World News

New Zealand's parliament has backed down in a dispute with a Maori MP who refused to wear a tie.

Rawiri Waititi was allowed to address the chamber, a day after being ejected for breaking its dress code by wearing a traditional pendant called hei-tiki instead of a tie. The parliament speaker later said ties would no longer be required as part of appropriate business attire. He said it was a win for the many generations to come. He said it meant that parliament is a place that people can freely express their cultural identity.

He said: "This was always about the greater cause of the subjugation and assimilation that Maori have had to face for the past 181 years." Mr Waititi was ejected from parliament over a rule that male MPs can only ask questions in the debating chamber if wearing a tie.

Speaker Trevor Mallard twice prevented the Maori Party co-leader from asking questions before he was removed from the chamber. As he left the room Mr Waititi said."It's not about ties, it's about cultural identity."  The incident marked the latest dispute between the two men over the issue.

Late last year, Mr Waititi was told that he would be ejected from the House if he did not wear a tie. The MP has previously described ties as ‘colonial nooses’. When he returned, he was given permission to ask a supplementary question while wearing his Maori pendant.

Mr Mallard later announced that following a majority decision by the Standing Orders Committee - which reviews and considers the rules that govern how the House operates - ties would no longer be required.

He wrote on Twitter: "As Speaker, I am guided by the committee's discussion and decision, and therefore ties will no longer be considered required as part of 'appropriate business attire'. I acknowledge those who felt this was an important issue worthy of further consideration."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern previously said she did not object to people refusing to wear ties, but that there were bigger things to be focusing on. "I don't think New Zealanders care about ties," she said.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) has published a list of clinics and medical premises where international visitors can book a Covid-19 test before returning to countries that require a negative result, such as the UK. Over 100 medical practices spread all over the country are included in the document approved by the Ministry of Health.

These medical practices can carry out two types of Covid-19 testing: PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and lateral flow antigen tests; and some of these practices can do the testing at hotels. Results of the PCR tests will be delivered by email within 48 hours and within two hours for the antigen tests. Costs of the PCR tests vary from $100 (approximately £75) in and around the country’s capital city of San Jose – where the main international airport is located – to $150 (approximately £110) elsewhere.

Gustavo Segura Sancho, Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister, said: “Costa Rica is a safe destination to visit in 2021. The country has an exemplary healthcare system; easily accessible from the whole country; compulsory Covid-19 insurance to enter the country; reliable testing data; and clear protection protocols in place. We are really looking forward to welcoming our British friends again.”

Last year, Costa Rica’s sector-wide Covid-19 recovery efforts were recognised by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), who gave Costa Rica its Safe Travels stamp, which allows travellers to identify destinations and businesses which have adopted the global standardised health and hygiene protocols.

Visitors from the UK and all over the world can enter Costa Rica as long as they complete a digital epidemiological form and have travel insurance that covers accommodation in case of quarantine and medical expenses due to Covid-19 illness – this insurance can be also acquired at the airport in Costa Rica. A negative result of the PCR Covid-19 test is not necessary for passengers who enter the country by air.

India has suspended mobile internet services in three areas around the capital, Delhi, where farmers are staging a hunger strike in protest at new agriculture laws. The government said the shutdown would continue until Sunday night to "maintain public safety".

Tens of thousands of protesting farmers have been camped out on Delhi's outskirts for more than a month. Talks between unions and the government have failed to break the deadlock.

The protest made international headlines when a tractor rally ended in violent clashes that left one protester dead and dozens of police officers injured. Some demonstrators stormed Delhi's historic Red Fort and occupied it until police pushed them back.

The interior ministry said mobile internet services had been suspended at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri - the districts where farmers have gathered. Farmers' leaders said the one-day hunger strike had been timed to coincide with the anniversary of the death of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Union leader Darshan Pal said: "The farmers' movement was peaceful and will be peaceful

Reports suggest that protesters reacted angrily to the internet shutdown with farmers accusing officials of trying to "create a panic" and "killing democracy." The government action comes amid rising tensions at the locations where farmers are based.

Ghanaians paid their last respect to former president Jerry Rawlings, during the second of a four-day event organised in his honour by the government and his family.

Rawlings' coffin was displayed at Accra International Conference Centre, where the body remains until today. The former president will be buried tomorrow (Wednesday).

