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UWI to support Guyana’s human resource development

Friday November 20, 2020

EARLY RELEASE FOR 65 NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS

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TEEN PLACED IN CUSTODY FOR ACCIDENTALLY KILLING FRIEND

ADAM’S NOTEBOOK Pg3

CPL RECORDS ‘INCREDIBLE INCREASE’ IN VIEWERSHIP IN 2020

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ANOTHER COVID DEATH Pg3 Pg3

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

UWI to support Guyana’s human resource development

Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

(Caribbean News Global) KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has been invited by president of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, to help drive forward Guyana’s human resource development strategy.

Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, held a virtual meeting with Dr Ali on Thursday, November

5, 2020, in which they discussed a strategy for the country’s future described as “exciting, sustainable, and on the cutting edge of Caribbean governance.”

The UWI is currently negotiating an agreement with the government of Guyana to help to train up to 20,000 nationals over the next five years, through The UWI Open Campus. This represents an opportunity not only

to help build a fellow CARICOM nation’s capital infrastructure for economic, social and cultural development, but also to bring the University’s internationally recognised brand of excellence into the country.

The diversity and richness of The UWI’s academic programmes, which have been carefully curated over decades, is

well suited to help support the people of Guyana during this phase of their development.

Dr Ali has called upon The UWI to be “very aggressive” in producing the business plan that will allow it to deliver.

He has identified all areas of human resource development that Guyana is urgently in need of. In response, Vice-Chancellor Beckles has assured the president that The UWI sees Guyana as part of its environment. In fact, some decades ago, Guyana was once a contributing member of The UWI, but opted to take a different path for philosophical and ideological reasons.

Vi c e - C h a n c e l l o r Beckles is excited by this “grand invitation” to enter Guyana to assist with its rebuilding process, thus helping the people of Guyana to meet their full potential as members of one of the most dynamic states in the region.

He says, “This is as

EARLY RELEASE FOR 65 NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS

Georgetown Prison

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has released 65 non-violent offenders in keeping with efforts to reduce overcrowding in

all prisons.

The inmates released were convicted for nonviolent offences and were near the end of their

sentences.

Director of Prisons (Ag.), Gladwin Samuels said the decision was taken to provide more space for

prisoners as the Prison Service implements the COVID-19 measures.

In October, more than 290 inmates at the Lusignan Prison tested positive for the disease.

Several Prison Officers were also affected. The affected inmates were isolated and some were relocated to other facilities to ensure adequate spacing among prisoners to stem transmission of the disease.

The Ministry of Health had also deployed a team of doctors and nurses to the facility to complement staff there, and to train prison personnel to boost the efficiency of daily sanitation exercises.

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exciting as anything we have done in any region in the world, because we are on the margin of one of the largest societies, one of the biggest economies and, arguably, one of the most dynamic going forward.”

The UWI is greatly honoured to be part of Guyana’s roadmap to development.

A meeting is being planned between The UWI and relevant ministers of the government of Guyana shortly. Vice-Chancellor Beckles is confident that the Council of The UWI will endorse this worthwhile and muchneeded project. He has already spoken with The UWI’s Chancellor, Robert Bermudez, who agrees that it must and should be undertaken.

The collaboration between The UWI and Guyana is particularly exciting in the context of The UWI’s Triple A Strategy, which focuses on revitalising Caribbean development through

the application of three areas of focus: Access, Alignment and Agility.

At a point in Caribbean history when the region is facing significant challenges due to the global economic downturn, the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and political upheaval in countries that are major trade partners, such as the United States, the relevance of The UWI’s input and influence is even greater.

In the words of ViceChancellor Beckles, the Caribbean is at “a moment of convergence”, a point in its collective history in which intraregional collaboration and mutual support will be the key to successful nation-building.

The UWI’s role in propelling the people of the region along a progressive path to prosperity has never been more important.

TEEN PLACED IN CUSTODY FOR ACCIDENTALLY KILLING FRIEND

Police have taken a 16-year-old suspect into custody to assist in the investigation of the death of 15-year-old, Rocky Sawh.

Sawh died after being shot to the head on Tuesday evening.

