Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_12_05_2020

TUESDAY 12th May, 2020

' No.105997

12 NEW CASES IN 3 DAYS …Gov’t pleads with citizens to obey stay home order

…as total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climb to 109

SEE STORY PAGE 03

Electoral wrongdoings can impact final results …GECOM commissioner warns

SEE STORY ON PAGE 10

President hails nurses for stellar contribution to society …praises work for leading COVID-19 fight

PAGE

13

Woman killed by son-in-law SEE STORY ON PAGE 14

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

PPP concedes recount timeframe too short

…GECOM to review operations

By Svetlana Marshall ONE week into the National Recount, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will, today, conduct a thorough review of the process. An important item on the agenda is the 25-day time-frame initially set for its execution.

With only 261 of the 2,339 ballot boxes counted to date – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) conceded, on Monday, that the 25-day period set by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission was insufficient to facilitate the completion of the National Recount of the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Ahead of the recount, the PPP/C had proposed that the process be conducted within a period of 10 days using some 20 workstations, but, on Monday, its Executive Member, Anil Nandlall, admitted that 25 days are simply not enough using the 10 workstations that are currently in operation.

“Based upon the pace at which we are proceeding, and you can work it out mathematically, it will not conclude within the 25-day period,” Nandlall told reporters outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) – the site for the National Recount. He proposed, however, that the number of workstations be increased from 10 – a recommendation the PPP/C intends to put forward when it meets with the Elections Commission today.

A New and United Guyana (ANUG) Representative, Kian Jabour, unequivocally supported an extension. “There is zero question about that, and I would challenge anyone to come out here and say that they are not in favour of extending the 25-day to ensure the process is credible,” Jabour told reporters.

He noted that the duration should be a secondary issue once the transparency of the process continues. “We are

now,” he said while noting that some of the observations could have been raised prior to the Elections.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward

extremely satisfied up to this point with the work that GECOM is doing in creating a credible and transparent recount process,” Jabour said while acknowledging that the country is awaiting a final declaration of the results for the General and Regional Elections.

The PPP/C has repeatedly lashed out at the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) over what it described as unnecessary observations and objections such as allegations of ghost voters, missing Official List of Electors and Affidavits.

According to the PPP/C, those observations are meant to derail and drag on the process but Jabour said it is critical for GECOM to clarify concerns raised during the process to allow for transparent recount. “I appreciate the observation reports, in the sense that they show that people have objections, and I think that it is important for clarity and transparency but what I do have a problem with, is why is it happening

Lowenfield, had noted that it would take approximately two (2) hours to process and count the contents in a single ballot box – a proposal which did not receive the support of the PPP/C-nomi-

PPP/C Representative Anil Nandlall

Monday marked Day 6 of the National Recount, during which a total of 53 ballot boxes were counted – 15 from Region One (Barima-Waini), 11 from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 15 from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and 12 from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

On Day One (May 6) a total of 25 ballot boxes were processed; the following day – May 7– another 40 were counted and May 8 (Day 3) 43. At the end of Day 4 – May 9 – another 49 ballot boxes were processed and

by Day 5, an additional 51.

Were the Elections Commission to count a total of 50 ballot boxes a day, it would take approximately 47 days using the 10 workstations it has established, in keeping with the capacity of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre and the National Emergency Measures to prevent any possible spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). In his Operational Plan, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith

nated Commissioners – who in a counter proposal estimated the counting of ballots within a box would take one hour. However, based on official reports since the commencement of the National Recount, in some cases the teams operating at the workstations are taking as long as 3 hours 30 minutes to count the ballots in one box.

Today, when the Elections Commission meets, it will likely determine whether it will extend the timeline.

ASSESSMENT OF RECOUNT Aside from the pace at which the ballot boxes are being counted, the Elections Commission will be doing an assessment of the entire recount. “Not only will we be reviewing the number of days, we will be reviewing the process itself to see if we could do things quicker than it is presently being done,” Commissioner Alexander told reporters.

Since the commencement of the National Recount, the Elections Com-

mission has been bombarded with a number of complaints including about the time allocated to tabulate the Statements of Recount at the Tabulation Centre, the cut off time for the extraction

ANUG Representative Kian Jabour

of ballot boxes from the Containers and the live streaming of the Observation Reports among others.

GECOM, while operating from 08:00hrs to 19:00hrs at the Conference Centre, has ruled that the tabulation of Statements of Recount be conducted between 16:00hrs and 18:30hts; and that ballot boxes shall not be extracted from the containers no later than 17:00hrs – much to the dissatisfaction of the PPP/C. Further it has ruled that the Observations Report be read while being broadcast but this too did not find favour with the PPP/C. It is likely that these and other issues will be addressed when the Commission meets.

MEETING WITH SMALL PARTIES Ahead of today’s meeting, the Elections Commission met with six of the small political parties on Monday, among them A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Citizenship Initiative and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The

New Movement (TNM).

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, noted that while no decision was made at the meeting with the political parties, their concerns are likely to come up for discussion when Justice (Ret’d) Singh meets with her Commissioners today.

A variance in instruction given to various counting stations; the streamlining of the counting process to meet a timely conclusion; and the slothfulness of the tabulation process were among issues raised, in addition to clarification of the contents and information that are encompassed in a recount versus an election petition.

Weighing in on the meeting with the small parties, Commissioner Alexander, while describing it as cordial, noted that the parties were generally pleased with the smooth conduct of the recount. He said, however, that the parties recommended that decisions of the Commission be placed in writing and shared with the political parties to allow for a greater understanding of the recount process.

SECURITY SYSTEM That aside, he said the parties were pleased with the security systems in place by the Guyana Police Force.

“There was one other observation which was made and that is about the service of the police and that the police should be commended for the service being rendered and that's important to note, because, on a previous occasion, there were those who were asking for the exclusion of the police or the inclusion of private security which at that time I considered to be an absurdity,” Alexander said. He too confirmed that the Elections Commission will be discussing issues raised by the small parties.

Meanwhile, the small parties also met with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) three-member scrutinizing team at the Conference Centre.

12 new cases in 3 days

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

3

…gov’t pleads with citizens to obey stay home order …as total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climb to 109

By Navendra Seoraj A DISASTER is looming in the “land of many waters,” as cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease continue to rise at a relatively fast pace.

“Guyanese, a disaster is at our very back door and unless we exercise caution and adhere to the control measures, the model figures of 1,400 and 20,000 can become a reality,” said Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, during a COVID-19 update, on Monday.

The Ministry of Public Health, using the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) method, had initially projected 1,400 cases, but a study done by PAHO/WHO found that with every case, another 2.5 persons will be affected within five days if there is no partial lockdown and if persons do not exercise effective social distancing.

“That 2.5, if I infect you, you infect 2.5 others and they infect another 2.5. Within a month we will get over 20,000; it is a simple model but it makes a lot of sense,”

said Resident PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, in a News Room report.

Dr. Adu-Krow had said if this should happen, five per cent or 1000 of those infected, would need intensive care and Guyana simply does not have the capacity for this.

“Today (Monday), 61 days after our first positive case, we are faced with a situation where over the weekend, we recorded seven new cases and today we are reporting yet another five new cases bringing the total number of new cases in three days to 12 and the total number of confirmed cases to 109,” said Minister Lawrence.

In the last 24 hours, an additional 16 tests were done, bringing the total number of persons tested to 930, with 821 persons testing negative.

And, while the COVID-19 deaths remain at 10, there are six persons, battling for their lives, in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU); and 63 persons in institutional isolation.

“Fellow Guyanese, we have constantly been pleading with you to come forward if you have been in contact

with a positive case. We have also listed the areas where confirmed cases have been

lantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance, and

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

identified but still there is a reluctance for you to disclose your contacts,” said Minister Lawrence.

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 the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) where cases were recorded are: At-

Strathspey. 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 Re-

gion Four at Herstelling, on the EBD, and at Paradise, on the ECD. The measures can continuously be implemented, but it is up to the individuals, that is the average Guyanese, to adhere to those measures and think seriously about flattening the curve (reducing the spread).

“We must seriously think about flattening the curve and containing the spread of the virus so that we all can return to normalcy. Therefore, we ask you to put aside fear & stigma and come forward and provide the information so that your loved one, your friend or acquaintance can avoid the risk of contracting this disease and possibly losing their life,” said Minister Lawrence.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope for society, as one more person recovered recently from COVID-19, taking the number of recoveries to 36.

The disease, however, remains a serious issue, not just in Guyana, but globally. And, according to global statistics, there are over 3.7 million cases of COVID-19, with over 265,000 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.

The Ministry of Public Health continues to work with the residents in the border 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.

Sophia woman gives NA Hospital year’s first Mother’s Day baby A SOPHIA, Georgetown resident gave the New Amsterdam Hospital its first Mother’s Day baby this year.

The baby, a girl, was born just before noon, by C-Section, to 22-year-old Tianna Mitchel, of ‘C’ Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Though still in pain after her traumatic experience, young Tianna was all smiles as she welcomed the representatives of the United Bridge Builders Mission, led by its Founder and CEO, Ms. Bonita Montague, when they paid the Maternity Ward a visit, bearing little gifts for all the mothers there and their new-borns.

Also on the ward that day was Saraswattie Ethwaru, of Hampshire Village, Corentyne, who, at 35, was the oldest of the lot.

Saraswattie Ethwaru and her baby girl

Ms. Montague seized the opportunity to remind the young women of their role and responsibility as

Tianna Mitchel, 22, of ‘C’ Field, Sophia having a word with her visitors on Mother’s Day

mothers.

“I want to let you know that motherhood is much more than bearing a child;

your children are not only for you alone, but for the society as well. As such, you have to be responsible and

raise them well.”

The United Bridge Builders was formed over two decades ago, is based

in Queens, New York, and Georgetown, and primarily targets vulnerable women, children and men.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Coronavirus: Wuhan in first virus cluster since end of lockdown (BBC) New coronavirus clusters have been reported in Wuhan city - where the virus first emerged - and the north-eastern province of Jilin in China.

Wuhan reported five new cases on Monday, after confirming its first case since 3 April on Sunday.

Authorities said the small cluster of cases were all from the same residential compound.

China has been easing restrictions in recent weeks and cases had been declining.

Health authorities and experts have warned that as countries emerge from strict lockdowns and people move around more freely, a rise in infections is likely.

The small Wuhan cluster is the first to emerge since the end of the strict lockdown on 8 April. One of the five cases reported on Monday was the wife of an 89-year-old man who became the first confirmed case in the city in well over a month on Sunday.

All of the latest cases were previously classified as asymptomatic - meaning they tested positive for the virus but were not exhibiting clinical signs such as a cough or fever.

Such people can spread the virus despite not being sick, but China does not count asymptomatic cases in its official tally of confirmed infections until they show symptoms.

Hundreds of asymptomatic cases are being moni-

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 –– 9:00hrs

tored by Wuhan health authorities.

Meanwhile over the weekend, Shulan city in Jilin province, near the borders

ed to high-risk, the only city in the country with this designation.

All residents have been told to stay home and only

All of the latest cases in Wuhan were previously classified as asymptomatic

with Russia and North Korea, reported 11 new cases.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SHULAN? Chinese state media reported that 11 domestically transmitted cases had been recorded in Shulan on Saturday.

A day later, the city declared martial law and went into lockdown, with the government ordering all public places to be temporarily shut, said a Global Times report.

Shulan has been upgrad-

one family member is allowed out each day to buy essential products.

All public transportation has been suspended and taxis are not allowed to leave the city.

It comes after China had last week declared that all regions in the country were designated as low risk.

Nearby Jilin city has also upgraded its risk level from low to medium after seeing two new cases - and there are now fears that the wider province could be in danger.

Other cities in the prov-

ince are now on high alert.

The nearby Changchun city and Dongfeng county says all those returning from Shulan will have to be quarantined for 14 days. Train services from Shulan to several cities have also been suspended.

The neighbouring province of Liaoning reported one new case on Sunday - a 23-year-old who had recently returned from Jilin.

What led to the new infections in Shulan?

The infections were all linked to a 45-year-old who is a laundry worker at a local public security bureau. She later went on to infect her husband, three sisters and other family members.

But it's unclear how the woman herself might have become infected. Reports say she had no recent travel history outside the province, and no known contact with anyone that's known to be exposed to the virus. A total of 276 of her close contacts have been placed in quarantine, reported China Daily.

But it's possible that the location of the province might have played a part - it borders both North Korea and Russia.

Officially, there have been no reported cases from North Korea though Russia has seen over 200,000 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In recent weeks, the neighbouring border province of Heilongjiang has seen a spike in the number of imported cases, mainly made of Chinese citizens

travelling back from Russia.

Similarly, eight people returning from Russia to Shulan between 8 - 30 April tested positive for the virus, according to one local government official. Some 300 other people who returned within this time frame were put into quarantine.

The secretary of the Jilin Provincial Committee has said that the city will trace every close contact, every suspicious person and every clue, adding that the actions of every infected person would be traced in an attempt to find the source.

WHAT'S THE SITUATION ELSEWHERE IN CHINA? China has seen declining cases for weeks and has been gradually easing restrictions.

Some people have gone back to work, some schools have reopened and on Monday Disneyland in Shanghai welcomed visitors for the first time after three and a half months.

But also on Monday, China reported 17 new cases nationally - the highest daily increase since 28 April bringing the total number of cases to 82,918, with the death toll at 4,633.

As more parts of Europe and the US begin to ease restrictions, governments and health experts have warned that the pandemic is far from over.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Argentina debt talks deadlocked as deadline looms (BBC) The Argentine government has extended a deadline to restructure $65bn (£53bn) of debt to 22 May in an effort to avert further financial turmoil.

Argentina had asked private bondholders to accept significantly lower interest payments and to defer those payments until 2023.

Most bondholders rejected the offer.

The government says it cannot afford to make the payments amid the coronavirus pandemic but non-payment could make it almost impossible to get future loans.

Governments often choose to finance spending by issuing bonds - this means they are loaned money by investors who expect to be paid a certain amount of interest for a number of years before they are repaid the amount that was borrowed.

The interest rate governments pay depends on how high investors think the risk is that they might fail to make a payment (known as a default).

What's the context in Argentina?

At the end of 2019, Argentina had racked up $323bn of debt, the equivalent of 88% of its gross domestic product, according to

to repay its debt, it needed the economy to grow before it could make the payments.

Much of Argentina's debt is priced in US dollars and the recent slide of the value of the local currency,

included a three-year grace period in which Argentina would not have to pay interest, as well as a chunky cut to Argentina's interest payments.

