Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_09_05_2020

SATURDAY 9th May, 2020

' No.105994

PPP/C scrambles to alter SOP site …as recount exposes discrepancies

Several ECD villages listed as COVID-19 hotspots

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…confirmed cases climb to 94

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Palms records

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second COVID-19 case

‘More ballots than voters’ SEE PAGE 03

…Ballot boxes found with more votes than marked electors …GECOM to decide on way forward; coalition says let’s get to the bottom of it

$4.4M in foodstuff sent to Guyanese students in Cuba

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Care packages for Guyanese students in Cuba being loaded onto the Caribbean Airlines aircarft (DPI)

…PPP/C and aligned Commissioner dismiss it as immaterial

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Several East Coast villages listed as COVID-19 ‘hotspots’ …among them Atlantic Gardens, Lusignan, Providence, Plaisance …confirmed cases climb to 94

By Navendra Seoraj AFTER going two days without recording a new case of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), local health authorities have recorded one new case in the past 24 hours, taking the total of confirmed cases to 94.

There has been a consistent increase in the number of cases over the past month, but there has been some signs of positivity, including the fact that 49 persons were tested in the past 24 hours, but only one person tested positive.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud said health authorities have so far tested 785 persons, 692 of whom were negative. Of the positive cases, some 35 persons have recovered and were medically cleared by health authorities.

A breakdown of the remaining confirmed cases show that 5.4 per cent are children, 82 per cent are adults and

12.6 per cent are elderly.

The fact also remains that Guyana has lost 10 precious lives to the deadly COVID-19 disease, and three persons are battling for their lives in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Additionally, 49 persons remain in isolation, and three in quarantine.

“To date, our COVID-19 ICU has had 26 patients with seven deaths being registered. And, 13 persons have been transferred, and three have recovered,” said Dr. Persaud in an update on Friday.

KNOWN HOTSPOTS As the battle against COVID-19 continues, Dr. Persaud reminded persons that Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) remains the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities, outside of Georgetown, which have recorded cases.

Among communities on

tal to 114,715, and another 600 deaths bringing the total number to 7,921.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud

the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) where cases were recorded are: Atlantic Gardens; Friendship; Golden Grove; Good Hope; Lusignan; Plaisance; and Strathsphey.

Among communities on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) where there were cases are: Diamond; Grove; Land of Canaan; Providence; and Timehri.

Just recently, in an effort to improve the response to the pandemic, the Public Health Ministry had launched its mobile unit at the East La Penitence Health Centre, as well as at the community COVID-19 facilities of Region Four at Herstelling, on the EBD, and at Paradise, on

the ECD. Globally, there are over 3.6 million cases of COVID-19, with over 254,000 deaths. And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive 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.

Right in neighbouring Brazil, the number of cases is escalating. And, according to Dr. Persaud, Brazil has confirmed another 6,925 new cases, bringing the to-

BORDER VIGILANCE “Fellow Guyanese, maintaining vigilance at our bordering regions with Brazil is crucial to us keeping our number of cases under control,” said the CMO. He appealed to residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), who continue to traverse the border, to desist from this practice, and adhere to the control measures implemented for the protection and safety of not just them, but all Guyanese.

Dr. Persaud said the Ministry of Public Health continues to work with the residents in the bordering communities to contain the spread of the Coronavirus Disease.

Additionally, 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. These measures have been extended to June 3, 2020.

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, 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.”

108 ballot boxes counted …as GECOM sees improvements in recount process

By Svetlana Marshall AS of Friday, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) managed to count votes contained in 108 ballots boxes drawn from Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) as it sees improvements in the National Recount Process.

On the first day of the National Recount of the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections, only 25 ballot boxes were counted due to a number of teething problems, but as the issues are addressed, the number of boxes are increasing. On the second day of the recount, 40 ballot boxes were processed

GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward

while on Friday – Day 3 – 43 ballot boxes were counted.

“So far for Day 3 of the recount exercise we would have counted 43 boxes; we

Elections Commissioner Desmond Trotman

had 10 for Region One, another 10 for Region Two, 11 for Region Three and 12 for Region 4. So in total we have just about 108 boxes complet-

ed overall,” GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward disclosed at the close of operations at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre where the recount is taking place.

There are a total of 2,339 ballot boxes, and with 108 completed, it therefore means that 2,232 ballot boxes remain to be counted.

On Thursday, the Elections Commission at a meeting at the Conference Centre took a decision to tabulate the Statements of Recount (SORs) as they are submitted to the Tabulation Centre. In making that decision, the Commission had said that the tabulation will be conducted on a daily basis from 17:00hrs to 18:30hrs, TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

‘More ballots than voters’

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…GECOM to decide on way forward; APNU+AFC says let’s get to the bottom of it …PPP/C and aligned Commissioner dismiss it as immaterial

By Svetlana Marshall THREE days into the National Recount, a ballot box was discovered with more ballots than electors marked as voted on the Official List of Electors – an anomaly which has been brought to the attention of the Guyana Elections Commission.

“There was one instance where the number of ballots in the box is greater than the number of names crossed off on the voters’ list,” Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, explained on Friday, while making the disclosure.

Though he did not disclose the name of the village from which the ballot box came, the Elections Commissioner pointed out that the excess ballots amounted to approximately 20 and were included in what was described in the documents as the total number of votes cast.

Under the Electoral Laws of the country, the Presiding Officer at a Polling Station is required to cross off the names of eligible electors who would have voted on E-Day. “It is interesting that the Presiding Officer would fail to mark off 20 plus names; that’s rather interesting,” the Elections Commissioner said, in response to a question posed on whether it was possible for the Presiding Officer to simply have failed to mark off the names of the electors who voted. He said, too, that there was another case in relation to Affidavits “There was instance today again where the number of people who voted by Affidavit exceeded the number of Affidavits in that Polling Station; in other words there were people who did not vote with ID cards and they were required to sign Affidavits. [However] the number of such people recorded as having voted exceeds the actual Affidavits recorded,” the

Elections Commissioner further disclosed Alexander said the discovery of the excess ballots, and the issue of missing Affidavits were issues of active discussion when the Elections Commission, chaired by Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, met on Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) where the National Recount of all votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections

Elections Commissioner, Vincent Alexander

is unfolding.

“What we have decided is that matters of that sort, the count will be completed but we will no longer include those boxes in the tabulation until such time that the Commission has adjudicated on these boxes.

They will be held in abeyance pending the Commission’s adjudication,” Alexander explained. It is however unclear when the Commission will adjudicate on the issue. The Commissioner indicated that the Commission has committed to treat with such issues as matters of urgency. Ahead of that decision, Alexander noted that, in keeping with the policy of the Commission, an individual can be blacklisted by GECOM if found to have compromised the electoral process. He said that GECOM will not entertain persons who are either incompetent or involved in wrong doing. “This is about building a

credible machinery for credible elections,” Alexander said.

EXAMINING DOCUMENTS The Elections Commissioner had cited the anomaly while

contended that the discrepancies are immaterial and would not affect the outcome of the recount. “If a Presiding Officer deliberately did not mark off that list, how does that affect the number of votes? Every-

APNU+AFC Candidate, Ganesh Mahipaul

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali

underscoring the importance of examining the documents in the ballot box, including the List of Electors, before the actual ballots are recounted. The documents being reviewed in accordance with the Checklist include the number of electors struck off as voted – marked on the List of Electors; the number of ballots added through Intermix of Disciplined Forces and Non-Residents; the number of electors who voted by use of Certificates of Employment and the Number of ballot counterfoils (ascertains used ballots).

body was in that station; and as I said this is a recount, this is a secondary layer; a count was already done at an appropriate time,” Gunraj said as he became heated upon being pressed for answers.

Iterating that it is merely a numerical recount, Gunraj said Section 89 of the Representation of the People Act does not provide for the examination of documents during a recount, and as such GECOM should proceed to count the ballots without delay. However, Alexander has repeatedly indicated that the National Recount is not covered under Section 89 of the Representation of the People Act. In fact, the Order, which legally triggered recount, makes no reference to Section 89 of the Representation of People Act but rather Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act. Like Gunraj, the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Irfaan Ali, dismissed

INCONSEQUENTIAL But Elections Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, in a separate interview, told reporters that the anomalies discovered are inconsequential to the recount.

“The issue is, what we are doing at the end of the day is a recount of the votes,” Gunraj said while noting that if there are anomalies they ought to be included in the observation report as the system provides for.

Unlike Alexander, Gunraj

108 ballot boxes .... and in accordance with the Order, the SORs will be tabulated upon the completion of an entire Electoral District. However, on Thursday it indicated that the tabulations hours are likely to be extended. A decision is expected today.

When asked what sparked the Commission’s decision to tabulate the SORs daily, Ward reminded that the Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh was approached by a political party, asking “From the Order the plan was never to have an ongoing tabulation exercise daily, the order did

say that tabulation would be done at the end of every region but of course based on some objections and suggestions by stakeholders, when the Commission met they decided that it would be useful to have the process commence earlier, so as to do a daily tabulation,” Ward explained.

She noted that though the tabulation process commenced a bit late, significant progress was made in tabulating the votes stated on the SORs. “But at the end of day’s tabulation exercise for the General Elections, they were able to process 74 [Statements of Recount] out of that 108 boxes

that are completed, and 63 boxes for the Regional Elections,” the GECOM PRO said while noting that the tabulation process is on stream. Each SOR is accompanied by an Observation Report.

GECOM has set aside a period of 25 days to conduct the recount, however, this period according to the Gazetted Order is subject to review. According to Ward, the Commission will meet next week and deliberate on the duration.

This was confirmed by Elections Commissioner Desmond Trotman.

“Certainly I believe before the week is out or by the time the end of the week comes around some

reports of discrepancies, in addition to the decision of GECOM to examine documents in accordance with the Checklist provided for in the Order.

“There are explanations for all of these things. At the end of the day this is a recount of the ballots that were cast, in some of the ballot boxes you had the mixing of the Disciplinary Service Votes; you have votes by certificates of employment, so

Elections Commissioner, Sase Gunraj

the ballots are there, the ballots are reconciling. So it is the ballots that matter at the end of the day,” Ali told reporters. He said the PPP/C sees no difficulty. In fact, the PPP/C, weeks ahead of the recount vehemently objected to the documents being scrutinized.

“An elections staff may not have ticked all the names; the presiding officer may not have ticked all of the names, that is immaterial to the ballots; at the end of the day it is the ballots,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate maintained.

But A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Candidate, Ganesh Manipaul, whose workstations unearthed a number of discrepancies on Thursday, underscored the importance of scrutinising the documents as provided for in the Order gazetted by GECOM on Monday.

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He said in the station, which was assigned to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), there was a ballot box with 11 oaths of identities that were unsigned. “An oath of identity is taken when you do not have your Identification Card and it means that you have to present yourself to the Presiding Officer, take the Oath of Identity and sign confirming that that is who you are before you proceed to vote,” Mahipaul explained while noting that there eight (8) signed Oaths of Identity.

The APNU+AFC Candidate said the discrepancies present a very worrying situation.

He said given the anomalies, it is important to scrutinise the documents, as he hinted at the possibility of the electoral process being compromised at some stage.

“We are clearly seeing who was afraid of the recount, when you actually go into these ballot boxes and you find these discrepancies. I guess the truth is now coming out,” Ganesh said.

GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, said the Order and the Work Plan were clear. “They do focus on other contents in the box because for every recount you have to go to the other envelopes that would focus on spoilt and rejected ballots, because you can very well have a situation where a ballot has become rejected or has become valid, so it is important not to focus on what is deemed a valid vote in the box and not go to the other contents in the envelopes to scrutinise because you may very well have a situation where a ballot, which has been deemed rejected becomes valid,” Ward explained.

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reviews will take place,” Trotman told reporters. The Elections Commissioner noted that the process of recounting the ballot is improving.

“I thought that the process today went fairly well. There have been an increase in the number of boxes that are being processed….

Even though there have been some glitches, I do believe that everything have gone fairly well,” he posited.

Representatives of the various political parties indicated that though the process remains relatively slow but said many of the teething problems experienced on the first two days have

been addressed allowing for a smooth process. The National Recount is being observed by the parties that contested the General and Regional Elections in addition to local and international observers including the Organisation for American States (OAS), the Canadian High Commission, the CARICOM Scrutinizing Team, the Private Sector Commission and CUFFY 250 among others. Notably, there are strict security and COVID-19 measures in place.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

U.S. tightens visa rules for Chinese journalists amid coronavirus tensions WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States issued a new rule on Friday tightening visa guidelines for Chinese journalists, saying it was in response to the treatment of U.S. journalists in China, a shift that comes amid tensions between the two nations over the coronavirus global pandemic.

The United States and China have been engaged in a series of retaliatory actions involving journalists in recent

months.

In March, China expelled American journalists from three U.S. newspapers, a month after the United States said it would begin to treat five Chinese state-run media entities with U.S. operations the same as foreign embassies.

One day after the U.S. verdict on the state-run entities, Beijing expelled three Wall Street Journal correspondents, two Americans and an Australian, following the publication of

an opinion column that China denounced as racist.

In issuing the new regulation on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security cited what it called China’s “suppression of independent journalism.”

The regulation, which will take effect on Monday, will limit visas for Chinese reporters to a 90-day period, with the option for extension. Such visas are typically open-ended and do not need to be extended

unless the employee moves to a different company or medium.

A senior DHS official, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter, said the new rules would allow the department to review Chinese journalist visa applications more frequently and would likely reduce the overall number of Chinese journalists in the United States. “It’s going to create greater national security protections,” the official

said.

The new rules will not apply to journalists with passports from Hong Kong or Macau, China’s two semi-autonomous territories, according to DHS. Tensions between the United States and China have increased in recent months as the novel coronavirus has swept across the globe, killing more than 269,000 people worldwide to date, according to a Reuters tally. President Donald

Trump said in late April that he was confident the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab, but declined to describe the evidence, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing over the origins of the deadly outbreak. The Chinese statebacked Wuhan Institute of Virology has dismissed the allegations. Most experts believe the virus originated in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan.

Biggest threat to Brazil coronavirus response?

