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Sunday

September

19, 2021

Sunday September 19, 2021

19th September, 2021

See Inside

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No.106489

President Ali to meet with top officials in NY

PAGE

02

Oil finds could more than double by 2025 03 PAGE

–– as Guyana approaches 13 billion BOE

Combining resources necessary ––AliPresident tells 04 for reducing regional dependence LAC leaders PAGE

President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali at the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), hosted in Mexico on Saturday

Guyana, Brazil 05 border to remain closed PAGE

‘Witness Protection’ 20 to be put into operation PAGE

–– over 2,000kg of illegal drugs destroyed

–– possibility of reopening for vaccinated persons to be discussed

2

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

President Ali to meet with several Heads of Government, int’l organisations in NY PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, will be meeting with several Heads of Government and high-level officials from distinguished international organisations while in New York next week for the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Although the Head of State has addressed the UNGA before, this will be his inaugural physical presentation.

President Ali will also be meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres.

President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali Over the week, the Guyanese President and other Heads of State will be delivering statements on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), energy, and the UN Food System Summit, while he is also expected to speak at the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) meeting.

On Thursday morning (September 23), President Ali is scheduled to address the United Nations. The President, who left Guyana on Friday, is currently on a three-day visit to Mexico City, where he is attending the VI (Sixth) Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd; Foreign Secretary, Mr Robert Persaud, and Press Secretary at the Office of the President, Mrs. Suelle Findlay-Williams, are also expected to travel for the UN General Assembly. (Office of the President press release)

Oil finds could more than double by 2025

3

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

–– as Guyana approaches 13 billion barrels of oil equivalent

WITHIN the coming months, the Guyana basin is poised to witness its largest exploration campaign ever, as ExxonMobil and its partners prepare to begin the drilling of multiple wells across several blocks offshore Guyana.

According to a publication by OilNow, ExxonMobil, via its local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has already submitted a document outlining its plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the submission, the company said that Guyana’s oil reserves could more than double its confirmed nine billion plus barrels of oil equivalent, once drilling commences in the Stabroek and Canje blocks. These heightened exploration efforts are expected to run until December 2025.

The oil company said that it plans to drill a total of 37 wells at the Stabroek block alone.

With regard to drilling capacity, Exxon said that it will continue use of its six drill ships, namely the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor and the Noble Sam Croft, all of which continue to operate offshore Guyana. As it is, these vessels have been executing a series of exploration, appraisal and development

drilling campaigns with the Stena Carron being the only rig equipped to perform well tests.

OilNow related that while the proposed drill programme outlined in the document submitted to the EPA focuses heavily on the development of the Stabroek and Canje Blocks, there was no mention of Kaieteur block which has since seen a non-commercial discovery at Tanager.

In August, however, it was announced that the date for elective nomination of the second drill target on the Kaieteur block would be extended by seven months to March 22, 2022.

“The Kaieteur block partners agreed to this extension to facilitate continuing analysis

by Exxon, and integration of extensive multi-play drilling results and comprehensive data collection programmes into regional petroleum system models and the prospect nomination decision,” OilNow reported.

It is said that exploration across this particular acreage can also potentially add new volumes to the growing estimated recoverable resources offshore Guyana. A report compiled by Netherland, Sewell and Associates Inc. had indicated the aggregate ‘best estimate’ gross unrisked prospective resources for nine

prospects in the southern part of the Kaieteur Block is 2.1 billion barrels of oil.

Meanwhile, as it relates to drilling in the Corentyne block, CGX Energy has already commenced drilling for oil at its Kawa-1 well, presumably one of the “most exciting” exploration wells in the world, according to its operators.

The Kawa-1 well is located in the north-east quadrant of the Corentyne Block, approximately 200km offshore Georgetown. The water-depth is approximately 355 metres (1,174 ft), and the expected total depth of the Kawa-1 well is 6,575 metres (21,700 ft).

It was reported recently that the estimated cost for the Kawa-1 project is close to US$85 million. The well is expected to reach total depth in the first half of December 2021.

MAMMOTH INCREASES Nonetheless, earlier in August, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, told the attendees of an Offshore Technology Conference that oil discoveries in the Guyana Basin have been quite lucrative with Guyana currently approaching 13 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources, which could see mammoth increases as more drilling

ExxonMobil Guyana plans to drill 37 wells in the Stabroek block alone (Photo courtesy of Hess Corporation)

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo (right), and Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, representing Guyana at a ‘Technical Meeting on Climate Cooperation between the Republic of Suriname and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’ (Photo taken from Dr. Jagdeo’s Facebook page) begins.

Bharrat had cautioned, too, that even though the majority of Guyana’s oil discoveries were made in the Stabroek block, Guyana’s petroleum potential is far more expansive and goes beyond the ExxonMobil-operated areas.

Since 2015, Guyana has had 22 oil discoveries, and with the country poised to gain far more within the coming years, Bharrat assured that his government’s approach is to “bring benefits from the sector to our people.”

As a matter of fact, he told residents during a recent Cabinet outreach to Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam, that the People’s Progressive Party Civic will not be making the mistake of falling prey to the Dutch disease, and will therefore ensure that the oil revenues are invested and spent on accelerating growth in a number of key non-oil sectors such as agriculture, health and the provision of improved social services.

He assured that currently, the more than US$400 million contained in Guyana’s Natural Resources Fund remains untouched, and will only be spent once the requisite legislation is in place to ensure intense scrutiny and accountability of how the monies are spent.

“Any spending from that fund must get parliamentary approval,” Bharrat assured.

EXTRACTING IN A HURRY Also speaking at the aforementioned Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had rec-

ognised that because of the climate change imperative to decarbonise the world, it was important that Guyana pursues an aggressive mission of “getting as much oil out of the ground as quickly as possible.”

The former President reasoned that Guyana has to maximise the benefit from the industry and use those benefits to change lives of every Guyanese. “We don’t know how swiftly we’ll get to a decarbonised world, but we have to make use of this period when there is still demand to get as much as possible out of the ground and that is why we support the rapid pace of the industry, but it must be done safely,” he posited.

On a local radio programme called, ‘Guyana’s oil and you’, Jagdeo had said, pointedly, that even with the environmental concerns relating to oil production, Guyana does not have the option of leaving the oil in the ground.

“There are many people saying now that we should not be producing oil. We don’t have that option in Guyana. Our people badly need development and we have to make sure that we produce the oil and get as much development out of it for our people to invest long term in other sectors so that they can get wealthier and have a decent life.”

The former Head of State, who has been globally recognised for his efforts to fight against climate change, indicated his government’s intention to rely on the advice of experts to ensure that its decision to continue oil production was sound.

“We can’t shut down the industry as some people have been calling for. We are going to be driven by the technical expertise. The oil and gas industry will be vital to our future and we have to do it well,” he said. “We have made it clear that we are going to try, as far as possible, to ensure that Guyanese benefit from these resources,” he reiterated.

A similar situation exists in Suriname. It is for this reason that the two countries have decided to collaborate on a joint strategy, ahead of its participation of the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26.

To facilitate the creation of this joint strategy, Vice President Jagdeo and minister Bharrat are currently on an official three-day working visit to neighbouring Suriname.

It was only on Tuesday that the two countries hosted a ‘Technical Meeting on Climate Cooperation between the Republic of Suriname and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’, which saw Dr. Jagdeo and Minister Bharrat leading the dialogue from Guyana’s end.

The forum also saw the participation of Keith George, Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, while the Suriname delegation comprised of Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation; Silvano Tjong-Ahin, Minister of Spatial Planning & Environment and David Abiamofo, Suriname’s Minister of Natural Resources.

(By Rehana Ahamad).

4

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Combining resources necessary for reducing regional dependence –– President Ali tells Latin America, Caribbean leaders

––– says Guyana is prepared to lead in areas of climate change & food security

Sunday, 19 September 02:30hrs - 04:00hrs

IN a bid to be better prepared for any future health crisis, it is important that countries within Latin America and the Caribbean combine their scientific resources – intellectual and material, to reduce dependence on the developed world.

These were the sentiments shared by President Dr. Irfaan Ali as he addressed the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), hosted in Mexico on Saturday.

“This pandemic has taught us how insulated the world can become,” Dr. Ali said, as he pointed to issues relating to the fact that the regions must never again fall victim to vaccine nationalism, which occurs when countries and pharmaceutical manufacturers partner to prioritise vaccines for its own domestic markets.

The president, according to a press release from the Office of the President, said that a unified approach among countries within Latin America and the Caribbean should also see the creation of a common strategy to not only improve access to vaccinations and reduce vaccine hesitancy, but to also exit the coronavirus pandemic and bolster economic recovery, altogether.

Dr. Ali also pointed to the lingering, and, in some instances, the lasting socio-economic impact that the pandemic has had on countries within Latin America and the Caribbean. He reminded that those effects were sufficiently outlined by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which warned that the health crisis had worsened the structural problems of low investment, unemployment, inequality and poverty— all issues that must be addressed by the Summit.

He also emphasised the need for countries within the two regions to invest in capacity building in pursuit of self-sustenance. “We must lead efforts for a fairer global system not only in resource allocations but in regulation and approval. We must think about this carefully,” Dr. Ali was quoted as saying in the release.

Going forward, President Ali expressed Guyana’s commitment to providing strong leadership on critical matters relating

President Dr. Irfaan Ali attending the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), hosted in Mexico on Saturday to climate change and food security.

As it is, Guyana is the leading agricultural nation within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) has been globally hailed as ground-breaking in tackling issues of climate change.

The Guyanese leader reminded the Heads of Governments representing 33 territories that the two regions will be given an opportunity to speak with a collective voice and to emphasise the urgency of increased and readily available financing for mitiga-

tion, adaptation and resilient infrastructure at the 26th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

At COP26, a systemic approach in dealing with issues of the environment and climate change should be agreed on. Dr. Ali even went further to reference and renew his advocacy for the establishment of a climate vulnerability fund, as well as the fulfilment of pledges made by the developed world.

The voluntary fund is intended to facilitate regional disaster response since some priority issues for Caribbean Small Island Development States are centred around climate change and disaster risk management, as well as access to concessional financing, high levels of indebtedness, natural disaster funds and graduation and transition, among others.

With the combined effect of the pandemic and climate change severely hampering the developing world’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030, President Ali urged that the regions “must therefore champion the call to address this through debt rescheduling and access to soft financing.”

FOOD SECURITY The Head of State emphasised that food security was also vital to post-pandemic recovery.

As a result, he said that Guyana strongly supports regional cooperation in ensuring a more food secure

Latin America and the Caribbean.

To this end, Dr. Ali expressed hope that the recommendations presented by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and in the CELAC Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication Plan of 2025 can be translated into necessary actions that will advance “this crucial agenda”.

PEACE AND SECURITY Added to that, President Ali told the Summit that peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean must be founded on political systems in which democracy, the rule of law and human rights are upheld, and in which the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and the sanctity of treaties are respected.

As it is, Latin America and the Caribbean are said to be among the most violent regions in the world; this situation, according a recent quarterly report, is exacerbated by corruption and poverty.

Dr. Ali told the CELAC forum that focus should be on strengthening efforts in development capacity, improving governance, reducing poverty and removing barriers for trade and economic integration.

Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and the Director of Projects in the Office of the President, Mrs Marcia Nadir-Sharma, are also in Mexico attending the summit.

The CELAC forum attracts some 33 Heads of Governments from across Latin America and the Caribbean

5

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

Guyana, Brazil border to remain closed --possibility of reopening for vaccinated persons to be discussed

AUTHORITIES in Guyana and Brazil have committed to examining the possibility of reopening the border at Lethem and Bonfim to fully vaccinated persons, as suggested by Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana’s Health Minister who is also performing the duties of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Dr. Anthony led a delegation to meet with Antonio Oliverio García de Almeida, Governor of the State of Roraima in Boa Vista, Brazil. According to a press statement issued by Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Friday’s engagement, initiated by Dr. Anthony and his team, was aimed at addressing the protests and blockade on the Brazil side of the border “by certain members of the Lethem and Bonfim communities”.

The statement indicated that during the meeting, Minister Anthony said he understands the position of the members of both communities, who have been advocating for a full reopening of the border to allow for the movement of commerce and people.

Notwithstanding the challenges, Minister Anthony pointed to the fact that the arrangement put in place to restrict the movement of goods to one day per week worked satisfactorily over the past year, and as such the border will remain closed until further notice.

He noted that although it was Guyana’s desire to have the border between the two countries opened as quickly as possible, this had to be done safely, given the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases here, and the threat of the spread of the Delta variant across the communities.

