National Weekly April 23, 2020

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

N E T W O R K T H E

M O S T

W I D E L Y

C I R C U L A T E D

C A R I B B E A N

A M E R I C A N

N E W S P A P E R

I N

F L O R I D A

Lockdown Woes

South Florida Is

Ground Zero

Jamaicans Lament Restrictions As COVID-19 Cases Rise

Florida COVID-19 Cases As Of April 22, 2020

by Sheri-Kaye McLeod

< 40,000 < 4,000 < 1,000 < 500 < 100

As Jamaicans living in the United States grapple with conflicting messages from the White House—and from state to state—for Jamaicans at home, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has one message: “Stay Home” or “Tan A Yuh Yaad!”

But Officials Consider Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions

by Garth A. Rose

While cases of coronavirus in the U.S. steadily rise to over 850,000 with more than 45,000 deaths, South Florida has been seeing sharp increases in numbers, especially in Miami-Dade County.

As of Wednesday, Florida's fast approaching 28,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths. In South Florida, 13,544 cases had been confirmed with 10,056 cases in Miami-Dade, the first county in the state to exceed 10,000 cases. Deaths in South Florida climbed to 867 with 283 in Miami-Dade, 131 in Palm Beach County, and 126 in Broward.

And, while there is growing controversy over lifting stay-at-home restrictions meant to stem of COVID-19 in other states, there are indications some of the restrictions imposed in Florida could also be eased by May 1.

Governor Ron DeSantis has taken the controversial decision to reopen beaches in Jacksonville and has compiled a task force to look into opening some businesses in the state last Friday. While claiming the curve of infection is flattening statewide, he admitted

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He said projections made last month that the state would become like New York and Italy, which have both seen extremely high cases of COVID-19 victims and deaths, were incorrect.

The positivity being expressed by DeSantis is an indication that some COVID-related restrictions will definitely be lifted soon. In fact,

However, some Jamaicans have shown their displeasure by flouting the stay-at-home order, as COVID-19 cases rise to over 200. In response, Prime Minister Holness has issued even more severe restrictions.

Over the last few weeks, the entire nation has been under a nightly curfew to slow the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the entire parish of St. Catherine—the second largest parish in Jamaica, which is now responsible for nearly 50 percent of the nation's confirmed COVID-19 cases, has been on lockdown for the past week.

Some 19 percent of Jamaica's population resides in St. Catherine, therefore, the lockdown has far-reaching ramifications. Many businesses, such as banks in neighboring parishes, including Kingston, have had to close or limit operations, as a significant percentage of their employees residing in St. Catherine cannot get to their jobs. Hundreds of St. Catherine residents also fled the parish in the hours before the lockdown took effect on Wednesday, April 15.

Holness on Monday night announced a new 12-hour daily island-wide lockdown of the country (from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.), to counter the movement of people from certain regions of the island to other areas, to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

A 24-hour nation-wide daily

continues on B1 – Ground Zero

continues on D1 – Lockdown Woes

Some beaches have reopened in Jacksonville, Florida

DeSantis said his own task force will include state elected officials along with business and education leaders working toward what he called the “resurgence and reopening of Florida.” The governor said he wants “advice and ideas on pretty much everything under the sun.” getting back to normal might take longer in South Florida.

Touting success on Tuesday, DeSantis said an anticipated rush of patients in Florida hospitals has not materialized. “Those predictions have been false...Our work is succeeding. We have flattened the curve.”

DeSantis

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AUDREY MARKS: FAITHFULLY SERVING JAMAICANS IN THE U.S. A3

TOURISM AND THE HURDLES TO RECOVERY C1

Buju Banton Gives Powerful Performance for BET’s COVID-19 Relief Effort C3

Jockey Rajiv Maragh Lands Double At Gulfstream Park D3

A2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

Loading The Goods Michaelle Lamonthe (le ), legisla ve assistant to Commissioner Davis, and Riddims Marke ng’s Eddy Edwards load up a car trunk of well-needed food supplies for Miramar residents. - Contributed

Best Prac ces: Cheryl Wynter, public informa on officer, Consulate General of Jamaica (le ), Miramar Commissioner Maxwell Chambers (center), and Consul General of Jamaica in Miami, Oliver Mair adhere to COVID-19 best prac ces a er they delivered cooked lunches to Jamaican na onals stranded in North Miami. – Contributed

The General To The Rescue: Consul General of Jamaica in Miami, Oliver Mair, delivers cooked lunches to Jamaican na onals stranded in North Miami, wai ng to return home. These Jamaicans were on temporary status as hotel workers in the United States but were laid off as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. – Contributed.

With Deepest Gra tude: Salute to Helen, one of our health care professionals, clad in her PPE. – Contributed

The Organizer: Miramar Vice Mayor Alexandra P. Davis organizes food drop-offs to Miramar residents who are unable to get to the food distribu on centers...folks who may be disabled, elderly, with young children, or with no modes of transporta on. - Contributed

Working To Reopen Florida: Representa ve Anika T. Omphroy of Florida’s District 95 was appointed

by Florida Governor Ron DeSan s, to serve on the Re-Open Florida Task Force Industry Working Group related to Agriculture, Finance, Government, Healthcare, Management and Professional Services. - Contributed

Keeping Fit: A resident of Miramar uses his me wisely to stay fit during the COVID-19 crisis. – Contributed

Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis and Marie Woodson pause for a pic, while they load food supplies des ned for Miramar residents. – Contributed.

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

A3

NEWSMAKER

AMBASSADOR

Audrey

MARKS

Faithfully Serving Jamaicans In The U.S.

W

hile the coronavirus (COVID-19 ) pandemic continues to spread across the United States and the Caribbean, Jamaicans in Florida, and all over the U.S., have turned to Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States of America, Audrey Marks for guidance.

As Jamaica's Ambassador to the U.S., Marks has been working diligently to assist Jamaicans stranded in here due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Most of these people were in the U.S. on visitor's or other temporary visas and were caught stranded, unable to return to Jamaica when the island closed its borders.

Marks has also been helping Jamaican hospitality workers who were stranded in Atlanta without accommodation, along with assisting other Jamaicans in Florida and New York with visa waivers.

She has been at the center of several virtual

townhall and teleconferences to acquaint Jamaicans with information related to the dreaded virus, and measures being taken in Jamaica to stem the tide.

Marks, the first woman to become ambassador to the U.S., is serving in her second term. She previously served as ambassador from 2008 to 2012, having been appointed to the post by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding. She relinquished the post when the People's National Party replaced the former Jamaica Labor Party government in 2012, but was again appointed to the post starting in 2016 under Prime Minister Andrew Holness' administration. She is also and the first individual to hold the position of Jamaican Ambassador to the U.S. in two separate terms.

A businesswoman by profession, prior to assuming her ambassadorial role, Marks had

several entrepreneurial endeavors, following the path of her Jamaican parents who were both small-business owners.

Marks was born in the rural parish of St. Mary in 1968. After attending Marymount High School in Highgate, she later attended and graduated from the Immaculate Conception High School in Kingston in 1986. She earned a B.A. in Business Management at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica and later left for Florida, where she completed her MBA at Nova Southeastern University in 1991.

Marks worked for Air Jamaica for 10 years while also studying for her undergraduate degree at the UWI. She entered the company, working first as a filing clerk, then rose to the positions of accounting clerk and assistant to the vice president for marketing and sales. After leaving Air Jamaica, Marks founded six

businesses, including a banana plantation, a real estate development firm, a transportation company, and a venture capital operation.