President Bolsonaro, says The Lancet

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The biggest threat to Brazil’s ability to successfully combat the spread of the coronavirus and tackle the unfolding public health crisis is the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, according to British medical journal The Lancet.

In an editorial, the Lancet said his disregard for and flouting of lockdown measures is sowing confusion across Brazil, which reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths on Friday, and is fast emerging as one of the world’s coronavirus hot spots. Brazil’s Health

Saturday, May 09, 05:30hrs - 07:00 hrs

Ministry on Friday registered 10,222 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 751 related deaths. That brought the total of confirmed cases in Brazil to 145,328 and deaths to 9,897, the most deadly outbreak in an emerging market nation.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is becoming increasingly hamstrung by political crisis following his recent sacking of popular Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta and the resignation of Justice Minister Sergio Moro, The Lancet said.

“The challenge is ultimately political, requiring continuous engagement by Brazilian society as a whole. Brazil as a country must come together to give a clear answer to the ‘So what?’ by its President.

He needs to drastically change course or must be the next to go,” the editorial said.

In response to a journalist’s question last week about the record number of deaths from coronavirus, Bolsonaro said “So what? I’m sorry, but what do you want me to do?” Bolsonaro’s press office declined to comment on the Lancet editorial. On Friday, the president said he planned to have 30 friends over to the presidential palace for a barbecue. Later in the day, he joked that he may extend the invitation to thousands more, including political supporters and members of the press.

A report by Imperial College London published on Friday showed that “the epidemic

is not yet controlled and will continue to grow” in Brazil, in stark contrast to parts of Europe and Asia, where enforced lockdowns have had success.

“While the Brazilian epidemic is still relatively nascent on a national scale, our results suggest that further action is needed to limit spread and prevent health system overload,” the Imperial College report said.

In its editorial, The Lancet noted challenges Brazil faces. About 13 million Brazilians live in shanty town ‘favelas,’ where hygiene recommendations and physical distancing are near impossible to follow. The country’s indigenous population was

also under “severe threat” even before the COVID-19 outbreak due to the government turning a blind eye to or even encouraging illegal mining and logging in the Amazon rainforest. “These loggers and miners now risk bringing COVID-19 to remote populations,” it said.

Most of Brazil’s 27 state and district governments are taking the threat of the virus more seriously than Bolsonaro. On Friday, the government of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, extended mandatory quarantine orders through to May 31. They had been schedule to expire on May 11.

Three nurses murdered in Mexico as coronavirus reaches peak transmission

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Three nurses, all sisters, were found dead with signs of strangulation in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, officials said on Friday, an apparent triple murder that follows a series of assaults on health workers in the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials said they were investigating a crime but that the motive was not clear. Health workers have faced increased aggression in Mexico in recent weeks over fears of contagion. Javier Guerrero, a top official for Mexico’s main public health service IMSS in Coahuila, described the deaths of the three nurses as murders.

They “happened at a moment when our health workers are the most important element to face the health crisis.”

Coahuila State Attorney General Gerardo Marquez said two or three criminals might have been involved but

no arrests have been made.

It was not immediately clear when the sisters died. “Until now there is no evidence that suggests this was because of their jobs in the health sector,” he said. “It’s very regrettable for society - and I reiterate the state’s commitment to find those who are guilty and bring them to justice.” Mexico’s health ministry calculates transmission of the virus to peak this week in Latin America’s second largest economy. On Thursday, Mexico reported 1,982 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 257 additional fatalities, the most lethal day since the pandemic reached Mexico. The new figures bring the total number of confirmed cases to 29,616 and 2,961 deaths.

However, the government has said the real number of infections is significantly higher and that deaths are also undercounted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Venezuela: Trump denies role in bungled incursion (BBC) President Donald Trump has rebuffed suggestions the US was behind what appears to have been a bungled incursion into Venezuela to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.

"If I wanted to go into Venezuela I wouldn't make a secret about it," he told Fox News.

Venezuela foiled what it said was a US-backed invasion attempt last weekend.

The US backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó and recognises him as the country's legitimate leader.

What was the incursion plan?

According to Venezuela, a group of "terrorist mercenaries" landed by boat in the town of Macuto on Sunday.

Thirteen people, including two Americans, were arrested. Eight armed men were killed.

The Americans seized were Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41. They appeared in videos shown on state TV on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Denman, a former special operations forces member, appears to confess to "helping Venezuelans take back control of their country".

He explains that he was hired to train Venezuelans in Colombia before returning to Caracas and taking control of an airport to allow Mr

Maduro to be taken out of the country.

Mr Berry talks of taking specific targets, such as the intelligence service.

and the Venezuelan opposition worth $213m (£170m) to invade Venezuela and overthrow President Maduro.

On Monday, Mr Guaidó

Mr Trump, while again denying involvement, was clear that he would have done things differently.

"I'd go in and they would

Venezuela displayed what it said was equipment seized during the incursion

Mr Denman said he and Mr Berry were contracted by a Florida-based security company, Silvercorp USA, to carry out the operation.

The firm is headed by Jordan Goudreau, an American military veteran who has openly admitted involvement in the operation.

The Washington Post on Thursday published a document which it says is a contract between Silvercorp

denied having anything to do with Mr Goudreau. In a statement, he said he had "no relationship nor responsibility for any actions" taken by the US war veteran.

What has been the US response?

After the video of Mr Denman was broadcast, Mr Maduro said in a news conference: "Donald Trump is the direct chief of this invasion."

do nothing about it," he said.

"They would roll over. I wouldn't send a small, little group. No, no, no. It would be called an army. It would be called an invasion."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also denied US backing, but his use of the word "direct" has been seized on by some commentators.

"There was no US government direct involvement in this operation," he said on

JDF Promises 'Strong' Action Against Abusive Soldiers (JAMAICA GLEANER) The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is promising "strong" action against soldiers found guilty of instructing violators of the national nightly COVID-19 curfew to engage in “corrective measures”.

News of the allegations came in an army statement in which the JDF said it was also investigating the case in which a group of soldiers allegedly attacked a schoolboy in Majesty Gardens, St Andrew on April 26 resulting in the teen hospitalised with a broken right leg.

The JDF says it has “consistently asserted the unequivocal unacceptability of members of the force misusing their authority by subjecting any member of the population to any form of abuse.”

“We commit to ensuring that strong corrective mea-

Wednesday, while vowing to use "every tool" to get the Americans back.

Following the airing of the videos, a State Depart-

Members of the Jamaica Defence Force

sures are applied in any case where soldiers are found to perpetrate, facilitate, allow or fail to report acts of abuse,” it added.

The JDF’s interaction with citizens came under the microscope with the April incident in which a footballer was reportedly stopped by soldiers on his way to get dinner for his grandmother.

Relatives alleged that shortly after being stopped, the boy was chased by the soldiers, one of whom allegedly kicked him, breaking his leg.

He was hospitalised for several days.

The timing of the incident is not clear although the Independent Commission of Investigation, which is probing

the matter, said it “occurred in the late afternoon to evening of Sunday.”

Jamaica is currently under a curfew that runs from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily.

Multiple videos have emerged showing the wailing boy on the ground surrounded by soldiers with their weapons.

ment spokesman said the Maduro government was conducting "a major disinformation campaign" which made it "difficult to separate facts from propaganda".

Relations between the US and Venezuela are tense, and the US issued an indictment against Mr Maduro and other government figures in March on charges of "narco-terrorism".

Who is Jordan Goudreau?

A Canadian-born former Green Beret who received a number of bravery awards, he served 15 years in the US Army, first in the infantry as a mortar specialist, and later as a special forces medical sergeant, the Washington Post says.

He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan twice between 2006 and 2014, army officials quoted by the Post say. Silvercorp USA was established in Florida in 2018.

The firm advertises a variety of services, including assisting victims of kidnapping and extortion. It claims to have "led international security teams" for the president of the US. Silvercorp's website advertises operations in more than 50 countries, with an advisory team made up of "former diplomats, former heads of security for multinational corporations, and the most experienced and viable military, law enforcement and intelligence professionals in the industry today", without naming them.

However, the Associated Press reports that chunks of the website's wording appear to have been plagiarised from sites such as the Department of Homeland Security and a PR company specialising in security issues.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

The silent– violence war at home against children As we enter our second month of the curfew and continue to adhere to the other precautionary measures introduced by the government to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus – COVID-19, we are being reminded by the stark rise in domestic violence cases that violence within our homes remains an urgent healthcare issue.

Not only for woman, who are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence but for children and young people who also experience high levels of violence in our society.

In a recent study by Ruth Rodney and Sireesha J. Bobbili entitled “Women’s Health and Life experience; a Qualitative Research Report on Violence Against Women in Guyana”, the impact of domestic violence on children is examined. The research shows there is an increased risk of children perpetrating or being a victim of violence if they are exposed to violence within a familial home, this according to data from PAHO and the CDC. Children acting out what they have seen in their parental home in their future relationships may continue a cycle of acceptance or perpetration of abuse.

In the study, domestic violence Survivors spoke about children who had wit-

nessed their abuse. In some instances, when children were of an age to intervene, they had attempted to stop their father or mother’s partner from inflicting physical abuse.

Furthermore, children who had witnessed abuse were socialized to see violence as normal.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 billion children between the ages of 2-17 years will have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect in the past year. According to the WHO, there are six main types of interpersonal violence that occur at different stages of a child’s development. They range from maltreatment which entails violent punishment and included physical, sexual and psychological/emotional violence by parents, caregivers and other authority figures. The second is bullying which is self-explanatory. The third type of interpersonal violence is youth violence which is most prevalent among those between the ages of 10-29 years old.

This sort of violence usually occurs most commonly within the community setting between acquaintances and strangers and usually including bullying and physical assault with and without weapons such as guns and knives.

Like domestic violence victims, children too are also influenced and affected by intimate partner violence, which is the fourth type of violence children are likely to experience, according to the WHO. Intimate partner violence involves physical, sexual and emotional violence by an intimate partner or ex-partner. Intimate partner violence disproportionately affects females and commonly occurs against girls in child marriages and early/forced marriages. The fifth form of violence against children is sexual violence which includes non-consensual completed or attempted sexual contact and acts of a sexual nature not involving contact. Finally, we have emotional and psychological violence which includes restricting a child’s movement, denigration, ridicule, threats, intimidation and other forms of non-physical hostile treatment.

The effects of violence against children are numerous, complex and traumatized children often become problematic adults.

According to the WHO, homicide is amongst the top three causes of death for adolescents, with boys comprising over 80% of victims and perpetrators. Another common effect of violence against children is severe physical injuries and impaired brain and nervous system development which usually occurs when the violence

was experienced at a young age. Where children and young people are unable to cope with violence perpetrated against them, they often turn to self-medication in the form of drug and alcohol misuse.

What we now know is that children who are exposed to violence and other adversities are more likely to drop our of school, have difficulty finding and keeping jobs and most disturbingly are at heightened risk of later victimization and/or perpetration of interpersonal and self-directed violence.

As families the world over continue to adapt to the new way of living since the emergence of COVID-19, the escalating levels of violence occurring within the home setting must be adequately addressed as a major healthcare concern. The effects of violence against children not only affects families and communities but the entire nation and world.

We are increasingly being made aware that the ‘adultification’ of our children forces them to take on societal roles for which they are unequipped to handle physically, emotionally and financially.

And as we advance through testing times, we must be reminded of the need to protect our children and young people who are amongst the most vulnerable in our society.

In the current tumult I am seeing signs of positive change Dear Editor, I must confess I was very gratified to see the number of young people who were lining up early yesterday to spend 11 hours in (relatively) close confinement doing their civic duty in this time of viral political and covid19 contagion.

The face masks seem especially appropriate at this time because they provided prophylactic protection for both diseases. At the same time the multi-colored/fabric face-coverings as well as the social distancing also seem appropriate in this struggle

for freedom of expression and for free and fair election results.

I am not entirely surprised by this display of fervor. My recent readings and reflections on Guyana’s elections dilemma have exposed me to an underlying political current which was being followed by the Latin American Public Opinion Project ( LAPOP, www.lapopsurveys. org). They had conducted six rigorous and comprehensive surveys of Guyanese (in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) as part of their study of the Political Culture of Democracy in

the Americas. The statistical accuracies of their polls were no less than +or- 2.5% across 25 Caribbean and North, Central, and South American countries. The initial (2006) survey was conducted and reported by UG’s Institute of Development Studies and was used to arrive at a number of conclusions concerning democratic attitudes, values and behaviours of Guyanese.

The second (2009) study was expanded to provide greater representation of Guyana’s 10 regions and another full report was prepared.

Since then, beyond two brief power presentations in 2014

and 2016, there has been no known effort to complete full reports or to track changes in opinion over time. The data for all the studies as well as the reports and presentations are available, for free, on the LAPOP website. Guyana was not in the 2018 round of surveys and may no longer be part of the project.

There is a surfeit of information in the first two reports. I extracted the following data during my attempt to understand Guyanese’ ideas about democracy, elections, political representation, and governance. This much I learned:

1. The majority (52.2%) identified democracy as a process or a certain set of values which encompassed freedom of expression and free and fair elections. However, for more than a third (34.3%) felt democracy had no meaning. The others felt democracy was either a bad idea or should be assessed based on economic outcomes.

2. Only about one in eight (12.2%) identified with a political party in 2009, a decrease from the one in five (19.4%) in 2006. This was a significantly lower level of party identification than every other country in the LAPOP;

3. There were 70% of the respondents who said they voted in 2006 (about average for LAPOP countries).

Of note, regional turnouts were statistically the same (with the exception of the difference between region 5&6 being more likely to vote than in region 4); ethnic voter turnouts were statistically the same (except for Amerindians who were less likely than Indo-Guyanese to vote); and while more females voted than males and more elders voted than younger See page 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

In the current tumult ...

From page 6 voters, there were no statistical differences by wealth, education and location.

4. When asked why they did not vote, one in three (35.4%) non-voters said they had no interest in voting for any of the candidates; one in four (24.3%) said they had no ID card or were not listed; and one in five (20%) said they were either sick or not interested in voting.

5. When asked why they voted the way they did, three in every ten voter (29.2%) gave a party as the reason for their vote; the rest were evenly split between the 35.5% who voted for the qualities of a candidate and the 35.2% who voted for the platform of a candidate.

6. The PPP voters were significantly more Indo-Guyanese, rural and those who identified with the ethnicity of their parents and/or perceived the nation’s economic situation to be improving, but less likely to be Amerindian or those concerned about their personal economic situation.

7. The PNC voters were significantly positively correlated with older voters, Afro-Guyanese and those who were optimistic about the nation’s economic future.

8. The only distinguishing factor among AFC voters was they were more likely to have some level of tertiary education 9. Cross-tabulation of ethnicity and party voting revealed that two in three (68.7%) of the respondents who voted for the PPP were Indo-Guyanese; seven in ten (71.5%) of PNC voters were Afro-Guyanese, and two in five (39.6%) Mixed and one in three (31.5) Amerindians were the bulk of the AFC voters. Mixed voters made up a greater proportion of PNC (two in ten or 22.7%) voters than PPP (one in ten or 11.3%) voters while Amerindians made up a greater proportion of PPP (one in six or 16.3%) voters than PNC (one in 25 or 4.0%) voters.

10. The calm of 2006 election seem to have inspired greater voter interest.

In 2009, eight out of ten (81.6%) of respondents had already registered for the 2011 election which was very high for LAPOP countries. Mixed and Amerindians were significantly less likely to have registered than Indo-Guyanese and the wealthier and urban respondents

were more likely to have registered, As they say, long story short: the majority of Guyanese care about their democracy and relatively (compared to LAPOP countries) large numbers voted for, despite their relatively low affinity with the political parties.

The data indicate there those few (one in three) who vote along party lines but the vast majority have other reasons for which they would have preferred to vote. That the two major ethnicities voted overwhelmingly for the major party of their ethnicity may have more to do with electoral and constitutional constraints (identified by those calling for electoral reform). In fact, the turnout for the AFC indicates that the two fastest growing ethnic groups are among those seeking representation beyond the long dominant ethnic parties.

This current outpouring of interest in the election process as well the results is a reflection of a majority view that democracy is important and free and fair elections are its most important protections. The strident young voices I am hearing are echoing Guyanese growing concerns (LAPOP has 10-year trend data on) about: personal and national security, individual and national economy, public corruption, support for the political system and democracy, political tolerance, and trust in public institutions. Two alarming trends: 1) significant decline in public trust especially the police (lowest in LAPOP countries), political parties, judiciary and election institutions; and 2) one in five citizens who prefer authoritarian rule instead of a democracy.

In the current tumult I am seeing signs of positive change. I liken this to the Arab Spring, but with a Guyanese flavour. The young people are coming forward as never before; they had launched 17 parties, nine of whom contested the elections, and they are staying the course of this long, exhausting, and frankly unhealthy path to protecting free and fair elections.

I commend their effort and hope they inspire others: young and old, hot and cold, sweet and sour, frowsy and fresh to join them in forging a Guyana we can all be proud of.

Regards Rory Fraser

Return civility to the public sphere Dear Editor, FOR almost 20 years I have been a teacher at the Secondary Level with unbroken services and a Part-Time Lecturer at Cyril Potter College of Education, Vreed-en-Hoop Centre over a decade.

Being in such employ has afforded me the opportunity and experience to teach, motivate, inspire and love children and teachers of all walks of life.

During my Primary and Secondary years at Wales Primary, St. Agnes Primary and President’s College respectively, my teachers have done the same as I am doing for my learners.

The qualities from which I have benefitted are invaluable, yes priceless. I wish to publicly thank all my teachers.

As I journeyed on to my University years, I realized the value of the non-academic lessons that I benefited from in my younger years have definitely helped to shape and fashion me into a selfless person I have become.

Mr. Editor many of those lessons were taught through the Hidden Curriculum. While at Cyril Potter College of Education as a trainee teacher, I was taught the importance of embracing both the curricular and co-curricular activities. Emphasis was placed on being good role models for students whether in the classroom or out of it.

These opportunities, at the least were and are available to every person who attend schools in Guyana. Sadly, these core values taught in our earlier years seem to be taken for granted or ignored by some prominent individuals in our country, therefore they seem not to care that their reactions to situations and circumstances are affecting others and especially our children who are observing and absorbing.

Disrespect As teachers and parents we try our utmost to teach our children respect.

Respect for self, others and to obey rules. Sadly, our efforts are being challenged by persons who are identified as leaders in our country. I deliberately zoomed into the disrespect for laws of Guyana during the March 2, elections period.

Leading up to March 2, election campaigns, the contents were laced with disrespectful slangs by both presenters and crowd. Polling day Staff, Deputy Returning Officers, Returning Officers and other GECOM staff took

oaths, which bound them to obey the laws set out in the constitution of our land. Yet some colluded with political parties to give them an unfair advantage by allegedly attempting to manipulate the process. DISRESPECT!!!!!

In addition, on election day, party members were allegedly issuing ID cards to their supporters for persons who either died or did not reside in Guyana. Some persons were allegedly given the names and serial numbers of persons on the voters list who chose not to vote or are unable to vote for unknown reasons.

Whether the polling day staff was vigilant or not, an attempt to vote for others if unauthorized to do so, is not only dishonest but a blatant disrespect for the laws. In some cases, it has been alleged that unauthorised individuals attempted to remove ballot boxes.

DIRESPECT!!!!!

After March 2, there were seemingly deliberate attempts to disrupt the smooth flow of tabulating, verifying and declaring of election results. “While Nero fiddled, Rome burnt” the whole country was waiting, children, parents, grandparents, people with health issues, the intellectuals, the elites, the impoverished and the rest of the world, while the brilliant minds in the judicial system played their games of chess. They played every move, the country was tense, in the meantime social media was set on fire of racism and hatred and blatant disrespect for leaders.

Persons even made comments about killing the president, poisoning the greens to kill ‘black’ people, children were hurt in the process, while the game of chess continued. DISRESPECT!!!!!!

Observers who were expected to be people of integrity, blatantly showed their affiliation with political parties, while the oaths they took prohibit such. DISRESPECT!!!!!!

Even after Region 4 votes were counted and recounted, the declaration of the results was blocked, as the game of chess became more intense.

We are now awaiting the declaration of results which may take another 25 -30 days simply because of judicial flirts who wish to demonstrate their brilliance or lack thereof while the world is being entertained. One of the more recent disrespect is where the returning Officer of Region 1 re-

fused to turn in the polling books to his employer. More disrespect will be unearthed. DISRESPECT!!!!!

When adults flout the laws of the country, how do we expect our children to follow them? Why should we expect them to follow them? Why should we be upset if they don’t follow them? In the above mentioned concerns, all the participants were adults.

Persons who were nurtured, bred and educated in this system. There is no part in any curriculum which teaches persons to be disrespectful to the laws of the land. NO, NOT ONE PART. We teach disrespect not only by what we say but through our actions also. When we choose to get on the radio, television and any other medium of public communication and disseminate greed, selfishness, hate, racism and prejudice from a status of great influence, we teach a nation, even a world to be disrespectful.

The pandemic period which creeped upon us, simply because we were distracted by Guyana’s chess games, will be around longer than we expect. WHY? Because we have consumed ourselves in a mode of disrespect. Simple sanitization rules and social distancing instructions we have a difficulty obeying and respecting. This blatant disregard and disobedience have already begun to rob our country of its human resources.

The disturbing thing is that innocent persons may die or either become ill due to the virus because of individuals who have become accustomed to flouting rules.

However, it is not too late for Guyana to make a paradigm shift. I call on all concerned to deliberately make the effort to reshape our way of thinking, be selfless, teach the children to be respectful, tolerant, caring and honest.

Teach them the positive values of life.

If everyone becomes respectful, there will be a smooth flow of everything.

In conclusion, God is watching us.

When we disrespect others, we automatically disrespect God. When we disrespect the orphans and the widows or lead people into suffering, there is a consequence; a consequence which no human can reverse.

I implore you to be respectful.

Best Regards, Raelene Cadogan

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Massiah would forever be remembered for his contributions to the Teemal case Dear Editor, In its publication on May 4, 2020 the Stabroek News carried a story under the Caption “Teemal Judgment seen as key part of Massiah’s legacy”.

This statement can be classified as a truism and from a layman’s vantage point, I would not hesitate to endorse that submission.

That judgment was designed to change the contour of industrial relations in our Republic but as the events have turned out, very little seemed to have been learnt from the three legal luminaries- R.H Luckhoo, Fung-A-Fatt and Massiah- who determined the outcome of Teemal’s case.

From the many tributes paid to the late Justice Massiah we learnt of the many high offices including that of Chancellor of the Judiciary which he occupied but we were not reminded that he was also an Arbitrator as well as an Advocate in Arbitration Tribunals.

Be that as it may, Justice Massiah who went on to become Professor Massiah would forever be remembered for his contributions to the Teemal case. Every law scholar sometimes selects and embrace or few main points and lessons from every significant Judgment, but in Teemal’s case, that is a difficult or almost impossible thing to do.

The entire Judgment is a gem.

It contains lessons in the formation and variation of an employment contract, principles of collective bargaining, the nature and legal status of collective labour agreements, the supremacy of the Constitution and the Courts above Cabinet, an interpretation of the Labour Act, Chapter 98:01 in so far as Arbitration Tribunals are concerned, the need for Parties to an Employment Contract to be guided by ethical, moral and legal consideration, etc.

It is important to note that “Teemal” laid the foundation for the enactment of the Labour Amendment Act No. 9 of 1984 which was recently woefully misunderstood and referenced by a long-standing practitioner of Labour-Management relations.

That Act which is now a substantive part of the Labour Act, impacts the Legal Status of Collective Labour Agreements and the Arbitration Mechanisms which are now being mutilated by some practitioners.

To say the least, the Teemal’s Judgment is a classic.

It is a work of art. It is an excellent exhibition of legal craftsmanship which has stood the test of time. Yet, it appears not to have been widely read, properly studied and applied by those individuals who should regard it as compulsory reading material and a guide to astute industrial relations practices.

One needs only to visit the final two paragraphs of Justice Messiah’s judgment for an understanding of the depth with which he treated the many challenges thrown up by the case.

Indeed, Teemal’s Judgment is a key part of Messiah’s Legacy but I wish to submit that the current practice of industrial relations is not reflective of the rich lessons it taught, and that is very, very sad indeed.

Somehow, I seem to recall that due to the stance taken by Justice Massiah in the case in focus he was deemed in some quarters as ‘The Man of the Year’, and I am inclined to believe that up to the time of his passing he still held that title.

Yours Sincerely, Francis Carryl

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

We need to conduct more tests among asymptomatic patients of the at-risk population Dear Editor, As I begin to write, I am reminded of a Martin Carter piece in 1958, when he opined that ‘just as the man on the peak of a mountain sees a different world from the man in the valley, just so should we, from our particular context of being, see something more and something different from anybody else.’

I should mention that I do not reside in Guyana at the moment and the observations and concerns I am sharing with you and your readers originate from a perspective influenced by my involvement with, and experience in advising on health issues in Guyana and many other countries in this hemisphere.

We now have at least 25 days to await the result of the national elections held on March 2, 2020, I suggest that we use this interim period, and not be detracted by the importance of the recount, to reflect on an issue that may have potentially grave consequences for the land of our birth.

The first reported case of COVID-19, in the USA was filed on January 21 in Washington State. This was followed by the first reported case in New York on March 1. The estimated incubation period, which is the time from exposure to the virus to presentation of symptoms, is between 2 to 14 days.

The first reported COVID 19 case and death in Guyana was on March 11, last. It was the unfortunate case of a lady who had travelled to Guyana from New York a few days earlier. Reports suggest that she had not travelled out of the city which means she had to have encountered an infected individual towards the end of February in New York. We can conclude, therefore, that the first person who got ill in New York was exposed to the virus as early as February 15, 2020, which was just a few days before our fellow Guyanese was infected. That illustrates how easily the virus is transmitted from one person to another, given the over 327,000 cases now reported in New York.

On March 25, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer in Guyana announced that people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 infection, who travelled abroad, would be tested. Those symptoms include a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, headache, muscle pain etc.

On March 31, the Mayor of Georgetown stated that he would not be implementing lockdowns or curfews in contrast with neighboring cities. A few days later, on April 2, a national curfew was announced by the President, with the closure of bars, restaurants, places of entertainment etc. between 6pm and 6am daily.

By April 8, there were 29 cases diagnosed positive in Guyana, including

a report that Mr. John Lewis had been diagnosed post-mortem with the disease.

His wife had died 12 days earlier, which in all probability was also a result of the virus.

The number of tests done increased to 464 on April 27, and almost doubled to 714 with 93 cases on May 6, a 13% positivity. We also need to look closer at the 10 deaths among the 93 positive cases, which in epidemiology is known as the lethality rate, and is 10%. These rates in Guyana are very troubling as they are much higher than that of the USA where the lethality rate is approximately 6% and for that matter, our 10% rate is the highest in the Caribbean and many other countries in the world.

Deaths from COVID 19 lag infections, the estimate is that there are approximately 5 to 10 people with undetected infections for every confirmed case. In other words, the estimate is that there are many more infected people, who despite the curfew, are circulating and transmitting the disease.

So now we come to the case, reported recently in the news, of a 63-yearold male patient at the Palms Geriatric Home on Brickdam, who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on May 1. Assuming that he may have been infected two or three weeks before being admitted to the Georgetown Hospital, he had to have been infected while at the Palms sometime in mid-April, after the national curfew was put in place on April 2, and I assume, a restriction of visitors was imposed at the Home.

This now begs the question, how was he infected at the Palms? He had to be infected by either a doctor, nurse, maid, porter or someone with whom he was in contact at the Palms who may or may not have been asymptomatic. I doubt it would have been another patient, but on the other hand, if he was not isolated whilst he was in the Palms and at the Georgetown Hospital, he could have infected other patients, doctors, nurses, maids, porters etc. who are now incubating the disease and will soon become symptomatic.

Crises like these are national emergencies, and necessitate discussions among clinicians, laboratory staff and epidemiologists who can make evidence-based decisions on where and whom to test. From the numbers reported, there are not enough tests being done among asymptomatic patients of the at-risk population (here we can think of maids, porters, doctors, nurses and contacts of patients).

We need to congratulate all health workers who provide attention during this period and those working in the Intensive Care Units, while bearing in mind the additional focus on other prevalent diseases, especially among those working in the interior of the country.

But they need personal protective

equipment to both protect themselves and provide the care everyone deserves.

There is an urgent need for the private sector to step in and provide materials and equipment such as masks and other supplies before we are again distracted in another twenty five days with what could be the final count of the national elections held over two months ago.

Given the domination of COVID 19 in the news with the severity of the spread of the disease in other parts of the world, one must raise the question of the kind of preparation put in place and, particularly, what contact tracing was and is being carried out after the first case was detected in Guyana. If so, one must question the efficiency and effectiveness of the effort, given the continuation of the spread of the disease.

Indeed, it would be useful if we could see the plans and guidelines for testing, and quarantine of all persons positive in the environs of the outbreaks of cases, as well as for isolation and testing of contacts.

We have seen efforts to make everyone aware, limiting the number of people associating, use of masks and maintaining distance among strangers, but still observe on a daily basis, the pleas of the Chief Medical Officer for attention to the messages.

We need the community to be aware of and ensure the curfew and restrictions are adhered to, if need be, with the assistance of the police. People are away from work and school to maintain distance from each other, and not because someone, somewhere decided they deserve a long holiday. We must have a combined clinical and epidemiological approach, taking into account people’s behaviour, to address the ongoing epidemic and prevent an even greater health tragedy occurring in Guyana.

In closing, can we be made aware of the number of tests available in the public and private health systems, and the estimated need for test kits and supplies to deal with Covid-19? What of mobilization of persons who have sewing machines to make face-masks, financing and support from the private sector, inter alia the cloth stores, rum, timber, shipping and oil companies, as well as the steps being taken by the Ministry of Finance to address the identified shortfalls, including food for those who now receive no pay?

Our time is limited, we only have three weeks before we are back to the discussion on vote counting.

I assume the dictates of March 25 have been superseded and we are no longer ‘Waiting for Aunty to Cough’ (Samuel Selvon, Trinidad, 1923-1994), before we do a test for Covid-19.

Sincerely, Keith H. Carter

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Coalition, PSC commend recount process -- but acknowledged need for quickening the pace of recount

By Gabriella Chapman THE A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) have commended the recount process thus far, even though the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has criticised the current pace as slow.

Day three on Friday got off on a good note with positive feedback from agents and local observes.

Minister with Responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes, told reporters that the process is getting better as it progresses. She said the pace may seem a bit slow but several things have to be taken into account in the recounting.

She said it must also be noted that not every day the same set of staffers work at any given work station.

“After the first week or two we can build a better momentum. I expect we can do more boxes and that depends on the box that they bring out because it varies. But all in all, we’re moving and once the process is moving, we know that we are walking right to the end. We’re committed to the process as a coalition, to stick with it to the end, to allow for GECOM to do their work, to respect the process. They have gazetted the order, we all saw the order, and it was agreed on. Even what you like and don’t like, GECOM is in control of this process, and you would have heard it from no other person than His Excellency that he will allow for GECOM to do their work… We are confident, we are humble and we are looking,” Broomes said.

As some agents are complaining about the tabulation process, she further commented that “GECOM is in control of this process, so if GECOM says we’re going to tabulate to the end of the day, we’ll tabulate to the end of the day. We don’t have any problem. We’re starting this where everyone is at the same line. Nobody got any advantage over anybody with

PSC Chairman, Gerry Gouveia

Minister with Responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes

PPP agent and executive member, Anil Nandlall

this. It’s what is in the box is what we’re going through. It can’t get any better than this. But I find that there are no qualms in GECOM’s intention at this time. GECOM is doing its best to bring credible results. The eyes of the eagle are on the recount, and that is why we are here.”

Echoing Broomes’ sentiment, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, added that the public has to be patient with this process.

parties, press people, to all the citizens out there, to appreciate the need for patience, because quite frankly, this is what is going to bring it to a finality. If we have to wait a couple more days, why not?” Ramjattan emphasised.

PSC Chairman, Gerry Gouveia, who is functioning as a local observer, said the process is indeed slow but he is absolutely impressed with the work of GECOM. “I believe it is slow but I believe that we have to legitimately answer all the queries of political parties. It is a recount of the ballots so I believe that is the important thing. I think the process is a very good process. I am impressed; it is very transparent, very credible. The GECOM staff that are conducting it are very well trained and they are being vigilant and very professional and very courteous. So I believe that the process as it is, is a good one and I think as they go on, the process will speed up. I personally have not seen any deliberate attempt by GECOM to slow it down,” Gouveia said.

He explained further that there

are over 10 observers and they have all given him positive feedback on the process.

UNPRECEDENTED SCENARIO “This is an unprecedented kind of a scenario. The last one that I know of that happened, that took months, probably a year or so. We are going to learn of the time it takes really, by midway, after the second week. More and more you will see people getting more and more efficient. Because [at] the start off, we might not have every one of them understanding everything. So time, if it’s regarding slothful now, it can be improved upon, and I really can’t answer the question of how long it takes, but whatever length of time it takes, I want everybody, political

VERY GOOD REPORTS “All the reports we are getting from our observers are very good; that the GECOM staff are doing their job with discipline and diligence and professionalism. The big thing now is time. If they’re doing the same level of diligence they’re doing now, there will be difficulty in completing in 25 days and I believe the answer should and would have been more stations. I think that we all recognise 10 stations to count 2,339 boxes is a stretch. We would have had to be doing that at about 100 a day… I guess we will see as it speeds up,” he said.

Meanwhile, PPP agent, Anil Nandlall, said that the pace is a fundamental issue for his party.

“It is undesirable and we hope, every day, that we can increase the speed of the process. Yesterday for the first time, the tabulation exercise got underway. Unfortunately, it did not complete or unfold as we

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan

expected. We were told that all the boxes counted for the day, will be tabulated at the end of that day, and that did not happen. Some 63 boxes were counted and only just over 20 were tabulated, completed in the tabulation centre yesterday, and that has to improve. We are hoping that we can get GECOM to increase the hours of the tabulation exercise,” Nandlall complained.

He said that the report is that the tabulation exercise is being delayed because of the dependence upon an observation report. “[THIS], I have articulated yesterday has no relevance to the tabulation exercise. And I am told that the preparation of that report is a time consuming exercise and that is what is causing some delay in the tabulation exercise. We hope to iron out that today,” he said.

However, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, did indicate that the observation report is absolutely necessary for the process.

GECOM is working assiduously to ensure a smooth, transparent flow of this national recount exercise.

CSEC Examinations to be held in July CSEC and CAPE students will be sitting their examinations in July this year, the Caribbean Examination Council has said.

That was the decision coming out of the First Emergency Virtual Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) - Education on Friday, the Caricom Secretariat reported. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Education from Antigua and Barbuda Hon. Michael Browne.

Registrar of the Carib-

bean Examinations Council (CXC) Dr. Wayne Wesley, made a presentation at the meeting where he explained that the administration of the modified examination process for the award of valid grades and preserving the integrity of the examinations involved the administration of Paper 1 (Multiple Choice Assessment), School Based Assessment, and where applicable additional assessment components along with appropriate modelling accounting for historical data and teacher predicted

information. He said while the proposed revised administration schedule for examinations is July 2020 (results released in the 1st week of September 2020), there was need for a regional consensus considering the impact of COVID-19 and the respective national protocols.

The COHSOD also agreed to have Examinations administered via an e-Testing modality in countries that are equipped with the requisite infrastructure.

However, where there were infrastructure challenges,

candidates would be allowed to sit paper-based examinations.

The CXC in collaboration with the UWI presented another proposal at the meeting in relation to requirements for CAPE applicants for 2020 admission. Their proposal to accept CAPE Unit 1 plus previous results to serve as matriculation to UWI for the next academic year was accepted by the Council.

The Council adopted Public Health Guidelines for the reopening of schools,

as proposed in the report from Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Dr. Joy St. John.

The report from CARPHA included initial guidance on the development of protocols for re-opening of schools in the response, recovery, and resilience phases of the crisis by the Education sector. She also spoke to the need for mental health considerations during a Public Health crisis. Dr. St. John reminded the COHSOD of the com-

plexities of the education system in Member States and the challenges for social distancing. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago registered concerns regarding the decisions in relation to the date and modification of the CXC examinations, however, the CXC indicated that further bilateral discussions in relation to special considerations could be explored.

The Caribbean Union of Teachers also raised concerns regarding the health and safety of stakeholders.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Many irregularities in Region 3 ballot boxes

THE recount of ballots for Region Three was halted, during the afternoon period on Friday, after some ballot boxes were found to be without their Official List of Electors, without the required envelopes and unsigned oaths of identity.

This incident has been reported to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and a decision is expected on how Counting Agents must now proceed.

This was one of the updates provided by APNU+AFC agent, Ganesh Mahipaul upon exiting the Arthur Chung Conference Centre during the first half of the day. He is positioned at workstation five, dealing with the votes cast in Region Three.

He said that when the first ballot box #3040 Arthurville

Primary, Wakenaam, came to the workstation, it was observed that, while it had its general plastic seal, only a piece of the seal placed by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) was on top of the box’s cover. However, given that there were other seals on the outward part of the box, it was opened for counting.

Mahipaul said that another snag was reached when the ballot box was opened but there was no Official List of Electors also called the “pink list” and the wire seals in the necessary envelopes were missing.

“It begs the question as to what really went on at that ballot station but we could not have continued with that count because there was no Official List of Electors,” he said. “Unless we could have

APNU+AFC agent, Ganesh Mahipaul

done this reconciliation with the pink list then we cannot go on to do what is necessary for us to have a fair, transparent, credible count of that

particular ballot box.”

Mahipaul said that it was unfortunate that the PPP/C and other small parties kept on insisting that the ballots

be counted nonetheless. The agent held his ground against the parties as he noted that the pink list is key to determining that the number of ballots in the box matches the number issued by the GECOM based on the number of electors on the pink list.

He is pleased that the decision was eventually taken to have the contents be replaced in the box, that the box be resealed and that it be replaced in the container of ballot boxes.

When second box was taken up from the Anna Catherina Nursery polling place, Mahipaul said that it had a “series of PEs” that are missing ---- referring to the yellow envelopes required to be placed in ballot boxes.

Each envelope is labelled with the letters PE and carries numbers such as PE 1, PE 2.

GPHC commences plasma treatment of COVID-19 patients …medical services director says too early to give assessment

By Navendra Seoraj TWO patients of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), who were diagnosed with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, have joined the clinical trials of plasma/antibody treatment for COVID-19.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is defined as a form of immunotherapy that uses monoclonal antibodies to bind monospecifically to certain cells or proteins.

The objective is that this treatment will stimulate the patient’s immune system to attack those cells; and, it was recently reported that Guyana was poised to join global trials of antibody treatment for COVID-19. It is now evident that the trials have started, but it is too soon to say what the results are, said Director of Medical and Professional Services at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Thursday.

“We have started…we started with two patients, but it is too early to predict the outcome... it is really too early to give a prediction of results because it might work for one person, but scientifically might not show effective, so we have to wait,” said Dr. Jeffrey, adding that an assessment of the treatment will be done once there are enough patients in trial.

It was reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has reached the shores of over 213

countries and in response to the disease, some of these nations

Director of Medical and Professional Services, GPHC, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey (Adrian Narine photo)

have resorted to clinical trials of various types of treatment, such as the antibody treatment.

“We are poised to possibly join some of these trials…the one we are interested in looking at is the transfusion of plasma of convalescent persons – meaning persons who have been sick, and are winning the battle against the disease,” said Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karen Boyle, in a recent recording released by the Ministry of Public Health.

Dr. Boyle, in further breaking down the definition of this type of treatment, said it entails the transfusion of antibodies to ailing persons. “The plasma will be rich with antibodies…so it is

basically like giving persons an immune boost, so it stands to reason that it should be helpful to people overcoming the disease,” said the DCMO. The latest statistics released by health authorities, show that seven more persons have recovered from the coronavirus disease in Guyana. According to health authorities, the number of persons who have recovered from the disease has increased from 27 to 34.

The DCMO said while the trial which involves using plasma from recovered patients may be a major stepping stone in the fight against the disease, persons need to be cognisant that there is no approved cure for COVID-19.

According to a report from American public broadcaster, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), convalescent plasma has shown enough promise against COVID-19 that hundreds of hospitals around the country have put it to use. While still considered an experimental treatment, patients are receiving convalescent plasma through clinical trials and by way of compassionate use, to which the Food and Drug Administration expanded access earlier this year.

The PBS report stated that convalescent plasma therapy dates back to the 1890s, when doctors transfused diphtheria patients with blood plasma from immunised animals. It was given to patients during the 1918 influenza pandemic and credited for stopping an outbreak of measles at a boarding school in Pennsyl-

vania in 1934. It was used during the Ebola epidemic of 20142016, the recent H1N1 pandemic and outbreaks of SARS and MERS, two diseases also caused by coronaviruses.

Globally, there are over 3.4 million cases of COVID-19, with approximately 240,000 deaths.

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

In an effort to improve the response to the epidemic, the local Public Health Ministry launched its mobile unit at the East La Penitence Health Centre as well as the community COVID-19 facilities of Region Four at Herstelling,, on the East Bank of Demerara and at Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara. Additionally, 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 were published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020. These measures remain in effect until June 3, 2020.

Each PE has labels and represent the content within the ballot boxes.

There were also 11 unsigned oaths of identity at the said polling place. It is highly unusual for such a large number of oaths of identity to be found in a single ballot box and this was deemed as a red flag by one election expert.

Mahipaul lamented that this was allowed by the GECOM staff previously assigned to these polling stations noting that the materials are necessary in such a process and even in the case of an election petition.

Although he objected to the second box being counted without a resolution, the Supervisor instructed that the counting proceed but a note be taken of the discrepancies and objections.

Man dies in Aubrey Barker Road accident

Morris Kennedy

A PEDAL cyclist who was on an errand to purchase a case of lemonade from a shop along Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt Gardens, died on the spot after he was struck down by a motorcar as he attempted to cross the busy roadway on Friday morning.

The man has been identified as Morris Kennedy, 33 of Arapaima Street, Tucville.

The man, who does jobs in the area, was struck down by a Toyota Ist motorcar bearing registration PMM2024 around 0930hrs, close to Tucville Bridge along Aubrey Barker Road, a busy intersection along the roadway which has been the scene of several accidents in the past.

The right side of the car’s windscreen was damaged, while the man reportedly sustained head and neck injuries. He was on an errand for a shopkeeper, sources at the scene reported.

Police are investigating the accident.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

$4.4M in foodstuff, other items sent to Guyanese students in Cuba THE Government of Guyana, on Friday, sent some $4.4M in in foodstuff and other essentials to Guyanese students studying in Cuba.

In a release, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said the Guyanese medical students studying in Cuba are set to receive care packages from the Department of Public Service as the government continues to assist citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parcels containing food supplies and sanitary items were packed on Thursday afternoon at the Public Service Department and flown out to Cuba on Friday morning on a Caribbean Airlines flight.

In an invited comment, Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halle, is quoted by DPI as saying that the packages totalled approximately $4.4M. “There are 75 medical students in all, one student affairs officer will also get a package and there is another student also in Cuba.

So, we sent 77 packages in all from the Department of Public Service.” The minister noted that the families of these students were contacted and given the option of sending personal items.

She stated that in addition to the packages from the Public Service Department, hampers are also being sent

receive packages,” Minister Sarabo-Halley explained. The care packages contain supplies which are expected to

dence, a student said following their initial request for information on the position taken by the Cuban authorities

The care packages for Guyanese students in Cuba being loaded onto the Caribbean Airlines flight

to four athletes stranded in on the island as well as staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “There are also four boxers who are stranded in Cuba, as such the Director of Sports also requested that some packages were sent. We are facilitating that as well as the staff from Foreign Affairs that are in Cuba, they will also

last two months.

STUDENTS WELCOME ASSISTANCE Meanwhile, the students have welcomed the efforts taken by the Department of Public Service and the Cuban Public Health Ministry (MINSAP) on the way forward. In correspondence seen by the

Guyanese student in Cuba disputes ‘false’ news report A GUYANESE in Cuba, who asked that their identity be withheld, has written to the Department of Public Service to dispel allegations that a group of students made to a local media outlet in Guyana.

According to the Department of Public Information, the student explained that the issue of a water shortage that was outlined in the Newsroom report was an issue that began long before COVID-19. The student also posited that many were aware of the situation on the island when they signed up for scholarships.

The student also urged that other students, not attending the same institution, stop using them as pawns.

See below the full letter sent to the Department of Public Service.

“Honourable Minister, PS, SAO and fellow students, a pleasant afternoon to you.

I want to address the article published on May 8, 2020 by Newsroom.gy

Department of Public Information, several students said that while initially worried about foodstuff, the contin-

entitled “More Guyanese students in Cuba say their plight is being ignored”.

I’m really bothered by the false information published. The pictures posted are of students of ELAM. This creates problems for the students here at ELAM with our school. This is not only targeting the Government of Guyana but also Cuba, the country that is providing our education. It’s not right that other students are using us as “pawns”.

It is not every day that people shower on the roofs. As a matter of fact, COVID-19 didn’t cause the water problem we have right now. We encountered this problem since our first year here and we’ve survived and are still surviving. I know what I was signing up for when I applied for this scholarship to Cuba and I’m sure most of the students here. We know nowhere in this world is a bed of roses.

So, I’m kindly asking that you refrain from using ELAM students in these

articles that are being posted. Incidentally, the few students in ELAM, who wanted to return to Guyana, decided not to because of the instruction given by MINSAP to continue their course of study. I know we are quarantined in the school but that’s for our safety and protection.

Also, the article stated that we received “one bottle of water.” This is untrue, as we first received four 1.5L bottles of water. After about two weeks, we not only received two 5L bottles of water but other food items.

So, once again I’m kindly pleading that you refrain from using pictures of ELAM and claiming what ELAM’s students say unless you ask all of the students of ELAM about the matter.

If it’s a student who’s in another province, post pictures of your university and not of mine… speak for yourself and not for us at ELAM. Thanks for your time and attention.”

uation of their courses and their health and well-being, these matters have now been addressed by the relevant authorities. In one correspon-

an explanation was given, therefore they are aware that their earlier request was no longer optional.

Another student explained

that they were concerned about foodstuff and other items, but that the care packages will suffice. It was pointed out that the cost of a chartered flight to Cuba costs over $10M. There are 69 Government of Guyana scholars in Cuba, six self-financed students and one student affairs officer. While each student is earmarked to receive a care package from the Department of Public Service, several students are also receiving additional individual items as requested.

According to the Department of Public Service, since the Cuban Government has stated that classes will continue uninterrupted, no student has indicated that they would like to return to Guyana. The students stated that they wish to remain and complete their studies. The DPS has also catered for several Guyanese students in Cuba on private study arrangements who are not on Government of Guyana scholarships.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

PPP/C scrambles to alter SOP site …as recount exposes discrepancies --- edits made on May 7, 2020 --- total tabulation removed

By Lisa Hamilton THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has modified its Statements of Poll (SOPs), one day after the commencement of the national recount process, sparking much discussion on social media.

Shortly after the breakdown in the tabulation of Region Four SOPs by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in early March 2020, the PPP/C created the website (https://region4sopsinformation.com/) where it uploaded SOPs gathered by its party from the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The site featured the complete tabulation of Region Four SOPs collected by the party but they differed from total tabulation then presented by GECOM. GECOM’s figures showed that the coalition won the elections.

However, PPP/C Executives have maintained that their SOPs are credible and claimed that GECOM staff had tampered with the results on their end.

Refusal to accept otherwise, along with the process used to tabulate the Region’s vote at the Region Four Tabulation Centre, led to string of court battles and the current national recount. However, two months have passed since March and the party found no reason to modify the SOPs information on its site until May 7, 2020, just one day after the recount had started.

Examine the party’s website ‘Index of SOPs’ (https:// region4sopsinformation.com/ SOPS/) and one would see that data for the East Bank, East Coast of Demerara, North Georgetown and South Georgetown were edited on 2020-05-07, late at night, around 23:00hours.

Open each location individually and one will see that while the scanned copies of SOPs they presented for ballot boxes were last edited on 2020-03-05, the total tabulation for the said locations were each edited on 2020-0507 near midnight.

This was not the only change made to the site on May 7, 2020. The majority of media entities in Guyana

all published reports when the PPP/C first launched the site and shared snap shots in their publications of a table showing the total Region Four SOPs --- as calculated by the party --- which it proudly brandished at the very top of the site’s home page. However, as of day one into the recount, this information has been pulled from the website and replaced by a banner of the party’s logo. It is unknow why the PPP/C would no longer want this information public having defended it in the past.

RAISING EYEBROWS Either way, the editing of the website has sparked social media discussions because before it took place, earlier

on that same day, the APNU/ AFC had put forward evidence showing that information from the recount process largely differed from one of the SOPs on the PPP/C’s website. The recount, be-

ing conducted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), shows that in ballot box #4014 Yarrowkabra Primary School, the APNU+AFC received 160 votes and the PPP, 63. Immediately

after, the APNU/AFC stated that it sourced the PPP/C’s information provided back in March to compare, and found that, for the said box, the PPP/C’s tabulation showed 59 for itself and 41 for APNU/ AFC. Hours later, seeking to check for themselves, persons on social media shared screen shots showing that the PPP/C website was down depicting ‘Error 1020’ and ‘Access Denied’ when attempts to access were made.

Sometime after, the site returned but with changes made with regards to the banner and edits made to the individual locations in Region

Four edited at 2020-05-07 near midnight.

One of the edited documents, in which the said ballot box information is located, presently matches the most recent information coming out of the national recount. The PPP/C has not yet cleared up whether it did indeed edit previous information to match the recount data but, even so, the question as to why any edit to the site in any form were necessary months later remains unanswered.

The index of SOPs as recently edited by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on May 7, 2020

The East Bank location showing changes made to the total tabulation of PPP/C’s SOPs from the region while the scanned SOPs at the ballot boxes provided were not edited since March. All four locations have had similar edits made.

The initial look of the site as published by The Newsroom on March 5, 2020.

It shows the self-tabulated results of the PPP/C of its own SOPs

The current changes to the site since the commencement of the national recount.

The PPP/C website previously down

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Palms records second COVID-19 case

-several workers of facility still quarantined DAYS after the deadly novel coronavirus claimed the life of a 64-year-old male resident of the Palms Geriatric Home, the facility has recorded its second case of the virus.

The second case was confirmed by an official of the Ministry of Public Health on Friday evening. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the second person is a resident of the Palms, who was close to the elderly patient who died recently from complications attributed to the coronavirus.

Reports are that the second COVID-19 positive person, who is a diabetic, is being monitored by the authorities.

More residents of the facility are being tested for the virus, and this publication understands that additional staff of the unit where the cases have been recorded, were tested on Friday for COVID-19. Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner, when contacted by this publication said he was unaware about this development, but was making efforts to confirm it.

Tanner, however, confirmed that staff of the Palms are still in quarantine, awaiting the results of the COVID-19 tests conducted on them. The director had said on Thursday, that once it was found that the 64-year-old man was positive, the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact-tracing. As a result, 12 persons who were in contact with the 64-year-old man were placed in quarantine. All 12 of the individuals were caring for the elderly man, and does not include other residents of the facility, said Tanner.

“The gentleman who was bedridden for a while became ill sometime last week; however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1 a test was administered.

The results of the test, however, came back on Tuesday evening,” said Tanner in an invited comment, on Thursday.

Tanner said public health authorities have tested the 12 individuals and are awaiting the results and completion of the 14-day incubation period, before either isolating the potentially-infected persons or allowing them to return to work.

While that process is ongoing, the social services director confirmed that public health authorities have also launched an investigation into how the disease reached the facility.

“That is what the public health authorities are doing, so once that is completed I am sure they will be able to determine how he contracted the disease,” said Tanner.

When asked what measures were in place prior to this incident, the director said visitations were suspended since March 30 and all staff members are screened before they enter the facility. Workers are also mandated to wear protective gear while administering care.

Despite those measures, Tanner said it has become difficult to detect signs of the disease because, as reported, persons can be asymptomatic, and this poses a “real challenge” for anyone responsible for the administration of the geriatric home.

“It is difficult for us to identify those persons, so to boost efforts, residents and staff will be screened twice per day, and once the slightest change in temperature is detected or they show a sign or symptom of the disease, we will take necessary action to isolate persons and contact the public health authorities,” said the director. With the reality being that elderly persons are indeed vulnerable to the disease, Tanner advised this section of the population to take extra precautions and practise social distancing, sanitise and eat healthily. Persons caring for

the elderly were also advised to observe the necessary protocols because they interact directly with those who are vulnerable.

The Palms Geriatric home on Brickdam

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Mom won’t rest until she finds answers

--about son’s mysterious death

She gave as the time of death around 14:00 hrs on May 3, 2020.

A distraught Williams believes that the first thing that the hospitals should have done was the coronavirus test.

“They waited till the last minute; they tell me they do all of the other test and nothing ain’t show,” Williams said.

According to the death certificate, the baby died of bilateral broncho-pneumonia, tonsillitis, acute gastroenteritis and anaemia.

Williams has since expressed dissatisfaction with the care given to her child, and is therefore calling for a thorough investigation.

By Clestine Juan

A MOTHER is now seeking answers after her one-year-old son died at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) on May 3, 2020 under mysterious circumstances.

The child’s mother, Noelene Williams, told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday that the toddler, Mikhel Wong-Singh, was first taken to the Diamond Hospital on the East Bank Demerara on April 24, 2020 for fever and breathing problems.

The family is apparently from Low Creek, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway but lives at Agricola, on the lower East Bank Demerara.

She explained that the doctors at Diamond told her that her son’s tonsils were infected, and treated it orally with Cloxacillin Sodium and Paracetamol, but neither medication seemed to be of any help.

“My child getting more worse, and I took him back to Diamond Hospital on April 27 and the doctors said to me that medicine cannot work right away; how he have to drink out his treatment before he come back,” the distraught young mother said.

But after the child’s condition continued to worsen, she took him back to Long Creek so she could take him to the Health Centre there, and he was given more antibiotics and panadol syrup.

But again, his condition only worsened,

Mikhel Wong-Singh

so she made up her mind to take him to the GPHC. When I take him there,” she said, “they carry me around to the Coronavirus Unit side, and the doctors examined him, and they give him a stronger dose of antibiotics.”

Nolene Williams and her son, Mikhel

She said that the doctors at ‘Georgetown’ told her that if her son’s condition did not improve within two days, she should immediately take him back for treatment.

“Meh son still ain’t feeling good; he getting even more and more worst,” Noelene said.

But, for whatever reason, she took the child back to the Diamond Hospital and they admitted him on May 2.

“When they admit my son, we spent a night there,” she said. “They give him oxygen and saline; they run two tests on him, and they said nothing ain’t showing.”

That very morning, the toddler was transferred to the Georgetown Hospital, where he was subjected to a number of tests, among them blood work and X-rays.

Later in the evening, he was admitted into the facility, and tested for the coronavirus.

“They carried us to do the test, but nobody came to do the examination till around hours later, when my son began breathing hard,” Noelene said.

By then, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, but died an hour later.

The toddler’s death certificate

Spate of outages due to maintenance works -- Guyana Power and Light

GPL’s Divisional Director for Operations Bharat Harjohn told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that these scheduled, planned maintenance activities are part of the power utility company’s maintenance strategy.

Harjohn noted that maintenance works decreased during and just after elections and with the presence of the COVID-19 epidemic in Guyana, there were additional delays with the programme.

With the approaching rainy season, the director said the programme needed to be put into effect.

“It is a standard operating procedure that we enhance our maintenance activities by replacing defective line hardware and poles

and also increase our vegetation management programme. This involves a tree-trimming cycle and clearing of all other forms of vegetation along transmission and distribution lines to ensure the integrity of the network,” Harjohn explained.

Acknowledging that more people are working from home as a result of COVID-19, the director apologised for the inconvenience the outages may cause as GPL continues to make its network more resilient.

“We [GPL] are asking our customers to please bear with us. These outages are necessary for us to carry out maintenance to keep our network strong, so that we can continue to provide an uninterrupted supply of power,” Harjohn said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Global food commodity prices drop further in April WORLD food commodity prices declined, for the third month in a row during April, as the economic and logistical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant contractions in demand for many commodities.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks international prices of the most commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 165.5 points in April, some 3.4 percent lower than the previous month and 3 percent lower than April 2019.

The FAO Sugar Price Index hit a 13-year low, declining 14.6 per cent from March, when it posted an even larger monthly drop. Collapsing international crude oil prices reduced demand for sugarcane to produce ethanol, diverting output to producing sugar and hence expanding export availabilities. Meanwhile, confinement measures in a number of countries spawned additional downward pressure on demand.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined 5.2 percent in April, driven lower by falling palm, soy and rapeseed oil values. Reduced biofuel demand played a role, as did declining demand from the food sector, along with higher-than-previously expected palm oil output in Malaysia and soy crushings in the United States of America.

The FAO Dairy Price Index fell by 3.6 per cent, with butter and milk powder prices posting double-digit drops amid increased export availabilities, mounting inventories, weak import demand and diminished restaurant sales in the northern

hemisphere.

The FAO Meat Price Index declined 2.7 percent. A partial recovery in import demand from China was insufficient to balance a slump in imports elsewhere, while major producing countries suffered logistical bottlenecks and a steep fall in demand from the food services sector due to shelter-at-home measures.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting both the demand and supply sides for meat, as restaurant closures and reduced household incomes lead to lower consumption and labour shortages on the processing side are impacting just-intime production systems in major livestock-producing countries,” said FAO Senior Economist, Upali Galketi Aratchilage.

The FAO Cereal Price Index declined only marginally, as international prices of wheat and rice rose significantly while those of maize dropped sharply. International rice prices rose by 7.2 per cent from March, due, in large part, to temporary export restrictions by Vietnam that were subsequently repealed, while wheat prices rose by 2.5 percent amid reports of a quick fulfillment of the export quota from the Russian Federation. Prices of coarse grains, including maize, by contrast, fell by 10 percent, driven down by reduced demand for its use for both animal feed and biofuel production.

WHEAT PRODUCTION TO REMAIN STEADY In the Cereal Supply and De-

A market in Japan (FAO photo) mand Brief, also released today, seasons in 2021 are forecast to rise FAO unveiled its first forecasts for to 274.5 million tonnes, driven by global wheat supply and demand in a sizable rise foreseen in China’s the 2020/21 marketing season. inventories, while in the rest of the World production is forecast world global stocks are projected at 762.6 million tonnes, broadly to decline nearly 5 percent, to their in line with the 2019 level, with lowest level since 2013. expectations of smaller harvests in FAO also anticipated strong the European Union, North Africa, maize production this year in ArUkraine and the U.S. almost off- gentina, Brazil and South Africa, setting larger harvests in Australia, where harvesting will commence Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation soon. and India.

Global wheat utilization in CEREAL UTILISATION 2020/21 is expected to be stable, FAO maintained its worldwide with anticipated increases in food production forecast for 2019 - 2 720 consumption outweighing reduc- million tonnes - but reduced its foretions in feed and industrial uses. cast for cereal utilization in 2019/20 Wheat stocks by the close of crop by 24.7 million tonnes, largely as

a result of COVID-19 impact on economic growth, energy markets and the demand for animal feed. The new forecast mostly reflects reduced use of maize in China and the U.S. FAO also reduced its forecast for worldwide total use of rice from last month, due partly to lowered food intake forecast for Nigeria, but overall consumption of rice is still expected to hit a new record, led by a year-on-year expansion in food intake in Asia. Wheat utilization in 2019/20 is also expected to increase by 1.2 percent from the previous season, on anticipation of increasing food consumption.

Lower utilization rates lead to higher world cereal stocks at the close of 2020 seasons, now pegged at 884 million tonnes, or 13.6 million tonnes above their opening levels. That would raise the global stocks-to-use ratio of cereals to 31.6 percent, thus higher than the 30.7 percent FAO projected last month. The increase in cereal stocks primarily reflects higher anticipated maize inventories, which are now expected to rise to an all-time high of 428 million tonnes.

World trade in cereals in 2019/20 is forecast to increase by 2.8 percent to 422 million tonnes, led by sorghum and wheat. Export restrictions on wheat grown in the Black Sea region have, in most cases, already been lifted and are not expected to affect producing countries’ full-year export commitments. (FAO)

Fiscal policies for recovery from COVID-19 Fiscal policies have provided large emergency lifelines to people and firms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are also invaluable to increase a country’s readiness to respond to a crisis and to help with the recovery and beyond.

When the Great Lockdown finally ends, a strong economic recovery that benefits everyone will depend on improved social safety nets and broad-based fiscal support. This includes public investment in health care, infrastructure, and climate change. Countries with high debt levels will have to carefully balance short-term fiscal support for the recovery stage with long-term debt sustainability.

The new Fiscal Monitor helps policymakers choose how to invest for the future in a fiscally prudent way, adopt well-planned discretionary policies to stimulate demand, and enhance social safety nets and unemployment benefits.

The pandemic has shown how vulnerable people are and served as a wakeup call for action.

In response, countries

have temporarily extended unemployment benefits and expanded social safety nets to varying degrees. For example, the United States has legislated larger temporary lifelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic than Europe partly because its social safety net has traditionally been smaller.

While some of these temporary lifelines will expire over time, making parts of these provisions permanent and upgrading the tax-benefits systems can also automatically stabilize people’s incomes in future epidemics and crises.

But what are the attributes of a good social safety net? Three matter the most.

First, provide broad coverage and adequate benefits to vulnerable groups in a progressive way—that is, more generous benefits to the poorest; second, preserve work incentives and help beneficiaries find jobs, obtain health care, and attend education and training; and third, strive to avoid a fragmented, complex web of social protection programs that ends up being more costly to run and not benefiting people

in a fair and consistent way.

Against these yardsticks, governments in advanced economies can improve social safety nets by covering more people within existing programmes and by improving the impact the benefits have on people’s lives.

In emerging market and developing countries, governments can fill gaps in coverage by expanding existing programmes and using other delivery instruments. These include mobile phone networks and in-kind provision of goods and services—especially health, food, and transportation—to reach people most in need or currently left out.

Social safety nets could result in a better redistribution if a larger share of the poorest 20 per cent of the population receives more benefits relative to the richest 20 percent of the population.

(IMF) To help businesses rehire workers after the pandemic, governments could plan temporary payroll tax cuts to encourage firms to hire. To get people to spend, they can use time-bound

value-added-tax reductions or consumption vouchers.

Smaller investment projects can be accelerated. More broadly, countries can legislate in advance measures that would automatically activate in downturns, for example some social benefits and tax relief. This would get much needed fiscal support to people faster. At the same time, the scope of support depends on a country’s ability to finance these measures .

INVEST FOR THE FUTURE Quality public investment is necessary in health care systems to protect people and minimize the risks from future epidemics. Other priorities include infrastructure, green technologies like wind and solar energy, and progress toward other Sustainable Development Goals such as education and access to clean water and sanitation. Additional investment needs are likely to exceed $20 trillion, globally at current prices, over the next two decades.

Considering the long lead time of capital projects like roads, bridges, and clean

energy, governments should start now to review the investment pipeline. This will give them time to resolve bottlenecks and prepare a set of ready-to-implement projects they can deploy once the Great Lockdown ends.

Decisions, including whether and how much to scale up quality public investment, will depend on the needs in specific sectors and their economic and social benefits, financing capacity, and the efficiency of public investment. This last point is critical for all countries because one-third of funds for public infrastructure is lost worldwide to inefficiency and corruption.

For advanced economies with ample room in the budget such as Germany and the Netherlands, spending more on public investment is worthwhile because the value of the resulting assets will likely exceed the liabilities incurred given how low interest rates are. This in turn improves the public sector’s net worth. For countries with less room to maneuver when it comes to spending, such as Italy and Spain, they can redirect revenues and expendi-

tures to increase investment.

In emerging markets and developing economies such as Brazil and South Africa, high debt levels and rising interest payments call for financing development in a prudent and sustainable way.

These countries should try to achieve more with less. Raising tax revenues over the long term would be crucial for low-income developing countries such as Nigeria.

Supporting the recovery with fiscal tools while managing higher government debt levels is a delicate balancing act. The pandemic and its economic fallout, along with policy responses, have contributed to a major increase in fiscal deficits and government debt ratios.

As the pandemic abates and the economy recovers, government debt ratios are expected to stabilize, albeit at new—higher—levels. If the recovery takes longer than expected, debt dynamics could be more unfavorable.

As the pandemic subsides, countries can support their economic rebound with an eye on advancing credible medium-term reform plans. (IMF)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Coronavirus: Does being overweight or obese affect how ill people get?

Being obese is known to increase the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Early research suggests it may also make people more ill with Covid-19, but why is this the case?

IS THERE EVIDENCE OBESITY IS A RISK FOR THE VIRUS? This question has been the subject of many studies as experts try to work out the answer. * In a study of nearly 17,000 hospital patients with Covid-19 in the UK, those who were obese - with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 - had a 33% greater risk of dying than those who were not obese. * A separate study of NHS electronic health records found a doubling of the risk of dying from Covid-19 among people who were obese. If other health conditions linked to obesity such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes were also taken into account the risk would be even higher, the researchers said. * And a study of critically ill patients in UK intensive care units found that nearly 34.5% were overweight, 31.5% were obese

and 7% morbidly obese (a total of 73%), compared to 26% with a healthy BMI. These figures compare to 64% overweight and obese in the UK population - 35% with a BMI of 25-29 and 29% with a BMI of 30 or higher.

Body mass index is calculated as someone’s weight in kilograms divided by their height in metres squared.

Given high rates of global obesity, the World Obesity Federation says a high percentage of people who contract coronavirus “will also have a BMI over 25”.

Early studies from the US, Italy and China also suggest it is an important risk factor.

Ageing, being a man and underlying health issues all increase the risk of becoming more seriously ill from Covid-19. * A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself? * AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise * HOPE AND LOSS: Your coronavirus stories * L O O K - U P TOOL: Check cases in your area * STRESS: How to look after your mental health

Higher levels of this molecule are thought to be found in adipose tissue, or fatty tissue, which people who are obese have more of - under the skin and around their organs.

That could be one reason they have a higher risk of catching the disease and a higher risk of being ill with it.

Being obese is known to increase the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes (BBC photo)

WHY IS BEING OBESE A RISK? The more overweight you are, the more fat you’re carrying, the less fit you are and the lower your lung capacity. This means it is a bigger struggle to get oxygen into the blood and around the body. This impacts on the heart and blood flow too.

“Because people are more overweight, they also have a demand for more oxygen. So that means their system is actually undergoing greater pressure,” says Prof Naveed Sattar, from the University of Glasgow.

During an infection like coronavirus, this can be serious.

“Eventually the obese body becomes overwhelmed by the lack of oxygen getting to the major organs,” says Dr Dyan Sellayah, from the University of Reading.

That is one reason why overweight and obese people in intensive care are more likely to need assistance with breathing and support with kidney function.

WHAT ROLE DO FAT CELLS PLAY? Scientists have discovered that an enzyme called ACE2, present in cells, is the main way for the virus to enter the body.

IS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AFFECTED TOO? On top of everything else, the ability of the body to fight off the virus - known as the immune response - is not as good in people who are obese.

That’s due to inflammation driven by immune cells called macrophages which invade our fat tissue. They interfere with how our cells respond to infection.

According to scientists, this can lead to a ‘cytokine storm’ - a potentially life-threatening over-reaction of the body’s immune system which causes inflammation and serious harm.

A specific type of fat tissue is prone to macrophage invasion. This may explain why people from black, African and ethnic minority backgrounds (BAME), who have more of this type of tissue, “have elevated

rates of diabetes, and may be more vulnerable to the virus,” Dr Sellayah says.

Could there be other hidden problems?

Obesity often comes with other health issues, such as a weak heart or lungs, a poorly-functioning kidney or type 2 diabetes.

This may not come to light until the development of a severe infection such as Covid-19 and they all put extra stress on the body.

Blood clots are also more likely to develop, but it’s not clear why.

WHAT ABOUT HOSPITAL CARE? There can be challenges when it comes to managing patients with obesity in intensive care because it is more difficult to intubate them, and to scan them because of weight limits.

Heavier patients may also be more tricky to turn, or prone, in order to relieve their breathing.

The best way is to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Fast walking, jogging and cycling are good options, even with social distancing measures in force.

Otherwise, try to eat slowly and avoid situations where you could be tempted to overeat. (BBC)

PAHO and UNOPS unveil new guidelines to Mayor Narine distributes prevent COVID-19 for construction workers face masks to vendors Washington D.C. / Panama City, May 8, 2020 (PAHO / UNOPS) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) today published new guidelines for workers on construction projects so they can take measures to prevent infection from the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19.

COVID 19 - Preventive Measures on Construction Projects – available only in Spanish at this time – provides instructions that contractors and staff on construction sites can implement during the pandemic to prevent the infection and spread of coronavirus in these workplaces. It also contains communication materials to post on construction sites, which include tips and solutions to reduce health risks and save lives.

The publication contains guidelines and suggestions on how to implement prevention protocols, including measures to be taken in the workplace, advice for managers and workers during and after projects, and suggested procedures in case of infection, among others. This covers the screening process when entering a construction project,

preventive measures related to the use of transportation by staff, what to do if there are cases of COVID-19, and tips for managing stress in the context of the pandemic. The publication, prepared jointly by PAHO and UNOPS, seeks to ensure that construction and infrastructure projects have clear, timely, and accurate information, and serve as a reliable source for people working in this sector of the economy.

Likewise, these recommendations will be subject to review by both organizations with the aim of adapting them to any new information and evidence on COVID-19. It will also be adapted to the epidemiological scenarios that may occur, as well as the application of public health measures, such as those related to social distancing. Having information that also helps protect and prepare for different possible scenarios during the pandemic is essential to limit the spread of COVID-19 on construction sites, as well as the fears related to it, and to mitigate its consequences. These recommendations from both agencies must take into account local recommendations and provisions in applying this guide.

MAYOR of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, on Wednesday, distributed a total of 300 face masks to vendors at Stabroek and Bourda markets.

The donation of the masks came from the Assemblies of God Churches in Guyana.

General Treasurer of the Assemblies of God in Guyana, Rev. Chetram Lall, said the good gesture seeks to ensure that citizens, inclusive of vendors, in all the municipal markets in the country are complying with the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organisation’s precautionary measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19.

Mayor Narine expressed gratitude for the donation and said he wants to help his Guyanese brothers and sisters to be safe, when going about

their daily business.

“I don’t want them to pay the fine, and if we see that both vendors and customers are wearing masks, then we will withdraw all fines,” he said.

The mayor called upon stallholders, vendors and all Guyanese to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Guyana.

He also called on the business community to come on board and help the Mayor and City Council in the fight against the spread of the virus.

The city mayor noted the business community can assist by providing packages to distribute to homes of those in need.

Recently, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council announced new measures at municipal markets to combat

and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

All stallholders/vendors and their staff are required to wear face masks during business hours or pay a fine of $5,000.

Shoppers without masks are not allowed to enter the market and only a limited number of shoppers will be able to gain entry at a given time.

Stallholders are required to practise social distancing and will be held accountable for any breaches.

Anyone found of selling in unauthorised spots will have to pay a removal fee of $25,000.

The operational hours for all municipal markets are from 07:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs.

These measures took effect on Wednesday, May 6.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 9, 2020

Commonwealth countries must maintain essential non-covid healthcare while tackling coronavirus pandemic

COUNTRIES should maintain essential healthcare to nonCOVID-19 patients while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

This is a message from Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, ahead of the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting taking place virtually on May 14.

Some countries have temporarily suspended cancer treatment and surgery to help hospitals manage an influx of COVID-19 patients. At the same time, contagion suppression tactics such as lockdowns and border closures have limited the delivery of mosquito nets, insect repellents and vaccination schedules.

Treatment and vaccination disruptions for preventable and curable illnesses could significantly increase

mortality, according to the World Health Organisation.

The Secretary-General said: “The spread of COVID-19 has brought home to us with greater immediacy the devastating impact that disease can have on every aspect of our lives.

“The global response to COVID-19 has been impressive, but let us not lose focus on other health threats which kill thousands daily and put millions more at risk.

“Authorities should follow guidelines issued by the World Health Organiation. They need to determine which health services ought to continue based on their local context and deploy whatever resources are available to deliver maximum treatment and care for all in need.”

A study by Johns Hopkins Uni-

versity predicts that about one million women and children could die in the next six months because the pandemic is disrupting routine health services in low and middle-income countries.

These disruptions include a lack of access to family planning, ante and postnatal care, vaccinations and limited equipment, supplies and medical staff available during childbirth.

Patricia Scotland said: “Even before the present pandemic, our Commonwealth focus has been on the priority of providing Universal Health Coverage, so that all citizens have access to essential health services without financial hardship.

“This is particularly important for pregnant women and young children, to avoid unnecessary mortality,

COVID-19 creates churches in many homes

and becomes even more so in mobilising healthcare resources in order to respond effectively to the pandemic.”

As of May 7, COVID-19 has killed about 264,000 people. Based on the 2017 data, COVID-19 is far behind other diseases in terms of mortality, while heart disease and cancer were the leading cause of death globally killing nearly 10 to 18 million respectively.

Kathleen McCourt, President of the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation, said: “Over the past few months, countries across the world have implemented unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the infection at great economic and human costs.

“It is worthwhile, however, to reflect that existing diseases do not

take a holiday.”

Since last week, health organisations have warned that COVID-19 could trigger a spike in malaria and measles cases as some vaccination and prevention measures are on hold.

Prof Kathleen added: “While our focus is on this pandemic and to put the infection and death rates from COVID-19 into a broader perspective. It is essential that governments do not neglect the major causes of death and disability in their countries, particularly those affecting the most vulnerable, such as women and children.”

She said, like other pandemics, COVID-19 will run its course, but that other major diseases are here to stay unless countries remain vigilant.

EU ambassador hails unity among European nations on Europe Day

-- as prayer services are held online IN a bid to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus, many churches have turned to the use of the Internet to continue evangelising and encouraging their various congregations not to lose their faith during this deadly pandemic.

According to Apostle B. Ragnauth of Life Spring Ministries, despite not being able to physically deliver a sermon to his beloved congregation, he has managed to reach more persons and even connect with other evangelists like himself.

Apostle Ragnauth stated that his church has been observing the no congregating rule since the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in Guyana and has since been using the Internet as a means of hosting sermons, prayer sessions and song services via Facebook videos and lives.

He added that he recently shared a video of a prayer session, and to his surprise, it went viral on the Internet as persons from all walks of life and various parts of the world began sharing the video.

Ragnauth noted that while churches are closed, the Internet has proven to be

a more effective and efficient way of spreading the gospel, especially to those who are either fighting for their lives or fighting to save lives in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharing a similar view, a deacon attached the Guyana Seventh Day Adventist Conference, who requested anonymity, stated that there is now a church in every home since more persons can connect with each other.

“We are seeing more parties coming out, especially in the nightly meetings, opposed to coming out psychically,” he stated.

He added that the online sermons have managed to help churches connect with persons across the world, reaching even more persons and encouraging them to hold the faith during the current health crisis.

He further noted that while the online church has its advantages, there are still some disadvantages since many persons, especially the elderly, may not have access to the Internet to participate in the online service.

However, he noted that the Seventh-Day Adventist community has managed to bring several ministries together, such as youth minis-

tries, reaching an even wider congregation.

He added that despite not being able to meet psychically to worship and congregate, churches have found very creative ways to worship.

TITHES AND OFFERING In the Christian Community, giving tithes and offering is known as a means of giving back to the church and various communities.

A tithe is a specific amount (10 per cent of one’s income) that one gives first, and an offering is anything extra that one can give beyond that.

However, due to the virus, many churches are no longer congregating and persons are unable to maintain tithes and offering.

When questioned how his ministry is giving back, Apostle Ragnauth revealed that given the current situation, members of the congregation are eager to find ways of assisting the less fortunate during the health crisis.

As such, his ministry has set up a specific date and time where persons can maintain their tithes and offerings, along with other donations.

EU Ambassador to Guyana Fernando Ponz Canto

EUROPEAN Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana Fernando Ponz Canto has hailed the unity and development among European nations around the world in observance of Europe Day. Europe Day is observed annually on May 9 and celebrates peace and unity in Europe.

It marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’.

At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable.

His vision was to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production. A treaty creating such a body

was signed just under a year later. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union. ‘’On Europe Day it is time to recall our core values and the unity in our foundation, 70 years ago. While the current circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic don’t call for celebrations, we have all the reasons to be proud of the way we are overcoming a major crisis by standing united, as Europeans,” Ambassador Canto stated.

He added: “And even though this year we are unable to open our doors, we can still mark the day, together in distance, as after 70 years Schuman’s words apply more than ever: the EU is built on solidarity.’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

‘We are food-secure’ -COVID-19 situation reveals Guyana’s potential to serve more markets

By Navendra Seoraj CLASPING your hands and closing your eyes before a meal is a simple show of appreciation for “food on your plate,” something which is not readily available to thousands of persons across the world, who are impoverished or might just not have access to food because of prevailing circumstances, such as the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

While there is no evidence to show that every Guyanese is exempted from this fate, there is substantial evidence to show that the nation is “food-secure,” especially at a time when the local economy, like many others, has taken a hit from external and internal shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says people are considered food-secure when they have adequate access at all times to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. It also lists “food availability,” “food access” and “food utilisation” as pivotal, central planks of food security.

And according to an article from the New York Post, the coronavirus pandemic has brought hunger to millions of people around the world. The report stated that national lockdowns and social-distancing measures are drying up work and incomes, and are likely to disrupt agricultural production and supply routes, leaving millions to worry about how they will get enough to eat.

In listing some examples of this phenomenon, the New York Post said in the largest slum in Kenya’s capital, people desperate to eat set off a stampede during a recent giveaway of flour and cooking oil, leaving scores injured and two people dead.

Additionally, in India, thousands of workers are lining up twice a day for bread and fried vegetables to keep hunger at bay. And across Colombia-Guyana’s South American counterpart--poor households are hanging red clothing and flags from their windows and balconies as a sign that they are hungry. The New York Post said experts have determined that the world has never faced

a hunger emergency like this.

GUYANESE WILL NOT GO HUNGRY Guyana, however, continues to stay “above water” in this regard, and in putting Guyana’s situation in simple terms, Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth said: “Guyanese will not go hungry.”

The country, he said, is food-secure and will be able to “weather the storm,” because there has been no evident drop in the production of fruits and vegetables.

NAREI has been monitoring the local production of vegetables and fruits and according to Dr. Homenauth, to this end, there has been no decline. For the first quarter of the year (January to March), production was over 179,000 tonnes, compared to 170,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2019. “Apart from COVID-19, we had dry conditions which may have affected crops, so we saw a slight decrease in terms of acreage of some commodities. The decrease in acreage

Director of NAREI, Dr. Oudho Homenauth

continues to be a trend,” said the director.

Despite this prevailing trend, Dr. Homenauth said no sector has been hard-hit, but there has been an inevitable decrease in the exportation of some commodities. There has been a reduction in air cargo, especially to Canada and the United States of America because of the restriction on air travel. “Export, [sic] however, continues within the CARICOM region…things like pumpkin, watermelon and eddoes are going by sea…the local processors also continue to absorb various produce, so there is no surplus,” said the director.

NEW PROGRAMME Although production remains stable, the Ministry of

Agriculture has been considering the implementation of a programme which will assist farmers who are suffering from a shortage of disposable income and supplies to cultivate their crops.

Dr. Homenauth said the programme is still being tweaked, but the existing advice to farmers, is to produce commodities that are being utilised right now. Some of those commodities include cherries and passion fruit, which are being used by local processors and even individuals, who are building their immune system with Vitamin C, to fight off the COVID-19.

Considering that Guyana is able to produce commodities to the extent that there is room for a conscious reduction, it is evident that irrespective of

the country’s new oil and gas sector, which has been drawing lots of attention, agriculture will continue to be the dominant sector.

“We are food-secure and we need to continue and even expand further…the situation even shows that Guyana has the potential to tap new markets, especially in the CARICOM region,” said Dr. Homenauth.

For years, Guyana, which has an import bill of about US$250 million (past reports), has been importing items such as corn, soy beans, potatoes, wheat, onions, garlic, milk and milk products, and even spices. These products, along with canned items, have contributed to the exorbitant food import bill.

The issue of a large food-import bill is not specific to Guyana, since it was reported that the yearly cost of bringing in food to the Caribbean remain anchored at US$4 billion.

In July 2019, it was reported that with the aim of exiting the high bracket, NAREI had started to explore the possibility of producing commodities such as corn and soy bean, specifically for the livestock feed industry, which expends in excess of US$20 million on imports.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Barcelona return to individual training

(BBC) - LIONEL Messi and his Barcelona team-mates returned to individual training on Friday.

They have done so after La Liga started testing players for coronavirus this week as part of the protocols in place for training to resume and elite football in Spain to get going again behind closed doors in June.

The protocols are part of a four-phase process progressing from preparation for training, individual training, group training and then collective training.

With Germany’s Bundesliga restarting on 16 May, BBC Sport looks at La Liga’s path to following suit in due course.

Players have to be tested two days before they can start individual sessions, along with any coaching staff and club personnel who will be part of the training camp.

All players, coaching staff and those on the medical team will also have to be tested daily once training starts, while anyone else who is part of the camp has to have a minimum of three tests during the different phases.

A positive test will mean that person having to isolate.

Anyone they have been in contact with will also have to isolate until the test results come back.

INDIVIDUAL TRAINING Players will travel to training camps in their kit and on their own, with their arrival staggered and no more than 12 training at any one time.

A maximum of six players can train on the same pitch and, after training, they will be given their training kit for the following day in a closed, biodegradable bag.

They put their dirty kit in this bag at home and deposit it in a bin at training the following day for it to be washed.

GROUP TRAINING Phase three onwards could see squads and staff based at a training ground or team hotel.

First-team squads will be divided into eight-player groups, who will train in different time slots.

Dressing rooms will be used during this phase but limited to three players in each, with training kits and boots prepared for them and placed as far apart as possible.

After training, players will be allowed to shower in the dressing rooms they used and leave dirty training kits in baskets. These dressing rooms

Messi and Barcelona trained for the first time in nearly two months on Friday will be cleaned following each group’s training slot.

Players will be able to use the canteen one group at a time, with social distancing guidelines observed and food placed in individual bags for them.

COLLECTIVE TRAINING SESSIONS The next phase will be a full return to training, but the provisions on the cleaning of facilities, equipment and clothing will remain.

All staff will continue to wear facemasks and gloves.

Official figures show more than 26,000 people have died with coronavirus in Spain and there have been more than 222,000 positive tests.

While La Liga president Javier Tebas has made no secret of wanting to get football up and running again, he insists “people’s health is paramount” and is the reason for the “comprehensive protocol”.

“Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our season this summer,” he said.

Real Madrid, second to Barcelona, with 11 rounds of games remaining, plan to restart individual training on Monday and their captain, Sergio Ramos, says he “can’t wait to get playing and competing... as long as there is no risk of contagion”.

“I think it is time for those of us who are involved in football to take a step forward,” added Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

However, there have been concerns expressed by the Eibar squad, who released a statement to a Spanish radio station.

“It worries us that by doing what we like most, we could get infected and infect our family and friends and even contribute to a new wave of the pandemic – with the terrible consequences that would have for the whole population,” said the statement.

“The health of everyone should be the most important thing and now is the time to back this idea up with actions and not just words. We ask for guarantees and we demand responsibility.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday May 09, 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) Hamilton Masakadza-147 (Bulawayo, 2017) (2) Brian Lara-191 (Bulawayo, 2003)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who is the only Zimbabwean player to take a Test match hattrick to date?

(2) Which WI left-arm spinner has bagged most Test wickets to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Ighalo hopes united deal extended to season end (BBC) - ODION Ighalo hopes his loan deal at Manchester United is extended until the Premier League season is completed.