“This situation was compounded by the unfortunate position being taken by some persons in Guyana not to be vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony conceded. The Health Minister said that ensuring the safety of citizens remain a priority.

Also accompanying Minister Anthony to Boa Vista was Dr. Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, who underscored the “special relationship” that ex-

ists between Guyana and Brazil.

To further strengthen that relationship, Minister Singh pointed to the

and tourism.

Added to that, Dr. Singh also offered to facilitate a meeting between the pri-

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

avenues for solidifying commercial ties. He made specific reference to partnering to finalise the Lethem-Linden Road link, and exploring enhanced cooperation in the areas of energy, agriculture, health

vate sector of Guyana and that of the State of Roraima as a means of exploring business opportunities by both sides at an appropriate time.

Minister Singh reiterated the strong commit-

ment of the Government of Guyana in relation to overcoming the shortterm challenges posed by

held with counterparts of the various sectors, as well as to convene a meeting to review the full im-

Dr. Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance

COVID-19, and the pursuit of closer collaboration with the Government of Brazil to secure the best interests of the people of both countries.

“It was agreed that early discussions would be

plementation of the International Road Transport Agreement for Passengers and Goods, and a meeting of the Frontier Committee responsible for monitoring the development and integration of the two border

communities,” the press release noted.

It also said, pointedly, that the Government of Guyana “will not put citizens of any country at risk during this pandemic and, as a result, will continue to enforce measures in keeping with national and international protocols.

The Government further encourages all citizens and the private sector to support these initiatives.”

The border to Brazil has been closed for more than a year. As it is, Brazil has one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world, with 21.1 million cases and 590,000 deaths.

Guyana’s delegation that journeyed to Boa Vista also comprised senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the National Covid-19 Task Force.

The Takatu Bridge serves as the structural link between Brazil and Guyana (Photo taken from guyanaview.org)

6

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

The Public Interest

THE High Court has refused the granting of an interim injunction sought by three unions against measures taken by the government to restrict access to public places for individuals who have not been vaccinated or show evidence of being COVID-19-free.

Taking centre stage on the issue is the concept of the public interest, taken here to mean measures taken by the government to ensure the welfare and well-being of the general population and, for that matter, the society as a whole.

Several repercussions flow from that High Court decision. The first and perhaps more significant, is that the government’s vaccination policy requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test before entry to designated public spaces will continue until such time that the matter is substantively heard and determined. This ruling clears the way for

the government to continue to aggressively pursue its vaccination programme, especially in light of an apparent surge in the number of COVID-19 infections, and regrettably, avoidable deaths.

A second point worthy of noting is what the court determined as a duty of the state to take steps to avert the spread of the virus in the public interest. It was noted that on the basis of a balance of convenience, the interest of the wider public far outweighs the granting of the interim injunction sought by the unions. It is that consideration which appeared to have tilted the scales in favour of the court not exercising its discretion against the COVID-19 measures taken by the PPP/C administration.

It should be recalled that a few unions representing teachers, nurses and other categories of public servants had asked the court to grant interim injunctive re-

lief and declarations against the state by lifting the measures which they felt are ‘harsh’ and which, in their opinion, are in violation of the constitutional rights of individuals as they relate to the element of ‘choice.’ The three unions are the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the umbrella organisation encompassing these two unions, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).

Instructively, the High Court in its ruling found that the world has been severely impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and that governments throughout the world have employed various measures to contain and reduce the spread of the disease, including mandatory lockdowns, quarantine, curfews and the wearing of masks.

The fact is that Guyana is not unique in terms of the measures it has taken to curb

the disease and certainly not the most harsh in so far as the measures implemented elsewhere in the world.

As to why the three unions have embarked on such a course of action to stymie the government’s efforts to safeguard the nation’s health against the deadly COVID virus is, to say the least, mind-boggling. One cannot, however, ignore the fact that all of the unions that are party to the court action are known to have taken positions not dissimilar to that of the opposition APNU+AFC Coalition on the issue of the COVID-19 vaccines and, for that matter, on other extraneous issues which have little if any bearing on industrial relations.

Such convergence of thinking on the part of the three unions and the political opposition raises more questions than answers. Could it be a case of using the trade union movement to mount a platform of opposition to

the government with a view to obstruct the administration from its several policy initiatives to foster the national good as in the case regarding its stance on the vaccination issue? Have the unions in question bought into a false narrative of the APNU+AFC Coalition regarding the ‘legitimacy’ of the PPP/C administration, an allegation that has become discredited and wholly lacking in substance?

Whatever it is, the recourse of the three unions to seek an order from the court to injunct the government is at best short-sighted and certainly not in the best national interest. The fact that the High Court has so determined is refreshing in its own right, even though a date is still to be fixed for a substantive hearing of the matter.

The debate as to what is meant by the term ‘national interest’ will continue, and as mentioned by Justice Corbin-Lincoln in her rul-

ing, ‘the court is not deaf to the debate raging across the world, with respect to the ethicality and effectiveness of mandatory vaccination.’ And while everything seems to suggest that vaccine hesitancy is a big issue in Guyana, the Government of Guyana is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that public health and by extension the public interest is a top national priority.

The government for its part is not relenting on its insistence that all adults show proof of being vaccinated or being COVID-19-free before entering public spaces, a move now being emulated by private sector organisations.

And with good reason. If there is one issue that cannot be left to chance it is the health and safety of the Guyanese people. In this regard, full credit must be given to the PPP/C administration for standing firm on the issue of the nation’s health, despite resistance from a misguided few.

Government’s information arm well managed; Chronicle’s professionalism praised Dear Editor, I WISH to applaud the work of the Department of Public Information (DPI) and by extension the Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, in releasing information to the public on the work of the government. The ministry through the DPI and the state-owned Chronicle newspaper efficiently educates the public.

The DPI is the principal public relations outfit of the government. It creates

awareness on government policies and promotes Guyana. It is not politicised for propagandistic purposes as it was under the preceding coalition.

The ministry not only informs citizens on its own work and activities, but also provides coverage of the overall government – the offices of the President and of the Prime Minister and the various ministries and their departments and corporations. It gathers, processes, and disseminates information in a timely and efficient manner. It is not propagandistic, slanting news towards

a goal, but presents information as is in a professional manner. It provides credible, reliable and quality broadcasting and news reporting services in both newspaper and TV.

I am very impressed with the coverage of newsworthy items in the newspaper (Chronicle) as well as on TV (NCN) and social media. Reporting is fair and balanced in the several arms of the ministry. The NCN and the Chronicle also allow for interviewing of ministers and heads of departments; interviews are made acces-

sible on You Tube as well as on social media. The DPI and the Chronicle inform the public on government policies, programmes and projects. Reporting on the events and policies empower the citizenry with information to ensure social ownership of public policies and increased political inclusion. The information allows the public to assess policies, projects, and programmes.

The Chronicle is professionally managed today, allowing a variety of opinions in columns and opinions, including from those who were/are sycophantic de-

fending or supporting the coalition APNU+AFC. I recall during the coalition’s tenure in office, between June 2015 and July 2020, the Chronicle did not feature much coverage of activities relating to the then opposition PPP and its supporters. It is not viewed as a propaganda rag as it was over a year ago.

Today, there are all kinds of views and coverage. There is so much coverage now on the activities of the diaspora and on Guyanese festivals which were “blanked” during the coalition’s rule.

The design of the paper is also different today; it is

more attractive. Chronicle is no longer involved in libellous actions attacking people’s reputations. It is disseminating truthful and unbiased news. And more people are reading and seem to be advertising in it than under the coalition. Thank you Ministry of Public Affairs, DPI, and the Chronicle for a well-managed public relations unit. One advisory note: the DPI should encourage feedback reports on public reactions to government policies and programmes.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

7

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

GuySuCo pleads with Albion workers to return to fields

--commits to communicating grievances to gov’t

SINCE Wednesday, 1,146 canecutters attached to the Albion Sugar Estate have downed their cutlasses in demand of compensation for the dried-out canes that prevented them from reaching their minimum daily punt weight of 6.5 tonnes, based on which their daily pay is tallied.

As per existing procedure outlined by the Ministry of Labour, if the punts weigh below the stipulated minimum, workers would be required to do additional tasks to raise their pay for the day. According to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the harvesters are not in favour of doing so this time around.

The dry canes are as a result of the 65 days of severe flooding that have affected more than 52,000 households across 300 communities, and almost crippled the estate’s operations since April-May. “The canes deteriorated and developed adventitious roots, side shoots and tillering, which have resulted in its reduced quality. In addi-

Sasenarine Singh, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation tion to the crop canes, there are also canes that were not harvested in the first crop of 2021 because of rainfall which commenced in April 2021,” GuySuCo explained in a statement.

In a subsequent release, the sugar company appealed to its harvesters to return to the fields. They were further assured of GuySuCo’s commitment to advancing the workers’ plight to the Corporation’s main stakeholder via its Board of Directors.

The entity’s chief stake-

holder is the Government of Guyana.

In his appeal to workers, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh urged workers, “Let us work together to find an amicable solution to the issues.” He added, “We need every hand on board to rebuild the Estate; we do understand the issue, and are committed to finding an amicable solution. We cannot down tools at this critical junction of our industry’s recovery.”

The strike, which has since turned into a fiery protest, comes at a time when the estate is working to recover from the devastation it faced during the aforementioned floods. As a result of the disaster, the Albion Sugar Estate alone suffered in excess of $1 billion in losses.

As it is, the estate has only managed to complete four out of its 12 scheduled weeks of sugar production.

Because of the floods, the

estate’s weekly sugar production target was even reduced from 2,100 tonnes of sugar to 1,815 tonnes.

“In addition, this reduced target is a means to also encourage employees to work to earn additional earning through daily performance incentive and weekly production incentives,” GuySuCo said.

On Tuesday, following concerns raised by the canecutters, GuySuCo’s central executives, along with the

Cane harvesters are complaining that the damaged canes are preventing them from reaching the minimum punt weight, based on which they are paid

estate’s management team, met with the field secretary of the Guyana Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), along with cane harvesting Shop Stewards.

It was at that meeting that the corporation’s management expressed its inability to meet the workers’ demands, due to existing financial constraints. GuySuCo has since committed to “channelling the workers’ concerns to its stakeholders”.

Singh told the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday that GuySuCo will be meeting with the workers’ representatives, including GAWU, today. “It is my hope that we find an amicable solution to the challenges that the industry and all the workers are facing,” Singh assured.

In addition to the floods, the sugar industry is also recovering from the back-to-back closure of four of its estates. All things being normal, the output of the Albion Estate accounts for some 50 per cent of the industry’s overall production.

Sad stories of unvaccinated people who died must jolt us to become vaccinated Dear Editor,

WHILE the Pope urges COVID-19 inoculations, saying “vaccines are humanity’s friends,” Minister Manickchand revealing that 17 schools closed in one week as teachers test positive, Minister Anthony revealing a one-day record of 313 new COVID-19 cases, and the High Court (as expected) denying injunctions against government’s COVID-19 measures, it is so sad to read all the sorrowful headlines of unvaccinated people gone too soon. Right here in Guyana, there was a story from Bella Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara - “Mother, daughter die

from COVID seven days apart; family urges vaccination to save lives.”

In California, USA, “Five children are now orphans after both father and mother die of COVID.” Daniel Macias, 38, taught middle school math. His wife, Davy Macias, 37, a labour and delivery nurse, died days after giving birth while on a ventilator. Neither had been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The baby and other children, ages seven, five, three and two, are being cared for by their grandparents. The children are still asking for “mommy and daddy”.

“In Alabama man dies after 43 ICUs full of COVID patients turned him away.”

The family of an Alabama man who died of heart issues is urging people to get vaccinated after they say he was turned away from 43 hospitals in three different states because COVID-19 cases were taking up all the ICU beds. This could happen in Guyana too.

The letter below from a family friend, Heidi Judd, a US school employee gives some perspective on this vaccination issue: “I’m vaccinated!! And no, I don’t know what’s in it - neither this vaccine, the ones I had as a child, nor all that’s in my Starbucks coffee, or in the skin care products I love, or in other treatments…whether it’s for cancer, AIDS, the medicine I

take for menopause hormonal regulation, or the current, routine vaccines for infants or children. I trust my doctors when they say it’s needed. I don’t have the education and knowledge they have.

That’s their wheelhouse. I also don’t know what’s in Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other meds, it just cures my headaches and my pains...

“I don’t know every ingredient in my soap or shampoo or even my deodorant.

I don’t know the long-term effect of cell phone use or whether or not that restaurant I just ate at really used clean foods and washed their hands. In short ...there’s a lot of things I don’t know and never will …I just know one thing: life is short, very short,

and I still want to do something other than just going to work every day or hanging out in my home. I still want to travel and hug people without fear and find a little feeling of life “before”.

