FORT LAUDERDALE — A Caribbean cruise has been cut short after more than 300 people on board the ship began vomiting and suffering from diarrhea. The Caribbean Princess was carrying more than 3,000 passengers and more than 1,100 crew members on a two-week trip that began on February 2. But it has had to turn […]
Category: Health News
CHINA BAN! Caribbean Nations In Lockstep With United States Over Lockout
MIAMI — As the U.S. continues to enforce strict travel restrictions on travelers from China over the coronavirus outbreak, an increasing number of Caribbean nations are also doing the same, while taking steps to screen arriving passengers at their ports of entry. In recent days, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominica, and Trinidad and […]
Royal Caribbean Bans China, Hong Kong, Macau Passport Holders From Ships Over Coronavirus Fears
BEIJING — Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. said this weekend it would ban guests holding China, Hong Kong or Macau passports from boarding its ships amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. The company’s new protocols come in the wake of the fast-spreading virus, which has killed at least 774 people and has affected over 31,000 individuals […]
DHS Conducts Shelter Inspections In Advance Of 2020 Hurricane Season
CHRISTIANSTED — Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner, Kimberley CauseyGomez along with representatives from the American Red Cross, Department of Education, Department of Health, Office of the Governor – ADA Coordinator, VITEMA, FEMA, Virgin Islands Fire Services, and the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation conducted their first round of shelter inspections on St. Croix […]
Blyden: Gas Station Amendment That Passed Will Protect Health, Safety
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Marvin Blyden said he is proud to announce that among other bills and amendments passed at the January 29 General Session, the St. Thomas senator succeeded in getting an amendment passed prohibiting development of new gas stations within 1,000 feet of a residential area. The amendment was offered with the safety of […]
Bryan Convenes Workgroup Focused On Beginning Telehealth Services In USVI
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. said that his administration was continuing its efforts to digitize government by convening the first meeting of the telehealth workgroup on Wednesday to begin the planning and implementation of telehealth services in the territory. The workgroup, which comprises key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, will […]
GITTENS: ‘Let’s Put A Hold On Raises At Hospital Until Rebuilding Completed’
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Raises for Schneider Regional Medical Center hospital executives must be put on hold until rebuilding efforts are well underway, Senator Kenneth Gittens said today. Given the current state of the territory’s hospitals, Senator Gittens said he was appalled that several hospital executives would be granted significant raises. “Our hospitals are in shambles […]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: An Important Step Forward For Prescription Drug Prices
By Troy A. de Chabert-Schuster, State Director AARP in The Virgin Islands On December 12, 2019 the U.S. House of Representatives took a vital step to lower prescription drug costs and passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. This bipartisan bill offers real relief to the millions of Americans who struggle to afford their needed […]
DHS Hosts Pop-Up Interviews For Qualified Social Workers on January 24 and 27
CHRISTIANSTED — The Department of Human Services (DHS) said that the department will be holding interviews for qualified walk-in social worker applicants this Friday, January 24 and Monday, January 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Knud Hansen Complex on St. Thomas and the Anna’s Hope Head Start Administration Building on St. Croix. The […]
Caribbean and Latin American Region Deadliest For Journalists In 2019
The figures come from the Observatory of Killed Journalists database, which is maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It shows that, over the last decade, 894 journalists were murdered, an average of almost 90 per year: journalist killings in 2019 dropped by almost half compared to 2018 (from 99 to 56), but […]