Monthly Archives: May 2021

Then, in March, Aruba teamed up with JetBlue, which offers about 40 weekly flights from the United States to the island, to debut CommonPass, the worlds first digital vaccine passport. Those with the digital pass may take a virtually supervised at-home PCR test within three days of departure, upload results and cut through immigration lines. Uniteds Aruba flights from Newark and Houston also use the pass, with plans for additional routes in the near future.

We wanted to create a way to make it easier on travelers and more efficient for our air travel partners, said Shensly Tromp, director of development and technology at Aruba Airport Authority N.V., without compromising the safeguards we have in place around health and safety.

Vaccination information will be added to CommonPass as early as June.

Before the pandemic, almost three-quarters of the islands gross domestic product and nearly 85 percent of jobs had been rooted in tourism, according to W.T.T.C. analysis. Now, with tourism up 53 percent from February to March, Dangui Oduber, the minister of tourism, public health and sport, noted a continual uptick since Arubas dual CommonPass and vaccine rollouts.

Aruba too is a world leader in vaccinations. As of mid-May, almost 57,500 Arubans were at least partially inoculated, with the island optimistically reaching herd immunity this summer, Mr. Oduber said.

Vaccines

Even when Americans were shut out of most of the world, the borders to the U.S. Virgin Islands never closed. Lured there with slogans like Reconnect with Paradise and the chance for anyone to get vaccinated, even before many could get a shot back home, visitors have recently crowded the American territorys beaches and restaurants.

Hotel occupancy rates in the U.S.V.I. are almost triple that of the region and seven times that of the Bahamas, according to recent analysis by STR, a global hospitality data and analytics company.

Visitors are required to get tested but not to quarantine. With tourists swarming, the U.S.V.I. prioritized hospitality workers early in its vaccine rollout. So, in February Sandy Colasacco, a nurse practitioner who runs the Island Health and Wellness Center, a nonprofit clinic serving many of St. Johns uninsured population, reached out to most restaurants and hotels there to schedule appointments.

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The Caribbean Conundrum: United by Tourists, Divided by Covid - The New York Times

On the glassy blue waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands, catamarans and pleasure yachts have packed the shoreline for the past year a scene so busy and crowded that it would have been notable even before the pandemic.

The business of charter yachts is booming, and is expected to pump at least $88 million into the local economy this season, almost double the figure from 2019, according to Marketplace Excellence, which represents the U.S. territorys department of tourism.

Less than 12 miles away, the quiet waterways of the British Virgin Islands present a different story. Relatively few boats have harbored there since last spring, when Britain mostly shuttered the territory to international tourists. Strict Covid safety protocols have kept many away.

Before the pandemic, the Caribbean was the worlds most tourism-reliant region, according to recent calculations by the World Travel Tourism Council. Made up of dozens of sovereign nations, territories and dependencies that often reacted disparately to the virus, the region was struck unequally by the coronavirus.

Some islands were walloped by staggering caseloads, while infections on others sometimes dwindled to single digits.

Health care infrastructure across the region is limited, and many islands have endured border closures and stringent curfews. The result: Tourism has drastically declined, sinking the regions economic output 58 percent last year.

Continued here:

The Caribbean, united by tourism, is divided by Covid. - The New York Times

Buoyed by a strong response to the pandemic, the US Virgin Islands isnt just setting the pace for Caribbean air arrivals its also arguably the hottest yachting destination in the region right now.

From an increase in bold-faced names bringing their boats to the USVI to a sizzling charter industry, theres no buzzier marine getaway in the region.

And the USVI is looking to strengthen that position.

Despite numerous pandemic-related challenges, we have leveraged the talent and creativity of our team to sharpen our focus on our incredible marine and charter yacht industry, said USVI Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.

The USVI plans to take full advantage of our natural resources and assets to deliver world-class experiences for visitors arriving on our shores.

The USVIs surging marine presence was strengthened significantly this past winter season when leading charter operator The Moorings launched a major new charter base in St Thomas.

