By NAN Staff Writer
NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 24, 2020: Dozens of Caribbean immigrants have been killed by the new coronavirus, especially in the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
While there are no exact numbers, a News Americas track of immigrants from the Caribbean who have died so far, based on social media postings and regional media reports, puts the number at over 11 dozen. Today, we feature 5 you should remember:
William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite – Guyana
William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite was born in Guyana and worked in the airline industry there and in the US.
In Guyana, Braithwaite was a former president of Pele FC and the Georgetown Football League (GFL), now Georgetown Football Association (GFA), during the 70s and early 80s. He migrated to the US in 1981 and continued working in the airline industry.
Braithwaite, 74, was a former area manager of BWIA, now Caribbean Airlines, and the defunct North American airlines. He died on April 7, 2020 atthe NY Presbyterian Hospital where he was hospitalized for just over a week.He is survived byhis wife Cicely, two daughters Michelle (Petal) and Billie as well as son Stokley.
Gail Bell-Bonnet – Trinidad and Tobago
Gail Bell-Bonnet was born in Trinidad and moved to the US in 1969. After living in Brooklyn, she moved to Newark and then South Orange, before settling in the City of East Orange. Bell-Bonnet worked as a teacher, counselor, and property manager and became a community advocate and organizer, best known for organizing Caribbean cultural awareness campaigns and activities. Volunteering with many organizations, she quickly arose as a leader. Her worked earned her a feature in the inaugural TAPinto East Orange/Orange’s first “100 Women of Power and Progress” list. She died on April 1 due to COVID-19.
Earl Bailey – Jamaica
Earl Bailey was born in Jamaica where he worked as a Jamaican military officer before migrating to the US. Here he become a nurse and worked in the field for nearly 20 years in South Florida, serving also as a mentor to other healthcare workers. The 56-year-old came down with a persistent cough and later tested positive for COVID19 at Florida Medical center, where he worked through a staffing agency. He subsequently isolated himself at home in Sunrise before succumbing to the virus. He is survived by his daughter Sashia Bailey.
Jane Duncan – Saint Lucia
Jane Duncan was born in St. Lucia and made it to 103 years before being taken out by the novel coronavirus. Duncan had lived on Flatbush, Brooklyn since 1993. She would have celebrated her 104th birthday in July but died on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at a nursing home in New York.
Duncan is survived by four children Agatha Duncan, James Duncan, Wesley Duncan, and Isidore Duncan, as well as 23 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren.
Hesronni Cayenne – Grenada
Hesronni St. Anthony Cayenne, 48, was born in Carriacou, Grenada. before migrating to the US. He attended Hillsborough Secondary School and Bishop’s College in Carriacou before emigrating to the United States. Cayenne began working with New York City transit in 1999 and in December 2018, was elected Vice Chair of the TWU Local 100 Union. Cayenne died on April 9, 2020 after becoming ill with COVID-19.
See more here. The list is growing and there is no real count or memorial to date. Please send us any names of friends or family members so we can add to our list. Message us via https://www.facebook.com/NewsAmericasNowNews/
A NAN analysis of a NYC map shows Caribbean American zip codes are among the hardest hit by the virus
All three boroughs have been hit hard by the virus. Zips codes 11411 and 11429 in Queens, NY, which includes areas like Cambria Heights and Queens Village, Zip codes 11234 and 11236, which includes areas like east Flatbush, Canarsie and Flatlands and Bronx zip codes like 10465 and 10461, which are all NYC hot spots, are largely enclaves of foreign-born Caribbean immigrants.