Born in 1947 to a Scottish father, James Ramsay John, a pharmacist from Castle Double, and Ghanaian mother Madam Victoria Agbotui from Dzelukope of the Volta Region, the former leader who staged two coups and later led the West African country's transition to a stable democracy, he trained as an air force officer and came to power in 1979 after leading his first coup, and then transferring power to civilian rule soon after.

His burial was delayed, in part, because of disagreements between Ghana's current political leaders.

Credited with embedding democracy in Ghana and establishing social and political stability during two decades in public life, Rawlings, a former air force officer, twice led military take-overs, before later returning the country to multi-party politics and winning elections.

Jerry Rawlings’ daughter Zanetor said of him: “My father was very loving and was passionate about a lot of things.”

Late former President Jerry John Rawlings will be accorded a Commander-in-Chief status at his burial service with the Ghana Armed Forces set to fire a 21-gun salute as well as offering other military courtesies to him.

He died in November, age 73, and was survived by his wife, Nana Konandu Agyeman, three daughters- the afore-mentioned Zenator, Yaa Asantewa, Amina and a son, Kimathi Rawlings.

As President Joe Biden has stamped his own mark on the Oval Office with furnishings reflecting his own tastes and politics Kamala Harris smashed through one of America's highest glass ceilings as she became the first woman, first Black and person of South Asian heritage to be appointed vice president, as she blazes a trail in the most diverse White House ever.

As running mate to the President’s Joe Biden, Harris, 56, enters the post having already forged a unique path, as California's first Black attorney general and the first woman of South Asian heritage elected to the US Senate.  Following the inauguration, the new Vice President tweeted; "A new chapter begins today.

“Let's get to work" as she now becomes a heartbeat away from leading the United States.

The 46^th President of the USA, Mr Biden entered his new office to sign a series of executive orders hours in to his new lauded position; including signing 10 executive orders to tackle Covid-19 which has ravaged the US - Vaccination will be accelerated and testing increased. Emergency legislation will be used to increase production of essentials like masks.

The president said it would take months to defeat the pandemic but America would "get through this" if people stood together. The moves come only a day after he was sworn in.

With the president, aged 78, expected to serve only one term in office, VP Harris would be favoured to win the Democratic nomination in 2024, giving her a shot at more history-making -- as America's first female president.

"While I may be the first woman in this office, I won't be the last," she said in a November speech, her first after US networks projected Biden and Harris as the winners over Trump and former vice president Mike Pence.

On his way out of the White House, Trump left a note for his successor — continuing a tradition started by President Ronald Reagan in 1989. There was no word on the message said.

Ugandans are celebrating the resumption of internet services after a shutdown was imposed ahead of the recent election. However, social media platforms remain blocked and are only accessible using Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

President Yoweri Museveni, who won an unprecedented sixth term in office, had accused the platforms of being biased. Bobi Wine, presidential candidate for the opposition National Unity Platform, alleged the poll was marred by fraud.

The party's spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi accused Mr Museveni of shutting down the internet to prevent them from sharing evidence of fraud. He said that the party was in the process of collecting election results forms that have evidence of irregularities.

Mr Ssenyonyi told the Reuters news agency that NUP's offices had been raided saying;

"They don't want work to continue at our offices because they know that we are putting together evidence to show the world how much of a fraudster Museveni is." President Museveni said that the poll could be the "most cheating-free" in the history of the country.

The electoral commission declared Mr Museveni the winner with 59% of the vote, with his closest challenger Bobi Wine, a pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, garnering 34%. Mr Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986. His party is also on course to secure an overwhelming majority in the 500-member parliament.

Yogananda Pittman, a senior-ranking female law enforcement officer and HBCU graduate, has made history after her recent appointment as the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police department.

Pittman began her law enforcement career with the United States Capitol Police in April 2001, and she has steadily worked her way up the ranks to be named Assistant Chief of Police in October 2019.

In 1991, she graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. In 2018, she completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and graduated from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives’ CEO Mentoring Program. In 2019, she earned her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

“It is very important for young female law enforcement officers to see someone who looks like them in leadership positions,” Yogananda says. “It says to them that these positions are obtainable and available to them. I enjoy being a mentor. I was very fortunate to have great mentors myself.

“Often officers will stop me and ask my advice, and it means a lot to me to be able to discuss their future plans and offer my insights. I am very appreciative of WIFLE and its mission, and for their selecting me for this honour.”

