Login to BlackFacts.com using your favorite Social Media Login. Click the appropriate button below and you will be redirected to your Social Media Website for confirmation and then back to Blackfacts.com once successful.
Enter the email address and password you used to join BlackFacts.com. If you cannot remember your login information, click the “Forgot Password” link to reset your password.
I must admit — the thought of traveling internationally during a pandemic initially had me extremely anxious. With COVID cases beginning to spike back up, I often considered delaying my […]
The post What It's Really Like To Travel To Jamaica Right Now appeared first on Essence.
South Africa is one of the hardest-hit countries in Africa with over 740,000 infections.
The country recorded 60 more virus-related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 20,011.
DownSound Entertainment (DSE) Ltd is promising, among other things, “state-of-the-art” amenities at Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay, should it be successful in its bid to secure a long-term concession to operate the venue.
DownSound, in a news release, said that it had already applied to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) , owners of the St James property that has been the home of Jamaica's number one music festival, Reggae Sumfest, to run the event there for several more years than the four it has gone so far.
However, DownSound said that the current configuration of the venue was not maximising its revenue generation potential, and in response to a request from the UDC, it had documented proposals to the State agency, which, if accepted, would redound to the benefit of Jamaica as a whole, as the new Catherine Hall amenities would serve as “critical generators of tourism and entertainment-related revenues”.
DownSound announced recently that it would cancel this year's staging of Reggae Sumfest due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has not only affected daily life in Jamaica, but had caused severe dislocation in global economies.
Considerable expansion of the venue will be required if it is to remain the home of Reggae Sumfest and the venue for other major festivals.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange has announced that the cleaning of the statues of the nation’s founding fathers — The Right Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante and the Right Excellent Norman Manley — at St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston will be this year’s National Labour Day Project.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness will lead a “small and social distanced team, taking all the safety precautions that will work to clean up, fix up and plant around the statues of the two National Heroes on Monday,” said Grange.
The scope of work for the national project also includes repairs to the base of the statues, repair of electrical conduits and landscaping.
Grange said the national labour day committee was “careful to select national and parish projects which can be implemented by small teams, without putting anyone’s health at risk, while honouring the aim of the annual Labour Day observance which is to celebrate work and workers and volunteering our labour to make a difference in our communities.”
Parish projects, to be led by mayors across the country, include the cleaning of the monument in tribute to National Hero, the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe, in Montego Bay, St James as well as the cleaning and sanitising of the Lucea Market in Hanover and the Junction Market in St Elizabeth.
Nairobi — Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga has taken the COVID-19 test.
Odinga took the test at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) on Sunday, with a plea to Kenyans to follow suit.
\"I took the COVID-19 test at KEMRI in Mbagathi earlier today (Sunday).
I took the opportunity to appeal to all Kenyans to go for testing,\" Odinga said, and stressed that \"A COVID-19 certificate is becoming an important document as we continue battling the pandemic.\"
Under the Ministry of Health regulations, Odinga will get his test results after 48 hours, and they will be included in Monday's tally.
The DA says President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of a move to Alert Level 1 of the Covid-19 lockdown comes five months too late.
Lokoja — The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State chapter, has disclosed that testing for COVID-19 remained a challenge in the state.
The NMA chairman said the challenge of not testing enough persons had led to agitation from members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) as they are among the first to attend to suspected cases, a number which has been received at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Lokoja recently.
\"Although no confirmed case has been reported in Kogi State till date, a number of suspected cases have been attended to at the FMC Lokoja, and members of ARD are among the first to attend to these patients, and as such, they might be exposed to the highly contagious COVID-19,\" Kabir stated
He said: \"ARD is an affiliate of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), and members are among the most exposed health care workers to patients with suspected COVID-19 in the hospital settings.
Kabir said FMC Lokoja is the only functional tertiary health institution in Kogi State and as such, the institution attends to a wide range of patients, and the ever present danger of being exposed to patients with COVID-19 is major source of worry.
But in a chat with THISDAY, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna Audu, stated that contrary to the insinuation that the people are denied the opportunity to go for COVID-19 test in the state, the state government is committed to fighting coronavirus pandemic, as the state has not objected to testing at any point in time.
Q: Can I vote in person at the US Embassy or at the US Consular Agency on election day?A: No. Neither the US Embassy nor the US Consular Agency are polling places. You must register to vote and request an absentee ballot to vote from Jamaica. Visit FVAP.gov to register to vote, request a ballot, and more.Q: I am a US citizen and currently live in Jamaica. Can I vote in the upcoming November 2020 election?
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday recorded 339 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 7,016.
The health agency had on Wednesday said that sometimes, COVID-19 test results take longer than 96 hours due to sample transport and other logistics.
According to NCDC, the health agency does not own quarantine or treatment centres which are the responsibility of the state governments or relevant teaching hospital.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government on Thursday, disclosed that it has spent at least N800 million in conducting 16,000 COVID-19 tests in the state.
