Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_04_24_2020

FRIDAY 24th April, 2020

' No.105979

‘PPP frustrating recount process’

…Alexander says GECOM closer to finalising plan, draft order SEE STORIES ON PAGES 02 & 03

…COVID-19 taskforce gives clearance for 10 workstations

US injects $100M into Guyana’s 12 COVID-19 efforts PAGE

…funds to be dispersed rapidly

Guyana’s COVID-19 figure hits 70 05 PAGE

--recoveries now pegged at 12, but five still in ICU

Beyond the call of duty…

--Some local doctors working 24/7 --as war on COVID-19 deepens PAGE

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Guyana confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, which pushed the figure to 70 thus far. The Ministry of Public Health has been urging citizens to help flatten the curve (seen here in this graph) by staying at home and protecting themselves ( Graph provided by DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

10 workstations cleared for recount …COVID taskforce proposes how GECOM can guard against virus during recount

By Svetlana Marshall THE 10 rooms identified by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the establishment of workstations at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) have been cleared by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), however, the majority of the rooms can accommodate no more than 14 persons.

In preparations for a national recount of all the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections, Chairman of GECOM Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, in her communication with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, in his capacity as Chairman of the NCTF, requested guidance on the occupancy of the convention centre in view of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In keeping with recommendations of the NCTF, a site visit was conducted on Monday April 20, 2020 by experts from the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the company of Justice Singh, the Elections Commissioners and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield among other officials. A report was subsequently submitted to the Chair of GECOM. On Thursday, GECOM’s Public Relations

Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward told reporters that the report submitted by the NCTF cleared the 10 rooms identified for the establishment of workstations. GECOM had also proposed that each workstation have no more than 14 personc assigned, and that too was approved in part.

“Basically what the report has indicated to the chairperson and by extension the commission, is that the spaces identified to facilitate those 10 workstations can work; however, of those 10 workstations they have identified eight where there can be 14 persons, a maximum of 14 persons at any given workstation.

Two of those they have identified where there can be at least 10 persons,” Ward explained while speaking to reporters on the outskirts of GECOM Headquarters.

Based on the number of persons allowed at each of the 10 workstations, at any given time there will be a total of 132 persons operating the workstations in the conference centre. Further to that, Ward noted that the report detailed 14 recommendations that the elections commission and its secretariat ought to implement during execution of the national recount.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

PPP frustrating recount process …Alexander says GECOM closer to finalising plan, draft order

By Svetlana Marshall THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has made significant strides in finalising the operational plan for the national recount; and is reportedly one step closer to finalising a draft order for the plan to take effect; but the process continues to be frustrated by opposition-nominated commissioners, who are bent on reviving old issues that have long been decided on.

This is according to Vincent Alexander – a government nominated elections commissioner. On Thursday, after exiting a meeting of the elections commission, which was held for more than seven hours, Alexander expressed his frustration.

“It was a very lengthy meeting but is reflective in the way in which at GECOM we waste time. Much of the meeting was spent going through the work-plan, probably for the third time, and time wasting can be related to the fact that there are commissioners, who continue to go back to issues which would have been settled,” Alexander told reporters outside of the GECOM Headquarters.

He said the majority of the day was spent dotting ‘i’s’ and crossing ‘t’s’ in the operational plan, and discussing issues already decided on.

Citing an example, the government-nominated commissioner said although the elections commission, chaired by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, had long decided that four GECOM personnel would be assigned to each of the workstation;

the issue was again brought up.

It was noted too that though the elections commission had agreed on the manner in which the results at the workstations would be exhibited, issues relative to that process were again raised during Thursday’s meeting.

“There were issues as well about the way in which the results at the workstations

10 workstations as being in compliance with measures established to prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The workstations would operate for a period of 10 hours daily from 8:00hrs to 18:00hrs.

“There is one commissioner, who is still saying that he has individual advice that overrides the advice of persons who are duly authorised

isfaction with the task force’s involvement in the process.

“I disagree, first of all, with the ability of any COVID Task Force to impose restrictions, and second-

think we have in our control the number of hours but I don’t think we as yet have finite information about how long it would take [to count] the box,” he posited, while

GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander

GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj

would be exhibited; whether in fact those results would be exhibited statement of poll by statement of poll or whether it would be some accumulative exhibition of those over time, so that too was another matter that came up for discussion,” Alexander explained.

Added to that the issue on the number of workstations to be used during the national recount, was again raised, though the Chair of the Elections Commission, last Friday, indicated that there will be no more than 10 workstations established. This week, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) cleared those

to give advice, and would be bringing this matter back to us for us to understand even if there is a decision, it is not a right and correct decision, that is the kind of useless engagements we are involved in; the decision is already made,” Alexander explained.

Opposition-nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, who also indicated that the majority of the day was spent combing through a revised draft operational plan, remained resolute in his position that more than 10 workstations could be accommodated at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, while expressing his dissat-

ly, I disagree with the restrictions themselves that they have purported to impose, in relation to the number of hours per day to do that,” Gunraj told reporters.

Meanwhile, Alexander, though declining to name the commissioner who is bent on regurgitating old issues, said he would not be surprised if today, additional issues are raised at time when the elections commission is expected to approve the operational plan for the national recount.

According to Alexander, the operational plan was finalised with the exception of the duration for the national recount, which would be influenced by a number of factors including the time needed to count the votes in each of the ballot boxes. “We have undoubtedly settled the number of workstations. I

noting that it was suggested that the first day be used as a simulation exercise, so as to allow the commission to have a “good” estimate on the time needed to process a ballot box.

But Commissioner Gunraj said it would be “unfair” to have the recount commence without establishing duration. “I believe it is unfair to all concerned to have an opened-ended process,” he told reporters in a separate interview.

In addition to finalising the operational plan, the elections commission is expected finalise the draft order that would trigger the entire process. Commissioner Gunraj submitted a draft order on Tuesday, however, when the commission met Thursday, amendments were proposed

by Commissioner Alexander.

According to Alexander, Gunraj’s draft, in part, did not reflect the decisions of the commission. He explained that there was an attempt to suggest that the votes for Districts One and Four must be tabulated simultaneously, and declared upon completion before proceeding to any other district. But Alexander said this proposal flies in the face of the commission, which had decided that the Region Four votes must be tabulated simultaneously with all other regions.

“We have agreed that what we want to happen is come to a conclusive count across the board so we can make a final declaration.

In that process, because of the size of Region Four we thought that we would do Region Four…which represents 45 per cent of the votes, and 37 per cent of the boxes, and have parallel to Region Four other regions done,” Alexander explained, noting that the commission will not deviate from its initial position.

Nonetheless, he remains hopeful that the elections commission would be able to finalise both the operational plan and the draft order today. Commissioner Gunraj also expressed the hope that the order would be finalised today.

10 workstations cleared for ...

“They have actually provided 14 guidelines in terms of protocols the commission should implement that is in terms of the sanitisation, the frequency at which the staff and other persons present at the respective workstations should sanitise. The protocol that should be used in terms of garbage disposal, the frequency with which the bins should be emptied, the number of bins, the rotation in terms of the lunch hours and other meal breaks,” Ward detailed.

The NCTF in its report, also underscored the importance of persons operating at the recount site to be hydrated, and for windows to remain open in accordance with established protocols of the World Health Organisation (WHO). While the NCTF did not recommend that the reverse transcriptase

polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test be administered to every individual who will be involved in the tabulation process at the ACCC, it emphasised the importance of sanitisation in the quest to suppress the spread of the dreaded COVID--19.

“Well, they have advised in terms of the sanitisation protocols upon entry, [but] nothing in the report details anything in terms of persons being tested and so on before they occupy the space; but of course they emphasised a lot in terms of the sanitisation protocol, the protocol in terms of the frequency with which persons should dispose of the gloves and masks to be used, all of that are things that GECOM are to implement at the venue,” the PRO explained. It was noted that as the 2, 339 ballot boxes enter the centre

they are likely to be sanitised.

Earlier this week the NCTF on the intervention of President David Granger, agreed to have Caribbean Community (CARICOM) officials coming to Guyana for the national recount to undergo the RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 instead of being subjected to 14 days of quarantine.

The identified CARICOM officials will be required to undergo the WHO-approved RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 in their respective home countries prior to arrival in Guyana, and entry would be permitted once the tests results are negative. The task force said if any official is unable to have such a test conducted in their home country, that upon their arrival in Guyana the Ministry of Public Health will facilitate the test here on

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condition that the official self-quarantines for a maximum of 48 hours while the test results are being ascertained.

As such, quarantining of the incoming officials for the mandatory period of 14 days will not be applicable upon compliance with either of the established requirements.

In addition to agreeing to have the RT-PCR tests done by the CARICOM officials, the task force has indicated that the tabulation process can be conducted up until 18:00hrs or 6pm daily due to the national curfew in place. As such, the workstations will operate for a period of 10 hours daily from 8:00hrs to 18:00hrs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday April 24, 2020

Coronavirus: US unemployment claims hit 26.4 million amid virus (BBC) A further 4.4 million Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as the economic toll from the coronavirus pandemic continued to mount.

The new applications brought the total number of jobless claims since midMarch to 26.4 million.

That amounts to more than 15% of the US workforce.

However, the most recent data marked the third week that the number of new claims has declined, raising hopes that the worst of the shock may be over.

“While this week’s 4.4 million jobless claims are

staggering, there are signs that the pace of layoffs has reached its peak,” said Richard Flynn, UK managing director at financial service firm Charles Schwab.

“The key questions at this point are when can the economy reopen and what happens when it does?”

Economists have warned that the world is facing the sharpest slowdown since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

In the US, the economy is expected to contract 5.9% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

In just five weeks, the surge

in unemployment claims has exceeded the number of jobs created in the near-decade of expansion that ended in February.

A Pew Research Center survey estimates that 43% of households have been hit by a coronavirus-related job loss or pay cut, a share that rises to more than half among adults with lower-incomes.

The US government has responded to the crisis with more than $2 trillion in relief, expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits and increased the payments, among other measures.

A record 16 million Americans received the benefits in the week ended 11 April, the Labor Department said.But many people have had trouble getting through to state offices processing the applications.

“The phones lines are often busy,” said John Dignan, a 52-year-old real estate

agent in Nevada.

“It’s very frustrating because you have no control and no information. You already have so much anxiety about Covid-19, you know the economy’s falling apart and I don’t have much left in savings - maybe about a month left.”

A $349bn relief programme for small businesses, part of the $2tn rescue legislation, ran out of funds within two weeks.

While Congress is expected to approve an additional $310bn this week, the programme, which offers low-cost loans that do not need to be repaid if the recipient meets certain conditions, has been attacked for not reaching the smallest firms.

“We’re just waiting,” said New York restaurant-owner Larry Hyland, who applied the first day that banks started accepting applications on behalf of his Brooklyn-based

beer garden, Greenwood Park.

Reviews have found that roughly two-thirds of the money so far has gone to large publicly listed companies rather than momand-pop shops. Firms with pre-existing relationships with banks - typically larger businesses - were at an advantage.

On Thursday, the administration responded to the criticism with new guidelines for the loan programme aimed at screening out big firms. But Mr Hyland said that even if he does get the money it may not help, since it is supposed to be spent primarily on wages within eight weeks - and he remains closed.

“The timeline is the biggest issue,” he said. “Not

knowing when you can actually reopen and to what capacity you can reopen, how can we take on the burden of that loan?”

US President Donald Trump, who is up for re-election in November, has pushed to loosen restrictions on activity, despite fears that testing and other safety measures remain insufficient.

Some states have already started to relax rules, while protests against lockdown orders have arisen elsewhere.

Even if jobless claims continue to subside as reopening gets underway, analysts say the scars on America’s consumer-driven economy will linger.

“The damage” said Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, “has already been done.”

Merkel warns coronavirus crisis ‘still just the beginning’ (BBC) German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her country must remain “clever and cautious” in handling the coronavirus crisis, as it is “not the end phase but still just the beginning”.

“We’ll have to live with this virus for a long time,” Ms Merkel told parliament ahead of an EU summit, via videolink.

She said Germany should be ready to “make very different, meaning much higher contributions to the EU budget”.

The video summit - the EU’s fourth on coronavirus - is now under way.

EU leaders are expected to sign off on a new Ä540bn (£470bn; $575bn) emergency fund to protect European workers, businesses and countries worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The details are yet to be worked out.

The Ä540bn would be released through EU institutions that already exist, including the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the main bailout fund set up in response to the 2008 financial crisis.

European Council President Charles Michel told leaders they should aim to start releasing the funds by 1 June.

But a thornier issue is how much extra to commit to the EU budget to deal with this crisis, and how much the 27 member states will spend jointly. There are plans for a special recovery fund, like the post-1945 Marshall Plan.

Italy and some other states want EU help in aid grants, not loans. The scale of the crisis is such, they argue, that at least Ä1.5 trillion will be needed.

Mrs Merkel said extra EU budget funds should be provided “in a spirit of solidarity” and for a limited time.

Italy, at the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe, has been especially vocal in urging its EU partners to jointly guarantee debt.

But Germany, the Netherlands and Austria oppose any mutualisation of debt, in the form of so-called “coronabonds”.

Under current EU rules countries cannot be made liable for each other’s debts.

Friday, April 24, 2020–– 5:00hrs & 06:30

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Guyana’s COVID-19 figure hits 70

--as three more test positive in last 24 hrs --recoveries now pegged at 12, but five still in ICU

By Navendra Seoraj GUYANA has recorded three new cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) within the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 70, inclusive of seven deaths.

As cases continue to rise, health authorities have so far managed to test 375 persons for COVID-19, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence said Thursday, and that of the lot, 305 were given a clean bill of health.

Speaking during the course of her daily viral update on Thursday, Minister Lawrence warned that with Guyana yet a long way from being out of the woods, persons need to pay keen attention and take necessary precautions in order to stay safe, especially given the fact that 66 of the country’s 70 infected persons contracted the disease right at home here.

As part of the plan to contain the spread of the disease, health authorities have placed some 51 persons in institutional isolation, and 17 in institutional quarantine.

And while some persons may just remain in isolation without the need for intensive care, there are others who experience the more severe forms of COVID-19 and as such would need to be transferred to the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to Minister Lawrence, five persons are receiving treatment in the COVID-19 ICU, but since the disease was first confirmed in Guyana on May 11 to now, a total of 23 persons have been admitted to the ICU. “Of the 23 persons, 12 of them improved, and have been removed to a step-down facility… There have been

five deaths in our COVID-19 ICU, and one person has so far recovered,” Minister Lawrence reported.

LATEST UPDATE In providing updated information on the situation, the minister said an additional two persons have recovered and been medically cleared, taking the total number of recoveries to 12.

Although 12 persons have recovered to date, there have been seven deaths out of the 70 infected persons. This, represents a death rate of 10%, which is much higher than the average death rate projected by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is 2-4 per cent.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Minister Lawrence said some persons continue to disregard the systems that have been put in place, and are even refusing to co-operate.

“We continue to have the challenge with under-reporting from persons who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case, mainly due to the associated stigma. I assure you, my fellow Guyanese, this attitude will take us nowhere, except to add to our death toll. Guyanese, lives matter and because of this, if we stand together, we will stand stronger,” she said, adding: “For those of you who are afraid of the associated stigma, I encourage you to be brave; come forward and help us to help you and your family stay alive.”

In further expressing the seriousness of the situation, the minister cited a statement made by Quoting WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom to drive home the gravity of the situation, Minister

Lawrence said: “There are worrying upward trends in Central & South America,

And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive

Minister of Public Health Ms. Volda Lawrence

even though the numbers are relatively low…Make no mistake, we have a long way to go.

This virus will be with us for a long time.”

GLOBAL RESPONSE Guyana, like other countries the world over, is now strengthening the response by putting medium and long-term measures in place.

“Please utilise our services; your health and wellness are very important. Our health care workers are doing their utmost best at risk to themselves in an effort to protect you and me. Don’t be irresponsible, complacent and selfish! Follow the guidelines and Stay Home! Our safety is in our own hands,” Minister Lawrence implored.

Globally, there are over 2.4 million cases of COVID-19, with close to 169,000 deaths.

after contracting the disease.

In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only be possible if the government maintains the existing containment measures.

Locally, the government has extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency

measures were taken pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directive issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last one month, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

“The measures in place are working, and individual measures are working too, but we need to ensure that government enforces the existing measures… The few persons who do not go by these measures need to comply; we need to see more improvement,” Dr. Adu-Krow said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

REVISED PROJECTIONS Already, there have been revised projections which show a reduction in the probable cases, but Dr. Adu-Krow said this new forecast can only be maintained if the measures that have been put in place are adhered to.

On Friday, Dr. Adu-Krow, with the aid of graphs, showed journalists how the projected cases moved from reaching 20,000 in a month to just under 1,000 in a month, with the implementation of the containment measures. If these measures were to be relaxed, however, Guyana could see about 5,000 cases in no time.

As the country wages war against the deadly disease, President David Granger is on record as saying that the efforts of the country’s frontline workers, in particular those within the medical field, should not go unnoticed.

“I ask you… to think tenderly of our public health professionals and service providers; that is to say, our doctors,

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nurses, respiratory therapists and all other supporting staff, medical and non-medical, who are providing the required care for those in distress,” President Granger said, adding: “Public health practitioners are on the frontline of protecting those stricken by the disease; they have been working tirelessly, through this very difficult situation, to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted.

Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease.”

NEWLY-DISCOVERED According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.

The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well-informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva, or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.

GTT alerts customers about scammers

-- says company not selling COVID-19 packages or providing a pick up option for payment of bills THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has received reports from customers of a scam where it is falsely being claimed that the company is distributing care packages at a cost of $3,000 There are also reports of scammers, purporting to be the CEO of the company, offering to pick up monies to pay bills on behalf of GTT, as persons try to

capitalise on vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement on the issue, it was noted that while the company has distributed COVID-19 care packages to cancer patients and care providers through the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Oncology Unit and the Beacon Foundation, it has not indicated intentions of distributing such to the

public at this time.

“Any caller claiming same would be doing so from a point of intended deception,” noted GTT Public Relations Officer, Jasmin Harris.

Harris said that all approved GTT promotional activity is listed on the company’s social media platforms and its website - https://www.gtt.co.gy/ promotions/.

“It is disturbing that

fraudsters will try to take advantage during this vulnerable season. I am pleading with the public to not fall prey to these scams.

GTT will never ask anyone to pay for acts of kindness from the company,” Harris said.

“GTT does not have a system where we are picking up monies from persons homes to pay bills on their behalf. There are established methods

through which payment can be made. These can be found on https://bit.ly/ HowtoPayBills and include MMG agents, local banks, Onecart or HeroCarts,” said Harris.

Harris urged persons to visit the company’s promotions page, to familiarise themselves with payment methods or simply call 0488 to make queries.

“We ask that you stay alert while we work with

the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to bring these persons to justice. Fraud and attempt to defraud is a serious crime, punishable by law,” she said.

GTT will continue to update its social media platforms and use the media to make announcements of future, approved events and initiatives.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Coping with the mental effects of COVID-19 THE onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated radical economic, social, cultural, and behavioural changes worldwide, including in Guyana.

The essential measures instituted by government, aimed at containing and mitigating the emergency have, without any doubt, had multi-faceted effects on many Guyanese. For example, Guyanese are a friendly, free, and social people who want the best for their children.

As such, to be told by authorities that social distancing is necessary, schools and workplace closures are essential, quarantines have been implemented, restrictions on travel are in place, and compliance with a curfew is mandatory, one would expect that there would be impacts, likely negative, on the physical and mental wellbeing of citizens.

Additionally, against the backdrop of a serious health threat, It is to be expected that Guyanese are certain to experience severe physical dislocation and mental distress. In light of the seriousness of the threat, though, such measures, all would

agree, are necessary if we want to quickly return to a state of normalcy. Therefore, Guyanese must necessarily adapt to the situation and learn to cope with the temporary stresses of the situation.

According to mental health experts, there are concerns that social distancing can have numerous adverse effects on participants' mental health. It may lead to stress, anxiety, depression or panic, especially for individuals with pre-existing mental conditions such as anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and paranoia. Further, media coverage about a pandemic, concerns about the economy and one’s job, as well as uncertainty about the future may intensify the stress of being away from other people.

Professor Dr. Radost Zaharieva of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) wrote that “Feelings of loneliness and social isolation, heightened by the current public health crisis, can have severe health consequences for a number of socio-economic groups. Anxiety

and apathy, as well as loneliness, are some of the mental health consequences that will persist long after the pandemic ends, while the increased feelings of depression and stress, especially during a time of uncertainty, may have serious impacts on public health, increasing people’s vulnerability to poor health, and weakening society as a whole.” Fortunately, the situation is not hopeless. The same expert, Dr. Zaharieva, suggests a solution which may be viable in Guyana’s context.”

The professor writes, “In an era when digital technology is an integral part of people’s lives, public authorities must deploy their capacity to meet people’s needs and address both the physical and mental health impacts of social isolation. Online medical consultations can support doctors and patients to ensure proper medical follow-up, which is widely affected by confinement. Such a measure will demonstrate the role of digital technologies in the health sector and provide an effective response to

patients’ needs – allowing patients to be properly diagnosed and avoid self-medication that can additionally worsen people’s health during a health emergency.

The possibility of online discussion with a health professional or a psychologist is another concrete action that can help reduce anxiety and panic and overcome feelings of being alone or powerlessness. Virtual thematic discussions and group activities offered by social workers can also help combat social isolation – people can be part of a collective where they can “meet” and discuss with others, their common values and interests. Teachers play an important role for child’s socialisation, through online classes, as well as extra-school activities that can meet children’s specific social needs.” It must be noted that the administration already has hotlines.

It must be emphasised that the President David Granger-led administration has always taken the mental health of Guyanese very seriously, and has put systems in place to ensure the complete

health of all citizens. Additionally, with regard to Dr. Zaharieva’s findings, the administration has established a Ministry of Public Telecommunication. In addition to distributing computers and improving the current electronic communication networks, President Granger, through the ministry, has also established some 180 brand-new online communications hubs countrywide. Those visionary initiatives by President David Granger will obviously serve well at a time such as this.

While we all cope with the current issue, let us bear in mind that this situation is not permanent; it will end. If we follow government’s directives, take the necessary precautions, have consideration for our brothers and sisters, and protect our own health, we will emerge from this circumstance, and, we may be stronger Guyanese as a result of this challenge.

The PPP has no moral compass to judge the gov't in the fight against COVID-19 Dear Editor, THE People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has no moral compass, as they allowed, their presidential candidate Irfan Ali to lambaste, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change, for holding onto power by using COVID-19 as the excuse; the same PPP/C, declared that the coalition had fabricated the first COVID-19 case, to distract the Guyanese people from the results of the General and Regional Election 2020.

The National Coronavirus Task Force has stated that the Guyana Elections Commission must adhere to procedures hat follow guidelines established by the World Health Organization, in the fight against the

dreaded coronavirus. In this grave time, the task force is permitted to instruct the constitutional body, on the risks they are allowed to take during this unprecedented period, as the national recount commences, for the protection of all personnel involved; including your members, that will convene at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

The A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change government has not been shamelessly occupying the seat of government, we have been depicting good governance, during a vital interval in world history; as the members of your party took injunctions before the court to prevent the legitimate winner of the current elections to be so adjudicated and the legitimate President sworn

in; this could have been done weeks ago, but it was you, the People’s Progressive Party /Civic that has not allowed democracy to prevail, it is you, that continue to sabotage the process and then run to media outlets and lie to the people. Your leadership has flip- flopped on so many on the current issues before you, I would shudder to think the type of leadership you would bring to the Guyanese people.