Sawh was invited by the suspect to his home at Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, for a sleepover. The two teens were said to be home alone.

Police said the suspect breached the lock of a wardrobe where a licensed .32 Taurus Pistol, owned by his father, was stored.

The teen was showing the

weapon to Sawh when he accidentally pulled the trigger.

Sawh was shot to his right side head and fell to the ground. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital and admitted in a serious condition. He succumbed to his injuries at around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Sawh’s body is currently at the Hospital Mortuary awaiting a postmortem.

The .32 Taurus Pistol with seven live matching rounds, a spent shell and 149 .32 rounds were retrieved from the scene.

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

CPL RECORDS ‘INCREDIBLE INCREASE’ IN VIEWERSHIP IN 2020

ADAM’S NOTEBOOK The race and subsequent election of Barack Obama to the White House was the one occasion many vividly remember. Indeed, Guyana has long been looking at the election of the president of the United States.

For some reason Guyanese believe that the president of the United States would somehow impact life in Guyana.

Because of the ethnic composition of the country, Guyanese overwhelmingly favour the Democrats. Perhaps it is because the Democrats have the reputation of being more tolerant of Black people. And to clear the air on Black people, it is apposite to note that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is called a Black person.

After the elections in Guyana and the studied intervention of Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, many Guyanese feel that Pompeo’s actions have come back to bite him.

The very words he uttered to the Coalition—every vote must count—form the backbone of the argument for President Donald Trump to demit office.

Pompeo must not have seen it coming but when it came he was called on to recognize his very utterances a few months earlier in the case of Guyana.

Indeed the situation is different because there were invalid votes cast in the Guyana elections.

Pompeo went scurrying to find similar occurrences in the United States. One must now wonder whether his present reaction would have been the same. One now wonders whether he would have been as vehement about getting Trump to concede defeat.

The vehemence that followed the regime change in Guyana has left some tongues hanging.

There have been reports of some 800 public servants being terminated. Many of these were contract employees.

Some years ago there was talk about reducing the number of contract employees in the public service. Contracts allowed the employer to pay salaries beyond the range of the public service scale.

Back then the argument was that the government would have been unable to attract the necessary skills at the level of the public service pay scale.

What the propagators of the contract employee did not say was that the system opened the door for the appointment of political hacks and servants.

The result is that there has been a radical sweep of contracted public servants.

Many had contracts in force so the immediate conclusion was that they had underperformed at their duties. Then it dawned that nearly all were people of African ancestry.

Most were highly skilled and were proficient at their jobs.

No one could point to any underperformance. This took many back to 1992 when some highly skilled people were terminated.

In one case a Permanent Secretary who had skills desperately needed within Caricom, and whose local service was terminated, was immediately snapped up by Grenada.

President Cheddi Jagan realized the error and tried to woo back the Permanent Secretary.

There was a similar case this time around.

That matter is still in the balance. The highly skilled individual is needed. He was sent on leave but somehow, his termination was not ratified. Suffice it to say that there is acknowledgement in the corridors of power that his skills are needed.

When President Irfaan Ali took the oath of office he vowed to rule on behalf of all Guyana. The actions of his government suggest otherwise. They seem to suggest ruling on behalf of political supporters. How else can one explain some of the appointments?

Two days ago the political opposition tabled two motions in the National Assembly. This is all well and good except that there is the fear that the motions would not be heard.

This contention was made clear before. When United Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, was coming to Guyana the opposition tabled a motion seeking to have it heard as urgent and private. With two days to go, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir informed that the motion needed to be modified. It was modified and returned.

Lo and behold, with less than 24 hours before the visit the motion was not considered urgent.

Pompeo came; his discussions were kept from the opposition who were not invited. It was a sad day. It was the first time that a foreign dignitary came on what was tantamount to a state visit and the opposition was ignored.

That could have been an oversight until once more the government refused to invite the opposition to the annual Remembrance Day observations. This, too, was history-making.

And it did not stop there.

The Chief Citizen of the country, the Mayor of Georgetown was also not invited.

If the government is an Old Boys’ Club then one can understand ignoring some sections of the society. But the government is supposed to be all-inclusive. President Irfaan Ali said so. But then again, what is a word?

