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FIRST LADY UNVEILS ARCH OF HOPE FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Pg2
Minister of Health explains reduced curfew time
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Squatters on Guysuco land given until Pg3 Monday to remove
DISTRIBUTION OF COVID-19 RELIEF TO BEGIN IN COASTLAND REGIONS Pg3 Pg3
Three COVID deaths in one day Pg3
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FIRST LADY UNVEILS ARCH OF HOPE FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
First Lady Arya Ali
First Lady Arya Ali showed her support for the fight against breast cancer by declaring the Main Street avenue an ‘Avenue
of Hope’ and making a donation to the Guyana Cancer Foundation. The First Lady unveiled the ‘Arch of Hope’ at
the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month at an event was hosted by the Office of the First Lady, through a partnership with
Impressions Branding and the Guyana Cancer Foundation. Debbie Persaud, Marketing Manager of Impressions, said the event demonstrated “that the Government, NGOs and the Private Sector have come to the realisation that breast cancer too, poses a threat to the survival of our women population.” The First Lady pointed out that statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show breast cancer to be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in
women worldwide and that more than half of the women who die live in poor or developing countries. Access to health services and quality of care are important aspects of the fight against breast cancer as well as early detection and screening. The First Lady’s donation to the Foundation will be used to fund cancer testing for 50 women over the coming months. First Lady Ali also said, as resources become available, Guyanese women will have better
access to treatment and preventative measures. “As our country moves to a better financial position, support for screening for every woman at the age of 40 and above on a continuous basis should be considered as a preventative and an early diagnostic tool in the fight against breast cancer.” She added that the lives of all Guyanese women were important and they have a responsibility to protect themselves and ensure that breast cancer screening becomes part of their health check routine.
Minister of Health explains reduced curfew time Speaking to the Department of Public Information on Thursday, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said the decision to reduce the curfew hours is in recognition of the socioeconomic impact the previous measures have had on businesses and people. The new curfew hours are now 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and will continue until October 31, 2020. The previous curfew hours were 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The Minister explained, “We have received complaints from truckers who would go up for sand and other things. Generally, they would come out early, get on
the road, and start their distribution but because of the measures, they couldn’t start that until 6 am. That caused an even greater traffic congestion in the mornings.” He added many people found it difficult to comply with the 6 p.m. curfew since they would be returning from work at that time. Minister Anthony also referred to a United Nations survey of Caribbean countries, including Guyana, which cited the COVID-19 measures as significant disruptors of people’s livelihoods. He noted that disposable income has been drastically reduced because of the
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
loss of jobs and the lack of full-time employment for most persons. Guyana’s international airports have been closed to commercial flights since March as part of measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. The Government announced
on Wednesday that the restriction will continue until October 11. Stricter guidelines will be in place to prevent the entry of passengers with COVID-19. “In addition to the requirement that someone coming must have a
negative PCR test result, when they arrive in Guyana, if that PCR test result is older than 72 hours, it would mean that they have to get a second one at the airport … That person will not leave the airport until that sample is processed and they will
get back those results the same day.” The Ministry said it is planned to have staff in place at the airport to conduct tests; accommodation and other systems will be provided to cater for travelers as they await the results. The Minister said the government’s goal is to adopt a more targeted response to the COVID-19 pandemic with personnel being trained, more tests being done, and more protective equipment and treatment protocols being made available, in partnership with the private sector and international agencies.
CXC begins to change ungraded results The Ministry of Education announced on Friday that the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has begun to rectify the issue of students receiving
ungraded results. Twenty local schools sbmitted complaints about ungraded results; regrading has been completed for 11 of them. Those schools are: Port
Kaituma Secondary, Patentia Secondary, Annandale Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Paramakatoi Secondary, Harmony Secondary, Carmel Secondary, Central High School, The Bishops’ High School, Leguan Secondary School and
Mahaicony Secondary School. The CSEC subjects that were initially ungraded are English A, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Economics and Human and Social Biology. The CAPE subjects that were affected are:
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Geography Unit 1, Caribbean Studies, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Accounting Unit 1 & 2, Law Unit 1 and Pure Mathematics Unit 1 & 2. Two dozen schools also reported unsatisfactory performances in 20 subject areas.