As a child and as an adult I’ve been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, chicken pox, and quite a few others; my parents and I trusted the science and never had to suffer through or transmit any of said diseases ... just saying.

I’m vaccinated, not to please the government but: To not die from COVID-19; to not clutter a hospital bed if I get sick; to hug my loved ones; to not have to do PCR or antigenic tests to go out to the movies, go to a restau-

rant, go on holidays and many more things to come ; to live my life; to help my college-aged daughter have a typical student life; for COVID-19 to be an old memory; and to protect us - me, my family, you and yours.

This is not a political argument. This is not a conspiracy. This is a virus that we can overcome.

Folks, sometimes we have to cajole people to do the things we know would make them better, such as children who don’t like taking medicine or eating their vegetables. Vaccines save lives.

Yours sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Politics & Society Forum

One core value of the PNC is electoral rigging

THE PNC, now jumbled into APNU+AFC Coalition, has, for the most of post-Independent Guyana (50 years) been involved in electoral rigging from 1968 to 1985 and in 2020.

In the first phase, electoral rigging was so blatant that documentation was easy, while, in the second phase, the evidence

was transparent via social media. Although both phases of rigging occurred some three decades apart, they share some foundational differences and similarities. One sample of each will suffice. The difference is that, in the first phase, the PNC was successful in repeated rigging while in the second phase, the rigging was

challenged and “defeated”.

The similarity is that both phases of the rigging have placed an indelible mark on the minds of Guyanese that one core value of the PNC is electoral rigging, hands down.

Intuitively and implicitly, the continuation of the rigging of elections brings into question whether the 2015 general elec-

tions, which the coalition “won” by a few thousand votes, was also rigged.

The PPP/C challenged the 2015 general election results to have a recount but, as we know, the petition has since hit a dead end.

Nonetheless, if we accept, with substantive evidence based on the 2020 general election shenanigans, that the 2015 general election was tampered with to disfavour the PPP/C, which was likely, then the point should be made that the PNC has never won a free and fair election in Guyana. Still, and given how things have been unfolding in the opposition, one can conclude that this declaration might be the reality going forward for the PNC, or the PNC might dissolve. These are strong and sobering statements that deserve a place in the annals of Guyanese history, at least for posterity reasons.

To observers, in and out of Guyana, the rigging of general elections by a particular political party, joined now by other parties, may appear peculiar and eccentric.

In a world where most countries and communities are moving towards acknowledging and accepting the basic rights of individuals, brought about by the facets and forces of globalisation and social media, the APNU+AFC Coalition is moving in the opposite direction. The boomerang leaders within the coalition would like us to believe that they are in the trenches with us, when, in reality, they believe and practise the act of political auto-eroticism. They are bound to their zones of self-gratification and em-

boldened by the lust for power through electoral rigging. Put simply, the lust for power through electoral rigging, as opposed to the will of the people, is deeper than previously thought because a majority of Guyanese were convinced that rigging was a PNC past, if not, an aberration. I have always asked if the APNU+AFC Coalition has a psychologist in its cockpit, and if there is a concealed one, that individual has bizarrely been “de-psychologised” into joining the rigging cabal.

What the PNC has created in Guyana is a votive paradox, and that is, the role of politics and rigging duties have been merged making them practically indistinguishable. When the people caught on to this manifest and market bullying, the coalition shifted the narrative. They have been claiming they are the real victims of electoral fraud, validating a paradox rolled out into a sick tragedy. We need the local Shakespearean here folks for comedy sakes, one way of dealing with distress. What is not an afterthought, however, is that the empty preachment of the coalition that the March 2020 general election was taken away from them is the game plan going into the August 2025 general elections.

This commitment cum capacity of the opposition has foregrounded the call to discuss the following.

First off, a lot will depend on the outcome of the charges against the trio, Keith Lowenfield, Roxanne Meyers, and Clairmont Mingo about their alleged attempts to rig March 2, 2020, General

Professor Lomarsh Roopnarine and Regional Elections.

The embattled trio has been dismissed from their contracted positions in GECOM. Moreover, if the trio is found guilty by the courts –they might appeal – then it will be the first time in post-Independent Guyana that individuals were charged with electoral rigging, a monumental departure from the past. If anything at all, a message would be sent that rigging of elections has unflattering consequences.

The second point is the challenge to have contracted workers in GECOM who can earn the public’s confidence that they would be guided by ethics and dignity rather than political views. This challenge is compounded by the thought that repairing the damage done to trust in GECOM will take years to come. The mere fact that Opposition’s Commissioners refused to participate in the termination of the trio reveals insidious as well as continuous polarised dynamics in GECOM. Anyone who could come with ways to deal with these “creatures” in GECOM certainly deserves an award of awards, dubbed as GECOM Award of Honesty and Dignity (GAHD). While we wait, thoughts of rigging elections, should not be remotely entertained.

We all should be involved to heal this national sore and be influenced by what Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Anyone who says they are not interested in politics is like a drowning man who insists he is not interested in water”. (lomarsh.roopnarine@ jsums.edu).-

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Understanding Energy

Examining the plans in place for a possible spill TODAY, oil spills, particularly large spills, are extremely unlikely, as technologies that prevent spills have evolved and improved significantly over the last few decades. But it’s still critical that Guyana be as prepared as possible as it expands its role as a major new oil producer.

Last week this column discussed many of the technologies that have made spill response faster and more effective over the past few decades.

It’s equally important to have a clear response plan and a government prepared to implement it effectively and quickly. Over the last few years, Guyana has been working to put in place a comprehensive oil spill response strategy. In early January, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) announced that it had officially operationalised the National Oil Spill Response Plan, taking an initial step towards

satisfying critics concerned about a perceived lack of preparedness.

Since that time, the government’s role in rapidly responding to any accident has become much clearer. While it is the responsibility of all parties involved to take part in containment and cleanup efforts, the government takes many of the initial first steps in the event of a spill.

In Guyana, the National Oil Spill Committee (NOCS) supports contingency planning and leads the policy direction of the management of oil spill events, similar to the Coast Guard in the U.S. When Guyana began contingency planning before first oil, the government received technical support provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Guyana’s first oil spill response plan was developed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and was later updated by the Maritime Administrative Department to mirror international stan-

dards. In 2018, nearly two years before first oil, the National Oil Spill Planning Committee took the first step of formalising the response plan. The government also carried out a workshop to improve awareness of the planning and response process.

In addition to the NOCS, the Maritime Administrative Department and the Guyana Energy Agency both have responsibilities in coordinating response in the event of a spill.

In 2019, the government worked with Stabroek Block operator, ExxonMobil, to hold another oil spill response training to ensure that all parties involved are ready to act in emergency situations. In terms of equipment, Guyana now has four large response kits available in the event of a spill, including skimmers, booms, and dispersants.

Actual response crews are made up of volunteers and government employees.

Similar to many global oil producers that use external contractors, Guyana maintains contracts with Gaico Construction Inc, an oil and gas support services company that provides oil spill response, waste management services, and equipment, to support in the event of a spill.

Many of Giaco’s teams are staffed by trained locals.

On the regional scale, Guyana is involved in response plans to ensure that oil production emergencies are handled quickly and seamlessly as they impact all countries and territories in the Caribbean area. For over a decade, Guyana has been a member of the Cartagena Convention, which governs cooperation between Guyana and Colombia in the event of a spill. The country is also affiliated with the Operative Network for Regional Cooperation among Maritime Authorities of South America, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba and is part of the Caribbean

Island OPRC Plan, which provides a framework for islands to cooperate at an operational level in the event of a spill.

Most recently, Guyana is working with Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname to develop a Technical Working Group to create a clear readiness and response plan in the event of a spill. As both neighbours are significant regional producers, this could be one of the most important developments in scaling up Guyana’s response capabilities. Partnership with Trinidad also offers the opportunity to leverage that country’s significant experience in the sector to help increase Guyana’s own capabilities.

While the government plays a large role in cleanup

efforts, operating companies are also heavily involved in contingency and cleanup plans. In Guyana, operating companies are required to have liability coverage, which insures companies in the event of a spill.

Companies are generally liable for any accidents and must maintain comprehensive and extensive insurance against any incidents that covers response, clean-up, and remediation efforts.

With continued planning and trainings, Guyana is well on its way to ensuring that, if an oil spill does occur, it will be able to act quickly and effectively to prevent damage to the country’s crucial coastal ecosystems.

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Go back to the drawing board

SINCE the PPP/C Government came to power on August 2 last year, there has been a plot brewing to make the country ungovernable and create instability in the sectors of the economy.

The opposition APNU+AFC Coalition only heightened that plot to include the COVID-19 policy measures and campaign.

The PPP/C Government is facing a massive pushback while attempting the formulation and execution of new policies. The APNU+AFC Coalition has used its tenure in opposition to instigate confusion, mischief, misinformation, and protests. Luckily, the very skilled and experienced PPP/C Government has exposed this strategy of the opposition APNU+AFC Coalition. The PPP/C seems to be correcting the deficiencies quietly and quickly while still rejecting the Coalition politics in general.

Quickly, let us attempt to get into the mind of this politically aggressive organism which some would say is behaving like a tyrant. By doing so, the plot which was alluded to earlier becomes clear because its deficiencies are exposed.

Firstly, the APNU+AFC Opposition is using the race and discrimination card foolishly.

It continues to make allegations without the evidence or verifiable data. It has failed to make any credible complaints to the ERC, security apparatus (GPF), State, and Parliament to date.

It hopes its supporters will buy in to get the arguments made and lash out against the PPP/C government. But the PPP/C is not giving them the chance to make mischief, so its ministers remain focused on the people, the rollout of manifesto and development plans, and the delivery of socio-economic growth.

Secondly, the opposition APNU+AFC is trying to stir up trouble by constantly using the trade and workers unions, agencies, and the right groups. They are not so innocent in this plot. For instance, this plot was rolled out over the past two weeks with the Guyana Teachers’ Union calling out the teachers to protest. It was a desperate and politically charged move.

Alas, the opposition politicians could not resist the fame and attention. They were promoting the union’s interest and fanning the flames of unrest. The APNU+AFC political hand was at work because it unleashed Sherod Duncan, who is described as wild and livid, to fight the GTU’s battle. He underestimated Manickchand and could not win in the end. Duncan was left licking his social media wounds.

And, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall stepped up the pressure in the courts against the vaccination policy challenge. He argued

that the government has a right to curtail some rights and freedoms of citizens when there is a health pandemic as no one’s rights are absolute.

This move caused panic in the opposition APNU+AFC camp. In this case, it failed miserably to ignite the plot against the government to sow confusion and division.

Thirdly, the opposition wants the people to think its hands are clean but is struggling to control the rogue and desperate politicians who are doing more harm than good. The APNU+AFC opposition knows it cannot bring pressure to bear on the government using the Parliament, so it will turn to the Police Force and likely the justification of crime and criminality in doing so.

Already, the opposition is using the families to speak out against the government and police. it is setting the stage for the police to get into a confrontation with its supporters. Their dishonest rhetoric that the government is killing Black people goes well with the plot.

Added to that, they are toxically spreading misinformation on social media. Together, the opposition’s politics of opportunism, race hate, and anti-development will hurt Guyana, and division will occur if it is allowed. But the plot is failing and the opposition is losing political ground with both parties brawling internally.

Finally, everyone must be alert and guard against being duped and caught up in the opposition plot. Until the APNU+AFC realises it is hurting Guyana and manipulating good change, it will constantly warm the opposition benches. The opposition must start focusing on meaningful policies and articulating recommendations for the development of Guyana even though it is not the government.

It also needs leaders who will debate an issue without crossing paths into the personal and personalities.

It must behave like a responsible opposition. It has to hold meetings regularly and plan. This knee-jerk reaction to everything will not work. Leadership means having the ability to tell the truth to the nation when the APNU+AFC opposition knows it will not get much out of it. The APNU+AFC Coalition is singing songs from the same songbook and is playing the same set of instruments. This plot will not work because the PPP/C sees it and counters it every time.

Go back to the plan and start doing something for the people that looks like representation.

Lick the wounds and recognise the government so that political dialogue and change could move forward.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Age, underlying medical illness and COVID-19 Why are our most vulnerable unvaccinated ?

DR. Shivani Samlall. MBBS, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a sub-specialty in Gynaecology Oncology, with over 10 years of practice. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trials and Research. Dr Samlall can be contacted at drshivanisamlall26@gmail.com COVID-19 GUYANA’S SITUATION AS we have seen in Guyana over the past few months, there has been an increase, not only in the number of COVID-19 cases (over 3,300 active cases!), but in the number of COVID-19 hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths (over 50 deaths in two weeks!) most likely due to the Delta variant.

