Welcome to Week Harbor a special program in which we discuss and analyze the issues affecting the region, giving a voice to those who are impacted. It's their issues their concerns their triumphs on week Caribbean. I am your host Darris Follow for first Edition. We examine the effects of the coveted 19 virus on the Caribbean region that is specifically vulnerable, particularly those small islands dates with economies heavily reliant on tourism. the region has well. six thousand six hundred cases and more than two hundred deaths however the pandemic has also given rise to many areas for collaboration among curriculum member states and agencies in the region So we are joined by leading Caribbean journalist from Saint Lucia earlier Vice Dean of the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences Doctor Lorenzo Gordon from Jamaica and Barbados Ambassador to Carrie Camp David Young Earl. Since we introduced you first, we will start with you. How will you describe your country's response to the Covid-? 19 Pandemic? Well good to be here today it is one which like most country. in the day but considered early enough to learn from the experiences of other countries in other regions to have prepared us for things that others had to discover I think like every other country we're concerned about the rate of spread. Fortunately since Russia has not yet joined the list of countries in which. People have died. We still have no deaths since some pollution 200 in Jamaica on and or Jamaica and not having as much as they are. I tend to try to not to keep up with the numbers game because we're talking about lives here and I think the most important aspect of it is that it has grabbed us. The word by the throat and taught us lessons about the need to start to appreciate things that we took for granted. you raise a lot of good points. Doctor Gordon Jamaica has had like a 30 - six cases in 40 - eight hours, bringing the total to 140 - three. How would you say the government is treating with this issue and based on your expertise? Would you see the car bean region is The will continue to battle this crisis. I don't think the Caribbean region is prepared. I don't think any country in the world is prepared. This is really something that is shocking to every country and every region I mean in the case of Jamaica, we thought, for example, we were somewhat trying to control the spread as much as we could and You know previous weeks we're having two or three every two or three days, but just something happened recently at the BPO. That is the call centers and all I had to happen was just one person from a call Center that we have some eight hundred workers young people working at one of these call centers and that. Young person was responsible for infecting so far the horse of about 50 and so this is catapult in the amazing explosion here in Jamaica mind you the government has responded by doing luck a lockdown in that region where they call Center is and we are hoping to control the community spread it is. Right now across the spread and the containment of the lockdown in that region is really looking at the possibility where we can control it in the quickest possible way and therefore the mobilization of the the the medical community supported by the other government agency is really working night and need to control this spread right now now to you. Bobby Implemented a 20 - four -hour cool you on April third to Stanley spread of the novel coronavirus, and then Grenada Saint Lucia just a couple of countries that have done the same in the region. How would you describe these measures that are being implemented to stop the spread of this illness, but first of all permit me to say that I think that the Caribbean community has been probably better organized and prepared to deal with covered nap. Then virtually any other region of the world, in fact, from the time the virus broke out in China our Caribbean Public health agency was on the case carry calm was meeting under the guidance of Carper and we were paying very close attention to what the World Health Organization was seen and. All of the comments to it preparations. in fact, I would say that perhaps we even went beyond what the world has Organization was sin because when the WHO was saying that there was no need to prohibit travel to close the borders of Caribbean community member States actually closed travel from China, for example, Bobby. This was not one who who did that, but anyhow so just to make the point that I it may be feared. See that the WHO or the International Agency might have underestimated the severity of this virus in the early phases, but the Caribbean carry concerts took very seriously all that they were saying and put put measures in place from very very early Barbados Barbados has done. What we have needed to do we are very clear in our minds that you know, it's not about avoiding covered it was going to come. We were going to have it in our society, but what we need to do is to saw organize our public health system that we can stay ahead of the the public health issue and based on what David was saying he mentioned that you know, maybe the WHO underestimated what the impact of Cover 19 would be. and then we have Prime Minister Alan Chesney. That at the end of the month, the government will look at the possible phase reopening of Commerce since cases in the country may not 15 amid continued testing and quite simple. is it too soon to make this sort of a revelation? is it giving false hope to the population? I strongly believe that I can understand if and the operative word is if if the WHO underestimated of Mississippi covered in the big. That is understandable because even the Chinese where it started off in had underestimated it in the beginning. now, China was able to bring it under control because China did what most if not all character countries would not do which is to suspect individual rights in the interest of the National collective. Now I would think that it is still too very three as the. direct general of the World Health Organization has