CARICOM

Caribbean Community

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has published an extensive dashboard on COVID-19 active cases, deaths, and country regulations in member states. In addition, CARICOM has published COVID-19-related press releases, articles, and news briefs regarding the Caribbean region and publicized a COVID-19 specific video gallery that directs their online users to all pandemic-related media publications. The organization has also hosted various forums with leaders in education, agriculture, and finance to discuss best responses to socioeconomic challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), a section of CARICOM, has processed over 25,000 COVID-19 tests for member countries with a turn around time between 24 and 48 hours. The agency has also provided PPE and regional guidance. The Caribbean economy is highly dependent on tourism, so CARPHA has coordinated a tourism task force with the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, and Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. CARPHA, with funding provided by the EU, is working with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to facilitate the distribution of vaccines through the COVAX Facility. As of May 2021, 14 CARICOM Member States have received vaccines through COVAX. CARPHA continues to collect public opinion data relating to COVID-19 treatment and vaccines in order to create effective distribution plans. 

The CARICOM Travel Bubble, which allows residents to travel between low risk Member Countries without testing or quarantine, took effect on September 18th. CARICOM’s Council for Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) has met and discussed plans to mitigate threats caused by the pandemic. CARICOM launched two rounds of  the Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihoods Survey to examine the effects the pandemic has had on food security. The organization also hosted a meeting with the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Information and Communication Technology to determine an effective policy response for CARICOM Digital Transformation following the COVID-19 pandemic. This forum provides an opportunity for educational leaders to converse about their experiences during the pandemic, reflecting on successes and challenges, recommendations for moving forward, and the opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic provides for country growth and development. CARICOM has also partnered with the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA) to procure essential medical supplies and distribute them across the region. CARICOM has collaborated with countries in other regions such as Canada and the UK to coordinate support for recovery in the Caribbean. 

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Related Country Pages

The following country pages document CARICOM’s response to the pandemic in specific areas, or contain links to further resources about CARICOM.

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Select resources for CARICOM:

To learn more about CARICOM, visit https://caricom.org/.

The Caribbean Community. (2020, June 25). Priority Areas Coordinating Committee (PACC) Convenes Virtual Meeting to Discuss the Continuity of HIV Services during COVID-19. https://caricom.org/priority-areas-coordinating-committee-pacc-convenes-virtual-meeting-to-discuss-the-continuity-of-hiv-services-during-covid-19/.

————. (2020, July 14). CARPHA Laboratory Achieves 100% Turnaround Time For All Diagnostic Tests. https://caricom.org/carpha-laboratory-achieves-100-turnaround-time-for-all-diagnostic-tests/.

————. (2020, July 17). Skills for a Resilient Youth in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond. https://caricom.org/skills-for-a-resilient-youth-in-the-era-of-covid-19-and-beyond/.

————. (2020, July 20). CMOs Lauded for Role in Successful Management of COVID-19. https://caricom.org/caricom-cmos-lauded-for-role-in-successful-management-of-covid-19/.

————. (2021, March 18). Tenth UK-Caribbean Forum: Action Plan. https://caricom.org/tenth-uk-caribbean-forum-action-plan/.

Caribbean Public Health Agency. (n.d.). The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). http://carpha.org/.

————. (n.d.). CARPHA Commended for Regional Response to Coronavirus COVID-19 at Heads of Government. https://www.carpha.org/Portals/0/Documents/Media%20Releases/CARPHA%20Commended%20for%20Regional%20Response%20to%20Coronavirus%20COVID-19%20at%20Heads%20of%20Government.pdf.

————. (n.d.). What We Do. https://carpha.org/What-We-Do/Public-Health/Novel-Coronavirus.

CARICOM COVID 19. (n.d.). Infogram. https://infogram.com/1p3mqdeyw3kzpjb0gv052y96d3sdm9p9zyd.

CARICOM Today. (2020, July 21). News. https://today.caricom.org/.

————. (2020, August 8). CARICOM coordinates provision of essential COVID-19 supplies for Member States. https://today.caricom.org/2020/08/07/caricom-coordinates-provision-of-essential-covid-19-supplies-for-member-states/.

————. (2020, September 24). The CARICOM travel bubble now in effect. https://today.caricom.org/2020/09/24/the-caricom-travel-bubble-now-in-effect/.

CARPHA Campus. (2020, April 22). The CARPHA Testing Process [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPWuf1z3QWM.

Dunkley-Malcolm, J. (2020, August 4). COVID-19 Update TCI. CARICOM Today. https://today.caricom.org/2020/08/04/covid-19-update-tci-4/.

Morgan, K. (2020, July 29). CARICOM countries receive COVID-19 essential medical supplies. CARICOM Today. https://today.caricom.org/2020/07/27/caricom-countries-receive-covid-19-essential-medical-supplies/.

Nurse, M. (2020, August 4). No End in Sight to COVID Crisis; Impact Will Last for ‘Decades to Come’. CARICOM Today. https://today.caricom.org/2020/08/04/45046/.