Caribbean American Passport News Magazine - April 2020

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Apr/May 2020

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Caribbean Coronavirus Snapshot The Caribbean seems to be holding its own with regard to controlling COVID 19, as the numbers around the world seem to be growing with the rate of infection and the death total increasing daily, the Caribbean countries have reported, what appears to be relatively low numbers.

Anguilla - 3 cases Antigua & Barbuda - 24 cases Bahamas - 47 cases Barbados - 70 cases British Virgin Islands - 4 cases Cuba - 814 cases Dominica - 16 cases Grenada - 12 cases Guadeloupe - 149 cases Guyana - 54 cases Haiti - 61 cases Jamaica - 315 cases Martinique - 170 cases Montserrat - 11 cases St Barthelemy - 6 cases St Kitts and Nevis - 15 cases St Lucia - 15 cases St Martin - 38 cases St Vincent & the Grenadines - 13 cases Trinidad & Tobago - 50 cases It would appear from the number of cases reported that the trend appears to be higher in the Caribbean countries with the greater number of tourist travelers.

The Miami Herald reported as of April 20th, St Lucia marked a full two week period without any new coronavirus cases being reported.

There are a few Caribbean countries that are beginning to relax there isolation methods, which included strict 24-hour lockdowns and a ban on alcohol sales. PAHO warned that any relaxation measures need to be closely monitored.

13 Coronavirus myths busted by science

As the novel coronavirus continues to infect people around the world, news articles and social media posts about the outbreak continue to spread online. Unfortunately, this relentless flood of information can make it difficult to separate fact from fiction — and during a viral outbreak, rumors and misinformation can be dangerous.

Live Science, has compiled a list of the most pervasive myths about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, the disease it causes, and explained why these rumors are misleading, or just plain wrong..

Myth: Face masks can protect you from the virus Standard surgical masks cannot protect you from SARS-CoV-2, as they are not designed to block out viral particles and do not lay flush to the face, Live Science previously reported. That said, surgical masks can help prevent infected people from spreading the virus further by blocking any respiratory droplets that could be expelled from their mouths.

Within health care facilities, special respirators called "N95 respirators" have been shown to greatly reduce the spread of the virus among medical staff. People require training to properly fit N95 respirators around their noses, cheeks and chins to ensure that no air can sneak around the edges of the mask; and wearers must also learn to check the equipment for damage after each use.

Myth: You're waaaay less likely to get this than the flu Not necessarily. To estimate how easily a virus spreads, scientists calculate its "basic reproduction number," or R0 (pronounced Rnought). R0 predicts the number of people who can catch a given bug from a single infected person, Live Science previously reported.

Currently, the R0 for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, is estimated at about 2.2, meaning a single infected person will infect about 2.2 others, on average. By comparison, the flu has an R0 of 1.3.

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L I F E S T Y L E

Guenet Gittens-Roberts, Publisher/Editor

These are challenging times, how are you doing?

Samuel J. Roberts

Owner/Publisher/Editor

W

ho could ever have predicted that life as we know it could be so different in

an instant.

At this time, we are worried. We're worried about our health, our family's health and our future. Business and life will not be the same and that is hard to wrap our minds around.

But as Caribbean people we are resilient. We can change and the first thing we have to do is reject the fear. We have to become stronger but able to move and bend with the changes.

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” Bruce Lee. Martial arts master Bruce Lee reiterates the message of other bamboo proverbs, extolling the strength and pliability of the giant grass. If anyone understood the important relationship between strength, movement and flexibility, that would be Bruce Lee. And as the quotation reveals, he looked to bamboo as the exemplar, perfectly sublime in its design. The secret to karate, or any martial art, is not to resist and overpower the opponent, but to follow him and turn his own strength against him.

We have to be like bamboo, we have to be able to move and adapt to these conditions while turning its own strength against it. We are in a war.

A war to protect our health - we must be steadfast in getting our health to it's best. Exercise, eating well and if we take medication we have to be aware of the repercussions if we don't .

Many people dismiss diabetes and hypertension because these are silent killers and we don't see the effects on our body. However these silent killers are showing us at this time that they do have an effect on our body. This is a lesson that we have to take with us once as we go forward. Protecting our health also means we protect our mental health.