This is a pandemic, one of epic proportions, and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, would choose this period to play politics; not only politics with the lives of the persons who will be hired to complete these activities, but politics with the wider Guyanese populace.

The presidential candidate, in his comments, has shown the proposed way in which

they would lead this country, not continuing the reformation of Guyana in the past five years, but to take us back to the lawlessness of their leadership for 23 years.

Sir, it should be noted that COVID-19 is not a national cataclysm perpetrated and concocted by the coalition, but a global pandemic that is not only affecting Guyanese, socially and economically; but the entire world. It is the entire world, sir, that is going through job cuts, depression, hunger, anger and you would pull a stunt, purporting that the coalition is an illegal group hanging on to power, the audacity of you, to refer to the coalition in that manner; they are leading the fight against COVID-19 with limited resources, a government that has weathered every storm so far, amicably.

Sir, the decision has been made for the recount to commence, something that you are mortally afraid of, and the COVID taskforce MUST, outline the conditionalities that GECOM operate under; it is not a means of sabotage, it is a means of keeping persons healthy and ultimately saving lives, again this decision was not made by a single person, but a task force that was specifically set up to ensure rules pertaining to the alleviation of COVID-19 are followed; if this was not so, the learned, Retired Judge Mrs. Claudette Singh, would have never written to the task force for guidance with specific requests.

Mr. Ally, I admonish you, sir, you are totally out of line, the two entities are both aware of their mandates, and with the Guy-

ana Elections Commission following the guidance of National Coronavirus Task Force, they will complete the national recount in the shortest possible time, if the Chairperson, states 10 work stations, she is working with the advice of professionals adhering to social distancing principles, unlike your members, that continue to make unilateral decisions and then force it on people.

We have a National Recount to complete, and we have a deadly pandemic to defeat; Can we do it?

Yes, we can!

Moving Forward Together!

With Regards, Douglas Charles Gittens

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

A tribute to Marvin Pearce

Dear Editor,

PLEASE allow me space in your newspaper to pay tribute to a friend and a dedicated comrade. In my many years of active politics in Guyana I have met quite a few people, I’ve interacted with many and I’ve shared ideas and thoughts with most.

Over the course of my political involvement, I’ve celebrated the achievements of many and I’ve mourned the loss of quite a few good souls.

Mourning the loss of a comrade is never easy for me, and today the loss of yet another friend and comrade has dug a dagger in me.

Today, I mourn the passing of my friend and dear comrade Marvin Pearce. I’ve known Marvin for more than two decades. Our relationship goes back to my early days in the PNCR youth arm. Marvin and I belonged to different groups but he often visited my group and regularly hung out with group members. When I became National Secretary of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement, Marvin was one of the first people to pledge his support for me and he made good on that pledge. He was one of the organisation’s regular donors who contributed to our many youth-leadership camps or fund raisers. Though he did not participate in many of those camping activities, due to his work schedule, he was sure to make his contribution towards the event.

Marvin was a smart, dedicated, passionate and hard-working party comrade who would go the extra mile for his party, the PNCR. He was a jovial soul and had an opinion on almost every subject. He loved to have good conversations and debated any issue. He argued his point regardless of whether his position was a minority one; he just had to ensure that his views were also heard. At the end of a healthy and contentious political debate, he would bring the curtain down with a highly sarcastic joke. Marvin Pearce had a contagious personality. You would spend five minutes with him and it appeared as though you’ve known him your entire life. He was a loving, compassionate person who was quick to help. He was the first one to help comrades in need, and he made no announcement of his efforts. He was a doer, and an active and fearless political activist.

Marvin’s political activism was not limited to the meeting halls: he was a relentless advocate and defender against political abuse, even in the streets. I recall our many days in the protest line, from the large-scale

protest to the mini-picketing exercises, he was there. During those days, Marvin worked for a private entity (GTT) but yet, found himself in the protest line during the Public Service 57- day strike. He used his lunch break to protest and after he had completed his work day, he would call to ask me what was the location of the protest.

For some reason he assumed I am always in the line, so he would call for regular updates on what was happening in the streets. Once I let him know of the location of the protest, he would get there via the fastest possible route.

He was an expert at dodging tear-gas missiles and shielding from the smoke with wet rags. In fact, one day he took my rag and wet it and told me to practise as I watched him forcing the rag in his face. His words were, “teacher girls ain’t know how to rug it you gone inhale all dem smoke and choke.” Oh those were some days! Marvin’s activism and commitment to the PNCR did not end when he migrated to the USA. In fact, he continued to be closely connected to the party through its groups in the diaspora. Marvin joined the Central New Jersey PNCR group where he served as an executive member and public relations director. He played a central role in the organsation and was integrally involved in the planning of many of the coalition’s elections fund- raising events in the state of New Jersey. When Marvin called to let me know he had plans to travel to Guyana I was not surprised, he insisted that he must “cast his vote for David.” However, Marvin not only travelled to Guyana to cast his vote for David Granger and the coalition, he also worked tirelessly on elections day. On elections day he was assigned to work at one of the campaign offices but after completing a half day stint at that office, he called me and stated that he needed to be with me for the rest of the day.

I gave him my location and he met me in South Georgetown, where he immediately took a leadership role in the exercise on the ground. As we walked through one community after another people shouted out his name, and were glad to see him.

He shared many hugs and kisses; he was known by many and this helped our activity. Marvin was a man on the ground, even though he resided thousands of miles apart.

It was like back in the days on the campaign trail. I watched as Marvin took control of things.

He was relentless in the mission to get every voter out to the polls. He used his own resources to ensure that people who

needed transportation were bused to their polling places.

He did not hesitate or think about the cost, he just knew it had to be done. We worked until the polls were closed, and only then he took time to eat. He never complained of being tired, but that is the Marvin Pearce I Knew. He was a relentless party worker. I was glad I was able to thank him profoundly for his efforts, as I always believe in expressing gratitude promptly.

Monday, when my sister called and informed me of Marvin’s passing, I was devastated! I could not imagine him being still or non-opinionated.

I could not imagine me not having him to share political conversations with. I could not imagine not seeing this bright light shine, even through our telephone conversations. Marvin Pearce was a bright light.

He was one of the bright lights of the PNCR, in season or out of season. One of the hardest things I have done since his passing was to call his mom.

From our many conversations, I knew that he was extremely close to his mother, so I just didn’t know what to say to her.

I was mad at COVID-19 for taking my friend, I can talk to others and myself about how this virus has been affecting so many families, even my own, but I wasn’t sure how to talk to a grieving mom who just lost a loving son to this deadly virus. However, I knew I had to reach out! I had to muster my courage and pulled myself together, so I called and we talked for a while. When the call ended, I can still hear her say, in her fragile voice, that she was thankful for Marvin and that he gave her no trouble, she lamented that he left her nothing to stress about.

Marvin was the kind of person who took care of business and had no enemy. She told me that as she watched him being rolled away into the hospital room, he told her to be strong, but she did not know it was the last time she would ever see him alive. I pray that God strengthens her and his entire family to deal with this tragic loss. This is a hurt I cannot imagine. Marvin loved his family and he spoke highly of his sibling. On elections day he proudly pointed out his older brother to me while we were passing through Laing Avenue.

I pray that God strengthen everyone during this time.

Marvin Pearce represented the best of us, he was caring, kind and humane. He reflects the truly hard-working members and supporters of the PNCR. These are party loyalists who make the sacrifice year in year out to promote the mission of the party and

advance the interest of the organisation. I make it my duty to write of the contributions of these comrades, who are the true foundation of the PNCR. They lend their shoulders so that others may stand on, they sacrifice in order to advance the interest of all. Today, I grieve the loss of a true comrade, a stalwart, a dedicated and true warrior for the people.

Marvin was a fearless comrade. I salute you my friend! You have left a void in the hearts of all of us who came to know you. I did not know that my last day of seeing you in person was going to be March 4th, 2020. I did not see

this coming. I enjoyed the time we spent together campaigning and I have those memories to cherish. Sleep on my friend, sleep on! You have certainly left us too soon, but God will receive you with open arms.

You’ve done your work on earth; as your mom said, you lived your life to the fullest. I often marvelled at how well dressed you used to be, even in the protest line. You were true to you and I loved you for being you. I will miss you my friend. I only have fond memories of you Marvin, those memories I will cherish.

My sincere condolences go out to the Central New

Jersey Group for losing two of their members in the same week to COVID-19. To the relatives of Marvin Pearce and Ivor Fraser (another executive member) I extend my sncere condolences. I pray that the grace of God comforts you in this time of unthinkable loss. You have both made your contributions to a party and a country you loved. Sleep on beloved, sleep on!

Sincerely Lurlene Nestor

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Beyond the call of duty --Some local doctors working 24/7 --as war on COVID-19 deepens

By Navendra Seoraj AS the fight against the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease continues, doctors and other

“frontline” workers have been “giving it their all”, and in some cases working way beyond the call of duty to ensure that patient-care is administered

adequately.

With the “Hippocractic Oath” at the back of their heads, doctors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

have been leading the fight against an “invisible” killer, in the form of COVID-19, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 169,000 persons worldwide.

Combatting the disease has not been an easy task, but doctors here have been working more than 100 hours a week to ensure that care is available aroundthe-clock. This is 60 hours more than the average 40hour work-week a doctor completes under normal circumstances.

Locally, there have been 70 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with seven deaths, and while that number may seem small compared to other countries, doctors still have to “be on their toes”, because they do not know when a suspected case or another confirmed case would come through the door.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.

The disease, which is very contagious, could infect anyone at any time, and with that in mind, doctors have been alert and ready to deal with cases which may present to the hospital.

“With the present schedule, we have been working in excess of 100 hours a week; overtime,” said Registrar of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at GPHC, Dr. Dev Persaud during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday.

LEADING THE CHARGE Dr. Persaud, who is among a team of doctors leading the charge in the hospital’s COVID-19 unit, said it is challenging to get through those long hours, but doctors and other healthcare workers have taken it upon themselves to motivate each other in order to get the job done.

“It is challenging, and I cannot say it is not overwhelming when you have a patient who is really ill, then you have to transfer a patient out of the Unit then bring another one from another hospital, then tend to the tent hospital… that can be overwhelming,” the young physician said.

“What has helped is, the team I am on, we take our

GPHC Registrar of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Dev Persaud

time and manage human resources, so that everyone knows what we are doing matters, and at the same time, we are doing what we need to do in order to take care of each other’s wellbeing,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

But despite the odds, he said that giving up is not an option. In fact, Dr. Persaud, like many of his colleagues, has made personal sacrifices to ensure that patients get the care they deserve.

In talking about his personal sacrifices, he said: “I live with my mother and brothers, but I live alone now. It was not an easy decision, but you have to care for the ones you love… I have been keeping my distance; I even spend less time with my girlfriend, but I am glad that there is some level of understanding.”

In some cases, persons do not consider the sacrifices of these healthcare workers, and often discriminate against them. But, on the other hand, there are those who motivate and salute healthcare workers for persevering and ensuring that care is delivered adequately.

“When we have persons, whether in our own private lives or social media, or even civil society encouraging us, we feel that it is worth it, because what we do is, without a doubt, high-stress. But the encouragement pushes us to do what we do,” Dr. Persaud said.

He even went so far as to say that doctors and nurses are not the only frontline workers who deserve encouragement and recognition, because frontline workers also include janitors, ambulance drivers, and other ancillary staff who are doing their equal best to aid in the fight against the disease.

IMPROVING THE SYSTEM Frontline workers, he said, are not just doing work;

they are improving an existing system to fight against a pandemic, and to even be prepared for future events.

“All of what we are doing within GPHC and other regions is a huge quality-improvement process. There is no 100% way of doing things; as healthcare providers, we need to constantly analyse the systems, and say this is working and this is not,” said Dr. Persaud said.

While healthcare providers are doing their part to ensure that there are efficient systems and methods of treatment in place, the doctor seized the opportunity to encourage citizens to take all necessary precautions, and to adhere to existing measures in order to stay safe from the COVID-19 disease.

