on from Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow

ThePirates of the Caribbean franchise has needed to move on from Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow for some time now. With the news that Johnny Depp has officially stepped down from the role of Grindelwald in Harry Potter spin-off series Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, its a good time to revisit the controversial decision to remove Jack Sparrow from the soon-to-be-rebooted Pirates of the Caribbean franchise before the adventure series begins itssixth installment.

Depps decision to officially step down from the role of Grindlewald comes amid a prolonged and messy legal battle with the actor's ex-wife and alleged abuser Amber Heard,a lengthy and very public divorcewhich makes it clear that Depp could benefit from some time away from work. When it was first announced that thesixthPirates of the Caribbean franchise installment would be a reboot that moved on without Depps iconic Captain Jack Sparrow, fans were initially devastated at the news, as Depp is frequently considered the soul of theDisney franchise.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean: All 4 Captains of the Black Pearl Explained

However, even disregarding the actors personal circumstances, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has needed to move on from Captain Jack Sparrow for some time now, and rebooting the series without him might be the best move for the uneven series of movies. Beginning in 2003 with The Curse of the Black Pearl(directed by The Ring helmer Gore Verbinski, of all people), the Pirates of the Caribbean franchisestarted life as a movie adaptation of a Disneyland ride. As a summer blockbuster on par with the same years Eddie Murphy flop The Haunted Mansion, expectations were not excessively high for the first Pirates of the Caribbean. But the movie shocked audiences and critics alike by being a spectacular action-adventure on par with classics of the genre like Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie immediately spawned a pair of lesser sequels which nonetheless succeeded at the box office before dropping its supporting cast for the fourth sequel On Stranger Tides, which received a harsh critical drubbing, and a fifth, Dead Men Tell No Tales, which lost audience support as well as faring even worse with critics.

The balance of comedy, horror, and action-adventure captured in The Curse of the Black Pearl was unexpectedly immaculate for a movie burdened with no more expectations than adapting a theme park attraction to the screen, so it was inevitable and understandable that the franchises first 2 sequels struggled to recapture the magic. But while Depps performances in both Dead Mans Chest and At Worlds End were spotlighted as a high point of both muddled movies, the films were also criticized forcentering his character at the expense of the surrounding cast.Yes, Jack was still a fun and funny presence, but bothmovies attempted to maximizehis screen time while also telling a complex, sprawling story, and as a result,Dead Mans Chest and particularly At Worlds End ended up missing out on vital scenes such asDavy Jones killing theKraken, leaving the movies feeling bothunderwritten and convoluted.

Read the rest here:

Pirates of the Caribbean Is Better Without Johnny Depp - Screen Rant