Our situation is concerning and indeed tragic, especially since the science has shown that most of these deaths could have been prevented through vaccination and other preventative measures.

Recent figures for COVID- 19 deaths for the month of July and August have shown that most of these persons were unvaccinated. A breakdown of these stats shows that in July, there were 65 COVID-19 deaths, of which 61 (93.8 per cent) were unvaccinated, two were partially vaccinated and two were fully vaccinated. And in August, there were 76 COVID-19 deaths, of which 62 (81.5 per cent) were unvaccinated, 12 partially vaccinated and two fully vaccinated.

These stats are being mirrored not only in our neighbouring Caribbean countries but also the rest of the world, whereby the unvaccinated are mainly the victims of COVID-19.

WHY IS COVID-19 MOSTLY AFFECTING PERSONS OVER AGE 45?

Looking at the daily releases of COVID-19 deaths, the majority are occurring in persons above age 45. This corresponds with current Centre for Disease Control (CDC) data which shows that more than 95 per cent of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 45. The reason being that most persons above this age group have underlying medical illness(es) or what we term co-morbidities.

This makes them more vulnerable than the general population of getting severely ill and dying from COVID-19.

Additionally, the older you are, the more

health conditions you have and the more severe your conditions are, the more at risk you are. Yet, there seems to be major reluctance among this population to get vaccinated.

Based on what I have seen on social media, I can only assume that this is because of issues surrounding safety and efficacy of the vaccines in this group of people (persons with underlying medical conditions). This week’s column therefore addresses the current international recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in persons with underlying medical illness and lists most (but not all) of the medical conditions which increases a person’s risk of getting severely ill and dying from COVID-19.

It also discusses why there are breakthrough infections in persons who are vaccinated and why the vaccines do not offer the same level of protection in all persons.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VACCINATION IN PATIENTS WITH COMORBIDITIES? Health organisations in the USA, UK and WHO, namely “The Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices” (ACIP), “The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation” (JCVI) and the “WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation” (SAGE) respectively have all recommended COVID-19 vaccination for patients with comorbidities, including immunocompromised individuals.

Although there is limited data on the efficacy of the vaccines in immunosuppressed patients, it is still recommended that these persons be vaccinated, considering that there are one of the most vulnerable groups, i.e., they are at an extremely high risk of progression to severe illness and death.

These strong across-the-board recommendations by the various health organisations are made because many studies would have demonstrated that the COVID-19 vaccines save lives in persons with underlying medical conditions.

As discussed in last week’s column, all vaccines have side effects; however the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the potential risk of side effects.

WHO ARE MORE AT RISK OF BECOMING SEVERLY ILL FROM COVID-19?

According to the CDC, older adults, persons with disabilities and adults of any age with any of the following conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19: 1. Cancer -- treatments for many types of cancer can weaken your body’s ability to fight off the infection.

2. Chronic kidney disease (of any stage) 3. Chronic lung diseases such as: COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension 4. Dementia or other neurological conditions 5. Diabetes: type 1 or type 2 6. Down syndrome 7. Heart conditions such as: heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension 8. HIV infection 9. Liver disease such as: alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and especially cirrhosis 10. Overweight or Obese. The risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases sharply with elevated BMI. 11. Pregnancy: Pregnant and recently pregnant people (for at least 42 days following end of pregnancy) 12. Sickle cell disease or thalassemia 13. Smoking (current or former smoker) 14. Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant 15. Stroke or cerebrovascular disease 16. Substance use disorders 17. Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system).

Of Note: People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated.

18. Children and teens with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness compared to children without underlying medical conditions.

According to the CDC, one way to protect the health of your children, especially those who cannot be vaccinated (less than 12 years) is to ensure that all adults in a household are vaccinated against COVID-19.

BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS AFTER VACCINATION The vaccines against COVID-19 show your natural defences what the virus look like, so you are primed and ready and can respond quickly and strongly if exposed to the virus.

However, as I would have conveyed in my previous column, no vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing a disease.

This means that occasionally these viruses can break through these defences (breakthrough infection). When this happens, you get a milder case of the disease, with less risk of serious harm.

IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS It must be noted that in some persons such as those of advanced age, or with many underlying illnesses, and severe medical conditions, the vaccines do not offer the same level of protection as compared to someone who is younger or who does not have complicated underlying heath issues.

It is therefore very important for these persons to manage and maintain control of their underlying medical illness. This means that they must take their medications as prescribed, that they continue to monitor their blood pressures, blood sugars, etc. regularly and that they maintain their diet and exercise recommendations.

Additionally, they should continue their regular medical follow-up and if they get sick or think that may have COVID-19, they “SHOULD NOT” hesitate to seek medical attention.

IN CONCLUSION: What remains clear is that the older you are, the more health conditions you have, and the more severe the conditions, the higher your risk of getting severely ill and dying from COVID-19.

It is for this reason that current international guidelines strongly recommend vaccination in this group.

Additionally, because of the contagiousness of the Delta variant, and the subsequent risk of break-through infections, it is recommended that you not only control your underlying medical condition but also continue to wear your masks, and sanitise/wash your hands and practise physical distance.

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Universal patient safety enforcement measures and the gap between conventional medicine and herbal remedies

THIS year International Patient Safety Day was celebrated on Friday, September 17. Forward thinking health institutions that put patient safety as the number one priority have incorporated a team approach to patient care especially on ward rounds. Patient safety encompasses a wide range of scenarios - nowadays starting with COVID-19 vaccination entry requirements, zero tolerance for deviation from the standard operating safety protocols, particularly in laboratories, and prevention of medication errors in hospitals due to prescribing, administering or dispensing incompetency.

A WHO (World Health Organisation) 2019 study confirmed that 10 per cent of hospitalised patients of high-income countries were harmed while receiving care. Hence, cognisant that errors will occur in reality, systems of checks and balances are instituted

where assigned responsibilities, accountability and sign off on judgement calls are a benchmark for error prevention and hence minimising adverse patient outcomes such as disability or death.

With regards to safety concerns and quality assurance of medications, the authority is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) which reviews the various phases of clinical trials prior to approval for human consumption. However, such requirements are only for conventional medicines where endorsement occurs after rigorous screenings and reviews depending on successful completion of clinical trials from phase one to four differentiated by sample size and sample diversity with respect to demographics, race, age, gender, pregnancy, breast feeding and comorbidities.

These studies carry a high investment cost which explains why innovative or branded medicines have a huge price gap to their

generic equivalent after the patent’s period is terminated. In order to protect the intellectual rights from “copy cats” the legal framework or the patent law protects these massive investments. What really determines if a product is here to stay even after the initial marketing hype is the efficacy of the product, where benefits far outweigh the risks.

However, on the other hand, regulations for herbal supplements are minimum (not as rigorous as prescription meds, vaccines or OTC) and are only checked against manufacturing standards (labels with name, strength and disclaimers) but not effectiveness. No studies on efficacies are done with any category of persons to determine how safe or efficacious these products might be.

It is perceived that natural remedies are harmless and free from undesirable effects since almost 65 per cent of modern medicines are derived from them either directly or indirectly after being refined, removing the extraneous materials and tapering the precise amount of active ingredients. However, what is unpublished is the forensic pathology reports which may show cause of death linked to “substance” used not necessarily conventional medication overdose or the disease state in itself. This was observed after tourists travelled to Asian countries in desperate search of a cure. Sometimes combo herbal concoction included unknown contents, contaminants and pharmaceuticals, additives all of which can be injurious to health.

Certain population groups such as pregnant and nursing mothers must be extra cautious since some compounds in herbs cross the placenta causing birth defects and can be found in breast milk. Other affected groups are infants, children and the elderly so self-medication by seniors or administration to juniors without the consult of a health expert can be considered irresponsible.

Today we see the demand for more published peer reviewed studies with sufficient authentic data sampling on vaccines, “the new kid on the block”, but complete non-resistance to traditional medicines which are naively utilised as an alternative medicine without any evidence-based claims. Of course, like any other available commodity, if standards and regulations are not instituted to monitor these herbal remedies then a good resource could be misused resulting in negative effects.

It must be stressed that complete honesty with your physician is absolutely important since some of the herbal meds may aggravate a predisposing illness for example if someone has a risk of hypertension he/she should be advised that the use of green coffee will elevate the pressure and can lead to complications.

What we tend to overlook as consumers is whether there are any potential interactions with prescription drugs and herbal medicines especially since there is limited publicised clinical data to support rational decision making on patient safety matters.

The table below shows how popular herbal meds (both common and chemical

names printed) interact with some prescription meds altering their effect due to the interaction: Herb (Common name and chemical name) Prescription Drug & its purpose Interaction Effect on prescription drug Garlic – allium sativum * Chlorpropamide – A drug for lowering the blood sugar in diabetes. * Warfarin – An anti-clotting drug for heart/stroke patients Garlic may cause blood sugar to drop too low if the patient is on chlorpropamide.

Garlic increases the clotting time for patients on warfarin and hence may lead to hemorrhaging.

Ginko- balboa * Aspirin - A drug which helps with inflammation but may increase blood flow due to its antiplatelet function * Warfarin – See above * Thiazide diurectic – A drug which helps you to reduce the blood pressure by passing excess water When ginko balboa is used with aspirin and warfarin bleeding occurs.

When ginko is used with this type of diuretic also referred to as water tablet the blood pressure usually rise.

St. John’s Wort – (hypericum perforatum) * Gliclazide – A diabetic drug for high blood sugar. * Atorvastatin – A drug to lower cholesterol. * Amitriptylline – An antidepressant for depression. * Indinavir – An antiretroviral for AIDS. * Theophylline – A bronchodilator used in asthma and COPD. * Oral contraceptives – A drug to prevent pregnancy. ?The blood concentration of gliclazide, atorvastatin, amitriptyline, indinavir and theophylline are all decreased when used concomitantly with St. John’s wort. Hence your doctor will need to revise your dosage upwards. ?St. John’s wort can cause unplanned pregnancies by negating the effect of the oral contraceptives and causes intermenstrual bleeding.

In closing, it must be reinforced that you should seek professional advice from a qualified pharmacist prior to taking any herbal product. Complete disclosure of your established medical history and current medication regimen are two vital elements to present your health care personnel when seeking such advice.

For further advice consult the pharmacist at Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #225-5142.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Sterling Products sees sharp decline in profits

FOR the first half of the year that ended on June 30, 2021, Sterling Products Limited (SPL) recorded an after-tax profit of $56.9 million, which is a significant decline in per-

profit for the same period last year.

The company has attributed its poor performance on the marketplace to “an increase in cost of production” which, in turn, affected

last year.

In his report, Company Chairman Andrew M.F Pollard, S.C., said the decline was due to the increase in production cost the company faced during the year.

Sterling Products Limited headquarters at Providence, East Bank Demerara formance from what obtained last year.

According to the institution’s audited financial statements, which were published on Wednesday, the recorded profit represents a decrease of $3 million, since the company recorded a $59.9 million

its “gross profit margin considerably”. The company recorded a total of $81.5 million in before-tax profit, as against the $85.7 million it raked in for the same period in 2020. This translates to a five per cent dip, when compared to the corresponding period

“During the first half of the year, we have seen an increase in cost of production, which affects our gross profit margin considerably. This increase was due to the escalating freight cost on the global market, which increase the landed cost for key raw and packag-

Motorcyclist fleeing police dies in Mon Repos accident A YOUNG motorcyclist who was fleeing from the police, on Friday night, crashed into two parked vehicles and lost his life on the Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara public road.

Dead is 26-year-old Akeem Ming of Roxanne Burnham Gardens; injured is the pillion rider, 17-year-old Crystal Hoasjoe. A police report noted the duo was on motorcycle CJ 1204 when Ming observed a police pickup and so accelerated.

Police said the young

man lost control and collided with two stationary vehicles including a motor lorry on the road. As a result of the impact, both the rider and pillion rider fell off the motorcycle and sustained injuries to their bodies.

They were picked up in an unconscious condition and were transported to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where Ming was pronounced dead. The pillion rider has been admitted a patient in the female surgical ward, suffering from

Dead: Akeem Ming multiple injuries about the body. Investigations continue.

Ming’s body is at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination.

ing materials,” Pollard was quoted as saying.

He noted that the expenses for the first half of the period were $501.3M, an increase of $26.6M over the corresponding period last year. This increase, it was explained, was owing to an increase in employment costs, marketing and distribution expenses, as well as depreciation and mainte-

nance expenses.

Meanwhile, the company has recorded a $143.7 million “turnover” or net sales, which reflects an 8.4% increase over the corresponding period 2020.

