COVID-19 Situation Note - UN Barbados and OECS

Coronavirus Disease – COVID 19 Situation Note No. 3 As of 18:00 hours, 22 April 2020

OVERVIEW OF SITUATION IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN Global Report 2 471 136

169 006

Confirmed cases

Deaths

World Health Organization 22 April 2020

Eastern Caribbean

189

9

56

Deaths

Recovered

PAHO, 22 April 2020 Confirmed cases

Countries measures: • Some countries are showing progress in terms of containment including with Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia which have been recording no new cases over 5 days or more.

• Dominica, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis have extended state of emergency/emergency powers.

• Countries including Barbados, Saint Lucia have begun easing some restrictions such a movement of persons, curfew lengths and allowing operation of commercial and public services.

UPDATE Country

Confirmed

Death

Status

Schools Closed

Travel Restrictions

Social Distance

3

-

Imported

Yes

Yes

Antigua & Barbuda Barbados

23

3

Yes

75

5

British Virgin Islands Dominica

5

1

Yes

16

-

Grenada

14

-

Montserrat

11

-

Saint Kitts & Nevis

15

-

Saint Lucia

15

-

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

12

-

Imported/ local Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported/ local transmission Imported

Borders Closed* Specific nationalities Specific nationalities

Anguilla

Emergency Declaration /Statutory Orders

National Lockdown/ Curfew Ends

12 May 2020

-

Yes

22 April 2020

Yes

Yes

3 May 2020

Borders Closed*

Yes

Yes

25 April 2020

Yes

Borders Closed*

Yes

Yes

11 May 2020

Yes

Borders Closed*

Yes

Yes

27 April 2020

Yes

Borders Closed**

Yes

Yes

1 May 2020

Yes

Borders Closed*

-

Borders Closed*

Yes

Specific nationalities

-

Yes

Reopen online 20/4/2020 -

Total 189 9 . *Borders closed to commercial traffic /**Borders closed with exceptions

20 April 2020 Yes Yes

Until further notice

COVID 19 Situation Note - No. 03 | 2

UN RESPONSE •

The UN Sub-Regional Team Barbados and OECS has developed a Multi-Sectoral Response Plan for the Eastern Caribbean (MRP) region as a joint framework of coordination to support countries’ needs through a joined approach and mobilization strategy. The MRP covers the period May - December 2020 through the following three main objectives and eight pillars: (1) To contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic; (2) To minimize social and economic impacts and (3) To promote protection and well-being of the most vulnerable. An Appeal will be launched to mobilize the support for the Eastern Caribbean region.

Update on Response by Sectors:

Health and Wellness

Food and Nutrition Security and Standards

1

•

Joint Procurement Task Force established under the UN RC guidance between PAHO, UNDP, UNICEF and UNOPS to support countries with the purchase of medical equipment and other immediate needs. US $ 8.3 million funding requirement.

•

PAHO continues to provide additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and testing kits to countries in collaboration with the Regional Security Services (RSS). Currently Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia have the capacity to conduct diagnostic tests for COVID-19.

•

PAHO has delivered webinars to health workers on mental health needs for community leaders, teachers, and hotline workers, and on caring for the mental health needs of health care workers as they respond to COVID-19. Webinars have also been delivered on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and COVID-19 and use of Health Care Workers assessment tool.

•

PAHO with a contribution of US $460,000 from USAID1 is supporting countries with case management, risk communications, surveillance and psychosocial support.

•

PAHO continuously engages with Member States to assess needs and provide technical assistance based on guidelines.

•

UNICEF, and with support of $500,000 from USAID, and in partnership with PAHO and the Ministries of Health have rolled out risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities in all countries to spread awareness of the virus and promote hygiene activities, reaching a total of 133,165 people to date. In partnership with Digicel, targeted text messaging on hygiene and child protection. UNICEF is also disseminating across multiple radio and social media platforms key messages on how parents and caregivers can support children to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

•

WFP with support from FAO implemented the CARICOM “Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihoods Impact Survey” from 1-12 April in order to rapidly gather rapid data on these impacts. WFP prepared a summary report, which found that COVID-19 has caused widespread disruption to livelihoods and that nearly half of respondents have faced a change in income.

•

FAO is one of eleven2 agencies which established a virtual communication and information platform to coordinate their actions to better assist governments on agriculture and food systems including advocacy, analysis and technical assistance, monitoring and promotion of public dialogue and exchange of good practices.

USAID also supported UNICEF with $ 500,000.

Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA, in Spanish), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Food Program (WFP) 2

COVID 19 Situation Note - No. 03 | 3

Economic Recovery and Livelihoods Restoration

•

A socio-economic impact assessment undertaken by UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women is being finalized. The assessments were undertaken Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

•

UNDP is working with government, private sector and CSOs on an economic transformation programme to support job creation and income-generating activities by supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to go digital and enter into ecommerce platforms.

•

UNDP, in collaboration with WFP and FAO, is defining an economic recovery programme focused on supporting the reconversion efforts of companies requiring technical and financial assistance to adjust to the current COVID-19 crisis context.

•

ECLAC has set up an observatory and is working PAHO and CARICOM on a major study on impact of COVID 19.

•

The ILO Caribbean continues it “Resilient with Decent Work” Webinar Series for representatives from governments, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations and other stakeholders to discuss the economic and social impacts of COVID-19, as well as effective policy responses.

•

UNICEF is supporting distance learning and will procure tablets for the most vulnerable learners. Concurrently, through the OECS and Ministries of Education supporting the development and implementation of guidelines for safe school operations, education on COVID-19 and fast-track procurement of COVID-19 related hygiene supplies.