Her appointment came just one week after the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., was breached by hundreds of Trump supporters, which resulted in multiple injuries and at least 5 deaths.

A team of World Health Organisation (WHO) officials has arrived in the Chinese city of Wuhan to start its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes after months of negotiations between the WHO and Beijing. With Covid-19 first being detected in Wuhan in central China in late 2019, the group of 10 scientists is set to interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.

The team's arrival coincides with a resurgence of new coronavirus cases in the north of the country, while life in Wuhan is relatively back to normal. The group will undergo two weeks of quarantine before beginning their research, which will rely upon samples and evidence provided by Chinese officials. Just before the trip team leader Peter Ben Embarek said that it "could be a very long journey before we get a full understanding of what happened. I don't think we will have clear answers after this initial mission, but we will be on the way."

The probe, which aims to investigate the animal origin of the pandemic, looks set to begin after some initial hiccups. Earlier the WHO said its investigators were denied entry into China after one member of the team was turned back and another got stuck in transit. But Beijing said it was a misunderstanding and that arrangements for the investigation were still in discussion.

China has been saying for months that although Wuhan is where the first cluster of cases was detected, it is not necessarily where the virus originated. Professor Dale Fisher, chair of the global outbreak and response unit at the WHO, said that he hoped the world would consider this a scientific visit. "It's not about politics or blame but getting to the bottom of a scientific question," he said. Prof Fisher added that most scientists believed that the virus was a "natural event."

The visit coincides with China reporting its first fatality from Covid-19 in eight months. News of the death in northern Hebei province prompted anxious chatter online and the hashtag ‘new virus death in Hebei’ trended briefly on social media platform Weibo.

The country has largely brought the virus under control through quick mass testing, stringent lockdowns and tight travel restrictions. But new cases have been resurfacing in recent weeks, mainly in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and Heilongjiang province in the northeast.

Leading communications, safety, and security systems integrator, Optilan, have just announced the official opening of its new office in Mumbai, India. One the UK’s major communications specialists for the energy, power, rail, and infrastructure sectors, it is involved in key UK infrastructure projects such as Cross-rail and major international energy infrastructure works, including the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline.

Optilan’s new Indian Engineering Hub will serve as a primary centre for driving cutting edge innovation. The decision to open the Engineering Hub is testament to Optilan’s growing commitment to invest in India’s world class engineering talent, as part of its mission to create security, safety, and communications related solutions that can have a genuinely global impact.

The new office houses employees from diverse disciplines, with a focus on the provision of skilled services to support the rest of the Optilan Group as part of a seamless international operation. It will facilitate Optilan’s drive to develop its innovative approach to service solutions and project delivery.

Bill Bayliss, Chief Executive Officer at Optilan, said: “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Indian Engineering Hub. Optilan operates within a highly competitive industry that’s characterised by constant change. This evolving landscape demands innovative approaches to how we transfer both skills and expertise, in order to produce hubs of engineering excellence to service our global business.

“The decision to set up the Engineering hub in India was more than justified, given it is home to some of the world’s most exceptional engineering talent. Its addition to our portfolio is driven by Optilan’s strategic plans for continued growth and development across the Middle East and South Asia region, through an investment in local operations with local presence.

“We are excited to tap into the engineering talent available in this part of the country, motivated by our vision of creating a truly pioneering organisation that will build innovative solutions for global impact.”

The new office complements Optilan’s existing offices in the UK, UAE, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement:

“We are profoundly heartbroken by the disturbing actions at the U.S. Capitol that are being viewed around the world. The behaviour we are witnessing has no place in any peaceful democracy, much less in the country that is supposed to be the foremost example of democratic principles.

“Working American families depend on a productive government to facilitate their livelihoods—especially in this time of unprecedented crisis and challenge—and the wilful disruption of our democratic transition is an unacceptable act of harm that is felt not just in Washington, but in every corner of the country.

“With all our hearts, we urge the swift and peaceful end to the chaos and mayhem in our capital city, and that we come together to heal and move forward for the sake of our country and our future.”

Nigeria expects to get its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of this month as part of its plan to inoculate 40% of the population this year and a further 30% next year, the head of the country's primary healthcare agency, Faisal Shuaib, has said. The first batch would contain 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, obtained through the global vaccine-sharing scheme known as Covax.

Nigeria will first inoculate frontline health workers, first responders, national leaders, people vulnerable to coronavirus and the elderly, Mr Shuaib said. The country hopes to get 42 million vaccines to cover one-fifth of its population through the scheme, he added. WHO (the World Health Organisation) set up the Covax scheme to help poorer countries obtain Covid-19 vaccines amid widespread concerns that the wealthier nations would snap them up before the lesser ones.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said last week that the country expected to get vaccines through Covax scheme by the second quarter of 2021, following the initial payment of 283 million rand ($19.3; £14.1m). Health Minister Zweli Mkhize subsequently said that the government was also in talks with private pharmaceutical companies to obtain vaccines by next month.

South Africa's government has been under intense pressure to roll out an inoculation programme following the discovery of a faster spreading variant of the virus. The country has recorded more than 1.1 million Covid-19 cases, the highest in Africa.

Nigeria – with approximatley 200 million, the biggest in Africa - has so far recorded close to 100,000 cases. More than 1,200 new cases were recorded on Monday, its highest ever.

The pandemic has drastically decreased demand for oil and gas globally and some producers have been forced to act. New data shows that as the demand dropped, most oil and gas rigs were shut down. Data presented by Bankr indicates that the United States oil and gas rigs in operation have dropped by 59.49% between February 2020 and November 2020.

In February, the rigs were 790 while in November the number was at 320. The research also overviewed the weekly Brent, OPEC Basket, and WTI crude oil prices between 30 December 2019, to 7 December 2020. During the period, the OPEC basket dropped by 30.65% with the lowest price at $14.19 on April 20. WTI crude oil prices plunged by 25.81% while April 20 registered the lowest price at -$37.63. Elsewhere, the Brent price plummeted by 28.71% and the lowest value was on April 28 at $20.46.

The drop in the number of US oil and gas rigs have historically followed changes in oil prices over an elongated period. However, the 2020 decline in rigs followed the dramatic decrease in the oil prices at a rapid pace. The rig count began to plunge in February, something that was reflected by the sudden loss of oil and gas demand globally due to the pandemic.

The global oil consumption is mainly driven by the transport sector and in the course of the health crisis, authorities imposed lockdowns that grounded travel. A combination of falling demand, rising supply, and decreasing storage space led to a massive crude petroleum price drop. The negative price movement’s impact was significant on April 20 when crude petroleum traded at a negative price.

The steady closure of rigs translates to less oil being produced. The closure continued across the year as producers ran out of space to store their extra oil with the crisis continuing to bite. At some point, the government intervened with President Donald Trump pledging support for the oil industry. Government storage facilities were opened, so that producers do not have to sell at a loss due to lack of storage. However, these measures appear to have had little impact on the sector. Furthermore, some rigs were forced to shut down as a safety measure for workers. This is after several facilities recorded cases of Covid-19.

The closure was necessitated by the fact that most rigs have limited medical facilities, great distances from the mainland hence it could be devastating if they recorded cases of coronavirus. However, the emergence of a vaccine could reverse the fortunes of the sector.

On the other hand, gas rig activity is known to decrease alongside the natural gas price.

However, the decrease in natural gas prices began earlier even before the pandemic. Gas rigs have been impacted by the warm weather and relatively small withdrawals from storage during the winter which led to a sustained decrease in the gas price. After collapsing to worse levels in April, oil prices have partially rebounded following several response measures like the lifting of the lockdowns.

Additionally, the steep response by OPEC and its partners are key in controlling oil production. The recovery in prices was driven by a reduction in production through the OPEC+ initiative. The group agreed to cut production by 9.7mb/d, which is about 10% of the global oil supply. In general, while oil consumption has risen from its lows in 2020 Q2, it remains well below its pre-pandemic level.

Going into 2021, the pandemic’s full effect on the oil rigs and prices cannot be fully quantified. The crush might have a lasting impact on consumption due to changing consumer behaviour. In the long-term, the pandemic is likely to affect oil consumption as people cut on air travel for business with a preference for remote working. Working from home trends might also lower the gasoline demand. The future forecast in oil demand will also impact corporate investment decisions.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that regional restrictions in England are "probably about to get tougher" to curb rising Covid infections. He said stronger measures may be required in parts of the country in the coming weeks. He also warned that this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, although this is not "something we want to do". But he added ministers had to be "realistic" about the spread of the new variant of the virus.

Mr Johnson said the government was "entirely reconciled to doing what it takes to get the virus down," and warned of a "tough period ahead". He also said increasing vaccination would provide a way out of restrictions and that he hoped "tens of millions" would be vaccinated in the next three months.

Defending his handling of the pandemic, the prime minister said the government had taken "every reasonable step that we reasonably could" to prepare for winter. But he said ministers "could not have reasonably predicted" the new, more transmissible variant of the virus that has emerged over the autumn. He also urged parents to send their children to primary school on Monday if they are open in their area, adding he had "no doubt" schools were safe.

Secondary schools in England are due to stagger their return - with pupils taking exams in 2021 starting on 11 January, and other year groups returning in person on 18 January. In London and some surrounding areas, primary schools will not open for most pupils until 18 January.

In other areas of England, primaries are due to return on Monday, with teaching unions and some councils calling for them to also stay closed. However Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, England's schools watchdog, said closures should be kept to an "absolute minimum".

As Covid-19 dominated headlines, there were some social media moments in India that cheered people amid the gloom,

Karan Puri, an elderly resident of Panchkula, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, was in for a pleasant surprise when the police came to his door. In a video that later went viral, Mr Puri can be seen striding towards the gate, saying, "I am Karan Puri, I live alone and I am a senior citizen." But what happens next leaves him stunned and touched. As the officers sing "happy birthday to you", Mr Puri doubles over in surprise, and asks them how they found out. He tears up and tells the police officers that his children live abroad and he was indeed feeling lonely.

The officers there then say "we’re like your family" and that "there is no need to feel alone". They bring out a birthday cake and everybody starts clapping and singing again. This heart-warming video melted hearts on social media and won the officers praise for their thoughtful gesture.

It all started with a teary-eyed video uploaded to Instagram by a food blogger. The video showed Kanta Prasad, 80, breaking down on camera over the lack of business at his street food stall during the pandemic. Street food, although hugely popular, had taken a massive hit during the pandemic, forcing many vendors to shut shop. Mr Prasad and his wife, Badami Devi, had been running their shop, Baba ka dhaba, since 1990 in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar

In the viral video, Mr Prasad shows the dishes they have prepared for the day. When asked how much he has earned so far, he says "very little" and breaks down. The blogger, Gaurav Wasan, shared the clip on Instagram in early October. It travelled quickly, soon making its way on to Twitter. A woman shared it saying it "completely broke her heart" and urged people in Delhi to visit Baba ka Dhaba and help Mr Prasad and his wife. And the appeal was heard as crowds of people and camera crews gathered at the small eatery within hours after the video went viral.

The tweet was noticed by celebrities - from Bollywood stars to cricketers - and ordinary people alike. The video has now been watched nearly five million times.

People donated from all over the world to help the elderly couple. But the story took an ugly turn when Mr Prasad accused Mr Wasan of misappropriating funds collected under his name. The blogger denied the allegation. Mr Prasad also filed a police complaint against him. But it appears that the two have patched up now. Mr Prasad reportedly thanked Mr Wasan after opening a new restaurant recently and the blogger wished him luck. Arup Senapati started working as a Covid doctor in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam in April.

As the pandemic continued to overwhelm hospitals, health workers and doctors like him were forced to work around the clock, often to a point of physical and mental exhaustion. But Dr Senapati found a unique way to de-stress while also cheering up Covid-19 patients. It also happened to be something he loved doing - dancing to Bollywood numbers.

A colleague filmed one of his impromptu dance routines in October and tweeted the video, which instantly went viral. It has so far been watched 5.7 million times.

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, famous for his dance moves, praised Dr Senapati, who says it was his humble attempt to make his patients laugh. But he never imagined that his video would reach so many people! When Snehal Satpute returned home after recovering from Covid-19, she didn't expect the welcome she received.

In a video which went viral on social media in July, her 23-year-old sister Saloni is seen dancing with joy on the street in front of their house to welcome her sister home. Snehal then joins her and other family members also come out to participate.

Saloni told the Pune Mirror newspaper that she wanted to "relay a message to her neighbours who had shunned them after five members of her family tested positive".

In India, stigma against those who had contracted Covid was a widespread issue when the pandemic first took hold there.

As revellers were not able to ring in the New Year in the usual way because of the coronavirus pandemic, in seeing off 2020, 2021 was celebrated with a fireworks and light display over London that included tributes to NHS staff as people, instead, were told to stay at home. But the 10-minute show over the Thames was broadcasted at midnight. Edinburgh's traditional Hogmanay street party was cancelled, with videos of a drone display released instead.

