Author: SKNISEditor

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 1, 2021 (SKNIS): Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Sharon Rattan, said that the new Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI) project to be implemented will help the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in the future planning of Basseterre. During her June 30 appearance on ‘Working for You’ she explained that in this project, “We are going to be investigating what data there are so that we can build a risk profile of Basseterre.” The permanent secretary said that it is important that the Federation understands the risk that is associated with the…

ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. Wednesday, 30 June 2021– With the successful delivery of yet another new, four-day online training module, which ended on June 24th, The UWI’s Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC) wrapped up its 2020/2021 academic year. Titled ‘Caribbean Small States and the Diplomacies of Climate Change: Negotiations in Practice’, the training received praise from the inaugural cohort of participants, who hail from Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis. They comprise lawyers and analysts attached to ministries with responsibility for the environment, as well as diplomats and other foreign ministry officials. The module placed…

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2021 – Lilia Burunciuc is the new World Bank Country Director for Caribbean countries, effective July 1, 2021. She will be based in Kingston, Jamaica. Ms. Burunciuc brings a wide range of development experience to her new position. A Moldovan national, she first joined the World Bank in 1996 and has held leadership positions in several countries and regions of the world, including in Europe and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Burunciuc served as Country Director for Central Asia. “I look forward to continuing and deepening the World Bank’s strong…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 01, 2021 (SKNIS): Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Labour, the Honourable Wendy Phipps, said that Cabinet is considering permanent placement for sidewalk vendors to allow them to ply their trade in a safer manner. This will be more specifically targeted at non-agriculturally-based vendors. The Basseterre Market Complex will house vendors selling agricultural produce such as fruits and vegetables. “The Cabinet is currently looking at a programme or project in terms of the permanent placement in appropriate locations for small businesses, micro-enterprises, as well those who are presently plying their trade on the sidewalks, which we know is risky, and…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 01, 2021 (SKNIS): Tropical Storm Elsa has formed in the Atlantic while another system is being monitored.Invest 95L has since developed into Tropical Storm Elsa and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Barbados, Martinique, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Guadeloupe. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. National Disaster Coordinator Abdias Samuel, announced during the virtual forum series ‘Leadership Matters’ on June 29, that two tropical waves had been identified in the Atlantic Ocean named Invest 95L and Invest…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 01, 2021 (SKNIS): During the June 29, 2021 edition of “Leadership Matters”, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris reiterated that the “Life First” strategy has been a key tool in managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis having a high vaccination rate coupled with few deaths and low hospitalization when compared to other countries. “St. Kitts and Nevis has been a model of a best managed small island state and we continue to do that and it is reflected in our statistics. With the number of tests that are being conducted, the effectiveness of our contact tracing,…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 01, 2021 (SKNIS): During Monday’s (June 28, 2021), Emergency Sitting of the National Assembly, the Hon. Akila Byron-Nisbett, Minister of Health, indicated that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis through the Ministry of Health has secured over 35 ventilators in the effort to better equip the local healthcare system in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. “At the Joseph N. France Hospital (JNF) we have just over 35 ventilators, we have PPE’s, we have all the necessary tools and equipment and resources required to care for those persons who are hospitalized. We have over 35 ventilators at our disposal…

On International Day of Parliamentarism, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) celebrates the unique contribution of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to democracy in the Commonwealth and reaffirms its mission to promote knowledge of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy. In a special video message to mark the day, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, emphasised the need for Parliaments and Parliamentarians to lead the recovery from the current COVID-19 pandemic. He said: “This has been an incredibly challenging past 12 months as the people of the Commonwealth have adapted to the pandemic. Parliaments and Parliamentarians have a crucial…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 01, 2021 (SKNIS): The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is trending downward in St. Kitts and Nevis. Statistics from the Ministry of Health reveal that the last major spike in cases in the past seven days was 29 positives reported on Thursday, June 25, 2021. Since then, there has been a combined total of 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases between Friday, June 26, and Wednesday, June 30. “We are beginning to see a sustained dip in the daily positive cases,” said Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, on Tuesday’s edition…