ORANGE, California (AP) — The US topped 4,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day for the first time, breaking a record set just one day earlier, with several Sun Belt states driving the surge. Read More
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP)— Westjet, Canada's second largest airline, announced Friday temporary layoffs of as many as 1,000 staff as demand for flights dropped off with the sudden introduction of stricter Canadian entry rules to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Read More
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP)— Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac's local partner in Brazil applied Friday for emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, the first to seek regulatory approval in the hard-hit country, officials said. Read More
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, (CMC)— Premier Alden McLaughlin says that it is unlikely that cruise ships will be returning to the territory this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read More
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP)— The WHO on Friday urged countries to stop making bilateral deals for COVID-19 vaccines and, if they have signed contracts for more than they need, to release them to the globally-shared Covax programme. Read More
LONDON, England (AP) — Britain has recorded 1,325 new coronavirus deaths, the highest figure since the start of pandemic.Not all the deaths announced by the government on Friday occurred on the same day. They include people who died within 28 days of a positive test. Read More
KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 88 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed worldwide, with over 1.8 million people across 196 countries and territories having died and over 54.7 million having recovered from the virus. Read More
KINGSTON, Jamaica— A 69-year-old man from St Elizabeth has become Jamaica's latest COVID-19 fatality bringing the country's death toll to 307.The country also recorded 43 new cases of the virus pushing the total number of cases recorded in the country to 13,411. Read More
LONDON, England (AP) — Britain has authorized a coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna, the third to be licensed for use in the country as it ramps up a vaccination program critical to lifting the UK out of the pandemic. Read More
BERLIN, Germany (AFP)— German company BioNTech said Friday a preliminary study shows that its vaccine works against a key mutation in coronavirus variants uncovered in Britain and South Africa which experts have said is more contagious than normal coronavirus strains. Read More
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC)— The Deputy Commissioner of Police in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Frankie Joseph, has tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, Commissioner of Police Colin John and other senior ranks are now in quarantine. Read More
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's drug agency on Friday approved doctors drawing up to six doses from each vial of the coronavirus vaccine made by BioNTech-Pfizer, a move that could speed up the pace of vaccinations in the 27-nation bloc. Read More
NEGRIL, Westmoreland - Richard Wallace, president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, is pleading with the financial institutions and utility companies to renew the support they offered to businesses during the early stage of the coronavirus... Read More
THE relatively short period of time in which medical scientists and pharmaceutical corporations have developed COVID-19 vaccines is now a hot topic among sceptics and the anti- immunisation lobby, but local health authorities are assuring Jamaicans that the antidotes are backed by years... Read More
From left: Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmoreland Eastern Danny Lawrence; Morland Wilson, Westmoreland Western MP, Eric “Busha” Clarke, chairman of the Western Regional Health Authority; George Wright, MP Westmoreland Central; and Hazeline Forrester, director of nursing services,... Read More