… , 2020
July 17, 2020
NEAR PUERTO RICO (WSVN) – U.S. Customs and … vessel that tried to enter Puerto Rico.
Agents found 80 pounds of …
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Puerto Rico has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases, pushing its governor to announce major rollbacks including the continued closure of leisure establishments such as bars, gyms, theaters, and casinos.
As of writing, the U.S. territory has recorded more than 10,000 cases of coronavirus patients, 172 of them had died. This is according to the database of Johns Hopkins University.
Governor Wanda Vázquez said these changes and the ongoing curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. will remain in effect until July 31. “We’ve reached a level where we need to take more restrictive measures,” she states in a report of the Associated Press.
Prohibition of alcohol sales after 7 p.m. and the travel ban of tourists to popular nearby islands, Vieques and Culebra have also been included in these preventive measures. Restricted use of beaches has also been imposed, leaving only those exercising to be allowed access.
The governor adds that a budget of $100 million will be allocated to support municipalities while another $150 million will be geared to aid private hospitals. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has also been asked to temporarily suspend flights from states that are experiencing their own spikes in COVID-19 cases – particularly Texas and Florida.
The island’s economic crisis is expected to worsen from the postponement, leading to a decrease in tourism.
As of recent, wearing a mask, and taking a molecular test 72 hours prior to visitors’ arrival and submitting the results to airport officials are required. A two-week quarantine will be enforced to those who either test positive or are
unable to do the requested.
In an effort to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus, the actions of Puerto Rico’s governor are similar to those of many public officials in some U.S. states and around the world.
Critics have had their careful eyes on the governor’s actions saying that she waited too long to make the announcement–which came almost a month after she reopened most establishments despite warnings from her advisers.
According to Dr. José Rodríguez Orengo, executive director of The Puerto Rico Public Health Trust, the percentage of positive cases in the country have increased 10-fold in the end of June alone.
“If we don’t take the necessary measures, this is going to keep going up,” he shares in a phone interview with the Associated Press.
At the time of this writing, the island of 3.2 million people has recorded more than 3,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, more than 7,450 probable ones and at least 172 deaths.
Fortunately, ahead of the governor’s announcement, mayors in cities and towns across the U.S. territory took fate into their own hands as concerns about the spike spread.
Some, like the popular tourist town of Rincón, closed beaches while others limited restaurants’ services to take out and delivery. Contact tracing efforts have also been launched due to the central government’s incompetence in tracking cases.
In the capital of San Juan, Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz banned anyone who is not a resident, worker, or tourist from entering the historic Old San Juan from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Along with this, her office will be imposing fines to anyone not wearing a face mask in public spaces.
Lastly, in the towns of Añasco and Vega Baja, mandatory registration of friends or family visiting from outside the island and cancellations of all recreational and sporting events for the rest of the year have been enacted respectively.
“This is the type of mentality that we need – it’s evidence-based,” says Daniel Colón-Ramos, co-founder of CienciaPR, a nonprofit group of Puerto Rican scientists.
He later tells Associated Press that the exponential increase in cases from existing data is worrisome.
While Puerto Rico’s government has updated its coronavirus data, improved its contact tracing efforts and reporting an average of up to 4,000 molecular tests made per day – more effort is still needed.
The post Puerto Rico’s COVID-19 cases increase; openings postponed appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.
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Antigua and Barbuda officially reopened for tourism at the beginning of June, and now some of its most prominent resorts are back open again.
That includes the island’s newest adults-only, all-inclusive, Elite Island Resorts’ Hammock Cove.
The boutique resort, set on the eastern coast of Antigua, is a collection of free-standing, 1,080-square-foot luxury villas — in other words, the perfect social-distancing vacation.
Each villa comes with its own private plunge pool, along with other perks like a wine bar and a massive private verandah to boot.
Elite Island Resorts says the property has been adapted for the new normal of travel, meaning seating at bars and restaurants is spaced out, as is the seating around the property’s main pools and the beach.
The company says it’s using “state-of-the-art” electrostatic sprayers to disinfect and sanitize every villa and the property’s facilities.
“That means surfaces, soft furnishings and everything in between,” the property said in a statement.
The brand-new resort had just opened its doors at the end of 2019 — and it’s now the new centerpiece of Antigua’s reopening.
