By Kate Chappell and Sarah Marsh, Reuters — Monday 1 March 2021
While global new infections begin to decline, Jamaica, Cuba, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are suffering their worst COVID-19 outbreaks since the start of the pandemic. Jamaica’s total confirmed cases have almost doubled in the first two months of 2021, with all beds dedicated to COVID-19 isolation full as of 26 February. “We are not coping. We are physically and emotionally drained,” said one Jamaican nurse. Caribbean leaders have complained about difficulty accessing vaccines and hoarding by rich nations amid a slow COVAX rollout. The Caribbean Development Bank projected growth of 3.8% in its 19 borrowing member countries in 2021 after a contraction of 12.8% in 2020.