THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
SENIOR STUDENTS IN JAMAICA BACK IN CLASSROOMS UNDER ‘NEW NORMAL’
‘No mask, no entry’ was the rule of the day as schools in Jamaica opened on June 7th for revision classes to students sitting external examinations. The new COVID-19 rules also include physical distancing and sanitization stations around the school. Some schools will be employing a shift system in an effort to adhere to the new safety guidelines.
TOURISTS VISITING JAMAICA WILL BE TESTED FOR COVID-19
In what seems to many as a reversal all tourists and Jamaican nationals arriving on the island after June 15 will be tested for COVID-19. The announcement was made by the Jamaican Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton. The government had initially stated that tourists would only submit to voluntary testing. Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said this week that 70 flights are expected to arrive in Jamaica between June 15 and 30. These flights will bring in approximately 5,000 to 6,000 visitors.
THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
PEOPLE IN THE CARIBBEAN WANT STATUES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND OTHERS WITH A LEGACY OF RACISM REMOVED
The protests across the United States calling for justice, an end to police brutality and systematic racism has impacted people in the Caribbean. People living in Barbados, the Bahamas, and Trinidad & Tobago have called for the removal of colonial-era statues of men with a legacy of racism. There are monuments to Christopher Columbus in the Bahamas and Trinidad & Tobago. In Barbados, there is a statue of British naval commander and slavery sympathizer Horatio Nelson. Armed with thousands of signatures on Change.org momentum is growing on these Caribbean islands for the removal of these statues.
THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
JAMAICANS ACROSS THE DIASPORA TO CELEBRATE JAMAICA DIASPORA DAY ON JAMAICANS.COM FACEBOOK LIVE
On Tuesday, June 16, 2020, Jamaicans worldwide will join together to celebrate Jamaica Diaspora Day with a full day of virtual sessions on Jamaicans.com Facebook Live. The event hosted by the Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Action Network (JDTAN) in association with Jamaicans.com will highlight the extraordinary work and contributions of the Diaspora in collaboration with Jamaica. The Diaspora is estimated to be approximately 3 million worldwide, the largest populations being in the United States, the UK, and Canada respectively.
THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS
MBJ AIRPORTS LIMITED TO INVEST IN SOLAR TO SAVE ON ENERGY COSTS
MBJ Airports Limited, which manages the Sangster International Airport will be investing US$1.2-million in an energy project. A 1.0 megawatt (MW) solar plant will be installed at the airport. The Mexican owned airport operator expects to recoup its investment in approximately six years based on the projected energy cost savings.
THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
REGGAE ARTIST CAUSION DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER
Antigua & Barbuda’s Reggae artist Causion has been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. The diagnosis came seven days after he was rushed to emergency surgery on November 19th in Palm Beach, Florida. Causion, who was born Gregory Bailey, has a career spanning over 30-years and has been an opening act for veteran musicians Third World.
THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
WEST INDIAN CRICKET TEAM TRAVELS TO ENGLAND FOR A 3-TEST TOUR
The West Indies traveled this week England this week for a three-test cricket tour. The team departed from Antigua after each player returned negative tests to COVID-19. They will be quarantined and tested again for COVID-19 as they begin the seven-week tour. The team consists of 39 players from various islands in the West Indies. While in England the team will live, train, and play at the cricket ground in what some describe as a “bio-secure environment.”