The Ministry has said that CXC will provide an update on the process for the remaining nine schools as soon as possible. Guyana is one of several Caribbean countries to lodge complaints over the CSEC and CAPE results following their release in September.
Distribution of COVID-19 relief to begin in coastland regions
in Regions One and Nine. Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, said, “Sometime in the course of this week, you will see on the coast; Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and
Ten would start receiving benefits.” He added that the Ministry would use the experience from Regions One and Nine to fine-tune the process.
He reiterated that no family will be left out. He gave assurances that instances of several families occupying the same dwelling or residence would be addressed and the entire process would be transparent and accountable. The Minister also explained that the distribution would be done via vouchers to compensate for any difficulties persons may have accessing banks during the pandemic. Different models will be employed depending on the location of the distribution.
he Ministry of Heath recorded 35 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday October 1. Three cases were recorded in Region Three, 31 in Region Four and one in Region Seven. The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now at 2,929. The death toll has risen to 85 with the deaths of three men, aged 46, 73 and 69. They were all
from Region Four. As of now, 14,309 persons have been tested for the virus and 1,760 have recovered. The number of active cases in the country is now at 1,084. Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips made an announcement on Thursday that the government would be commencing an education campaign dubbed
‘Operation CoviCurb’ to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The education campaign will utilise conversations on mainstream media and the distribution of flyers. A hotline will also be established to receive reports of persons flouting the emergency measures. “We envisage that within the next seven days, we will have over
5,000 persons operating in a multisectoral, interagency setting, working throughout Guyana to curb the spread of COVID-19,” the Prime Minister said. Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, said Guyana Defense Force troops would be deployed to assist in Operation CoviCurb. “The GDF will deploy no less than 500 troops
alongside relevant stakeholders and partners and we will interface with citizens, utilising a soft, cogent approach.” The troops would be tasked with ensuring that masks are worn properly in public, social distancing is practised, and citizens comply with social restrictions and the curfew. The Chief of Staff added that efforts would be made to improve border security
and reduce the number of unofficial entries into the country. Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie, said the Guyana Police Force will continue with its public education campaign and intensify its enforcement of the COVID-19 e m e r g e n c y measures.
The government has given the squatters at Success, East Coast of Demerara until Monday to remove themselves from the land. Chairman of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council, Daniel Seeram, headed a regional team that met with Government officials including the Minister of Housing, the Minister of Home Affairs and the CEO of Guysuco, on Friday. The Chairman said he
hoped the government would delay its plan to remove the squatters but there has been no movement on the position that he lands are owned by GuySuCo and the government holding company, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). “Myself and team did our best to represent the cause of the people of Success, who are occupying that plot
of land. We raised the questions being asked by the people, but the Government maintains the land belongs to NICIL and they must vacate the land,” Seeram said. The meeting ended with the Government side indicating that the squatters will be allowed access to the lands over the weekend to remove their belongings. The Regional Chairman added that while the Housing Ministry has
said they would assist the squatters in the process to legal land ownership, no timeline has been set for the allocation of any land to them.
Earlier this week, Police had a stand-off with squatters after they were called in by Guysuco to remove the squatters from the land.
Guysuco wants the squatters off of the land so that it can continue the process of reopening sugar operations along the East Coast of Demerara.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill
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ersons living on the coastland will begin receiving the $25,000 COVID-19 relief cash grant later this week. Distribution of the grants was already started
Three COVID deaths in one day T
Squatters on Guysuco land given until Monday to remove
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New York State puts Turks and Caicos on COVID-19 quarantine order PROVIDENCIALES, TCI – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ostensibly blacklisted Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Monday, omitting to put the country on a list of countries that do not require quarantine when re-entering the state directly from those countries. With an estimated 80 percent of visitors to TCI during the winter coming from New York, this puts the Turks and Caicos tourism industry in jeopardy since most persons will opt out of the trip it is believed.
