Category: Americas

A Digital Town Hall for Jamaicans Living in the U.S.

March 31, 2020

As we know, at any one time there are many thousands of Jamaicans living or staying temporarily in the United States. I believe around one third of Jamaican immigrants to the U.S. (who total close to one million) live in New York, and about one quarter in Florida. But there are also thousands of seasonal … More A Digital Town Hall for Jamaicans Living in the U.S.

Staying Inside

March 28, 2020

Life under COVID-19 is starting to bite. Online, we share memes and videos all day long (and half the night too – I am turning into an insomniac). We are turning to nervous eating. Comfort food continually pops up on my Twitter timeline, whether it’s hominy porridge or just a series of snacks at odd … More Staying Inside

COVID-19 Good Stuff (Don’t We Have Enough of the Bad Stuff?) from Jamaica

March 27, 2020

Life in the Time of COVID-19. It’s hard not to keep focusing on the rising numbers, the gloomy predictions and the heart-wrenching stories of pain and loss. We are living in Strange Days. To be honest I am also getting tired of the attempts at humor online that sometimes fall terribly flat (my sense of … More COVID-19 Good Stuff (Don’t We Have Enough of the Bad Stuff?) from Jamaica

A COVID-19 Update From Jamaica: March 23, 2020 And a Caribbean Update

March 24, 2020

We are bombarded with news on COVID-19 from all directions. There are heartbreaking personal stories from all over the world on social media. I feel that we are just bracing ourselves for a big wave, here. Have we managed to “flatten the curve”? Who knows. Have we been testing enough? I am concerned about the … More A COVID-19 Update From Jamaica: March 23, 2020 And a Caribbean Update

Saint Lucia’s Heritage, Biodiversity and Beach Access at Risk

March 22, 2020

This blog has been rather preoccupied with COVID-19, and I am sure there will be more news to come. Nevertheless, much is happening (or has been happening) before, during (and hopefully after) the virus, so I am trying to catch up a little. I recently received this press release from the Saint Lucia National Trust. … More Saint Lucia’s Heritage, Biodiversity and Beach Access at Risk

Jamaica Now Has 16 Cases of COVID-19 and Another Community Quarantined

March 20, 2020

I am posting below the latest update this evening (Thursday, March 19, 2020) on COVID-19 in Jamaica, from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, along with details of an announcement in Parliament by the Prime Minister. Here also is the dashboard with updated numbers: Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced this evening in Parliament that Corn Piece Settlement, … More Jamaica Now Has 16 Cases of COVID-19 and Another Community Quarantined

Jamaica Records Its First Death from COVID-19 and Other News on March 18, 2020

March 19, 2020

There was another press briefing this evening at the Office of the Prime Minister. Here are the highlights and you can watch it all here. Firstly, a Jamaican man from Clarendon, traveling from New York, sadly passed away from COVID-19 at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. He was 79 years old and already suffering from diabetes … More Jamaica Records Its First Death from COVID-19 and Other News on March 18, 2020