Marks' biggest entrepreneurial success came in October 1997, when she founded Paymaster (Jamaica) Limited, the country's first consolidated bill payment agency. The company later became the first multi-transaction agency in the Caribbean, with over a million customers and billions in annual revenue. In December 2015, she sold 80 percent of her ownership in the company to the Digicel Group but remained its chairman.

After selling the majority of her shares in Paymaster, Marks served on the boards of several private and public sector companies in Jamaica, including the Tourism Product Development Company, the Urban Development Corporation, Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI); National Health Fund (NHF); and the University of the West Indies (Mona School of Business), among several others.

In 2003, she became chairperson of the Tourism Product Development Company. She was also the first woman to be President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, an organization that promotes investment and trade between the United States and Jamaica.

In May 2010, Marks became Jamaica's permanent representative to the Organization of American States shortly after being appointed as Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States by then Prime Minister, Bruce Golding. After the former Jamaican ambassador to the U.S. Stephen Vasciannie stepped down in 2015, Marks was reinstated to her former role by Prime Minister Holness.

Marks has been regarded by the Jamaican Diaspora in the United States as one of Jamaica's most effective and dedicated ambassadors. She has taken a keen interest in the development and the welfare of the Jamaican-American community and often travels across the U.S. to meet directly and engage with these communities. A Jamaican in Washington D.C., where the Jamaican embassy is based, described Marks as, “A dedicated and true representative of Jamaica and the ideal link between Jamaica and Jamaicans here in America.”

Ambassador Marks and her husband, electrical engineering consultant Jassel Dunstan, have two daughters, Morgan and Madison.

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A4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

Barbados Reports Shortage Of COVID-19 Testing Swabs Barbados' Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic confirmed Sunday that while there is an adequate supply of COVID-19 testing kits on the island, there is a shortage of swabs, which has affected testing.

However, he has sought to assure that supplies of swabs were expected “within a week or so,” and once they arrived, health teams would be able to increase the number of tests done on a daily basis.

“That would then give us a better idea of where we are. So, we will have a couple of weeks to go before we can say exactly where we are, but we are indeed encouraged by the last few days,” he said.

As of Sunday, Barbados had carried out 1,035 COVID-19 tests and 75 of them were positive.

Bostic also reported that the call by the Ministry for persons who traveled into Barbados between March 15 and 22 to make contact had seen a good response and some of those individuals were now among the confirmed cases.

He said this was a continuous process and the Ministry was still reaching out and making every avenue available for persons to check in with the public health authorities so that they could keep abreast of that situation.

“But we know within another two weeks, or so, we would be in a very good position in terms of making some determinations where those persons are concerned, based on the length of time they would have been on the island and the length of time some of them would have been in quarantine or isolation, along with the contact tracing we have been doing in this regard,” Bostic said.

He praised the public health teams for their dedication to the task and said that once Barbadians continued to cooperate and collaborate with authorities, the country would be able to arrest the situation.

75 Percent Laid Off Jamaica's minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett recently revealed that 75 percent of the country's tourism workers have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The island's borders have been closed to incoming passengers for almost a month, resulting in the closure of several major hotels on the island including Sandals Resorts. As a result, thousands of hospitality workers have been laid off.

Bartlett revealed that of the 160,000 people that work in Jamaica's tourism industry, 120,000 of those workers have already been laid off, meaning that only 25 percent of the workers directly employed to the industry are still working.

In addition, the 40,000 who are still employed are working for either two days or three days a week, for a fraction of their normal pay from the hotels.

“So, in essence, 120,000 or 75 percent of the workers employed directly to the industry are now laid off,” he explained. “That's significant for us to consider when we are looking at how hard all of us have to work. All of us have to work hard to ensure that our unemployment figures hold only for a short

period of time because the longer the period of time that it holds is the more dire the straits will be,” Bartlett warned.

Many of those now unemployed have turned to the government for as much help as they can get. Jamaica's ministry of finance has been providing COVID-19 relief for those that have been laid off since the virus entered the island. Others will have to depend further on family and friends from the diaspora to send remittances until the industry bounces back and jobs are restored.

Bartlett noted that for the first two months of the year, Jamaica was doing “very well” with tourism, earning US$859 million.

“So everything was going well and we brought in just a little over a million visitors, in fact. So the trajectory was positive and strong.

What we want to do is to get back into the [groove] as quickly as possible, so that the earnings for Jamaica can, in fact, be restored,” he stated.

The entire Caribbean region, which relies

Bartlett

heavily on tourism, is likely to see drastic effects as a result of COVID-19. Bartlett said that the region is likely to lose some US$62 billion in foreign exchange earnings this year, and some 2.4 million workers are being affected.

Gov't Says Trinidadians Must Not Panic Over Drop In Global Oil Prices The Trinidad and Tobago government is urging nationals not to panic as the oil and gas-rich country prepared to count the possible loss of billions of dollars in revenue as a result of Monday's historic drop in oil prices on the global market.

“Oil and gas are cyclical. It goes up and it goes down. Now, this down is a ridiculous down we must admit, but let's hope the upturn comes sooner rather than later. But I want to say the upturn will depend largely on

the developed countries' economies getting back to a state of normality,” Energy and Energy Industries Minister Franklin Khan said.

Speaking on the i955 FM Morning Show on Tuesday, Khan said a few weeks ago Finance Minister Colm Imbert indicated Trinidad and Tobago's economy would suffer a loss of between six to eight billion dollars as a result of the drop in oil prices then. The country now have to await the finance

minister's new projection based on Monday's market prices.

Khan said the low oil prices would affect TNT different from other countries. He said the country produces Galeota crude and Molo crude, which is referenced against Brent Crude trading at approximately US$25 to US$30 per barrel.

Brent is the most commonly used benchmark price for crude oil traded internationally, including Asia. Brent has continues on D1 – Must Not Panic

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A6 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

To Reopen, Or Not To Reopen That Is The Conundrum When states around the country began issuing stay-at-home orders to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in mid-March, a South Florida psychiatrist told this newspaper if these orders exceeded one month there would be a “great risk of social disorder.” The psychologist argued that forcing people to be locked in their homes, away from normal ways of life is “against modern social norms.”

Now, less than six weeks after most U.S. states have locked down all but essential businesses and ordered residents to shelter in place, some people are protesting the measures, taking to the streets demanding their rights to go about their regular routine. This, notwithstanding the fact that the U.S. has approximately 850,000 cased of COVID-19, and over 45,000 deaths, and rising.

In Florida, where cases of COVID-19 contamination and related deaths have been increasing exponentially, the South Florida tri-county caravan has been publicly protesting, calling for the lifting of restrictions on businesses and the reopening of public spaces.

While some protesters are obviously politically mobilized, it’s also obvious that economic challenges are fostering the growing protests.

Conservatively, it’s estimated some 22 million Americans are currently unemployed because thousands of businesses are closed. In most communities, people are growing desperate for money to buy food. Despite the federal government’s initiative in helping residents and businesses with financial relief, it is yet to reach many of

those it’s supposed to help. The adage “a hungry man is an angry man” is proving incredibly true as hungry Americans continue to stay at home.

But, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and while protests also take place in other countries, there have been several instances, for example, in Singapore, where attempts to lift stayat-home measures have been followed by spikes in the virus.

America, like the rest of the world, is faced with a very elusive new virus—the treatment and cure of which is baffling the most learned scientists. One thing most of these scientists agree on, and proving effective, is that social distancing, including stay-athome and business closure orders, are effective in controlling the viral spread.