We forecast the 2020-2021 numbers to show significant growth due to the large number of visiting vessels, Boschulte said.

Indeed, the USVI has even been hosting a number of marine events amid the pandemic.

Because of the diligent adherence to public health protocols, including our Travel Screening Portal, we have been successful in delivering marine events in the Territory over the past year, Boschulte said.

Upcoming marine events on the calendar include the International Optimist Regatta, from June 14 to 20; the Virgin Islands Charter Yacht Show, from Nov. 7 to 10; and the first-ever Caribbean Charter Yacht Show at Yacht Haven Grande in St Thomas, which is scheduled for Dec. 9-12, 2021.

USVI Tourism is also working with the Office of the Governor to create a marine program specific for the island of St Croix.

For more, visit the USVI.

CJ

More:

The US Virgin Islands Is the Caribbean's Hottest Yachting Destination - Caribbean Journal

Two women sit next to a window with bars in Ecuador. Photo: Paul Salazar/World Bank

Every day across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), workers face a daunting dilemma: Do I risk my health by going out to earn some money or do I protect my health at the risk of going hungry? Governments also face the unenviable yet unavoidable trade-off: Save lives or protect livelihoods.

Faced with this dilemma, policymakers need to aim for an elusive target that hits just the right middle ground. This involves carefully balancing measures like lockdowns or curfews with support for those suffering the most from stalled economic activity. That support comes in the form of social assistance programs like direct transfers to the most vulnerable and in need.

Finding the right balance will be essential to promoting an inclusive recovery and preventing negative future knock-on effects for the most vulnerable households. That means designing measures to contain the pandemic during times when infection rates are raging so that economic losses are minimized. Importantly, the measures should be complemented with help for firms, especially small and medium-sized ones, when possible. In addition, some businesses could continue operating under clear safety sanitary protocols.

Unenviable trade-off

Our recent note, Lives or Livelihoods? The Cost of Staying Healthy, outlines this trade-off clearly. Data from the initial waves of the pandemic indicate that tough containment strategies definitely help to flatten the curve. As the figure below shows, the tougher the measures, the flatter the infection rate. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing clearly saved thousands of lives.

The study also illustrates the immense cost that such measures have on peoples livelihoods. Data from the LAC High-Frequency Phone Survey shows that around 17% of the regions workers lost their employment after initial containment measures were introduced back in March 2020. Not surprisingly, more stringent restrictions are associated with higher job losses, as shown in this figure.

Responses & Repercussions

Restrictions cost jobs in every country in the region, but the impact varied widely. Countries with lower informality levels and better connectivity to internet services adjusted well to teleworking. For example, job losses in Chileof only 5%were six times lower than the 30% seen in Colombia and Peru, despite similar lockdown policies.

Employment losses had an immediate and devastating impact on family incomes across the entire region. About two months into the pandemic, when stringency levels were at their highest, 60% to 70% of households registered a decline in total family income. Peru was one of the most affected countries, with eight out of ten households reporting lower total income compared to the beginning of the pandemic.

Most worryingly, employment losses and reduced family incomes translated into increased food insecurity. Honduras had the highest incidence in May 2020, with 53% of households reporting that they ran out of food due to lack of money or resources. This has serious consequences for long-term nutrition and human capital accumulation that may affect future productivity in the region.

Rightly, governments in the region boosted their non-health spending in 2020 to offset this chain of welfare losses, with some level of success. The additional expenditure helped to increase food security among households, but in most cases could not fully compensate the considerable income losses. Still, the results show that these targeted government interventions can indeed soften the impact on the most affected segments of the population.

While the pandemics effect and the response have varied widely in the region, it is clear that every country needs to find the appropriate balance for this dilemma. The future of Latin America and the Caribbean will depend on getting this balance right.

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Latin America and the Caribbean's pandemic dilemma: Lives or livelihoods? - World Bank Group

Describing the death toll as a tragic milestone, PAHO Director urges focus on reducing COVID-19 transmission through proven public health measures, and calls for improving the regions access to vaccines.