While some creditors

The Argentine government says it cannot meet the interest payments at present

International Monetary Fund figures.

On 10 December, the centre-left politician Alberto Fernández was sworn in as Argentina's new president.

In his inaugural speech, Mr Fernández warned that while Argentina was willing

the peso, against the dollar has made interest payments dearer.

Argentine exports currently do not generate enough foreign currency to repay the massive debt.

That is why the president has tried to restructure some

Don’t let your guard down (BARBADOS ADVOCATE) There has been a flattening of the cases of COVID-19 in this country, but the local infectious diseases expert is warning that we are not out of the woods yet.

Dr. Corey Forde, Head of Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention and Control Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said that after an initial spike the number of cases has levelled out, but he is adamant that now is not the time to be complacent.

He made this clear on Saturday night during a virtual town hall meeting for healthcare workers, held under the theme ‘Strategies for COVID-19 Infection Prevention in the Caribbean and Globally’.

His comments came as referred to the disease trajectory in this country, while noting that since the first case was diagnosed in Barbados midMarch, there have been 84 cases of which seven persons have succumbed to the virus.

“As of minutes ago there were 2986 tests across the country, which I think is significant for a population of 290 000 people. We had 84 cases confirmed... and sev-

of the debt in order to delay payments and buy his government time.

His government approached international creditors holding $65bn worth of bonds with an offer which

Dr. Corey Forde, Head of Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention and Control Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

en deaths, with the majority of those deaths seen in the male population, which is not uncommon for what is seen across the globe,” he stated.

Speaking to what were the most common symptoms for those diagnosed with the virus, Dr. Forde said cough and fever still remain the common presentations, similar to what has been seen across the world. But, he added, a significant number

of people, some 18 of them, were asymptomatic.

In terms of race distribution, he said the majority of cases seen were within the Black population, and small number in the Caucasian population.

He went on to say that the majority of patients in Barbados presented with mild to moderate disease, which is similar to what happened in China, where the outbreak started; but he revealed that Barbados’ severity of disease was a bit different.

In fact, he disclosed that Barbados had a few more critical cases than one would have expected. Additionally, he said compared to the United States, the percentage of fatalities almost looked the same. Forde’s comments came as he spoke of the co-morbidities seen here, which he noted were primarily diabetes and hypertension.

On that matter of recovery, the infectious diseases expert indicated that the average number of days to recovery was 24 days.

However, he indicated that the older persons are, the longer they have taken to get better.

agreed that Argentina should be given more time to repay, many balked at the interest rate cut and no deal was reached by Friday, the deadline Argentina had set.

Some creditors also reportedly did not like the takeit-or-leave-it approach of the Argentine government.

Now Argentina has extended that deadline to 22 May, the day on which it is due to repay $500m in interest.

President Fernández said he hoped the creditors would now come up with a counterproposal and that the two sides could still reach an agreement by that date.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

International Nurses Day TODAY, we celebrate International Nurses Day under the theme, “A voice to lead: Nursing the world to health”. Since 1965, the International Council of Nurses has celebrated International Nurses Day on this day to mark the contributions that nurses make to our society. May 12 was chosen because it was Florence Nightingale’s birthday, and she is widely credited as being the matriarch of modern nursing. Celebrations are varied throughout the world, however, in the United Kingdom, birthplace of Florence Nightingale, a special service is convened at Westminster Abbey in London in order to mark the occasion. During the service, a symbolic lamp is taken from the nurse’s chapel, and is handed from nurse to nurse, before being placed on the High Altar, symbolising the passage of knowledge from one nurse

to another.

This year, International Nurses Day is particularly poignant as we grapple with the onslaught of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its far-reaching societal impacts. It is, therefore, even more important that we recognise and commend the life- saving efforts of these essential frontline workers who are managing unprecedented workloads during this healthcare crisis.

Despite widespread commendation and support from society at large, there is still an issue when it comes to stigmatisation against nurses, especially as it relates to the current COVID-19 pandemic. “Stigmatisation and violence against nurses and other health workers in some countries is shocking; the only response is zero tolerance,” according to Annette Kennedy, President of the International Council of Nurses. Ms. Kennedy went on to say, “The pandemic has

seen frontline nurses rightly recognised as heroes, but they are also ordinary mothers and fathers with their own families to protect. They deserve to be able to work free from fear, whether because of lack of PPE, or because of harassment and attack.”

Certainly, we must not forget the personal sacrifices made by these individuals; the very nature of the job entails working extended and irregular hours in order to ensure that care is provided around-the-clock. For many mothers and fathers who have children, this often means missing out on crucial time spent with their children in order to be present at work. For others, this means putting off plans to have relationships, to get married or have children, because of time constraints and training obligations.

This year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a longstanding ally of the International

Council of Nurses, offered some encouraging words on the occasion. Director-General of the ICRC Robert Mardini noted, “Nurses are the world’s life savers; they are risking their own health, and too often sacrificing time with their family to help those suffering from COVID-19.” Mr. Mardini noted specifically that “It is heartening to see many communities praise and thank nurses, but its distressing that other nurses face harassment, stigmatisation, and even attack.”

Since becoming aware of these incidents affecting our nurses and other healthcare professionals, we have raised the issue of stigmatization, and continue to stand against any such unwarranted, ignorant and repugnant attacks on this cohort. Nurses and other healthcare workers’ safety must be of paramount importance in general, and especially if we are to overcome the current pandemic.

According to Jagan Cha-

pagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, “The safety of healthcare workers during this pandemic is crucial for communities to overcome the disease. They not only save people from COVID-19, they also ensure the continuity of life-saving health services to protect people from accidents and other illnesses.”

Additionally, Mr. Chapagain stated, “We are concerned that the pandemic is putting pressure on medical staff and health systems to a breaking point, especially in vulnerable and fragile settings.”

Nurses in Guyana work under tremendous constraints, and must be lauded for the level of care that they are able to provide under trying conditions. We must not only use this occasion to commend and thank our nurses, but also to stand with them in solidarity to address many of their concerns. Most nurses will tell you that they

need more equipment, more training, and more support to cope with the difficulties that stem from the work they do.

Nurses also need long-overdue salary increases and other benefits commensurate with the services that they provide.

We need more continuous professional development, and better career options for our nurses, and we also need a sustained campaign to recruit, train and retain our nursing talent.

It is hoped that this current pandemic proves to be the catalyst for further investment within the healthcare sector and its workers. Finally, to our nurses, we wholeheartedly thank you for your stellar efforts in working to keep us safe and healthy. You are appreciated, today and always.

We have a history of crossing rivers and oceans --‘to reach the West Indies’ in chains Dear Editor, FREDDIE Kissoon has included me in a list of persons he deems to have committed the cardinal sin of refusing to characterise the current impasse as an open and close case of rigged elections. He suggests that Guyana will not see us the same way again. Freddie is entitled to his opinions. I do not always share them. But he is not entitled to create his context and fit other people neatly into them.

He, Freddie, and others have relied on PPP’s evidence and those of some observer missions to arrive at their conclusions of massively rigged elections. I have listened to the PPP’s evidence and arrived at a conclusion that the elections are disputed. Freddie has looked at what has transpired since March 2 and concluded that the impasse is about electoral integrity—he

has narrowed it down to Mingo’s tabulation and PNC’s rigging. I have looked at what has happened since March 2 and concluded that there is a convergence of factors and forces, including the one cited

by Freddie, which are deeply rooted in Guyana’s historical evolution at work. Freddie focuses on the narrow manifestation of the problem. I focus on the broader and deeper manifestations.

Freddie takes me to task for accusing the Western countries of taking a side in what I see as a dispute between two parties representing the interests of two competing ethnic groups. He conveniently omits my conclusion that the Western countries have always taken sides in Guyana.

What is different this time around is their pointedly overt expression of their preference.

Of course, I do not buy the narrative of defence of electoral integrity; that is a mask

for defence of their larger economic and political interests.

It always was and always will be. That is the nature of NorthSouth International Relations.

Again, Freddie’s difference with me has to do with context.

He fits the actions of the Western representatives into his minimalist characterisation of the impasse. I see their actions in the context of the maximalist reading of the impasse.

Regarding what he sees as my omission of some CARICOM leaders’ pronouncements on the situation, we again come at it from different places. Freddie lumps all the pronouncements on the impasse together—those from the Western leaders, CARICOM leaders, the PPP, and other local forces. I see it differently. Their rhetoric may be the same or similar, but their motivations and interests diverge.

CARICOM leaders do not come to their conclusions of what is happening in Guyana

from a history of coloniality and hegemony. I am sorry Freddie, I thought that was so basic that it was not even worth mentioning. It is true that CARICOM’s intervention in Guyana from the Hoyte Mustique meeting, through the Cumminigsburg and St Lucia accords to the present is worth studying to unearth its own dynamics. But to fold together their attitudes with those of the Western countries is a bit of a stretch.

Let me close with three things. It is public knowledge that Freddie is my close friend. Our friendship is based partly on a mutual respect for our common agreements and disagreements on political issues. Unlike some of his other friends, I have refrained from getting into public brawls with him, and I do not intend to start now. But I am saddened that, given his keen sense of African-Guyanese history and cultural reflexes, that he would attempt to trivialise the Black reaction to the perception that the descendants of their for-

mer enslavers and colonisers are currently talking down to them. That should not be dismissed lightly. It is part of our problem in Guyana: We do not put ourselves enough in the place of the opposite ethnicity to get a sense of their fears and their feelings.

Second, some activists can afford to reduce politics and society to abstractions, slogans and so-called universalist notions of fairness and justice born in the belly of unfairness, injustice, and superiority.

Some of us, hardened by a history of inhumanity and the struggle to reclaim humanity, cannot help being concrete and always imagining what tomorrow would be like. We have a history of crossing rivers and oceans “to reach in the West Indies” in chains, as the Mighty Sparrow reminds.

We know chains when we see, hear feel, and smell them.

As Bob Marley chanted, “No chains around my feet/ but I am not free.” Do not lecture to us about race and freedom!

Third, I find Freddie’s re-

peated attacks on Eusi Kwayana most distasteful; it is rooted in his disproportionate personal attacks on the WPA and its leaders. But while I agree that Kwayana, like all public leaders, must be open to criticism, I find the nature of Freddie’s constant attacks on him to be much more than critique and criticism. It is beginning to have the distinct feel of a project aimed at diminishing him. I do not intend to be quiet on this score for much longer.

Finally, Freddie’s disenchantment and disappointment with the ‘Coalition’ has taken him to a certain place. My disenchantment and disappointment with the same ‘Coalition’ has taken me to another place. Our difference is the context we use to analyse what is happening, and ultimately locate our conclusions.

Regards, David Hinds

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

America has had a 190-year headstart over Guyana Dear Editor, I WAS no older than ten when this event transpired.

One of our neighbours and her husband returned to Guyana with much fanfare, after spending six months in America. Their attire was both concerning and hilarious. The husband was sporting a fur Kangol hat along with very thick ‘acid wash’ long-sleeved jacket with matching trousers. His outfit was completed with a thick-soled Timberland boots. The wife’s outfit was equally peculiar. She was decked out in a thick fur top with long skirt and Timberland boots. They were both sweating like horses as they walked around the neighbourhood, refamiliarising themselves with folks who they had completely forgotten, after only spending six months in America. I kept my distance from the pantomime, not wanting to be rude, and as a result be visited by another good thrashing. I observed with keen eyes as the two walked around like Ghetto Royalties, meeting and greeting their loyal subjects. The kids were rewarded with goodies when they reminded the returnees of their names. With a long trail of sweat, they finally found me on a stool in a remote area of the yard.

I immediately thought to myself that surely they have not forgotten me. Everyone knew me as Ingrid’s child who was forever forthright with adults whom he thought were dimwitted. Sadly, they did forget me, and in their newly-acquired American accent, both looked down on

the bare- chested child with no footwear and queried, “Who are you?” I looked at both of them and responded, “I am God.” You guessed right; they never forget me after that day.

I was browsing Facebook on Sunday when I laid eyes on an interview of one Everton Morris, an executive member of Change Guyana. Out of curiosity, I chose to listen to the interview that was being conducted by the Chronicle Online. From the outset, I found Everton Morris’ manner of communicating with the Chronicle’s journalists very condescending. What I also noticed after watching a few minutes of the interview was his anti-APNU+AFC agenda.

Having said that, I did recognise that that was his prerogative, and, most importantly, his democratic right. Then the unexpected happened, reminding me of that childhood experience I alluded to earlier.

Everton Morris went on an unexpected rant of the recount process, and, in his typical patronising mannerism, predicted it will be completed in July, which is a waste of time, since everyone already knows the results. He then continued to argue a case to earn himself place in my black book, by boasting of his 40 years of working in America.

Desperate for a place in my book of ignominy, he went on to state, with much disdain, that he would have fired all of GECOM’s staff, who, in his estimation, were languid in their approach to work, along with a disturbingly poor work ethic. Clearly, this Everton Morris thinks highly of himself and lowly of the locals.

As a result, I am curious to

know who he fired when the American Election of 2000 went beyond 50 days before a rushed declaration, and would have likely taken much longer if the partisan Supreme Court had not intervened? Who did Everton Morris fire when the recent Iowa Democratic Primary turned out to be a complete farce? Further, I would be grateful if the arrogant Everton Morris can advise the Guyanese populace as to what was his course of action when Stacy Abrams, the Afro-American Democrat candidate was denied a win in the Georgia Governor election in both 2014 and 2018, due to classic voter suppression of mostly Afro-Americans by the Republican establishment? Ironically, Georgia is the hometown of the Carters who would wish to lecture us on democracy, something that they can’t even get right after 244 years of independence. Finally, I do wonder if Everton Morris can advise us as to who in the Republican Party he has fired, in view of their very much alive practice of gerrymandering?

Mr. Morris, if they can’t get it right in 244 years, why do you expect us to get it right in 54?

And if that was not enough for one day, the gentleman went on to disparagingly comment on the referral of Timothy Jonas by the MoPH doctor for a COVID-19 test. As a result, I did what I do best. I went into full research mode on Everton Morris. I went into this research with great expectations.

I set minimum standards I would have expected of someone of the stature he portrayed himself to be. At a minimum, I would have expected Everton Morris to be a specialist medical doctor with an interest in

information technology. Along with being a doctor of high calibre, I expected him to have completed a Phd in IT, along with extensive ground-breaking research. I also anticipated he would have done extensive research in medicine, with his major contribution being to the field of virology. With 40 years experience, I anticipated that he would have been a highly-sought-after IT consultant.