been repeatedly warning every day at his daily press conference in the past week is that it is too early much too early to to lift on the restrictions on the countries advertise is advocating with that since the virus has not yet reached its peak in most countries. Around the world, what they need to do is it having established itself is to continue to do what is necessary to continue its spread and therefore any attempt whether it is the United States or in Saint Lucia, where both leaders have undertaken to run government like a business reopening business as has been pointed. by the private sector in the United States would only run the risk of bringing things back to where they work so they were rather in both cases to have more testing done and that is what is important having more testing done to realise why there is an arrest in the number of cases in central is it because the virus has stopped spreading or is it because people are being tested and because of the culture factor where people do not wanna go and test because they pay the consequences of having a positive result meaning that they are going to be called in change even in a hotel patrol with everything paid they are afraid that in the time between being tested and the return of the results that they could be exposed to other persons who do have therefore that is happening all over revision there are people not submitted to voluntary test because of the consequences and we need to address that in assessing why our numbers are not moving as fastest yes they were is to follow up on what had to say about the idea of of solution open in back up the economy come in meeting yesterday what what came through very strongly is that carry com is committed to make in collective decisions on these matters and you know there is a saying that two heads one well I think if to heads of better than one fifteen certain better two so we I think there is some of course is an actor That is not going to go away in in in a couple of weeks time that the virus is going to be with us for sometime and therefore we are going to have to find some way of course on court living with this virus still being able to to function as an economy in spite of the virus, but doing it in a way where we don't take on Jew health risk. so we have to find a way how to calibrate that yeah but the the idea is that we are going to have to some point to start but opening up the borders first of all the inter regional travel at then to extra regional travel and we are going to have to work out a methodology for doing that and also a timeline yeah the prime minister of solution has advanced the timeline ah but I think I think ah the good thing is that this is ultimately this is going to be a collective collection and doctor God and what is your medical ah expertise your opinion on what we would just discussing between myself landed regarding center prime minister saying hey if if the numbers remain at fifteen and are not increasing we may look at the end of the ah allowing commercial resume in the country what are your thoughts on that well I think medical as it is said we can look we have to have a balance somewhere because you know economically I mean the economics is going to determine to some extent how you apply your medical formulation in terms of treatment and provide in Other health care costs, meaning medicine need to be manufactured food need to get to persons, so you have to have that delicate balance because if not the person's with chronic diseases are evacuated diseases and it doesn't have to be covered They will suffer and saw you will have another element within our society, which is worse enough for chronic illnesses are not providing adequately. For the challenges of the other acute processes, so it's a really balanced as my learn, learn at colleagues are saying we have to have a some sort of a timeline and also to be able to work through all these processes in our day to provide safety as we say and also to provide you know the food and necessary other medication that I needed by the general. Population so it's really something that we are to think in these kind of a multifaceted we in order to move forward in our region with this current pandemic international countries muscle focusing on themselves and Antigone Prime Minister commented on this. So let's take a listen. So I know that the entire world is in crisis and that they have their own problems that they're thinking in woodly. In fact this domestic gas in the thinking that even a few ventilators, I love you a few went delicious. They come to the Caribbean this season them the love you mask they come to the Caribbean. They're seizing them so that was the Antigone Prime Minister Gaston Brown, who was basically saying that international countries are looking in one leg and they're not considering the the what is taking. With other countries and poor countries, what are your thoughts on that? well? if I could come in on this the country's always result to the Christian of doing what is in the National interest and it is in that sense is that countries that can best help others are become instead of fish. And looking inward the European Union didn't move a finger to help each other and spin when they will competing to see which would be the epicenter in Europe when Europe became the new episode after China we also have a situation where the character meeting apart from all of the important agreements to coordinate everything from our approaches to agriculture transport. Sea transport and of course the reopening of our borders at a United commonly agreed time, and in addition to what David said about looking at reopening business at the same time, there are two elements of the the conference press release that relate to what we're discussing and one is the. Decision by the heads, which to point out that this is not a time commitment is not a time to impose hurtful sanctions on countries and therefore called on the United States, as has been done by and other international organizations to raise the the sanctions against