Washington, D.C., May 21, 2021 (PAHO) Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F Etienne of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported today that more than one million people in Latin America and the Caribbean have died from the disease and called on the world to intensify efforts to improve the regions access to vaccines.More than one million lives have been cut short because of COVID-19. This is a tragic milestone for everyone in the region, said Dr. Etienne. This pandemic is far from over, and it is hitting Latin America and the Caribbean severely, affecting our health, our economies, and entire societies. Yet only about 3% of our citizens have been vaccinated.According to figures reported by countries as of May 21, 2021, 1,001,781people have died as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Latin America and the Caribbean. Almost 89% of the deaths occurred in five countries:Brazil (44.3%), Mxico (22.1%), Colombia (8.3%), Argentina (7.3) andPeru(6.7%).Three percent of the deaths were concentrated in Central America and 1% in the Caribbean.The region is an epicenter for COVID-19 suffering.It should be an epicenter for vaccination, too, Dr Etienne said.More than 153.5 million people have been immunized in the Americas, but only 21.6% of these are in Latin America and the Caribbean.In contrast, in the United States, vaccination has been widespread, and marked improvements are already being observed, Dr. Etienne pointed out. Almost half of Americans have received at least one COVID vaccine dose and nearly 85% of those over the age of 85 are fully protected, and the result has been a sharp reduction in COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations, she said.The progress were seeing in the U.S. is a testament to the power of safe and effective COVID vaccines, but it underscores the vital importance of accelerating access to vaccines throughout our region, so that other countries can fully immunize their populations, she continued. We urgently need more vaccines for Latin America and the Caribbean, a region which has been sorely tested by this pandemic.

She has congratulated countries that have indicated a willingness to donate tens of millions of excess vaccine doses and called on other countries to follow suit.

We urge countries with extra doses to consider donating a significant portion of these to the Americas, where these life-saving doses are desperately needed and will be promptly used, she has said.PAHO has delivered more than 12 million COVAX-procured vaccine doses to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another 770,000 doses are on the way to Central American and Caribbean countries.Dr Etienne also called on people to continue to observe public health measures including wearing masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, and ventilating closed spaceswhenpossible. She urged people to get vaccinated when called on by national governments, adding, Vaccines are safe and effective and a major tool to stop this pandemic.

Daniel EpsteinNancy NusserSebastin OlielAshley BaldwinNadia Peimbert-Rappaportmediateam@paho.org

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Latin America and the Caribbean surpass 1 million COVID deaths - Pan American Health Organization

KEY FIGURES

1.02M NEW COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN FROM 17-23 MAY 2021

140.7M COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

MEXICO

Per the Ministry of Health, COVID-19 cases and deaths have been declining in Mexico for 19 consecutive weeks following record highs in January 2021. Records show 37,168 new cases in the first 16 days of May for a daily average of 2,323 cases, a 34 per cent drop from the daily average for April and 84 per cent drop compared to January. The same reporting period saw 3,530 confirmed deaths for a daily average of 221 deaths, a 52 per cent decline relative to daily deaths in April and 79 per cent drop compared to January.

Despite the sustained decline, the states of Baja California, Colima, Quintana Roo and Tamaulipas are reporting increases in cases in the first two weeks of May compared to the preceding two weeks. Quintana Roo, in particular, has the countrys highest hospital occupancy rate for general care beds with 34 per cent and is one of just three states that have an orange high-risk designation on the federal color-coded alert map along with Chihuahua and Tabasco. The remaining 29 states are at either yellow or green risk levels.

BOLIVIA

Major cities across Bolivia are reimplementing restriction measures to curb case growth in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 infections that is increasing demand for intensive care units (ICUs), medical supplies and oxygen tanks. Recent single-day case counts have ranged between 2,300 and 3,000 and the active case count of 53,400 is higher than the second waves peak of 48,000 in February 2021.

Five of Bolivias nine departments are restricting free transit and business operations and capacities outside of complete confinement on weekends as more and more hospitals report they are unable to meet current demand for ICUs, citing growing cases as well as insufficient staffing.