As such, Pollard indicated that the company plans to employ strategies to reduce its operation costs.

“The Board of Di-

rectors and Management,” he said, “are actively pursuing consolidation of the company’s current business and development of new product lines in addition to employing strategies to reduce our cost of operations and cut costs wherever possible in order to deliver acceptable returns to you.”

14

Corentyne woman set on fire by husband succumbs to injuries

TWENTY-NINE-YEAROLD Sandrama “Roma” Raju, who was set on fire, reportedly by her husband last Monday, succumbed to her injuries at around 19:00 hours on Saturday.

Raju was battling for her life in the Intensive Care Unit of the New Amsterdam Hospital after suffering burns to 98 per cent of her body.

One of her cousins, Avinash Ramkissoon, told the Sunday Chronicle that an official from the hospital informed the family of her demise via a telephone call and the

family headed to the hospital immediately after.

Ramkissoon said the family remains in a state of shock and are contemplating how to break the news to her five-year-old daughter. Raju worked as a laboratory technician at the Port Mourant Hospital and was described as a hardworking, quiet, kind and loving individual.

This newspaper had reported that Raju and her husband, Ganeshwar Sheocharran, were involved in a heated argument in the wee hours of September 13 when

she poured kerosene on her body.

The suspect, who was reportedly usually abusive to his wife, took a lighter and attempted to set Raju alight, but the lighter did not spark the first time. Not satisfied, the suspect reportedly tried again and succeeded.

In an attempt to extinguish the blaze, the terrified woman rolled on the ground, but by then most of her body had already sustained burns.

She was subsequently taken to the Port Mourant Hospital and later transferred

to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she eventually died.

After the incident, her husband evaded the police and fled the country to the United States of America. Local and international law enforcement authorities intercepted him upon his arrival at the JFK airport in New York.

He was sent back on a flight to Guyana which arrived at 06:45 hours on Wednesday last. Following his arrest, he was charged with the attempted murder of Raju on Friday and remanded to prison. It is expected that he will now be charged with murder.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Sandrama Raju and Ganeshwar Sheocharran were married for six years

House lot beneficiaries to occupy their lands by October – Min. Croal THOUSANDS of house lot beneficiaries across the country will soon be able to access their house lots to commence construction of their homes.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, announced that the ministry’s engineering team will be in the respective areas to section off the lots so that persons will be able to identify their lands allocated to them.

Minister Croal was at the time inspecting works on 100 low-income and 200 young professional homes in Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara.

“Our team will put down the paal for each lot, so sometime next month, in a number of completed areas persons will be able to know where their lot falls,” he said This activity comes following enquiries from persons. Minister Croal said the intention is to ensure that all the necessary infrastructure and amenities such as roads,

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal drainage, bridges, water Demerara; Experiment in and electricity are in place Region Five; and Numbefore citizens occupy the ber 79 Village, Ordinance areas.

Fortland and Hampshire/ The PPP/C Govern- Williamsburg in Region ment has invested some Six. $12 Billion in infrastrucThe ministry’s curtural development in 22 rent mandate is to provide new and existing housing 50,000 housing allocations schemes across the coun- to Guyanese over the next try. five years.

These areas include To this end, the minLittle Diamond/Great istry has held several Diamond, Prospect and house lot distribution exProvidence, East Bank ercises across the counDemerara; Cummings try to meet its target of Lodge, Mon Repos, Vig- providing 10,000 house ilance, Bladen Hall and lots to citizens during its Strathspey, East Coast first year in office. (DPI)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

205 students graduate from BIT youth empowerment programme in Reg. 3

MINISTER of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, on Friday last, presided over a graduation ceremony for a batch of 205 students of the Board of Industrial Training’s (BIT) National Training Project for Youth Empowerment, in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

The ceremony was held at the Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre.

The minister expressed high hopes for the continued development of BIT. “No place is too far. No place must be left out of the opportunities and the facilities that BIT brings to this country. I can say to you graduating students today that for the first time in the history of Guyana, every re-

cally held them back. In his project report, BIT’s Region Three Technical Officer, Earl Pestano, revealed that some 215 persons had applied to the programme. He said 36 persons were trained at Pam’s Catering and Garment Facilities; 16 in garment construction and 20 in catering.

Another 38 received training at the Alpha Foundation; 20 of those were in child care, while the remaining 18 trained to care for the elderly. Some 15 were trained in cosmetology at NG Beauty Salon, 14 in food preparation at Heavenly Taste, and 14 in garment construction at Nicola’s Fashion and Sewing Establishment.

Fifty persons received training at the Leonora Technical and Vocational

Wakenaam NDC, and 15 in cosmetology at Fort Island through the NDC there.

The minister also handed over a new heavy-duty equipment operation (HDEO) simulator machine to the centre. The simulator was donated by the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), a development programme operating under the Ministry of Finance. Heavy Duty Equipment Trainer, Mr. Alvin Jack, said government will save on fuel costs when trainers learn on the simulator instead of actual equipment.

He said the heavy-duty equipment would also be protected from the wear and tear of trainee use, as they will perfect their operation skills on the simulator. (DPI)

Graduates of the Region Three Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme gion in this country, we have a Board of Industrial Training officer. Never happened before. And that is because we recognise the importance of what BIT must do.”

The minister said BIT has become a vehicle to upskill and empower women in ways society has histori-

Training Centre; 30 in Heavy Duty Equipment Operation (HDEO) and 20 in small engine repairs. Another 13 were trained in Information Technology at the Leguan Computer Centre through the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), 10 in garment construction at the

Women robbed by motorcycle bandits in Austin Street

TWO motorcycle bandits, on Friday evening, robbed two women at gunpoint as they were walking home in Austin Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.

The two women, 58 and 63 years old, were robbed of two handbags and cash, a total value of $45,000. A police report noted that the victims were walking north along Austin Street, Campbellville, going home, when the suspects approached from the northern direction and stopped in front of them.

The pillion rider dismounted and pointed the handgun at the victims and said, “don’t say a word, give me de bags.”

The bandits then relieved the victims of the articles mentioned and escaped east along the Railway Line.

Police said no shots were fired.

15

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, with some of the women graduands

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, testing out the newly donated Heavy Duty Equipment Operation (HDEO) simulator

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Finance student to launch financial literacy podcast

AFTER realising a lack of financial literacy and education in Guyana which adversely affects how people manage and spend their money, 24-year-old Matthew Gaul will be using the knowledge he gathered throughout his life to educate the population through a Podcast.

The Podcast, titled ‘Common Cents’ which is a pun intended to describe the podcast’s mandate of making financial literacy ‘common sense’ is set to be launched on September 30 and aims to equip the population with the requisite financial knowledge to enhance their decision-making skills in terms of spending and saving, among other things.

“I would have recognised a problem that exist in our

Matthew Gaul

society particularly among young people whereby some of our financial decisions are not always the wisest and also because of a lack of financial literacy and education in our schools there is a gap for education on financial matters,” he told the Sunday Chronicle.

“So, I thought it best to use some of the skills that I would have gained over my work life and also the education I would have gained throughout my years … to formulate a podcast whereby these financial matters can be addressed with other experience and qualified guest,” he added.

Gaul read for a Bachelor in Finance from the University of Guyana after he left the Bishops’ High School in 2015 where he completed his Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) studies.

He has compounded and supplemented his academia knowledge through extensive reading; some of the titles he boasts of are ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ by George S. Clason, ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter and ‘How Successful People Think’ by John C. Maxwell.

“Coupled with those three books and during my final two years at UG we would have done a lot of investment topics, entrepreneurship and business strategy, and I want to bring some of those concepts that I learnt to the general public so everybody can benefit from this knowledge and level up financially,” Gaul said.

Gaul will be discussing material he gathered from various publications relevant to his topic of focus; for the first season he will be discussing concepts emerging from the 1926 book ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’, which dispenses financial advice through a collection of parables set 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon.

Cognisant that his primary target audience – youths - have a short attention span, Gaul said that each episode will not be more than 40 minutes.

“It’s going to be discussions, interactions, there will be some live shows as well so persons viewing can ask questions and have those questions answered from the esteemed guests; I’ll have persons who have been in business for years, persons who are known to be successful in business,” he added.

Gaul told the Sunday Chronicle that every human’s

desire is to be financially empowered and to improve their quality of life and standard of living and money is essential to those endeavours.

As such, his podcast will play an integral role in delivering the key messages to enable persons to achieve financial independence.

Gaul referenced the recent pyramid scheme here which saw thousands of Guyanese investing and losing billions of dollars; he opined that with proper financial knowledge they would have been able to detect the fraudulent scheme and prevent such from happening.

The first season is expected to run from September 30, 2021 to January 7, 2022 after which Gaul intends to take a short break and return with season two. He does not intend for the podcast to air for years, but just intends to communicate his messages.

The podcast will be aired on ARMCORE VPI and Spotify from the second episode bi-weekly on Sundays from 19:00 hours. Persons who missed the live airing can also access the podcast on YouTube, Facebook, and other social media platforms using the title, ‘Common Cents’ to search for it.

“Some of the videos will

The Podcast ‘Common Cents’ Logo also be cropped for TikTok because a lot of young people are on TikTok so we will create nice short versions - two minutes and three minutes versions of the podcast and put it there for persons who prefer those shorter condensed messages,” he said.

Gaul extended appreciation to various corporate entities who recognised his vision and has since offered sponsorship to enable his venture, namely, ARMCORE VPI, Lucozade, Reminiscence GY, Dynamic Auto Traders and Virtual Solutions Guyana and he is optimistic that as the podcast hits the road more persons would also join.

In the future, Gaul intends to venture into communities to conduct sessions on financial literacy and to use proceeds from the podcast to contribute in a “tangible” manner.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

First Lady takes Menstrual Hygiene Programme to Reg. 9 – 1,800 girls benefitting from a year’s supply of sanitary napkins

AS part of an historic programme to end period poverty in Guyana, First Lady, Arya Ali, launched the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative in Region Nine (Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo) on Friday last.

At the launching ceremony held at the St. Ignatius Secondary School in Lethem, the First Lady indicated that globally, more than 800 million girls continue to miss school for at least one week every month because of period poverty.

“You little girls are our future nurses, doctors, lawyers. You are the future leaders of our country and at no point in your life should you be forced between having an education or staying at home because you do not have access

to sanitary pads… So, of those 800 million girls, after today, no one should be from Guyana,” the First Lady expressed.

Mrs. Ali reaffirmed her commitment to doing everything in her power to help women and girls in not just Region Nine, but all other regions. She also implored teachers and guardians to facilitate conversations about women’s health.

“Many of you here might not need these pads since accessibility is not an issue, but for thousands of other girls, the pads will be eagerly received. I want you to recognise that the advancement of women in society also depends heavily on the extent in which we as women support each other.”

Meanwhile, Minister of

Education, Priya Manickchand, who also attended the launch of the initiative, called on women, girls, men and boys to end the taboo and stigma attached to periods.

The minister referred to a study done by the Education Ministry which found that a large percentage of girls skipped at least six days of school annually due to their periods. She added that girls are also forced to decline participating in cultural activities and/or normal events to enhance their wellbeing, which is also a consequence to their menstrual cycle.

“We also found in that research that 41 per cent of girls use other products outside of sanitary napkins,” Minister Manickchand noted.

First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali, poses with two students of the St. Ignatius Secondary School DPI spoke to beneficia- my period.” ries of the initiative who Alini Robeiro told DPI expressed their gratitude that a financial burden is for the First Lady’s inter- lifted off of her family vention. Sarita Joseph, a now that her region is supfourth form St. Ignatius plied with a year’s worth Secondary student shared of sanitary napkins. that she, like many other “This is so helpful and girls, suffer from period I am thankful for it,” she shaming. said. British High Com“Because of my period missioner to Guyana, Jane I do not participate in cer- Miller, also attended event tain activities. There are and commended the inisome children out there tiative. who take advantage of Notably, the First you and make fun of you Lady, with the support because of your period. of the education minisBut I am listening to the ter will be launching the First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali (centre) poses with the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; British High First Lady and learning initiative in every region.

Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller and other representatives at the St. Ignatius Secondary School not to be embarrassed of (DPI)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Another successful COVID-19 vaccination drive-through at MovieTowne

T H E g o v e r n m e n t ’ s should take the vaccine,” vaccine is not stopping the COVID-19 adolescents’ she said.

COVID from affecting you, vaccination drive-through Rommel Miko, who took but at least it can protect you initiative at MovieTowne on his first jab, also urged every- somewhat from it.”

