The response to the coronavirus crisis has revealed the shortage of personal protective equipment and critical medical devices. According to the WHO, the worldwide capacity to supply needed items through traditional suppliers is under stress. To produce and provide supplies directly in the service of local first responders, maker communities across Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world have mobilized to share open source designs and pool their production capacity in the midst of an extremely environment complex. This has involved working around obstacles such as restricted movement and limited materials, unestablished rules and procedures, and constant iteration of designs to ensure the pieces produced are  sufficiently effective enough to provide real support.

Las Altas Autoridades de las organizaciones que conforman el Grupo de Trabajo Conjunto de Cumbres se reunieron virtualmente a fin de coordinar los esfuerzos para brindar apoyo en las áreas de preparación, mitigación y recuperación de la crisis. La reunión fue convocada por el Presidente del GTCC, el Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), Sr. Luis Almagro.

The number of cases, the number of deaths and the number of affected countries is expected to continue to increase. Hygiene, social distancing and isolation measures are essential aspects as a public health response to stop the spread of the epidemic. However, the implementation of these measures is an especially difficult challenge for a large percentage of the vulnerable population living in informal settlements, where overcrowded conditions lead to the transmission of diseases, such as asthma

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging global crisis since the postwar, for its public health dimension as well as its economic consequences. International trade is one of the channels of contagion of the economic crisis that will strongly affect Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

During the last few weeks, we have seen, heard, and read various information, in all possible media, about the pandemic that affects humanity. The impact of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean is beginning to directly affect the lives of the population due to the decisions, both political and economic, that governments have taken in favor of social protection and human life. Everything indicates that the effects of the pandemic in the medium and long term will be severe, not only on the health of the population and their access to basic services, but also on their income and lifestyle. Social-distancing and quarantine measures, as well as an increase in the provision of health services, increase the pressure on public service systems such as energy, water, and sanitation to keep such measures effective since their continuity is vital.

Life as we know it has changed drastically and seemingly overnight as a result of the coronavirus. Measures are being taken to slow the exponential rise of infections and reduce pressure on the capacity of health systems to care for the sick. In the past few weeks, many countries have ramped up efforts to adopt social distancing measures such as closing schools, limiting large gatherings, and shutting borders. More recently, some countries have implemented total lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and closures of all non-essential businesses.

The group will finance a response to the public health emergency; safety nets for vulnerable populations; economic productivity and employment; and fiscal policies to ameliorate economic impacts.

A recent exploration of economic scenarios gives some indication of the extent to which the reduction in tourist arrivals could impact the GDP of Caribbean countries. The worst scenario: a 75% reduction in tourism arrivals over the last 3 quarters of the year could reduce GDP by between 11% and 26% in the case of The Bahamas, with similar numbers for Barbados and Jamaica. Governments need urgent financial support.

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds, companies have begun to harness new and emerging technologies to reach higher levels of efficiency of production and consumption, expand into new markets, and compete for a global consumer base. These changes are causing huge shifts in the existing skill requirements for workers; and the demand for higher cognitive, technological, social and emotional skills has increased as the demand for physical and manual skills declines. In this context, Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) facilitate the creation and deployment of industry upgrade strategies, laying out how to adapt to changes brought upon by technology.