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw an incredible 67% increase in Television, Streaming and Digital viewership in 2020, reaching 523.5 million viewers and passing half a billion for the first time in the tournament’s history.

The research was independently compiled

by YouGov Sport, a division of SMGInsight, one of the world’s largest and most respected research firms.

The 2020 Hero CPL was the first franchise T20 tournament to take place since the lockdown and travel restrictions resulting from COVID-19, with all 33 matches played in a secure bubble at two venues in Trinidad and Tobago.

Since the tournament’s inception, the Hero CPL has long been regarded as one of the premier events in world cricket. This leap

in viewership shows how popular the tournament has become in all corners of the globe.

Key drivers include a big linear viewership increase in India of 81% to over 74.9m, growth of 62% in the UK as well as significant increases across the Caribbean, South Africa and in other key markets in Asia.

As well as the major broadcast deals in key cricketing markets, games were also shown live on Facebook and YouTube, meaning no matter where you were in the world you could follow the Hero CPL. The innovative Hero CPL social media channels also helped drive this year’s audience growth with engaging content being produced both during and outside of the tournament with all the major social media platforms showing

significant advances in audience engagement levels.

Hero CPL’s COO, Pete Russell, said: “We are delighted to have seen such a massive jump in viewership for 2020, and passing that 500 million figure is a huge landmark for us as a tournament.

“The interest in Hero CPL has never been higher and that puts us in a fantastic position moving into 2021 and beyond. The tournament has grown in stature and reputation every year and we are certain that will continue to be the case.

“We are delighted with the linear television and streaming numbers as well as the fantastic growth we are seeing across our digital channels and are excited about our upcoming plans for this year to make our content even more accessible and engaging.” (CPL)

ANOTHER COVID DEATH The Ministry of Health recorded 24 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday November 18. By today, there was another COVID-19 death.

The COVID-19 death toll has increased to 144 with the death of a 60-year-old woman from Region 4 on Wednesday.

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Eight new cases were recorded in Region Four, one case in Region Six, one in Region Seven and 14 cases in Region Eight by yesterday.

The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now 4,914. Region Four still contains the highest number of recorded

cases at 2,362 followed

by Regions One and Seven with 812 and 419 respectively.

As of Wednesday there were 25,756 persons tested for the virus. The number of active cases in the country is 808.

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

DETERMINES Biden names first female CANU THAT DRUGS SEIZED BELGIUM WERE 4-star admiral to Pentagon INSHIPPED THROUGH GUYANA transition team

Retired Admiral Michelle Howard

The first AfricanAmerican woman to command a U.S. Navy ship and the first woman to achieve four-star rank in the Navy has been appointed to Presidentelect Joe Biden’s transition

team to the Department of Defense.

Retired Admiral Michelle Howard joins more than 20 others making up the “Agency Review Team” for the Pentagon.

According

to Biden officials, they will be responsible for reviewing current operations in the Department of Defense in order to ensure a “smooth transfer of power.”

The team will be

led by Kathleen Hicks, currently director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ms. Hicks earlier served as undersecretary of defense for policy in the Obama Administration.

Most of the members of the Pentagon transition team are women and Washington, D.C. think tanks like Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and the RAND Corporation are well represented on the list.

CNAS official Ely Ratner – also on the list – was Mr. Biden’s deputy national security advisor from 2015-2017.

Retired Admiral Howard’s last assignment was commander of U.S. Naval Force in Europe.

She had previously served as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She retired in 2017 after more than 30 years of service and is currently a professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

MAN REMANDED TO JAIL FOR MURDERING WIFE The man who is accused of knifing his wife to death has been remanded to jail. Taijram Rahim, called ‘Sunny’, 32, a cane cutter of Lot 7 Marcy Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice appeared on Tuesday before Magistrate Peter Hugh in the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court.

He is accused of killing his wife Amrita Rahim called “Sally “, 28, and a mother of three on the evening of Friday November 13 following a misunderstanding at their home.