Protecting our physical health comes down to moving more and eating healthily and mindfully. Get out and walk, run, jump...but move.

Our mental health is something we don't give as much thought to as we should. But it is very important. Sadness is one thing but depression can creep up on us and it is important to know the difference. If you find that you are sad for a prolonged length of time, please reach out to a mental health counselor.

We could have focused on many things in this issue. However we chose to focus on your mental health as the first thing to fix during this time.

A war to protect our wealth - I think by now we know that we can live without the many things that we spent money on. There are very few things that are absolute necessities and those are the things we have to focus on in the future.

The rest are really extra things that we can do without.

As we get back to normal let us be careful of adding those items back into your budget. That money is better saved in these uncertain times. But these are not just times to contract, we have to figure out how we are able to benefit from the stimulus package that some are already benefiting from. This is a time for us to get together to see how we benefit. We have made the same sacrifices as anyone else to build this country but if we are not proactive we will lose out at a time that we cannot afford to.

Wealth is measured in many ways, True wealth is having a sense of abundance – one that we experience rather than possess. ... But what most enlightened people consider as wealth has nothing to do with money. Seeking true wealth may mean seeking deeper relationships, more personal growth, or ways to create more meaning in life.

These are times that teach us the true value of life.

1969 Alafaya Trail • Orlando, FL 32828 Office: 407-427-1800 Fax: 407-386-7925 Toll Free: 877-220-8315 For Media Information email: Publisher: sroberts@caribbeanamericanpassport.com Info: .Info@caribbeanamericanpassport.com

Should you desire to review past copies of the publicationgo to http://caribbeanamericanpassport.com and click on the 'Print Archive'.

Editor & Publisher................................................................................... Sam Roberts Publisher ............................................................................. Guenet Gittens-Roberts Graphic Design & Layout .....................................................................Aleia Roberts Contributing Writers: ................................................................................ Tony Dyal .......................................................................................................................Ryan Davis ...................................................................................................................Sandra Fatmi .......................................................................................................................Gail Seeram .................................................................................................................Sasha Watson ..................................................................................................................Aleia Roberts Contributing Photographers ............ .......................................................Ted Hollins .....................................................................................................................Dilia Castillo .............................................. .............................................................Nancy-Joe Brown Central Florida Distribution........................................................Kadeem Roberts South Florida Distribution .............................................................Norman Williams NorthFlorida Distribution .....................................................................Theo Jack Jr. Tampa Distribution ..................................................................................Julian Pina Copyright (C) 2016 GGR Marketing & Public Relations. All rights reserved.

There are tough times ahead, you need to be ready. And that means being ready both mentally and physically. www.caribbeanamericanpassport.com

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13 Coronavirus myths busted by science Perhaps, most importantly, while no vaccine exists to prevent COVID-19, the seasonal flu vaccine prevents influenza relatively well, even when its formulation doesn't perfectly match the circulating viral strains.

Myth: The virus is just a mutated form of the common cold No, it's not. Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that includes many different diseases. SARS-CoV-2 does share similarities with other coronaviruses, four of which can cause the common cold. All five viruses have spiky projections on their surfaces and utilize so-called spike proteins to infect host cells. However, the four cold coronaviruses — named 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1 — all utilize humans as their primary hosts. SARS-CoV-2 shares about 90% of its genetic material with coronaviruses that infect bats, which suggests that the virus originated in bats and later hopped to humans.

Evidence suggests that the virus passed through an intermediate animal before infecting humans. Similarly, the SARS virus jumped from bats to civets (small, nocturnal mammals) on its way into people, whereas MERS infected camels before spreading to humans.

Myth: The virus was probably made in a lab No evidence suggests that the virus is man-made. SARSCoV-2 closely resembles two other coronaviruses that have triggered outbreaks in recent decades, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and all three viruses seem to have originated in bats. In short, the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 fall in line with what we know about other naturally occurring coronaviruses that made the jump from animals to people.

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Just in case, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with COVID-19 have someone else walk and care for their companion animals while they are sick and people should always wash their hands after snuggling with animals anyway, as companion pets can spread other diseases to people, according to the CDC. Myth: Lockdowns or school closures won't happen in the US There's no guarantee, but school closures are a common tool that public health officials use to slow or halt the spread of contagious diseases. For instance, during the swine flu pandemic of 2009, 1,300 schools in the U.S. closed to reduce the spread of the disease, according to a 2017 study of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. At the time, CDC guidance recommended that schools close for between 7 and 14 days, according to the study.

While the coronavirus is a different disease, with a different incubation period, transmissibility and symptom severity, it's likely that at least some school closures will occur. If we later learn that children are not the primary vectors for disease, that strategy may change, Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, previously told Live Science.

Either way, you should prepare for the possibility of school closures and figure out backup care if needed.

Lockdowns, quarantines and isolation are also a possibility.

Under section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S. Code § 264), the federal government is allowed to take such actions to quell the spread of disease from either outside the country or between states. State and local governments may also have similar authority.

Myth: Getting COVID-19 is a death sentence That's not true. About 81% of people who are infected with the coronavirus have mild cases of COVID-19, according to a study published Feb. 18 by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. About 13.8% report severe illness, meaning they have shortness of breath, or require supplemental oxygen, and about 4.7% are critical, meaning they face respiratory failure, multi-organ failure or septic shock. The data thus far suggests that only around 2.3% of people infected with COVID-19 die from the virus.

People who are older or have underlying health conditions seem to be most at risk of having severe disease or complications. While there's no need to panic, people should take steps to prepare and protect themselves and others from the new coronavirus.

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Myth: Pets can spread the new coronavirus Probably not to humans. One dog in China contracted a "low-level infection" from its owner, who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, meaning dogs may be vulnerable to picking up the virus from people, according to The South China Morning Post.

The infected Pomeranian has not fallen ill or shown symptoms of disease, and no evidence suggests that the animal could infect humans. Several dogs and cats tested positive for a similar virus, SARS-CoV, during an outbreak in 2003, animal health expert Vanessa Barrs of City University told the Post. "Previous experience with SARS suggests that cats and dogs will not become sick or transmit the virus to humans," she said. "Importantly, there was no evidence of viral transmission from pet dogs or cats to humans."

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Mental Health (COVID-19) is Things you can do to support yourself

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 stressful for most people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger.

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during and after a disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone reacts differently, and your own feelings will change over time. Notice and accept how you feel. Taking care of your emotional health during an emergency will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Self-care during an emergency will help your long-term healing.

Things you can do to support your child

Take time to talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child or teen can understand.

Reassure your child or teen that they are safe. Let them know it is ok if they feel upset, confused or even angry about the disruption to their normal life. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.

Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.

Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.

Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.

Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. Many people are using video chats to feel connected to their friends and loved ones and report that it is helpful to relieve anxiety and stress.

If you or someone you care about is feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others, call 911 Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 (TTY 1-800-846-8517)

Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.

Try to keep up with regular routines.

If schools are closed, create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities.

Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well.

Connect with your friends and family members.

Need Help? Know Someone Who Does?

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273-8255 Call the Florida Child Abuse Hotline at: 1-800-962-2873, Florida Relay 711 or TTY 1-800-955-8771.

Or report abuse online.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at: 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224 or chat now.

Contact the Disaster Distress Helpline by calling 1-800-985-5990.

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13 Coronavirus myths busted by science Myth: Kids can't catch the coronavirus Children can definitely catch COVID-19, though initial reports suggested fewer cases in children compared with adults. For example, a Chinese study from Hubei province released in February found that of more than 44,000 cases of COVID-19, about only 2.2% involved children under age 19. However, more recent studies suggest children are as likely as adults to become infected.

In a study reported March 5, researchers analyzed data from more than 1,500 people in Shenzhen, and found that children potentially exposed to the virus were just as likely to become infected as adults were, according to Nature News. Regardless of age, about 7% to 8% of contacts of COVID-19 cases later tested positive for the virus. Still, when children become infected, they seem less likely to develop severe disease, Live Science previously reported.

Myth: If you have coronavirus, "you'll know" No, you won't. COVID-19 causes a wide range of symptoms, many of which appear in other respiratory illnesses such as the flu and the common cold. Specifically, common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and rarer symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting and a runny nose. In severe cases, the disease can progress into a serious pneumonia-like illness — but early on, infected people may show no symptoms at all.