Abayomi, while responding to questions from the newsmen, said each COVID-19 test cost between N40,000 to N50,000, while 16,000 tests have been conducted so far fully all expenses paid by the state government.
Jamaica on Wednesday recorded five more COVID-19 deaths, pushing the tally to 179.\tTwo of the cases were previously under investigation.\tThe deceased:\tA 61-year-old male from St James\tA 39-year-old male from St James\tA 61-year-old male from...
Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith (“Bricktop”), vaudevillian actress, singer, nightclub owner, and international celebrity host, was born August 14, 1894 in Alderson, West Virginia, to Thomas and Hattie Thompson Smith. Her father passed away in 1898 and Mrs. Smith moved Ada and her three older siblings to Chicago, where her mother managed rooming houses and worked as a maid. Smith began performing at the age of five, playing Harry in Uncle Tom’s Cabin at Haymarket Theater in Chicago. By age 14 Smith earned a permanent chorus role at the Pekin Theatre. A truancy officer tracked her down, however, and she was forced to quit performing and return to school.
At age 16 Smith began touring with the Theater Owners’ Booking Association (TOBA) and Pantages vaudeville circuits. The young performer appeared alongside vaudevillian entertainers such as Miller and Lyles and the Kinky-Doo Trio. It was during this time that she earned the nickname “Bricktop” which referred to her bright red hair and freckles. Throughout her twenties Smith performed in a wide variety of locations including Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, and New York. Baron’s Exclusive Club in Harlem became one of her regular venues and during her time there she convinced the owner to hire Elmer Snowden’s Washingtonian’s band, which included an undiscovered Duke Ellington.
Smith first performed in Paris, France in 1924 at the Le Grand Duc nightclub. It was at this time she began hosting and entertaining at charity events and parties for celebrities, where she befriended influential artists such as the authors F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck, and the composer and musician Cole Porter. Porter wrote a song for Smith titled, “Miss Otis Regrets She’s Unable to Lunch Today.” In 1926 Smith became more involved with the Paris nightclub scene, regularly performing at The Music Box and Le Grand Duc.
In 1929 Smith married New Orleans musician Peter Conge and moved her nightclub to 66 Rue Pigalle, where singer Mabel Mercer became the main
MONTEGO BAY, St James - A two-year-old boy and his parents died as a result of injuries they sustained during a motor vehicle collision on the Rose Hall main road in St James, Tuesday night.The three have been identified as 40-year-old Mark Brown, his common-law wife Tangria Grant, also known as Paulette, and their son, Jamar, two, all of Sun Valley Road in Montego Bay.
The St. James Municipal Corporation says it is seeking funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), to cleanse and sanitise public spaces in Montego Bay and rural townships, as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Municipal Corporation held at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre on May 14, Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis said while the Corporation has been cleansing some streets within the parish capital, a more extensive sanitation drive is needed.
Based on my understanding it has been done in several other parishes to the satisfaction of their municipality and the chairman of their municipal corporation,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Mayor stated that the Municipal Corporation continues to truck water to drought-affected communities in the parish, as the local authority strives to safeguard residents against the COVID-19.
Davis stated that over 165 loads of potable water have been trucked to communities in need
He added that the corporation will request further funding from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to continue trucking water across the parish, as the $5 million dollars allocated to the municipality in March, is near depletion.
Major topics covered below include:
\t
\t\tMay 12: 715 cases, border crossings becoming flash point
\t\tMay 11: Cases reach 700, mass prisoner release
\t\tMay 10: 649 cases, Raila worries about Magufuli
\t\tMay 8: May 8: Govt to foot quarantine bills, cases at 607
\t\tMay 7: 582 cases, lockdown in Eastleigh, Mombasa City
\t\tMay 5: KQ’s UK repatriation flight returns
\t\tMay 4: Cases hit 535, govt decries abuse of relaxed measures
\t\tMay 3: KQ repatriation flight, Nairobi fumigation
\t\tMay 2: Case count at 435, mass testing starts
\t\tMay 1: Case count hits 411, Uhuru vows transparency
May 12: 15 new cases, border crossing concerns
\t“We are upscaling security on border points and testing truck drivers to contain cross border infections,” CS Dr. Rashid Aman told the press today as he gave case statistics on the coronavirus pandemic.
May 11: 700 cases, mass prisoner release
\tIn the last 24 hours, Kenya tested 841 samples, out of which twenty eight (28) people tested positive for corona virus.
The health ministry has started conducting mass testing in prisons across the country, the local Citizen TV reports
\tThe government has restricted movement in and out the Nairobi and the second biggest city of Mombasa, as well as two other counties in the coastal region.
__Additional reporting from BBC_
649 cases, Raila worries about Magufuli
\tAhead of tallies for May 10, Kenya’s close of day stats for May 9 stood at a total of 649 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 30 deaths and 207 recoveries.
May 7: 582 cases, lockdown in Eastleigh, Mombasa City
\tThe government on Wednesday announced a partial lockdown on two virus hotspots, Eastleigh in Nairobi and Mombasa City.