Let’s examine the curriculum vitae for the man, who, from his actions, sees himself as world-class. Everton Morris has a Masters of Science degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Kean University, also of New Jersey. And that’s it.

Nothing more. Permit me to make a humble query. Of the two aforementioned universities, have you heard of either of them? Neither have I. They are not Ivy League universities, and, frankly, not even the best universities in the state of New Jersey, much less America. At a press conference for Change Guyana titled, “Health and development policy” on December 10, 2019, Everton Morris boasted of at least 10 companies he characterised as world-class he worked for in the USA. I will digress for a moment.

Let me put this to you. A gentleman who wishes to have your hand and heart in marriage and has a history of 10 failed marriages, what would you do? The answer is obvious. Any Human Resource specialist would tell you that if a professional applies to their company with a background of being employed by 10 previous companies, would cause alarm bells to go off. The key

question that would be asked is: Why is this applicant a professional grasshopper? It could be that the applicant only worked as a temporary staff to fill gaps when permanent staff are away. That clearly would be a black stain on their CV, since it indicates to future employers that their CV was not of quality to secure permanent employment.

Secondly, it could be that the applicant was a permanent staff whose contract was not renewed after appraisal, due to poor performance. Therefore, when Mr. Morris boasts of his employment record, he may have impressed Guyanese who are not aware of how the First World works, but surely did not impress me. Mr. Morris, you are not special. You are professional journeyman.

Mr. Morris then superciliously described Guyana as backward in many areas, including Information Technology. He stated that he was shocked to discover how far we were left behind in the IT world. This kind of ignorant utterance tells me one thing: When Mr. Morris left Guyana 40 years ago, he never returned until last year. Now tired of being a professional journeyman, he presents himself to lord it over others who are much smarter than he. Surely, had he visited his country of birth regularly, he would have seen that there are improvements from the 40 years since he left, so much so that presently, the Amerindians in the Interior do have Internet access. What he would have also noticed was that presently in Guyana, there are ‘hotspot’ areas for free WiFi. Computers and smartphones are pervasive. There is a drive to make the Pub-

lic Service computerised etc.

Yes, there is more to be done rather than snobbishly passing judgement, using American standards. Mr. Everton should provide guidance for continued development, if he can. Clearly Mr. Morris is oblivious of the fact that America has had a 190-year independence headstart over us, hence he cannot compare America with Guyana. Along with that head-start, there are many socioeconomic disadvantages that we have when compared to America.

We are a fledgling democracy, and should be judged as such.

It is patently obvious that I have total disdain for Guyanese who remigrate and see themselves as demigods. It is obvious that the likes of Everton Morris, who returned to Guyana with a pious air, would find permanent residence in my black book of ignominy.

When the likes of Everton Morris believe that from their “privileged” position they can speak down to those less privileged, I will not stand idly by, but will defend them. The reason is simple: When you speak down to them, you speak down to me, because we are one. Rather than making the irrational comparison of America with Guyana, which has had its fair share of problems after 54 years of a troubled independence, Mr. Morris of Change Guyana should sit down and observe the counting of other people’s votes.

You are not that special. At least the electorate did not think so.

Regards, Dr. Mark Devonish

FITUG urges hastening of recount process Dear Editor, THE Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has been closely following the ongoing recount of votes cast in the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The exercise, which has seemingly descended into an audit of the elections, we gather, from media reports, has been going smoothly, albeit slowly.

We are hopeful that as we approach a week since the recount begun the process can be hastened as the nation anxiously awaits the declaration of the true and accurate results.

While we are pleased,

somewhat, with those developments, we are simply aghast to see the unvarnished attempts by officials of the Coalition to sought to bring the process into disrepute. We recall previously that the Coalition had conveyed that voting proceeded without any hitch or controversy. Similar sentiments also came from the various parties and local and international observers. It, therefore, now is confounding that we see officials of the Administration seeking to cast doubts on a process that President David Granger a few days ago said it was free and fair. We all know that the Coalition was more than willing to benefit from

a second term on the same results it now expresses critical views about.

Undoubtedly, the Coalition has a right to express a view or to alter its viewpoint. But notwithstanding that right, rationally it is not expected that their views would be altered as fundamentally as the Coalition has done with respect to the election results. Be that as it may, we see accusations coming to the fore about deceased persons and Guyanese who have migrated exercising their franchise on voting day. Of course, Guyanese who migrated, once their names of are the OLE, are entitled to vote.

This was reinforced not too

long ago by decisions of the Courts. Regarding the deceased casting votes, one has to wonder what apparitions are now all of a sudden been seen.

We see the Coalition’s accusations, as nothing more than futile and feeble attempt as an act of unadulterated desperation.

For those who are familiar with the electoral process, it is a most robust system which has several built-in safeguards. The system, of course, evolved out of the dark period of rigged elections. The entire spectrum of finger-pointing brings indeed into great question of role of the Coalition’s agents on elections day. Certainly,

one would have thought they were have looked at the process with an eagle eye and would have caught these ‘issues’ as they arose.

It also begs the question, that the Coalition having knowledge of such ‘issues’ never prior to the recount sought to make them known, publicly at least. Or why it was willing to benefit from a process which tilted the votes in its favour yet, at the same time, apparently worked against it.

They simply do not add up, lack logic or even coherence and tells us that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.

We of the FITUG urge, at this time, that Guyanese do not get sidetracked by

attempts once again to hijack the process. Clearly, it is yet another attempt to perpetuate the incumbent illegitimate stay in office.

The Federation looks forward to hastening of the process and that the elections come to a long awaited end. The continued ploys being deployed by the Coalition are nothing more than an insult to the collective intelligence of all Guyanese. We are not as asinine as the Coalition wants to think.

Regards, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Air transport of deceased not feasible currently …PM says such matters are always difficult to make regulations for

By Lisa Hamilton PRESIDENT DAVID GRANGER has decided that the government will not be able to facilitate the air transport of bodies of deceased persons to the country, at this time, due to matters relating to health and finances.

“The President has given a direction that, at this time, it would not be possible to bring back cadavers --bodies of deceased, people who have died overseas,” Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo said on Sunday, while a guest on NCN’s programme, Context. The PM said that a number of Guyanese with deceased loved ones have been seeking permission to return the bodies to the country but this is not a service the government can take up at this time.

EMOTIVE, CHALLENGING ISSUE In explaining the matter, he said: “We’ve set out some broad guidelines regarding that and those who would wish to come back

they would have to come back by chartered aircraft for which they pay all expenses and the same would apply for people who may be thinking of bringing back bodies.

There are around 81 persons who have died in the United States…and there have been indications that they want to bring their deceased loved ones back home to be buried or cremated in Guyana.”

Nagamootoo said that it is difficult to make regulations or enforcement on such matters that deal with the loss of a loved one and is therefore an emotive issue.

Nonetheless, he said that, based on the advice of the competent Public Health and other ministries, the government has suggested that families cremate the bodies of their loved ones and bring back their ashes for a possible ceremonial function to bid farewell.

He said that the country has never been confronted with such cases and under such circumstances but the National COVID-10 Task Force (NCTF) is working

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

with Ministries as a team to coordinate actions to make the right decisions. “Many of these decisions can be exploited by people with limited agenda, political agenda, to create mischief, but the government was not acting in an uneven-handed way dealing with these situations,” he said. “It’s not a Task Force decision to deal with it as a policy matter; once the guidelines are there

we’ll have to follow those guidelines and follow the approval of the competent Minister and Ministry based on their technical and medical advice.”

BIG EXPENSE, NO BUDGET The PM also reminded that Guyana does not have a national 2020 budget due to the elections situation which has resulted in the

country being operated on a “shoe string” of finances. To facilitate the payment for air transport of every Guyanese who wished to return home is not feasible. Nagamootoo said that the government has been trying to use whatever resources it can and as creatively as it can to deal with the matter of necessities.

“There is very little money around that we can expend in some exercises that are

not considered to be very essential at this point in time,” he said.

To put it into context, he said that the government holds currently as a necessity the sending of food hampers to its medical students in Cuba. Just on Friday, the government sent some $4.4M in foodstuff and other essentials to the students on a Caribbean Airlines flight.

There are 75 medical students in the country and 77 packages were sent, while hampers are also being sent to four athletes stranded on the island. It was pointed out that a chartered flight to Cuba costs over $10M. “We consider that to be a necessity,” the PM said. “They have their exams to write, they would be the new batch of doctors who would be coming back to Guyana; you do not want to interrupt their studies and so we felt that we should do everything possible to ensure that they are safe in Cuba and to ensure that they have certain essential supplies that they require.”

MoPH appoints COVID-19 coordinator for Region 10 IN its continued drive to address the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the Regional Health and Emergency Committee (RHEC) of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) has appointed a COVID-19 coordinator for the region, said a press release from the Region 10 administration.

Regional Health Officer Dr Pansy Armstrong addressing the committee, disclosed that Dr Michael Marks who served at the Linden Hospital Complex as a government medical officer (GMO) was appointed coordinator of the Region 10 COVID centre.

“Dr Marks will be responsible for managing 23 employees, including doctors, nurses, cooks, maids, and clerical personnel, as

the region seeks to battle the virus. The Linden Foundation Secondary School Dorm will serve as a quarantine centre, while the Wismar Hospital will serve as the isolation centre,” the release said.

The Cuba- trained medical doctor said that he is excited and eager to serve the region of his birth. He said that he is determined to put his best foot forward, noting that already along with the RHO and support from the region, they have conceptualised their plan of action, which is geared towards effectively addressing COVID-19.

“I am excited to be serving in this role. It will be a challenge but I am determined to stand up to the challenge and we in Region 10 are in an advantageous position to address COVID-19 as previously we addressed

Newly appointed Region 1o (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) COVID-19 Coordinator, Dr Michael Marks

it as a committee, but now we are addressing it as a unit, which means that a lot more will be done,” he said.

The newly appointed COVID coordinator said that the unit now has a focus, so

while they are cognisant of the challenges that it poses, they are determined to address these challenges head on. “We are determined to be successful, as while geographically we are aware of several of the challenges that they [sic] are, we are certain that with the increased and enhanced support and assistance from the required stakeholders we can get it all done,” Dr Marks said.

Dr Marks who has two children and expects a third in less than a month, said that the mother of his children, while being a nurse, has expressed her own fears and concerns, but they are both committed and prepared to give it their best shot. He said that she is prepared to support him, and ensures TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Defaulting polling day staff could be blacklisted The recount process is not yet at ballot boxes from Region Nine but when the Guyana Chronicle questioned Alexander on the matter he said that it hasn’t or hasn’t yet been reported to the Commission.

Meanwhile, APNU+AFC agent, Ganesh Mahipaul, just days ago, informed the media that some ballot boxes belonging to Region Three were found to be without their OLE, without the required envelopes and with unsigned oaths of identity.

The OLE is key to determining that the number of ballots in the box matches the number issued by the

Ballot boxes in one of the containers which were opened on day one of the national recount

GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, has stated that he will be advocating for the blacklisting of GECOM polling day officials who have failed to adhere to Elections regulations, resulting in various irregularities in ballot boxes.

“Collateral to this exercise called a recount has to be the question of how you deal with officers who either proved to be incompetent or who proved to be deviant in their behavior. That’s a matter we have to look at once we would have finished this recount; who are those persons who didn’t do what they were supposed to do and why not,” he told reporters on Monday.

He made these comments just outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) where the national recount in ongoing.

Since its commencement on May 6, party agents have complained about the irregularities witnessed in several ballot boxes such as missing poll books, missing Official List of Electors (OLE) and missing PE envelopes and unsigned oaths of identity.

Poll books have been recorded as missing for Region One with initial reports that they were in the possession of the region’s Returning Officer (RO), Trevor Harris.

Harris had claimed that he left the books in the GECOM office at Mabaruma and that he was no longer on the job.

The books are essential as they detail the voting process; the number of used and spoilt ballots; signatures of counting and polling agents, the presiding officer, ballot clerks and other polling staff; the time process of the election day and details on affidavits of the identity of persons accompanying a voter to the polling station.

The poll books for the Region have since been located and arrangements were made for them to be transported to the recount centre.

Alexander said that under GECOM’s regulations, poll books should be placed in the relevant ballot boxes.

He said that while it must be considered that some poll books may have been deposited at GECOM’s head office and are available upon request, this was not the case for Region One. The Commissioner stated that GECOM will only become aware of possible additional missing poll books from other regions when the ballot boxes from those regions are being counted.

Should a poll book be necessary for the count of a box but the said book is missing, he said that the numerical count and other possible checks will be completed

on the said box but it will be resealed as the Commission seeks to locate the missing book.

“Our position is that we’ll go ahead and do the examination [of the box] and we’ll have to look at the issues arising from the unavailability of the poll book subsequently and the reason for that is that not in every instance, the content of the poll book impacts what’s happening,” he explained.

On Monday, the Guyana Chronicle was made aware

by APNU/AFC party member, Mervyn Williams, that poll books from Region Nine also were not placed in their respective ballot boxes. In fact, he said that there were only returned some three days ago after the recount process had commenced and it was noted in the media that the books are important to the process.

Reports are that RO of the Region, John Abraham, did not send the books along with the ballot boxes because the one belonging to the polling station at Shulinab is missing.

“It is extremely troubling that the poll books would be kept out of the system for so long,” Williams said. “One wonders whether the poll books that were sent down were in fact the ones that were originally used on the elections day.”

GECOM based on the number of electors on the List; PE envelopes are the yellow envelopes required to be placed in ballot boxes and each is labelled to represent its content while an Oath of Identity is necessary for persons voting without identifying documents.

Altogether, Commissioner Alexander --- the Commission’s longest standing Commissioner --- said that is has long been advocated at GECOM for the establishment of a pool of reliable GECOM polling day officials, based on performance.

“We had taken the decision, some time ago, starting

in [former Chief Elections Officer, Gocool] Boodhoo’s time that we should have a pool of election officials to resort to from time to time as elections come along, and, that at the end of every election, we should blacklist persons who were in that pool if we found that they were not sufficiently competent to do the job or if we found that their conduct was in repute; so that would have to be activated at this time,” he said.

However, Alexander noted that while he will advocate for this to take place, the final decision will have to be made at the level of the Commission.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

Electoral wrongdoings can impact final results

…GECOM commissioner warns

By Lisa Hamilton LONGSTANDING Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, has warned that the electoral wrongdoings being unearthed during the ongoing recount process could impact the outcome of the March 2, 2020 elections.