By adhering to the existing measures, persons will be doing their part in helping healthcare workers to help others.

“COVID-19 is real, and it is here! It is serious; persons have died, so we need to take it serious,” Dr. Persaud, noting that adherence to the measures will go a long way in ensuring that society stays healthy.

When asked if the current lifestyle changes and precautionary attitude will become a norm, even after the pandemic will have “withered away”, the doctor said the only way it will is if a public-health education programme is put in place.

He made the point that though one would have learnt about proper hygiene and good lifestyle choices from a young age, those invaluable lessons were soon forgotten as Mankind was never threatened in this way before.

He is, however, hopeful that persons will adopt those lessons at this time, and even continue it long into the future.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Revenue from first crude shipment in Federal Reserve Bank

THE Ministry of Finance’s monthly report on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) shows that revenue from Guyana’s first shipment of crude cargo has been deposited in the United States of America Federal Reserve Bank.

On March 11, Shell Western Supply and Trading Limited, the company that was contracted to lift Guyana’s first three cargoes, deposited US$54,927,994.80 into the account held by the Bank of Guyana, as payment for the first lift in February 2020.

The report stated that on April 15, the Bank of Guyana, in accordance with section 38(1) of the

NRF Act 2019, as well as the operational agreement with the Ministry of Finance, submitted the monthly report on the NRF for March 2020.

Subsequently, on April 23, the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with section 42(c) of the NRF Act 2019, published the report on its website for the public to access.

Meanwhile, Guyana is expected to receive over US$1,268,706 in royalty for the first quarter of 2020 by April 30.

Though royalties are calculated on a monthly basis, Article 15.6 of the Petroleum Agreement specifies that the monies be transferred to the government quarterly, 30

days after the end of each calendar quarter.

Guyana became an oil producing nation on December 20, 2019 and, anticipating the same, the government set up a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) – also known as the NRF — to safeguard against the resource curse and to ensure that petroleum revenues benefit both current and future generations.

The government has committed to managing the fund in accordance with international best practices outlined in the Santiago Principles.

These include reports from the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee, Macroeco-

nomic Committee and Investment Committee; reports on withdrawals from the NRF to be included in the annual budget proposal and, if needed, in a Supplementary Appropriation Bill; annual reports of the NRF, including audited financial statements; quarterly reports and financial statements of the NRF and monthly reports of the NRF. “These reports will allow the public to monitor deposits in, and withdrawals from, the NRF so as to ensure that petroleum revenues are being managed according to the provisions of the NRF Act 2019,” the Finance Ministry has stated.

Cresent moon for Ramadan not sighted –– CIOG says fasting begins on Saturday THE Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) has reported that the Crescent for the holy month of Ramadan has not been sighted and, therefore, fasting will begin on Saturday, April 25.

The CIOG, in a release, said Taraweeh prayers will commence on the evening of April 24, 2020.

“Oh Allah, safeguard us for Ramadan and safeguard Ramadan for us and accept it from us. Oh Allah, heal the world and grant us the opportunity to observe Ramadan,” the release concluded.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Electoral impasse could influence int’l funding

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

The fact that Guyana is still grappling with an election impasse may hinder its receipt of COVID-19 funding from international financial institutions.

This was pointed out by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo on Thursday during an online media conference.

“We are aware that there are a few requests that are being process but I believe also because of the political situation in Guyana, while we are in transition to a government that will emerge after March 2, 2020 elections, that we cannot for sure say whether some of these international multinational lending agencies are going to be dealing with Guyana’s application any time soon.

They probably will want to sit it out and wait until the president in sworn in,” he said.

Guyana, through the Ministry of Finance, has approached the World Bank in request of US$5M in funding under the Rapid Response Facility.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan has stated that, if approved, the sum will fund efforts coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health and other ministries to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Given the unprecedented challenges that COVID-19 poses, the bank expects to deploy up to $160 billion over the next 15 months to help countries protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and bolster economic recovery.

In CARICOM, Haiti is the only country to have received a US$20 million grant for its COVID-19 Response Project.

If the Guyana’s receipt of funding truly depends on a resolution of its electoral situation, it could be weeks more before the country is in the clear as the Elections

Commission is still deliberating on the operations of a pending national recount.

The prime minister also noted that the elections impasse has influenced the government’s ability to provide stimulus packages as it would have liked.

“There is no national budget -- a 2020 budget -- and until there is a 2020 budget all expenditures will have to be considered and approved by the Ministry of Finance. The NCTF doesn’t have that capacity to demand or to order the payment of monies or to grant the socalled stimulus packages,” he said.

Even so, Nagamootoo noted that Guyana maintains a good relation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which has reconfigured several projects to become COVID-related projects, thereby opening up greater access to funding.

“I’m told that would be a huge sum of money, just under US$80M and we’re told that there are monies available in some other international agencies that could be tapped,” he said, naming the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as an example.

He also stated that India has noted that there is US $1M available to be converted into COVID-related assistance and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance are in pursuit of the matter with India.

Meanwhile, China should soon be providing some 30,000 masks to the country as well as ventilators.

Though there is concern about how Guyana’s electoral situation could affect its receipt of international financial support, the U.S. Embassy, on Thursday, released US$475,000 to the country to help address Guyana’s priority areas in the COVID-19 fight.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

‘Doctors get sick too’ -- recovering US doctor with Guyanese roots warns citizens about COVID-19

By Navendra Seoraj DOCTORS are not exempted from the debilitating effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, which has so far proven to be a “real killer”, taking the lives of over 163,000 persons and infecting more than 2.3 million persons globally.

“Yes. Doctors do get sick.

COVID-19 is considered by some, a great equaliser as it does not discriminate who is attacked based on economic status, social standing or profession,” said a US Medical Practitioner, Dr. Surendra Sugrim in an invited comment.

Dr. Sugrim, who has Guyanese roots, contracted the COVID-19 disease in March, but was able to successfully battle the deadly disease.

While he was able to overcome the debilitating effects of the disease, his father, a well-known local medical practitioner, Dr. Ramesh Sugrim, remains hospitalised in the US as he battles the dreaded disease.

Dr. Surendra Sugrim and his father are just two out of thousands of medical practitioners who have been infected by this disease.

“This pandemic has shown us that it is arguably the most dangerous time to be a health care professional, as frontline healers are being infected on a daily basis despite use of personal protective equipment.

“I was very aggressive with wearing my PPE to try

to protect me, my family and others. Still, it got me!

And I will tell you it’s really difficult to overcome,” said Dr. Sugrim, as he recounted his bout with the COVID-19 disease.

It started with daily fevers, but quickly moved to severe body aches, headaches and occasional diarrhea, said the doctor. Those symptoms were already bad, but his condition was even worse because he has asthma.

The added effects of COVID-19 coupled with the lung complications due to asthma, quickly brought Dr. Sugrim to his “knees”.

“It was very painful to breathe. I knew I had to call the ambulance when my nebulizer was failing me and I couldn’t get enough oxygen.

I was about to pass out,” the doctor recounted.

His saviour or saviours in this case, were his very colleagues- health care professionals- who delivered oxygen and administered life-saving care.

SALUTE “I really salute and thank them. I would say that I’m very strong and relatively fearless yet this was tough for me to go through on different levels. So I advise everyone out there to avoid COVID 19 at all cost.

“It doesn’t matter how good you think your immune system is or how fearless you are. At a minimum, do it for others who may not be as strong as you are,” said Dr. Sugrim.

He encouraged persons to take every possible precaution in order to stay safe from the COVID-19 “scourge”.

He is advising everyone to follow all relevant, update precautions and guidelines and become familiar with infection control practices.

said, noting that the disease has devastated parts of the world’s economic superpow-

President of the Humanitarian Mission in Guyana, Suresh Sugrim

Dr. Surendra Sugrim

er, America, and if allowed to spread throughout Guyana, it can be very catastrophic.

The world will get over this, he said, as he urged everyone to safeguard themselves.

Dr. Sugrim’s uncle, Suresh Sugrim, who is President of the Humanitarian Mission in Guyana, had also urged Guyanese and others the world over to take more precautions and adhere to the rules and regulations established by the local health authorities.

“I have been seeing pictures of people who are not listening to authorities and officials. They have not been practicing social distancing and the other measures,” he

TAKE NO CHANCES In this regard, he called on all Guyanese to take the disease seriously because it affects all persons, regardless of their status, race, political affiliation and social standing.

In stressing the seriousness of the disease, Dr Sugrim said: “Many doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have fallen because of this pandemic…I have friends who are medical doctors and nurses, who have died.”

“Government can only do so much to help us, we as individuals need to do

the rest… so I call on you to stay home and practice social distancing because there is only so much the police and government can do.”

With no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medication, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

Locally, the government had extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directions issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last one month, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) Representative, Dr.

GPHC gets tablets, CPG receives face masks -- as Public Telecommunications Ministry takes fight to the virus THE Public Telecommunications Ministry has donated relief items to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the National Community Policing Organisation of Guyana, to aid in the fight against COVID-19).

The ministry donated 20 tablets to the GPHC to be used by patients in the hospital’s Isolation Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The Isolation ICU has a capacity for 16 patients and was recently established to provide care for COVID-19 patients who require intensive treatment. The tablets will allow patients in this unit to communicate with their family members since they are not allowed to have visitors while in isolation. GPHC officials believe that the tablets will provide psychosocial support for patients who are separated from their families during this difficult time. The ministry has also presented

Personal Assistant to Minister Catherine Hughes, Cathy Martin, presents the masks to Kristopher Roberts, Liaison Officer of the National Community Policing Organisation of Guyana, at the Ministry of Public Security

1,000 masks to the GPHC which will be distributed to patients and workers at the hospital.

The National Community Policing Organisation of Guyana, at the Ministry of Public Security, was also presented with 150 face masks to be distributed among its members, so that they can effectively continue their work in the community, while protecting themselves from potentially contracting the virus.

The ministry’s donations represent government’s unwavering determination in ensuring that patients receive the best care. The government also reminds citizens of the importance of taking the necessary precautions during the COVID-19 outbreak so that the country may be able to flatten the curve and citizens remain safe.

William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only remain possible if government maintains the existing containment measures.

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.

The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well-informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.

Man on the run after chopping girlfriend

POLICE are currently on the hunt for a man identified as “Smokey", who reportedly chopped his Venezuelan girlfriend to the head with a cutlass at Aranka Landing, Cuyuni River in the wee hours of Thursday.

The 37-year-old woman and the suspect reportedly shared a month-long relationship.

On Thursday, at about 01:12 hours, the couple were at Aranka Landing, Cuyuni River consuming alcohol, when an argument started between them.

The suspect reportedly took his cigarette and burned the victim on her face and she retaliated by lashing him in the face with a glass bottle.

The man became enraged and picked up a cutlass and dealt his girlfriend several lashes about her body and a chop to her head.

The perpetrator made good his escape, while the victim went to the Aranka Police Station and reported the matter.

The victim is in a stable condition. Police are hunting for the suspect.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Stimulus packages for private sector under review

THE Government of Guyana, through the National COVID-19 Taskforce (NCTF), is examining the provision of stimulus packages for the private sector, with special focus on small businesses, entrepreneurs and small producers.

A number of recommendations have come from the sector to the Ministry of Business which is now working on a final submission of recommendations to the minister of finance.

This was disclosed by Chairman of the National COVID-19 Taskforce (NCTF), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, on Thursday.

He explained that before the recommendations are submitted, they must first be discussed by the Council of Ministers chaired by President David Granger, in consultation with the Finance Ministry.

“There has been a raft of measures

proposed,” he said. “Yes, we will be looking into stimulus packages for the private sector organisations. From the point of view of the government, I’m aware that concerns are more particular at this time for small businesses; people who are self-employed vending on the street and have small vending outlets. We’re concerned about small producers, tailors who have been making clothing.”

