Tag: COVID-19

PSOJ is concerned, but: What is the real reason for Jamaica’s postponement of local government elections?

February 15, 2023

Yes, the economy is important, and the Holness administration is patting itself on the back, understandably, at the latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – which points out that Jamaica has struck “the right balance” in responding to challenges and what they call external shocks. Attention must be paid to climate change vulnerabilities … More PSOJ is concerned, but: What is the real reason for Jamaica’s postponement of local government elections?

Gender-based violence and the young Jamaican woman

October 24, 2022

I wrote recently about the Caribbean Observatory on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, based in Antigua. According to their CEO, the group “continues to work with partners, CSOs, state entities to critically address the linkages between gender-based violence (GBV) and SRHR with the aim of transforming the environment, including the engagement of men and … More Gender-based violence and the young Jamaican woman

Young Caribbean conservationists talk about wetlands and shorebirds (the good and the depressing)

September 26, 2022

It’s a mixed picture. BirdsCaribbean’s recent webinar on “Shorebirds of the Atlantic Flyway: How Recent Work to Conserve Wetlands is Contributing to Species and Habitat Resilience in the Caribbean and Beyond” took place on September 15, and can be found on their YouTube channel here. I can only describe it as heartening and disheartening, in … More Young Caribbean conservationists talk about wetlands and shorebirds (the good and the depressing)

Kingston Creative’s ArtWalk wakes from the COVID-19 slumber and returns on September 25

September 23, 2022

This coming weekend downtown Kingston will wake up again, for a fiesta of art and music. You should go down there. This is the first time since the long, deep COVID-19 slumber we were in for the last two years. Here’s the word from Kingston Creative. Dancer Joel Immortal (left) and actor Desmond Dennis will … More Kingston Creative’s ArtWalk wakes from the COVID-19 slumber and returns on September 25

Second COVID-19 booster shots now available in Jamaica for vulnerable groups

August 18, 2022

Some more health news… At last, second COVID-19 boosters are available for over-60s, healthcare workers, and the immuno-compromised. We have been wondering about this for some time. Here is the notice from the Ministry of Health and Wellness: KINGSTON, Jamaica. Wednesday, August 17, 2022: Jamaica is now offering a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccines … More Second COVID-19 booster shots now available in Jamaica for vulnerable groups

Defend the Deep: Jamaican youth climate activists call on their government to think again on deep sea mining

July 17, 2022

Young Jamaican climate activists are making their voices heard, loud and clear, in Jamaican media and social media – on deep sea mining. This is a critical time for our oceans, whose fate now hangs in the balance. I noted this back in 2019, when Greenpeace and local environmental activists staged a protest at a … More Defend the Deep: Jamaican youth climate activists call on their government to think again on deep sea mining

Meetings, speeches – and by the way, our fifth wave of COVID-19

May 28, 2022

Jamaica’s Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie have been very busy recently in Geneva, Switzerland, where the 75th World Health Assembly took place, ending on May 28. They have been talking a great deal about non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which as we know are rampant on the island – … More Meetings, speeches – and by the way, our fifth wave of COVID-19

Mixed COVID-19 signals? Omicron BA.2 variant is in Jamaica, and there are questions about timing

April 22, 2022

I had asked whether we are “over” COVID-19 in Jamaica, since as of April 15 all remaining restrictions related to the pandemic have lapsed – including travel restrictions and mandatory mask wearing indoors. Well, we are not quite over it, after all. I think we could have seen this one coming. Or did we know … More Mixed COVID-19 signals? Omicron BA.2 variant is in Jamaica, and there are questions about timing