U.S. health officials have now advised the American public to prepare for an epidemic, meaning those who have not traveled to affected countries or made contact with people who recently traveled may begin catching the virus. As the outbreak progresses in the U.S., state and local health departments should provide updates about when and where the virus has spread. If you live in an affected region and begin experiencing high fever, weakness, lethargy or shortness of breath, or or have underlying conditions and milder symptoms of the disease, you should seek medical attention at the nearest hospital, experts told Live Science.

From there, you may be tested for the virus, though as of yet, the CDC has not made the available diagnostic exam widely available.

Myth: The coronavirus is less deadly than the flu So far, it appears the coronavirus is more deadly than the flu.

However, there's still a lot of uncertainty around the mortality rate of the virus. The annual flu typically has a mortality rate of around 0.1% in the U.S. So far, there's a 0.05% mortality rate among those who caught the flu virus in the U.S. this year, according to the CDC. In comparison, recent data suggests that COVID-19 has a mortality rate more than 20 times higher, of around 2.3%, according to a study published Feb. 18 by the China CDC Weekly. The death rate varied by different factors such as location and an individual's age, according to a previous Live Science report.

But these numbers are continuously evolving and may not represent the actual mortality rate. It's not clear if the case counts in China are accurately documented, especially since they shifted the way they defined cases midway through, according to STAT News.

There could be many mild or asymptomatic cases that weren't counted in the total sample size, they wrote.

Researchers have yet to find any evidence that vitamin C

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supplements can render people immune to COVID-19 infection.

In fact, for most people, taking extra vitamin C does not even ward off the common cold, though it may shorten the duration of a cold if you catch one. That said, vitamin C serves essential roles in the human body and supports normal immune function. As an antioxidant, the vitamin neutralizes charged particles called free radicals that can damage tissues in the body. It also helps the body synthesize hormones, build collagen and seal off vulnerable connective tissue against pathogens. So yes, vitamin C should absolutely be included in your daily diet if you want to maintain a healthy immune system. But megadosing on supplements is unlikely to lower your risk of catching COVID-19, and may at most give you a "modest" advantage against the virus, should you become infected. No evidence suggests that other so-called immune-boosting supplements — such as zinc, green tea or echinacea — help to prevent COVID-19, either.

Be wary of products being advertised as treatments or cures for the new coronavirus. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have already issued warning letters to seven companies for selling fraudulent products that promise to cure, treat or prevent the viral infection.

Myth: It's not safe to receive a package from China It is safe to receive letters or packages from China, according to the World Health Organization. Previous research has found that coronaviruses don't survive long on objects such as letters and packages. Based on what we know about similar coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, experts think this new coronavirus likely survives poorly on surfaces.

A past study found that these related coronaviruses can stay on surfaces such as metal, glass or plastic for as long as nine days, according to a study published Feb. 6 in The Journal of Hospital Infection. But the surfaces present in packaging are not ideal for the virus to survive.

For a virus to remain viable, it needs a combination of specific environmental conditions such as temperature, lack of UV exposure and humidity — a combination you won't get in shipping packages, according to Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, who spoke with Live Science's sister site Tom's Hardware.

And so "there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures," according to the CDC. "Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods." Rather, the coronavirus is thought to be most commonly spread through respiratory droplets.

Myth: You can get the coronavirus if you eat at Chinese restaurants in the US No, you can't. By that logic, you'd also have to avoid Italian, Korean, Japanese and Iranian restaurants, given that those countries have also been facing an outbreak. The new coronavirus doesn't just affect people of Chinese descent.

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty

BY DOREEN MARSHALL, PH.D. Human beings like certainty. We are hard-wired to want to know what is happening when and to notice things that feel threatening to us. When things feel uncertain or when we don’t generally feel safe, it’s normal to feel stressed. This very reaction, while there to protect us, can cause all sorts of havoc when there is a sense of uncertainty and conflicting information around us.

A large part of anxiety comes from a sense of what we think we should be able to control, but can’t. Right now, many of us are worried about COVID-19, known as the “Coronavirus”. We may feel helpless about what will happen or what we can do to prevent further stress. The uncertainty might also connect to our uncertainty about other aspects of our lives, or remind us of past times when we didn’t feel safe and the immediate future was uncertain.