However, the NCTF chairman reminded that Guyana currently has no budget and no contingency fund to lean on due to its electoral impasse.

It is over one month since Guyanese took to the polls on March 2, to cast their ballots in the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

However, the country has not yet had its overall elections results declared and no new administration has been sworn in. The

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is set to facilitate a national recount of votes cast --- the final exercise Guyanese hope will bring conclusion to the matter.

Nagamootoo stated: “We need to resolve our political problems and we need to move on as a nation and as a government to deal with these very pressing matters of how to stimulate our economy; how to keep production going; how to keep jobs going. We need to address these very, very important issues.”

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle earlier in April, Private Sector Commission (PSC) member, Ramesh Dookhoo, had noted that the PSC has made recommendations to the government that a stimulus package be put in place for citizens to ease the financial burden.

He said that while some businesses have been giving back during the time of

the crisis, they will not be able to sustain this for long, and sooner or later reality will set in.

“Businesses cannot sustain doing that for too long, given the pressures and the drop in revenue. So those businesses that are really applying a humanitarian posture towards this is commendable but the reality will kick in sooner than later,” Dookhoo said.

To aid in data collection, the Ministries of Business and Finance had rolled out a survey at the beginning of April, for the private sector to determine the extent to which businesses have been impacted by COVID-19.

The survey will be used to shape informed economic policy considerations and members of the business community were asked to urgently fill out the questionnaire, by Saturday, April 11, 2020.

US injects $100M into Guyana’s COVID-19 efforts … funds to be dispersed rapidly THE United States government has made available G$100M to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and its partners to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) According to a statement from the US Embassy in Georgetown, through the generosity of the American people and the leadership of the U.S. government, the United States continues to lead the public health and humanitarian assistance to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to Guyana through the U.S. Caribbean Resiliency Partnership, the Regional Caribbean Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is releasing US$475,000 to help address Guyana’s priority areas of laboratory diagnostics and systems strengthening and supplies, surveillance, infection prevention & control, and emergency operation centers,”the statement said.

It was noted that the funds are part of a regional funding package of US$3,000,000 provided to support the current COVID-19 Response.

The embassy said that the regional office of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will coordinate with Ministry of Public Health and its regional partners to disburse these funds rapidly and implement the activities.

Already a number of entities, who are partnering in the fight with the MOPH to stem the spread of the virus, have injected assistance into the government’s efforts to slow the COVID-19 curve. These include the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) which has been at the side of the MOPH ever since the pandemic and its effects became known globally.

Health authorities, on Thursday, reported that the number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Guyana moved from 70. With 18 cases being recorded last week, this increase shows a positive sign as authorities move forward to contain the spread of the disease.

Some 51 persons are, however, in institutional isolation while 17 persons are in institutional quarantine.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Guyana can aid food security in CARICOM

WITH CARICOM examining ways the Region can support itself during the global crisis, chairman of the National Coronavirus Task Force (NCTF), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said Guyana has the advantage to boost food security in the Region.

In a video press conference on Thursday, he told the media that Guyana has long been touted as the food basket of the Region, similar to the way Trinidad and Tobago has been thought of as the Caribbean’s industrial basin.

Only weeks ago CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley said that the notion of a “single domestic space” for CARICOM with regard to travel, food security, health and more, has now become more important.

She said that with globalisation expected to return to the world region by region, countries will have to rely on their neighbours for support and there is no better time for the Region to band together than now.

At the Ninth Special Emergency Meeting of the

Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM on April 15, food security was high on the agenda.

“Guyana has always been considered the food basket of the Caribbean from the point of view of having vast natural resources of fertile land,

A market (CARICOM photo) fertile soil, clean air, clean the largest Caribbean country water and vast land space,” in terms of landmass. the prime minister said.

The Food and AgriculOn the matter of land ture Organization (FAO) space, he stated that this has holds Guyana as a food-sebecome very attractive to the cure country with no major Caribbean, which is made food-security issues. up of mostly small islands.

Nagamootoo said PresGuyana, on the other hand, is ident David Granger has

been in consultation with the Rural Affairs Secretariat to determine the efforts that can be initiated to stimulate local agriculture.

The prime minister said the international situation is very bleak as many factories are now closed and the usual imports of most countries have been affected, as countries hold on to their own supplies or are challenged by export restrictions.

He cited reports from U.S. media which stated that 25 per cent of U.S. pork production has been hit by the coronavirus and scores of food-processing workers have died after contracting the virus.

According to 2018 data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) the 15 CARICOM member states collectively source up to 94 per cent of their food imports from the U.S. market.

Meanwhile, data from the same year showed that 94 per cent of all CARICOM imports of cereals; 90 per cent of edible fruits and nut imports and 91 per cent of sugar confectionery imports originate from the U.S.

At such a time, self-sufficiency of CARICOM and Guyana, individually, becomes even more important.

“Guyana is in a very good position to have local stimulation of agriculture and we’re hoping that the Ministry of Agriculture will come up with a comprehensive plan on how to help households in Guyana and how to help farmers to take to the soil and to help to boost our local supplies,” he said.

He added: “Trinidad has always been seen as the industrial basin of the Caribbean and we have been seen as the agricultural basin of the Caribbean; and we’ll continue to maintain that relation and to develop our economies so that we can help each other to provide with the need internally in our Region.”

CARICOM has stated that all proposals and arising issues will be considered in the context of the CARICOM COVID-19 Agri-Food Risk Management Framework, which was circulated to member states, following a meeting of Ministers of Agriculture last month.

‘Azeez Butchery’ ready to roll again –– with room to spare and a brand new name

By Clifford Stanley THE Azeez family, of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, who lost their butcher shop to a fire under mysterious circumstances last month, is now the proud owners of an even bigger and more well-appointed establishment.

And with the help of the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) party to get it back up and running, the shop is set to be reopened for business shortly, and under a brand new name, according to its owner, Mrs. Latchmin Azeez.

Staunch supporters of the PNCR and not the

Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), as is the tradition in the West Berbice village, the Azeezes would pay dearly for their gall, when, around midnight on March 20 at the height of a slew of post-elections unrest in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), the shop was set alight, by forces unknown, and burnt to cinders.

But no sooner had the deed been done than the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), of which the PNCR is a part, came forward, promising to help the Azeezes get back up on their feet.

True to their word, the

rebuilding and retooling of the shop was spearheaded

by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, who served as APNU+AFC’s Region Five Campaign Manager ahead of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

He told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, during the donation of a few essential shop-keeping tools and appliances to the family, that construction had been completed well within schedule, and that the few kinks still left to be ironed out, can be done after the shop will have been reopened.

Interestingly enough, the shop has been renamed ‘The Good Life Butchery’.

At a little celebration of sorts on Monday at ‘The Good Life Butchery’. Among those standing in the doorway besides Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally (fourth left) are: Christopher Wordsworth; Christopher Jones; Latchmin Azeez and her hubby, Jamal; and Vinceroy Jordan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Rupununi livestock farmers beefing up production

THE Rupununi Livestock Producers Association (RLPA) has been supporting farmers and ranchers in the Rupununi to increase production of local livestock, to reduce the hunting of wildlife and promote support for local products.

The association is currently executing a project focused on encouraging those interested in the rearing of poultry. Last Tuesday, the RLPA conducted a distribution exercise of broiler chickens to farmers

in the region.

“We wanted to do poultry for the community so that they can have an alternative and not have so much pressure on the wildlife. We work along with the GLDA [Guyana Livestock Development Authority], which we have a MoU with. We’re hoping to work along with them to promote the black giant chicken,” explained RLPA chairperson, Rebecca Faria The project is being done in collaboration with the Sustainable

Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, with funding from the Centre for International Forestry Research. SWM is an African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States initiative, which aims to tackle the issue of overhunting of wild meat.

In Guyana, the project is being implemented in the Rupununi, and seeks to ensure that the Rupununi can continue to offer sustainable options for food security and livelihoods, which support and aid in

The Rupununi Livestock Producers Association’s office

maintaining healthy populations of fish and terrestrial wildlife.

“Sustainable livestock farming diversifies the amount and variety of protein available in the region, thereby lessening pressures on wildlife resources for food. We take an inclusionary approach to project implementation and planning and try, as best as possible, to support local initiatives, such as the RLPA,” explained SWM Country Manager, Andy Mahadeo.

He added that: “We believe by making local stakeholders of the region involved in the decision making and implementation process, we encourage ownership of the activities, aid involvement and build capacities.”

SWM began collaborating with the RLPA since last September to develop the initiative. With support from the SWM, the RLPA was able to establish an office and “livestock hub” where farmers can source products and assistance with their farming.

First established in 1978, the RLPA had been dormant for some time in the early 2000s, until it was resuscitated in 2014, electing a new executive. The RLPA currently has approximately 50 members.

Faria explained that, while efforts are currently focused on Central Rupununi, there are plans to extend the initiative further.

“We basically were trying

One of the livestock farmers with some chickens

to lobby for all the farmers and livestock owners, but most of them are into cattle rearing. So what we’re doing is working in the central areas with current poultry farmers and extend it to other districts. We hope to establish four hubs extending it out to the north and south,” Faria noted.

Labour Day rally cancelled but wreath-laying to be held THOUGH its Annual May Day March and Rally, usually held on May 1, has been cancelled, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) will still start off Labour Week with the customary wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Hubert National Critchlow, in the Parliament Buildings compound, Brickdam, on Sunday April 26 at 16:30hrs.

The wreath laying will be done by just two persons, the General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis and President, Coretta McDonald, and a message will be delivered, the union

said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

This year would mark the 101 anniversary of the trade union movement in Guyana. GTUC is one of the country’s largest trade union umbrella organisations and would usually organise the rally alongside fellow trade union umbrella organisation, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).

May Day rallies have been cancelled due to COVID-19, where social gatherings are prohibited by law. “This year, it would have been held next Friday.

Government’s guidelines and safety concerns about public gathering surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) would negate the sort of march and rally usually held to commemorate this historic event,” the GTUC statement said.

Earlier this month, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) had also indicated the cancellation of its rally.

This year, Labour Week runs from the April 26 to May 1, and is celebrated under the theme “Economic, Political and Social Transformation Post COVID-19.”

Some of the participants at the 2019 Labour Day rally (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Database on society’s most vulnerable coming onstream THE National Coronavirus Task Force (NCTF) is making headway in developing a database of Guyanese, countrywide who are most in need as a result of the COVID-19 emergency measures in place.

Chairman of the NCTF, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said on Thursday that a partnership has recently been forged with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to tap into its most recent database which would show society’s most vulnerable. “[The NDMA] has a database that has been pulled from previous census[sic].

It may not be very accurate as to an update of 2020, but it will give you an idea as to the people who would have fallen below the poverty line over a period of time,” he said.

Added to this, the Ministry of Social Protection has been reeled in to provide

information on pensioners, persons who receive social assistance and persons residing within homes for the elderly, both private and public.

The Ministry of Communities is keeping in touch with the various regions through assistance from the various democratic councils.

“It [the distribution] was put on pause precisely because we wanted to have a coordination of the data to ensure that we are really in fact dealing with the vulnerable sections of the communities,” Nagamootoo stated.

He said President David Granger is very keen on putting into place long-term measures and is therefore in ongoing discussions with the agriculture and business sectors to deal with the issue of food and businesses security.

He explained that while hampers are useful, these alone will not be satisfactory for the long-term and a com-

bination of measures will be needed.

“We view COVID-19 as a long-term project that we shouldn’t just be taking kneejerk measures, but to see how we could help the planning on a long-term basis, to deal with a comprehensive look at how the nation has to tackle this issue,” he said.

Even so, he commended Director-General of the CDC, Lieutenant-Colonel Kester Craig and team for their efforts thus far which he said has helped to reach almost 2,000 Guyanese families across the country.

The CDC, through its National Emergency Operations Centre, started the hamper distribution on April 5 and has completed the exercise in several vulnerable communities in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10.