One hotelier who was slated to open in November said bookings have now dried up for the winter season saying cancellations are mostly the reason the phone lines are still functioning. The executive order was signed by Governor Cuomo on Monday, September 28. The Democrat signed the executive order mandating the rules since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has continued to roll back screening measures at airports accepting
international flights. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decision to end enhanced screening at airports, coupled with alarming case increases in countries around the world, presents an increased threat to New York’s progress in the war against COVID-19,” Governor Cuomo said. “Today’s Executive Order will require the Department of Health to alert all travelers from any Level 2 or Level 3 country of mandatory quarantine requirements, as well
as require international travelers to complete the DOH Traveler Health Form to aid in the state’s robust contact tracing efforts and further prevent the spread of COVID-19.” There are currently 31 countries that are not subjected to the governor’s executive order. They are: American Samoa, Anguilla, Bonaire, Brunei, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Guernsey, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau SAR, Marshall
Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, Thailand and Timor-Leste. The executive order builds on the travel advisory that is already in place for states with a significant number of coronavirus cases. That list currently includes 29 states and U.S. territories. The advisory requires individuals who have
traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. Extract from Albany (WCBS 880) by ERICA BROSNAN originally published on September 28, 2020.
Government approves US$9B Payara Project
From left: Anand Gohil, CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited; Alistair Routledge, President of ExxonMobil Guyana; Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat and Timothy Christian, Director, Vice President of Hess Guyana Exploration.
The Government of Guyana has granted ExxonMobil approval to commence its US$9 billion Payara Development Project, offshore Guyana. The licence for the project was officially issued by the Government and signed by both parties on Wednesday. The project is expected to produce up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day after
start-up in 2024, using the Prosperity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. It will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels. Ten drill centers are planned, along with up to 41 wells, including 20 production and 21 injection wells. A review of the Payara Development Project had
been conducted by the Bay phase Oil and Gas Consultants contracted by the Department of Energy (DoE) under the previous administration. The People’s Progressive Party also decided to review the work done DoE to ensure that Guyanese interests were protected and are in keeping with international transparency and accountability standards. The current review is
BREAKING News
being done by a team of international experts, headed by Canadian Queen’s Counsel, Alison Redford. The Government wanted to create a contract that would ensure that the country gets more for local content, brings natural gas to shore, protects the environment and improves the lives of all Guyanese. In their discussions with ExxonMobil, the government insisted flaring would not be allowed without the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ExxonMobil would also have to pay the government for the cost of gas wasted during flaring and will also be subject to fines under the EPA related to emissions from flaring.
ExxonMobil is also required to update its base design for the project to include ‘tie-in points’ and space for produced water injection equipment. A study detailing the costs, benefits and feasibility of implementing a system for the re-injection of produced water is expected to be submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, and the EPA for approval Minister Bharrat will also supervise a study conducted by the company to examine the safe and efficient re-injection of produced water, including the effects on the reservoir. This process is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, the company will have to submit a local content plan
detailing its objectives two months before the beginning of the New Year. It will also have to submit to annual audits of safety-critical drilling and production operations, including waste management and compliance, conducted by a chief inspector. The company will have to pay US$400,000 to be used by the government for the procurement of the third-party auditors to supplement the chief inspector’s resources and develop institutional capacity to conduct audits. Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has also said that the government will aggressively pursue the costs that have been incurred by the company as its expenditures and operations are still yet to be fully audited.
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HOROSCOPE
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
It might be challenging dealing with those who are closest to you today. Best to ask yourself if what you are doing is useful. Go slowly and stick to practical tasks. If you work carefully, you won’t have to do the same job again. As the wise carpenter said, “Measure twice, cut once.”
Whatever you do today, proceed slowly, carefully and cautiously. If you try to rush anything, you will regret it. Furthermore, if you are hasty about pushing something through, authority types might try to block you. Easy does it – steady Eddie.
Whatever you do at work today (or for whatever task you’re doing) might be a bit of a slog. The secret is to slow down and be observant. Do things bit by bit. Do each task carefully. Don’t let others discourage you. Expect small gains but proceed in a slow, steady way.
You might be frustrated today because whatever you try to do (likely from behind the scenes) you will meet with opposition. It might be in the form of rules and regulations. It might be in the form of a strong opinion from social media? Be careful.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
If you try to coordinate the efforts of others today, it will be like herding cats. Expect some opposition. Others might object because of financial reasons or because they think you’re moving too fast. Any advance will have to be slow and steady.
Parents might find it frustrating dealing with their kids today. There’s no point in throwing your weight around. Accept the fact that you can only make small advances and achieve small results. It’s easy for people to feel discouraged. Respect that and don’t be demanding.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Expect opposition to whatever you try to do today, especially from authority figures and possibly from a partner or close friend. It’s as if you’re trying to do the impossible? Two steps forward, one step back. In fact, it feels more like one step forward and two steps back! Go gently.