•

UNICEF along with Global Partnership for Education ($280,000 contribution) is supporting country plans for continuing education in Grenada, Dominica, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. An additional $70,000 from UNICEF expands the support to the remaining countries in the sub-region.

•

UNICEF and WFP collaborating with Ministries on planning for and putting in place measures to address the socio-economic impact of the crisis and ensuring that impacts driven by pre-existing risks factors adequately inform measures, including through adjusting and expanding existing shock responsive social protection programmes.

•

UN Women has developed a policy paper “COVID-19 AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN CARICOM: POLICY AND PROGRAMME CONSIDERATIONS” to provide guidance to NGMs and other policy makers on gender transformative policy making within the COVID-19 context.

•

In collaboration with PAHO, UNICEF supported the development a COVID-19 Child Protection Response Plan, including an online psychological first aid seminar currently being rolled out with the OECS to countries.

•

UNICEF has provided online mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to families impacted by COVID-19 (12,124 parents and primary caregivers).

•

To ensure the continuity of essential services of frontline workers (education, social services professionals), UNICEF and PAHO rolled out targeted training to 1,365 frontline workers on psychosocial support and UNICEF also scaling training for additional frontline workers.

•

UN Women accelerated advertisement of Small Grants to support smaller CBOs, CSOs and NGOs working on Family violence within the COVID-19 context under the Spotlight Initiative Joint Programme Grenada.

•

UNFPA is supporting the countries to develop, update and adapt the GBV referral pathway to the context of COVID-19 based on rapid GBV service mappings to ensure continued access to multi-sectoral services by GBV survivors.

Education

Social Protection

Child Protection

Gender Based Violence and Violence Against Children

COVID 19 Situation Note - No. 03 | 4

•

UNFPA is partnering with: the Forum of Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (ForoLAC) to assess and manage the risks to ensure continued supply of contraceptives; Prezi and its youth advisory groups and networks to provide information to youth, on protection against COVID 19 #youthagainstcovid; Caribbean Regional Midwives Association and UNFPA are partnering to ensure safe maternal and neonatal health care during COVID-19.

•

UN Women is recruiting Psycho-social professionals to support GBV hotlines and Hotline workers and procuring cloth masks from women entrepreneurs for GBV shelters across the region.

•

UN Women has hosted three Gender Mainstreaming Coordination Meetings with NGMs to share better practices in COVID-19 response.

•

WFP established a Caribbean COVID-19 Logistics Cell (co-led by CDEMA) including PAHO, UNICEF, Multinational Caribbean Coordination Cell ( MNCCC) military members in the Caribbean, ECHO, Global Affairs Canada, UNOPS, IFRC and French Red Cross (with more entities joining) to strengthen coordination and to gain an understanding of regional supply chain needs and potential common service support.

•

WFP has finalized a concept for the development of an air bridge in the Caribbean for life-saving medical and technical support that could be activated subject to funding. A similar concept is under development for a sea bridge to strengthen Caribbean regional integration for food and other basic commodities.

•

UNOPS is consulting with governments of Barbados and Grenada regarding support for procurement of supplies for their COVID-19 responses.

Cont.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

COORDINATION •

The UN Sub-Regional Team, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and PAHO Representative for the Eastern Caribbean, meets on a weekly basis to review the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Eastern Caribbean and to coordinate the UN’s support in the region. Additionally, the UN inter-agency COVID19 Committee continues to monitor the crisis and has prepared the Multi-Sectoral Response Plan.

•

The Eastern Caribbean Development Partners Group- Disaster Management (ECDPG-DM) continues to meet on a bi-weekly basis to discuss COVID 19 to facilitate coordinated response to COVID 19.

•

Communication was sent by the UN Resident Coordinator to all Eastern Caribbean Prime Ministers, offering the UN’s support on medical needs under the framework of the established UN Interagency Procurement Task Force, composed of PAHO, UNDP, UNOPS and UNICEF in collaboration with CDEMA. This is to support CARICOM’s regional procurement efforts.

On a global level: o

The Global Humanitarian Appeal for COVID 19 has so far received around 20 per cent of the $2.01 billion required.

o

UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (US $ 1 billion): Based on the contributions from four donors, the first call of proposal was launched approving allocations of U$ 300,000 or U$ 1 million to 46 Least Developed Countries, Lower Middle-Income Countries and selected Small Island Developing States (SIDS). From the Caribbean region only Jamaica and Belize were prioritized in the first call.

o

The UN Secretary-General in his quest to advocate for debt relief, launched the Debt and COVID-19: A Global Response in Solidarity Policy Note, on 17 April 2020, which describes a comprehensive three phase framework on economic recovery for developing countries. The note is focused on debt sustainability, alternative use of debt mechanisms and addressing the structural issues for a prolong financial and economic crisis.

COVID 19 Situation Note - No. 03 | 5

USEFUL LINK OR SOURCES OF INFORMATION Websites: United Nations COVID-19 : https://www.un.org/coronavirus UN Barbados and the OECS: www.uneasterncaribbean.org (prior SitReps are available on our website).

UN Barbados and the OECS Social media: https://twitter.com/UNBdosandOECS https://www.facebook.com/UNBarbadosandOECS/ https://www.instagram.com/unbarbadosandoecs/ WHO/PAHO https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus PAHO https://www.paho.org/en/topics/coronavirus-infections/coronavirus-disease-covid-19 WFP Daily Updates on LAC: http://arcg.is/iTnb1 http://arcg.is/4PHG9

For further information, please contact Ms. Sarah Lionel, RCO [sarah.lionel@un.org] or rco.bb.one.org