Black Immigrant Daily News

The government said that the Cayman Islands has achieved an important milestone in efforts to rebuild stayover tourism arrivals.

The milestone, according to an airlift capacity report created by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism Research Unit, is that there was an increase of 1,253 seats in the fourth quarter of this year, representing a 1 per cent increase in capacity over Q4 2019, and is a positive indication of tourism restoration moving towards 2023.

Commenting on seat capacity increase, Minister for Tourism and Transport, Kenneth Bryan, said:

The airlift capacity report is a welcome indication of recovery as we look ahead to the 2022 – 2023 season.

The PACT Government’s easing of the travel regulations has unlocked pent-up demand. However, we cannot become complacent. Our focus is to drive growth from the markets where it will have the most positive impact. While we celebrate a net increase in available seats for Q4 2022, we must also continue to strive for opportunities to increase the number of flights, operating airlines and gateway cities.

Based on the information reported by the government, the net growth in seats is driven in part by:

Increased American Airlines connections through Charlotte and Miami,Southwest’s strong feeder markets in Texas,United’s growth in Washington D.C. and NewarkA new non-stop route from Baltimore-Washington.

However, many secondary markets with less frequent service, such as Philadelphia and Boston are pacing behind 2019 capacities, while historical stalwart Delta is still in a rebuilding phase with its connections through Atlanta.

The report also shows signs of longer-term growth in Q1 2023: with Dallas and Houston showing Year over Year growth of 5 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.

Cayman Airways is one of the destination’s most important advantages in mitigating any loss in capacity from U.S. carriers and can serve as a silver bullet for market development. The national flag carrier’s new non-stop route to Los Angeles accounts for 1,280 seats in Q4 2022 and could have a disproportionate positive impact in growing arrivals from southern California, through increased awareness and focused marketing and sales activity.

Speaking about the work the team at the Department of Tourism is doing, Mrs. Rosa Harris, Director of that department said:

Airlift is the oxygen of our islands’ tourism industry, and our global team has been working hard, engaging with the airlines to restore routes and seats.

A spirit of teamwork between the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Cayman Airways, Cayman Border Control, the Cayman Islands Airport Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority, coupled with cooperation with the private sector is the key to our success.

As we continue to collaborate in rebuilding our stayover arrivals and welcoming visitors back to our beautiful shores, further increasing the Cayman Islands’ airlift remains a top priority.

In Q1 2023, seats from New York are reported as trailing Q1 2019 by 8 per cent. The tri-state area has traditionally been the leading source market when temperatures are coldest and demand and accommodations rates, and subsequently tax revenue and on-island visitor spending, are highest.

“Year-over-year growth from the New York market is always a priority, added Mrs Harris. “Instilling confidence amongst the airlines and sharing booking pace and demand indicators as contextual data in partnership with our accommodations sector will help the Cayman Islands extend our momentum.”

Visitors are encouraged to visit the following web page to familiarize themselves with the current COVID-related travel entry requirements for visiting the Cayman Islands: https://www.visitcaymanislands.com/en-us/travel-requirements.

(Source: CIG)

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The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has put a major dent in the illegal firearms trade, with the charging of a man described as the mastermind behind the recent illegal importation of 21 guns into the island.

Charged with conspiracy to Illegally Import firearm and conspiracy to Iillegally import ammunition is 51-year-old Godfrey Martin otherwise called ‘Rev’, a businessman of Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.

Martin was arrested in Ocho Rios, St Ann on Sunday, August 7 by detectives assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Branch (C-TOC), following intense investigations, which featured several lines of enquiry.

The weapons were seized at a freight in Kingston on March 04, 2022, by members of the Jamaica Customs Agency who discovered anomalies.

Eighteen handguns, three rifles, and a large cache of ammunition were found. He is scheduled to appear in the Gun Court on Friday, September 16

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 The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment is aware of a publication by various media houses regarding a traffic accident which took place on Friday 5th August 2022 in Fig Tree Drive.

In the various media reports, it is being alleged that the Antigua Barbuda Emergency Medical Services took a while to arrive on the scene which resulted in the driver and other coworkers of the vehicle from which the patient initially fell transported him to the hospital and was met by the Ambulance in the vicinity of the Townhouse Megastore.

The Ministry investigated the allegations and would like to inform the public of the facts in this particular matter.

The ABEMS received the call from the Public Safety Network (911) through EMS dispatch at 3.52pm

At the time of receiving the call, two ambulances and the rapid response unit that were on shift at the time were out in the field attending to other emergencies

Once those calls were completed, the first available ambulance responded immediately to the scene of the accident at 4.08pm

The Ambulance intercepted the vehicle transporting the patient in the vicinity of the Townhouse Megastore at 4:11pm

The patient was transferred to the Ambulance and necessary interventions made by the Emergency Medical Technicians

The ABEMS left the scene at 4:15pm and the patient was handed over to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre Emergency Room at 4:19pm

The length of time from receiving the call from the Public Safety Network (911) to the patient being handed over to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre was 26 minutes

The timeframe from when the ABEMS received the call from 911to when the patient was handed over to the Hospital is considered to be acceptable by international standards

Notwithstanding, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment and the Management of the Antigua Barbuda Emergency Medical Services would like to express our deepest condolences to the family on the passing of their loved one.

Meanwhile, the ABEMS is concerned about the level of non-emergency calls that are requesting the ambulatory services. From January 1st to July 31st, 2022, the ABEMS received 7,841 calls.

The department receives on average, 35 calls per day and of these calls, only 20% are genuine emergencies. This practice, plays a major factor in the logistical challenges of response time to such emergencies.

The ABEMS, upon receiving calls from the Public Safety Network (911) has a responsibility to respond to every call since every call is treated as a genuine emergency until proven otherwise.

Even if after assessing the situation upon arrival it is determined by the Emergency Medical Technicians that it is not a genuine emergency, the ABEMS has a responsibility to still transfer the patient to the hospital once they request it. We are therefore imploring members of the public to desist from this practice so that the ABEMS can continue to provide the best possible pre-hospital care to those persons who are genuinely in need of emergency assistance.

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The Saint Lucia Workers Credit Union (SLWCU) has presented five scholarships to the children of its members.

SLWCU President Mitchelson Phillips said three scholarships went to students entering secondary school and two to students attending Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

He disclosed that the annual sum involved was approximately $4,500 for the secondary school students and $10,000 for the others.

“It is a way of giving back because all members play a very important role within the organisation,” Phillips explained.

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He disclosed that the SLWCU would like to reach out to more members.

“We would like to help out more members, but we cannot reach everyone. However we try our best to assist,” the SLWCU President stated.

The credit union has a committee to which members apply regarding scholarships for their children.

Phillips said the organisation first tries to assist students with higher grades and parents who cannot afford to send their children to secondary school.

Headline photo: SLWCU President (Centre) with four of the scholarship awardees who were present at the ceremony. 

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