CNW90 October 16, 2020 – Caribbean News

With a look at some of the top stories making the news today, October 16 across your Caribbean-American community in South Florida, I’m…for CNW 90.

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

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

Coming up in the newscast, COVID-19 cases increase in Miami-Dade and Broward County schools, over 200 Jamaican cops have tested positive for COVID and the CDC clears six Caribbean islands for travel.

Now for the news in the detail

Less than two weeks after schools in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties reopened with face-to-face classes, both school districts have reported COVID-19 cases among students and staff. In Miami-Dade, the school’s district has confirmed 28 COVID-19 cases since schools reopened for in-person learning on October 5. 14 of the cases are among school employees, with the additional 14 cases being confirmed among students. In Broward County, more than 45 Broward County public schools staff members and one student have also tested positive for the coronavirus. The numbers were reported on Monday, just four days after Broward public schools opened their doors to students for in-person learning. Broward will give another update on the cases in schools today. In the meantime, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said that about 30,000 students have opted for in-person learning. The superintendent said the district is actively answering calls from parents who now want to send their students back to school, as there is still room.

Now for Caribbean News,

In Jamaica, more than 230 members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case was recorded in Jamaica in March. Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson provided the numbers during a virtual media briefing as he indicated the impact that the pandemic has had on the JCF, which has just over 11,000 active members. Major Anderson said that the force has had 239 COVID-19 cases since March, with over 200 members currently in quarantine. Anderson did not indicate if the JCF has recorded any COVID related deaths. The numbers come just has Jamaica surpasses 8,000 COVID-19 cases. The island yesterday also recorded nine new deaths, to push the total COVID-19 death toll to 160.

Also in Caribbean News,

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC has cleared six Caribbean islands for travel. The islands are Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia. The CDC says that American citizens can now visit these countries as the risk of contracting COVID-19 on these islands is ‘very low’. Virtually all other countries in the Caribbean including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Antigua and The Bahamas remain on the CDC’s level three travel advisory list. For these countries, the CDC urges travellers to “avoid” and consider postponing non-essential travel.

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

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