And when you can stay in an ocean-view private villa on a spectacular beach in Antigua, well, it’s the getaway we’re all looking for right now.
For more, visit Hammock Cove.
— CJ
The post Antigua’s Hottest All-Inclusive Resort Is Open Again appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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… Puerto Rico coverage, explores the rollbacks for the Associated Press:
Puerto Rico’ … cities and towns across Puerto Rico took their own action … the closures from Bloomberg:
Puerto Rico officially reopened to tourists … are not worth Puerto Rican lives.
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The newest rum brand to hit the market is “Rude Bwoy,” a collection of rums born out of a deep family connection to the Caribbean.
The brand is the brainchild of Patrick Mitchell and James Larson, who have cultivated both white, gold and flavored rums (along with a vodka, too), celebrating Mitchell’s family’s centuries-long roots in both Jamaica and Cuba.
To learn more, Caribbean Journal talked to Mitchell and Larson about Rude Bwoy and what’s next for the company.
Patrick, can you talk about your family’s connection to the Caribbean?
Our story begins on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, in the West Indies, back in the 1600’s with the Wright family. The Wrights were living on the south side of the island in the parish of St. Elizabeth in a town named after the family. At the time, Wright Town stretched from the hills of Spur Tree to the beaches of Treasure Beach and Newell. The Wrights were serial entrepreneurs selling cattle and grew peanuts, onions, melons and scallion and of course sugar.
Our more recent Jamaican family was livestock famers. My grandfather was a cattleman and sold crops from his property as one of the best salesmen in the area. It was here that the ideas to start producing rum formed.
The Wrights were humble people who worked the sugar and cattle for their family. When opportunities for better pay came to Jamaicans by the building of Cuba’s railroads, some of the elder Wrights headed off to Cuba taking the opportunity.
The Wrights that went to Cuba tried hard to stay in connection with their Jamaican family, however back then communication was very thin.
Over time, the family spread out, some going to other countries such as England, and Costa Rica and to America. It wasn’t for over a century later that Cuba’s revolution was the forefront of the world — bringing rum right along with it.
What is a “Rude Bwoy?”
Rude Bwoy, sometimes also called “Rudie” is an endearing term for ones bredrin, friend, mate, and also sometimes used to identify a youth or child that is a “cool yute”. The term was born after the emergence of the Ska Music scene when Reggae music was on its way in Jamaica.
Rude Bwoy has four spirits. What are they?
All our spirits are 100% natural.
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Vodka
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Irie Gold Rum
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Irie White Rum
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Coconut Rum
Where is the rum made?
Our rum is made at The Point Distillery in the Tampa, FL area
The coconut rum is particularly unique – what makes it special?
Our award-winning Ultra Premium Coconut Rum is a real game changer in the marketplace. Unlike most flavored rums on the market, it is made with 100% natural ingredients-nothing artificial. We like to say it’s literally made from the ground up. At 70 proof, it’s also stronger than most flavored rums in the market place and it’s exceptionally smooth with just the right tropical aromatic finish.
What’s the best way to drink Rude Bwoy?
We’ve found most people truly enjoy our coconut rum on the rocks with a lime or with just a splash of your favorite mixer. Our mixologist, Bree Draughon, is constantly creating exciting new Rude Bwoy cocktails with our full lineup as we roll out the product across the nation.
Our very unique sugar cane Vodka has also become very popular with the Bloody Mary crowd with it’s very smooth and exciting twist versus the traditional vodka offerings.
Rude Bwoy also has apparel for sale. Do you foresee Rude Bwoy being a brand beyond the rum?
With our Caribbean-focused brand, as well as both partners’ background in the surfing, beach volleyball and reggae scenes, our apparel is a unique island inspired lifestyle brand that we intend to leverage along with our spirits.
Rum as a spirit has come a long way. What do you see as the future for rum?
We believe the future is very bright for high quality, ultra premium rum offerings. Consumers are interested in enjoying the content, quality, and the story behind brands. At Rude Bwoy, our story is quite unique and we encourage our customers to “Taste the Experience” which transcends most cost hurdles. Consumers are also gravitating very robustly to the all natural and organic components of high quality rums which also elevates the future of the rum sector.
For more, visit Rude Bwoy.
The post Rum Journal: Rude Bwoy and the Spirit of the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
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