The CDC heads the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) which was activated on

Domestic carriers say COVID-19 measures 'excessive' IN view of COVID-19 measures enforced by the authorities, several domestic airlines have described the precautionary measures put in place by the authorities as "excessive," noting that they are struggling to survive, even as they implement stringent measures to protect passengers and staff from the coronavirus.

According to a statement from the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG), recent statements by Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) that the local carriers had increased their fares to unconscionable levels were based solely on a complaint by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) and that body's complaint was made regarding flights to Region Eight by Air Services Limited.

The AOAG, comprising Trans Guyana Airways, JAGS Aviation, Wings Aviation and Roraima Airways (the latter who is also a member of NATA), said that its members have not increased their prices in spite of the restrictions imposed on the industry by the COVID-19 Task Force through the GCAA. "The fact is that the shutdown of almost all passenger operations in the interior have led to a more than 50% reduction of all flights and making the removal of VAT ineffective and leaving our members struggling to stay in business," the aviation body said.

The AOAG said that it understands the concerns expressed by the APA and the government with regard to Region Eight food and freight supplies and have decided, therefore, to immediately look at introducing flights to provide relief in this area. The aviation body said its members, since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, have introduced stringent protocols to ensure the safety of our passengers, including 100% temperature testing of all passengers and

staff; sanitising of our aircraft before every flight; the compulsory wearing of face masks and hand- sanitising before passengers and crew board an aircraft. All cargo is similarly sanitised, it said.

The association said that in spite of "these strict precautionary protocols being applied "the COVID-19 Task Force has further enforced a 50% passenger restriction, noting that it was initially set at 75% on all domestic flights." In addition, the body said that the Task Force has stopped all passenger flights to border destinations, which, inexplicably, have included Matthews Ridge and Port Kaituma, even though these border locations were already closed off and a No-Fly Order was in place for all foreign travellers.

"The Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana has discussed these matters with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority and has advised that the measures being enforced by the COVID-19 Task Force are excessive, given the mitigation measures already in place against the risk of spreading the virus, and that these measures have been taken without sufficient regard for the negative economic impact on the hinterland communities," the body said.

The AOAG hinted at a government bailout, noting that while in Guyana domestic airlines are suffering through COVID-19 and government’s policing of the sector, in other countries, governments are moving to bailout airlines in financial trouble resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AOAG pointed out that while these restrictions are being placed on aviation traffic to border areas, there is ample evidence that there is little or no enforcement in place on the ground as passenger vehicles and boats continue to operate freely at these locations.

March 31, 2020, and aims to ensure the highest level of collaboration among

all stakeholders to further prevent the spread of the coronavirus, enhance

preparation and strengthen the local response to this global pandemic.

Hampers distributed during a previous distribution exercise (DPI photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

WR Reaz staying positive –– Even with loss of business, overseas gigs TEAM MMR, a local entertainment agency that offers quite a variety of services in the industry, has been tremendously affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), but Founder WR Reaz says he prefers to remain positive and use his platforms to give hope to people.

In all of his 21 years of being in showbiz, WR said he has never experienced anything close to the effects of the dreadful disease, which has claimed some seven lives in Guyana so far and infected dozens.

“This is something totally new for all of us, but it’s something I would have never expected in my lifetime,”

he told the Buzz earlier this week.

Team MMR offers a host of services including radio and television programmes, weddings, MC, and DJ services, lights, and promotion of events and parties. “It’s an overall entertainment agency,” he pointed out, offering hot radio programmes hosted by him, with music by ‘Selector Andy.’

Lately, though, every single aspect of the Team MMR has been affected. The team has to buy its air time, and hence with businesses closed and clients taking a break from sponsorship, the expenses remain while the income cuts.

“However, we still want

to maintain being on air so we can bring a little hope and sanity to people because some people are losing the faith that things will get better. A little music can keep them going,” WR expressed.

So far, 19 weddings, some of which were confirmed since last year, had to be cancelled, and the team can no longer go on four overseas gigs that they were a part of. “Every single one has been cancelled, and for every person who gave us an advance, we called them back to collect their money.”

Furthermore, all of Team MMR’s signature events had to be cancelled, including their anniversary party which happens in March.

According to WR, Team MMR continues to function with the help of their major clients who would have remained with them through good and bad days. “But I have already been given word from some of the well-established ones that if things continue like this, they will have to take a break, and I can’t blame them because their businesses have been closed.”

While the team has been exploring other avenues of continuing their work, worstcase scenarios may see them having to pull some of their shows. “We still want to keep people engaged. I’m hearing too many people saying they are bored, and boredom can

WR Reaz would often serve as MC at events and parties lead to too many negative things, and these are some of the reasons we try to remain on the air,” WR expressed, adding, “I kind of get worried when young people are telling me they’re bored as if there is no hope. I want to tell persons that there is hope; we just have to be a bit patient.”

While his entire life and business has been drastically affected, WR says he is not giving up. “This is

what I am trying to instill in people through my forum.

COVID-19 has affected my business tremendously but I don’t want to be the person who continues to be negative.

I want to stay positive. If I can’t give hope to people, then I can’t have hope for myself.

It’s going to end and I encourage persons to take the precautions.” (By Telesha Ramnarine)

Heatwave band live show set for tomorrow

WITH Coronavirus floating around our country and the entire world, the livelihood of many people have been crippled as a result.

Especially those in the entertainment industry, and those who liked the outdoor lifestyle and entertaining experiences.

However, despite the above, advancement in technology has made the experience more inexpensive and closer to home.

Taking advantage of the technological resources available to us, Guyana’s number one band, The Heatwave Band, will be hosting a live show on their Facebook page tomorrow from 16:00hrs sharp.

In an effort to entertain the people at home and take their minds off the cares of the world for a bit, the band will be performing one hour and 30 minutes of the greatest hits of all times.

Comprising of some of Guyana’s best vocalists, namely; Carlvin Burnett, Tennicia DeFreitas, Mark Batson and Kady Kish, the band will be bringing the heat live from their band room, accompanied by live drumming, guitars, keyboards, organs and live mixes from Selector Andre.

It is important at this time for persons to find equilibrium with all that is happening around the world, and the band will attempt to strike that balance by providing live entertaining content for people across the world.

Tune in tomorrow at 16:00hrs on Heatwave Band Facebook page, and share with all your friends and family so that everyone can join in the fun.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

Local folk musician releasing new punk rock album on Monday LOCAL rock/folk musician Gavin Mendonca is all set to release his new punk rock album Monday (April 27) on his website for free.

Over the years, Gavin has been on a mission to “folk up de place” – to inject Guyanese folk songs into society by performing them at several locations,

series that will feature all of Guyana’s traditional/folk songs, being produced by cultural music producer in Guyana Burchmore Simon of Kross Kolor Records.

Volume 1 was released last year at the Guyana Folk Festival in New York and is currently available for sale and streaming from all major digital platforms.

The album art. (By Keri Maria Phang) most notably, at The Courtyard Mall on Robb Street every Friday at lunchtime.

“That is until the lockdown situation put a stop to it a few weeks ago,” Gavin told the Buzz this week, adding, “So now my drummer Chucky and I cannot perform, or even meet up to practice at the moment.”

Gavin and Chucky were supposed to be in Trinidad at the beginning of April to perform at New Fire Festival, but that was cancelled.

They were also supposed to have completed the recording of their second album together.

Their debut album, Folk It Up Vol. 1, is the first of a

Gavin even recently attended the 32nd annual conference put on by Folk Alliance International, representing Guyana for the very first time in New Orleans in January, opening many new doorways. “My tour momentum has since been halted and I’m stuck at home with no shows to play at, but I see this new situation as an opportunity; an opportunity to create,” he expressed.

Gavin said with so much free time on hand, he sees no excuse to procrastinate. “Although conditions are not ideal, it’s the perfect time to just create content and release it.

Local rock musician Gavin Mendonca

Although we must physically distance ourselves from each other, technology has evolved now that the world is at our fingertips, and it’s never been easier to communicate and connect with audiences around the world, in real-time.”

Gavin has decided to finish up an original ‘Creole Rock’ album for release, the title of which is ‘Punks and Pirates’ that will explore the roots of his history as starting off as a punk rock musician back in 2011.

The album features songs written by Gavin

over the years, most being written since 2012, but never released.

In a true Punk Rock, DIY (Do It Yourself) fashion - Gavin has recorded all of the songs in his bedroom and has even produced the album himself, having no formal knowledge or skills in Mixing and Mastering.

“Being able to produce music is such a thrill - to be able to manipulate and combine sounds and frequencies to engineer a song that someone else could enjoy are truly magic. I know that the album won’t sound like it was produced

in a big rock studio by bigtime producers, but this album, and Punk Rock, is not necessarily about how good something sounds.

No. It’s about passion, it’s about love, it’s Art.” ‘Punks and Pirates’ can be downloaded for free on Gavin’s website www.creolerock.com, starting Monday. He’ll also be releasing lyric videos for each song on his YouTube channel, youtube.com/creolerock.

Also in the pipeline for his Creole Rock Facebook page are special homemade music videos and short films called the ‘LackDungSessions.’

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Everyone needs inspiration

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

–– Young MUA encourages people to tap into talents

M

ANY success stories usually entail an inspiration that birthed the journey to success. Because in the world we live in today, inspiration propels a person from apathy to possibility and transforms the way we perceive our own capabilities.

Acknowledging this a fact, 19-year-old makeup artist Shonté Allen who hails from the Cinderella County, Essequibo, said her parents were her inspiration, and she hopes her story can inspire young women on their journey to become leaders.

In an interview with ‘The Buzz’, Allen said that growing up as a child, and the type of person she chose to be, many people did not envision a bright future for her.

“I attended two different secondary schools on the Essequibo Coast. This is where my life took a great turn. I was removed from my first secondary school because of an altercation I was involved in. The switch in schools was an inconvenience for both myself and parents. I had to travel a distance away from home which was costly and was

completely new for me because my old school was just a stone throw away. But as the old people would say ‘if yuh can’t hear you gone feel’. At that period in my life, I was known as a bad child. However what I didn’t realise, is that all that happened was God’s way of showing me my true calling,” Allen testified.

The young woman said what she thought was a bad deal, was exactly what she needed to turn her life around to be a role model in society.

“At my new school, I received so much love and motivation from the educators. Each teacher played a role in my academic success and constantly reminded me of the need to do my utmost. I never allowed the words or negativity of others to get to me. I knew that there were so many sideline cheerleaders and there were so many persons who saw potential in me. I said to myself “if they can see so much good in me why shouldn’t I see it in myself”. In 2017 I graduated from the Abram Zuil Secondary School as the best graduating student of my stream and secured Grades 1-2 in my CXC Examinations,” said.

Three months after completing her Secondary education, Allen applied to become a teacher, and to date, that is her profession.

She is currently pursuing an Associate Degree in Education at the Cyril Potter College of Education This was her choice because she believed that she must repay what was done for her and help other children to succeed academically despite their divergent backgrounds.

“We all have had someone in our life who measured out “who or what we will become in the future” based on their observations or perceptions on the way things should be.

Nevertheless, it is imperative to understand that the opinions of others doesn’t define who you are but your character, acts of kindness, goals and ambitions show where your mind is at,” she admonished.

In addition to her teaching career, Allen is also the owner and founder of Shonté’s Makeup Artistry, where she provides professional training and services in makeup artistry.

“Today, I continually remember the persons who inspired me. I encourage you to

Shonté Allen take a close look at the individuals around you. Recognise the game changers, the barrier breakers, and the side line cheerleaders that you have in your corner. Focus on Positivity rather than negativity. Learn from them, feel their support, and let their example light the path to your success story,” she alluded.

She further encouraged young women to “be independent and resourceful. Never doubt yourself or doubt your capabilities. Each of us was blessed by the almighty with a talent but it takes divine wisdom and strength to unlock that talent and make the best use of it.

Daily we are all given the same 24hrs to be productive so get serious about your goals and talents and you will be guaranteed success in life.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 24, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday April 24, 2020

Cricket chiefs still planning for T20...