Saturday saw overwhelm- one to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Minister of ing support from members “We need to safeguard Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, of the public, who took both ourselves against the virus, who joined the team of nurstheir first and second doses as we know it is airborne es and volunteers at Movof the available vaccines. so we cannot see it. I think ieTowne, said he was hapSeventeen-year-old Shana the best way we can control py with the turnout, noting Marks, a former student of the spread of coronavirus in steady flow of traffic under Soesdyke Secondary School, the country is by taking our the vaccination tents. told the Department of Public vaccine.”

“I hope that we will get Information (DPI) that she Ms. Rosanne from Par- about 1500 to 2000 persons believes the vaccine can help adise Housing Scheme also coming to get their second to save lives. She also noted shared similar sentiments dose vaccines… But it’s not that the process was quite with DPI. only second dose Pfizer that simple.

“I think it is import- we are giving, although we “I didn’t feel anything. I ant that everybody should want all those who came would encourage everyone take the vaccine, I mean the initially to come back and to take the vaccine.” Twentyone-year-old Sunita Rajmoon and her younger brother, Aadesh Rajmoon, also welcomed the drive-through initiative.

“It is my first and I was kind of nervous and I got through it,” Sunita said.

“I am 16 plus, I thought about it and I made the decision myself and take it,” Aadesh related. Devika Lalita Naimoon is hoping everyone eligible to be vaccinated takes the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their families.

“We don’t want the virus to spread, so I think they should stay safe, everybody should take the vaccine, chil- Persons get vaccinated during the Vaccination Drivedren and parents, everybody through at MovieTowne (Delano Williams photo)

get their second dose here, if there is anyone who would like to get their first dose AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V or the J&J, they can come down and get those vaccines here. And for AstraZeneca and Sinopharm we have the second dose here as well,” Dr. Anthony said.

The Health Minister also responded to reports on the World Health Organisation’s suspension of the Sputnik V approval process over reported manufacturing breaches.

“So, Sputnik V has been going through a WHO approval process, as part of that process, the WHO would send a specialised team to go to the manufacturing plants to look at how the vaccines are actually being manufactured. About two months ago, such an inspection took place.

“They visited six plants in Russia in different parts of Russia, where they are manufacturing these vaccines, from the report that I have read out of that visit a few questions arose at one particular site.

And the Russian government for the Russian Direct In-

Persons being inoculated during Saturday’s Vaccination Drive-through at MovieTowne (Delano Williams photo) vestment Fund, would have that they sort out those queresponded to those queries, ries, so that the approval proand they have invited back cess can be done properly,” the team to come back and Minister Anthony explained. have another inspection.

While he did not say ex“So, they’re due for that actly when the second doses second inspection, and I’m of the Sputnik V vaccine sure once they are satisfied will arrive in the country, that they would continue Minister Anthony reiteratwith the approval process. ed that the government is So, these things do happen, if sparing no effort in securpeople have queries it’s best ing vaccines. (DPI)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Local Witness Protection Programme to be put into operation – Minister Benn –– over 2,000 kilos of illegal drugs destroyed

IN keeping with government’s efforts to combat the trafficking of narcotics and other illegal substances, the government is working to bring the local ‘Witness Protection Programme’ into operation, according to Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn.

During a drug eradication exercise on Saturday, Minister Benn told the press that there is some “level of fear”

when it comes to witnesses providing the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) with information relating to the capture of persons involved in drug trafficking.

As such, the government is taking the initiative to activate the witness protection programme.

He noted that collaboration with the public is the best way to ensure ranks have credible information

which leads to the capture and prosecution of drug traffickers but for this to work, Benn said witnesses need to be assured that the government will put systems in place to keep them protected during this period.

“I think there is a particular fear which still resides amongst those who are still involved to come forward and give information, this is maybe understandable given the fact that some people Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, inspecting the drug eradication exercise on Saturday get killed, executed but we have to work harder at it and we are working hard at the information; we have had some discussions with the Americans, the DEA and we’re upping our game in regards to this matter,” Minister Benn stated.

The Home Affairs Minister noted that since the government took office in August 2020 it has worked strategically to verify the identification of several persons who were confirmed to be involved in narco- trafficking.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the GPF and CANU destroyed over 2,000 kilos of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs. The GPF disclosed that the narcotics destroyed are from operations conducted by the police and CANU over the last two years.

Minister Benn highlighted that there has been significant success in the fight against drug trafficking in several communities across Guyana and that significant

seizures, destruction and the capture of planes and persons transporting narcotics have been recorded at Nine Miles, Potaro, Orealla, and Kwakwani.

Benn indicated that CANU has information relating to several high-ranking persons of interest in the drug and narcotics trafficking operations here. He noted that CANU ranks will act at the opportune time to ensure success in its operations.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that the government has continued boosting its efforts to ensure that the prosecutors representing the GPF and CANU can take these cases to court and have the drug traffickers convicted.

“There has been some training together with the Attorney General chambers with agencies in the United States either virtually or directly face-to-face with respect to prosecutorial training for the persons who have to go to court, representing the State in respect to these and other matters and so

refresher training, of course, has to continue and we have to make sure that we have integrity in the work that is done at all levels,” Minister Benn noted.

Additionally, Head of CANU, James Singh noted that Guyana has benefitted from significant collaboration between the Guyana Police Force and other enforcement agencies which has played a pivotal role in the seizure of a large portion of narcotics and other illegal substances.

Singh further noted that sharing among regional counterparts and neighbouring countries is a lot more open which allows local authorities the opportunity to prepare for flyovers and landing by drug-laden aircraft into Guyana.

“A lot more open, a lot more is coming to the table and that is why we are able to identify specific areas where these aircraft are going, the patterns and the organisations behind it,” Singh stated.

Ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) placing the illicit drugs and other substances to be destroyed on Saturday

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

7 more unvaccinated die –– 32 in ICU, from COVID-19 273 new cases

SEVEN more persons, who were not vaccinated, have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 713, the Ministry of Health has reported.

The ministry said that the latest fatalities include four residents of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) – three females ages 83, 44, 48 and a male age 58. One of the females died on September 11 while the other two died on September 18; the male died on September 10.

The other fatalities are a 90-year-old woman from Region Two (Pomeroon-Su-

pernaam) who died on September 11; an 82-year-old woman from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supernaam) who died on September 12 and a 79-year-old man from Region Eight (Potaro – Sipuruni) who died on September 13.

According to the ministry, all seven persons were unvaccinated and died while receiving treatment at a Ministry of Health facility. Additionally, there are currently 3,668 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 273 new cases on September 18, 2021, from 2,078 tests.

The 273 newly confirmed cases were recorded in all 10 of the country’s administrative regions.

Region Four accounted for 141 of the new cases; Region One recorded four new cases; Region Two recorded 11 cases; Region Three recorded 28 cases; Region Five recorded 32 cases; Region Six recorded 17 cases; and Region Seven recorded 16 cases. Region Eight recorded six new cases while Regions Nine and 10 recorded nine new cases each.

The country has now recorded a total of 29,345 confirmed cases since the first

COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Of the active cases, 32 persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 170 are in institutional isolation; 3,452 are in home isolation, and 14 are in institutional quarantine.

Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that

is, they are not exhibiting symptoms.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force until September 30, 2021.

They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current mea-

sures, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Regional Toshaos meeeting: 65 trained nurses, midwives for Region Nine

SOME 65 people from villages across Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are set to undergo training as nurses and midwives in the coming months to serve their respective communities.

Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr.

Vishwa Mahadeo, made the announcement during the recent Regional Toshaos Meeting where he also reiterated President Irfaan Ali’s commitment to delivering all promises made during the election campaign.

“I have no fear of say-

ing this, the President said he made promises when he was going around campaigning. Those promises are captured in the manifesto and the manifesto is guiding the government to provide services. And we are already delivering, so I am asking you, pleading

Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, at the Amerindian Hostel’s Conference Hall, Region Nine with you, you need to help us to ensure that we are putting all these things in place. Employing all these people, training all these people, I want you to help us to ensure you get the services that people are trained to deliver,” Dr. Mahadeo said.

Additionally, health care specialists including dentists, optometrists, ultrasound technicians, dermatologists, gynaecologists, paediatric surgeons and general surgeons will make regular visits to the communities in the region.

He said care workers will provide services to

residents 60 years and older in the comfort of their homes. The government will also assist persons with eye diseases to be treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Port Mourant National Ophthalmology Hospital and the Lethem health facility.

Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) testing will also be provided to women in the region.

He said cervical cancer is commonly high among Amerindian women.

The government has already delivered 97 per cent of the drugs needed in the region, the Director Gen-

eral stated. He said health facilities will receive the remaining three per cent by the end of September.

Dr. Mahadeo said the government has included a permanent medical training facility for villagers interested in a career in health in the region.

Meanwhile, infrastructural works on the Aishalton, Sand creek, Annai and Karasabai hospitals will soon commence to facilitate surgeons visiting the region.

Shulinab has already received its first doctor, who will treat patients in nearby health centres.

Residents of Region Nine at the Amerindian Hostel’s Conference Hall

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 19, 2021

Guyanese Professor publishes book on COVID-19 and health system segregation in the US

GUYANESE born professor, Prem Misir, Phd, former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, has used his free time during the COVID-19 pandemic to study the segregated health system in the United States of America (USA) using epidemiological evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic and has since published his findings in an academic text.

The book, titled ‘COVID-19 and Health System Segregation in the US’ will soon be available through international publishing house Springer; it highlights and suggests remedies for the racial and ethnic health disparities confronting people of colour amid COVID-19 in the United States.

The book explores structuration theory, which examines the duality be-

He also raises consciousness to demand a national commission of inquiry into the disproportionate devastation wreaked on people of colour in the US amid COVID-19 and is optimistic that the pandemic may be the signature event and an opportunity to trigger action to end racial and ethnic health disparities.

Some of the topics covered within the chapters are: Epidemiology of COVID-19; Introduction: Segregation of Health Care; Systemic Racism and the White Racial Frame and Dismantling Systemic Racism and Structuration Theory.

Misir shared with the Sunday Chronicle that the book has a foreword

by Professor Robert E. Fullilove, Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center,

tween agency and structure as a possibly potent pathway toward dismantling systemic racism, the White racial frame, and racialised social systems.

Several biological and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 are also highlighted: percent of asymptomatic infections, infection fatality ratio, case fatality rate, reproduction number, incubation period, latent period, serial interval, as well as the demographic disproportion of COVID-19 deaths among people of color in 760 counties in 50 States and the District of Columbia in the US. Through the evidence presented, the author demonstrates that racial and ethnic health disparities are even worse than COVID-19. As in the past, COVID-19, like other viruses, will dissipate at some point, but the disparities will persist if the US legislative and economic engines do nothing, Misir contended.

Associate Dean, Community and Minority Affairs.

Misir told the Sunday Chronicle that the book is a timely resource that should engage the academic community, economic and legislative policy makers, health system leaders, clinicians, and public policy administrators in departments of health.

The book used theory-informing inductive data analysis study design to explore COVID-19 deaths in 760 countries in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics.

Professor Misir is the holder of the PhD (University of Hull, England); MPH (University of Manchester, England); M.Phil (University of Surrey, England); B.S.Sc. (Honours) (Queen’s University of Belfast, United Kingdom); Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH, England); and Certificate, Harvard University – Improving Global

Health: Focusing on Quality and Safety.

He is the Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji; Pro Vice-Chancellor, Solomon Islands Campus, and Professor and Head, School of Public Health, the University of the South Pacific (Immediate Past).

In addition to journal articles, he is the author of 11 books, the most recent being: HIV/AIDS and Adolescents: South Pacific and Caribbean, Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019; The Subaltern Indian Woman: Domination and Social Degradation, Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan,

2018; and HIV & AIDS: Knowledge and Stigma in Guyana, University of the West Indies Press, 2013.

The book can be purchased at https:// www.springer.com/us/ book/9783030887650 once it becomes available on December 26, 2021 at a cost of USD$54.99.

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Professor Prem Misir

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

Premier League football

Liverpool go top with win over Palace as City held by Saints

By Simon Evans

(Reuters) - Liverpool went top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, while champions Manchester City were held to a goalless draw at home to Southampton.

Arsenal picked up their second straight win with a 1-0 victory at Burnley, while promoted Brentford posted an impressive 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Everton’s unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt end as they crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

With Chelsea and Manchester United not in action until Sunday, Juergen Klopp’s side moved to 13 points from five matches after goals from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita at Anfield.

Liverpool had been well on top against Patrick Vieira’s Palace but struggled to turn their dominance into goals until Mane turned the ball in from close range just before halftime for his 100th goal for the club.

His strike followed a shocking miss by Portugal international Diogo Jota, who blazed over the bar from two yards out.