In times like these, our mental health can suffer. We don’t always know it’s happening. You might feel more on edge than usual, angry, helpless or sad. You might notice that you are more frustrated with others or want to completely avoid any reminders of what is happening. For those of us who already struggle with our mental wellness, we might feel more depressed or less motivated to carry out our daily activities.

It’s important to note that we are not helpless in light of current news events. We can always choose our response. If you are struggling, here are some things you can do to take care of your mental health in the face of uncertainty: 1. Separate what is in your control from what is not. There are things you can do, and it’s helpful to focus on those.

Wash your hands. Remind others to wash theirs. Take your vitamins. Limit your consumption of news (Do you really need to know what is happening on a cruise ship you aren’t on?).

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Get outside in nature--even if you are avoiding crowds.

I took a walk yesterday afternoon in my neighborhood with my daughter. The sun was shining, we got our dose of vitamin D, and it felt good to both get some fresh air and quality time together.

Exercise also helps both your physical and mental health.

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Challenge yourself to stay in the present.

Perhaps your worry is compounding—you are not only thinking about what is currently happening, but also projecting into the future. When you find yourself worrying about something that hasn’t happened, gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Notice the sights, sounds, tastes and other sensory experiences in your immediate moment and name them. Engaging in mindfulness activities is one way to help stay grounded when things feel beyond your control.

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Stay connected and reach out if you need more support. Talk to trusted friends about what you are feeling. If you are feeling particularly anxious or if you are struggling with your mental health, it’s ok to reach out to a mental health professional for support.

You don’t have to be alone with your worry and it can be comforting to share what you are experiencing with those trained to help.

We are in this together, and help is always available.

If you’re feeling alone and struggling, you can also reach out to The Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

2. Do what helps you feel a sense of safety. This will be different for everyone, and it’s important not to compare yourself to others. It’s ok if you’ve decided what makes you feel safe is to limit attendance of large social events, but make sure you separate when you are isolating based on potential for sickness versus isolating because it’s part of depression.

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Orlando Economic Partnership Launches New Small Business Support Program

By Laureen Martinez

To inform business owners of the programs they need to save their companies in this unprecedented time, the Orlando Economic Partnership (the Partnership) has launched a Business Recovery Assistance and Collaborative Engagement (BRACE) program. A communications and case management platform, BRACE provides a free service that helps identify and then connect small businesses to the resources they need most.

“We have integrated a technical platform to allow us to reach the business community in all seven counties in the Orlando region to initiate contact and triage immediate and short-term needs,” said Partnership President and CEO Tim Giuliani. “In the upcoming weeks, our goal is to scale this program to reach as many small businesses in our region as possible.”

Small businesses in need of assistance should visit BRACEOrlando.org. Organizations and companies interested in partnering to provide financial relief services can also fill out a form at BRACEOrlando.org to request a follow up.

“I look forward to working with the Orlando Economic Partnership and the BRACE program in this effort,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings.

“We know that there are few, if any, industries that are immune to this virus,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

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“Our local businesses are the backbone of oureconomy, and at the heart of everything we do as a community and so we will fight for them, advocate for them and do all we can to connect our businesses, through programs like BRACE, to resources that can help them weather the storm and begin on a path to recovery.”

Interested parties who complete and submit their online form will have a BRACE Ambassador reach out to them within 48 hours after contact. Ambassadors are trained to triage needs, offer resources or provide referrals to partners with the right expertise.

While some programs like the Florida Small Business Emergency BRIDGE Program and the Paycheck Protection Program are no longer accepting applications and have run out of funding, the Partnership is creating a database of those companies needing assistance and maintaining communication with them as the federal process ensues and potential local options become available.

The BRACE program will be available as long as it’s needed, and as emergency relief programs are available.

A media fact sheet and FAQ document are available for download here. For more information please contact Justin.Braun@Orlando.org or at 407-902-0211.

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OP - ED By Dr. Sarah St. Louis Over the last week, I have been heartened and encouraged by the national effort to raise awareness around the alarming reports of Black people dying from COVID-19 in certain cities around the country. The progress is inspiring, but the work is not done. According to the trusted model from the University of Washington, “the curve� will peak on April 21st, which means that the most important thing we can do is to keep the pressure on.

