Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 23 November 2020
By: Jean Lowrie-Chin
Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has given a stern warning: with 70,000 expected arrivals of Jamaicans for the Christmas holidays, we may very well see a Covid-19 spike in January. Oh no – we have been counting the days for 2020 to be over, please give us a break 2021! On the positive side, scientists are saying that if 95 percent of the population would wear a mask, we could get Covid under control and two vaccines should be available in a few months.
We Jamaicans have been fortunate that our leaders have not politicized mask-wearing, yet as we move around, we notice that less than half of folks are not wearing masks. Further we hear that people arriving from abroad think it is clever that they can dodge the authorities by breaking quarantine and gathering with friends at popular hangouts. It is beyond belief that there was a mob-killing of a police officer who tried to break up a party which was breaching curfew.
We should be aware that over 90 persons are now in hospital here with Covid. Older persons are the majority of those who have died from the virus. As much as Grandma and Grandpa will be happy to see family returning from abroad, the welcome home hugs have to be replaced by blown kisses. There are many young people who are Covid-positive and asymptomatic. That one hug could be a death sentence for an elder so please restrain yourselves.
As for family dinners, I admit I am in a state – how can I face Christmas without preparing a feast for all the people I love so much? But I must accept that for their safety and ours, we have to stay in our bubble. Let us try to live to see another Christmas where we can finally get together. We can deliver Christmas treats to our loved ones and plan a Facetime or a Zoom Christmas get-together. Our family enjoyed a Zoom Mothers’ Day Brunch, showing off dishes and toasting each other.
JMEA President Richard Pandohie is appealing for a later curfew time over the holiday season, but that will only happen if right away, we work with our families and communities to mask up and keep infection numbers down. Come November 30, the PM will have to listen to the health experts before he reviews the hours.
Meanwhile, let us look at organizing ourselves to get out earlier to do our shopping. We were pleasantly surprised to know we could call ahead to Island Grill and skip the line to collect our order. Our CCRP shopper Charmaine has also organised with seniors to collect their purchases at various supermarkets if they call in their orders, and NHF will deliver prescriptions drugs to persons over 65.
We are sad to hear that the global death toll for Covid has passed 1.3 million and grieve with members of our Jamaican Diaspora and indeed our entire human family who are mourning their loss. Let us do our best to avoid becoming another Covid victim.
Boost for Special Needs
In previous years, thousands gathered in downtown Kingston for Jamaica’s first ever night run, the Digicel 5K for Special Needs. The company found a way around Covid, staging a virtual 5K last month and inviting the Jamaican Diaspora to join in. Last week, The Digicel Foundation was able to present a total of $7.5M to The Jamaica Association for the Deaf, The Jamaica Autism Support Association, Early Stimulation Plus, The Jamaica Downs Syndrome Foundation and the Promise Learning Centre.
In addition to the building and renovation of 10 Special Needs schools, the Foundation recently partnered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to establish two new schools for special needs – the Rosebank School (formerly Rosebank Primary) in St Mary and the Pear Tree River School in St. Thomas.
It is heartening to see the progress being made by special needs students when they have the right teachers and facilities to help them develop their skills.
Oliver Samuels honoured
Oliver Samuels, the only CCRP Living Legacy Honouree this year, shared his love for theatre and his dedication to those in need at a recent live broadcast from the PCBJ studio. He is celebrating his 50th year in Jamaican theatre and shows no sign of slowing down. He describes cultural icon, Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley (Miss Lou) as his mentor. After a pantomime performance early in his career, he recalls Miss Lou asking him, “Likkle boy, where yuh come from?” He was thrilled when his idol told him that his recital of her poem “Love Letta” was the best interpretation she had ever heard.
Oliver Samuel’s innate generosity and empathy with “ordinary Jamaicans” is a quality that has remained with him throughout his career. He has donated proceeds of his productions to several good causes. He has been a mentor for many young people – his own children, as well as many others he has “taken under his wing” and maintains that his children are his greatest blessing in life.
That call to Prince Phillip
As we watch Season Four of ‘The Crown’, the Netflix series on the British royal family, I recall the day that I had an actual telephone conversation with the Duke of Edinburgh. It was the summer of 1966 and the Duke and Princess Anne were in Jamaica for the Commonwealth Games. We were at home on holidays and we had read that the Royals were staying at the Olympia Hotel. Our parents were out, so this daring teenager decided that she would call the hotel and ask to speak with the Prince.
You can imagine my shock when the operator put me through, and I heard this lovely voice saying ‘Hello?’ My siblings can attest that I asked first if this was Prince Phillip, to which he answered ‘Yes’, then I asked if he was the Duke of Edinburgh and sounding a bit amused, he again said ‘Yes’. Well at that point I lost my nerve and said, “It was nice to speak with you Sir, good-bye.” He was kind enough to stop me, ask my name, and say it was a nice name. I was able to stutter that I hoped he would enjoy his visit and asked him to say hello to the Queen. He said he would, and we ended the call. Well you can imagine the breathless laughter with my sisters and brother. Our Dad, an ex-RAF man, was strict on protocol, so we were afraid to tell him. He finally learned about it a few weeks later and was delighted, only sorry we didn’t tell him earlier as he said he would have called the Gleaner to report it.
When my sister told her classmate, she tried to call Princess Anne the next day, but she didn’t have the same luck.
Jamaica Highlights 