 Minister for Education Honourable Dr. Gail Rigorbert has issued a statement on the status of schools amid the increasing cases of COVID-19. Dr. Rigorbert has informed that as determined by the chief medical officer, there is indeed community spread of the coronavirus and as such the decision has been taken that all learning institutions shall remain closed for a further two weeks. The proposed date for the reopening of school is now Monday, November 9th, 2020. The minister says, given that the situation is still so fluid, there is the possibility that the date may change. Students, teachers and parents are to continue with the multifaceted mode of learning and teaching, employing both traditional methods and learning online during this period. Parents are encouraged to ensure that children remain at home as part of combating the spread of the coronavirus and to avoid mass crowd gatherings. The Pan-American Health Organization says, in the English-speaking Caribbean, most new COVID-19 cases are related to non-essential international travel. Grenada, for instance, reported its first new COVID-19 case in three months, coinciding with the reopening of its borders. PAHO Director Dr. Karissa Etienne says, the resurgence underscores that fighting this pandemic is not a one-time effort. It requires a sustained response even in places where transmission is down. Dr. Etienne has called on countries to remain in control of the virus while they await the arrival of a safe and effective vaccine. Today, we have a pipeline of more than 180 vaccine candidates under study, with 11 in Phase 3 clinical trials, and several of them including volunteers in our region. While the world urgently awaits a breakthrough, it is important to highlight that PAHO will only support the distribution of a vaccine that has proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials reviewed by national regulatory authorities and recommended by the World Health Organization. Vaccines are designed and manufactured with safety in mind. This process is supervised by regulators and followed closely by the scientific community. The PAHO Director has assured that the organization will ensure equitable access to a vaccine by every country. And that's why PAHO has been engaged in the COVAX facility. So countries across our region will have equitable access to a vaccine as soon as it becomes available. COVAX will be the best viable option that countries will have to access COVID-19 vaccines in the short term. That's why over 182 countries and economies around the world have joined this initiative. We're also happy to report that virtually every country in Latin America and the Caribbean has joined or is in the process of joining the facility. PAHO has been supporting countries to navigate what can be very often complicated legal and budgetary steps needed to secure their participation in this innovative global partnerships. Dr. Etienne revealed that PAHO is collaborating with financial institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank to support countries in our region access the funding needed to purchase vaccines through the COVAX facility when they are available. PAHO is also collaborating with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, CAFA and the European Union to provide financial support for the down payment required by the COVAX facility for Caribbean countries to join. 11 countries will be covered by this agreement. This will help to ensure that the Caribbean people, especially the most vulnerable, can benefit from a safe effective COVID-19 vaccine. Director of PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne.