Guyana Post Newspaper

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Keeping you updated on current events...

ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER

Wednesday January 27, 2021

Foreign Minister meets with Acting UK High Commissioner Pg2

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World Bank Approves Additional Pg2 Financing of US$13.5 Million for Guyana’s Education Sector Pg2

Foreign Minister issues protest note to the Venezuelan Government Pg2 Pg3

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THE U.K. IS SET TOPg4ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO ITS QUARANTINE RULES Pg3

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

Foreign Minister meets with Acting UK High Commissioner

Foreign Minister meets with Acting UK High Commissioner Acting High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana – Mr. Ross Denny on Monday, January 25 called upon Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Hon. Hugh Todd.

During the courtesy call, among mutual areas of interest, they discussed development, climate

change, and the deepening of trade and bilateral relations.

The Acting High Commissioner and Foreign Minister also discussed the upcoming 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26, which will be held in November in Glasgow, Scotland, under the presidency of the UK. Mr. Denny is currently the Acting High Commissioner to

Guyana and Suriname.

He most recently served as Ambassador to Costa Rica. A career diplomat, Mr. Denny has served in a number of positions in the British Foreign Service, including at Missions in Santiago, Chile; Doha, Qatar; Warsaw, Germany; and The Hague, among others. Guyana established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966.

Meanwhile, Minister Todd on Monday met

virtually with his Venezuelan counterpart – H.E. Jorge Arreaza, Minister of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to discuss modalities for the release of the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf and the crew members, detained since Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Port Guiria in Venezuela. The discussion was cordial. The Foreign Ministers exchanged views within the context

of the detention of the vessels and crew.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister assured that the crew members were being treated with utmost respect for their human rights. At the request of Foreign Minister Todd, Minister Arreaza undertook to pursue their early release.

Both Foreign Ministers agreed to the importance of mutual respect in relations between the two countries.

And, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, also on Monday met with Mr. Prem Kumar Lallbachan and Mr. Trevor Daniels, owners of the recently detained Guyanese registered fishing vessels, the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf respectively. During the meeting, he conveyed the Government’s commitment towards the release of the crew and vessels.

The Foreign Minister also provided the owners with an update on the Government’s efforts including the issuance of a statement condemning the recent actions of Venezuela and the transmission of a note verbale in protest of the Venezuelan navy’s actions.

“We are doing all within our power to reunite the crew members with their families and help you to continue with your business,” the Minister stated. The Foreign Minister pledged to remain in contact with the owners and share updates as they occur.

Ontario reporting 1,740 cases with 63 more deaths including 24 in long-term care.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada has never really been one pandemic. It has played out instead in discreet boxes divided by impact and separated by income and postal code, by race, gender and especially age. That’s not to say it’s been easy, for anyone.

But it hasn’t been fair either. People of colour, people with

precarious work, people in certain industries and certain cities have borne the brunt of the infections, the job losses and the anguishing, lonely goodbyes.

But even given all that, on the morbid bar graph of pandemic tragedy one group stands alone, a bar so much higher than the others it looks like a design error instead of something real. COVID-19 has

destroyed the lives of thousands who began the pandemic in an Ontario long-term-care home.

More than 3,000 longterm residents have officially died from COVID-19 in Ontario.

An untold number of others have been lost to pandemic-induced neglect or a lack of care.

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Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

World Bank Approves Additional Financing of US$13.5 Million for Guyana’s Education Sector

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on Tuesday approved additional financing of US$13.5 million to support the ongoing Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project.

The project, which aims to improve teaching in mathematics and increase enrollment in secondary schools, will provide equipment and training to support innovative technology-assisted education delivery methods. The additional

financing will also be used to complete construction of two secondary schools, supply resources for those schools, and build a new secondary school.

“Guyana’s education sector has made significant progress in the last decade; however, strengthening learning outcomes remains a priority and the pandemic is hitting the education sector hard.

Through the ongoing project, we are pleased to support the government in piloting use of technology and innovative ways

On the Friday before the Thanksgiving long weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged Canadians to support their local food bank in a photo op at a Metro grocery store in Ottawa.

The appeal was part of the Liberal government’s pledge of another $100 million in funding to food banks and food charities – on top of the $100 million it gave in the spring – to combat rising food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Framed as both a gesture of compassion from a caring government and a meaningful way to address poverty, the announcement was

broadly celebrated.

But in Toronto, Valerie Tarasuk was outraged.

Canada’s foremost expert on food insecurity couldn’t believe the government was giving money to food banks.

Tarasuk, a professor at the University of Toronto, has been studying food insecurity for nearly 30 years. All of her research suggests that giving people food does nothing to make them less food-insecure, which is defined as having inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.

The problem is not simply hunger; it’s poverty, she said. The only way to meaningfully address it is to increase

of teaching, which are particularly relevant during distance learning.

The new financing will support the pilot of a “smart classroom” initiative to help the sector build back better from the pandemic,” said Ozan Sevimli, World Bank Resident Representative for Jamaica and Guyana.

The additional financing will also provide more resources to an existing pilot program that uses adaptive learning software on tablets for mathematics education.

The project emphasizes use of technology and higher quality math education, both of which are important to prepare Guyanese students for future employment.

Capacity building for teachers is an important component of the project to improve the quality of secondary education.

The project is also supporting construction of secondary schools in Regions 3 and 4, which include nearly 30 percent of the country’s secondary school population and

over 40 percent of the population living in poverty. Access to highquality secondary schools can reduce overcrowding, improve learning conditions, and contribute to increasing enrollment.

The Guyana Secondary Education Project, which was approved in 2014, has been extended to 2023 to ensure the successful completion of all the activities. The original project has already developed mathematics standards for secondary school teachers, supported

FOOD SECURITY IN CANADA

income supports so people have enough money to buy food for themselves.

Meanwhile, a new report on billions of dollars the federal government has sent to provinces to help safely reopen the

economy suggests much of the money is sitting unused.

Today’s report also suggests that federal efforts to stretch the financial impact of those dollars is falling short

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mathematics training for over 600 teachers, and distributed 200 mathematics teaching kits.

Guyana receives interest-free financing from the International Development Association (IDA), with a maturity of 40 years, including a grace period of 10 years. The World Bank also approved support for Guyana’s health response to COVID-19 in November 2020.

money the federal government has sent their way, including for things like personal protective equipment.

Author David Macdonald says some of the money may yet be spent, but notes the longer it remains unspent, the less likely it ever will be spent.

Macdonald’s analysis is based on a review of provincial and federal spending announcements, reconciling duplications, as well as provincial spending documents.

Federal and provincial governments are allocating hundreds of billions in direct spending and liquidity support to

as many provinces have bucked cost-matching requests.

The analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says six out of 10 provinces haven’t spent all the Con’t on Pg5

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

Woman, hit man plead guilty to killing husband

Oswald Junior Yaw

A Woman, who allegedly ordered a hit on her Husband back in 2015 today in the high court confessed to the crime along with the hit man.

Self-confessed Murderers, Beverly Persaud and Oswald Junior Yaw appeared before the Judge, Navindra Singh, and before a Jury.

The expectation was that a high court trial would have commenced.

However, those plans were however shifted as both admitted to the allegation.

As such, with the confessions to the court, Persaud and Yaw are now likely to be sentenced on February 16th, after a probation report is tendered to the court.

It was alleged that Persaud on September 10, 2015, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, murdered Nathan Persaud.

Both Persaud and her 28-year-old, alleged

Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. His body bore stab wounds and his head was bashed in.

Nearby a piece of rock and knife were found.

These were suspected Mr. Persaud

Beverly Persaud

Hitman, Oswald Junior Yaw,called “Meow” were charged for the murder and remanded to prison.

Reports are that Mr. Persaud during the time of his murder was found bloodied body, and lying face down in his house at Lot 66, Herstelling New

to have been the murder weapons.

Soon after the authorities arrested Yaw, who later told investigations that he had killed Mr. Persaud by hammering him to death and was paid his wife $1.7M.

GOVERNMENT MONITORING INCREASES IN THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS …holds meeting with stakeholders from several regions While the cost of sand and cement has remained fairly stable, the price for steel has skyrocketed due to increasing product and freight costs. This was the general sentiment expressed by stakeholders of the construction sector during a meeting with Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce – Hon. Oneidge Walrond, and Senior Minister with responsibilities for Finance under the Office of the President – Dr. Ashni Singh. The meeting took place at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Monday.

In outlining the purpose for the meeting, Minister Walrond, noted that the engagement was to deal with the price increases reported for the cost of some construction materials. She explained that the Government wanted to meet with stakeholders to better understand the factors responsible for the rise in cost of these materials.

“We decided to meet with you and hear from the people who

are directly involved in the sector before we make any decision or determination,” Minister Walrond told the meeting.

As part of the Emergency Budget in 2020, the Government announced the removal of VAT on building and construction materials.

However, consumers and contractors have been complaining about the steadily increasing cost of materials.

These increases are also a concern to Dr. Ashni Singh, who warned that it is illegal to charge VAT on zero-rated materials.

The Minister’s caution was based on complaints by some stakeholders that some hardware stores have maintained the price of materials, even though VAT is no longer applicable. He encouraged citizens to report cases where stores continue to charge VAT on zero-rated items.

“We have been paying close attention to developments in the market for key construction materials, not only because the government is a large consumer and purchaser of construction materials,

but also because we recognise that construction is going to be an important driver of the economy going forward,” Dr. Singh stressed.

The Senior Minister of Finance expects that there will be a boom in the construction sector, pivoted by the housing initiative of the President, the construction of several branded hotels, new office spaces, and other buildings by the private sector.

“We have been getting reports of some price movement, and so we are very interested in understanding how prices have moved and what

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might be contributing to the price movement,” Dr. Singh added.

In sharing his perspective for the increase in prices, Chairman of the Region 3 Tourism Committee, Halim Khan, also said transportation cost was the main driver of the costs for the items.

He suggested that a lower cost of fuel should result in a reduction in the cost of materials. Briony Tiwarie supported this view and surmised that the increase in fuel prices has directly impacted the cost of materials because of increased transportation costs.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

Foreign Minister issues Senate confirms Antony protest note to the Blinken as Biden’s Venezuelan Government Secretary of State

Antony Blinken

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Hon. Hugh Todd on Monday morning called in the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela – Mr. Moses Chavez to transfer a protest note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guyana to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela.

The protest note firmly condemns the illegal detention of the captains and crews of the Guyanese registered fishing vessels, the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf and calls for

their immediate release.

The Government of Guyana is using all diplomatic channels to ensure the safe return of the crew and vessels to Guyana.

Minister Todd used the opportunity to voice his concerns on the matter, he said that “the action coming out of Caracas is distasteful.” The Minister added that based on latitude and longitude, the two vessels were well within Guyana’s territory.

The Foreign Minister highlighted the regional zone of peace and called

for Venezuela to operate in a manner consistent with international rule of law. He reiterated Guyana’s commitment to the International Court of Justice as a means of bringing to a close the Guyana – Venezuela border controversy.

On Thursday, January 21, 2021 the two vessels were intercepted by Venezuelan naval vessel Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, while operating off the coast of Waini Point at a position of N 80 49’ 06”/ w 590 37’ 40” W.

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help workers, families, front-line workers and businesses make it through the pandemic.

The federal treasury has managed the lion’s share of COVID-19 spending – accounting for about $8 in every $10 of aid, according to the federal Finance Department’s math.

As Maplehurst Correctional Complex continues to battle the worst COVID-19 jail outbreak so far in the province with 130 active cases, advocates are calling for clarity from the province around when prisoners and correctional officers will be vaccinated.

There are 88 inmate cases and 42 staff cases

at the Milton jail, which is currently over capacity and has been running at 96 per cent capacity on average in the past six months, according to a spokesperson for the minister of the solicitor general Monday.

That exceeds the April outbreak at the Ontario Correctional Institute in Brampton, which had 89 inmate cases and more than 20 staff cases; the December outbreaks at the Toronto South Detention Centre, which had 77 inmate cases; and the Joyceville Penitentiary in Kingston, which had 80 inmates test positive. Maplehurst’s 130 active COVID cases make it Ontario’s

worst jail outbreak of the pandemic. On the Friday before the Thanksgiving long weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged Canadians to support their local food bank in a photo op at a Metro grocery store in Ottawa.

The appeal was part of the Liberal government’s pledge of another $100 million in funding to food banks and food charities – on top of the $100 million it gave in the spring – to combat rising food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Framed as both a gesture of compassion from a caring government Con’t on Pg6

●The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as Secretary of State with a 78-22 vote. ●Blinken is a veteran diplomat with a long working relationship with President Joe Biden. ●Blinken, along with Biden, has made repairing America’s alliances a top priority.

The Senate voted 78-22 on Tuesday to confirm Antony Blinken as US Secretary of State, ushering in a new era of American diplomacy.

Biden’s decision to tap Blinken to be America’s top diplomat was applauded by members of the foreign policy community across the political spectrum.

Though Blinken was confirmed in a bipartisan vote, he received the least support from Senate Republicans, out of all President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees so far.

With that said, Blinken still received more votes in favor of his confirmation than both Secretaries of State under President Donald Trump – Rex Tillerson (56-43) and Mike Pompeo (5742). The Senate has so far confirmed four of Biden’s Cabinet nominees.

Blinken, who formerly served as Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration, has a long history of working with Biden. When Biden was Vice President, Blinken was his National Security Advisor. He also served as Staff Director on the Senate Foreign Relations

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Committee when Biden was Chairman.

“This is a good choice. Tony has the strong confidence of the President-elect and the knowledge and experience for the important work of rebuilding US diplomacy,” Matt Duss, a foreign policy advisor to the progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, tweeted in November.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, in November said he was “delighted” to learn Biden had selected Blinken for the role.

During his confirmation hearing, Blinken underscored the importance of American leadership in the world.

Biden has made repairing US alliances a key competent of his foreign policy agenda as part of a broader effort to repair America’s global reputation post-Trump.

“American leadership still matters. The reality is the world simply does not organize itself. When we’re not engaged, when we’re not leading, then one of two things is likely to happen: Either some other country tries to take our place, but not in a way that’s likely to advance our interests and values, or maybe just as bad, no one does, and then you have chaos,” Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Blinken signaled that the Biden administration will focus heavily on countering Russia, Iran, and China on the global stage. He also said that

the US will move to end support for the Saudiled coalition in Yemen, marking a major break from the policy of the Trump administration toward the kingdom.

The incoming Secretary of State is poised to take a drastically different approach to the job than his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, who frequently decried multilateralism and criticized international institutions like the United Nations.

The Biden administration has already made big moves on the foreign policy front, with the President signing executive orders to return the US to the Paris climate accord and World Health Organization.

Both Blinken and Biden have emphasized that tackling climate change will be a major priority in concert with rekindling key partnerships.

“We can take on the existential threat posed by climate change. We can revitalize our core alliances, force multipliers of our influence around the world. Together, we are far better positioned to counter threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and to stand up for democracy and human rights,” Blinken said on January 19. “And in everything we do around the world, I believe that we can and we must ensure that our foreign policy is actually working to deliver for American working families, here at home.”

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

The U.K. is set to announce FOOD changes to its quarantine SECURITY..... rules Con’t on Pg5

The U.K. is set to announce changes to its quarantine rules later Tuesday that could see anyone arriving in the country having to spend ten days in a hotel at their own expense.

Vaccines minister – Nadhim Zahawi, said there will be an “announcement on this issue later on today,” but would not be drawn on what the changes would entail.

The British government has been reviewing its quarantine policies amid concerns over new variants of the coronavirus. Whether the changes will be universal and apply to everyone arriving, including British citizens, or just to those arriving from high-risk coronavirus countries, is unclear.

Zahawi told Sky News that “as we vaccinate more of the adult population, if there are new variants like the South African or the Brazilian variants, we need to be very careful.”

And, Sweden’s Foreign Minister says people in the Scandinavian country shouldn’t expect to be able to travel globally during Easter as Sweden extended the advice to

avoid unnecessary trips to countries outside the European Union and the Schengen area.

“Our assessment is that there will be uncertainty for several months globally. It is an overall assessment that is about what the situation at the destinations will look like,” Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Tuesday. Linde said the recommendation to avoid trips outside the EU will last until April 15. Easter is at the beginning of April.

But, Health authorities in New Zealand said they’ve found no evidence the coronavirus is spreading in the community after confirming the first case outside a quarantine facility in more than two months. The woman developed symptoms at home after she apparently was infected by a fellow traveller while in mandatory quarantine.

COVID-19 Response Minister – Chris Hipkins said Tuesday that 15 of the woman’s 16 identified close contacts have tested negative, with one result still pending. New Zealand has eliminated community transmission

of the virus, at least for now.

In another part of the world, Chinese airlines are offering refunded tickets as coronavirus continues to spread in the northeast.

The offer Tuesday from the government’s aviation authority comes amid a push to prevent people travelling during the Lunar New Year holiday next month.

China has largely curbed the virus’ spread at the local level, but travel limits remain in place where outbreaks have been detected, including in the capital Beijing.

Schools are going on break a week early and migrant workers have been told not to travel back to their hometowns.

Nearby, Health authorities in Taiwan are quarantining 5,000 people while looking for the source of two new coronavirus cases linked to a hospital. Officials said on Monday that they have not been able to identify how the husband and wife became infected after a brief hospital stay in the Taoyuan General Hospital, located in the city of Taoyuan just outside Taiwan’s capital city.

The man had stayed at the hospital for three days for health problems unrelated to COVID-19, while his wife looked after him. Those asked to quarantine include patients who were discharged from the hospital between January 6-19, and their caregivers.

Taiwan is on higher alert after the latest domestic cluster, which has now seen 15 cases from the hospital in Taoyuan.

In another region, Indonesia’s confirmed coronavirus infections since the pandemic began crossed 1 million on Tuesday and hospitals in some hard-hit areas were near capacity.

Indonesia’s Health Ministry announced that new daily infections rose by 13,094 on Tuesday to bring the country’s total to 1,012,350, the most in Southeast Asia. The total number of deaths reached 28,468.

The milestone comes just weeks after Indonesia launched a massive campaign to inoculate two-thirds of the country’s 270 million people, with President Joko Widodo receiving the first shot of a Chinese-made vaccine. Health care workers, military, police, teachers and other at-risk populations are being prioritized for the vaccine in the world’s fourth most populous country.

Officials have said that Indonesia will require almost 427 million doses, taking into account the estimate that 15% of doses may be wasted during the distribution process in the vast nation of more than 17,000 islands, where transportation and infrastructure are limited in places.

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and a meaningful way to address poverty, the announcement was broadly celebrated.

But in Toronto, Valerie Tarasuk was outraged.

Canada’s foremost expert on food insecurity couldn’t believe the government was giving money to food banks.

Tarasuk, a professor at the University of Toronto, has been studying food insecurity for nearly 30 years. All of her research suggests that giving people food does nothing to make them less food-insecure, which is defined as having inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.

The problem is not simply hunger; it’s poverty, she said. The only way to meaningfully address it is to increase income supports so people have enough money to buy food for themselves.

Meanwhile, a new report on billions of dollars the federal government has sent to provinces to help safely reopen the economy suggests much of the money is sitting unused.

Today’s report also suggests that federal efforts to stretch the financial impact of those dollars is falling short as many provinces have bucked cost-matching requests.

The analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says six out of 10 provinces haven’t spent all the money the federal government has sent their way, including for things like personal protective equipment.

Author David Macdonald says some of the money may yet be spent, but notes the longer it remains unspent, the less likely it ever will be spent.

Macdonald’s analysis

is based on a review of provincial and federal spending announcements, reconciling duplications, as well as provincial spending documents.

Federal and provincial governments are allocating hundreds of billions in direct spending and liquidity support to help workers, families, front-line workers and businesses make it through the pandemic.

The federal treasury has managed the lion’s share of COVID-19 spending – accounting for about $8 in every $10 of aid, according to the federal Finance Department’s math.

As Maplehurst Correctional Complex continues to battle the worst COVID-19 jail outbreak so far in the province with 130 active cases, advocates are calling for clarity from the province around when prisoners and correctional officers will be vaccinated.

There are 88 inmate cases and 42 staff cases at the Milton jail, which is currently over capacity and has been running at 96 per cent capacity on average in the past six months, according to a spokesperson for the minister of the solicitor general Monday.

That exceeds the April outbreak at the Ontario Correctional Institute in Brampton, which had 89 inmate cases and more than 20 staff cases; the December outbreaks at the Toronto South Detention Centre, which had 77 inmate cases; and the Joyceville Penitentiary in Kingston, which had 80 inmates test positive.

Maplehurst’s 130 active COVID cases make it Ontario’s worst jail outbreak of the pandemic.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Wednesday January 27, 2021

Colombian Defence Minister – Carlos Holmes Trujillo, has died from complications of COVID-19.

Carlos Holmes Trujillo Colombian Defence Minister – Carlos Holmes Trujillo, one of the country’s most recognized conservative politicians, has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 69.

President Ivan Duque said in a televised address that Trujillo died early Tuesday, adding that he

“couldn’t express the pain” he was feeling over the news. He offered his condolences to Trujillo’s wife, children and other family members. “His life was a reflection of vocation for public service,” Duque said.

Trujillo became Defence Minister in November 2019, after

serving as Foreign Minister. He was also the Mayor of Cali from 19881990 and held several ministerial and diplomatic positions during his decades-long political career.

Trujillo ran for President unsuccessfully in 2018, when he was defeated

by Duque, who was then a rookie Senator, in an internal party contest.

As a Foreign Minister, Trujillo backed U.S. efforts to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of office by supporting his rival Juan Guaidó.

The campaign to remove Maduro through political and diplomatic pressure floundered, but has led to tougher U.S. sanctions against Venezuela’s socialist government.

Meanwhile, Health authorities in Taiwan are quarantining 5,000 people while looking for the source of two new coronavirus cases linked to a hospital.

Officials said on Monday that they have not been able to identify how the husband and wife became infected after a brief hospital stay in the Taoyuan General Hospital, located in the city of Taoyuan just outside Taiwan’s capital city. The man had stayed at the hospital for three days for health problems unrelated to COVID-19, while his wife looked after him.

Those asked to quarantine include patients who were discharged from the hospital from Jan. 6 to

19, and their caregivers.

Taiwan is on higher alert after the latest domestic cluster, which has now seen 15 cases from the hospital in Taoyuan.

And, Portugal’s Health Minister says authorities are considering asking other European Union countries for help amid a steep surge in COVID-19 cases. Portugal has had the world’s worst rate of new daily cases and deaths per 100,000 people for the past week, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Health Minister Marta Temido says sending patients to other EU countries is not uncommon in the bloc.

But, she says, Portugal has the disadvantage of being geographically

remote and hospitals across the continent are under pressure from the pandemic. She says the country may instead be asking for medical workers to be sent.

Portuguese hospitals are under severe strain, Temido told public broadcaster RTP. “We have beds available,” she said. “What we’re struggling with is finding staff.”

SHARE YOUR LONG-TERM CARE STORY That request may be difficult to fulfil, because all countries in the 27-nation bloc are dealing with their own pandemic strains, made more difficult now because of the emergence of virus variants.

EXTENSIVE DRAINAGE WORKS ONGOING AT LOWLANDS -residents praise Minister Mustapha’s prompt intervention

Mr. Chumandat Persaud, Ms. Lorence Chester Eighty-eight-year-old – Ms. Lorence Chester is among several Lowlands, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residents who are thankful for the ongoing extensive drainage and irrigation works which started in her community last week The upgrade started on Thursday, January 21 one day after Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha met residents and farmers to listen to their concerns.

On Monday, Ms. Chester admitted that she did not attend the meeting because she is unable to move about on her own, but “the evening I was

listening to the radio and I heard the Minister was here and they said help will come and work will start in the new week.”

Ms. Kumare Ramphar “When I see them come, I was so excited, I called Kumare (her neighbour) and said we getting help!” The elderly woman relayed that her yard flooded due to the clogged drains and she had spent a lot of money over the years, to rectify the damage the floods had caused to sections of her property. After today, she said, she does not expect to have to deal with such challenges.

Her neighbour – Ms. Kumare Ramphar expressed similar sentiments.

She too lauded the Minister’s timely intervention, noting that when the community is inundated it is even difficult for residents to traverse the streets. “This is good for me because the water will get to drain out,” Ms. Ramphar said.

Chumandat Persaud, resident Other residents were also pleased to voice their expectations of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in three weeks’ time.

For Mr. Chumandat Persaud, “it’s a good

initiative that they are clearing the place because the other day we had a flood and everybody were affected. So, it is a good thing they are doing and I am glad for that.”

Drainage works ongoing at Lowlands ECD. On Wednesday, Minister Mustapha promised to dispatch the excavator to starts works today.

However, the machine was dispatched on Thursday and immediately put to work, bringing relief to the residents. The machine will clear some 2,770 rods of canals.

Residents and farmers

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were encouraged to examine the work to ensure that it is completed to their satisfaction.

The Minister said the excavator would not leave the community until the project is completed. He also provided a telephone number for persons to contact the Ministry to report any issues or seek guidance.

Drainage works ongoing at Lowlands ECD. Minister Mustapha’s

outreach to Lowlands is not the first of its kind.

Two machines were previously dispatched to Hope and Unity, ECD to conduct critical drainage works there.

Drainage works were also done at Bee Hive and Greenfield, benefiting farmers and residents who commended the Minister for his timely intervention which saw several of the main canals being cleared for the first time in years.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

ICJ postpones Monday’s case management hearing to Feb 26

The International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) continuation of its hearing into the GuyanaVenezuela border controversy, which was supposed to get underway today with a case management hearing, has been postponed to February 26, 2021.

This was confirmed

by Guyana’s Agent on

court may have.

Guyana approached the World Court in 2018 seeking a final and binding judgement to reinforce that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains valid and binding on all parties, and legal affirmation that Guyana’s Essequibo region, which contains much of Guyana’s natural resources, belongs

the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy – Carl Greenidge. The Agent, who is also the Government’s Advisor on Borders, noted they were informed by the ICJ of the postponement ahead of time.

The case management conference was initially scheduled for Monday, after being postponed from January 15 for undisclosed reasons. At the time, Greenidge had noted that at the upcoming case management conference, the Court will decide on the time to be allotted to each of the parties, they will find out whether Venezuela will participate and they will also give an opportunity to clear up any matters to deal with the procedures which the parties or the

to Guyana and not Venezuela.

However, earlier this month the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela issued a decree claiming sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River – a move which President Dr. Irfaan Ali has staunchly rejected.

The Guyanese leader declared, on January 9, that Venezuela’s maritime border claim is a “legal nullity” that will not be recognized by Guyana or any other State in the world. He added that while this latest move by the Spanish-speaking nation is “deeply disturbing”, it will not deter Guyana’s resolve to seek a final and binding resolution at the

ICJ. However, in the past few days, there has been an escalation of tension, brought on by Venezuela’s detention of the 11-member crew of two Guyanese-registered fishing vessels – the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf – off the coast of Waini Point in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Meanwhile, the Ministerial Advisory Committee met last Friday to discuss the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, a statement from the Department of Public Information (DPI) revealed.

The committee is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Hugh Todd and cochaired by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance – Gail Teixeira.

During the meeting, the legal team updated the committee on the upcoming case management and other related matters. The case management hearing on the Guyana’s substantive case before the World Court now comes up on January 26.

It was initially scheduled for two weeks earlier, but was postponed after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro renewed claims to Guyana’s maritime border west of the Essequibo Coast.

Guyana approached the World Court seeking

a final and binding judgement to reinforce that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains valid and binding on all parties, and legal affirmation that Guyana’s Essequibo region, which contains much of Guyana’s natural resources, belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.

Guyana’s March 2018 application to the ICJ was filed based on the recommendation of the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, following a failed good offices process between the neighbouring states. In a majority decision on December 18, 2020, the ICJ ruled that it has jurisdiction to adjudicate over the border controversy case.

This was after Venezuela, which has refused to participate in the legal proceedings, wrote the court to say that the UN SG exceeded his authority under the 1966 Geneva Agreement when he referred the case to the ICJ, and therefore the court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.

The ICJ found that both Guyana and Venezuela consented to judicial settlement when they signed the Geneva Agreement since the judicial process via the ICJ is one of the means available to the Secretary General in determining the controversy. Hence, the Court’s decision is binding on both parties.

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PPPC hauls another former Minister before the courts

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, under the APNU-AFC along with former General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams were both released on $200,000 bail each this morning after being charged for fraud.

Adams and Patterson were charged with conspiring with each other and persons unknown to defraud the DHBC of over $163 million about a feasibility study under the APNU-AFC Government for the Harbour Bridge.

The two appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after the Chief Magistrate recused herself. They were not required to plead as the charges were laid indictable According to the charge sheet, it was noted that two between November 18, 2016, and February 1, 2018, at Georgetown, conspired with each other and with other persons unknown to defraud the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation of $162,635,015.

After the charges were heard, the two were placed on $200,000 bail each and ordered to return to court

on February 15.

According to the reports, the charges stemmed from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation Asphalt Plant and represented a project about a feasibility study and design for a new bridge which was not a function of the said Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, one of which it contented could not have been done since Asphalt Plant could not be used since it was not functional and the monies could have not being used.

The People’s Progressive Party which was in opposition at the time had raised some concerns about the contract and those concerns triggered an investigation by the Special Organised Crime Unit.

Back them, Legal Advisor to the police, Justice Claudette Singh advised that no charges should be laid since, the awarding of the contract was done in a legal manner to a company that conducted the study.

However, with the PPP/C now in Government the matter regained interest, as the two were today both charged.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana calls for immediate release of fishing crew, vessels detained by Venezuelan navy

The Government of Guyana is insisting on the immediate release of the crew and vessels detained by a Venezuelan naval vessel! It further exhorts the Government of Venezuela, and its agents, to behave in a manner consistent with international law and good neighbourly relations. The international community will be kept informed of all actions undertaken by Venezuela to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

The Ministry of

Foreign Affairs of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has confirmed reports that two Guyanese registered fishing vessels – the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf – operating off the coast of Waini Point within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone, were intercepted

by Venezuelan naval vessel Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24 on Thursday January 21, 2021.

The Captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria, where the boats and crew have been

detained. To date, the Government of Guyana has not been informed by the Government of Venezuela of the detention of its nationals.

The Venezuelan vessel was illegally manoeuvring within Guyana’s EEZ and Contiguous Zone when it intercepted, boarded and commandeered the Guyanese fishing vessels.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently seeking to ascertain the status and welfare of the crew members.

Guyana condemns in the strongest possible

terms this wanton act of aggression by the Venezuelan armed forces against Guyana and Guyanese citizens.

This Venezuelan action amounts to an interference with the sovereign rights of Guyana in its EEZ, contrary to international law.

It is noted that this latest hostility follows closely on the heels of a Decree recently issued

by President Nicolas Maduro which purports to establish “a new maritime territory” of Venezuela called “Territory for the development of the Atlantic Façade”, encompassing Guyana’s territorial waters, EEZ and continental shelf, as well as its land territory west of the Essequibo River.

Guyana has emphatically condemned this Venezuelan Decree as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and sovereign rights, and of fundamental rules of international law.

DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS SUES FOR US$1.3 BILLION RUDY GIULIANI OVER FALSE ELECTIONS CLAIMS! WA S H I N G T O N Dominion Voting Systems, an election equipment manufacturer that became the target of wild conspiracies pushed by former President Donald Trump and his allies, sued Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani for defamation on Monday!

Dominion said in a 107-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that “as a result of the defamatory falsehoods peddled by Giuliani”, in conjunction with other Trump allies and pro-Trump media outlets, “Dominion’s

founder and employees have been harassed and received death threats, and Dominion has suffered unprecedented and irreparable harm.”

“Dominion brings this action to set the record straight, to vindicate the company’s rights under civil law, to recover compensatory and punitive damages, and to stand up for itself, its employees, and the electoral process,” the lawsuit says.

The company accuses Giuliani, who helped fuel Trump’s lie about a stolen election, of making false and defamatory statements

about Dominion on his Twitter account, on his radio and podcast shows, in televised media appearances and at the rally that Trump held before his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Dominion is seeking more than US$1.3 billion in damages, according to the complaint, which was first reported by The New York Times. The company also said it is demanding a trial by jury on all claims.

Dominion said Giuliani and his allies created and spread what it calls the “big lie,” in which it “deceived millions into

believing that Dominion had stolen their votes and fixed the election.”

The suit says Giuliani, in addition to demanding a reported $20,000 a day to represent Trump, “cashed in” on the conspiracy by hosting a podcast where he advertised supplements, gold coins, cigars and protection from “cyber thieves.”

By Rebecca Shabad - Congressional reporter for NBC News, based in Washington.

Kevin Collier and Allan Smith contributed.

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Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

Dubai to invest in corn, soya bean cultivation locally…

by Kellon Rover

-Brazil’s investment doing well at Ebini – Local farmers urged to start cultivation

Minister of Agriculture - Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha says Dubai, United Arab Emirates has signaled its interest to cultivate corn and soya bean locally to boost Guyana’s poultry industry.

The emphasis on these two commodities is especially relevant since Guyana spends almost US$25 million annually to import those commodities for livestock feed.

“These are new and important crops for us in this country and we will continue to encourage investment in this aspect,” Minister Mustapha revealed in a recent interview.

“We already have an investor from Brazil who is doing corn cultivation in the Ebini area, located in upper Berbice River and I am looking forward to see more companies coming on board,” Minister Mustapha added.

To this end, he reiterated the importance of farmers capitalizing on the budgetary measures meant to encourage them to start cultivation.

The Government, in the 2020 Emergency Budget, also removed value-added tax (VAT) on agriculture machinery, fertilizers, agrochemicals and pesticides, making it more feasible for such investments. Additionally, the PPP/C Administration has reversed land lease fees across all sectors and water charges back to 2014 rates.

Minister Mustapha said now is an exciting time for agriculture in Guyana and farmers should “think big” and expand their crop repertoire.

“I am seeing a very challenging future ahead, but not only challenging alone. I am seeing a future where agriculture will once again make its input and stamp its foot print in our country’s economy over the next five years.

I am very excited to be sitting at the helm to lead us to this transformation.”

Dr. Oudho Homenauth - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), told DPI that Guyana must cultivate about 8,000 - 10,000 acres of corn and soya bean to become self-sufficient.

There are farmers who have already shown their interest in cultivating 40 to 50 acres of corn. They will be provided with seeds and materials as incentives from the Agriculture Ministry. This move by Government will also allow them to have more spending power and they are assured of a permanent market for their produce.

Meanwhile, the Ministry says other areas Dubai hopes to make major investments in are fertilizer production and assemblage, organic poultry rearing, coffee, cocoa, spices and online agriculture and product development.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

MURDERED HENRY COUSINS KILLERS ARE NOT THE RIGHT PERSONS—SAYS RELATIVES

Two weeks after three cousins, Isaiah and Joel men charged are their Guyana Police Force and persons and also change men were charged for Henry, family members relatives’ killers. As such Government to facilitate the narrative of the story. the murders of the two are not buying that the they are calling on the the charging of the rightful In a peaceful protest outside the Office of the President, protestors again called on the President to honor his word in getting to the bottom of the crime.

Speaking to the media about the matter, the mother of Isaiah said that by Alexis in no way the current Rodney evidence has pointed towards the killers of S e n i o r the boys, and as such, it Minister with believes those charged are responsibility not the killers since in their for Finance in confession statements do the Office of the not add up.

President – Dr. “If you kill my child Ashni Singh says you have to know what the Government the evidence they go will be pursuing a down with, they didn’t legal framework go down with no blue to guide the jersey or no white jersey. functions of Isaiah goes down with financial services his brother’s green jersey sector. and Joel goes down with a Dr. Singh was Minister with responsibility for Finance in the Office of the President – Dr. Ashni Singh green and white shirt, now part of a virtual if you are the killer don’t roundtable with the webinar that the going forward,” he told regional and domestic say it’s green because they Latin Finance officials Government finds it the webinar. banks. did not go down with blue on Wednesday, January “absolutely important” to “We will do what it jerseys.

Dr. Singh said for 20 where the country’s have a modern financial too long the sector has takes to ensure that that “You understand what finance and investment services sector. been focusing only on framework is in place. We I’m saying, you are in light of the emerging “What we will do is traditional retail banking. are open to conversations the rightful killer come oil and gas sector, was ensure that we put in He added that the on ways in which the straight, confess. I like to discussed. place a legal framework Government recognizes sector can be innovated see the replay where they The Finance Minister that is facilitated for the need to grow and adapt from the public policy catch them, I would like to said the opportunities this transformation. So, to a modern economy’s side; things that we can see that as a mother” the for growth, expansion we’re going to make sure realities. That, he said, will do to promote greater mother of Joel Henry said. and innovation in the that we have in place soon become a reality. innovation without She added that financial services sector a legal framework that The Finance Minister compromising stability. under contrast also, the are endless for local and is suitable to a modern said there are massive And that’s a narrative that the crime international players. He financial sector, but also potential and demand conversation where you was stemmed from a said international players a legal framework that for more activities in know we are literally marijuana field dispute could either do business ensures preservation of investment banking. The having right now with must not be peddled since with existing operators stability of the sector as Government is moving the sector and with other the evidence also has not or potentially enter well because obviously, ahead on this front, as players in the market.” Dr. pointed to that. the market at the right you want to make sure there have already been Singh noted.

“Joel don’t drink he opportunity. that you safeguard the engagements with several don’t smoke, and the point Dr. Singh told financial sector stability major international, where they say that it’s

LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR – DR. ASHNI SINGH

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ganja when we go down at the back dam, you understand, Mr. Caesar said we cannot go or we are gonna tamper with evidence.

“Eleven days after these boys pick up when eleven days later they came, they went to the back with the drone, they had joint service police and soldiers and they did not find any ganja field. So, where the ganja story coming up from?”