While this works, it’s simply not normal to expect people, especially young, energetic people, to be deprived of socially acceptable norms indefinitely. People are going to continue to protest at an increasing rate, and social upheaval becomes a real risk the longer they are mandated to stay at home.

It is now incumbent on elected officials—from the president to city mayors—to adopt a unified approach to see how, and if, some businesses and public places can be opened, and residents eased

out of their homes.

There are plenty of recommendations for what can be done to protect residents if they are to return to normalcy. These include people-spacing at the workplace, making wearing masks and gloves mandatory in public and at work, as well as increasing sanitation—personal, equipment, furnishing, transportation, building, etc. But there is no guarantee these measures will prevent contamination when everyone leaves their homes.

The main problem, according to scientists, is that there are many people who have contracted COVID-19 are walking around asymptomatic—not showing symptoms of the virus. As a result, scientists have been saying the safest way to reopen businesses and relinquish stay-at-home orders is to significantly test people for the virus. Here in America, this seems to be falling on deaf ears.

These tests will separate the infected from the uninfected and offer some guidance on who can return to normal activities.

In the U.S., only four million people, less than two percent of the population, have been tested for COVID-19, despite boasts that America has conducted more tests than any other country.

Every day governors and mayors across the country have been appealing to the federal government to assist with more testing, but there’s no real federal plan to increase testing.

In a startling Harvard University report titled, “Roadmap to Pandemic Resilience” released on Monday, a group of scientists, social scientists, economists, and others concluded that for the country to safely open and be fully economically mobilized by late July, “Test producers will need to deliver at least 5 million tests daily by early June.”

Herein lies the core of the conundrum. Unless there’s a profound national plan to test Americans, significantly increasing testing is unlikely. The fewer people tested, the greater will be the risk of the resurgence of COVID-19 contamination nationally, should stay-at-home orders be lifted.

The solution is obvious. If the nation’s leaders want to go back to business, prevent further spread of COVID-19, and significant social upheaval, they must step up testing for the virus immediately!

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

A7

LA SECTION HAITIENNE

Food For The Poor Helps Haiti To Abate Food Shortages As a number of countries reel from the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, many people around the globe are experiencing varying levels of food insecurity.

In Haiti, the Food For The Poor is taking a two-pronged approach to make sure Haiti has a reliable food supply in the months ahead, as the country fights both the deadly COVID-19 and its growing food shortage.

As the first of nine shipments of rice to Haiti from the Republic of China (Taiwan) is scheduled to sail next week, Food For The Poor is sending an additional 40 containers of rice to fill the gap until the rice from Taiwan arrives in early June.

The charity also is sending 11 containers of beans in May and 10 more in June to bolster its food relief. It is also exploring ways to buy additional food from producers in Haiti.

The spread of coronavirus has made life even more challenging in Haiti, which experienced months of unrest in 2019 over rising prices and shortages of food and fuel.

"Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 4.6 million Haitians suffered from food insecurity.

With the active spread of the virus, a new crisis has emerged," said Bishop Oge Beauvoir, Executive Director of Food For The Poor Haiti.

"Families are confined at home. Schools are closed. Factories are closed. People cannot go to work. The farmers cannot go to work their land.

If we don't act now, things will get worse," said Beauvoir, standing in a warehouse almost empty of rice.

In Haiti, Genese Casseus is thankful for the food provided by Food For The Poor's generous donors.

"This food will do a lot for me," she said. "I joined the program at Food For The Poor and

they've done so much for me. If you see my twins now, you won't recognize them. If it weren't for the program, they wouldn't be alive.

Food For The Poor has done so much for me.

Thanks to them, I still have my twins."

Beauvoir thanked the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the charity's donors for continuing to care for Haiti.

“You keep praying for Haiti and you keep working and helping us," Beauvoir said. "Haiti has no means to cope with COVID-19. In very challenging moment[s] we have to continue to provide to those in need.”

Up to Tuesday, Haiti had 47 cases of COVID-19 and two resulting deaths, according to worldometers.info, a website that tracks coronavirus cases worldwide. But the total number may be suppressed due to the lack of COVID-19 testing in the country.

The Taiwanese rice is a gift from the Republic of China's (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each shipment will provide approximately 7 million meals a month.

For 13 years, the partnership with the Taiwanese government has provided Food For The Poor the opportunity to feed thousands of families and meet its mission to help the poorest of the poor.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) is also helping Florida fight the spread of COVID-19.

On Friday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami sent 100,000 medical masks in Taiwan's name to the Florida Division of Emergency Management's response center in Orlando.

Food For The Poor will distribute the rice from Taiwan to sponsored programs, one of which is the charity's feeding center in Port-auPrince. Approximately 15,000 hot meals are cooked and distributed from this location six days a week.

"Haiti is so vulnerable. As bad as coronavirus is in the United States, we cannot even imagine how devastating it is for the poor in Haiti and the other the countries where we serve," Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine said.

“Growing food shortages are a problem," Raine added. "We're so grateful to the government of Taiwan, who has been a steadfast partner over the years, for this gift of rice. In addition to this, we are looking at solutions outside the bounds of our usual suppliers or shipping methods. Our approach is a deliberate strategy to try to get ahead of the problem."

Haiti Releases Over 300 Detainees To Prevent Spread Of COVID-19 The Haitian government has released over 300 detainees from the country's 19 prisons in an effort to control and prevent the spread of COVID19.

Officials in the National Penitentiary Authority (APN), recently informed the United Nations and partner non-governmental organizations of its needs in terms of infection prevention and control.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30th

EPISODE 5

The NPA said this is in accordance with national and global advocacy, adding that 12 children have also been released from detention.

“To date, 322 detainees have already been released from Haitian prisons, including 21 women and 12 minors.”

Most of the detainees were in prolonged pretrial detention while others were convicted for minor crimes, nearing the end of their sentence, or had co-morbidities linked to the COVID-19.

According to UNICEF, in Haiti, more than 11,000 people are detained in prisons listed – of this number, over 200 are minors.

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A8 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

Beaches Reopen

B1

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Despite Having The Highest 24-Hour COVID-19 Case Increase Some Florida beaches began to reopen on Friday, April 17 even as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state surpassed 25,000.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that beaches were permitted to reopen Friday afternoon if they could do so safely, and by early evening some beaches in Jacksonville had begun to reopen, allowing residents to stroll and surf.

The beaches are to operate within restricted hours, from 6-11 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. Officials said that activities should be limited to exercise and pet-care, while sunbathing and lounging were still prohibited.

“No chairs, coolers, sunbathing, or towels/blankets laid out to sit on,” read a tweet from the City of Jacksonville's official account.

The controversial decision to reopen some beaches came on the same day that Florida saw 1,400 new cases of the virus, marking the biggest single-day increase in the number of new infections since the crisis began, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

As of April 19, Florida total coronavirus cases were nearly 26,000.

764 people in the state have died from the virus, with 175 of those deaths coming from Florida's elder care facilities.

Ground Zero

from A1

his task force has met regularly since it began discussions on Monday and is expected to submit its final report regarding reopening the state to the governor by Friday.

Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, a member of the task force, shares some optimism in lifting some restrictions, even in South Florida.

The mayor, however, emphasized the task force is looking at a gradual reopening. “We have to ease into it. Easing the restrictions must be gradual. But I believe we can open some businesses while maintaining social distancing guidelines, including wearing masks,” he said.