According to information the couple and their three children went to a birthday party which was held in the said yard. info@guyanapostonline.com

The family subsequently left for home. An argument developed between the woman and her husband who accused her of infidelity. As the argument intensify the woman went and lie down on the bed during which time the man went into the kitchen and returned with a knife which he used to stab her on her left breast.

An alarm was raised by one of the children who noticed what took place.

Relatives who lived in the said yard responded and found the victim in an unconscious state.

She was picked up and placed in a taxi and rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead by

on arrival.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and placed into custody.

A post mortem examination conducted on the woman’s body gave the cause of death as

perforation of the heart as a result of a stab wound.

Rahim has been remanded to jail until December 29 when the case is expected to be called again.

Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh, has said that the investigation into the recent drug bust in Belgium has revealed that Guyana was used as a transshipment point.

The shipment of 11.5 tons of cocaine that was seized reportedly originated from Guyana and was intercepted when it arrived at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. The drugs were valued at over USD$1.06 Billion.

The investigations conducted by CANU have determined that the drugs were imported into Guyana from another country and then loaded into the container and vessel that departed from Guyana in September.

Images of the container after it was scanned had been removed and Singh said that this makes the work of the Unit even tougher. He also added that it definitively proves that there was collusion

between the “big fishes” and staff members of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

GRA staff members were detained and subsequently released following the end of the 72-hour detention period. Singh did say that very little information was obtained from their interrogation. The GRA will now have to conduct an internal probe to determine the parties who were responsible.

Singh said that CANU will continue to work along with their counterparts in Belgium to bring closure to the case.

A search is also ongoing for the shipper of the container, Marlon Primo of Lot 701 Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and of 69 Atlantic Village, ECD. He is also the proprietor of MA Trading, located at 35 Factory Road, Paradise, ECD.

TEENAGE EMPLOYEE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER $900,000 STOLEN FROM HIS EMPLOYER A teenage employee of a rice farmer was taken into custody for questioning after $900,000 was found to be missing from the home of his employer.

Abdool Nazim, 72, of La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD) was at home on Monday with the teen and another employee. He left to go plough his rice field in the Windsor Forest Backdam with the other employee between 8:00h and 12:00h and forgot to lock the door to the house. The teen was left with instructions to spray the rice field.

Later in the day, the teen met with him at the

Backdam and told him that someone broke into the house. After returning to his home, Nazim found the place ransacked with several drawers and a briefcase- which contained the money- out of place.

After finding the $900,000 in cash missing, Nazim questioned the teen who denied any involvement.

Police at the Den Amstel Police Station have begun investigations.

The teenage employee was questioned and released into the custody of his aunt. He is expected to return for questioning.

Australian mining company announces large gold find in Guyana

Australian mining company, Alicanto Minerals, reported the finding of a maiden resource of 500,000 ounces at its Arakaka gold project, in Guyana.

An independently calculated maiden resource for the project estimated it to be 9.1 million tons with a grading of 1.8 grams per ton(g/t) of

gold for 520,000 ounces of contained gold.

The resource estimate was created from data collected by Alicanto and the previous owners of the project, Barrick Gold and Nordgold.

The Managing Director of Alicanto, Peter George, said this maiden resource would most likely be the first of a rapidly growing

inventory at Arakaka.

“This resource is shallow, the mineralisation remains open in all directions, and we already have numerous intersections outside the resource which will form part of the next estimate.

We also have multiple walk-up targets with multimillion-ounce bulk tonnage potential that

remains to be drilled.”, George said.

The announcement from Alicanto comes a few days after Troy Resources, another Australian mining company, announced that it had found around 15 g/t of milled ore at their Karouni Smarts Underground mine in Region Seven.

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

IRAQ HANGS 21 ON TERRORISM CHARGES IN LATEST MASS EXECUTIONS

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq hanged 21 convicted terrorists and murderers on Monday, an interior ministry statement said, the latest in a series of mass executions it has carried out since defeating the Islamic State group in 2017.

Among those executed at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya were people involved in two suicide attacks that killed dozens of people the northern town of Tal Afar, the statement said.

It gave no further details of the identities of the people who were executed or the crimes for which they were convicted.