The mother maintained that as now no ashes were found in the area the incident took place and as such that narrative must not be carried by the authorities.

The two teenage cousins, Isaiah and Joel Henry, were found murdered in the Cotton Tree Back Dam, West Coast Berbice back in September one day after they went to pick coconuts in the number #3 Village backdam.

Joel and Isaiah were found mutilated with multiple chops wounds including slashes to their neck and backs, while on the other hand.

Since then, there have been multiple protests in the Berbice area and recently at the Central investigation department.

Sometime after three men were charged, however, the family of the two dead cousins has since rejected the claims of two of them being instigated in the murder.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

A Tribute Allsop

Desmond Allsopp, AA, 1926-2021

We learnt of the passing of a great Guyanese gentleman, Philip Alsopp, this week. He departed this earthy plane to join the great majority in the other world.

Truly, we can sum up this tribute to a friend who possessed great engineering skills and the art of diplomacy by simply saying that ‘a cedar of Lebanon has fallen.’

I knew Philip all my life growing up in Charles Street, Charlestown where he and his family lived in a delightful cottage immediately east of our yard next to our home. A simple fence dividing the two properties.

Philip, his siblings, Richard and Bertie, with their parents brought

a level of dignity and sobriety to the hustle and bustle of Charlestown in those days.

Later, our paths coincided when he was Chief Works Officer, and I held the Ministerial portfolio of Works, Hydraulics and Supply.

It is there, my regard for Philip grew tremendously.

It was soon recognized that the Ministry and the Government could rely absolutely on the advice and recommendations of Philip Alsopp.

This was useful at a time when we were busy constructing or rehabilitating our roads along the coast even as we ventured to build hinterland roads and airstrips.

I can recall on no occasion that we had to regret any engineering advice given by this patriot Philip Alsopp.

His virtue was that he also had a penchant for seeing things done on the ground and when it was agreed that we needed to have a convenient link between a location in the Upper Demerara River and a place on the Essequibo River, after examining available maps, etc., one early morning a team with support staff left Wismar on foot determined to find a location either on the eastern bank of Essequibo River or near to the Essequibo Bank as an accessible roadway to the Potaro and other parts of the Hinterland.

Four persons reached that point ahead of other members of the team.

They were Philip Alsopp, Parliamentary Secretary, the Late William Haynes, Photographer Sydney Qualis and myself.

To honour him, that important connecting spot was named Alsopp

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

Point and a signboard was erected.

To talk about Philip Alsopp could consume volumes.

I remember that he led a team that was seeking to identify quarry equipment to cope with a serious challenge we had, since the stone at Tiperu was unusually tough, and ordinary crushing equipment did not last long.

Recognizing his calm and competence, Philip was also identified to be an Ambassador.

We know that Guyana has lost a good Engineer, a reliable Professional and a decent, affable citizen.

To the entire family circle, on behalf of my wife, family and many who worked with him at the Ministry and benefitted from his knowledge, I tender condolences confident that he has gone to a good place.

Philip could be uttering the words of Prophet Kahlil Gibran, “ I have passed a mountain peak and my soul is soaring in the Firmament of complete and unbound freedom: I am far, far away, my companions, and the clouds are hiding the hills from my eyes.”

Hamilton Green

Four fined under Racial Hostility Act

Four people who were deemed as individuals of interest by the Ethnic Relations Commission over racial outbursts online have been charged and fined $100,000.

The four individuals appeared before the Chief Magistrate and all pleaded guilty to the charge. Those charged were Tiffany Greene, Lashona Chester,

Stacy Smarte, and Glynis Gibson.

According to the charge it was noted that all four of the accused during March 2020, on their Facebook page, caused racial or ethnic violence or hatred and exciting hostility or ill-will based on race.

As such, due to the dour guilty pleas, all

UG medical student drowns at St. Ignatius Creek

Kimberlee Yow

Kimberlee Yow, a 24-year-old medical student at the University of Guyana, drowned on Sunday during an outing with friends. The incident is said to have occurred at around 18:00hrs at a creek in St. Ignatius, central Rupununi, Region nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo).

Yow, of St. Ignatius Village, was a third-year medical student of the University of Guyana.

Though she previously resided in Georgetown where she attended the Turkeyen campus, she returned to St. Ignatius during the COVID-19

pandemic and was been completing her studies online.

It was reported that at around 15:00hrs on Sunday, Kimberlee was picked up by a group of friends to go swimming.

However, shortly after 18:00hrs, the young girl’s sister received a call indicating that Yow had drowned.

The details relating to the drowning are still not clear. Yow’s body is currently at the Lethem Public Hospital mortuary.

Police investigations are ongoing.

St. Ignatius Creek

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Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

UNICEF hands over equipment to strengthen Ministry of Health’s cold chain capacity for vaccine management …will aid in COVID-19 vaccination campaign

UNICEF Representative Nicolas Pron (right) and Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony (left) at the handover of two solar fridges and 50 vaccine carriers to the Ministry of Health on Friday, January 22

UNICEF on Friday last handed over two solar fridges and 50 vaccine carriers to the Ministry of Health. These items will support the ministry’s Expanded Programme of Immunization and strengthen its cold chain capacity.

The solar fridges will be deployed to Regions

Seven and Eight, and the vaccine carriers will be distributed to all administrative regions.

Nicolas Pron - UNICEF Representative, handed over the equipment to Minister of Health – Dr. Frank Anthony.

“They are primarily for the COVID-19 vaccine but they are also

for the sustainability of the Expanded Programme of Immunization,” said Pron.

“Immunization is one of the most costeffective, sustainable, public investment one country can make to save the lives of many children and of course the goal here is save the lives of all children in Guyana and

their relatives in the fight against COVID-19.”

In welcoming the donation, Minister Anthony said it comes at an opportune time, as Guyana’s National COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce is examining the options for vaccines and preparations are ongoing to prepare for the roll out of the programme.

“This has been a very timely donation because once we start doing that, we will be able to utilize these pieces of equipment to administer the vaccine,” said the Minister.

He added that UNICEF has been an integral partner in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The work that you have funded here and have done here

is already helping us to make sure that we respond more appropriately to COVID-19 in Guyana,” said Minister Anthony.

Noting UNICEF’s vast experience with vaccination and immunization, the Minister said that outside of COVID-19, there are plans to examine other areas where UNICEF can assist, and the ministry is looking forward to working with UNICEF. Provision of the equipment followed a request from the health ministry. The solar direct drive fridges each have a 99-liter storage capacity.

Solar Direct Drive refrigeration systems are a new generation of solar powered refrigeration systems and do not require

a battery to store energy.

The vaccine carriers, meanwhile, can keep vaccines at the correct temperature for over 40 hours while travelling.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF has partnered with national authorities on the response to the crisis. Initiatives included surveys to understand the situation, monitor the behaviour change continuum and make evidence informed interventions, communication and public awareness campaigns, provision of PPE kits for frontline workers, support to ensure continuity of learning, as well as support to ensure that services for children continue, among others.

France interested in building bridge between Guyana, Suriname

Suriname’s Public Works Minister – Dr. Riad Nurmohamed and Guyana’s Public Works Minister - Juan Edghill planting the flags of the two countries at Long Island, Corentyne River

France has expressed an interest in building the Corentyne River Bridge which will link the South American nations of Guyana and Suriname, according to a statement posted by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The statement noted that Minister of Public

Works - Juan Edghill Monday morning met with Ambassador of the French Republic to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana - His Excellency Antoine Joly and team.

The visiting delegation comprised the Ambassador, along with Mr. Jean-Francois Gerin, Mr. Christophe Sureau,

Mrs. Christine Sureau, Mr. Yorgo Hernandez and Mr. Philippe Lamouret.

