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Wednesday August 25, 2021

HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA CELEBRATES RAKSHA BANDHAN WITH PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI

FIREFIGHTERS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY

UNVACCINATED TEACHERS TO TAKE WEEKLY PCR TEST

Wedneday August 25, 2021

HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA CELEBRATES RAKSHA BANDHAN WITH PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI

Commission of India today celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

As part of continued celebrations of India’s 75th Independence anniversary, the High

Commission of India Cooperative Republic of today celebrated Raksha Guyana.

Bandhan with Dr. Irfaan Female members of Ali, President of the the High Commission

visited President Ali’s office and tied Rakhi to his hand in the presence of High Commissioner of

India Dr. K.J. Srinivasa.

Raksha Bandhan celebration with the leadership of Guyana strengthens the bond between the two countries, Guyana and India, reiterate their pledge to work with each other for each other’s welfare and progress, the Indian High Commissioner stated.

It also emphasizes the friendship between the people of Guyana and India. Such a bonding certainly guides the nations to work together for the benefit of all people, it added.

Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi Poornima, is an integral part of Indian culture.

This festival has become an occasion to celebrate human bonding, relationships, and a sense of togetherness by seeking and giving protection.

This year, Raksha Bandhan festival was held on Sunday, August 22.

Raksha Bandhan is an important Indian festival to celebrate brother-sister relationships and thus essentially a celebration of bonding.

Raksha Bandhan this year has a special significance when humanity is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, as it gives a message of togetherness.

FIREFIGHTERS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY

With several firefighters threatening to take their matters to high court over an alleged illegal removal from a promotion list, the Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn has maintained that no such promotion list exists.

Minister Benn was at the time responding to questions from the Media on the issue of the list in which several firefighters have registered their dissatisfaction at not being on the list.

Benn said, however, there is no final list and the one leaked was based on an internal discussion.

Nothing remains final as yet.

“There is no such thing; there is no final list…The list which was proposed…an original list should have been reviewed in respect of infractions.

“The review goes back over the past three years in the fire service and so there is no final list. It appears as though somebody at the fire service itself suggested the removal of some names and that was leaked.

“It has nothing to do with the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Attorney at Law, Eusi Anderson, is representing firefighters, Shekel Rogers,

Kathyann Belille, Tiffany Sancho, Marlon Philadelphia, Akaney Hinckson, Winston Manjet, Candesa Cox, Lois Cordis, Shenne Subrattie, Simone Hollingsworth and Neville Cumberbatch, who are all fire service officers. Their names were seen on the list along with many others.

According to Mr. Anderson, this remains unfair to remove those from the promotion list without a hearing. Those who had committed departmental infractions had already been punished.

This removal of persons without a

hearing, without due process, and without natural justice being strictly adhered to, is a breach of one’s rights.

more than 20 years.

Benn has maintained that no such actions must be taking unless disciplinary matters are

and respect for the order of service will collapse,” Minister Benn noted.

Reports are that some 48 persons had

Attorney Anderson has said that he has given the authorities an ultimatum of having the issue rectified or face court. This matter could see the Guyana Fire Service facing millions of dollars in losses by way of compensation to the victims.

Some firefighters on the list and who is reportedly exempted have been serving for

resolved and as such an overall review of the promotion list must be done before such a thing happens.

“Every person, who is under consideration for promotion has to be reviewed for their performance.

Disciplinary issues in a disciplined service– If there is no such undertaking if there is no such resort, discipline,

written the promotion examinations and the promotions list had been prepared just before Fire Chief Marlon Gentle retired last year.

The promotions range from section leader to sub-officers, leading fireman/firewoman to section leader, and from fireman/firewoman to leading fireman leading/ firewoman.

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Wedneday August 25, 2021

UNVACCINATED TEACHERS TO TAKE WEEKLY PCR TEST …cost will be more than their salaries geared towards the association withdraws

Schools are scheduled to reopen on September 6.

Unvaccinated teachers will have to produce a negative PCR test weekly, says the Education Ministry. That would cost them at least $100,000 per month.

In response to calls for the return of traditional classrooms, the Ministry

of Education intends to reopen schools on September 6, 2021.

Teachers who do not wish to take any of the COVID-19 vaccines will be required to submit the results of a PCR COVID-19 test, every week.

This is according to a statement published by

the Ministry last evening.