Whatever you attempt to do at home or within your family might meet with resistance and opposition. Don’t overreact. Be calm. Today is full frustrating little moments that can be overcome with quiet perseverance. Do not engage in angry confrontations. (Definitely!)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Travel plans might be blocked today. Likewise, your efforts to explore opportunities in publishing, the media, higher education, medicine and the law will be discouraging. Be satisfied with small successes. Everything is relative.
It will not be easy for you to get your way today so the sooner you can grasp this, the easier this day will be for you. Remember the game where you say please take a giant step? Or please take a baby step? Today is full of baby steps – at best.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Do not try to force financial matters today or purchases. There might be a reason that you meet with obstacles and objections from others. Maybe you need to take a moment and listen? If something is important, you will still be able to do it later.
Disputes about shared property, inheritances or anything that you own jointly with others (including debt) might be tough to deal with today. It’s hard to get cooperation. Whatever you do today, you will have to do carefully and pay attention to detail. One step at a time.
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Patrol attacked along Guyana/Venezuela border
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joint patrol being done yesterday by ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force came under fire from the Venezuelan shore while patrolling the Cuyuni River.
A release from the GDF said it is believed that the gunfire came from Syndicato gang members. The ranks returned fire and none of them were injured. The GDF said that “aggressive” joint patrols by the Guyanese security forces have since been
intensified in the Cuyuni River area. The Guyana/ Venezuela border is more than 1,000 kilometres long and patrols are conducted on a routine basis. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred and several new measures are being Guyana’s Border Patrol explored by the GDF.
47 new case of COVID-19 over the weekend FOLLOW US ON https://www.facebook.com/Guyana-Post
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Amerindian & Foods GUYANA’S AMERINDIAN Guyana’s Amerindian population consists of several tribes, including the Caribs, Wapisianas, Arawaks, and Warraus. Anthropologists believe that Amerindian tribes were Guyana’s first inhabitants, arriving around 11,000 years ago. They settled lowlying coastal regions of the country, where they fished, hunted, and used a variety of plant species to produce fibers, oils, dyes, and a variety of different dishes. Over the centuries, Guyana’s Amerindian population migrated inland, penetrating the dense jungle via the country’s extensive river system, constructing temporary and permanent settlements. While Amerindians dwelling in coastal regions lived on turtles, fish, crabs, and snails, those inhabiting the savannahs hunted various types of mammal, including deer, monkey, and sloth, as well as various types of waterfowl. Guyana’s indigenous eetay palm is an important source of flour in Amerindian cuisine, while the country’s interior is also rich in cashews and wild honey.
CASSAVA BREAD
Amerindian cuisine remains incredibly popular in Guyana, both within traditional indigenous villages and in towns and cities. In 2014 Tuma Sálâ opened in Georgetown, establishing itself as the country’s first Amerindian restaurant.
PEPPERPOT – TASTY TRADITIONAL GUYANESE DISH
Image courtesy International Institute of Tropical Agriculture | Flick Next, the fully dried cassava root, resembling off-white flour, is poured into circular forms to cook over a fire. It is hung to dry and is soon ready to eat. While cassava bread is one of Guyana’s best known and loved foods, its preparation can require days of travel to obtain the right ingredients.
Made from just cassava and salt, farine can be mixed with sugar and milk, creating a nutritious drink. It can safely be stored over long periods, and it is an effective thickening agent for stews and soups. Farine can also be used as a stuffing for chicken or fish, and it forms a key component in several sweet dishes, such as white pudding, coconut rock buns, and black cake. PEPPERPOT – TASTY TRADITIONAL GUYANESE DISH G u y a n e s e Pepperpot is an Amerindian dish popular in Guyana and sometimes called pepper pot stew by the locals. It is traditionally served at Christmas and other special events; it is also Guyana’s national dish. Pepper pot is typically a stewed meat dish, strongly flavored with cinnamon, hot peppers, and Cassareep – a special sauce made from the Cassava root. Beef, mutton, and pork are the most popular meats used, though some have been known to use chicken. Pepperpot is popularly served with dense bread and butter, though it is equally as good with rice or roti
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