“The French Ambassador shared interest in the maintenance of Guyana’s vessels and building of the Corentyne River Bridge,” the statement revealed.

It was explained that during the meeting, prospective areas for

future collaboration were discussed. Minister Edghill said the French will be more than welcome to submit their Expressions of Interest for that project, as well as other projects on the transformational agenda of the Government.

The Public Works Minister also expressed his interest in building the capacity of the local workforce through collaboration with the French. He pointed out the importance of maintenance works to the local fleet of vessels, especially since two are currently in dry dock, awaiting repairs.

The Ambassador welcomed the thought of collaboration between the two countries in the near future.

In October 2020, Suriname’s Public Works Minister, Dr Riad Nurmohamed and

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Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had visited the site of the proposed GuyanaSuriname River Bridge across the Corentyne River.

In November 2020, Guyana and Suriname signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the bridge. The MoU was signed by Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd, and his Surinamese counterpart, Albert Ramdin, at the Presidential Palace in Paramaribo.

In December 2020, Canada had expressed an interest in constructing the bridge. During an exclusive interview with Inews Guyana – an online publication, outgoing Canadian diplomat Lilian Chatterjee had explained that the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) is among several

organizations interested in building the bridge.

The Corentyne River Bridge will not only link the two neighbouring countries of Guyana and Suriname, but also open up access to greater economic opportunities beyond them into French Guyana, and through the road network being developed into Brazil, and eventually further into South America.

With the Government seeking Expressions of Interest (EoIs) to design the upcoming Corentyne River bridge, outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee had revealed that the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) was among those interested in building the bridge.

She explained that the CCC, which is Canada’s commercial arm, is also

Con’t on Pg15

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced he had tested positive for COVID-19

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador

A day after Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, he was absent for the first time in his two years in office from his daily news conference.

Having shaped an administration so reliant on himself for everything from setting priorities to making public statements, López Obrador’s absence felt all the greater. It comes as his country registers its highest levels of infections and deaths to date.

López Obrador, who has been criticized for his handling of Mexico’s pandemic and for not setting an example of prevention in public, announced the diagnosis Sunday on his official Twitter account, saying, “The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment.”

José Luis Alomía Zegarra, Mexico’s director of epidemiology, said the 67-year-old López Obrador had a “light” case of COVID-19 and was “isolating at home.”

On Monday, Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero said the President had designated her to hold the daily briefings until his return. She said López

Obrador was well and strong.

Politicians and local leaders on Monday condemned rioters who clashed with police in about 10 towns and cities across the Netherlands a day earlier, on the second night of a coronavirus curfew.

CITY HALL “It is unacceptable,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. “This has nothing to do with protesting, this is criminal violence and that’s how we’ll treat it.”

Worst hit was Eindhoven, where police clashed with hundreds of rioters who torched a car, threw rocks and fireworks at officers, smashed windows and looted a supermarket at the southern city’s railway station.

“My city is crying, and so am I,” Eindhoven Mayor John Jorritsma told media Sunday night. In an emotional impromptu press conference, he called the rioters “the scum of the earth” and added “I am afraid that if we continue down this path, we’re on our way to civil war.”

The rioting coincided with the first weekend of the new national coronavirus 9 p.m. to 4:30

a.m. curfew, but mayors stressed that the violence was not the work of citizens concerned about their civil liberties.

“These demonstrations are being hijacked by people who only want one thing and that is to riot,” Hubert Bruls, mayor of the city of Nijmegen and leader of a group of local security organizations, told news talk show Op1 on Sunday night.

Amsterdam police arrested 190 people amid rioting at a banned demonstration Sunday.

Meanwhile, Canada Post has asked 350 of its employees and contractors who work the afternoon shift to selfisolate after a COVID-19 outbreak at their largest facility, located in Mississauga, it confirmed Sunday.

Spokesperson Phil Legault confirmed the number to the Star in an email, and also noted that they are following other recommendations from the Peel Public Health unit as well, including voluntary rapid testing of employees as well as safety protocols

focused on washrooms, lunchrooms and locker rooms.

SHARE YOUR LONG-TERM CARE STORY And, down under…

Australia has suspended its partial travel bubble with New Zealand after New Zealand reported its first coronavirus case outside of a quarantine facility in two months.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said Monday the suspension would last for three days and was being implemented out of an abundance of caution.

Travelers affected need to cancel or face two weeks in quarantine upon arrival.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she’d told Morrison she had confidence in New Zealand’s systems and processes, but it was up to Australia to decide how they managed

two weeks in quarantine, she tested negative twice.

She developed symptoms at home later and tested positive. Officials say the woman appears to have caught the more infectious South African variant of the virus from another traveler on her secondto-last day in quarantine, and they’re investigating how the health breach happened.

Australia’s medical regulator has approved use of its first coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for inoculations to begin next month.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Monday gave provisional approval for people aged 16 and over to use the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Residents and workers at aged-care facilities, frontline health care workers and quarantine workers are among the

their borders.

Health officials in New Zealand say genome tests indicate the woman contracted the virus from another returning traveler just before leaving quarantine.

However, there was no evidence the virus has spread further.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the 56-year-old woman had recently returned from Europe.

During her mandatory

groups b e i n g prioritized for the first doses.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed the development. He said Australia was among the first countries to complete a comprehensive process to formally approve a vaccine rather than just grant an emergency approval.

Australia has an agreement for 10 million

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doses of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and an option to buy more if supplies allow.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Monday the country overall had secured 140 million vaccines, one of the highest dosing rates per head of population in the world.

The biggest of the preorders, conditional on regulatory approval, is 53.8 million doses of the vaccine made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, 50 million of which would be made in Australia in a partnership with Melbourne-based biopharmaceutical company CSL. Australia is aiming to complete inoculations

by October. The nation of 26 million people has reported fewer than 30,000 virus cases and a little over 900 deaths.

But, there are 747,383 confirmed cases in Canada (63,668 active, 664,621 resolved, 19,094 deaths).The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travelers.

There were 4,852 new cases Sunday from 51,308 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 9.5 per cent. The rate of active cases is 169.38 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 37,536 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 5,362.

There were 120 new reported deaths Sunday.

Over the past seven days there have been a total of 1,054 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 151. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.4 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 50.8 per 100,000 people. There have been 17,050,539 tests completed.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

BIDEN REVERSES TRUMP’S TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

President Joe Biden WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order repealing the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, a ban that former President Donald Trump had put in effect, the White House said.

In a statement, the White House said Biden’s order “sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve. “President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity,” the White House said.

Biden’s order “immediately prohibits involuntary separations, discharges, and denials of reenlistment or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity or under circumstances relating to gender identity,” the White House said. The order also directs the immediate “correction of” military records for any who had been affected

by Trump’s ban.

Biden’s action to reverse the ban had been widely expected. He had vowed to reverse the Trump administration’s

transgender military policy “on Day One” of his administration, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Inauguration Day that the move was imminent.

Psaki said last Wednesday that the action would be among the “additional executive actions” that will be taken “in the coming days and weeks.”

During his Senate confirmation hearing last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he supports reversing the ban. “If you’re fit and you’re qualified to serve and you can maintain the standards, you should be allowed to serve, and you can expect that I will support that throughout,” he said.

Human rights groups immediately lauded the move by Biden. “Today, those who believe in fact-

based public policy and a strong, smart national defense have reason to be proud. The Biden administration has made good on its pledge to put military readiness above political expediency by restoring inclusive policy for transgender troops,” said Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center, a nonpartisan organization that studies LGBTQ military issues.

“The ban will now be replaced with a single standard for everyone that, as in the successful previous policy, will apply equally to all service members.”