Iraq has put hundreds of suspected jihadists on trial and carried out several mass executions since defeating Islamic State fighters in a 20142017 U.S.-backed military campaign.

Human rights groups have accused Iraqi and other regional forces of inconsistencies in the judicial process and flawed trials leading to unfair convictions. Iraq says its trials are fair.

Islamic State captured a third of Iraq in 2014 and was largely defeated both there and in neighbouring Syria over the following three years.

CANU REOPENS INVESTIGATIONS INTO GERMANY DRUG BUST

Germany in a shipment of rice from Guyana

Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh has reopened the investigations of the 1.5 tons of cocaine which was seized in Germany in a shipment of rice from info@guyanapostonline.com

Guyana.

The container in which the cocaine was found had made several stops after leaving Guyana and before arriving in Germany. Because of this the initial investigation

ruled out the possibility of the drugs originating in Guyana.

Singh today said that the reopening of the case is based on new intelligence.

The seizure in Germany was conducted after

investigators at the Joint Customs and Police Investigation Group received a tip-off about drug smuggling and after searching the container found 47 large packages hidden between the rice

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sacks and inside those, 1,277 smaller packages of cocaine. The drugs were valued at over US$300M. Just over a week ago another shipment of drugs, which was linked to Guyana, was

seized in Belgium. 11.5tons (23,000 pounds) of cocaine were found in a container which was supposed to have a shipment of scrap metal.

The drugs were valued at US$1,068,156,000.

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

HURRICANE IOTA RAPIDLY WEAKENING OVER NICARAGUA (Loop News) Hurricane Iota has been downgraded to a category one hurricane as it journeys west over Nicaragua.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Iota’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 85 mph (135 km/h) with higher gusts.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the centre and tropicalstorm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 965 mb (28.50 inches). Additional rapid weakening is expected

today into Wednesday and Iota is forecast to dissipate over Central America by Wednesday night.

At 7am EST, the centre of Hurricane Iota was located inland over Nicaragua about 15 miles (25 km) west-northwest of El Pia and about 90 miles (145 km) west-southwest of Puerto Cabezas.

NHC said Iota is moving toward the west near nine mph (15 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue during the next day or so.

On the forecast track, Iota will move farther inland across northern Nicaragua today, and move across southern

Honduras tonight and Wednesday.

Iota is expected to produce the following rainfall accumulations through Thursday: -Honduras, northern Nicaragua, southeast and central Guatemala and southern Belize: 10 to 20 inches (250 to 500 mm) with isolated maximum totals of 30 inches (750 mm).

-El Salvador and Panama: four to eight inches (100 to 200 mm), with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches (300 mm).

-Southern Nicaragua and Costa Rica: three to five inches (75 to

125 mm), with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches (250 mm).

This rainfall will lead to significant, lifethreatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain.

A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as five to 10 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds along the coast of Nicaragua and Honduras.

Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

PERU’S INTERIM PRESIDENT RESIGNS AFTER FIVE DAYS

Peru’s interim president Manuel Merino

(CNN) Peru’s interim president Manuel Merino resigned Sunday, after being in office for only five days. His decision followed nearly a week of violent protests in the country following the impeachment of former President Martin Vizcarra.

“I want to make it known to the whole country that I irrevocably present my resignation for the office of the presidency and I call for peace and unity for all Peruvians. My commitment is with Peru and I will do everything in my power to guarantee a constitutional succession and for Congress to

determine in order for Peru to move forward,” Merino told the nation.

Merino was the President of Congress until being appointed interim president after Congress impeached former President Martin Vizcarra over corruption allegations on Monday.

Vizcarra has denied the allegations.

Vizcarra’s impeachment sparked protests across the country starting Monday and continued for six nights in a row, leaving at least two people dead and 94 injured on Saturday night.

The prosecutor’s

office has opened an investigation into both deaths. Peru’s Office of Ombudsman has been monitoring the protests and called to stop the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters on social media.