Among the places that Holness believes could be reopened are recreational places like parks, and restaurants. But he said the task force was considering restaurant operating at only 25 to 50 percent of their normal occupancy, and staff wearing masks. The task force is also looking at returning hospitals and clinics restarting elective surgical procedures and seeing patients generally. The reopening of some beaches is also being considered.

Broward was the first county in South Florida to have a confirmed case of COVID-19 but has effectively controlled the spread of the virus compared to Miami-Dade. Holness attributes the control seen in Broward to early and widespread testing and having a smaller population size compared to MiamiDade.

In recent days, Miami-Dade has taken steps to make testing more accessible to county residents.

In a virtual town hall meeting on Monday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giminez said the county was considering reopening parks, marinas, and boat ramps, as well as loosening other restrictions.

While it appears there'll be some ease in the stay-at-home restrictions in the state, South Florida residents appear conflicted at this eventuality.

Residents are admitting to feeling financial pressure from the lockdown but express fear of returning to work and to normal activities. “I just don't know. There is so much confusion about this virus.

There's still so much death. I want to go back to normalcy, but I am scared,” said Lesley Morgan of West Kendall. This seems to be a common sentiment among South Floridians who crave normalcy but are worried about exacerbating the problem.

COVID-19 Spreads Throughout Florida's Senior Living Facilities Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday released a list of nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have reported cases of COVID19.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties have reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in its senior care facilities.

A list published by Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday shows all the elderlycare facilities in Florida that have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. A total of 303 facilities were listed.

While the number of cases per facility was not provided, the facilities have been labeled by county. Miami-Dade County has the highest number of 54, followed by Broward County and Palm Beach County with 39 each.

All three counties also lead COVID-19 cases in the state.

In total, there have been 1,785 cases of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities, resulting in 175 deaths as of Sunday, April 19.

$19 Million In Federal Student Aid Still Available For Broward Students Broward County Public Schools is reminding juniors and seniors that $19 million dollars in federal student aid have yet to be claimed, in Broward County alone.

To determine eligibility, students have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students are automatically considered for up to $6,300 in Federal Student Aid if the student or anyone in his or her immediate family receives free or reduced lunch, Medicaid benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Errors made during the application process are the main reason why FAFSA submissions are rejected. To assist with the successful completion of the FAFSA, BCPS is offering free online labs every week.

For additional information, visit browardschools.com/FAFSA or contact the District's Broward Advisors for Continuing Education at 754-321-1675.

M-Dade Commissioner Distributes Food And Unemployment Assistance Applications Residents lined up in their cars at Miami Executive Airport on Saturday, April 18, 2020, to receive nutritious food and unemployment assistance applications courtesy of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Joe Martinez and Feeding South Florida.

All COVID-19 CDC guidelines were followed to ensure the health and safety of volunteers and community members.

Residents remained within the safety of their cars while volunteers placed the boxed food and unemployment assistance applications in their trunks. There were over 1,800 bags of food distributed containing chicken, ham, green beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and fruit, and more than 1,000 unemployment assistance applications. Many cars had more than one member of the family unemployed.

“We are fortunate to partner with Feeding South Florida, whose support made this food distribution possible and provided us the opportunity to help our residents who are facing great hardships financially. I also want to thank CareerSource for answering our request for unemployment forms and providing us with 5,000 applications to distribute to these families as they face economic hardships,” said Commissioner Martinez.

B2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

FEATURE

On 50th Earth Day

Mother Nature Gets A

Breather

by Vonnie Lee

For the first time in 30 years, people living in northern India are able to see the Himalayan mountain range—some for the first time, ever. In Venice, Italy the canals are clear, and species are beginning to flourish. In China, ground zero for the novel coronavirus, the initial lockdown saw pollution levels dropping by 25 percent. And, in New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., carbon monoxide levels have decreased by 50 percent.

Before Fittingly, on Wednesday, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a new report by Swiss-based company IQAir, found that air quality improved in nine major cities around the world: Delhi, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Mumbai, New York City, São Paulo, Seoul and Wuhan.

It would have been admirable if these were the results of proactive and strategic measures put in place by governments to course-correct on air pollution and other aspects of climate change.

But, alas, these are the effects of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders initiated across the globe to stop the spread of coronavirus. These measures have halted industries, left airplanes grounded, trains stuck in stations, and most cars sequestered in garages.

While governments and individuals are doing what they can to stem the tide of COVID-19, Mother Nature is catching her breath and reminding us that human actions significantly impact the earth, and reversing those actions or replacing them with more sustainable ones can heal it. As the World Economic Forum puts it, “An invisible virus has made our individual actions more visible than ever—and revealed our true power to face societal crises beyond COVID-19.”

According to the IQAir COVID-19 Air Quality Report of what it described as the “largest scale experiment ever,” the lockdowns resulted in “unprecedented reductions in deadly particle pollution.”

Rome was the lone city in the report that showed an increase (of 30 percent).

Here are the major findings of the report: 9 of 10 key global cities experienced PM2.5 reductions from the same period in 2019. Ÿ Cities with historically higher levels of PM2.5 pollution witnessed the most substantial drops, including Delhi (-60%), Seoul (-54%) and Wuhan (-44%). Ÿ During Wuhan’s 10-week lockdown, the city experienced its cleanest February and March air quality on record. Ÿ Delhi’s ‘unhealthy’ and worse rated hours plummeted from 68% in 2019 to 17% during the lockdown period. Ÿ Los Angeles experienced its longest stretch of clean air on record meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines. Ÿ

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

B3

FEATURE Before

New Delhi, India

After

Graph showing daily pollution levels in Los Angeles from 2016-2020, during the 2020 lockdown period (Mar 23 - Apr 13)

SAFARI

BARREL RATES

50 75

$

JAMAICA

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, INC. Monday-Friday 8:30am-6pm Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm

Avoid the hassle and long wait.

For your convenience we will also clear customs for you at a minimal fee!

After

BARBADOS TRINIDAD ST. LUCIA

Open

7 days

*All statutory fees will still apply and has to be paid. A valid ID, TRN and Power of Attorney are required

Packaging and Creating service available.

Door To Door service in Jamaica Special package for returning resident.

3790 NW 16th St. Lauderhill, FL 33311

954-581-4655 4711 N. Australian Ave. WPB, FL 33407

561-844-2820

$

85 95

$

GRENADA

$

DOMINICA GUYANA ST. KITTS ST. VINCENT DOM. REP. NEVIS SURINAME

100

$

ANTIGUA ST. MAARTEN

115

$

MONTSERRAT

D-CONTAINER BOXES L

58” W 42” H 45”

$

260

JAMAICA

$

255

ST. LUCIA ST. MAARTEN DOM. REP. NEVIS MONTSERRAT BARBADOS DOMINICA GRENADA GUYANA ST. KITTS ST. VINCENT TRINIDAD SURINAME

$

305

ANTIGUA

E-CONTAINER BOXES L

42” W 29” H 30”

80

$

JAMAICA

$

125

ST. LUCIA ST. MAARTEN DOM. REP. MONTSERRAT NEVIS BARBADOS DOMINICA GRENADA GUYANA ST. KITTS ST. VINCENT TRINIDAD SURINAME

$

135

ANTIGUA

*Boxes need to be packed in accordance with specific dimensions.

ABSOLUTELY NO BULGING. IF OVER-PACKED, A DIFFERENT RATE APPLIES.

B4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

C1

TRAVEL. LIFESTYLE. CUISINE.

Tourism

&

THE HURDLES TO

Recovery

By Damian Crawford

Analysis of the World Travel and Tourism Council's data shows that the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world.

Recovery The chart shows the importance of Caribbean nations having the ability to plan effectively for the likely impacts of delayed recovery. For the purpose of this article, recovery will be assumed to include the achievement of the following four (4) realities: Ÿ Perception of safety of home destination Ÿ Perception of safety of host destination Ÿ Intention to travel Ÿ Act of travel Further recovery will be defined to mean: Ÿ An achievement of 80% of pre-Covid-19 visitor numbers Ÿ An Achievement of 80% of pre-Covid-19 average daily rate

Perception Of Home Safety For the Caribbean, the first hurdle to cross is likely visitors' perception that their home country (USA, Canada, and Britain) is safe. Our first hurdle will therefore be dependent on the estimated end of new cases emerging in those countries. The Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, suggests that the peak is expected at the end of April. This would indicate that the approximate end date for new cases could be June 30. Further, it is reasonable to assume that the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will not lift the Level 4 travel advisory until at least a month after the last reported new cases. This is a reason for great concern for the Caribbean because perceived home safety will likely be attained by the prospective traveler before August 1.

Hypothesis 1: The perception of Home Country Safety will likely be achieved August 1, 2020.

Perception of Safety of Host Country The best example of a health risk in a host country is the 2013 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. It is my hypothesis that the perception of Third World healthcare increased the risk perception of visiting West Africa after Ebola ended, which will likely be the Caribbean experience.

In fact, tourism to Sierra Leone was down 50% up to 11 months after the last reported case of Ebola in April 2016. What's even more telling, was the negative impact on other countries in Africa, including those further away from the epicenter than some European nations. This suggests that the Caribbean will start to recover in the area of “perception of host safety” when all Caribbean nations successfully fight COVID-19.

Using the Sierra Leone experience, perceived safety in the host destination was achieved four months after the last case was reported. By taking Western society's negative perception of Africa into consideration, it is my opinion the best case for the Caribbean is a rebound twice as fast.

Damion Crawford is an entrepreneur, marketing and tourism lecturer and the former Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment in Jamaica.

Hypothesis 2: The prospective visitor's perception of it being safe to travel to the Caribbean will be achieved two months after the travel ban is lifted, thus November 1, 2020 Intention to travel The next hurdle to recovery is the formation of travel intent. Indeed, almost immediately after the virus abates there will be a desire to travel, but this may not be matched by action. Many factors will impact this, including the financial situation in the home country; the availability of flights, particularly direct flights; the promotion of staycations; the season and the prices being offered.

Tourism is perceived as a luxury good. In times of uncertainty, luxury spending is often shelved because consumption is generally replaced by savings. It is also likely that all routes will not immediately receive critical mass to fly profitably to all destinations.

Thirdly, many countries will likely promote staycations as a safer, more patriotic alternative to international vacations; this may threaten the Caribbean if the fear of airports as a likely area of contamination persists.

Additionally, with the world expecting great financial fallout and high job losses, the period between travel interest and travel intent may be threeto-four months. Stock analyst, Dan Wasiolek, argues that international travel is likely not to rebound before 2021. He goes further to argue that airlines may have to endure another seven months of significantly reduced demand before “pent up demand” kicks in by the end of the year.

Further, I expect all destinations to be discounted, thereby reducing the drawing power of the discounted price. Travelers may also generally fear being guinea pigs for the travel industry and may await confidence building reports on TripAdvisor, and other travel sites.

Hypothesis 3: While the interest in travel is expected to immediately peak leading to high informationfinding activities, it may take another three (3) months to initiate action on travel interest; this suggests, February 1, 2021.

Act of Traveling Finally, the Caribbean's tourism industry recovery will be impacted by the ability to travel and the likelihood to choose the Caribbean. Having already considered the financial instability, one must also consider the constraints faced on the path to purchase. This includes, getting time off from work, etc.

Research done by SOJERN, shows the average path to purchase takes more than 60 days and seldom less than 30 days.

The return to pre-COVID-19 numbers may also be delayed by stay-at-home promotions and motives. A study done in the United States in 2002 suggested that 39% of respondents were less likely to travel abroad due to 9/11 attacks.

The Caribbean could also be crowded out of advertising space by developed countries with large promotions budgets. In mid-2002 New York and Britain spent approximately US$30 million and US$57 million respectively on tourism rebound campaigns.

Hypothesis 4: By using the post-9/11 tourism market as an example, it is safe to add another four months to the travel intent period for numbers recovery. Thus June 1, 2021.

It is therefore my opinion that the most likely scenario for the Caribbean to see the light at the end of the tunnel will be circa June 1, 2021 en route to the achievement of 80% postCOVID-19 numbers by December 2021.

C2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

TRAVEL. LIFESTYLE. CUISINE.

Screen Fatigue?

Here Are the Top Board Games to Pass the Time Movies, TV shows and video games are a great and entertaining way to pass the time, but most people still want to take a break from sitting in front of a TV or computer. If you have screen fatigue or want something more interactive with the family, board games are a great option. Some are educational, strategic or cerebral, but all are fun a way to keep your mind sharp and test your skills. Here are some favorites:

Pictionary

After some six weeks, people in the United States, the Caribbean region and much of the rest of the world are still being mandated to stay at home due to measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic...and continue to look for ways to enjoy their forced sequestration. scoring tiles to spell words. The player with the most points from correctly spelled words is the winner. Players who still have tiles left will have the points on those tiles deducted from their final score.

Snakes and Ladders

Pictionary is a classic game of drawing and guessing pictures. The game includes a game board, four playing pieces and category cards, a one-minute sand timer and a die. Each board square is colored and corresponds to a category of cards with various words. Players have to attempt to draw (usually scribble) an image that illustrates the word on the card.

Scrabble

the most powerful being the queen and the least powerful the pawn. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, while supporting each other. During the game, play typically involves exchanging pieces for the opponent's similar pieces and finding and engineering opportunities to trade advantageously or to get a better position. In addition to checkmate, a player wins the game if the opponent resigns, or, in a timed game, runs out of time. There are also several ways that a game can end in a draw.

Draughts This is one of the less competitive, classic board games, but it is nonetheless the source of fun especially for younger family members.

Each player throws the die, working their way around the board looking for ladders and trying to avoid sliding down the slippery snakes.

Ludo

Ludo (known as “Ludi” in Jamaica) is one of the most popular board games played by Caribbean nationals and Caribbean-Americans.

The basic goal of the game is to guide your tokens (men) from “home” (by rolling a die) clockwise around the board along the game track to the finish center square. Each token moves along the board in accordance with the numbers that comes up on the die. The first person to get all their tokens to the square wins the game.

The game can be extremely frustrating as one can get very close to home (the center square) when your token is killed or forced off the board if another opponent's token lands on it.

Monopoly

Chess

This is a very popular and mentally challenging board game. Players attempt to gain points by making high scoring/unusual but acceptable words from the letters on the tiles.

The tiles show the points they are worth. Each player picks seven unseen tiles from a bag of tiles and hides their letters from opponents.

When it's your turn, you have to try and form a word with the tiles you have drawn. Players are able to select more tiles from the bag to replenish their original seven tiles after each time they pay. Certain letters bear high points scores and players should try to use the high

Chess is one of the oldest known board games still played to this day. It is an ideal game to pass time as since it involves deep thinking it is usually a slow-paced game.

The objective of the game for two players, usually considered keen thinkers and strategists, is to move around the 16 chess pieces, including one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each piece type moves differently, with

This game is for two players, and loosely similar to chess is played on a draught board.