CARIBBEAN

Per PAHO, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and The Bahamas, are among the countries with the highest number of new infections in the region, adding that deaths have doubled in recent days. May has been Trinidad and Tobagos most lethal month during the pandemic after recording 162 deaths during the first 19 days of the month, a figure well over the 127 deaths reported for all of 2020.

The Dominican Republic and Cuba continue to lead the number of accumulated cases with 281,000 and 130,000 cases respectively, representing more than half of the sub-regions total caseload. The Dominican Republic reports more than 60 per cent occupancy of ICUs, with the Greater Santo Domingo metropolitan area reporting occupancy levels of 90 per cent.

Original post:

Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (17-23 May 2021), as of 24 May 2021 - Mexico - ReliefWeb

Umaya Village is a resort designed exclusively for digital nomads, featuring mentorship sessions, community meals, excursions and DJs from a beachside setting in Belize. Olivia Palamountain reports

Remote working has been growing as a trend for some time but the Covid-19 pandemic has proved to employers of desk-based workers that working from home (or anywhere) can be done. It may even make people more efficient and productive. (Read more about Globetrenders take on digital nomadism in a post-Covid world here).

As the world begins to open up again, destinations and resorts are rushing to cater to the growing tribe of digital nomads back on the road. A new addition isUmaya Village in Belize, a utopia for remote workers and the first designated community of its kind in the Caribbean.

Set in a former hotel between a salt-water lagoon and a pristine beach, Umaya Village has been kitted out with all the toys and tech digital nomads need to work, rest and play, including an all-important reliable and rapid wifi connection, and a range of on-site workspaces, including a dedicated clubhouse overlooking the sea. Behind the village is a team who transforms under-utilised hotels and resorts into thriving communities of remote workers that redefine the modern-day living/working lifestyle.A private, en suite room in a two-bed shared apartment starts from US$1,500 a month. These offer more than 92 sqm of living space comprising a shared kitchen, lounge and a balcony overlooking the water. Private apartments and group bookings are available. Guests have the option to self-cater or head to the on-site restaurant, which serves up healthy, locally sourced cuisine includingtwo community meals per week, where all residents are invited to get together as a group. More than just a comfortable place to live and work, Umaya offers a range of community activities, exercise classes, adventure trips and professional development sessions aimed at removing the isolation of remote work and encouraging professional development opportunities.On the business side of things, guests can expect weekly seminars on topics such as how to optimise sales funnels and initiate start-up fundraising. Also in the pipeline are plans for the Umaya Academy, a residential business school that teaches the skills needed to earn a remote income.

Umaya Village initiates mentorship matching, too, for residents keen to be connected to a mentor in a specific industry, drawn from the communitys extensive founder network.

Ready for some downtime? Three morning yoga classes take place each week plus a host of resident-led training sessions and group exercise classes are on offer, either al fresco or from the resort gym.Meanwhile, the dreamy beachside location provides a backdrop to all sorts of activities, from kayaking and paddle boarding (equipment provided) to weekend parties featuring DJs and live music.

Excursions further afield are programmed weekly so guests can explore the best of Belize thinktubing down jungle canyons to chocolate tasting at a cacao farm.Expect to meet people from all walks of life, interests, industries and backgrounds at Umaya Village. The property has even hosted celebrity guests ranging from international DJ Little Boots, to renowned photographer Dan Medhurst, and YouTube educator Mike Dane.Planning an extended workation? Further options include a stay at Madeiras new Digital Nomad Village or how about awellbeing workation fromBalance Holidays, now running a series of curated stays that let digital nomads stay as long as they want at partner properties in Europe and the UK.

Dominica is also on the cards. The island has joined many of its fellow Caribbean nations in launching a long-stay visa aimed at digital nomads, academics, families and those on sabbaticals, seeking a healthier work-life balance in an exotic location.

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Umaya Village in Belize is the Caribbeans first remote work community - Globetrender