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas Government says many new policies, safety measures, and precautions will be introduced to ensure the continued health and well-being of citizens and visitors as it prepares to “reinstate tourism to the country and effectively reopen our economy”.
Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D'Aguilar said since March 24, airports and seaports throughout The Bahamas have been closed to all incoming visitors, adding that given that the Bahamian economy relies heavily on the tourism sector, this decision was not made lightly.
“It is critical that health and safety protocols are being adhered to and that the health sector remains well equipped,” he said, noting that before the general opening on July 1, it is intended that a phase one opening of the tourism sector will begin to roll out on June 15.
“Phase one is expected to see the opening of the tourism sector with the return of boaters, yachters, and private aviation being allowed to enter the destination.
D'Aguilar said this phase one opening of the tourism sector is intended to test the market and serve as a transition to the phase two opening on July 1, as well as test the efficacy of the new protocols that are entailed in this plan.
It is not a welcome start to the school year for Hubert Cassidy*, whose child suffers from disabilities that have made learning a challenge over the years. His second-born attends the Llandilo School of Special Education that operates at three...
One such robbery took place at Barnett Street, Montego Bay, last Tuesday afternoon when two mask-wearing armed men robbed a Chinese-operated supermarket and got away with cash, cigarettes, and other items.
Tuesday night’s robbery was not an isolated incident, as according to information reaching The Gleaner, several business operators have reportedly fallen prey to mask- wearing armed robbers, who have been targeting the Montego Bay business district.
Although I informed the police about the incident, I did not bother to travel to the Barnett Street Police Station to file a report, because the robbers were wearing masks like everybody else.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the police in St James, through the recently install quick response motorcycle unit, were getting a handle on street crimes in Montego Bay, making a number of arrests.
“We as police officers in St James are doing all we can to apprehend these armed robbers, but the task is almost impossible with everyone wearing a mask,” the policeman said.
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica is to make a decision within the next 72 hours on whether it will introduce travel restrictions on United Kingdom flights coming into the island as an aggressive new COVID-19 strain that is 70 per cent more contagious has...
Riverside had tested more than 104,700 residents—9,590 of those were confirmed positive for the virus, while testing in San Bernardino County is progressing much slower, through June 9, the county had only tested 6,953 individuals with 3,931 testing positive.
The disparity in the number of residents being tested makes it clear much still needs to be done as it relates to encouraging inland area residents to take the COVID-19 test, particularly in San Bernardino County.
David Wert, spokesperson for San Bernardino County was asked about the county’s poor performance regarding testing as compared to Riverside County.
Black Voice News Publisher and community leader Paulette Brown-Hinds recently tested for COVID-19 to help raise awareness regarding the importance of testing as well as to demonstrate how quick and easy the process can be.
For a list of test sites in Riverside County visit www.rivcoph.org/; for test sites in San Bernardino County visit Photo: Black Voice News Publisher Paulette Brown-Hinds being tested at drive-through test center in Riverside County.
Legendary Jamaican Entrepreneur Redefined ‘All-Inclusive’ And Changed The Way The World Went On Vacation - Master Marketer Made Sandals a Household Name, Brought Opportunity to the Caribbean MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, – Legendary Jamaican entrepreneur Gordon “Butch” Stewart, one of the hospitality industry’s most vibrant personalities and founder of Sandals Resorts International, the world’s leading all-inclusive resort company, has died at […]
As SA waits for another 'family meeting' with the president, dates for the reopening of our international borders are up for discussion at Level 1.
WESTERN BUREAU: Patrick Williams, the chief executive officer of Montego Bay-based radio station More 91.7 FM, has established himself as the western city’s chief local radio broadcaster after 31 years of experience in media and communication,...
Although Uganda began to relax some of the lockdown rules last week, including allowing private vehicles to return to the roads, the country faces an uphill ride back to economic normalcy, a wide-ranging survey by this newspaper shows.
Mr Jean Byamugisha, the chief executive officer of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, an industry lobby group, estimates her 500 members across the country will lose about $900 million (about Shs3.4 trillion) to the pandemic and the resultant lockdown.
In his 14th address to the nation on Covid-19, President Museveni said: \"We have lost $1.6 billion from tourism and there is nothing we can do about that... \"
Apart from tourism, other economic sectors such as manufacturing, construction, trade, transport and services are also suffering from the economic slowdown.
A separate report presented to the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy by a segment of beverage manufacturers shows that the closure of bars, restaurants and social gatherings has already cost government at least Shs25 billion in revenue in the last three months alone.
In a survey by the Private Sector Foundation, a lobby group, 90 per cent of firms said they were uncertain about employment if the current situation did not improve in the next six months.
Travel regulations have been revised to make flying less cumbersome over the December holidays.
Western Bureau: The Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) is describing recent criticisms from the St James Health Department in regard to its alleged failure to address several long-standing, health-related concerns at the People’s Arcade, in Montego...