Salah added a second to kill off the contest on 78 minutes as Virgil van Dijk flicked on a corner and the forward supplied a neat finish.

But there was still time for Keita to add a magnifi-

cent third when he volleyed into the net from the edge of the box as the clock ticked into injury-time.

“When you win, usually you are really good or brilliant. Today we were not brilliant but we were good,” said Klopp.

“We accepted the battle Crystal Palace was here for and that’s why I am really happy about the result, really happy about the performance,” he said.

City were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.

After an uneventful first half where City were well below par, Southampton thought they had been handed a golden chance to go in front just after the interval when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Adam Armstrong.

To make matters worse for City, Kyle Walker was sent off for the foul.

But referee Jon Moss, following a VAR intervention, overturned both the red card and the awarding of the spot kick.

Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden were both summoned from the bench as City pressed for a winner, which they thought they had grabbed at the death through Raheem Sterling, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

The result means City fall three points behind Liverpool, on 10 points.

BCB to launch...

From back page

would be able to work on their own personal development at home on a regular basis and that club officials would also be in a position to assist them.

Most clubs in Berbice are without the services of a cricket coach and the manual should assist them to do their own coaching sessions.

The BCB president made it quite clear that the manual would be distributed free of cost. The booklet was made pos-

sible with the support of overseas-based sponsors, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh. Dr Puran Singh and Brian Ramphal.

The BCB also decided to dedicate the manual to the memory of long-time cricket coach, Michael Hyles who died recently. Hyles had served as a cricket coach in the county for over four decades and had assisted to prepare the document before his sudden death.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane shoots at goal REUTERS/Peter Powell Everton are fifth on 10 points although Rafa Benitez’s side were given a reality check as they conceded three times in 10 minutes after the break at Villa Park.

Matty Cash thumped in the opener in the 66th minute -- his first goal for the club -- before Lucas Digne’s own goal from a corner and sub-

stitute Leon Bailey’s fierce drive.

Martin Odegaard’s 30th-minute curling free kick earned Arsenal back-to-back wins although they also had some help from VAR as they hung on for the three points at Turf Moor.

The Norwegian midfielder curled the ball beauti-

fully into the top corner of Nick Pope’s goal in the 30th minute, helping take Mikel Arteta’s side on to six points Burnley thought they had a chance of an equaliser when Matej Vydra went down under a challenge from Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to

the spot.

But when VAR intervened, Taylor went to the pitchside monitor and overturned his decision after seeing footage showing Ramsdale playing the ball.

Brentford claimed their first away victory in the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Wolves, despite going down to 10 men midway through the second half.

Ivan Toney scored and grabbed an assist in a busy first half in which he also had two goals disallowed.

But the visitors were forced to defend for the last half hour when Shandon Baptiste was sent off for a second yellow card.

Brentford are ninth in the standings while Wolves, still seeking their first home win under Bruno Lage, slipped to 16th.

Chelsea are at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur today, while Manchester United are at West Ham and Leicester City travel to Brighton.

Shastri to step down, denies book launch caused outbreak RAVI Shastri has signalled his intention to stand down as India head coach after the Twenty20 World Cup and has rejected suggestions his book launch was the catalyst for the fifth Test against England being called off.

Shastri, a former allrounder who played 80 Tests and 150 one-day internationals for India between 1981 and 1982, succeeded Anil Kumble in July 2017 and has overseen two landmark Test series wins in Australia during his tenure.

India were also on course for a first Test series win in England since 2007, holding a 2-1 lead before the final match was postponed on the morning of the first day last week due to COVID-19 concerns within the touring camp.

Shastri hopes to crown his reign by leading India to victory in the next World Cup, which starts in the United Arab Emirates and Oman next month and also marks the end of Virat Kohli’s captaincy of the T20 side.

As he reflected whether the end of the tournament is the correct time to step aside from his

role, Shastri said in an interview with The Guardian: “I believe so because I’ve achieved all I wanted.

“If we win the World Cup that will be the icing on the cake. There is nothing more.

I believe one thing – never overstay your welcome. And I would say that, in terms of what I wanted to get out of the side, I’ve over-achieved.

“To beat Australia away and to lead the series in England in a COVID year? It is the most satisfying moment of my four decades in cricket.”

The outcome of India’s Test series in England is still to be determined after the plug was pulled at the 11th hour at Old Trafford, where the tourists were concerned by a coronavirus outbreak among the backroom staff.

Assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar’s positive test was the final straw for many India players, coming a week after Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar were also found to have the virus.

By that time, Shastri was self-isolating in London, hav-

India Head Coach Ravi Shastri ing tested positive during the fourth Test.

Two days before The Oval match started, Shastri had attended the launch of his book, an event which has since been blamed for the outbreak in the Indian camp.

But an unrepentant Shastri said: “There were about 250 people there and no-one got COVID from that party. I’ve not got it at my book launch because it was on the 31 (August) and I tested positive on September 3.

“It can’t happen in three days. I think I got it in Leeds (where the third Test was

held). I have absolutely no regrets because the people I met at that function were fabulous.

“And it was good for the boys to get out and meet different people rather than constantly being in their rooms. At the Oval Test, you were climbing stairs used by 5,000 people. So to point a finger at a book launch?”

Talks are continuing behind the scenes between the England and Wales Cricket Board and its Indian counterparts about a resolution to the series.

(Cricket.com.au)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

Ramiz tells fans: ‘Stand behind Pakitstan cricket’ A day after New Zealand abruptly cancelled their tour of Pakistan due to security reasons, newly-elected PCB chairman Ramiz Raja sought to rally his troops by urging everyone to focus on a way forward.

A second-string New Zealand team was in Pakistan, all set to play in a series of three ODIs and five T20Is, but minutes before the start of the first game the whole thing unravelled, leaving the PCB in utter disbelief. In the heat of the moment, Raja even tweeted that New Zealand will hear from them at the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB pondered their options, ranging from a protest to opening up a legal dispute with the ICC, but didn’t have solid ground to build a legal case against New Zealand. The series was called off on the advice of the New Zealand government and not the board, which could put any potential case beyond ICC’s powers.

“Our pain is shared,” Raja told the followers of Pakistan cricket through a video. “Whatever happened isn’t good for Pakistan cricket. But one point that needs to be emphasised is that we have gone through such experiences in the past and we always move forward.

“So I urge our fans to stand behind the Pakistan team and be its strength at the [T20] World Cup. To my team, I would like to say take out your frustrations on the field because that is the only remedy. When you become the world’s best team then

everyone is queuing up in line to play series in your country. So I want everyone to take this as a lesson and move on and not be disappointed.”

As much as there is fear that other countries may now be more reluctant to tour Pakistan, the PCB is also reeling from the loss of revenue and, more importantly, game time.

The T20 World Cup will kick off in less than a month’s time and these matches were seen as the ideal preparation in the lead-up to the marquee tournament.

Pakistan were banking on 12 T20Is against West Indies, New Zealand and England to tune them up for the World Cup. But circumstances - rain in the Caribbean, and security threats in Pakistan - have combined to scupper nearly all of them. The ECB is yet to decide if it will be sending its men’s team to play a series of two T20Is scheduled to take place next mont Bringing international cricket back to Pakistan has been a serious challenge ever since the 2009 Lahore attacks. However, the PCB had been making great strides in that direction, especially in recent times. Since 2017, various teams including West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Bangladesh had toured the country without incident. New Zealand’s pulling out though has left them on the defensive.

“We will come out of this situation where our [ability to host] international cricket is under pressure again but even if we don’t

DESPITE being inactive during the last Fifa international Match Day window, the T&T Soca Warriors have managed to climb two

which had the highest ever ranking of 29th in the world in 2000 and the worse at 104th in 2019 represent a move from being 103rd at

‘When you become the world’s best team, everyone will queue up to play in your country’ - Ramiz Raja PCB we still have that strong gut,” Raja said. “We have the confidence and strength to work on our domestic cricket and still produce a world-class team.

“I understand there is a lot of pressure on the Pakistan team. But that’s okay. We will face it. And we will bring you good news. Good performances. We are rallying the fans to get behind us. Now is the time to work hard and emerge as the world’s best team so that we can get out of this challenge easily. I am with you and hope you are also with me, and as a unit we will take Pakistan cricket forward.”(Cricinfo)

Soca Warriors climb two spots to 101st in FIFA rankings spots at 103rd in the latest FIFA World Rankings, released by FIFA on Thursday last.

The ranking for T&T,

Bayern Munich put seven past Bochum to go top

Bayern Munich were wearing their dark green Oktoberfest kit.

BAYERN Munich cruised to an em- Oktoberfest kit, their fourth different shirt phatic 7-0 victory over VfL Bochum to this season. move to the top of the German Bundesliga.

Victory was all-but assured at half-time Joshua Kimmich scored twice after Leroy when Bochum centre-back Lampropoulos Sane hit an excellent free-kick to begin the converted into his own goal to hand the hosts rout. a 4-0 lead at the Allianz Arena.

Serge Gnabry, Robert Lewandowski and The thrashing takes Bayern’s goal tally Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also got on to 20 after their opening five games of the the scoresheet as Vasilis Lampropoulos put season, although Wolfsburg can move back through his own net. to the top of the table if they beat Eintracht Bayern were playing in a dark green Frankfurt today.(BBC Sport)

the start of 2021 which was maintained until last month.

The T&T Football Association (T&TFA) which is currently under the supervision of a FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee did not play any matches during the last international window after a fairly decent display at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA in July/August, coupled with the results in the Gold Cup preliminary round qualifiers.

Needing to win to advance to the Gold Cup’s group stage, the Soca Warriors under new coach Angus Eve, hammered Montserrat 6-0 before pulling off an 8-7 penalty kicks victory over French Guiana, following a 1-1 tie in the qualifiers.

In group A of the Gold Cup, the Soca Warriors also featured in a 0-2 loss to El Salvador as well as two drawn encounters- (0-0) with CONCACAF giants Mexico and 1-1 with Guatemala.

Overall, in the CONCACAF region, there was also no change for the twin-island Republic at 11th, despite their obvious improvements from the World Cup Qualifiers from March to June this year, where they thrashed Guyana 3-0, shut-out St Kitts/Nevis 2-0, but were held 1-1 by Puerto Rico and goalless by minnows Bahamas which prevented them from advancing from Group F of the qualifiers.

Following the start of the Final Round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, Mexico still controls

the top spot with the USA in second, followed by Costa Rica, Canada and Jamaica while T&T remains in 11th spot.

In the most significant move at the top of the world rankings, England is up to third spot, equalling their highest ever position.

To p 2 0 F I FA m e n ’s world rankings (August 12, 2021) 1. Belgium 2. Brazil 3. England 4. France 5. Italy 6. Argentina 7. Portugal 8. Spain 9. Mexico 10. Denmark 11. Holland 12. Uruguay 13. USA 14. Germany 15. Switzerland

19. Wales

20. Senegal Top 20 Concacaf rankings: 1. Mexico (9th) 2. USA (13th) 3. Costa Rica (44th) 4. Canada (51st) 5. Jamaica (59th) 6. Honduras (63rd) 7. El Salvador (65th) 8. Panama (68th) 9. Curacao (79th) 10. Haiti (87th) 11. T&T (101st) 12. Guatemala (123rd) 13. Antigua & Barbuda (126th) 14. St Kitts & Nevis (138th) 15. Suriname (139th) 16. Nicaragua (143rd) 17. Dominican Republic (157th)

16. Colombia

18. Barbados (162nd)

17. Croatia

19. Bermuda (166th)

18. Sweden

20. Grenada (167th)

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

Elaine Thompson-Herah will now carry a Jamaican diplomatic passport

ELAINE Thompson-Herah, the three-time gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan in August, is to be rewarded with a Jamaican diplomatic passport, Minister Olivia Grange announced on Wednesday.

Grange, the Minister of Gender, Culture, Entertainment and Sport, was speaking at a welcome-home ceremony for Thompson-Herah at the VIP room at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

Thompson-Herah, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, became the first woman to defend both titles at the same Olympic Games when she won the 100m in an Olympic record of 10.61 and then the 200m in a new national record of 21.53.

She would go on to win a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a new national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.

Two weeks later, she would lower her 10.61 lifetime best to 10.54 in Eugene, Oregon before reeling of time of 10.64, 10.72 and 10.65, the latter occurring at the Diamond League final in Zurich on September 9 where she was crowned Diamond League 100m champion. In doing so, she became the first woman to run four wind-legal times under 10.70, eclipsing the previous record of three set by the polarizing

Three time gold medallist Elaine Thompson- Herah Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States.

