CAA – CAA Editor's Desk

COVID-19 Update – July 10

Dear Colleagues,

Please note: Tuesday and Friday are for Covid-19.

Suggested Weekend Reading:

Region:

The IDB Group: Response to Coronavirus
New York Times: Pandemic Plunges Puerto Rico Into Yet Another Dire Emergency

Data:

Ourworldindata.org (new graphs available)

Health:

WebMD: More Vitamin D, Lower Risk of Severe COVID-19?
UC Berkeley News: Emergency COVID-19 measures prevented more than 500 million infections, study finds
Swiss Policy Research: Studies on Covid-19 lethality
Jerusalem Post: Israeli study points to nicotine as a potential therapeutic for COVID-19
The Guardian: Warning of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms
New York Times: 8 Questions From a Disease Detective on the Pandemic’s Origins
El Pais: An analysis of three Covid-19 outbreaks: how they happened and how they can be avoided

Economy:

Times of India: Why Covid-19 has hit some countries harder than others Why some Western countries have a higher death rate compared with their Asian counterparts
BBC News: Coronavirus: How are other economies dealing with the downturn?
Global Americans: COVID-19, the Caribbean and what comes next
Marla Dukharan: COVID Impacts on Caribbean Credit Ratings: Where Have All the Tourists Gone?

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Your feedback is much appreciated. Please continue.

Thank you.

Shubhash Gosine

The information on this page does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the CAA. Data included in graphs has been obtained from several sources the accuracy of which cannot be guaranteed by the CAA. The CAA assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of content contained in any linked site.

News Update – July 9

An Important Message for All Students sitting SOA Exams

Dear Students,

In June 2020, the Society of Actuaries (S0A) announced that all examinations will be moving to a computer-based testing (CBT) approach beginning with the Fall 2020 exams.

We know that many of our actuarial students are SOA candidates and will be impacted by this change. The move to full CBT exacerbates the known problem of limited SOA exam centres available to candidates in the Caribbean. The only Prometric CBT centre within the CAA community is in Trinidad. The existing SOA paper-based locations are in Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda and Jamaica.

The SOA is aware of the geographical challenges in the Caribbean and the specific issues that their recent decision to convert the majority of their exams to computer-based delivery from October 2020 will cause. The CAA has engaged the SOA and we will be working together towards a solution that ensures that Caribbean actuarial candidates are not disadvantaged.

We will aim to provide an update on our progress by the end of July 2020.

Regards,

Pedro Medford

CAA Board – Student Representative

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News Update – July 8

Hello Everyone,

Our Blog on Wednesdays offers a forum for any member to share a project, idea or their work with all of us.

Today’s contribution is from Mike Smith:

Actuaries Without Borders (AWB®) is a Section of the International Actuarial Association (AWB website). Founded in 2003, AWB has conducted various projects around the world: AWB Projects.

AWB seeks to make available actuarial services on a temporary basis through volunteer efforts of its members to assist in the development and sound management of social security, enterprise risk management, pensions, insurance (including non-life, life and microinsurance), investments, healthcare and other infrastructures and wider areas wherein the actuarial skills can be of use. Through its projects and “grass roots” network of contacts, AWB also contributes to the awareness of the actuarial profession and the advancement of actuarial education by encouraging AWB members to take on teaching and coaching assignments in-person and virtually. AWB focuses on geographic areas in which there is a lack of actuarial resources (“target countries”), irrespective of geographical boundaries. AWB provides an excellent interface between developing & emerging markets and actuarial professionals in the insurance, pension, social and economic spheres.

Since the beginning of the year, CAA Leaders, representatives from regional centers of influence and AWB members have been in discussion about either an in-person or a virtual session for the Caribbean. We are hopeful to have a project or two requested by the CAA or entities within the region before the end of 2020.

In the meantime, please consider joining Actuaries Without Borders!!

STAY TUNED TOMORROW FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM PEDRO MEDFORD, STUDENT REP ON THE CAA BOARD!

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Best regards,

Shubhash & Betty

COVID-19 Update – July 7

Dear Colleagues,

Tuesday and Friday are for COVID-19 updates.

Today’s Interesting links:

Ourworldindata.org when last have you had a good look?

New York Times: Decades-Old Soviet Studies Hint at Coronavirus Strategy

OECD: Insurance Sector Responses to COVID-19

03 July 2020 –The spread of COVID-19 and the measures implemented to reduce its transmission are having (and will continue to have) significant impacts on the (re)insurance sector, as investors, as providers of insurance coverage and as businesses that will need to adapt their approaches to service delivery.

This report provides an overview of the measures that governments, insurance regulators and supervisors and insurance associations and individual companies have taken to respond to COVID-19 across three main areas: (i) ensuring continuity of operations; (ii) managing solvency and liquidity risks; and (iii) providing support to policyholders that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Remember to visit tomorrow for “Open Mic Wednesday” when we feature contributions from members!

Thank you.

Shubhash Gosine

The information on this page does not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the CAA. Data included in graphs have been obtained from several sources the accuracy of which cannot be guaranteed by the CAA. The CAA assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of content contained in any linked site.

COVID-19 Update – July 3

Dear Colleagues,

A Happy Fourth of July weekend to our members and friends in the USA!

Please note: Tuesday and Friday are for COVID-19 updates.

The monthly pattern of the Stringency Index.