He told the media, on Monday, that whether the wrongdoings and discrepancies witnessed thus far do impact the results depend on their magnitude and the impact of said magnitude on the ballots cast. “Any electoral process, even if you have wrongdoing, the precedent has always been to look at the magnitude of the wrong doing to see if that magnitude could affect the results. For example, if you have an election where you come up with a count where the difference [gap between political parties] is 20, 30, 40 votes and the wrongdoing is 80 or 100 votes, there’s a serious problem because the wrongdoing exceeds the difference and therefore could impact on the final results,” he explained.

ADDRESSING WRONGDOINGS The opposition has

been repeatedly urging the commission to restrict the number of objections being raised, particularly by the APNU+AFC. The coalition party has made claims during the process that a number of migrated and deceased persons have been listed as voting in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. These allegations have been placed in observation reports for the commission to deliberate upon at future date.

The APNU+AFC has also objected to cases where the Official List of Electors (OLE), poll books and oaths of identity are missing from various ballot boxes. Even as the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has been pressing for a simple, numerical recount, the coalition has argued for a “credible recount”, one which gives attention to such anomalies.

However, the question still remains as to how the elections commission will deal with the wrongdoings or discrepancies highlighted.

Commissioner Alexander sought to explain that some matters can immediately be corrected while others will have to be deliberated upon after the recount process. Giving an example, he said that spoilt ballots

which ought not to have been deemed spoilt, can be corrected immediately during the recount process.

He said that in such a case, the count and therefore the outcome of the elections will also be impacted because parties would now be receiving additional votes.

However, when it comes to matters such missing affidavits, which are needed to confirm that a person not in possession of national identification was authorised to vote, the commission must enter into deeper discussion on how these cases will be treated with depending on their magnitude. “If you have a certain number of persons who are listed as persons who didn’t have ID cards, but there is no affidavit to show that they were authorised to cast that vote, you can’t go into that box and identify those votes, the system doesn’t allow for that because the votes are secret in the nature of how the document is composed.

So, that raises a question that has to be addressed at the end of the process: what has been the magnitude of that kind of occurrence and how does one, in the context of that magnitude, address the question of the results?” the commissioner explained.

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Vincent Alexander

DATA COLLECTION LACKING When it comes to objections made with regards to deceased or migrated persons, he said that these objections will have no merit without proof. He said that proof can come in the form of a death certificate or migration records. Citing the National Registration Act, he said that the law provides for migration records to be presented to the commission periodically. Upon further check, the Guyana Chronicle

found that Section 40 (2) of the Act provides for the Chief Immigration Officer to send to GECOM’s Chief Registration Officer, “once in every three months a report of the names, the dates of departure from Guyana or return to Guyana…”

The Act states that the ‘Commissioner’ shall determine the interval between such reports but such reports, in the absence of direction, should not exceed three months.

Alexander added: “When the Chief Registration Officer gets that information,

he can then determine in the instances of people who have not returned how that is dealt with in relation to the compilation of the Registrar of Registrants.” He said that while GECOM can have party agents provide proof of their claims, the commission can also resort to the aforementioned reports to make its own verification.

However, Alexander doubts whether the periodical reports have been submitted over the years, which he said not only goes against the Act, but negatively impacts the work of the commission. He used the occasion to advocate for a single national database which would see the merging of data from agencies such as the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the commission and all others necessary. He also noted that there is a deficiency with regards to how deaths are recorded in Guyana and greater efficiency in this regard would allow the General Registrar Office to pass on to GECOM a complete and up-to-date general list of the dead. “There is a problem with the way in which we handle data. I wouldn’t say a part of the problem is GECOM [but] a part of the impact of the problem is on GECOM,” he said.

Lindener helps community maintain its social distance

--with launch of novel bill-payment company IN an effort to make life easy for his fellow Lindeners during this COVID-19 pandemic, businessman Dominic Blair has launched a novel bill-payment company, which allows persons to stay at home and still get their bills paid.

The World Access Billing Service works by having staff go to a customer’s home and do the transaction at their doorsteps, in addition to allowing overseas-based relatives to pay their loved ones’ bills, using partnering apps.

Blair said that after realising that many bill payment entities are still plagued by long lines daily, which is defying the purpose of social distancing, he decided to be ingenious.

“With the home service, it is more convenient and safer; we come to your homes, and an electronic receipt is immediately sent to the customer’s mobile,” he explained. Bill payments can also be done at his Mackenzie Market office.

While there are similar bill payment services available, the World Access Bill Payment Services allows for a wider reach, offering its service to over 10 entities, including private schools located in Georgetown.

He said that the response has been overwhelming thus far, as persons are try-

Proprietor of World Access Billing Service, Dominic Blair

ing their best to stay at home during the pandemic. “The response is great; people as far as Lethem are asking us to expand our services. A lot of persons overseas are taking advantage to help their loved ones, and we will soon be expanding to the United Kingdom.”

‘Who vex lose’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

--‘Coalition’ says PPP afraid of what sustained scrutiny will reveal

By Gabriella Chapman THE national recount has seen many anomalies being brought to light by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)/Alliance For Change (AFC) Coalition party, inconsistencies that seem to suggest that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) rigged the March 2, 2020 elections.

By way of a statement going the rounds on social media platforms, the ‘Coalition’ is quoted as saying that the recount process has uncovered countless instances of dead persons being recorded as voting exclusively in PPP strongholds, as well as persons who have long migrated from Guyana, and were not here on Elections Day among other damning ‘allegations’.

The statement seems to

intended to denigrate the entire electoral process, and that the allegations should not be passed off as facts to the public.

“The scrutiny must not be by my say-so; you can’t walk in a station and say this person has died, and that becomes a fact without challenge. And that is what is happening here; persons coming and making spurious allegations, and going out there and treating these allegations as though they are true,” Gunraj said. “They must be treated as an allegation,” he added.

a recent fabrication; these allegations being made in there are highly questionable, and without any basis,” Gunraj said, adding: “And it comes out like that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and it has been confirmed without a shadow of a doubt. And that is not so; they are putting it out there as a proven fact, when it is just propaganda.”

Taking him up on the

you make a note. So, in the intervening period between election and the recount, all those reports from our agents were scanned with a fine-tooth comb... We had two months, and our agents did their research, based on the objections that were made on the day of elections. This is nothing new; members of the public who are going to be consuming this, don’t al-

DAMAGE CONTROL In his attempt to effect what can best be described as some measure of damage control, Gunraj explained that each Polling Station at the March 2 elections had

Simona Broomes Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs

has two main objectives, and one is to determine its credibility,” he said.

Commissioner, Sase Gunraj

APNU+AFC agent, Leonard Craig

have incurred the wrath of the Opposition, as their agents on Monday vented about the various allegations contained therein.

Speaking with the media on Monday, the PPP’s Sase Gunraj said that the APNU+AFC statement is

Polling Agents as scrutineers from at least the two major political parties.

“On Elections Day, there were no allegations about dead or migrated persons; now we’re two months into this process, and you’re hearing that. In law, you call that

issue, APNU+AFC’s Leonard Craig told the media that Gunraj’s position is highly absurd, as all it does is prove that the PPP is afraid of what the continued scrutiny will reveal.

In fact, he said that these observations are not new to the PPP, as it is not the first time they are being raised.

“Our agents are not allowed to disturb the electoral process,” Craig said, adding: “So if you noticed a person without ID came in to vote, and they did not take an oath of identity, you cannot get up and say, ‘Let this election stop now,’ and these kinds of things. What you do is raise your objections; allow the process to continue, and then

low yourselves to be fooled.

Nothing new is being introduced.”

He noted that in certain districts, for instance, five of them to be precise, APNU+AFC had asked for a recount, and that recount request was based on the observations that were received from their agents.

“Unfortunately, the recount process was delayed until now. So it’s the same process, and anybody who says otherwise is a stranger to the truth… We are going to take this process to its logical conclusion. Let’s go with the process… Normally, this information we are providing will form part of an elections petition. This recount process

WELL SUBSTANTIATED Adding to what Craig had to say, Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes conceded that the APNU+AFC’s allegations are well substantiated with solid proof. She said that their party has a duty to keep the public accurately informed, otherwise they will be faulted.

“The information being put out there by the party is being read out under the observation sheet to the public at the end of the day by GECOM,” she said. “We as a coalition partner have a duty; when we are not reporting to the public what is happening, we are being faulted. The information out there is what we have discovered, so we put it out there, and we have evidence to substantiate what we are saying; we have evidence that was produced to GECOM. It is accurate; that is what we found; that is what we saw.”

She told the Guyana Chronicle that during the Claims and Objections period, the APNU+AFC was advocating to cleanse the list, because they were well aware of the dead people contained therein. She noted, too, that the ‘Coalition’ had objected to some of these regions where anomalies are being found.

“We had asked for a recount in these very regions, and we were refused,” she said, adding: “And we were asking for a recount because of the information that surfaced. Now's the time to test the accuracy of the information we were given since during the elections. I just want to shut down that whole notion of us not using the Claims and Objections period, because we raised a lot of issues then and after.

This recount is giving us the opportunity in the regions that they had asked for a recount in. We are confident that we won; who vex lose.

Why would you be upset?

The PPP should be happy that this will allow for more credible results.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Only one declaration to be made at end of recount –Alexander dismisses contention Mingo’s March 13 declaration fraudulent

By Svetlana Marshall THE 10 declarations currently being held in abeyance by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will not be automatically replaced upon completion of tabulation of the Statements of Recount (SORs) for the 10 electoral districts, Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander said, while noting that in accordance with the Order that triggered the recount, there shall only be one declaration made at the end of the entire process and is – the result of the General and Regional Elections.

It was reported that the results of the tabulated Statements of Recount (SORs)

would be declared per electoral district upon their completion, thereby replacing the existing declarations that were issued by returning officers for the 10 electoral regions, but Alexander on Monday clarified that only one declaration would be made, and that is, after a determination is made by the elections commission in accordance with the Order.

“My understanding is that we will not be making district declarations in the manner in which they are made after the normal close of the polls…

The district recounts will be reported to the commission and the commission will then authorise the chief elections officer pursuant to provisions of the Representation of the

People Act to prepare the relevant declaration,” Alexander told reporters on Monday on the margins of the national recount taking place at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

According to the Order gazetted on May 6, a copy of the signed matrix (tabulated SORs) for each electoral district ought to be submitted to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield for a final tabulation. “The matrices for the recount of the ten (10) Electoral Districts shall then be tabulated by the Chief Election Officer and shall be submitted in a report, together with a summary of the observation reports for each District, to the Commission,” a section of the order reads,

while further detailing that the commission shall, after deliberating on the report, determine whether it should request the chief elections officer to use the data compiled as the basis for submission of a report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act. However, Alexander said while there will not be 10 individual declarations, the Observation Reports emanating from the electoral districts will be submitted to the elections commission upon completion of the tabulation process at the regional level.

“After one district is complete, there will be a compilation of a report that comes to the commission; that gives us the opportunity to examine that,” the commissioner said.

GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward also confirmed that the order provides for a single declaration.

“There will not be a declaration by region but there is going to be a complete report that is going to be prepared,” Ward said while referencing to Section 12 of the Order which addresses submission of the report to the elections commission by the chief elections officer. “It is a report that will be presented to the commission for liberation [sic], after which they will further guide the CEO as to how to prepare his report based on Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act,” Ward further explained.

MINGO’S DECLARATION STILL VALID The national recount aside, both Ward and Alexander debunked claims that the second declaration made

by Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was fraudulent. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in recent days, has ignited the issues surrounding the Region Four declaration, contending that it was fraudulently declared.

However, both Ward and Alexander told reporters that there is no evidence to support the claims being peddled by the PPP/C. In official court documents presented in the High Court, the Chief Elections Officer

Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander

(CEO) Keith Lowenfield, while acknowledging that the initial declaration made

by Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was set aside by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, said during the final tabulation exercise, Statements of Poll (SOPs) were used at all material times.

He explained that after the chief justice’s ruling on March 11, 2020, the returning officer, on the morning of March 13, recommenced the tabulation process to ascertain the votes cast for each List of Candidates. That, he said, was done in the presence of the persons who were entitled to be there, as outlined in Section 86 (1) of the Representation of the People Act. “The Statements of Poll were scanned in the presence of persons entitled to be there and displayed. All the Statements of Poll were picked up, one after the other, in the presence of the persons entitled to be there, and were scanned in their presence, and also displayed in their presence on the screen set up for that purpose… At no time did the returning officer and the election clerks read or call votes cast for the List of Candidates from a spreadsheet,” Lowenfield said while maintaining his position.

On Sunday, PPP/C executive Anil Nandlall in an interview with reporters suggested that Mingo’s second declaration was fraudulent and in contradiction of the

law, but Alexander and Ward are maintaining that there is no evidence to substantiate the claim being made by the PPP/C. In fact, records show that while the High Court ruled on Mingo’s first declaration made on March 5, the court did not adjudicate on the second declaration. In fact, the PPP/C, through one of its supporters, had filed contempt proceedings but this case was shelved after President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, upon the intervention of the CARICOM Chair, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley, agreed to the national recount.

Alexander, in responding to a series of questions, made it clear that the recount, which subsequently followed, was not birthed as a result of any fraudulent activity.

“I think that one has to bear in mind that the process of recount is called for across the regions and that in some instances, the process was started and aborted, as was the case in Region Six; in other instances the process was held in abeyance as in the case of Region Five; and in other instances, the process was rejected in the case of Region Four and Region Three,” Alexander explained.

The gazetted order establishes this fact. The elections commission, in the order, explained that the General and Regional Elections were held in Guyana on March 2, 2020, the electoral process encountered a number of stumbling blocks and in some instances, parts of the process were legally challenged in the courts.

It explained that though declarations of the results were made in accordance with Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, requests for recounts in a number of electoral districts were rejected, aborted, or held in abeyance.

Further to that, a report detailing the results of the elections was submitted to the chairperson of the elections commission, but that too was held in abeyance, and aspects of the electoral process were challenged in court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

President hails nurses for stellar contributions to society …praises work for leading COVID-19 fight PRESIDENT David Granger has hailed the contributions of nurses, stating that on this International Nurses Day, the nation owes these professionals a debt of gratitude for their hard work during the frontline of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

In a televised message, President Granger said International Nurses Day acknowledges the contribution that nurses make to society and to humanity around the world.

He said the day commemorates the birth of Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing.

She was recognised for her service in the 19th century and is credited with implementing innovative methods of patient care. This year is especially important as it also marks the 200th anniversary of her birth, the Guyanese leader said.

