Caribbean News Wrap: February 18, 2022
No more mask mandate, COVID-19 rules in Dominican Republic
Caribbean nation Dominican Republic is yet to reach its 70 percent vaccination target for adults, but its government has already decided to lift its COVID-19 restrictions, including wearing masks and vaccine checks in public spaces.
According to a Reuters report, President Luis Abinader made the announcement on social media and in a televised message late Wednesday.
“I announce that as of today, ALL the restrictive measures imposed by COVID-19 are suspended. #No restrictions,” he tweeted in Spanish, adding in a separate announcement that “it’s time to recover all our freedoms and way of life.”
Les anuncio que desde hoy, TODAS las medidas restrictivas impuestas por el COVID-19, quedan suspendidas. #SinRestricciones
— Luis Abinader (@luisabinader) February 17, 2022
Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with another Caribbean nation Haiti, started easing its COVID-19 restrictions last July when it wrapped up a nighttime curfew that had been implemented since March 2020.
On Thursday, Health Minister Daniel Rivera said that the “constant reductions” in both COVID-19 infections and death rates has prompted the government to eventually decide to end the COVID-19 restrictions.
Deaths in Dominican Republic due to COVID-19 has reached to 4,300, and “while only eight of the country’s 32 provinces have reached the 70% vaccination target, new infections have dipped by about 10% over the past four weeks,” Reuters reported.
Garment workers in Haiti protest for higher wages
Thousands of Haitian garment workers filled the streets of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday to demand higher wages, following weeks of similar protests over pay and working conditions at firms that export to U.S. clothing retailers.
In a Reuters article, workers are reported to be seeking raise that would increase their daily salary to 1,500 gourdes (USD 15), a thousand more from the current wage of 500 gourdes (USD 5). This is according to union leader Dominique St Eloi.
“With 500 gourdes per day, without any government subsidies, we cannot meet our needs while the price of basic goods, transport costs have increased,” said St Eloi, coordinator for the National Union of Haitian Workers.
Haiti has promoted itself as a center for clothing manufacturing for decades. It’s all thanks to low wages and proximity to U.S. markets. But this has caused incessant complaints that wages are “too low to cover the cost of basic goods in the Caribbean nation.”