I currently serve as president of the Central Florida Medical Society, a local chapter of the National Medical Association, the largest African American medical organization in the United States. Not only am I a physician here in Orlando, but I also have a consulting practice in Trinidad. My Trinidadian father, who is also a physician, and myself, have a deep, invested interest in those of our community. It is no longer contested as to whether health disparities exist, and it is no secret that Black Americans suffer disproportionately from many chronic diseases.

In this rapidly developing Covid-19 crisis, we have learned that those with underlying health conditions, regardless of race, are much more likely to die from complications of COVID-19. Black Americans, are 2.2 times more likely to have diabetes, 20% more likely to have high blood pressure, 30% more likely to be obese, more likely to have HIV, asthma, Sickle Cell Anemia, more likely to live in poverty, and have higher rates of incarceration.

All of these are underlying health conditions and thus put our community at a greater risk of death if they contract COVID-19.

How can we protect this at-risk community? To start, we need more information and data. It has only been within the last few days that some current reports of infection and mortality both nationally and statewide are depicting race. We also need adequate access to high quality testing in these affected communities. And most importantly, we need information spread in an effective way to the places and media outlets that this group utilizes. Many of the our communities are of Caribbean or Haitian descent, and language used to convey information with the general public may present a barrier. Much of our community resides in low income housing with multiple family members, including elderly.

Residents often work jobs that do not offer the luxury of remotely working from home and they may utilize public transportation, which further exposes them. Medical information can and should be broadcast on media outlets that will reach these populations. For example, Gospel or RnB radio stations, popular media personalities or local celebrities, church organizations, Greek organizations, and local African American medical societies or nursing organizations may be utilized to disseminate information.

I feel privileged to have access to healthcare and receive continuous updates on our current Covid-19 crisis. With an extensive medical background, I feel comfortable and confident in my interpretation of the information I see and hear. Over the recent weeks,

Sarah M. St. Louis, MD, FACOG like so many others, I have heard from friends and family regarding themselves or someone they know testing positive for Covid-19. I cannot help but wonder, how did that person interpret information on Covid-19? What did they do to protect themselves?

Even more interesting, is what could they do to protect themselves?

As the situation grows, the need to know this information becomes even more critical. If people do not know better, it is quite hard to do better.

Physicians and healthcare workers need to be aware of this vulnerable population that is at higher risk from Covid-19. If we are all in this together then we all need to be safe. Therefore it is imperative to orchestrate a system to collect this data and tailor a communications strategy focused on educating Caribbean and African Americans on the reality of Covid-19, how it affects them, and how to best protect themselves and their families during this pandemic.

Sarah M. St. Louis, MD, FACOG President, Central Florida Medical Society Associates in Urogynecology 70 W. Gore St. Suite 201 Orlando, FL 32806 407-874-8795 (office) The Central Florida Medical Society was founded in 1974, when eight (8) African American physicians formed a component society of the National Medical Association (NMA). The NMA is the largest Black medical organization in the world. These founding physicians were bedrock members of the Central Florida community and felt the need for a society that offered camaraderie, social outlet, and clinical interaction that was not widely available to them in the general community.

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ORLANDO SALES AND MEDIAN PRICE RECORD INCREASES AS HOUSING MARKET AWAITS IMPACT FROM COVID-19 Orlando’s housing market in March saw its home sales improve by nearly 2% compared to March 2019, while the median price increased by 8%. Inventory experienced a year-over-year decline of 10%, reports the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association.

ORRA President Reese Stewart, RE/MAX Properties SW, points out that we will have to wait another month to see solid evidence of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Orlando’s home sales statistics. “Because of the amount of time it traditionally takes a home to move through the transaction process (an average of 37 days in March), the properties that closed in March most likely went under contract sometime in February, before the stock market declines and stay-at-home orders.”

“It’s important to remember that we’re in a global pandemic, not a real estate recession. Orlando is a vibrant destination in great demand to new residents, international homebuyers, investors, etc.,” continues Stewart. “It’s clear we are probably going to see a slowdown in sales, but we can’t offer short-term market predictions because this is a situation the likes of which we’ve never encountered. However, we are confident in the long-term strength of Orlando’s real estate market.”