Venezuela, which amounted to over a hundred and 50 by the United States long before coffee poop from. Has joined the director General of the WHO calling on the country's the major countries of the world to forgive and cancer deaths of smaller Nations, particularly small Island States like in the Caribbean and we've had a multidisciplinary team of condemnations of the decision by the United States. We've drawn as much as 400 million US dollars as the biggest contributor of 15 percent to the budget of the world Open his World Health Organization to withdraw that at a time when the WHO is leading the global fight against Kobe and with consequences for the Caribbean, like with Canada and Germany where equipment manufactured in the United States, which had been paid for. I have been ordered by respective countries will either seized or prevented from being delivered, as in the case of Barbados became an islands and Jamaica you saw in that context, The Caribbean has to understand that covered is an equal opportunity disease that is not waiting for us to be ready to combat it. It's already here it's already taking the live. It's is already moving faster than the speed of light and all of the international analysts the World Bank International Monetary Fund, European Union even the United States and they have contributed that there is absolutely no way that carry come can survive coverage without external assistance and and on that note, we will be taking a short break and we will be right back with more uncovered 19 and how it is affecting the Caribbean. Stay with us. Follow the most important global events through our comprehensive perspective. With a team of journalists in 20 - five locations around To convey our people's reality. From this out, Weekdays only on LSD War Welcome back now, I'd like to go to the ambassador. Come David Commission for you to tell us what are the concerns right now as it relates to the threat of Covid- 19 with aluminum threat of the hurricane season. Well, you know carry comb leaders are always very cognizant of the threat of hurricanes and we can't live in the Caribbean and not be cognizant of it So yes, part of Yesterday centered around a recognition that we are facing a triple threat of climate change and the the hurricane season and urges said something that is very chilling that the Caribbean community Cannot survive covered without outside assistance and you just suppose that with what you said that the major. Of the world are all turning inwards and behaving in a very self-centered and and selfish weight. So that's that's a real recipe for for disaster. of course, our country is all members of the major international financial institutions of the world, the IMF and the World Bank and it is to these countries that we are looking for financial relief. assistance so carry com well we have already we have already approach both the IMF and the World Bank Prime Minister Modi and private Prime Minister gas and brown I've already made initial ah approaches but coming out of yesterday's meeting was the determination that these approaches will be renewed and will be further bolstered um to make clear that these are approaches of all fifteen Member States acting collectively so we are making very, very firm and principled demands for debt relief for greater access to the financial resources to removing this ridiculous per capita income criteria that 11 events, many of our countries from accessing concessional concessional funding. That is part of our that is part of our strategy, but clearly clearly it it it has to sink in that. we don't have any friends out there waiting to help us. I mean, as earn, said, even when we have when we have ordered and paid for equipment and supplies, some countries have commandeered guys and in fact we feel very. That this is really bordering on a breach of the international peace because if if a country by its action helps the precipitate human humanitarian crisis in in any part of the world, you are not talking about a breach of the international peace. A doctor Gordon, the United States has the largest economy in the world with a GDP of 20 -, one point, 44 trillion, that is US dollars and yet the country as we've been discussing has ignored its ally. Essentially during this crisis and we have China, Cuba and Venezuela, having been world front runners in lending assistance to smaller countries. How important Doctor Gordon will you see is this initiative for the Caribbean? initiative for the other countries mean like cubers has demonstrated in a very strong for our region mean we have one hundred and forty human I am healthcare work is support initiative here in Jamaica and um cube of gone to other ah islands that have requested your support level that's the inspiration I think of solidarity that we need to take on in terms of diet financial ah support that I agree with ah earn an David we have to look at what is over to us in terms of public garnishing that kind of international support or diaspora who are located in these other region need to come forward and we are hoping that they can no play a role by education realizing that we as a individual as individual countries may not be able to really do as well if we do not get already external support thank you so much a doctor God and I am for bringing us to the end of our Caribbean special program and covered nineteen in the region and the special thank you to our guest leading carbon journalist from the Caribbean school of medical sciences doctor from Jamaica and David committee on so for Coverage on the Corona virus, pandemic and other news head to our website. Tell us or English dot net. On March 20, -third, the Trump administration announced new discriminatory measures against transgender people by banning them from military service, which adjust been granted under Obama while this story has received widespread coverage likely because it threatens the US image as a compassionate empire, It's just the latest attack on the trans community since the right wing took power before Trump took office, the same forces