“Guyana joins the world in celebrating International Nurses Day on 12th May, 2020. Guyana is proud of its legacy of nursing. It established a Nurses Association in British Guiana ninety-two years ago in June 1928, the first English-speaking Caribbean country to do so. Guyana,

today, like scores of countries around the world, has been affected by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). This pandemic has highlighted the nurses’ essential role in the national campaign to overcome this dreaded disease,” President Granger said in his message.

He noted that nurses are the foundation and are on the frontlines of the healthcare workforce in our national effort to fight this pandemic.

“Our nurses, despite many challenges, continue to serve dutifully, diligently and with dedication, even in the face of personal peril.” “Guyanese nurses provide critical care in the rural, hinterland and remote parts of our country.

They might be required to travel long distances on foot, by all-terrain vehicle or bus by road, or in boats by river, or by light aircraft, to provide care to the sick or injured. Their service in our homes, hospitals and communities – from birth to death – is well known. Their commitment to life-saving efforts even at personal sacrifice at this time is commendable,” President Granger said.

He encourages all Guyanese to join him in recognis-

President David Granger, back in 2018, hosted a reception at the Baridi Benab at State House for the members of the Guyana Nurses’ Association. The Association, at the time, was celebrating its 90th anniversary

ing the role nurses play in “our communities as we observe International Nurses Day. Guyanese, I express thanks to nurses everywhere for their consistent and conscientious service to our country. I applaud our nurses as they continue to perform their duties with diligence. Happy International Nurses Day from a grateful nation!”

‘Baby-in-bag’ investigation ongoing AS the probe continues to find the perpetrators who left a dead ‘newborn’ baby in a plastic bag at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, investigators are now making efforts to review CCTV footage in the area.

On May 10, 2020

around 14:00hrs, a fetus was found under a nut tree with after-birth, and all body parts attached in two black plastic bags in front of a house at Lot 164 Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

The discovery was made by a resident from the area. The area was

canvassed for CCTV cameras which will be reviewed.

The fetus is presently at the Lyken funeral home.

Investigation is ongoing.

MoPH appoints COVID-19 ...

FROM PAGE

that all precautions and safety measures are taken when he gets home. “I have two children in the home with another almost here, so we do everything necessary to ensure that they remain safe as such, whenever I get home I ensure that all measures are taken to safeguard them and myself,” he said.

He said that while many fear working with COVID-19 patients, he

does not have that fear.

“My role here is different from that as a GMO at the hospital because at the hospital you may be seeing someone for varying reasons and conditions, but here you know that everyone should and must be treated as a possible [victim] if you want to stay safe and alive.,” he stressed.

He declared that thus far the cases from Region 10 seem to be cluste- re-

8

lated and with contact tracing they have been making progress, thus placing the region at an advantageous position in combating the spread of the disease. He said that the success of the unit and the region rests solely on the willingness and determination of residents to fight the disease collectively.

14

‘When you don’t hear you does feel’

~East Coast residents call on each other to comply with COVID-19 rules WITH several villages on the East Coast of Demerara now listed as hotspots, residents have gone into what some would call a frenzy as the reality of the deadly COVID-19 virus is now coming to light for many.

Stating that it is a matter of people’s mindsets, Colin Pellew, a resident of Hope, East Coast Demerara noted that the authorities [police force] have done their part and it is now up to citizens to decide what they wish to do.

Additionally, Pellew noted that while the 6am to 6pm curfew has proven to be effective to some extent, there is still room for improvement.

“Since the curfew, most activities that were somewhat a norm aren’t ongoing but like I said most activities, but some

are still up and running, which I was surprised to see...like bro you guys keeping a birthday bash at 8:17 with 30+ persons,” he stated.

He further stated that, “ So to ask if its [the curfew] effective I’d say to some extent, but there is still room for improvement among the people themselves; the authorities shouldn’t be behind grown people about the safety of their own lives.”

Hailing from one of the most popular ‘chill spots’ on the East Coast, Darren Lespuer from Plaisance noted that the curfew should be more intense, forcing businesses, especially those that are not essential to close early.

“The curfew is a good idea, but it should be bit more brought forward like around 4’o clock or so 4 to 6 in the morning or so; most businesses should be

closed by 3 o’ clock each day,” Lespuer stated.

Additionally, highlighting that the Plaisance “Line Top” is a known liming spot for many, he noted that greater police presence in such areas may encourage stubborn persons to adhere to the rules.

“Well, the police need do their job; just regular patrols in areas, and break up gatherings, because mostly when people gang up one spot then this virus can get out of hand; people need to stay away from the “line top” for their own safety,” he stated.

‘We have bigger fish to fry’ A vendor from Victoria who wished to not have her name published, stated that it’s all up to the people, since she believes that the relevant authorities have done as much as they can and will continue to do; however,

citizens have to play their part.

“We have to do our part the police, the doctors, the nurses and we need to do our part, we need to listen to the curfew, practise social distancing and keep inside, [not going out] only unless you really need to,” she stated.

In addition, the woman further stated that she believes that the current political state that the country is putting a hold on the relevant authorities from tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana head on.

“We have bigger fish to fry and these politicians are just fighting and fighting for the wrong reasons; if the two bigger leaders would come together, it [would] be good, so we could fight this thing instead of each other,” she stated.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

East Coast Demerara woman stabbed

A 56-year-old woman was, on Monday afternoon, stabbed to death, at her South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara home.

Dead is Velma Pickering of Lot 257 South Vryheid’s Lust ECD who was allegedly killed by her son-in-law, Junior Linden Issacs, a 28-year-old security guard of Sideline Dam, Buxton ECD. The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that the incident occurred around14:30 hours.

Pickering was at home with her three-year-old grandson at the time. The house is a two-bedroom wooden building resting on wooden pillars. It also has a dining area as well as a kitchen.

It was reported that Pickering was attacked by Isaacs in the first bedroom with an ice picker. She received about 10 stab wounds about her body.

The woman managed to escape and run outside over to her neighbour’s yard.

However, she collapsed on the bridge.

Pickering was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where she was pronounced dead.

Issacs, who attempted to escape, was nabbed by

Velma Pickering

public-spirited persons and was taken into custody at Sparendaam Police station.

He is assisting with the investigation.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that Issacs is wanted by the police, for a wounding committed on his cousin, Shamar Roberts, on May 9, at Sideline Dam, Buxton, ECD.

Man stabbed to death over old grievance

A 33-year-old man was, on Saturday, May 9, 2020, stabbed to death at Gobin Dam, Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD) by another man, over an argument about a stolen cellphone.

Dead is Marlon Peters, 33, of Lot 46 Q Gobin Dam, Friendship, EBD. According to reports, the incident occurred around 21:45hours at Gobin Dam, Friendship, East Bank Demerara. It is alleged that Peters was killed by a man identified as Joshua Oneil called ‘Joshi’, 27, also a resident of Gobin Dam. An eyewitness had told the police that Oneil was seen standing by a shop at Gobin Dam, Friendship The eyewitness further recalled that Peters was seen walking home when Oneil approached and confronted him about a cellular phone

that was stolen sometime back, while they were in the interior.

An argument ensued, but Peters walked away and continued on his journey home.

Oneil tackled Peters from behind and stabbed him several times with a knife.

Peters was stabbed to the right upper abdomen and to the right upper back. He fell and Oneil made good his escape into the nearby bush.

Peters was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead.

His body is at Lyken Funeral Home awaiting post mortem.

The police made checks in the area for CCTV cameras but none was seen.

A black-handle kitchen knife, without blood stains, was found nearby.

Investigation is ongoing.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Caribbean Airlines operates historic cargo-only charter flight CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) utilized one of its Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft for a cargo-only charter service, on Friday May 8, 2020, for the first time in the airline’s history.

This flight was part of the airline’s recently-launched charter service, and was used to move essential supplies from Guyana to Cuba, said a Caribbean Airlines press release.

The new service was introduced to serve islands experiencing reduced cargo capacity, due the closure of borders to commercial passenger flights, due to COVID-19.

The charter service operated under strict regulatory procedures, adhering to established best practices for aircraft cleanliness and sani-

tation to ensure the safety of the airline’s crew during the current pandemic.

Marklan Moseley, General Manager – Cargo and New Business, Caribbean Airlines said: “These are very challenging times and we are sensitive to the need for trade and commerce to continue within the region.

We continue to support the supply chain within the Caribbean and are offering our charter services which supplement our current weekly scheduled freighter flights.”

Caribbean Airlines Cargo offers its charter services to Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, and many other destinations within the Caribbean. CAL’s all-cargo B-767 freighter service operates weekly out of its

Miami hub to the Caribbean. Using their interline partners, CAL can provide connections globally out of the Miami gateway. The airline is currently offering special prices on barrel and e-container shipments to help customers ship care-packages to families and friends during this unprecedented time.

The Caribbean Airlines cargo-only charter being loaded up

16

Lethem records first case of COVID-19

A GUYANESE male who made frequent trips to Brazil from the border town of Lethem, as recent as Friday, has tested positive for the coronavirus, medical officials in the Rupununi have confirmed.

Medical sources in the region noted that the man was diagnosed with malaria by officials at the Brazilian town of BonFim last week. However, his condition reportedly deteriorated, and, several days ago, he turned up at the Le-

them hospital for treatment.

He was placed in isolation while samples were taken from him and dispatched to the city for testing.

Reports are that the staff of the hospital who were treating the man, have also been quarantined.

Several other medical staff of the hospital, who handled the patient, will now be placed on quarantine.

Reports are that the man was not forthcoming to staff at the Lethem Regional Hospital when he

turned up for treatment on Friday.

According to reports, the man, who lives in Brazil, crossed over from BonFim to Lethem, via an illegal river crossing along the Takutu River, on his most recent trip to the Rupununi.

According to reports in the Brazilian media, more than 1200 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the neighbouring state of Roraima and 18 deaths have been attributed to the virus.

Last week, Chief Med-

ical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, urged residents of Region Nine to be vigilant in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

It has been reported that, although emergency measures have been in effect, including a curfew and a lockdown of the Takutu Bridge crossing, persons were still making their way across the border via illegal river crossings.

This week, the authorities in BonFim have reinstated lockdown measures at the border.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

A section of the town of Lethem.

ChildLink Guyana in desperate need of funds

--to help reach, counsel abused children in this new era of social distancing

WORD on the street is that sexual abuse of minors is on the rise, particularly now that school’s out and many children are home alone most of the times.

This was confirmed by at least three officials of ChildLink Guyana during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

According to Programme Manager Ashome Clarke, and Project Officer Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Rolanda Campbell, “Most of the times, many children are susceptible when the perpetrator knows that the child is alone, and therefore seizes the opportunity to commit the act.”

Clarke said that in many instances, the perpetrator is known to the child or its parents, and is, therefore, trusted by either party.

Campbell also indicated that since the advent of COVID19, ChildLink has adopted a different approach when it comes to reaching their clients and conducting psychosocial counselling with them.

She said that because of social distancing measures now in place at the behest of both the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organisation to help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus, ChildLink has taken to relying more and more on technology to reach many of their clients.

But, unfortunately, reaching those areas that have no Internet connectivity has been posing a challenge.

Campbell also confirmed that children in Region Four seem to be particularly at risk, since there has been a noticeable spike in the number of incidents occurring there, with most of the victims being 12 years of age and under.

And while Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer Hasani Tinnie concurred with all that his colleagues said, he’s found that most of the cases occur when children are easily accessible to close relatives, or someone who is very familiar to the child.

Ashome Clarke spoke of some other challenges that the organisation faces in reaching their clients because of COVID19, and among them is having enough resources to reach their clients either by phone, WhatsApp or some such other technology-driven means of communication.

This means, Clarke pointed out, that there is great challenge particularly for clients who live in areas such as Sophia and Albouystown, as well as those living in squatting areas.

There is also the challenge of reaching persons who are employed as ‘domestics’, or security guards in terms of their being able to afford to have Internet access.

Clarke noted that when clients aren’t reached, it often has a serious psychological effect on the children in their care, which makes it even more important that they be able to keep in contact with them.

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

‘Time for more pay for nurses’ ---GPSU urges as Guyana celebrates International Nurses’ Day THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is again calling for nurses here to be better paid, as the union joins with the rest of the world in celebrating International Nurses’ Day. In a release, the union that represents nurses in Guyana said, with full admiration and total recognition of the importance of the essential service nurses provide, it stands solidly behind the nurses of Guyana on this auspicious occasion of International Nurses’ Day. According to the GPSU, traditionally and today, the world celebrates with these wonderful workers our appreciation of and value for their service in providing quality healthcare for mankind. “However, we would be remiss if this year we did not call attention to the fact that, they are being overwhelmed by the demands for their service because of the coronavirus pandemic. They are on the front-line, at great risk, making enormous sacrifices, some falling victims in the fight to save lives,” GPSU observed.

The theme for International Nurses’ Day this year is: “A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health”. It coincides with the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, born on May 12, 1820. Throughout the world,

everyone is encouraged to “shine a light” bringing recognition to Nightingale’s contributions and enlightenment to the profession. But also to shine a light for nurses all across the world in recognition of the tremendous burden they bear and effort they are making amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. The unexpected spread of the coronavirus and the unavoidable demands and challenges facing these professionals are unique and they have to endeavour to provide requested services in an environment that is saturated with uncertainty, and the awareness of the none existence of any cure and the unavailability and limitations of any effective drug therapies.

The GPSU said the World Health Organisation (WHO) must be complimented for dedicating this year the International year of the Nurse and Midwife, and for the steps taken to promote and raise the status and profile of nurses and midwives and to bring attention worldwide, to the enormous shortages that exist and the need for approximately nine million of these professionals if it is to achieve universal healthcare coverage by 2030. Nursing must be seen and treated as a profession. As articulated by Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO: “Nurses…

The theme for International Nurses’ Day this year is: “A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health”

are not the doctors’ assistants…they are health professionals in their own right, with specific skills and training that enables them to perform a wide variety of roles”.

WHY THEY ARE NOT BETTER PAID Here the question must be asked; why is it that nurses are so inadequately remunerated while so much is

expected of them? The GPSU said it has repeatedly expressed its concern to the authorities in Guyana with respect to the inadequate treatment of nurses, for example defects of the work environment, compromised protection in the discharge of their functions, grossly inadequate remuneration and other undesirable conditions of work.