Median Price The overall median price of Orlando homes (all types combined) sold in March is $253,500, which is 7.9% above the March 2019 median price of $235,000 and 1.4% above the February 2020 median price of $250,000.

According to Stewart, the increase in median price can be attributed in part to the historically low interest rates that increase purchasing power and allow buyers to qualify for homes with higher price tags.

The median price for single-family homes that changed hands in March increased 5.9% over March 2019 and is now $270,000. The median price for condos increased 14.5% to $146,000 and townhomes/villas/duplexes increased 5.0% to $220,000.

The Orlando housing affordability index for March is137.63, down from 139.71 last month. (An affordability index of 99% means that buyers earning the state-reported median income are 1% short of the income necessary to purchase a medianpriced home. Conversely, an affordability index that is over 100 means that median-income earners make more than is necessary to qualify for a median-priced home.)

The first-time homebuyers affordability index decreased to 97.87 from 99.35% last month.

Sales and Inventory Members of ORRA participated in 3,204 sales of all home types combined in March, which is 2.0% more than the 3,142 sales in March 2019 and 27.1% more than the 2,521 sales in February 2020.

Sales of single-family homes (2,544) in March 2020 increased by 3.3% compared to March 2019, while condo sales (352) decreased 11.3% year over year. Duplexes, townhomes, and villas (308 combined) increased 9.2% over March 2019.

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Throwing Doubles And Passing Go

By Tony Deyal The virus and the Government have made things so tough in Trinidad, in some ways unduly and unnecessarily so, that while other food suppliers like KFC and Gyros were allowed to operate as usual, vendors of the national staple, “Doubles” (curried chickpeas or “channa” in fried, unleavened bread) were not. Neither “Please” nor pleas could shake the recalcitrant Government, and when some people protested in peace, claiming that the decision was based on racial and not spatial considerations, the prime minister stopped all food sales. Some angry people took the blow hard but could not budge him.

My family and I figured that if we couldn’t get doubles in Trinidad, we might as well throw them. My son, Zubin, went into the storeroom, searched among all the boxes and castaway objects, and finally came out smiling with something that we had not used for a long time. I could tell from the word “GO” that it was a Monopoly set that. I had discarded in anger some years ago.

What had happened was that during a hard-fought game, the other three players – my wife, Indranie, my daughter Jasmine, and Zubin had all put up hotels, and the journey around the board was fraught with more consequences than driving on a Trinidad highway at night. Despite all the traps, including going to jail, I had narrowly passed the hotel on Kentucky by a nose and landed on Chance.

Now, for us Big Business tycoons, a CHANCE card is more likely than a Community Chest Card to do you serious damage. Its lethal consequences include advancing to the expensive Boardwalk or going to the nearest utility and then paying ten times the amount you threw, impoverishing you but enriching the property’s owner. I was very lucky. I got a card that demanded that I make general repairs on all my properties – each house $25 and hotel $100. Fortunately for me, I had no hotel or house and was spared bankruptcy.

second prize in a Beauty Contest. Collect $10.” I looked at Mr Monopoly, preening with his sash and large bouquet, and walked away from the game when I realised that he was so against me that he had paid me in Guyana dollars.

My three “happy-unlike-pappy” opponents smilingly evaded and escaped all the traps, and successfully made their throw,s earning even more money to buy and enhance their holdings. Then it was my turn to throw. Ahead of me was a veritable hall of flames – hotels on Indiana and Illinois followed by one of four railways owned by my daughter so that landing there was a hefty sum. Hard by (close by) were the yellow-bellied Atlantic, Ventnor, and Marvin Gardens -all with hotels – and between them the Water Works just dripping for my dough.

HOPE OF SALVATION Next, on the corner, a policeman anxious to send me to jail, followed by the expensive greenery of Pacific and North Carolina Avenues separated from Pennsylvania by the Community Chest – my only hope of salvation. However, to arrive there, I had to throw an eleven. This is a longshot with a probability of 2 out of 36.

I shook the dice, blew on them, prayed silently, and then threw. Yes! Eleven! I had landed on Community Chest.