“President Biden’s reversal of the Transgender Military Ban is a huge step towards full equality for the LGBTQ community and serves to make us stronger as a nation,” said Erin Uritus, the CEO of Out & Equal Workplace

Advocates, a LGBTQ workplace equality advocacy organization.

Trump, in a series of unexpected tweets in July 2017, announced transgender people would be barred from serving in the military “in any capacity,” reversing a policy decision announced by the Obama administration in June 2016.

While the Trump administration maintained its policy was not a “ban,” it did prevent transgender people who plan to pursue gender-affirming hormones or surgery from enlisting.

Transgender individuals who were already serving openly were grandfathered in, meaning they could continue to serve. But those service members who came out as trans after the policy could not pursue transition and were required to serve as their assigned sex at birth.

Thousands of transgender people already serve in the military.

A 2016 Department of Defense survey estimated that 1 percent, or 8,980, active duty troops were transgender. Using the same data, the Palm Center, which studies LGBTQ people in the military, estimated that an additional 5,727 transgender people were in the Selected Reserve, bringing the total estimated number of transgender troops serving in 2016 to 14,707.

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$12M COVID-19 isolation facility commissioned in Region Two – to expand care, suppress spikes

Minister of Health – Hon. Dr Frank Anthony

Minister of Health – Hon. Dr Frank Anthony on Saturday, January 23 commissioned a G$12 million COVID-19 isolation facility at the Suddie Public Hospital, Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two).

The facility was previously the hospital’s maternity waiting home before renovations started in November.

It has 20 rooms which can accommodate two persons each. It is expected to be fully operational next week once it is retrofitted with the necessary equipment.

During the commissioning ceremony, Minister Anthony commended the Region for its efforts to ensure the facility was completed.

Currently, there are 18 active cases in Region Two. “We refurbished it with COVID-19 in mind. We have not seen that much of a spike in Region Two, but we just wanted to make sure that if there is a spike of COVID-19 cases that the Region is very well prepared,” Dr. Anthony said. He added that the new facility would also enable the Region to better monitor infected

persons, who have been isolating at home.

“The hospital beds here for Covid patients have been quite limited, so this is going to allow us to extend the number of beds that we have since it has space for 40 patients.

We have taken all the precautions, so you have areas where the medical staff will be sanitized upon entry as well as designated areas for the used PPEs… “It’s purpose-built to handle infectious diseases and complies with all the requirements for infection control and prevention and that’s why it’s important that the Region have such a facility,” the Health Minister said.

Meanwhile, DirectorGeneral of Regional Health Services – Dr Vishwa Mahadeo said the realization of the facility is another demonstration of the Government’s efforts to ensure equitable access to health services.

In addition to Region Two residents, persons from outlying communities in Region One would also benefit.

Minister Anthony also called on the Regional Task Force to lead by example by observing the COVID-19 guidelines.

Tucville, Georgetown, Guyana, Tel: 592-623-9971

Guyana Post, Monday January 25, 2021

Further infrastructure works slated for Charity River dam

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development - Hon. Nigel Dharamlall

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will soon begin further rehabilitation works on the river dam at Charity, Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two).

Minister, Hon. Nigel Dharamlall stated that the initiative began in 2020 where the Ministry undertook emergency works which saw several upgrades to cap and resurface countless

potholes alongside the embankment.

“Minister within Ministry of Public Works - Hon. Deodat Indar and I had a reconnaissance mission along the Charity River dam to inspect the

areas and so this year we will be working to have some preliminary interventions done along with Charity,” the Minister added.

Such works, he said, is to ensure businesses can comfortably transport their goods at a lower cost.

The road is one of the Region’s most important thoroughfares as it allows boats from various ports to offload goods, which Minister Dharamlall says helps both the regional and national economy.

Minister Dharamlall said the initiative is in keeping with the PPP/C Government’s commitment to transform the country’s economy. To this end,

the Ministry handed over additional resources to several Neighbourhood Democratic Councils to help them execute their infrastructure works.

Regional Executive Officer Mr. Devanand Ramdatt said he is happy for the intervention.

“We have been asking the Government for assistance to address this for some time now since our residents were being affected whenever there is a high tide which causes flooding. So, we are grateful that the Government was able to intervene to solve this,” he said.

Since 2015, the Charity River dam has been sinking despite all efforts

to build and reinforce it.

During high tides, the Pomeroon River would usually overtop the dam contributing to flooding in the area. This in turn threatens residents’ livelihood through the destruction their livestock and other valuables.

In 2017, the then APNU+AFC government undertook temporary works on the Charity River dam to prevent the Pomeroon River from overflowing the sunken dam. In 2020, the works to address this issue began on January 21 and was to be completed by August 21 last. However, it was extended to December 31 last.

by Neola Damon

“They’ve been very transparent in their process. They’ve been doing Expressions of Interest. They’ve been doing bids and tenders.

So, we’ll see who they select for that and other infrastructure projects,” Chatterjee said.

“Ali’s Administration hit the ground running when they got elected and sworn in. And they’re doing a lot on the infrastructure side, all at the same time. So, I think in a few years, you’re going to see all those changes.”

Besides the Corentyne bridge, the Government is also looking to build a new bridge across the Demerara River. The Government is aiming to have a new fixed span, four-lane bridge constructed over the Demerara River that will be able to bridge the East and West Banks of Demerara from Nandy Park to La Grange, reduce traffic build-up and last for at least the next 50 years.

According to the Government’s invitation for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) and prequalification of qualified contractors, firms are being sought to

submit proposals for both the design of the bridge and for available financing options.

On Friday, it was revealed that forty-two bids were submitted to the Public Works Ministry for the construction of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge. The bids were removed from the tender box, counted and stamped in the presence of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and contactors at the Public Works Ministry, Wights Lane, Kingston.

Other upcoming projects include the Diamond/Ogle bypass road.

The bypass project will see some 26 kilometres of road constructed, linking two of the country’s main thoroughfares.

This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara.

These include Diamond, Mocha and Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown. These connections will prove crucial in diverting traffic.

France interested in building bridge........

Con’t from Pg6

collaborating with another very large Canadian company for the contract to build the Corentyne River bridge. Ultimately though, Chatterjee noted that it is up to the Governments of Guyana and Suriname to choose the best contractor for the job.

“We’ve expressed interest verbally and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a governmental organisation, is working with a very large private sector company in Canada and they’ve just put out an Expression of Interest,” the High Commissioner explained.

“So, I fully expect

that they will do this, in terms of an Expression of Interest to build the bridge between Guyana and Suriname. And then it’s up to the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, who they will choose to build the bridge.”

Inews senior journalist, Jarryl Bryan speaking with outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Her Excellency, Lilian Chatterjee Back in October, President Dr Irfaan Ali had held a virtual meeting with High Commissioner Chatterjee and representatives of the CCC to discuss several major infrastructure projects in Guyana,

including the Corentyne River bridge.

President Ali had pointed out that Guyana is focusing on key catalytic infrastructure needs which are important relative to Guyana’s population and size, following a brief presentation by CCC representative, Andrew Shisko.

Prior to the Government’s consultation with CCC, Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Suriname’s Public Works Minister, Dr Riad Nurmohamed, had visited the site of the proposed Guyana-Suriname river bridge across the Corentyne River.

With the recent commitments to bridge Guyana and Suriname over the Corentyne River within five years, this project is expected to open up the pathway for other major developmental projects including the much-anticipated deep-water harbour project in Guyana.

The bridge will not only link the two neighbouring countries but also open up access to greater economic opportunities beyond them into French Guyana, and through the road network being developed into Brazil, and eventually further into South America.

Transparency & accountability Meanwhile, Chatterjee lauded the transparency surrounding the project and also expressed the view that the President Dr Irfaan Ali Administration has hit the ground running since coming to power as it relates to infrastructural projects. She noted that there are several such projects which are being done simultaneously.

15

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