Notwithstanding these representations which require urgent attention, the

union’s leadership is very disturbed and members are agitated and disappointed by the lack of an appropriate response and the violations that occur by not treating this representation in accordance with legitimate existing agreements. The GPSU said it is in the process of completing a strategic plan which would demand from the authorities immediate responses or activating appropriate action to demand respect and obtain long overdue resounding results.

“To the nurses of Guyana and the rest of the world, thank you for your dedicated and quality service; thank you for your commitment, your bravery in this deadly prevailing international environment and your resolute patience. You all deserve our greatest and sincere appreciation and respect. The service you provide in saving lives, keeping the hospitals and healthcare centres open, the comfort given to patients and reassurances to their families are all priceless. On behalf of the Executive Council, the staff and the membership of the GPSU, I am extending best wishes for a pleasant and safe International Nurses’ Day to you and your family,” the release stated.

THAG extends appreciation to Guyana’s healthcare workers THE Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) has extended heartfelt gratitude to Guyana’s healthcare workers with some member establishments offering special packages.

“In spite of the challenges of COVID-19, the tremendous strain and time away from their families, our healthcare providers remain resolute in keeping us safe and their efforts to mitigate the spread of this dreadful virus. We say

or family - Cara Lodge - Dinner with your special people - Atta Lodge – Overnight retreat to the heart of Iwokrama Rainforest - Wilderness ExplorersTransportation to and from the rainforest - Karanambu Lodge – Overnight escape to the quiet

Presentation to Ms. Cleopatra Barkoye President GNA

Presentation to Ms. Juanita Johnson - Secretary Medical Council

thank you for all that you continue to do,” said THAG in a press release.

The tourism body also recognised the achievements of Guyanese nurses as they celebrate International Day of the Nurse on May 12, 2020.

“As a demonstration of our appreciation, THAG and its members will hand over

complimentary vouchers to the Guyana Medical Council and Guyana Nurses’ Association to relax and recuperate at our member locations across the destination when we return to normalcy. Each association will disseminate to its membership by random selection,” the release said.

“As tourism operators and citizens, we are ever re-

liant upon healthcare workers for their care and patience when attending to our loved ones, our staff, and our guests. #ThreeCheersBecauseYouRock!,” the release said.

The following establishments will be offering their appreciation as outlined: - Guyana Marriott Hotel - Dine with someone special - Herdmanston Lodge Lunch experience with your chosen companions - Grand Coastal Hotel Bottle of champagne and one (1) hour massage for our outstanding health care personnel.

- Kosmos Grill & Lounge - Buffet breakfast with friends

of Northern Rupununi - Rock View Lodge – Overnight experience at the oasis in the Rupununi - Dagron Tours & Sloth Island Nature Resort – Overnight experience on the Mighty Essequibo - Hurakabra River Resort - Overnight experience on the Mighty Essequibo

- Adel’s Resort – Overnight at the hidden treasure on the Pomeroon River - Odyssey Tours - Essequibo day tour to Aruwai H2O Resort by jet boat for a small group - Roraima Tours – Arrowpoint Resort- A day trip with workmates to Arrowpoint Resort

18

‘It’s about the hustle’

GUYANA has always had an unpleasant history of gross minibus culture, and, with the current health crisis, it seems to be worsening.

The President of the United Minibus Association, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, revealed that, despite the continuous spread of the deadly coronavirus, several minibus operators are still not adhering to the measures to slow the spread of the virus.

Stating that it is the ‘hustle mentality’ that keeps them from placing their health and the health of others first, Andrews noted that, “there are still buses that are accepting people in the bus without mask, buses are leaving the parks with the correct amount of passengers only to go a few miles and pick up more passengers.”

Andrews added that he was optimistic that the COVID-19 pandemic would have prompted minibus operators to be more compassionate to their passengers, as a means of putting their safety first, during the health crisis.

“I was hoping with this COVID-19 scenario would have taught them that passengers are their brothers, their sisters, their mothers which means that they must be respected, and they must be treated in a special way,” Agents of death (heavy touting) In raising concerns of minibus touts, Andrews noted that he was particularly concerned about the large number of touts still traversing the bus parks, and several visits to the various parks revealed that none was wearing any protective gear for the safety of themselves and others.

“They are still jostling persons to get into buses and they don’t even have on mask…they are agents of death,” he stated.

While acknowledging that they too still have to work given the circumstances, touting is still very much illegal and it is extremely critical that people protect themselves.

Speeding In addition, many minibus operators have been ‘pushing’ beyond the speed limits, in a rush to make several trips, in an attempt to make up for money lost, in only fetching half the amount the passengers that they would usually carry per trip.

Andrews further stated that all the various complaints show that Guyana’s minibus culture is still based on the ‘hustle’ and not the safety of the people. Nevertheless,

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

COVID-19 and Guyana’s minibus culture

President of the United Minibus Association, Mr. Eon Andrews

he noted that there are a few operators who are adhering to the measures, showing that there is still hope that Guyana’s minibus culture can and will change in the future.

The health authorities had urged minibuses operators as well as hire cars to only take half the number of passengers for which the vehicle is licensed to carry. In addition, the requirement for a minibus conductor on board public bus should be relaxed until further notice.

As regards to private transportation, vehicle operators which include cars, vans and pick-ups, no more than two adults and two lap infants if the vehicle is licensed to transport such numbers. There must be a clear passenger distance between two persons travelling in a private vehicle, the health authorities said.

Public health volunteers to benefit from free GTT mobile service

VOLUNTEERS of the Ministry of Public Health’s Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) will now be able to access free mobile service from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT), as they continue to assist in the fight against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

GTT said it will extend its complementary mobile offer to the HEOC volunteers as it has to nurses and doctors for the same period.

“This is one of the many ways we at GTT and MMG choose to express our gratitude to those who have selflessly volunteered their services during this pandemic.

Their contributions are noted and we want to say thank you to those volunteers for doing their part in helping to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTT, Justin Nedd, in a press statement, on Monday.

Additionally, the company, through Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) will make

donations over a period of three months to support the HEOC. Since the confirmation of the first case of COVID-19 in Guyana, the Ministry of Public Health, through the HEOC, activated a 24-hour hotline to serve as one of its first line of defence in Guyana’s fight against the virus.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 hotline numbers were made toll free – compliments of GTT. Members of the public are encouraged to call the hotline on 0180 and 0181 for infor-

mation regarding COVID-19.

The hotline serves as one of the main source of information to facilitate Contact Tracing – a vital component in identifying those who need further medical advice and care.

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

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special

treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads.

Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.

The COVID-19 virus

spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.

CDB’s EU-funded standby facility receives positive regional response The Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB’s) newest facility funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) is oversubscribed, the bank said in a release Monday.

The high demand for financing of interventions focused on enhancing the regional trading environment was evident by the overwhelming response to a call for proposals issued by the Bank in February. Also known as the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM)-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single

Market and Economy (CSME) Standby Facility for Capacity Building, the Facility received close to 50 applications from 14 countries in the CARIFORUM region. CDB supported 28 trade-related projects under the 10th EDF. Daniel Best, Director of Projects at the Bank, attributed the response of those seeking to access the EUR 8.75 million resource, to latent demand for such support across CARICOM. “CDB’s ongoing partnership with the EU continues to demonstrate the need for initiatives that can positively impact both the capabilities of regional entrepre-

neurs and national trading environments,” he stated.

Best praised member countries for showing resilience and adaptability by ensuring the processing of projects continues despite disruptions brought on by the pandemic.

CDB and the European Union, through the Standby Facility and similar projects, are building on a longstanding relationship focused on activities that advance implementation and trade under the CARIFORUM-EU EPA and the CSME. According to Calvin Manduna, the Facility’s Project Manager, “The onset of COVID-19 and its effect

on trade in the Caribbean highlight the exigency of increased support to strengthen ­the private sector, intra-regional trade and increase utilisation of trade preferences under the CSME and the EPA.” The Facility targets organisations in the public and private sectors that promote integration of Caribbean economies into the global marketplace with a focus on European markets.

Projects under review cover a broad spectrum of areas with the intent of improving competitiveness and market access, increasing exports and expanding

and supporting the services and agro-processing sectors. Projects aimed at improving local and regional quality infrastructure and standards bodies and trade facilitation are also being evaluated. Evaluation of submissions will be completed in the upcoming months and all short-listed projects are subject to final approval by an oversight committee comprised of CDB, CARIFORUM, CARICOM and EU representatives. Implementation in the beneficiary countries is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2020.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

‘Rain won’t wash away COVID-19’ -Region Four RHO says rainy season pose a threat to COVID-19 fight

By Navendra Seoraj NO, rain will wash away the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, but it is likely to make the fight against the scourge more complicated, said Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Dr. Quincy Jones.

Existing evidence has shown that Guyana experiences two seasons: rainy and dry. And, on the coast, the rainy season occurs from May to mid-July and mid-November to mid-January. This year, unlike many others, the level of caution must be higher, not just because of potential inundation caused by torrential showers, but because the rainy season is synonymous with the flu season.

Though the flu season is common, there are similarities and differences between Covid-19 and the flu. Some of the similar symptoms related to the two conditions are a dry cough and fever.

Other similar symptoms include aches, fatigue, headache and chills.

Scientific evidence, however, proves that COVID-19 is different in the sense that it causes shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. With the similarities outweighing the differences, confusing the two conditions will be very easy, said Dr. Jones, in a recent interview with Guyana Chronicle and Prime News.

“The rainy season poses a threat to the fight against COVID-19 because it is associated to flu season…there is where flu-like symptoms will come up and there will be confusion,” said the RHO, adding that this will require additional precautions from the average Guyanese and health authorities. The battle against COVID-19 has already been difficult because persons have been flouting the containment measures, which are geared at promoting social distancing in order to contain the spread of the disease. Over 100 Guyanese

mosquitoes. Protect yourself and family against mosquito bites by sleeping under mosquito nets, use mosquito repellents and coils. Ensure that all water stored around your homes in containers is covered to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes. Remember, the mosquito that spreads Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya virus breeds in fresh, still water (especially fresh rain water) around your home,” said the ministry.

RHO of Region Four, Dr. Quincy Jones

have so far been infected by the disease and ten persons have lost their lives here.

Consolidated statistics have also proven that there has been a consistent increase in the number of confirmed cases. While it has been easy to detect these cases, the flu season could disrupt this flow, as it is likely that persons will start to “pop-up” with symptoms, similar to both COVID-19 and the flu.

“We will ask patients to be attentive to what the authorities are saying and cooperate with health workers to get through this…persons will need to do things to avoid getting the flu and this will include routine things that have been touted over the years,” said Dr. Jones, adding: “Cognisant that flu-like symptoms could be mistaken for COVID-19, persons will have to utilise the COVID-19 app, visit the mobile units or call the hotline.”

It is also important that persons do not self-diagnose themselves because it could prove detrimental if the condition is actually COVID-19.

While, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the flu kills about 1 in 1,000 persons; the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, so a precise death rate has not yet been determined. To date, however, over 265,000 persons,

globally, have lost their lives to the dreaded disease.

It is to this end that Dr. Jones said Guyanese must adhere to the preventative measures in place and even look out for advisories, which will be released as the rainy season unfolds.

WETTER THAN USUAL The local “Met office” has already predicted that there are increasing chances for “wetter than usual” conditions across all regions. The met office also said there are growing concerns of flash flooding, as above normal rainfall is expected across all regions.

“With the rain coming, the same health practices stand…outside of COVID-19, the health system is still as it and all the necessary routine measures, which we asked persons to adhere to in 2019, is still valid to date,” said Dr. Jones.

In 2019, during the rainy season, the public health ministry had released a long list of advice to persons. Part of the advice reminded persons to stay out of the flood water as much as possible, as it can greatly reduce your chances of contracting diseases such as skin irritation, skin infection, Leptospirosis, diarrohea and other water-borne diseases.

“During flooding, you may notice an increase in

Hydromet issues flood advisory

The Hydrometeorological Department of the Ministry of Agriculture has issued flash flood warnings for flood-prone areas along to coast.

In an advisory issued on Monday the department stated that cloudy to overcast skies are being observed along coastal Guyana with moderate to heavy thundershowers and rain.

These conditions are expected to continue for the next 3-4 hours across coastal Guyana with rainfall intensities being mostly moderate to heavy. However, there will be a “slow

gradual improvement towards the end of the period.”

Residents are advised to remain alert and exercise all precautionary measures as the department continues to monitor the weather. Floods, damage to sea defence and overtopping should be reported to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on (592) 226-1114, 226-8815, 226-1027 or 225-5847, or their 24 Hours National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on (592) 6231700 and 600-7500.

Persons were also advised to use safe water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice and beverages, and keeping food supplies away from contact with any flood water. Wash all fruits and vegetables with treated safe water and peel before eating. Remember to keep all food items and drinking water in covered containers Cook food thoroughly and consume cooked meals

within two hours of preparation. Store all remaining food safely in a refrigerator and reheat thoroughly before consuming.

Wash hands with soap and safe water or use hand sanitizers, especially before eating meals, after going to the toilet or latrine, cleaning children or handling animals and contaminated materials. These measures also help with the prevention of COVID-19.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 12, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Harris: CFU not dead

PRESIDENT of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), Randy Harris believes that the region needs to understand the role of FIFA in football a lot more and that Trinidad and Tobago may have been spared in the past but not now.

In an exclusive interview with Andre Errol Baptiste on isports on i95.5fm on Saturday, Harris reiterated his call for the region to get its affairs in order.

“I believe that looking from the outside, that FIFA was giving Trinidad and Tobago a Bligh as we say in the Caribbean because of the home of football, it was supposed to be a revenue-generating, income project but it was closed. But all of us are answerable to FIFA and from time to time, all of us are in situations that have to be regularised,” said Harris “FIFA is very serious about how they operate in the Caribbean, if they are giving you these annual sums of monies, you have to be accountable. It happens to all of us, there are always questions being

asked,” explained Harris.

On March 17, FIFA announced that it was implementing a Normalization Committee (NC) to run the football affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, replacing the duly elected Trinidad and Tobago Football Association led at the time by president William Wallace, who has challenged FIFA’s decision since then in every aspect of TTFA’s operations.

Speaking about the upcoming CFU, Harris said,” It is an ExCo meeting and at the moment, Trinidad and Tobago do not have a representative on the ExCo of which Fifa is the World Governing body, they will decide who will represent T&T, not the CFU. At the moment and until we are told something different, it will be the Normalisation Committee.”

Asked if as CFU President if he has spoken with members of the Normalisation Committee which are headed by businessman Robert Hadad, Harris said, “The NC has not reached out to the CFU. The CFU will wait

until the situation is settled.