Hoping for an “Advance to ‘GO’”, card where I would collect $200 and get some respite, a “Bank Error in my favour”, or even $50 from a sale of stock, I laughed in anticipation and grabbed the card. It said: “You have won a

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Throwing Doubles And Passing Go

Continued from page 17

By Tony Deyal Actually, Monopoly, like my last joke about Guyana (designed to make Indranie angry), is old and unrealistic. It not only has a luxury tax, but rich people can be put in jail – something that would never happen in Trinidad or some of the other Caribbean countries. The game started in 1903 when an anti-monopoly activist and game designer, Elizabeth Phillips, invented “The Landlord’s Game” to illustrate the teachings of a “progressive” economist (an oxymoron if ever there was one), Henry George.

After some skulduggery on the part of a shyster named Charles Darrow, Parker Brothers bought the game from him, paid off Ms Phillips for her rights (just $500 but in green- and not orange-backs) and started selling it 85 years ago in February 1935.

Subsequently, you had to take everything with a shake, if not of the dice, but of your head. I remember this woman complaining bitterly: “My husband is a cheater. He beats me, and whenever I touch anything he owns, he swears he will make me pay.” She added, “That is why I won’t play Monopoly with him again.”

IMPROVING YOUR GAME There was this guy investing in Monopoly games until he realised there was no money in them. There was another who actually pushed his car to a hotel and lost his entire fortune. He had stopped at his opponent’s hotel, an experience with which I am all too familiar. What I can say,

after many years of the game, is that if I had a dollar for every time someone complained about Monopoly addiction, I could put a hotel on all my properties.

One thing about Monopoly is that there is a lot of advice going around and even books about how to improve your game. A few years ago, the 24-year-old UK Monopoly Champion, Natalie Fitzsimmons, said that the key to winning is to be kind. That has clearly escaped my family. However, her other advice is well taken: stick with three or four houses and stay in jail for as long as possible.

While many of us dread the “Go to Jail. Go directly to jail.

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200 ”, Natalie says that in the latter stages of the game, it is worth trying to stay in jail for as long as possible to avoid expensive rents.

Fortunately, she was not around in World War Two, so her advice was not heeded. The Nazis let the Allied prisoners of war (POWs) play board games, and the British government, with the cooperation of the game’s publisher, hid real money among the Monopoly money as well as compasses, metal files, and a map to help the POWs escape. I suppose this is when the “Get Out of Jail Free” card became a real hit.

Tony Deyal was last seen getting annoyed when he asked for the Speedboat as his token and was told by his son, the Banker, that he should use the Top Hat as it would help him hide his baldness.

Florida’s Unemployment Crisis Continues: “1.5 Million Claims Filed, Just $40,193 Paid” Latest reporting shows Florida’s unemployment system has moved painfully slow in dispersing assistance to Floridians out of work and still rejects many applicants.

unemployment numbers: 1.5 million claims filed, just 40,193 paid”:Just 40,193 Floridians who have filed for unemployment since March 15 have received their benefits, according to a new website the state launched Monday.

On April 20, The Tampa Bay Times reported that from March 15 through April 19, Florida’s unemployment system received 1.5 million claims and only dispersed new payments to 40,183 Floridians. The Times also reported that the state has rejected one in four of the claims that have been processed so far.

That’s less than 3 percent of the more than 1.5 million claims filed since mid-March when the state saw a record surge in people thrown out of work because of the coronavirus.

Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, slammed DeSantis for the high rejection rate and the slow-moving processing: “Governor Ron DeSantis has failed the hundreds of thousands of Floridians who have lost their jobs from the pandemic. Claims are being processed far too slowly, and far too many claims are being rejected.

Floridians need a more robust system, fewer restrictions on applicants, and stronger benefits.

DeSantis and the Republican legislature should have revamped the state’s unemployment system by now. What are they waiting for?”

Excerpt from The Tampa Bay Times’s “Florida releases

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The new site, which is expected to be updated daily, provides the first look at the scope of the state’s unemployment crisis and the workload faced by the Department of Economic Opportunity, the agency tasked with processing claims: Of the more than 1.5 million claims, just 162,039 have been processed by the state to determine if the person is eligible for unemployment.

Of the 162,039 claims, 41,573 — about one in four — were found ineligible for assistance.

Nearly $60 million has been paid to 40,193 Floridians, but the state has been slow to pay out the $600-per-week federal unemployment benefits. Of the $60 million, just $14.3 million in federal help.

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