THE UWI’S FINEST HOUR: CONQUERING THE DOUBT AND FEAR
They also created simulated scenarios which allowed for projections of situations that might arise over the course of the pandemic, given certain variables. The Task Force’s discussions did not only surround means of surviving the initial onslaught of the pandemic, but also ways to emerge from it with a clear plan for recovery. Acting in the public interest with UWI Science at their backs, regional leaders took tough decisions with confidence and courage, thus saving perhaps thousands of lives. A full website was devoted to information disseminated by the Task Force, through which the collective knowledge and expertise were available to all, with the primary objective being to provide accurate and reliable information through other channels of communication, such as webinars, podcasts, online seminars, weekly bulletins and video tips on a range of topics managed by University Marketing & Communications and UWI tv respectively. Public Forums and other informative programmes In response to the pandemic, several of the Vice- Chancellor’s Forums, conducted virtually, addressed the pandemic, with the very first hosted on January
More than ever before, we were called to rally around each other in 2020. As an activist university, The UWI continued to engage in the search for sustainable solutions for the Caribbean to confront the COVID-19 challenge. Universities are built and resourced to serve their communities and nations, so times like these drew precisely on our academy’s purpose. Through science, medicine, engineering and volunteerism, our staff and students are contributing their resources and expertise towards the fight, demonstrating that UWI cares.
The UWI COVID-19 Task Force guides the Caribbean response
Throughout the pandemic, the Task Force emphasised the sense of Caribbean community and solidarity and worked closely with organisations such as CARICOM, CARPHA, CDEMA, PAHO, and The Caribbean Tourism Organisation, as well as individual regional governments to lend their knowledge and resources as they sought the interest of their citizens. The virologists on the Task Force were networked into global alliances, for example the Global Virology Network (GVN), that monitor and track the evolution of viral pandemics. By contributing genomic sequence data into these global networks, our virologists help monitor mutations or new strains of COVID-19 that may emerge as the virus moves from country to country.
26
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator