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DurhamCitizen.ca May 24, 2021 13

IMAGINE THIS: locally.
Meanwhile, while people are dropping dead
like flies in T&T, the country’s Prime
Grenada sends 10,000 COVID-19 Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley is still blaming
everyone but himself and the clueless
vaccine doses to Trinidad & Tobago government he leads, for the out-of-control
COVID crisis in the country.
The country recorded 637 new cases and
nine more deaths on Sunday.
A donation from the Government of The Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard In the Ministry of Health's daily 4 pm
Grenada of 10,000 doses of AstraZeneca transported the vaccines to T&T. update, active cases have increased to 9,607
COVID-19 vaccines has arrived in Trinidad The Minister thanked National Security with 8,331 patients in home self-quarantine,
and Tobago. Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and the Trinidad 458 in hospital receiving treatment, and 181
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and Tobago Defence Force for responding patients in step-down facilities waiting to
Dr Amery Browne, Ambassador of Trinidad swiftly to the need for transportation of be discharged.
and Tobago to the Caribbean Community COVID-19 vaccines from within the region Today I was pleased to receive 10,000 doses of As of Sunday afternoon, the country has
Frances Seignoret, and Principal to Trinidad and Tobago. AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that were recorded 23,638 covid19 cases since the first
generously donated by the Government and
Pharmacist (Ag), Ministry of Health Anesa The latest donation of vaccines will be used people of Grenada. infection on March 12, 2020. From this
Doodnath-Siboo, received the vaccines at to advance the country’s vaccination total, 13,552 people have recovered.
Piarco International Airport on behalf of programme at this critical juncture in its T&T's Ambasador to CARICOM Her Excellency The recent deaths have brought the toll to
the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. management of the COVID-19 outbreak Frances Seignoret. 479.

Jamaica ranked 37th happiest Barbados PM Mottley says

country in the world
international clearing

Jamaica is a far happier place than it was
a year ago, despite the
ravages of the COVID-19 house needed for vaccines
pandemic,
according to
results from the World
Happiness Report for 2021.
Jamaica is ranked as the 37th Prime Minister Mia Mottley said Thursday that there
happiest country in the world, is a need to create an international clearinghouse for
making it the happiest nation in the the purchase and sale of COVID-19 vaccines.
Caribbean with a score of 6.309, Virtually addressing the International Economic
according to the United Nations- Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean, Mottley
supported report which was released on Friday. said: “It cannot be that countries that are here have to
The latest results compares to a ranking of 60 in last year's be the victim of middlemen, in circumstances where
report, representing an improvement of 23 places. global pharmaceutical companies are saying they
Jamaica's old ranking is now taken by Croatia. only deal with countries. But in reality, they have dealt
Jamaica's 37th place is just below Brazil (35) and Mexico (36), with…very few of the small countries, but have had
and just above Lithuania (38).
small countries having to deal with middlemen, who
are selling the vaccines at a premium.”
Interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago which ranked 42 “The presence of that international vaccine
last year, was not included on this year's list of 150. clearinghouse and the presence of a global summit on
COVID-19 will allow us to coordinate our actions,
both in terms of restrictors, even 16 months later, and
The World Happiness Report normally surveys the state of it will allow us to be able to fight the race against
global happiness and rank countries by their happiness levels variants.”
by examining elements such as GDP per capita, social Mottley said over 500,000 people in Latin America
support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life and the Caribbean had died from the virus in the last
choices, perceived corruption and generosity. 16 months and millions of people worldwide had been
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic globally, the report impacted by it.
for 2021 focused primarily on the relationship between public She pointed out that the world came together in 1945
well-being and the pandemic, which made collecting to solve problems of that time, and suggested that a
responses from around the 149 countries surveyed similar approach should be taken now.
particularly challenging. “Can we not seek to put a pause and to bring global
"This year's Happiness Report was faced with a unique leadership and coordination to the issues of how we
challenge in trying to understand what effect the pandemic contain COVID within our borders, how we allow
has had on subjective well-being and vice versa," the movement, how we deal with the issue of vaccine
organisation behind the report said in a statement. "Of all equity, and…how we can bring the world back to a
the factors usually supporting happiness, the most important point where we can resume growth, but growth that is
for explaining COVID-19 death rates were people's trust in green, that is resilient, and that is inclusive?” she “
each other, and confidence in their governments," it added. asked.
This trust, report editors said, is one of the main reasons that The Prime Minister expressed the view that if global, It cannot be that countries that are here
Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the moral, strategic leadership was in place, then have to be the victim of middlemen, in
fourth consecutive year. countries would not be fighting at many levels, as circumstances where global pharmaceutical
Meanwhile, Jamaicans are perceived to be significantly currently obtained. companies are saying they only deal with
happier than people from the island of Hispaniola, with the She said there was a need for a more universal, countries. But in reality, they have dealt
Dominican Republic ranked at 73 — compared to 68 last year automatic, debt standstill arrangement that captured with…very few of the small countries, but
- and Haiti ranked close to the bottom at 143, compared to the public and private sector debt. The Debt Service
142 last year. Suspension Initiative (DSSI), she stated, was timely have had small countries having to deal with
Interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago which ranked 42 on the when announced last year and a welcomed measure, middlemen, who are selling the vaccines at a
list last year, was not included on this year's list, along with but was way too limited. premium.”
most Caribbean islands, including Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mottley recommended the universal adoption by “The presence of that international vaccine
countries in the Leeward and Windward chains. borrowers and lenders, including international clearinghouse and the presence of a global
Other Central American countries with Caribbean shores financial institutions, of natural disaster and summit on COVID-19 will allow us to
ranked higher than Jamaica, with Costa Rica ranked at 16, pandemic clauses in lending arrangements. coordinate our actions, both in terms of
Guatemala at 30, and Mexico at 36.
“If we can do this for natural disaster clauses and for
Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua and Honduras were restrictors, even 16 months later, and it will
pandemics, we provide certainty to both the lender
exceptions, scoring lower than Jamaica at 41, 52, 55 and 59, allow us to be able to fight the race against
and the borrower in a way that is not there today…If we
respectively. variants.”
accept that disaster clause or the pandemic clause, it
With the survey ranking Finland as the happiest country, the
will provide 100 times the liquidity of the DSSI and
top five was rounded out by Denmark (2), Switzerland (3), - Prime Minister Mia Mottley
quicker, and I ask us to seriously consider these issues
Icelamd (4) and the Netherlands (5). The top 10 also includes
as we work to reform the international financial
Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Austria.
architecture, in circumstances where it has not been
The United States saw its happiness rating slip slightly from
the subject of serious reform,” she informed.
18 to 19, two places below the United Kingdom at 17.
The prime minister noted that Barbados had been
At the bottom of the list of 149 countries was Afghanistan
seriously impacted by the recent ash fall from the
with a score of 2.523. The African nations of Zimbabwe,
volcanic eruption in St Vincent, and it had to carry the
Rwanda and Botswana were also at the bottom of the listing.
costs of that natural disaster.