London (AFP) - Global cricket chiefs said planning for this year’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia was still going ahead as scheduled after they discussed the huge disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.

The conference call brought together the chief executives of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) 12 full member nations and three associate representatives.

Global cricket is at a standstill as a result of COVID-19, with stark warnings issued over the damaging economic fallout.

Thursday’s meeting received updates on contingency planning for all ICC global events, including the T20 World Cup, due to start in October, and next year’s women’s Cricket World Cup. Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts said his organisation was working closely with the ICC, the Australian government and local organisers to gain a “comprehensive understanding” of what it would take to host the T20 World Cup as planned.

“We are also jointly exploring all other options in relation to staging the event and will take the right decisions at the right time so we can host a wonderful

celebration of the sport and keep everyone involved safe and well,” he added.

ICC medical committee chairman Peter Harcourt said the next step for cricket chiefs was to create a “roadmap” for the resumption of the international game.

“This will consider everything from player preparation to government restrictions and advisories and bio-bubbles,” he said.

“The scale and complexity of getting cricket started again cannot be underestimated, particularly with respect to a global event. The more teams, venues and cities involved in an event, the greater the risk which has to be assessed and managed.”

The outbreak of the virus has also placed a huge question mark over whether next year’s inaugural World Test Championship final at Lord’s can take place as scheduled should teams be unable to play all their qualifying matches.

The ICC added Thursday that discussions about the Championship’s future would be held at a later date “when there is a greater understanding of the impact of the cricket that has been lost”.

Diamond League postpones...

(REUTERS)-Diamond League events in Eugene and Paris have been postponed while the event in Oslo will be staged as an “alternative competition” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers said on Thursday.

The events in Eugene and Paris were due to take place on 7 June and 13 June respectively, while Oslo’s meet is scheduled for 11 June.

“Today, we are sad to announce the postponement of further meetings in Eugene and Paris,” Diamond League said in a statement.

“The Bislett Alliance today announced plans to host an alter-

native athletics competition under Norwegian coronavirus regulations on June 11, the original date of this year’s Oslo Diamond League meeting.”

The conventional competition format has been done away with for the Oslo event. Instead, athletes will take part in an hourlong event while observing Norway’s coronavirus regulations and social distancing protocols.

Officials said the full programme is yet to be confirmed and subject to changes.

“This is really positive news for athletes and fans and promises, even in this early stage, to be another great night of athletics

from the Bislett stadium,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said.

“Congratulations to the Oslo Bislett Games for dreaming this up and following it through, working within the pandemic guidelines set out in Norway.”

The next scheduled meet is to be held in London on 4 July followed by Monaco on 10 July.

Diamond League events in Stockholm, Naples and Rabat that were scheduled for late May were postponed last month, while meets scheduled for Doha and an unspecified host city in China were also moved.

CWI working ‘overtime’...

We’ve completed deals in South Africa and New Zealand, which are the two teams which were due to tour in July and August this year... now unfortunately, COVID-19 has put a pause on those negotiations, so at the moment, the situation is uncertain until we can give certainty to those broadcasters that cricket is going to be back, it’s almost impossible for us to close those deals,” Grave explained.

The Cricket West Indies CEO further lamented that while he’s confident in the product of West Indies cricket, the issues at hand, which is COVID-19, forces the game’s regional body in uncomfortable position, since they will have to “first sign those deals and right now, most rights holders and most broadcasters are saying that until the governing body (the ICC) can give them certainty as to when the sport will return, and give them live content, most of the significant payments are being withheld.”

The international men players have not been paid their match fee for the home series against Ireland in January and the Sri Lanka tour in February-March.

The international women are owed the match fees for the four matches they played in the T20 World Cup, played in February-March in Australia.

However, the biggest losers are the domestic players, most of whom have not been paid a large percentage of their match fees for the 2020 West Indies Championship, the regional four-day competition.

CONTINUED FROM BACKPAGE

In March, CWI discontinued the competition after eight of the 10 rounds, declaring Barbados the winners of the Headley-Weekes Trophy.

The regional players are contracted under two categories: one comprises a set of 90 players that are on monthly retainers with the six franchises.

The six teams include Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. These contracted players are split across four categories: A, B, C and Development. Players in Category A get a monthly remuneration of US $2,666, those in Category B get $2,000, those in Category C earn $1500 and those in Development get $1,000.

The second contracted category is the playfor-pay, where players are paid on per-match basis. All regional players, across both categories, are paid $1600 per match which is separate from all the allowances including per Diem.

According to an article published on ESPN’s website, Wayne Lewis, the secretary of the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), said that the contracted regional players have been paid their allowances salaries, but match fees for all the eight rounds of the domestic four-day competition are still outstanding.

Those in play-for-pay category, though, have been paid the match fee for the first three rounds only.

The West Indies women, Lewis said, have received the prize money from the T20 World Cup, but not their match fees, which has also not been paid to the men’s white-ball squads.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday April 24, 2020

ISKF-Guyana takes a ‘Rae’ for Master Shihan Teruyuki Okazaki ....decorated Master passes on due to Covid-19 TUESDAY April 21 marked the passing of decorated Master Shihan Teruyuki Okazaki. He was the muse of ISKF and died in his 88th year due to Coronavirus complications.

ISKF-Guyana takes a unified “Rae” (Japanese for Bow) and says “Ous” with a Clarion voice as a sign of respect and recognition to his passing and legacy. On behalf of our Country Director and Chief Instructor - Christopher Chaves, our operating committee, instructors, students and parents, we would like to convey our deepest condolences and pledge our support at this time to his family and home Dojo in Philadelphia USA and our other brothers and sister in the Karate Fraternity.

THE CONCISE STORY OF HIS MUSE Shihan Teruyuki Okazaki was born in 1931 in Japan. He started Karate at the age of 16 years and by no means was his journey without challenges. He failed his Shodan (black belt) test twice before he attained his dan rank as he needed to learn the subtle traits of humility.

Nevertheless, with encouragements from his peers, he grew adamant in his love for Karate and maximized every training opportunity and a deep study for the art. As a direct student of Shotokan Karate’s Founder Shihan Gichin Funakoshi, one thing led to another for Okazaki.

As he matured in his karate journey key positions befell him such as an appointment as team coach of his university’s Karate team, becoming the test subject for a budding Instructors course and being instrumental in the formation of the Japan Karate Association’s (JKA) instructor training program.

Central to these achievements, Shihan Okazaki graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economics.

RECOGNISING HIS LEGACY In 1961, Shihan Okazaki was sent to the USA for six months to promote the promulgation of Karate and the rest was history. He remained in Philadelphia and supported the spread of Karate internationally and would go on to form International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) in 1977 in Philadelphia in the USA where he was the Chief Instructor.

Shihan Okazaki retired in 2007 from the chairmanship of ISKF. Okazaki was responsible for the formation of the Philadelphia HQ Dojo. He established the ISKF Master Camp and Goodwill Karate Tournament that is now in

Master Shihan Teruyuki Okazaki

its 54th year.

Okazaki was also responsible for the spreading of the ISKF organization to more than 28 Pan American Countries and over thirty-two countries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with a combined membership of over than 75,000 worldwide.

He Published Material “The Textbook of Modern Karate”, and “Perfection of Character: Guiding Principles For The Martial Arts & Everyday Life” SENSEI CHAVES SHARING FOND MEMORIES OF SHIHAN TERUYUKI OKAZAKI Chief Instructor and Country Director of ISKF Guyana - Sensei Christopher Chaves has had the privilege of being graded for his first karate rank by Shihan Okazaki in 1988 as a teenager.

His 2nd, 3rd, and 4th dan ranks were also attained under Shihan Okazaki auspices.

Sensei Chaves recalls that Shihan Okazaki was responsible for the promotion of hundreds of dan ranks in Guyana and thousands worldwide.

Sensei Chaves further recalls Shihan Okazaki as a remarkable human being, a teacher, a mentor, and a father like figure to thousands of students. He embodied humility, gentleness and all the qualities of a true master. He was immensity loved and his passing is regretted.

Sensei Chaves owes a great deal of gratitude to Master Okazaki for the knowledge gained over the years and his continued love for the art.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday April 24, 2020

Fans eager to see Spence, Crawford unification clash

By Chris Williams

ERROL Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford could now be the biggest fight in boxing given the recent defeats suffered by heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

WBO welterweight champion Crawford (36-0, 27 K.O.s) believes his future unification fight with IBF/WBC champion Spence (26-0, 21 K.O.s) is the clash that fans want to see.

The fight to make is Spence vs. Crawford once the sport restarts this year. Spence would need to be willing to take the match without a tune-up, and that’s where we could have a problem. He hasn’t fought since his car crash on October 10, and no one knows whether the unbeaten champion is still the same physically.

While there’s a lot of interest in a clash between heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, that’s a fight that resonates in the United Kingdom rather than

in the U.S. Fury and Joshua have some fans in the U.S., but not at the level of Spence and Crawford for apparent reasons.

Those two are from the U.K., and they haven’t fought enough in the U.S. to become household names. Joshua has fought just one time in the U.S. against Andy Ruiz Jr. in losing by a 7th round knockout. For his part, Fury has fought only four times in the U.S. “When the world gets back it’s normalcy, we’re going to do our thing,” said Crawford. “I’m not anxious, but I’m ready [to get back into the ring]. I train every day. Give it six weeks; I’d most likely be prepared.

“You’re one of those big stars, Terence, where when you fight, you draw pretty big crowds out there,” said Chris Mannix. “There’s a lot of talk about boxing when it comes back, I’ll first come back with fights behind closed doors and with no crowds.

How do you feel about that?

If we brought a fight to you,

there would be no crowd there, how would you react to that?”

Crawford: “I haven’t heard about that yet, but that the same time if it were to happen, they’d have to pay me more. They would have to pay me more because fighters of my status and on my level, we get paid for the people that are coming there as well. If I can’t get paid for the people that are coming [from the gate], then I have to be paid upfront.”

It’s doubtful that Top Rank will pay Crawford more money to fight behind closed doors in a studio setting. Where would that extra money come from?

Unless Top Rank is willing to package Crawford’s fights with undercard fighters that are willing to be paid very little, it’s hard to figure out where the extra money would come from to satisfy Terence.

This isn’t exactly the best time for Crawford to be asking for more money when the sport restarts because there’s going to be a lot of unknowns. De-

Terrence Crawford

world. You have to pay us fighters because we’re taking a big risk Errol Spence Jr. and a big health risk at the same time. You can’t play boxing. One pending on how long boxing is shut down, we don’t know false move, and you can be six how many people will tune in feet.”

Mannix: “Would you be to watch fights on television.

Mannix: “If they couldn’t willing to sit out the entire pay you more, would you be year if it meant no fans in the comfortable sitting out for as stands?”

Crawford: “Well, like I long as it takes to get people said, if that’s what we got to back into these buildings?”

Crawford: “Sure. You got do, then that’s what we got to to pay me to go up there and do do. I know us fighters don’t what I do because it isn’t free. want to do that, but if that’s It’s like you have to pay people what it came to, then if it has to for doing anything else in the happen, it has to happen.”

It will be a shame if Crawford chooses to stall out his career if he doesn’t get the extra money that he wants to fight behind closed doors. Some of the disease specialists aren’t sure when the current pandemic will end.

While some are hoping a vaccine will be developed in 12 to 18 months, others believe this could be a problem that could last four years or more. If Crawford is still waiting around for the crowds to come back before he begins fighting again, he could be waiting a long time.

(Boxing News).

Banned cricket hero Shakib auctions bat for Bangladesh virus victims

Former Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan is revered at home despite being banned for two years for failing to report a match-fixing approach (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2020)

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK - STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) &CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Mutiah Muralitharan-5/34 (ARG, 1997) (2) Curtly Ambrose-5/37 (ARG, 1997) Today’s Quiz: (1) What is the highest individual Test score

made by a SL player against the WI to date?