In recognition of her outstanding performances for Jamaica, Thompson-Herah is to be conferred with the

Order of Distinction during the National Heroes Day Honour Awards set for October 18, and as Minister Grange revealed on Wednesday, she will now carry a diplomatic passport.

“We will not be able to do the big splash we would want to but we will still have an event that will say to Jamaica and the world and (the athletes) that we appreciate them and that we love them,” Minister Grange said while revealing plans to celebrate Jamaica’s successful Olympic team before her announcement aimed specifically at Thompon-Herah.

“Elaine, it was our honour to bestow on you the Order of Distinction in the Commander Class, it is our honour to ensure that you now carry a diplomatic passport. Wherever you go in the world, you will be treated appropriately.”

In accepting, the double-triple Olympic champion said her success this season has come about because of the hard work she put in and a commitment to achieving her goals notwithstanding the challenges that came with managing her long-running Achilles injury.

She said the faster she ran the more she believed that the world record of 10.49 is well within reach.

(Sportsmax)

No place for Gayle; ‘great harm’ done to Holder

Veteran West Indies left-hander Chris Gayle

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Legendary fast bowler, Sir Andy Roberts, believes selectors

Windies all-rounder Jason Holder

have erred by including out-of-form Chris Gayle in the Twenty20 World Cup squad and says

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday September 19, 2021) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Roston Chase-446 runs (Kings) (2) Fafg Du Plesis-120* (Kings vs Patriots) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who claimed most wickets in Hero CPL 2021?

(2) What were the best bowling figures in a single Hero CPL 2021 game?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue …………………………………………………………… ………………………………………

the veteran left-hander should have quit international cricket two years ago instead.

In a damning critique of the 15-man squad announced last week by the Roger Harper-led panel, Sir Andy said Gayle’s performances had not “risen to the standard” expected and yet selectors were continuing to hope the Jamaican found form.

The outspoken Antiguan, a former West Indies selector, said “great harm” had also been done to star all-rounder, Jason Holder, who was relegated to the travelling four-man reserves for the October 17 to November 14 World Cup set for the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

“Gayle should have walked away from inter-

national cricket after the 2019 World Cup because he has not risen to the standard that we all expect,” said Sir Andy.

“We are hoping that he can come good but coming good in one game doesn’t make a series.”

He added: “I’m not in favour of Ravi Rampaul and Chris Gayle. I don’t think you should be giving exemptions to these players, not in a T20 tournament.”

Rampaul, 36, was recalled to West Indies colours six years after last playing international cricket while Gayle, who turns 42 next week, has endured a prolonged slump.

Both were handed medical exemptions by Cricket West Indies’ medical panel, allowing them to be selected.

Gayle has averaged 17 from 16 T20 Internationals this year and recorded a single half-century in the last five years. He struggled badly in the just concluded Caribbean Premier League, averaging 16 from nine outings with a best of 42.

Rampaul was the tournament’s leading bowler with 19 wickets but critics have pointed to outstanding pacer, Romario Shepherd’s 18 wickets as a case for his inclusion instead, especially

_says Sir Andy

with the Guyanese 10 years younger and possessing batting ability.

R e m a r k a b l y, t h e 29-year-old Holder has lost his place in the squad, despite being rested by selectors during the recent home series, with the aim of managing the player’s workload.

A powerful lower-order hitter, effective seamer and brilliant fielder, Holder has joined left-hander Darren Bravo, left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell and leftarm spinner Akeal Hosein among the reserves.

“I think Roger and company have done great harm to Jason Holder because I think that Jason Holder should’ve been one of the first people who were chosen to go on that tour,” Sir Andy told Starcom Radio’s Mason and Guest.

“He’s the best cricketer we have in the region and I just simply cannot see how you can leave your best cricketer out of the setup.”

Sir Andy also took aim at CWI’s selection policy, arguing a balance needed to be struck between performance and fitness, especially after watching as several in-form players were excluded on fitness grounds.

Champion off-spinner, Sunil Narine, claimed 12 wickets in the recent CPL, speedster Odean Smith was among the leading bowlers with 18 wickets while destructive 23-year-old lefthander, Sherfane Rutherford, struck three half-centuries and averaged nearly 40.

They were among those missing out after failing to meet CWI’s fitness standards.

“If we’re going to be going into this World Cup hoping to win, we’ve got to have people who we think can stay the course,” said Sir Andy.

“Some of these players [selected] are not going to stay the course because some of them are not as fit as people think they are.”

He added: “I hear so much talk about this fitness, fitness, fitness but what about ability? Who has the ability to perform?

Because you can be as fit as hell but you can’t perform and to me, I’d be going for the players who are fit enough to play and have the ability to perform.”

The squad will be led

by Kieron Pollard and also includes the likes of veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

T20 Blast final: Kent Spitfires beat Somerset to lift trophy for second time

KENT Spitfires proved too strong for Somerset under the Edgbaston lights as they won the 2021 T20 Blast by 25 runs.

After beating Sussex by 21 runs in the semi-final, Kent put in an incredible fielding display in the final as they beat 2005 winners and now four-times beaten finalists, Somerset.

Jordan Cox, with 58 not out off 28 balls, and England’s Zak Crawley (41) were the stars in Kent’s 167-7.

But Somerset fell short on 142-9 as 2007 victors, Kent, won a second title.

It is 14 years since Kent won their only previous T20 title, beating Gloucestershire, also at Edgbaston. And two of their team that day, 45-year-old Darren Stevens, in the semi-final, and 35-year-old Joe Denly, with three wickets in the final, played big roles.

Kent got off to a poor start when spinner Roelof van der Merwe got stuck into their top order, just as he had done to Lancashire in last month’s quarter-final.

Crawley began the recovery before Cox took over responsibilities, first playing the supporting role in a 36-run stand with Jack Leaning, then marshalling the rest of the batters to a defendable total.

Somerset had performed a near miracle earlier in the day to recover from 79-6 in their two-wicket semi-final win over Hampshire.

But, despite 43 from teenager Will Smeed on the ground where he had starred for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred this summer, there was to be no second great escape, despite two more miraculous moments.

Smeed rebuilt from 3-2 in a risk-free 58-run stand with Tom Abell (26), who was snared at backward point.

The 19-year-old then survived being caught on the boundary in a hugely controversial moment. Cox claimed the catch but was then clattered into by a sliding Daniel Bell-Drummond who touched the boundary cushion while their legs were in contact.

Third umpire Neil Bainton not only adjudged it not out but also a six. Although just three balls later Smeed showed he still has much to learn when he holed out again to Cox, this time without any hint of controversy.

In another incredible piece of action in the field, Cox then raced around the boundary to make a giant leap at Lewis Gregory’s leg-side swat and palm it back to Matt Milnes with

Sam Billings lifts the trophy after a comfortable win in the final. – PA Sport one hand, who completed the catch in front of a disbelieving Eric Hollies Stand.

It was part of five wickets which went down for 34 in the middle overs. And, with Denly and Qais Ahmad combining to produce the best return for any spinners in a T20 final, with a combined analysis of 5-50, that sealed Kent’s deserved success.

Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra: “I’m not generally a man of few words but I feel pretty

speechless. It’s days like this that I’m still playing the game for.

“We’ve been pretty consistent all the way through but Jordan Cox was outstanding to get us to that total and I’ve never seen anything like his catch before.

“I’ve not been in the T20 side for four years and I told the coach I wanted to play all forms and I’ve changed my game a bit.”(BBC Sport)

IPL returns to UAE today as familiar foes take centre stage

IT felt like dystopian reality TV the last time it was on, but the IPL is back now, during a time when the

world seems to need any kind of cricket It felt like dystopian reality TV when

The last time these two teams met, Mumbai clinched a thriller by four wickets , (BCCI/IPL)

it rumbled on, seemingly indifferent to the reality beyond its bubble, as India gasped for breath in the cruelest weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s back now, and things are different. It’s back at a time when the world seems to need it - or any cricket, really - desperately. After Old Trafford, after Rawalpindi.

There’s a reassuring familiarity to the contest that will kick things off again. Mumbai versus Chennai, Rohit versus Dhoni, comfort food for a generation of cricket fans.

The last installment of this rivalry produced an all-time T20 classic, and while events on the field may or may not be as exciting this time around, you’ll hope that events off it are as dull and predictable as they possibly can be in the world we live in today.

Super Kings are set to miss two key overseas stars. Sam Curran only arrived in the UAE on September 15, and is yet to complete his mandatory quarantine

period, while Faf du Plessis is still to fully recover from the groin strain that kept him out of the knockout stage of the St Lucia Kings’ CPL campaign.

It’s not yet known if Dwayne Bravo will be able to bowl for Super Kings.

Nursing a groin injury through the second half of the CPL, he didn’t bowl in any of the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ last five matches.

Likely XIs Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Lungi Ngidi/ Josh Hazlewood.

Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Adam Milne/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Jayant Yadav/Rahul Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.

32

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, September 19, 2021

BCB to launch historic coaching manual on Wednesday THE vibrant Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the leadership of Hilbert Foster would, on Wednesday, create history in Guyana when it launches its own coaching manual.

The launching is set for the BCB Office in New Amsterdam and is expected to be attended by senior board officials, youth cricketers and cricket coaches in the county.

Foster, who has spearheaded a major cricketing revolution in the Ancient County, is expected to give the feature address at the launching and then distribute the first set of the manual to some cricketers.

Plans for the manual started after the board was unable to hosts its county-wide coaching programme due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.

Foster then suggested to his executives that an alternative had to be found to assist youths to improve their game and it was decided that the board should invest in a coaching manual.

..dedicated to the memory of coach Michael Hyles

BCB president Hilbert Foster

The BCB president was able to obtain the necessary sponsorship, and a high-level team of qualified cricket coaches led by level three coaches, Winston Smith and Julian Moore, was set up to provide the necessary information for the booklet.

Other coaches involved were Leslie Soloman, Balram Samaroo, Travis Hardcourt, Tremayne Smartt and the late Michael Hyles . Information in the manual involves tips on batting, fast bowling, spin bowling,

The cover of the historic BCB Coaching Manual

wicketkeeping, fielding and physical training. The manual also has special articles on the importance of discipline and education.

Other topics covered are field positions, ways of dismissals, umpires’ signals, while profiles of Berbice Test players

and senior West Indies female players are also featured.

BCB public relations officer, Simon Naidu, stat-

Dilip Doshi revealed an interesting conversation with former West Indies pacer Michael Holding. As per Doshi, Holding said BCCI wanted to wrap up the series after the fourth Test.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) didn’t agree and five matches were put on the schedule.

Dilip Doshi reveals conversation with Michael Holding “I was speaking to a dear friend of mine, Michael Holding, earlier today and he mentioned to me that the Indian Cricket Board did not want the last Test.

So, their original suggestion was that the tour should end after the Oval Test, leaving enough time between IPL and the last Test in England.

Giving a gap of 15 days because of the quarantine period in between, but I believe ECB did not want that and they may have insisted on the fifth Test,” Doshi was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Meanwhile, the fivematch series currently stands at 2-1 in favour of India. Both boards are currently planning to conduct the remaining game next year on England soil.

Hence, it would be interesting to see how it pans out.

Meanwhile, the Indian players are now gearing up for the second leg of IPL 2021. All the matches will take place in UAE and all eight teams would be raring to get the glory.

(Cric Tracker)

Holding told me BCCI didn’t want the last Test, they only wanted four-match series _ Doshi

Former West Indies fast bowler, Michael Holding THE five-match Test seFor the unversed, sevries between India and eral members from India’s E n g l a n d c a m e t o a n support staff including head abrupt end with the fi- coach Ravi Shastri had connal match getting indef- tracted the virus during the initely postponed due to series. As Team India’s asCOVID-19 fears in the sistant physiotherapist also Indian camp. got affected ahead of the

final Test, the players were hesitant to take the field.

This eventually led to the suspension of the entire match. For the unversed, the fifth Test was due to end on September 13, just six days before the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Interestingly, BCCI announced a mandatory quarantine period for all players and officials following the cancellation of the Test.

Hence, a wide section of fans and experts believe the Indian board didn’t want the fifth Test to happen in the first place.

Addressing the same, former Indian cricketer

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

ed that with the official launching of the manual out of the way, the board would now forge ahead with the hosting of four mini cricket academies across the county.

The academies would be hosted for close to two hundred promising Under-19 players in West Coast Berbice, New Amsterdam/CANJE, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne.

Each of the players attending the academies would receive a copy of the manual while the board also intends to assist its fellow county boards with copies if they request same.

Foster stated that the publication of the historic coaching manual was undertaken at great cost because the BCB is totally committed to the development of every available cricketing talent in the Ancient County.

He stated that with players having their own coaching manual they See page 28 SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER 19, 2021