The Nigeria striker, 30, moved from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January and has a contract until 31 May. Premier League bosses hope to resume the season in June but, with China’s Super League also intent on a restart, Ighalo may have to return to Shanghai.

“I would like to finish the season if it’s possible,” Ighalo told BBC Sport.

“I was in good form, good shape, scoring goals and now we’ve stopped now for over a month. I’ve given it my best and hopefully we’ll come back to play.

“The team had a good momentum before the pandemic started. At the moment I’m on loan, and this will cut short my time at the club.”

BBC Sport understand United are keen

to extend Nigeria international Ighalo’s contract.

He has scored four goals in eight games in all competitions for United, including once in the 5-0 Europa League last-16 win over LASK on 12 March, a day before the Premier League season was suspended.

“The club, myself, every footballer is going through a lot because we can’t do what we love and what we know how to do best, so we’re just thinking about that for now and to finish the season before we start thinking about the contract,” said Ighalo.

“I just want everyone to be safe and see what the future holds.”

United are fifth in the table with nine games remaining.

Ighalo said the Premier League will make the right decision in order to ensure players are “safe and healthy” if and when play resumes.

Up to five substitutes allowed when football resumes

The temporary change to the laws of the game is designed to safeguard players (BBC) - TEAMS will be allowed to use five substitutes when the season resumes after a Fifa proposal to help with fixture congestion was approved.

The change applies to competitions due to be completed within this calendar year, and the decision on whether to implement the changes is for each relevant competition organiser.

There is also an option to stop using the video assistant referee system because of safety concerns over officials working together in a small room for the duration of matches.

Most leagues around the world have been halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany’s Bundesliga is due to resume next week, while the Premier League’s Project Restart has a prospective resumption next month.

The International Football Association Board (Ifab), football’s rule-making body, has agreed to a temporary change to the laws of the game in order to protect player welfare.

“The temporary amendment comes into force with immediate effect, and has

been made as matches may be played in a condensed period in different weather conditions, both of which could have impacts on player welfare,” Ifab said in a statement.

Ifab and Fifa will decide at a later stage whether to extend the ruling to the 2020-21 season.

HOW IT WILL WORK Each team will be allowed to use a maximum of five substitutes.

To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.

If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.

Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.

Where competition rules allow an additional substitution in extra time, teams will each have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.

Ighalo has scored 16 goals in 35 games for Nigeria Premier League clubs will meet on Monday to discuss a resumption to the season.

The Chinese Super League is hopeful of restarting in late June.

The Chinese football association has made a proposal for all professional clubs to cut the salaries of players and coaches by up to 50% to help combat the financial impact of the pandemic.

Son completes military training; earns best performance award (BBC) - TOTTENHAM Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has completed his three-week mandatory military service in South Korea - and won an award for the best performance.

Officials said the 27-year-old excelled in shooting skills and was the top performer among 157 trainees.

Son had returned to his homeland in March to continue his recovery from a fractured arm while the season is suspended because of coronavirus.

All South Korean men must complete military service by the age of 28.

Son had earned exemption from the mandatory 21-month military service after helping South Korea win the 2018 Asian Games.

He graduated at a ceremony on Friday at a Marine Corps unit on the island of Jeju in the south of the country.

His military service included shooting and bayonet skills, chemical, biological and radiological training, individual battle skills and first aid training.

“He received the ‘Pilsung’ prize, which is one of five types of awards for best performers,” an officer said, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

“All the courses were judged in a fair and strict manner, and his military training officers have said he went through the training faithfully.”

Spurs congratulated their player on

Son Heung-min with his award social media and said he will return to London next week.

Son had surgery in February after fracturing an arm during Tottenham’s 3-2 victory at Aston Villa.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho said he did not expect Son to play again this season, though that was before the Premier League’s shutdown.

Although he has now finished his military training, Son will still have to complete 544 hours of community service over the next 34 months.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Titans president lauds parents, players for ‘Magical atmosphere’ initiative shown during covid19 lockdown will be missing - Kohli –– Says measures in place to protect players, fans in the future

By Clifton Ross PRESIDENT of the Titans Table Tennis Club Dwayne Dick, lauded the actions taken by both players and parents following the current state of lockdown on sports.

Table-Tennis players like many others have been served some indefinite downtime due to the covid-19 spread which continues to wreak havoc globally.

Speaking with Chronicle Sports yesterday, Dick said he was overwhelmed by the support and efforts shown by the parents of the young table tennis players.

“I have to commend the player’s parents. Some of the parents have really stepped up to ensure that the players stay fit, by watching videos on techniques and other training methods. I also have been sharing some as well and I have been advising parents to some extent as to the relevant workouts” Dick outlined.

One of the highlights of the quarantine according to the president is the dedication shown by Colin Wong, the 2019 bronze medallist In Boys Under 13 at CRTTF championship, boys singles and doubles.

Wong has been hitting the weights daily while working on his technique and according to his coach, “He’s very motivated and staying disciplined throughout all this”.

He added that it is crucial for all the athletes to maintain their fitness. “For them it’s more about long

(REUTERS) - THE magical atmosphere will be missing if the cricket season currently stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic resumes in empty stadiums, India captain Virat Kohli has said.

The spread of the novel coronavirus has brought sport to a standstill and staging games without spectators has been suggested as one way to resume professional cricket.

“Things will still go on, but I doubt that one will feel

Colin Wong doing some weight training term development, a way of life for them. This is the opportune time for them to go hard in terms of strength and conditioning because they have more time to rest and recover”.

He continued, “I also encourage them to catch up with schoolwork, bcus that is always a challenge for student athletes, who usually juggle the two. As a matter of fact I am tutoring some of them in math via virtual platforms”.

Speaking on the energy coming from the camp, Dick said the feedback was positive from his players. “They are learning to cope with uncertainty and learning to appreciate the fact that they are capable of adjusting to circumstances. “ Most importantly, whenever sports locally resumes, safety will be key and the club head echoed similar sentiments, saying measures are already in place to ensure player’s safety is optimum.

“Less players at training sessions,” Cleaning the ball, racket and tables frequently.

Also fumigating the venue regularly. We will be monitoring or testing maybe once a month for Covid until such time”. He confirmed.

With regards to fans, plans are also in place to ensure they too are kept safe. “We will have to limit spectators at tournament venues and play less categories a day to minimise player contact”. Dick ended.

Barca declared winners of Liga Iberdrola (Reuters) - Barcelona’s women’s team were officially declared champions of Spain’s Liga Iberdrola on Friday after the national soccer federation’s executive committee agreed to end all non-professional competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federation said in a statement that the committee had ratified all decisions made by the organisation on Wednesday, which also meant there would be no relegation from the women’s top flight or the second and third tiers of the men’s game.

The statement added that there would still be promotion to the men’s second tier and the top flight women’s league via playoff matches which will be played without spectators.

Barca held a nine-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid when the competition was halted in March as a result of the pandemic, with nine matches remaining in the campaign.

Atletico will join Barca in next season’s Champions League while Valencia and Espanyol, who occu-

pied the two relegation places when the season was paused, will be spared being demoted.

Two teams will go up from the second tier, meaning the top-flight will have 18 teams instead of the current 16 next year.

While the non-professional competitions have come to an end, Spain’s top two divisions are expected to resume in June, with a number of clubs returning to individual training on Friday for the first time in two months.

Virat Kohli in a pensive mood © BCCI that magic happening inside because of the atmosphere that was created,” Kohli said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected Show.

“We will play sports how it is supposed to be played, but those magical moments will be difficult to come by.”

India are set to visit Australia for four tests and three one-day internationals later this year, games which are likely to be played in empty stadiums.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes said playing without fans in attendance would not dampen the competitive side of matches and Kohli agrees.

“I know matches will be played at a very good intensity but that feeling of the crowd connecting with the players and the tension of the game where everyone goes through it in the stadium, those emotions are difficult to recreate,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 9, 2020

Lack of ‘loyalty and commitment’ hurting West Indies cricket – Kenny CMC – FORMER West Indies fast bowler Kenny Benjamin says cricket in the Caribbean is suffering from players’ lack of loyalty and commitment, and intervention is required to save the sport.

The Antiguan called for coaches, mentors, teachers and parents to “teach these youngers, even before they get into national youth teams and so on, about commitment and loyalty”.

“We cannot just believe we want to make money from cricket and we’re not loyal to anyone or any particular thing. The mentality and the thinking show me

why we are struggling,” he said on Mason & Guest radio show here on Tuesday night when asked what advice he would give to young Windies cricketers to improve their performances, particularly in the longer format of the game.

Benjamin’s comments also came against the background of controversial public outbursts by West Indies batting star Chris Gayle who unleashed a verbal attack on his former Windies teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan after being released from Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise team Jamaica Tallawahs.

In a three-part video on YouTube in which he referred to the Tallawahs assistant coach in unflattering terms, Gayle accused of conspiring with management of the franchise to get rid of him.

The 53-year-old Benjamin, who played 26 Tests and 26 One Day Internationals for the West Indies in his career, said disagreements among players back then were handled differently.

“A guy said something, you deal with it, you tell him off and you move on.

It was more a fight between the territorial boards. Now West Indies Cricket Board

Former West Indies fast bowler Kenny Benjamin is trying to become a professional organization, it seems to me it’s like it’s the players now where there

is a separation. It seems to me like dog eat dog, every man for himself, everybody thinking in their own space,” he complained.

“And I think that is the challenge for us and we need to fix that, and we need to fix that at a very early age because once you go into international level with that mentality, that kind of mindset, it’s going to create some problems.”

Benjamin also had some suggestions for Cricket West Indies to improve the regional game.

“We need to make the regional franchise fully professional. They need to function that way and not just the

regional level. They need to look at youth development, coaching education, all of these things have to be in play and have to be working as a well-oiled machinery,” he said.

“What we’re seeing at an international level is just the fruit that we’re bearing.

So we really and truly have to start to get the franchises functioning properly, making sure that when these guys would have reached Under-19s, the whole mindset and the whole training, the mental aspect and everything would be ready for them to move on to the next level.”

Ramdin disappointed by TKR release but excited about Patriots CMC- THOUGH disappointed that his home franchise chose not to retain him for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin is looking forward to proving his worth to his new squad, the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the 35-yearold who has played in the CPL tournament since its inception in 2013, helping the Trinbago Knight Riders

(TKR) to the title in 2017 and 2018, was released by the franchise and subsequently signed by Patriots.

“I was very disappointed but it was beyond my control; it’s sport. I had lots of fun memories with them on and off the field, winning two trophies,” the Trinidadian, who scored 190 runs with a top score of 50 in the 2019 CPL, told Sportsmax.

However, he added: “I am happy to join a new team.

It’s all about business and

nothing else.”

The former West Indies captain added that Patriots would benefit from his experience and ability to adapt to any situation during this year’s CPL which is tentatively still set for August 19 – September 26, even as organisers keep a close eye on the COVID-19 pandemic that has halted sporting activity across the world.

Over his six seasons playing in the CPL for the Guy-

ana Amazon Warriors and TKR, Ramdin amassed more than 1 000 runs. Of those, 619 of them were made at TKR, making him one of four players to have scored 500-plus runs for the franchise which he spent four years with.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday after it was announced he had not been retained, he thanked fans for supporting him during his stint with the two-time CPL champions.

“Now it’s time to move on,” he added.

Ramdin was the only new Caribbean player signed by Patriots. The team members retained by the franchise were: Rayad Emrit, Evin Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, and West Indies emerging player Dominic Drakes.

Over a career that has spanned more than a decade and more, Ramdin scored over 2 000 runs in both Tests and ODIs.

Denesh Ramdin His tally of 188 dismissals as a wicketkeeper is the third highest for any Windies keeper.

Interest in head coach job a good sign – Murray (CMC) - THE overwhelming interest shown in the position of head coach of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force should be viewed as a genuine interest in developing the game and not a grab for money, believes West Indies cricket legend Deryck Murray.

At the April 30 deadline for submission of applications, a total of 18 people had thrown their hats into the ring for the job advertised by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) on April 2. Among them were former coach Mervyn Dillon whose contract expired at the end of April and several applicants from outside the twin-island republic.

Speaking on the Mason & Guest radio programme here on Tuesday night, Trini-

dadian Murray said he did not believe the competition for the job was solely related to pay.

“I’m sure it’s not that well-paid that you’d leave whatever you were doing to run and go to be the coach. But it’s just the thrill of being able to harness the talents of young people in any sport, and a sport you love, cricket,” said the 76-year-old who captained T&T from 1976 to 1981 and was vice-captain of the West Indies teams that won the 1975 and the 1979 World Cups.

“It’s a job that people would love and I think that’s why people are applying.”

However, Murray admitted being surprised by the number of overseas applications.

Among the non-Trinidadians who

want the job are 38-year-old Barbadian and former West Indies left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, Pakistan Test batsman Atiq-Uz-Zaman, Sri Lankan Pasindu Liyanaarachichi, Asadullah Khan of Afghanistan, and Heinrich Malan of South Africa.

“You know you expect that if it was the Test match team or the Women’s West Indies team but I’m surprised that they had as many as 18 applications, but it just shows how many people want to be involved in cricket and that’s good for the game,” said Murray, who is now T&T’s High Commissioner to Jamaica.

The TTCB is expected to put a committee in place by the middle of this month to set up interviews with the applicants and

provide recommendations.

The new coach will be responsible for cricket management of all players who are selected from time to time to represent the national team; facilitating the successful performance of the team through team building, morale boosting and confidence building techniques; determining and implementing strategies for the improvement of the technical skills of individual players and the team in general; determining strategies and tactics for facilitating the success of the team against opposing teams; providing leadership and good interpersonal relationships with other members of the management team, captain and other players so as to engender unity and a common objective.

Titans president lauds parents, players for initiative shown during covid19 lockdown

Dwayne dick Titans Table Tennis president

see story on page 22

–– Says measures in place to protect players, fans in the future

Interest in head coach job a good sign – Murray see story on page 23

LIONEL MESSI

Former T&T skipper and West Indies vice-captain Deryck Murray

Barcelona return to individual training

see story on page 20

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020