(2) What is the highest score made by a WI

player in a Test against Sri Lanka to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

FORMER Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, banned in October for failing to report a match-fixing attempt, raised almost $24,000 for the country’s coronavirus campaign by auctioning the bat he used to score 606 runs at last year’s World Cup. The winning bidder at the online auction Wednesday was a New Yorkbased Bangladeshi, said Arif R. Hossain, co-founder of an organisation established to raise funds for charity.

“It was our first initiative. We are really happy by the response,” Hossain told AFP. Shakib, once rated one of the best all-rounders in the game, was banned for

two years last year for failing to report being approached by a match-fixing syndicate.

With one year of his ban suspended, he is due to resume international cricket in October 2020.

Hussain said the money raised would be given to a foundation started

by Shakib Al Hasan, but gave no other details.

The auction came two days after more than 140 workers at a crab farm owned by Shakib staged a protest to complain about not being paid.

Defying a nationwide virus lockdown, the workers chanted slogans before being dispersed, police told AFP.

Revered in Bangladesh for his cricketing prowess, Shakib said he was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the farm but would take action.

“My co-owners and working partners failed to inform me properly of what was going on over the last few months,” he said in a statement.

He said he paid the employees some 1.9 million taka ($23,000) on Wednesday.

Bangladesh has officially reported 4186 coronavirus infections and 127 deaths, but low testing rates have led health experts to believe the real figures are far higher.(AFP)

Women’s Euro 2021 tournament Women’ moved to July 2022 - UEFA

By Simon Evans (REUTERS) - UEFA’s Euro 2021 Women’s Championship, to be held in England, will be played one year later in July 2022, European soccer’s governing body decided at an executive committee meeting on Thursday.

The tournament was moved after UEFA’s Euro 2020 men’s competition had to be postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The opening match will be held on July 6 with the final on July 31.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the aim of the switch was to avoid a

clash with other events — as well as the men’s tournament in 2021, the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games will also feature women’s soccer.

“We have carefully considered all options, with our commitment to the growth of women’s football at the forefront of our thinking. By moving UEFA Women’s Euro to the following year, we are ensuring that our flagship women’s competition will be the only major football tournament of the summer, providing it with the spotlight it deserves,” he said.

UEFA intend to keep the same

venues as were in place for the originally-scheduled tournament.

The governing body said that they had “extensive discussions” with organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the English Football Association (FA) over the change.

“This decision puts us in a position to deliver a tournament that attracts global attention, maximises media coverage and increases stadium attendances, and is therefore helping us to meet our core objective of inspiring the next generation of footballers,” said UEFA’s chief of women’s football Nadine Kessler.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday April 24, 2020

On this day day:: Born April 24 24,, 1973::Sachin Tendulkar 1973 Tendulkar,, India batting genius

I n d i a ’ s S a c h i n T e ndulkar is carried by his team mates for a victory lap after they beat Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup final match in Mumbai April 2, 2011.

REUTERS/Philip Brown/ File Photo

…Sachin carried the burden of the nation for 21 years- Kohli after India won the 2011 World Cup

By Amlan Chakraborty (REUTERS) - Sachin Tendulkar compiled a mountain of runs for almost a quarter of a century and reached cricket’s dizzying heights by defying a burden of expectation that would have crushed lesser mortals.

Whenever Tendulkar came to the crease, India’s billion-plus population made secret deals with gods, froze where they were, clutched lucky charms and indulged in all sorts of superstitions.

And the sport’s most prolific run-accumulator created plenty of those heart-inmouth moments in his 24 years in international cricket.

On other occasions, fans switched off their televisions as soon as Tendulkar was dismissed. For them, the rest of the match did not matter.

The 34,000-plus international runs that Tendulkar amassed, including a record 100 centuries, speak as much of his hunger for runs as for his ability to handle pressure.

The unprecedented century of centuries included the first double hundred in the history of men’s one-day internationals.

It was quite an incredible cricketing journey that began with a rejection by Dennis Lillee.

The Australian pace great refused to entertain Tendulkar’s dream of becoming a fast bowler at a Chennai academy. He asked the youngster, then a school student, to work on his batting instead.

Tendulkar took the advice to heart and found a mentor in Ramakant Achrekar, who shaped several test careers in Mumbai.

Achrekar would make Tendulkar sit behind him on his rickety scooter and crisscross Mumbai to get him to bat in up to four matches a day.

Obsessed with batting, Tendulkar would get a friend to bowl at him with a soaked rubber ball, so the wet marks would confirm whether he was middling them.

The curly-haired wunderkind with a singsong voice made his India debut in 1989 on the tour of Pakistan, where Waqar Younis left the then 16-year-old with a bloodied nose in the Sialkot test.

Over the next two decades, it was the bowlers who bled runs as Tendulkar married his nearly-impregnable defence with a breathtaking array of shots.

DON COMPARISONS He delighted the purists with his backfoot punch and wowed the crowd with the auda-

cious upper-cut, managing to look equally elegant.

His never-ending appetite to collect batting records drew comparisons with Australian great Don Bradman, who confided to his wife that the diminutive Indian reminded him of himself.

Throughout his career, Tendulkar somehow retained a childlike enthusiasm as well as deep respect for the game.

In his book “The Barefoot Coach”, former India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton narrated an incident to illustrate Tendulkar’s approach to the game.

During a net session, Ishant Sharma kicked the ball in frustration after struggling to find his rhythm. Tendulkar fetched the ball and, instead of throwing it back, he walked up to the young bowler. “...I heard him tell Ishant in a calm and measured tone, but with gravitas, that it was because of this ball that he had the privileges he was currently enjoying in life,” Upton

Windies great Lance Gibbs critical of Cornwall, Caribbean spin bowlers

FORMER Guyana and West Indies off-spinner Lance Gibbs is not impressed with the current crop of spin bowlers in the Caribbean.

While speaking on Mason and Guest in Barbados on Tuesday night, the legendary Gibbs expressed his disappointment at the spin bowlers currently playing in the Caribbean and was particularly critical of the much-heralded Rahkeem Cornwall.

Apparently, the 85-yearold former West Indies offbreak bowler knows a bit about spin bowling. Between 1958 and 1976, Gibbs played 79 Tests for the West Indies taking 309 wickets at an average of 29.09 and enjoyed an economy rate of under two runs an over.

He was the first spinner in Test history to take 300 wickets and the second bowler behind England’s Fred Trueman to do so.

Rahkeem Cornwall has taken 13 wickets in 13 Tests for West Indies.

His best performances came in the 1961/62 home series against India.

Over the course of five Tests, he picked up 24 wickets at just 20.41 apiece. Additionally, in one of the game’s greatest spells of bowling at Bridgetown, he single-hand-

edly reduced India from 149 for 2 to 187 all out. In 15.3 overs, Gibbs took eight wickets for just six runs to finish with figures of 8 for 38, his best Test-match haul.

Asked if he has seen any off-break bowlers in recent times who have caught his eye, Gibbs responded with an emphatic, “No!” “They’re not spinning the ball,” he said.

Asked his thoughts on Cornwall, who has taken 13 wickets in the two Tests and 303 First-ClassWi wickets in 62 matches, Gibbs was critical of the player’s technique. “How can you take two steps and bowl? Where is your rhythm, where is that rhythm?” he asked.

“As a spin bowler you have got to use the crease, you have the return crease and you have the stumps, you have to bowl between those two. I never then had to go around the wicket to

bowl, a lot because by using the crease I could get close to the stumps on the offside and still bowl and make it go on straighter instead of going around the wicket.”

Gibbs, who stood at over six feet in height, also revealed the secret of his success while playing cricket back in his heyday even while playing in a team characterised by its fast-bowling talent.

“I started as a leg spinner and I couldn’t bowl a googly,” he revealed. “I realised that with my height and with my high arm-action I am going to get bounce off any wicket in the world and if you’re getting bounce it is difficult to really hit you in the meat of the bat. It hits more higher up, and therefore you get catches all around.”

After he retired, Gibbs returned to manage the West Indies team in 1991 during their tour of England. (Sportsmax)

wrote.

“Sachin Tendulkar had, and still has, the utmost respect for the game of cricket - he would not stand by and watch a youngster compromise this value.”

Tendulkar’s captaincy stints were far from impressive but he famously solved a leadership crisis when he recommended Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the job.

Dhoni led India to, among other things, World Cup triumphs in the 20-overs (2007) and 50-overs (2011) formats.

After India won the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai, Virat Kohli, who is tipped to scale similar heights as a batsman, and other team mates hauled Tendulkar on their shoulders for a victory lap.

“Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him,” Kohli famously said, summing up a grateful nation’s sentiments for their favourite son.

Anderson and Broad hungry for one last Ashes series Down Under ENGLAND seamers Stuart Broad and James Anderson are determined to feature in one last Ashes series in Australia.

Anderson will turn 38 in July, while Broad is a couple of months away from his 34th birthday.

The new-ball duo are hungry to head Down Under for the 2021-22 Ashes series before considering retirement, with England having failed to regain the urn when they drew 2-2 on home soil last year.

Speaking in an Instagram Live Q&A, Broad said to Anderson: “I don’t think I could go until your age. Your action’s so smooth, it looks a lot calmer on your body whereas mine is a little more forceful through my body, I think.

“I’d never want to get to that place where I’m bowling against a 19-year-old and they’re going, ‘I thought someone said he used to be a good bowler’. I’d hate that. I’d prefer to go that little bit earlier than that little bit later.

“But I’m loving the environment at the minute. I

love playing for England.

Chris Silverwood coming in as coach is great for me because I really liked him as a bowling coach, and he helped change my action.

“I still have huge motivation to keep playing and you just assess that year by year. And we’ve got that carrot dangling over us of Australia in Australia which looks like an achievable carrot to grab.”

Anderson stated on his future: “The big thing is standards. If your standards feel like they’re dropping, then yeah, you might consider finishing.

“But as long as my standards stay high, my fitness levels stay good and my skills stay where I want them to be and my speed stays pretty good, which they have been, [I will carry on playing].

“We’ve got an exciting team and a few young guys who are just starting out on their journey. We’ve got some more established guys and we’ve got two guys who have been around a long time.”(Omnisport)

West Indies led by Darren Sammy won the 2016 World Twenty20 in India (AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu SARKAR)

CWI working ‘overtime’ to fix ‘cash crunch’ delays- Johnny Grave IN the middle of a global lockdown, international and domestic West Indies players are facing another challenge with Cricket West Indies (CWI) not paying their match fees since January this year that would under normal circumstances have been due for payment at the end of February 2020.

The main reason for the delay in payments has been understood to be a severe cash crunch CWI has been facing which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Johnny Grave, the Chief Executive Officer for Cricket West Indies, made an appearance on NCN’s Sports on Tuesday, and offered an explanation, but not a resolution, to their ‘financial crunch’.

Grave noted that while COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the game in the Caribbean, causing delays in match fees and with a number of players having their life-changing amounts of money from their IPL contracts now at risk,.

“We’re talking to regional banks to extend our

line of credit, obviously we’re talking to sponsors about whether they can make part payments, if not full payments and we’re also proactively talking to our players, staff and match officials; a number of retained umpires and we’ve assured everyone that we’ll let them know as soon as we’re in a position to make payments and give them as much warning as we possibly can.”

Grave said more than 80% of the CWI’s income comes from the International Cricket Council and Television rights, with the “vast majority of that money coming from the Indian market and the UK and then 20% comes from sponsorship and the Caribbean Premier League.”

“Unfortunately, we’re in this position where our seven-year broadcast deal that we’ve had Sony Ten Sports, which is out of India, has come to an end; we’re in the midst of all the media negotiations which has been going on for about six months now.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Cricket chiefs still planning for T20 World Cup in 2020 despite virus See story on page 20

Johnny Grave CWI chief executive

Diamond League postpones Eugene and Paris events PAGE 20

The men’s 110m hurdle during the IAAF Diamond League 2019 in Brussels, Belgium, September 6, 2019. /VCG

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… announces Oslo meet as ‘alternative competition’ FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020