The series of videos showed a swarm of 150 lit-up drones over the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh were released, which organisers said it was the largest drone show ever produced in the UK. Despite the cancellation the Hogmanay celebration - which normally attracts 100,000 people on the city's streets - there were some people who ignored the pleas to stay at home. Crowds of several hundred people gathered at Edinburgh Castle to see in the new year. They sang Auld Lang Syne and danced before eventually dispersing when several police vans and cars pulled on to the castle esplanade.

Much of the UK saw in the new year while under lockdown rules, with about 44 million people in England - or 78% of the population - in tier four, the top level of restrictions. Mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are also under lockdown.

On New Year's Eve, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on people to take "personal responsibility" and stay at home to avoid spreading Covid-19. Light projections lit up the sky over the O2 Arena, in London, including the NHS logo in a heart accompanied by a child's voice saying: "Thank you NHS heroes".

Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £33m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden, was also featured in the display, with an image of him shone over the arena.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was proud of the show, which he said "paid tribute to our NHS heroes and the way that Londoners continue to stand together".

"We showed how our capital and the UK have made huge sacrifices to support one another through these difficult times, and how they will continue to do so as the vaccine is rolled out."

Usually, around 100,000 people pack into the streets around Victoria Embankment to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks. But this year, people were warned not to attend any parties outside their own homes, there were many people around the country who ignored the rules.

Elsewhere, other forces also broke up parties and handed out hundreds of fines. They included Greater Manchester Police, which issued 105 fixed penalty notices at house parties and larger gatherings. And Leicestershire Police had to issue six on-the-spot £10,000 fines to party organisers.

In his New Year's message, the Archbishop of Canterbury will say he saw "reasons to be hopeful for the year ahead" despite the "tremendous pain and sadness" brought by 2020.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby speaks of his experience volunteering as an assistant chaplain at St Thomas' hospital during the pandemic, saying: "Sometimes the most important thing we do is just sit with people, letting them know they are not alone."

In his message, he says: "This crisis has shown us how fragile we are. It has also shown us how to face this fragility. Here at the hospital, hope is there in every hand that's held, and every comforting word that's spoken.

"Up and down the country, it's there in every phone call. Every food parcel or thoughtful card. Every time we wear our masks."

Pablo Torres, the president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), predicted the Caribbean will see a return of tourism to the region, “faster than many parts of the world,” thanks to the protocols and partnerships implemented throughout the region to help lessen the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Averring 2021 would be a year of recovery, Torres declared, “Tourism is our key to recovery, to restoring the livelihood of thousands of employees in our industry, to reopening our doors, and welcoming our guests.” In addition to replenishing tax revenues to cash-strapped governments, Torres noted that a tourism revival would refresh and renew “the minds, bodies and spirits of millions of travelers who will discover that the Caribbean is the best place on earth to recover from the ravage of this pandemic.”

Describing COVID-19 as an unprecedented challenge, he applauded the Caribbean’s rapid response to the pandemic, which helped to contain the spread of the virus more effectively than many other parts of the world. He saluted the “countless health heroes” whose dedication and sacrifices had averted a great deal of human suffering and have helped to set the stage for the economic recovery the region will be experiencing in the coming months.

Torres commended not only health care professionals but also front- and back-of- house workers across many industries, including tourism, airports and airline personnel, immigration and customs officers, and ground transportation workers: ”You have led by example, providing exemplary services while adhering to essential health safety protocols. We are all in debt to your service.”

The hospitality industry veteran lauded CHTA’s “key partners in health”, including National Hotel and Tourism Associations, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the UN World Tourism Organization, and the World Travel and Tourism Council: “Through collaboration and sharing insights and expertise we all help one another.”

From territory- and country-specific COVID-19 testing requirements and stringent cleaning and sanitization protocols in place at accommodations providers to social distancing and face mask policies and rules limiting capacity at restaurants and other gathering places, Torres noted that the Caribbean hospitality sector has gone to great lengths to protect and ensure the health and safety of both residents and visitors. 

Recalling that the Caribbean and its tourism sector has weathered many crises over the years and has always rebounded, Torres described 2020 as a year when CHTA members were challenged to do more with less, including significant revenue shortfalls.