Covid-19: Stringency Index

As at	Mar 31st	Apr 30th	May 29^th	June 4th	July 3rd
Aruba	82	82	42	42	32
Barbados	73	89	81	81	67
Belize	55	71	91	91	73
Bermuda	52	96	72	72	48
Cuba	67	83	100	100	100
Dominica	31	85	70	70	74
Dominican Republic	90	97	84	84	75
Guyana	57	91	91	91	80
Haiti	76	83	83	83	71
Jamaica	75	87	87	78	65
Suriname	71	82	72	78	81
Trinidad and Tobago	80	91	87	87	69

Brazil	75	77	81	81	77
Canada	73	73	71	71	65
France	91	91	66	66	66
Germany	73	73	53	53	55
Norway	76	65	55	55	34
Panama	76	82	90	90	83
Puerto Rico	94	97	86	86	69
South Africa	88	88	84	84	77
United Kingdom	76	76	67	65	71
United States	73	73	73	73	69
Venezuela	82	82	85	85	87

Source: ourworldindata.org

Interesting videos and articles:

YouTube: How Long Does COVID-19 Last? First Detailed Study on the Long Tail – Affecting 1 in 10
BBC News: What will be Covid-19’s long-term global economic impact?(video)
BBC News: Coronavirus: Six months that changed our world (video)
BBC News: Coronavirus: What are the numbers out of Latin America?
The Economist: Covid-19: is working from home really the new normal?(video)
New York Times: How the Coronavirus Short-Circuits the Immune System

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Your feedback is much appreciated. Please continue.

Thank you.

Shubhash Gosine

News Update – July 2

Hi Everyone,

A winner has been selected for our Conference Theme Competition! Congratulations to Brian Blake of Kingston, Jamaica who submitted the winning entry: Today’s Actuary – Virtually Everywhere.

Our 2020 Virtual Conference will consist of two parts:

Several pre-recorded sessions uploaded in the weeks leading up to our normal conference dates.

Two live sessions every day from 30^th November to 4^th December.

We’ll shortly be issuing a Call for Speakers for our 2020 Virtual Conference. Keeping in mind our theme, Today’s Actuary – Virtually Everywhere, what topics would you like to see included? Please drop us a line at caa.secretariat@gmail.com.

The University of Nebraska’s Actuarial Research Conference scheduled for mid-August.

The SOA’s COVID-19 Virtual Symposium takes place on 22nd July.

CPD in a Virtual World by Alison Rose, Chair of the CIA’s Education and Qualification Council and long-serving member of the CAA.

Plastic Free July was started in Australia in 2011. Last year 250 million people worldwide took the pledge. Find out more at PLASTICFREEJULY.org

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Best regards,

Shubhash & Betty

News Update – July 1

Hi Everyone,

Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian members and friends!

Wednesday is our open day and several of our members are keen to share regional economist Marla Dukharan’s latest report. Editorial: J’accuse…! The European Union’s Institutionalized Racism and Bullying (pdf)

We’ve also been asked to share:

The University of Nebraska’s Actuarial Research Conference scheduled for mid-August.

You might also be interested in AI: A red eyed terminator or an actuary’s best friend? A webinar by the IFoA’s IPP John Taylor on 10^th July.

The CIA has put out a Request for Proposals: The Use of Predictive Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI in the Canadian Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Industry (pdf)

Remember to share your ideas in time for next Wednesday! Send them to us at caa.secretariat@gmail.com. You’re not limited to COVID-19. We’ll look at everything of interest to actuaries, especially if it relates to the Caribbean.

Best regards,

Shubhash & Betty

COVID-19 Update – June 30

Dear Colleagues,

On Tuesdays and Fridays, we feature COVID-19 updates.

Today’s Links of Interest:

Caribbean Economic Forum: Beyond COVID with four Central Bank Governors (YouTube)

IMF F&D: Lifelines in Danger Remittances to Fall by $100 Billion in 2020

IDB: Weathering the Coronavirus Storm in the Caribbean

Your feedback is much appreciated. Please continue.

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Thank you.

Shubhash Gosine

COVID-19 Update – June 26

Dear Colleagues,

As indicated earlier in the week, Tuesday and Friday are for Covid-19. The other days are for CAA business and discussions.

Tables One and Two show a 3-day moving average for new cases and new deaths.

Table Three shows the week on week changes for the other islands in the Caribbean not in Table One.

Interesting links:

IMF: Weekend Read
IMF Blog: Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean: An Intensifying Pandemic
New York Times: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Could Reshape What We Know About the Atmosphere
BBC News: Where are coronavirus cases and deaths still rising?

Please visit our website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page.

Your feedback is much appreciated. Please continue.

Thank you.

Shubhash Gosine

News Update – June 25

Hi Everyone,

Did you send in your entry for our Conference Theme Competition? We had dozens of responses which the team is reviewing to pick a winner. Watch our Thursday Blog for more news on our completely reimagined Annual Conference!

There’s one thing that’s probably holding everyone’s attention this week:

The Guardian: ‘Godzilla dust cloud’ from Sahara blankets Caribbean on its way to US

NOAA: Saharan Dust Blows Across the Atlantic

It’s reported that this is the worst this phenomenon has been in 50 years and it is particularly harmful to those with compromised respiratory systems.

The IAA has published their Annual Report which can be downloaded here (pdf)

There’s also news that the International Accounting Standards Board has decided on a new effective date for IFRS 17

You might want to have another look at our March Newsletter and our 2019 Annual Report.