Each player starts with twelve disc-shaped pieces in three rows along one side of the board and moves them diagonally with the aim of capturing all the opponent's pieces. The player who succeeds in capturing his/her opponent's pieces is the winner, Draughts is also very similar to another popular board game, Checkers.

The fun and competitive nature of these games can be enhanced if players play for incentives. Some people play for money, some for tokens or even for the control of the TV remote board when the games end.

Have fun, these board games will keep you from being bored, while you adhere to stay-athome orders. On the bright side, when the restrictions are lifted you will be adept at one or more of these board games.

This classic game sees two to six players make their way around a board as they buy, sell and trade properties to win. With only one winner of Monopoly, players collect rent from their opponents, with the goal being to drive them into bankruptcy. Money can also be gained or lost through community chest cards and tax squares. Players can also end up in jail, which they cannot move from until they have met one of several conditions.

LOG ON TO

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

C3

Vybz Kartel's Sentence Reduced Jamaica's Court of Appeal has reduced the time that dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel and his three co-convicts must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Two and a half years have been shaved off the deejay's lengthy sentence after the appellate court found an oversight in the trial judge's ruling.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, must now serve at least 32 years and 6 months instead of the 35 years minimum he was

Vybz Kartel

sentenced to serve for the murder of his associate Clive 'Lizard' Williams.

Dancehall artiste Shawn Storm, whose real

name is Shawn Campbell, and Kahira Johns will now serve 22 years and six months, while Andre St. John will serve 27 years and six months.

Vybz Kartel has been in custody since September 29, 2011, and will now be eligible for parole in the year 2046.

The four men were convicted in April 2014 for the murder of Williams at Kartel's former home in Havendale, St. Andrew, Jamaica.

Lawyers for the convicts had argued in their appeal that the life sentences handed down in the original trial were excessive. They also called into question the integrity and admissibility of the evidence in the case as well as the conduct of the original trial judge, Justice

Lennox Campbell.

After serving almost 6 years for that crime, the appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on April 3. The three-member Appeal's Court indicated that they would address the matter of sentencing at a later date and asked Kartel's attorneys for additional information.

In the decision handed down on April 17, the Court of Appeal ruled that the sentences imposed by Justice Campbell “cannot be said to have been excessive to such an extent as to call for this court's intervention.”

Kartel's lawyers have said they will be taking the matter to the Privy Council in the United Kingdom, Jamaica's highest appellate court.

Buju Banton Gives Powerful Movie About Grenadian Miss World 1970 goes digital Performance for BET’s COVID-19 Relief Effort Dancehall legend Buju Banton delivered a heartfelt and stirring performance on BET’s ‘Saving OurSelves’: A COVID-19 Relief Effort, on April 22.

The virtual event, which was hosted by actors Anthony Anderson, Terrence J and Regina Hall, and singer Kelly Rowland, featured a star-studded lineup which included Alicia Keys, Usher, John Legend, Kirk Franklin and many more.

Buju’s “All Will Be Fine” encourages people to “find light in the darkest times.” As he belted out the powerful refrain: “Today, today you’re down, comes tomorrow, chances of rising again seem hollow, doubts may be in your mind, ohh give it time and all will be fine” he describes what many people are feeling in the midst of this crisis. But he reminds us that “we are tomorrow's keepers” a “bright nation of thinkers” that we’re “Mighty, continues on D1 – Buju Banton

Weeks after the star-studded world premiere of the movie Misbehaviour in London, the Caribbeanthemed movie is now available on digital video-ondemand platforms.

Grenada, the Spice Island, has heralded the movie for its portrayal of a defining moment in history: the crowning of Grenadian Jennifer Hosten, the first woman of color as Miss World.

Pathé Film Studios announced that because the UK cinema release of Misbehaviour was cut short by the COVID-19 crisis (with cinemas closing only four days after the film's release), the film is being made available to watch at home three months ahead of schedule.

It is now available on all platforms (including Amazon Prime, Sky Store, and iTunes) for an exclusive period.

Jennifer Hosten, born in Grenada in 1947, was a flight attendant for BWIA (now Caribbean Airlines) when she took a leave of absence to compete in Miss World. The beauty competition was then the mostwatched TV show, and in 1970 was hosted by legendary U.S. comedian Bob Hope.

Interestingly, the live broadcast was interrupted by

a Women's Liberation Movement stage invasion which captivated the global audience. Then, as the world looked on, Miss Grenada, the self-styled Nutmeg Princess, was crowned the first woman of color Miss World and former conventions crumbled.

Misbehaviour, directed by BAFTA winner Philippa Lowthorpe (Three Girls), stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Grenadian, Jennifer Hosten, Keisha Knightley as a member of the newly formed Women's Liberation Movement, and an all-star cast including Jessie Buckley, Greg Kinnear, Lesley Manville, Keeley Hawes, Rhys Ifans, and Phyllis Logan.

Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) Chief Executive Officer Patricia Maher said: “Misbehaviour depicts a chapter of Jennifer's story that exemplifies her groundbreaking life as she helped put Grenada on the map fifty years ago. I invite you to take the time to view this remarkable story while you're at home and staying safe. We look forward to showing this film in Grenada when we can again gather socially.”

The comedy-drama, in which Grenada is mentioned throughout, ends with a fitting tribute from the Mighty Sparrow to 'Cousin Jennifer,' Miss World 1970.

C4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR NATHAN B. YOUNG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida (Board), intends to award one Construction firm for the following General Obligation Bond (GOB) project: PROJECT NO. 01619400 NATHAN B. YOUNG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RENOVATIONS 14120 N.W. 24th AVENUE OPA-LOCKA, FLORIDA 33054 BIDS DUE: Sealed bids will be received by The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida, for the project listed herein, until 2:00 P.M. local time, Thursday, May 28, 2020 at a location to be determined, following which time and place, or as soon there-after as the Board can attend to the same, the said bids will be publicly opened, read and tabulated at a location to be determined, by an authorized representative of the Board. Award of the contract will be made to the lowest, pre-qualified responsible and responsive bidder for the actual amount bid considering base bid and accepted alternates (if any) as listed in the bidding documents. The Board will award the contract based upon the results of the tabulations as covered by applicable laws and regulations.

Bidders desiring to participate in this solicitation must be pre-qualified by the Board prior to submitting their bid in response to this solicitation. Contact the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Office of Economic Opportunity at (305) 995-1307 or via email at oeo@dadeschools.net for information regarding Contractors' Pre-qualification procedures.

QUESTIONS: Written questions regarding this project will be accepted. All written communications must be sent to the Project Architect/Engineer, Franky Miguez (franky@kvharchitects.com), KVH Architects, P.A., 1500 N.W. 89 Court, Suite 221, Doral, Florida 33172. Questions will be accepted from 8:00 am on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Answers will only be issued to the Prime Contractors who attended the mandatory Pre-bid Conference.

MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE (Nathan B. Young Elementary School): Thursday, May 7, 2020 at Nathan B. Young Elementary School, 14120 N.W. 24th Avenue, Opa-Locka, Florida 33054. Due to site gathering limitations, any Prime Contractor who would like to attend must submit an email request to KVH Architects (see instructions below) to do so, and will be scheduled in the order of when said request is received. There will be up to four sessions scheduled (based on quantity of requests): Session 1: 8:00 AM to 9:45 AM Session 2: 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM Session 3: 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM (as needed) Session 4: 3:00 PM to 4:45 PM (as needed) Each session will be restricted to one representative from Prime Contracting firms only, limiting each group to a maximum of seven potential bidders for each of the proposed conferences. All attendees must always wear face masks and maintain a minimum of 6 feet distance from all other persons. Gloves are optional but recommended.

There will be a sign-in period for each session of 15 minutes from the start time of that session. Potential bidders arriving after the 15-minute sign-in period (of the session they are scheduled to attend) will not be allowed to participate in this solicitation. Proposals submitted by firms not represented at the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will not be considered.

SUBMITTING REQUEST TO ATTEND PRE-BID CONFERENCE: All Prime Contractors wishing to attend are to submit an e-mail to KVH Architects (franky@kvharchitects.com) confirming their attendance no later than Tuesday May 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. A PreBid Conference attendance confirmation email containing a scheduled time will be sent by the Project Architect/Engineer, to each potential attendee, no later than end of business day Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Prime contractors' will be instructed at each session of the procedure to schedule any additional site visits and/or walkthroughs as needed.

Please note that the District and KVH Architects are adhering to all CDC and DOH COVID-19 recommendations by limiting the number of persons at a site to a maximum of ten persons at any one time (Project Architect/Engineer, Project Manager, a school representative to facilitate opening of the site, and seven Prime Contractors), and requiring the use of Personal Protection Equipment.

BOARD POLICIES: Cone of Silence A Cone of Silence, pursuant to Board Policy 6325, shall commence with the issuance of this Legal Advertisement and shall terminate at the time the item is presented by the Superintendent to the appropriate Board committee immediately prior to the Board meeting at which the Board will award or approve a contract, reject all bids or responses, or take any other action that ends the solicitation and review process. Any violation of this rule shall be investigated by the Board's Inspector General and shall result in the disqualification of the potential applicant from the competitive solicitation process, rejection of any recommendation for award, or the revocation of an award to the vendor as being void, rendering void any previous or prior awards. The potential vendor or vendor's representative determined to have violated this rule, shall be subject to debarment.

General questions regarding the legal advertisement will be sent to the Office of Capital Improvement Projects via email at ocip@dadeschools.net, and a copy filed with the Clerk of the School Board at celiarubio@dadeschools.net, who shall make copies available to the public upon request.

Lobbyist Lobbyist requirements, pursuant to Board Policy 8150, shall be applicable to this solicitation and all proposers and lobbyists shall strictly conform to, and be governed by, the requirements set forth therein. Contact the Clerk of the School Board for additional information.

Vendor and Employment Preference Local-Vendor Preference, pursuant to Board Policy 6320.05, shall apply to this solicitation. Based on Board policy, Local Business means a vendor or business that has a valid business tax receipt, issued by a jurisdiction located in Miami-Dade County, that has either (1) its headquarters, manufacturing facility, or locally-owned franchise located within the legal boundaries of Miami Dade County, for at least twelve (12) months, or (2) has an office with a street address within the boundaries of Miami-Dade County for at least twenty-four (24) months, calculated from the bid or proposal opening date. Post office boxes are not verifiable and shall not be used for the purpose of establishing said physical address. In order to be considered for local preference, vendors must provide a copy of their business tax receipt and the Local Business Affidavit of Eligibility with their proposal. Proposers who fail to submit the required documents will not be considered for Vendor Preference.

Jessica Lunsford Act The successful proposer(s) shall fully comply with the State of Florida's House Bill 1877 “Jessica Lunsford Act” (JLA); FS 1012.465, 1012.32, 1012.467 & 1012.468 and Board Policy 4121.01, Employment Standards and Fingerprinting of all Employees (also refer to Board Policy 8475).

Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Anti-Fraud Proposers responding to this solicitation shall comply with the following ethics, conflict of interest and anti-fraud policies: - Board Policy 6460, Business Code of Ethics; - Board Policy 6460, Disclosure of Employment of Former School Board Employees; - Board Policy 8700, Anti-Fraud; and all related Board policies and procedures, as applicable Contractor Debarment Procedures Pursuant to Board Policy 6320.04, Contractor Discipline Procedures, debarred contractors are excluded from conducting business with the Board as agents, representatives, partners, and associates of other contractors, subcontractors or individual sureties.

Commercial Anti-discrimination, Diversity, and Inclusion Proposers responding to this solicitation shall comply with the following anti-discrimination policies: - Board Policy 6465, Commercial Anti-discrimination, Diversity, and Inclusion (proposers shall be required to certify compliance with Board Policy 6465); - Board Policy 1362.02, 3362.02 and 4362.02, Anti-discrimination/Harassment Complaint Procedure; and - all related Board policies and procedures, as applicable Protest Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed and in the manner specified in Board Policy 6320 (Purchase Approval and Competitive Bidding Process Requirements) or in accordance with FS Section 120.57(3) shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under FS Chapter 120.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The proposer acknowledges that all information contained in their RFQ Response is part of public domain as defined by the State of Florida Sunshine Law. Therefore, any information received is subject to public inspection and copying in accordance with FS 119. No action on the part of the proposer would create an obligation of confidentiality on the part of the School Board including, but not limited to, making a reference in the RFQ Response to trade secrets FS 812.081 and 815.045. It is recommended that potential proposers exclude from their response any information that, in their judgment, may be considered a trade secret.

Board policies, as amended from time to time, can be accessed and downloaded at: https://go.boarddocs.com/fl/sbmd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BK6KUF4FFE14.

The successful proposer(s) shall fully comply with the State of Florida's House Bill 1877 “Jessica Lunsford Act” (JLA); FS 1012.465, 1012.32, 1012.467 & 1012.468 and Board Policy 4121.01, Employment Standards and Fingerprinting of all. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed and in the manner specified in Board Policy 6320 or in accordance with §120.57(3). Fla. Stat. (2014) shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Pre-qualified bidders may obtain a CD of the documents for construction or a full set of printed documents for construction at the bidder's expense from the office of Go Green Document Solutions, Inc. 3715 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133 on and after, April 20, 2020.

OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Small/Micro, Minority/Women-Owned, and Veteran Business Enterprise Programs, Board Policy 6320.02 Awarded firms will be required to comply with Board Policy 6320.02 and submit a monthly report via the Online Diversity Compliance System for compliance with Small/Micro, Minority/Women and/or Veteran sub-consultant goals, sub-contractor goals, local workforce information, and/or any affirmative procurement initiatives. Awarded firms will be required to submit monthly compliance reports online at: http://miamidadeschools.diversitycompliance.com. Please note that the “Small/Micro Business Enterprise Program Administrative Procedures Manual”, Board-approved June 20, 2018, shall be applicable to this solicitation. Please contact the Office of Economic Opportunity at 305 995-1307 or via email at OEO@dadeschools.net for additional information.

Assistance levels, as established by the Goal Setting Committee: Nathan B. Young Elementary School: S/MBE Mandatory Subcontracting Goals: 11.63% Construction and 20% Local Work Force, within a 7-mile radius.

Mandatory M/WBE Subcontracting Goals: 8.37%- African American, Native American and Asian American firms.

The Board reserves the right to waive informalities and to reject any and all bids.

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: Alberto M. Carvalho Superintendent of Schools

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16 –

D1

CONTINUATIONS

Must Not Panic from A4

from A1

become more popular as a benchmark since West Texas Intermediate (WTI) has become more representative of the U.S. industry than the global oil market.

On Tuesday, the price of U.S. oil—which slumped to minus $37 at one point—was produced by a trading deadline and is now back close to a positive figure.

Oil prices have weakened sharply because of a combination of oversupply and a collapse in global demand due to the decline in economic activity caused by COVID-19 lockdown measures.

The price of a barrel of WTI fell into negative territory for the first time in history on Monday.

But that only related to the May contract, which was about to expire.

Khan told listeners how the developed countries deal in particular with the lockdown given that “each country has its own idea” Trinidad and Tobago would just have to “look and monitor the situation.

“We should be concerned but we shouldn't panic. Panic is not a good state of mind to be in.

There are a lot of areas for concern, there are a lot of areas we have to dig deep in our psyche to understand and to come to terms with [and] I think the government has been handling the situation well,” Khan said.

The CE0 of the Trinidad and Tobago Energy Chamber, Dr. Thackwray “Dax” Driver believes the low-price period will not be too prolonged, but the country must adjust accordingly.

“While these extremely low WTI prices are unlikely to last for a long time, Trinidad and Tobago needs to plan for a low-price environment and have policy measures in place that reflect that scenario,” Driver told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper.

Buju

Lockdown Woes lockdown was widely rumored over the past weekend, but Holness said many residents, especially the country's poor and vulnerable, would find it difficult to accept and navigate such a measure, as they are already struggling under the existing new normal.

The government has urged citizens to stock up on essentials and stay indoors, but videos have surfaced on social media of residents in inner-city communities like Rema and Denham Town deliberately disobeying curfew orders. Residents complain that, especially in these communities, numerous of people typically reside in one household where there is often no electricity and it is extremely hot, making it

difficult for them to stay indoors.

Additionally, many residents voiced their frustrations that they are unable to stock up on groceries and other essential items to last a week or even a few days, as they would need to have the extra cash. This is simply not possible for Jamaicans living near or below the poverty line. And, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents have lost jobs or have been forced to take salary cuts, and must now prioritize their necessities. Even before this global crisis, most Jamaicans didn't have enough funds to get them through a month of uncertainty.

The norm for a significant portion of the population is to shop when they have

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triumphant, fearless” and we should “wake up” and “be a beacon of hope.”

Buju Banton is gearing up to release his 13th studio album, titled Upside Down. The project will be his first since releasing “Before The Dawn” in 2010.

According to Buju Banton, the album comprises of 20 tracks. Why? “Because it’s 2020… and another reason, after a 10-year absence, we try to give the people some music for that missing time.”

The deejay also recently shared via Instagram that he was in the studio with popular American music producer and artist, Pharrell Williams.

Pharrell is responsible for some of the most popular hits of Rihanna, Madonna, Jay-Z, among other artists. The post has sparked excitement among fans that believe Pharrell will produce music on Buju’s project.

His first single off the album, “Ganja Man” will be released on April 20.

money—buying their groceries and medication on payday, shopping when they get remittances from family abroad, or simply providing for themselves and their families on a day-to-day basis.

Now that an entire parish, with a population of over 500,000 people, is on lockdown...and movement outside of the parish is only permitted for essential workers, those residents who are deemed “non-essential” are being forced to survive on whatever savings they have or the remittances they can collect until the restrictions are lifted.

Down

Mineral springs 60 secs.

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Bunched Rind Love, Italian-style Ogle Actor _____ Allen Over again San Antonio shrine Juvenile Most stern Cow chow Opening bet Skin abrasion As well Odd-looking fish Swimming pot Label Mellowed Dominate Take to court Deteriorates

1. Masts 2. Kilt feature 3. Major feature 4. Location 5. Like a bright night 6. Under the weather 7. Robin’s homes 8. Astronaut 9. Atom part 10. Coffee vessel 11. Belly 16. Burlap bag 20. _____ standstill (2 wds.)

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47. Baseball’s _____ Gehrig 49. Water, to Jacques

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Jockey Rajiv Maragh Lands Double At Gulfstream Park Jamaican jockey Rajiv Maragh produced contrasting rides to land a double at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale last Sunday, to mark his first real success of the summer campaign.

The 34-year-old opened his account in race three with a front-running effort aboard 7-1 choice Ingreido before using a come-from-behind strategy with 9-1 chance Eternal Peace to capture race five.

Maragh, who boasts four Breeders Cup titles during a successful career, now has three wins from 24 starts.

Tyler Gaffalione tops the early standings with 23 wins from 97 rides while Luis Saez is three behind in second from 104 appearances.

Going a mile in race three, Maragh paired with Ingreido to beat the three-year-olds and upward by three-and-a-half lengths in a time of one minute, 37.99 seconds.

Maragh broke the four-year-old dark bay colt smartly and put him straight to the lead along the inside, shaking off an early challenge from Strong Ending through the first turn, to post splits of 23.91

seconds for the quarter and 46.60 for the half.

Ingreido remained under pressure from Strong Ending until the stretch run when the colt opened up a handsome lead under a strong drive from Maragh.

Up against the three-year-old and upward maiden fillies and mares in race seven also over a mile, Maragh brought Eternal Peace with a late run to win the US$4500 event by a head.

Maragh settled the four-year-old brown filly off

the pace and in mid-pack as 9-1 choice Winnipeg Wonder produced fractions of 23.12 for the quarter and 47.97 for the half, with All I Need stalking and Pop a Choc chasing.

After six furlongs, Maragh brought Eternal Peace into contention, chasing down Winnipeg Wonder to grab the lead in the deep stretch and before holding off favorite Talking Book to claim victory in a time of 1:36.45.

D3

Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale Donates £1M To UK Hospitals Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is donating nearly £1million to hospitals in the UK and Spain during the coronavirus pandemic.

The classy gesture, first revealed

by The Sun, will see over £500,000 given to NHS Wales, the country which Bale originates from.

The donation has been made to the University Hospital of Wales, where the player was born.

In a video posted on Cardiff & Vale Health Charity’s social media, Bale thanked all the frontline workers for their hard work during this global health crisis.

The former Tottenham playmaker, who earns a whopping £650,000-a-week, is also set to hand over another £440,000 to hospitals around Madrid.

Bale, whose contract runs until 2022, has previously been linked with big-money summer moves to Manchester United and Tottenham.

Bale has won four Champions League trophies and a LaLiga title since joining Madrid for £85million from Spurs in 2013.

Decision On Windies Tour To South Africa Set For Next Month Cricket South Africa is expected to make a decision on the future of the tour of West Indies next month, after Monday announcing the cancelLation of the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.

South Africa are scheduled to face West Indies in two Tests and five Twenty20

Internationals from July 15 to August 16 but that tour now seems likely to fall victim to the novel coronavirus pandemic which has already resulted in over 2.4 million infections and 166,000 deaths globally.

Media reports in Johannesburg, South Africa said CSA officials would decide on the Windies series in “mid-May.” Cricket West Indies has already scrapped some of its domestic tournaments but said recently it was continuing to monitor developments and would liaise with the partner

boards before making any determination on upcoming series.

In announcing the cancellation of the tour of Sri Lanka set for June, CSA's acting chief executive Jacques Faul said decisions regarding tours would be made in the players' best interests.

“It is very sad that we have been forced to take this step and we will reschedule the tour as soon as cricket returns to a sense of normality and our international fixture list allows,” Faul said.

The English-speaking Caribbean has recorded over 800 infections from the virus known as COVID-19, with 49 deaths reported.

South Africa has recorded 3,300 infections and 58 deaths and are in the midst of a stringent five-week lockdown scheduled to end May 1.

If the tour is called off, it will be a huge blow to both sides, with the five T20Is expected to serve as crucial preparation for the T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia from October 18 to November 15.

D4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY

| THURSDAY, APR 23 – APR 29, 2020 | VOL. 17 NO. 16

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