There’s a lot of reports, but most seem to be political.

For right now, I prefer to stay outside. It’s Fifa Matter, a T&TFA matter.”

Harris said that just before FIFA stepped in he had reached out to William Wallace despite claims by Trinidad and Tobago that the CFU was dead. He said, “We are working for the betterment of football in the region.

CFU is unified contrary to many persons saying otherwise.”

Wallace and his vicepresidents Taylor, Phillips and Joseph-Warrick are challenging FIFA decision to remove them from office on March 17, and appointment of the Normalisation Committee on March 27 to run the affairs of T&T football, through the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The former executive members are also locked in a battle with the sport bankers First Citizens bank for control of the accounts. (Reprinted from Trinidad Guardian)

King targeting T20 World Cup showpiece KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Rookie West Indies white-ball batsman, Brandon King, has set his sights on this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, and is hoping to further impress selectors to ensure he is selected for the showpiece Down Under.

The 25-year-old made his international debut last year and has maintained his spot in the side despite failing to register a single half-century in 12 innings across both limited overs formats.

But with the T20 World Cup scheduled for October 18 to November 15, King is hoping to make the trip in order to put his talents on show on the global stage.

BRANDON KING “It [the World Cup] is the biggest opportunity [to showcase talent] because that’s when you have most people watching. I had that goal from last year, trying to make sure I’m selected in that team, and then I’ll take it from there,” the Jamaican told the Observer newspaper here.

“In terms of what I’ve done, I think there is a lot of room for improvement.

It’s a learning process but you try to learn as quickly as possible.

“At the end of the day you get picked to perform, so you don’t get endless opportunities to prove yourself.

It’s about learning from your mistakes as fast as you can.”

King earned a call-up to West Indies colours after dominating in both the four-day and T20 formats last year.

He was the leading scorer in the Caribbean Premier League with 496 runs for losing finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors and also plundered 630 runs for his native Jamaica Scorpions in the domestic first class championship.

However, he has struggled at international level, with a highest score of 39 in One-Day Internationals and 43 in T20s, and is targeting another successful CPL in order to remain in the selectors frame.

“It’s the nature of sport; current form is very important and I think the selectors will always look to who’s performing [well] closer to the time of a competition,” he pointed out.

“From a personal point of view, obviously you want to be in the best form heading into it as well. You want to have full confidence.”

The CPL is carded for August 19 to September 26 but its staging is in doubt due

to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic which has halted cricket globally.

West Indies are also due to host South Africa and New Zealand between July and August in Tests and limited overs games but both series are also now in jeopardy, and are likely to deprive King of chances to prove his worth.

Though away from the field because of the lockdowns across the Caribbean due to the outbreak, King said he was using the time to work on his fitness and improve technical aspects of his batting.

“There are challenges because there are things that you cannot do as you used to but I look at it in a positive way – there are also things you might not have had time to do in a normal situation,” he explained. “[Now] you can focus more on bettering yourself, and fitness-wise you can push yourself in workouts a little bit more than you could during competitions.

“You have time to recover, you have time to work on some technical stuff – go back to basics in a sense – and get that really sorted out so that when cricket starts back, you can have a better foundation than when you stopped.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Raina urges BCCI to clear way for Indians to play BBL SURESH Raina has urged India to soften its stance on releasing players to foreign Twenty20 competitions, such as the Big Bash League.

(BBL) India’s female stars have previously featured in the Rebel WBBL with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur among those to have played in Australia.

But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has blocked any active male player under its umbrella, regardless of whether they have a national contract or are close to national selection, from joining a T20 franchise outside the Indian Premier League (IPL).

A change in that policy is remote but would help raise the standard of foreign players in the KFC BBL, one of many concerns that local broadcasters have flagged recently, and one raised in a report on the BBL by former TV sports executive Dave Barham.

Finding a window for Australian superstars to play as

much BBL as possible remains a more pressing concern for BBL bosses, with the likes of David Warner, Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins playing no part in last summer’s competition.

The prospect of the centrally-contracted Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma (the only two Indians to have scored more T20 runs than Raina) padding up in the BBL is non-existent, but Raina, an IPL stalwart who represented India on 322 occasions, is the sort of non-contracted talent who could be on the radar of BBL clubs if the BCCI changed tack.

“I hope the BCCI can get together with the ICC or with franchises and allow players who don’t have BCCI contracts to play in overseas leagues,” Raina said in an Instagram Live chat.

“Yusuf (Pathan), myself, Robin Uthappa – a lot of quality players (could) ... go overseas and learn a lot.

“We aren’t in the BCCI contracts list, some of us don’t have IPL contracts.

“We aren’t playing international cricket, and the competition in domestic cricket isn’t what it is at the international level.

lievable, he’s a very consistent player, he’s a gun fielder and he can bowl some part-time off-spin if required as well,” Ponting said of the India star

Former international star Suresh Raina has called on India’s authorities to ease restrictions on players and allow them to compete in T20 competitions outside of the IPL

The aggressive-hitting left-handed 33-year-old was picked by Ricky Ponting in his ‘best IPL team of all-time’ in a 2017 exercise.

“His strike rate is unbe-

who last played international cricket in 2018.

While this summer’s schedule remains clouded by the COVID-19 pandemic, India are expected to play limited-overs matches as well as the marquee Border-Gavaskar Test series, and Raina said fringe players could ben-

efit by playing in the BBL. “If we can get three months of quality cricket, whether it’s the CPL or the Big Bash ... it can help us stay ready (for a national call-up),” Raina said.

“Players from other countries are able to play in these leagues, and a lot of them have made international comebacks after doing well in them.”

Last summer saw veteran South African stars AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel all suit up for BBL clubs.

Steyn used the tournament as a springboard to relaunch his T20 international career with the Proteas while de Villiers had hinted at coming out of international retirement for this year’s T20 World Cup. Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa are among the Australian stars to have declared they would love to see Indians in the BBL, but Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts suggested last year it is “not something that we’re specifically focused on”.

However it appears Raina will find few sympathetic ears among Indian cricket’s administrators. The IANS news wire

quoted an unnamed BCCI official rubbishing the idea, claiming Raina was acting out of self-interest.

“One usually finds these views emanating from those who can see the wall of retirement approaching, and it’s only natural,” IANS quoted the BCCI official as saying.

“That’s their view. It’s the luxury of having the freedom of a tunnel vision with a view to further their own interests, and that’s absolutely fine.

“From the point of view of the board and the interests of Indian cricket, the intent is to ensure a system where the non-contracted players are able to command good value at the IPL auction. Exclusivity is the key.”

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has joined Sri Lanka in offering to host this year’s IPL season after it was postponed indefinitely because of COVID-19.

If the T20 World Cup in Australia is cancelled or postponed, IPL organisers are expected to shift dates to that October-November window. (Cricket Network-AAP)

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to be demoted from category ‘A’ to ‘C’ THE last six months have been a difficult time for Sarfaraz Ahmed. He was sacked as the captain from the T20I and Test squad.

Though, there has not been any announcement regarding his ODI spot. There have been rumours that T20I captain Babar Azam could also take over as the ODI captain.

The recent reports though suggest that the wicketkeeper-batsman could be demoted from ‘A’ category in annual contracts to category ‘C’.

The official list will be announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in August. According to the details, the Board would also reduce the central contract retainers or match fees of the players. This could be called strange as all cricket matches have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, the PCB decided to omit many players from the list of centrally contracted players. The list had only 19 players been centrally contracted with the Board.

In 2018, 32 players had received central contracts.

Last year, Sarfaraz Ahmed was in the ‘A’ category alongside Babar Azam and Yasir Shah.

When the list was announced last year, the Champions Trophy-winning skipper was still leading the national side in all three formats.

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed

“Sarfaraz has been demoted to category C in the new contracts as he is presently not a member of the playing side,” a PCB source said as quoted by Times Now.

In November, right before Pakistan’s tour of Australia, the wicketkeeper-batsman was dropped from the squad for the T20Is and Tests. Azhar Ali was chosen as the Test skipper while Azam was handed over the reins of the T20I side.

The new list of contracted players is being finalised by a committee that includes PCB CEO, Wasim Khan, Director International Cricket Operations, Zakir Khan and the head coach and chief selector, Misbahul-Haq. In the current contracts laid down by the PCB, the Test match fees are Rs 762,300 for Category A players, Rs 665,280 for Category B and Rs 568,260 for Category C players.

The sources have also revealed that Abid Ali might get promoted to Category B alongside his opening partner in Tests, Shan Masood.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali could lose his contract.

(CricTracker)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

tain Roy Keane.

“There were three or four players that he never had a go at,” United’s record appearance maker told beIN Sports.

“Eric Cantona was one – Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo. They were all in their own ways matchwinners.

“We would be sat in the dressing room thinking: ‘He’s got to have a go at him, he’s got to have a pop at him because he didn’t do anything today.’

“But the next week he’d scored the winner or he would produce a moment of magic, so he handled the big names really

Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United

“They did the stuff on the pitch, so he never felt he had to.

“Eric, there were some games where Eric didn’t do anything. He didn’t score, he wasn’t running around like a Carlos Tevez or a Wayne Rooney, he didn’t have any impact. But he knew sooner or later he would come good.

well as long as they were doing it on the pitch, he handled them in a different way.

“He was the master of psychology, he was a master at getting the best out of certain individuals like whether to put an arm around, or whether to give them a rocket at half-time

or at the end of the game or leave them out knowing that the player would react in a positive way.”

Giggs went on to admit that he found himself on the end of Ferguson’s temper on a number of occasions, and that he was hit with fines for failing to accept his manager’s criticism.

“I fell out with him plenty of times,” the Welshman added. “I mean the amount of times I would say over my career, six or seven times where it was a couple of weeks wages I was fined for talking back, for having an argument.

“At the time it’s not very nice, you’re in the dressing room, you’ve just got beat or you’ve had a bad performance. And I just couldn’t help myself to have a go back.

“He actually, later in his career, he told me he liked that, it meant that you cared. He’d still fine you two weeks because he wanted to show that he was in charge but he actually quite liked it, as long as it didn’t cross the line of course.”

(Goal.com)

people with underlying health conditions.

“Some of the young black players I’ve spoken to have read what’s in the press and want answers to that (government study). ‘Am I more affected in my demographic and if so why?’

“My stance with the Premier League from day one has been it’s all very well those of us in suits saying what our opinions are but we’re not going to be out there on a Saturday afternoon and we’re not going to be going back to our family.”

A third first team player at Brighton & Hove Albion tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, sparking fresh concerns about the league’s proposed restart.

Clubs are due to meet later on Monday to further discuss how to complete the remaining 92 matches of the season.

ER

RYAN Giggs has named the four Manchester United players who were immune from Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘hairdryer treatment’, describing the legendary Scottish coach as a “master of psychology”.

Ferguson is widely revered as one of the greatest managers in the history of football, having guided United to 13 Premier League titles and two European Cups during his 26year reign at the Theatre of Dreams.

However, he didn’t always see eye to eye with his players, with reports of dressing room disputes with certain stars during and after matches a common occurrence.

One such incident saw Ferguson admit to kicking a boot at David Beckham’s face, leaving the ex-England winger needing stitches while off-field disagreements with Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy ultimately led to both players leaving the club.

Giggs says only a select few managed to escape Ferguson’s wrath, including five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and former club cap-

(REUTERS) - Players have genuine concerns about their health as the Premier League considers resuming fixtures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, players’ union deputy chief Bobby Barnes has said.

The league’s “Project Restart” envisages a return to play in June at neutral venues, once given the green light from the government, but players are worried about transmission when sharing the pitch with others in a contact sport.

A British government study said black people are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than whites and Barnes said young black players were apprehensive.

“There are players who have voiced genuine concerns,” the Professional Footballers Association’s Barnes told the Times here “ Yo u ’ v e g o t p l a y e r s who’ve got young children, players with pregnant partners,

RN

Giggs names four Man Utd players who were immune from Sir Alex’s ‘hairdryer treatment’

PFA deputy chief Bobby Barnes

CO

Discussions continue between the league and the government about the precise details of how a resumed season would be carried out and Masters said the clubs hope they can still find a way to play games on the usual home and away basis.

must be agreed by both parties and a later date can be scheduled for that; no later than June 23.”

The worst-case scenario for the league is that conditions do not allow for a restart to the season.

“I’m happy to reveal (curtailment) was discussed for the first time but the contents of that discussion have to remain confidential.

What I can say is that all of the talk was about finishing the season,” added Masters.

“No conclusions were reached on any other models.

Those are future conversations we may need to have.

“There was a desire to see all the different implications; the adaptations, if you like, to the Premier League model as we know in order to play out the season and then discuss what the fairest way forward is,” he said.

The government expected on Tuesday to publish a paper on plans and guidelines for a return of elite sport.

The Premier League has to give European football’s governing body UEFA details of their plans by May 25.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

UIZ

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters

“We talked about neutral venues — obviously it is the preference of all our clubs to play at home if at all possible, but all must be cognisant of what authorities are telling us and we will continue with that conversation,” Masters told reporters.

The clubs did agree to allow players whose contracts run out at the end of June to extend their deals until the end of the season.

Any restart to the campaign would see matches played beyond the June 30 date, which is normally considered the formal end of the season.

World football’s governing body FIFA has produced guidelines suggesting that contracts be extended until the end of the lengthened season but clubs are concerned about the legal situation if players refuse.

“We’ve been working as far as possible to ensure that clubs complete the season with the same squad they had prior to the suspension,” said Masters.

“What was agreed today is that players can extend their contracts beyond June 30 until the end of the season but it

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MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Premier League clubs are hoping they can avoid having to play the remainder of the season at neutral grounds, chief executive Richard Masters said after a meeting of all 20 clubs on Monday.

Masters also revealed that for the first time clubs discussed what might happen if the season could not be completed — although they continue to believe it can be finished.

That aim was given a boost on Monday by the UK government offering guidance that elite sport could return from June 1 if conditions allow for a move into the next phase of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week clubs were told any return to complete the season would have to be with games played behind closed doors and at neutral venues — to limit the risk of supporters turning up outside grounds.

But that idea had been rejected by some of the clubs

facing the threat of relegation, such as Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion, who expressed concerns about the fairness of playing games at neutral venues.

ICK

By Simon Evans

CR

Premier League clubs hoping to avoid neutral venues

Players worried about Premier League restart, PFA deputy chief says

(1) (2)

(1)

(2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

Dave Houghton-121 (vs IND, Harare, 1992/93) Alf Valentine-8/104 (vs ENG, Manchester, 1950)

TODAY’S QUIZ: When and where did the WI and BANG contest a Test match for the first time?

