CNW90 October 12, 2020

With a look at some of the top stories making the news today, October 12 across your Caribbean-American community in South Florida, I’m…for CNW 90.

Today’s newscast is brought to you by the Florida Department of Health;

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, The Florida Department of Health in Broward County reminds everyone to practice social distancing, wash your hands often with soap and water and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

Coming up in the newscast, US President Donald Trump to make campaign stop in Florida, IDB reports massive loss of jobs in Jamaica and Trinidad relaxes some COVID-19 measures.

Now for the news in the detail

US President Donald Trump has declared that he is healthy enough to return to his presidential campaign trail, and will do so with a visit to Florida on Monday. On Saturday, President Trump declared he was healthy enough to get back to work, with the White House also stating that he was no longer at risk of transmitting COVID-19, which he was diagnosed with on October 1. The White House did not state whether or not Trump had tested negative for the virus.

His first campaign stop following his diagnosis will be held at the Sanford Orlando International Airport at 7 p.m. Over the weekend, thousands of Trump supporters in South Florida came out in droves to rally for Trump’s re-election. The parade, called the ‘Anti-Communist Caravan for Freedom and Democracy’, convened on the streets near the Magic City Casino and Little Havana. According to the Miami Police Department, some 30,000 cars participated in the parade.

Now for Caribbean News,

In Jamaica, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) conducted a survey in Jamaica recently which reports massive loss of jobs in the country. According to the survey, half of low-income households, which are those earning less than $5 USD per day, reported a job loss while a quarter of higher-income families reported the same. The report also highlighted the domino effect that COVID-19 had on remittances sent to Jamaica. During the height on the pandemic in the diaspora in April, IDB reports that remittances to Jamaica declined by half. However, when parts of the United States like Florida and New York began to relax their restrictions in June, remittances began trending upwards for Jamaica. The dramatic decline in employment on the island has affected the reopening of schools, with many students unable to register for online classes and many schools unable to to cover operating costs.

In Trinidad and Tobago,

The Trinidad and Tobago government on Saturday announced a minor relaxation in some of the measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus but maintained that churches, restaurants and bars would remain closed until at least October 24. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced that the number of people allowed to congregate has been increased to 10 from five and that persons attending funerals will move from 10 to 20. In addition, Caribbean Airlines will operate six flights daily between Trinidad and Tobago, up from the present two flights. Rowley said that like the Jamaican government, his administration was working towards preventing another lockdown of the country, since the country cannot afford it.

For more information on these and other stories, visit CNWNETWORK.com. Remember to pick up this week’s copy of our Caribbean National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean - American outlet.

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