The cost of one PCR test is $25,000.

Since the school doors were closed in March 2020, as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, the Education Ministry has been stating that children have suffered an extensive learning loss and that the school

dropout rate has increased.

It was further noted that if these situations are not promptly addressed then the circumstances will cause long-lasting negative effects on children, the education sector, and the country.

However, despite implementing measures

continuity of learning, it was not enough and not as effective as face-toface learning. According to the Ministry, learning at home is not as effective as traditional learning and teaching.

While the Government of Guyana aims to vaccinate children in the 12-17 age group with the Pfizer vaccine, teachers and support staff are also urged to get inoculated before the commencement of the new school year.

The Ministry of Education stated that teachers who do not wish to be administered any vaccine will be required to submit a negative PCR test once a week.

This test is to be done at an approved private facility. Teachers who do not report for duty will be marked absent.

Following the statement published by the Ministry, the Guyana Teachers’ Union announced that the

its participation from the present assessment of schools and all other planned engagements until the press release is retracted.

The statement further highlighted that teachers were good enough to teach NGSA, CSEC and CAPE, mark NGSA, attend workshops and even participate in school preparedness assessments.

While the Union does not oppose vaccination, it contends that vaccination must be voluntary.

Furthermore, the Education Ministry noted some schools would have different challenges and needs regarding a reopening.

As such, individualized plans tailored for each school will be implemented to ensure the safety of teachers, school children, and support staff.

Infectious variant likely already in Guyana

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, is urging those persons who are yet to receive their second dose of the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca or Sinopharm vaccines, to complete the process and protect themselves and their families against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

Minister Anthony issued the appeal during

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Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, as he revealed a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the last week.

“As of last week, our numbers were relatively low, meaning that it had dropped to about 800 or so, and then we started seeing an increase in those numbers of new cases.

“That is very

instructive because it’s (telling) us that we probably have a more infectious variant that is now in Guyana. And we all know that in many countries around the world, that the Delta variant is becoming the dominant variant. Delta is now in more than 140 Something countries.

“And as that variant becomes the dominant

strain that is circulating in the country, we will see that it’s going to cause more infections.

Unfortunately, it is going to cause more hospitalisation and it is going to cause more deaths.”

Minister Anthony reminded us that unvaccinated persons are among those persons being severely affected

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by the Delta variant.

“If we are going to protect ourselves against Delta, then we really need to make sure that we are vaccinated, and if we are not vaccinated, then we’ll be at a higher risk to get the disease.

“I really want to urge people, you will have an opportunity here to get vaccinated, we have more than 110 sites, fixed sites that is, that are operating and you can come to any one of these sites, you can start the process by getting your first dose of the vaccine.

“We have the AstraZeneca, Sinopharm , some J&J and this is available to any adult in this country. There is no rational reason why you should be without the vaccine. If you don’t take that vaccine, it is going to put you at severe risk,” Minister Anthony said.

On Monday, Guyana received 5,000-second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, as well as its first tranche of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, strengthening its arsenal against the Coronavirus and deadly Delta variant.

As he urged persons to get their COVID-19 vaccine, Minister Anthony also noted that as of Tuesday morning, there were 146 new cases of Coronavirus in the country, out of 1,917 tests conducted the same day.

There are 1,464 active cases across Guyana, 90 of whom are hospitalised. Of that figure, 63 persons are at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, with 22 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Wedneday August 25, 2021

CPL teams, officials arrive into ST Kitts & Nevis

The majority of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cohort have arrived in St Kitts & Nevis ahead of the tournament which gets underway on August 26, 2021.

255 travelers have

arrived and entered the tournament bubble.

Following a rigorous testing process, there have been two cases of COVID-19 detected. A comprehensive contact tracing process has taken place along with

additional testing and no further cases have been identified.

The two individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 are isolating as per the comprehensive protocols that have been put together by the

tournament organizing committee, Hero CPL’s medical advisors, and the health authorities in St Kitts & Nevis.

Michael Hall, Hero CPL’s Tournament Operations Director, said:

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“The two positive cases were identified quickly following on arrival testing and were flagged with Hero CPL while in-room quarantine was still taking place for those individuals.

“The tournament bubble remains intact and there has been no exposure to the wider public in the Federation. We are looking forward to getting the cricket underway on the 26 August.”

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