When and where did BANG win a Test match against the WI for the first time?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Gambhir lashes out at ICC for giving number one Test rank to ‘pathetic’ Australia

EARLIER this month, India slipped to the number three position of the ICC Test rankings. The team led by Virat Kohli was at the number one position since 2016.

The Indian team stayed at the top for 42 months before slipping below Australia and New Zealand.

moved in the current cycle.

The team had won 12 Tests and lost only one during that period. After the statement came out, Former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir heavily criticized the sudden shift in rankings.

“India has yielded the top spot for the first time since

getting the same points for winning matches abroad is not correct. Earlier, Kohli had also suggested that the introduction of this rule should be made in the ICC World Test Championship.

“No, I am not surprised (India slipping to number three). I don’t believe in

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir

The fact the Kohli’s team hasn’t done enough bad yet being dropped to the third position brought several questions in the minds of the fans.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement on this subject.

The council explained that India’s records of the 201617 season have been re-

October 2016. This is largely because India had won 12 Tests and lost just one Test in 2016-17, the records of which were removed in the latest update,” an ICC statement said.

During a chat with Star Sports, the ex-Indian opener said he doesn’t have faith in points and ranking system.

He pointed out that the team

points and ranking system.

Probably the worst was there in the World Test Championship… that you win the same points when you win a Test match away from home.

That’s ridiculous,” Gambhir said during the Cricket Connected show on Star Sports.

The former number one Test batsman also

said that Kohli’s team have had the most impact going around in the world. He did admit that losing series in South Africa but also pointed out that they won in Australia.

The 38-year-old also credited India to be the most competitive team having won a Test match in South Africa and England.

“Yes, absolutely. 100 per cent. If you have to see from the overall impact point of view, India has lost a series away from home but won against Australia. Hands down, they have been the most competitive side. They won a Test in South Africa, won a Test match in England… not many countries have done that,” Gambhir noted.

Gambhir further questioned Australia’s number one position as he said the team from Down Under won’t do well in sub-continental conditions. Australia lost all four Test series they have played in India.

“For me, India should be there (number one) because of Australia… I have serious doubts On what front have you given Australia the number one ranking? They have been absolutely pathetic away from home, especially in the sub-continent,” Gambhir concluded. (CricTracker)

Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne praises Arthur, eyes top-four rank MUMBAI, (Reuters) - Sri Lanka cricket captain Dimuth Karunaratne lauded the impact of new coach Mickey Arthur on Sunday and said his side must target a top-four spot in the world rankings for both the test and 50-over formats.

South African Mickey Arthur was appointed as Sri Lanka’s head coach on a twoyear contract in December.

Former first class cricketer Arthur has previously been head coach with the national teams of South Africa, Australia and Pakistan.

“Mickey is a no nonsense cool bloke with loads of experience to back him and his brand,” Karunaratne told Sri Lanka Cricket.

“At the international level, planning and role clarity is a norm. What is very important is the belief he has instilled among us in his own and subtle way. It sure helped

and the results always speak for itself.”

Since Arthur’s appointment, Sri Lanka lost a twotest series in Pakistan before defeating Zimbabwe at home. The are currently ranked fifth in the format.

the COVID-19 shutdown.

“Rankings is the key word. I’d say Sri Lanka needs to be in the top four of not just ODI cricket, but test cricket as well,” Karunaratne, 32, said.

“That would indirectly

Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur

The team languish at eighth in one-day internationals but managed to defeat a dangerous West Indies side 3-0 in their last series before

mean semi-finalists to say the least and you are perhaps two games away from the plum. There onwards, it’s anybody’s guess and if

you do well on your day you could end up being World Champs.”

Test captain Karunaratne was himself handed an olive branch to resurrect his limited-overs career and lead the side in ODI cricket when he was brought back last year ahead of the 50-over World Cup in England for the first time since 2015.

The top-order batsman found success with the willow but was unable to lead his side into the last four of the competition.

Karunaratne is, however, positive about the future.

“The boys and the respective squads are enjoying their cricket and that makes my job that much easier,” he said.

“If you like what you are doing and the environment to do so is conducive, the balance at this level of sport becomes that much more beneficial.”

No elite sport in England until at least June 1, says government

(REUTERS) - Elite sport in England cannot return until at least June 1 and will have to take place without spectators present, a government document containing guidelines on easing lockdown restrictions said on Monday.

Most professional sport in England has been suspended since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

English Premier League clubs are meeting on Monday to discuss Project Restart, which aims for top-flight football to resume next month. Cricket and rugby authorities in England have said their sports will not resume until July.

The news however, is a blow to British horse racing, which had hoped to resume behind closed doors later this month.

The government guidance concerning the easing of restrictions on elite sport is laid out in “step two” of the document, and will be made no earlier than June 1.

Step two includes “permitting cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact,” the guidelines say.

The resumption of elite sport is contingent on the most up-to-date assessment of the risk posed by the virus and the June 1 date will be delayed if certain conditions are not met.

Reopening venues such as sports grounds “may only be fully possible significantly later depending on the reduction in numbers of infections”, the document adds.

Somerset cancel South Africa Test star’s contract

SOMERSET have cancelled the contract of South Africa seam bowler Vernon Philander by mutual agreement.

The 34-year-old was due to join the county for the summer on a Kolpak deal, which meant he would not count as an overseas player.

day to see Vernon back wearing Somerset colours.”

Several counties have cancelled agreements with players signed for the 2020 season because of the uncertainty over what, if any, cricket will be played this summer.

Last week, England and

Vernon Philander took 224 Test wickets for South Africa at an average of only 22.32

However, no games have yet been played because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the current uncertainty the cancellation of his contract was a prudent and sensible decision,” said director of cricket Andy Hurry.

“I would like to thank Vernon and his management team for their understanding of the current situation and we hope one

Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison confirmed the game could lose as much as £380m if no play is possible at all.

Philander announced his retirement from international cricket following last winter’s series against England.

He played 64 Tests, 30 one-dayers and seven T20 internationals for South Africa.

(BBC Sport)

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Player safety major consideration for CWI on England tour: Skerritt PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, has given the assurance that the tour of England will only take place once the regional body is satisfied that the safety of players will not be compromised, and that conditions in the United Kingdom do not put them at a disadvantage.

Arguing that speculation over pre-conditions for the tour was premature since both CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board were still at the discussion phase, Skerritt said his administration would not agree to the series unless the environment was “mutually suitable”.

“It is well known the West Indies team was due to travel to England in another 10 or so days,” Skerritt told i95FM Sports here.

“Obviously that’s not going to happen and Cricket West Indies and the English Cricket Board have been in discussions for a few weeks now, staying in touch, keeping each other updated on the situation locally – speculating, hoping, imagining, wishing, praying that we could have the tour take place sometime in the summer.

“I think it would be premature for us to get too ex-

cited by what the terms and conditions would be. There’s been no confirmation of anything – different ideas have come up based on medical advice.

“Both organisations have had both medically

In recent days, speculation has swirled about a July start for the three-Test series which was originally carded to begin June 4, but had to be scrapped because of the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic.

CWI president Ricky Skerritt

oriented and cricket technical discussions. We’ve included the key cricket folks – coach, captain, director of cricket, speaking with their counterparts in England.”

He added: “But let’s be clear, Cricket West Indies will not be making an decisions that don’t make sense under the circumstances but obviously unless things change dramatically within the next month or two, it won’t be normal circumstances.

“So the circumstances that prevail and the conditions that are placed will be determined to be only be suitable if they’re mutually suitable.”

The ECB has postponed the start of its domestic season until May 28 but with the virus already resulting in 219 000 infections and nearly 32 000 deaths, doubt remains over when the season can actually get underway.

Media reports in England have indicated that the ECB are considering strict isolation, quarantine and testing protocols for players and officials, along with the use of “bio-secure” playing facilities in order for the series to proceed.

While conceding that cricket globally would have to undergo changes to accom-

GBA donates hampers to boxers, officials

The boxers and officials display their hampers

THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), in collaboration with Seon Bristol of Bris O Promotion, on Saturday last presented 65 hampers to boxers and officials of the association.

The hampers were made following donations from several companies and well-wishers.

The USA-based Bristol

said that it is the first but not the last time that he will be providing assistance during the “difficult Covid19 period.” He added that there will be further dialogue with the GBA on whether a similar exercise would be held.

GBA president Steve Ninvalle explained that “in such trying times it is only fitting that the Association

attempts to minimize the burden of its affiliates.”

Ninvalle urged other associations to follow suit as there is presently an urgent need. Ninvalle added that hampers were delivered to the families of the four boxers stranded in Cuba, and also to referees, judges and coaches under the umbrella of the GBA.

modate safety concerns once it restarted, Skerritt stressed if the tour went ahead, players would not be pressured to make themselves available, even though he did not foresee that situation occurring since all stakeholders were being kept abreast of discussions.

“This is going to have to be a win-win tour in terms of the arrangement.

Nobody will be put at a disadvantage, nobody will be abused,” he pointed out.

“We’re trying to put things in place where cricketers can play cricket. That’s what cricketers do, they make a living out of playing cricket and some cricketers may have to make some adjustments as

we go along, especially in the first few months of the return to cricket.”

He continued: “This is too early to speak about quarantine and length of quarantine but you cannot go to Britain to play sport or do anything else without complying without whatever terms and conditions and protocols operate at the time.

“Similarly, Caribbean cricketers are not going to be able to move around the region or get involved in preparation camps and other things that are necessary before a tour like this without it being cleared by the health authorities and so on, so Cricket West Indies is not

in anyway trying to force any unreasonable ideas down anybody’s throat.

“We believe in inclusivity of planning, we believe in getting the stakeholders involved in understanding what it is they’re getting into so the cricketers are not going to be jumping into a blind hole; in fact, they should not be jumping into a hole at all.

“If this English tour is going to take place, we just have to make sure the terms and conditions and the environment for good health and good hygiene and for safety in the context of COVID-19, that they prevail in ways that don’t make cricket impossible to be played.”

Ivan says no cricket in Berbice due to lockdown hurting players financially ― Ex-Guyana player says ancient county cricketers desperate for return to action

By Clifton Ross RAJIV Ivan, a former Guyana limited overs all-rounder and current Albion player, says the current state of lock-down has financial repercussions for players in Berbice, who are now forced to wait out the ongoing pre-sports apocalypse.

Ivan, who played T20 for Guyana back in the 2013 season, was also tipped to be a major role-player in the team before the Franchise league introduction forced a lot of talented players out of the picture.

The left-hander told Chronicle Sport that the current situation in Berbice is quite eerie. “It feels like a lot is going away; whatever you have to do you have to do home and make the best use of it because we have to respect this pandemic; it is not something we can control”.

Ivan, like most of his team-mates in Berbice, welcomed the number of weekly sponsored tournaments which provide stipends for the cricketers.

With grounds closed and no cricket being played, not even at a scrimmage level, the left-arm spinner said lockdown has somewhat financially hurt the cricketers.

“The tournaments we used to play in we got stipends and I know for sure that the players do look forward to it (stipends) and it is not hap-

pening like before due to the COVID-19”, he said.

Adding to the downside of no action and no income, Ivan added, “I know it’s going to be frustrating for some players because not everyone is in a good position. I know some guys might be looking for certain tournaments because they’re not many jobs in Berbice, so I know it’s going to be hard for all of us”.

He pointed out.

Former Guyana player Rajiv Ivan

S o m e o f t h e t o u rnaments like the Busta Champion of Champions, among other popular annual competitions, have been supporting the livelihood of the players over the years. The Albion player added that while things are quiet in Berbice, some of the players, including some of his teammates, have been resorting to other tactics to remain fit and in form.

“We don’t have any tournaments, no grounds are open and nothing is really going on right now. My cousin David Latchaya who also plays cricket, I saw him playing some bumper ball cricket on the road recently.

That form of cricket gets your fitness level up, so I guess that’s what he was doing fit but that is just an example of doing what you have to do to remain fit up here”. Ivan added.

Looking ahead to a brighter future, a post COVID-19 world could see things returning to normal or worst case scenario, a new way of living could be unravelled.

The veteran all-rounder said he hoped the safety guidelines will still be in effect and persons will be ensuring they stay fighting the outbreak. “I think that even after covid-19, persons should still distance themselves, wear face masks because you don’t know which direction the wind will blow from again and if you can get re-infected”.

“As for us players, we should take it step by step, go to normal training sessions when necessary, maybe a few practice games until things go back to normal. In Guyana, we don’t have deaths like around the world, so if we continue to take precautions we could help things get back to normal slowly for everyone”. He ended.

Harris:

CFU not dead PAGE 23

CFU President Randy Harris

NBA legend O’Neal calls for season to be scrapped

PAGE 23

King targeting

Shaquille O’Neal won three NBA titles with the LA Lakers alongside the late Kobe Bryant BASKETBALL great Shaquille O’Neal says the NBA should “scrap the season” because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2019-20 campaign was halted in March with five regular-season games and two months of play-offs remaining.

“Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year,” said four-time NBA champion O’Neal, 48, who now works as a television pundit.

“To try and come back now and do a rush play-offs as a player? Any team that wins this year, there’s an asterisk.”

O’Neal added: “What if a team that’s not really in the mix of things all of

PAGE 24

a sudden wins with a new play-off format? Nobody is going to respect that.

“So scrap it. Worry about the safety of the fans and the people. Come back next year.”

With over 80,000 deaths and nearly 1.4m cases, the United States is the country most affected by the coronavirus crisis in the world.

A ‘bubble’ plan has been suggested by the NBA in which teams gather in a single area - such as the Bahamas, Disney World or Las Vegas.

Players would be housed in a secure area with testing to check for the virus.

But National Basketball Players Association executive

director Michele Roberts says the option feels like “incarceration”.

O’Neal, who won the NBA title with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002 as well as with the Miami Heat in 2006, told USA Today: “I understand how players are feeling.

I really do.

“But any team that gets it done this year, there’s going to be an asterisk on that championship. However long it takes for us to get 100% back to normal, I’m willing to wait.

“All it takes is one person. After the game, you’ve still got to go home. What if one person gets sick? Then we start from zero again.”

(BBC Sport)

T20

World Cup showpiece Brandon King was the leading scorer in last year’s CPL with 630 runs for Guyana Amazon Warriors

Raina urges BCCI to clear way for Indians to play BBL

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TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020