Protesters, opposition parties and civil society called Vizcarra’s ouster a legislative coup and refused to recognize Merino as the new president. Among those who called for Merino’s resignation was the mayor of Lima Jorge Muñoz, Nobel Prize winner and influential Peruvian figure Mario Vargas Llosa, and

OVER 480 LBS OF EXPIRED MEAT SEIZED BY GLDA

the Peruvian National Assembly of Regional Governors.

Merino became Peru’s third president in less than five years. Vizcarra took office in 2018 after former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned amid corruption allegations and impending impeachment.

Vizcarra was Kuczynski’s Vice President.

In his final address Sunday, Merino said all Cabinet members had presented resignation offers as the crisis unfolded, but that he intends to keep ministers in place until the situation is cleared in order to avoid creating a power vacuum.

At least eight Cabinet ministers were confirmed to have resigned between Saturday and Sunday according to state press agency Andina.

Following Merino’s resignation, Congress called for a plenary session on Sunday to discuss the appointment of the next president.

Presidential elections are scheduled for April of next year.

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The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the Ministry of Health, on Monday, seized 483 pounds of expired and undocumented duck meat from a city business.

The meat was imported from the United States.

Dr. Ozaye Dodson, the Ministry’s Director of Veterinary and Public Health, said they were notified by the GLDA of the sale of the product in major supermarkets.

Because the items were undocumented they were not considered wholesome for human consumption in Guyana.

The products will be confiscated in accordance with the Animal Health Act and the Public Health Ordinance. Dodson also said that he hopes the activity will let the country see that they are concerned about the safety of items which are not produced locally. The expired goods will be disposed of and the inspection will continue.

CEO of the GLDA, Dr. Grayson Halley, said his department is planning to conduct more inspections

during the Christmas season.

Speaking on requests made to import meat products or live animals, Dr. Halley said, “We do a general risk assessment to identify what disease may be prevalent in relation to that particular meat and if we are satisfied, and there is no risk to our local population or animals, we issue the ‘no objection letter’.

The letter will then go to the Public Health Department of the Health Ministry and they will do the additional requisite procedure.”

Deputy CEO of the GLDA, Dr. Dwight Walrond, said that there will be no compromise from the GLDA on public health since business owners are aware of the content of the Animal Health Act. “We have a population who depends on us to protect them and we have to do whatever it takes to ensure that the population’s health is protected, and we will do that without any fear or favour.”, Dr. Walrond added.

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

Guyana Post, Tuesday November 17, 2020

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

The world waiting to breathe normally again

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto.

The views expressed are entirely his own) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries should by now have worked out a strategy for securing the early attention of U.S. President-elect, Joe Biden, and the team working on his transition into the White House and to the helm of government.

This has not happened.

The usual practices and traditions associated with transitioning from one administration to another after a Presidential election have not been observed.

President Trump has not conceded the election.

His Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, told a news conference: “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.” At best, Pompeo’s remarks can be interpreted as conviction that Trump’s threatened legal challenges of the elections will prevail. info@guyanapostonline.com

But 17 lawsuits filed in various state and federal courts have not disproven the legitimacy of the votes cast or the voting process.

They have also not substantiated allegations that Trump’s election observers didn’t have access to the counting of votes or that mail-in ballots were fraudulently cast.

On December 14, the electors from each of the States will gather, as the College, to declare the 46th President of the United States. Biden needed only 270 votes— he has 306. His election is, therefore, a foregone conclusion.

Yet, Biden and his team have been denied the normal support and engagement by the incumbent administration, including offices at which they can be reached. Only limited contact has been possible with Biden’s election campaign office which is not equipped to handle the flood of communications from around the world.

CARICOM countries are not alone in not being able to engage Biden and his team. Every other country and region is facing a similar situation.

A pause has occurred across the globe as governments and the citizens of their countries watch in bewilderment as the United States pitches from one bizarre uncertainty to another.

This situation undermines the standing of the United States in the world, but it also delays global action at a time when it is much needed.

It makes global planning and actions difficult, underscoring the pivotal role that the U.S. plays in all aspects of international life.

What the US government says and does in the world matters.

But US positions change on many issues when administrations change.

For instance, Biden and Trump have vastly different attitudes to global issues such as Climate Change, the development of oil and gas as against renewable energy, and multilateral cooperation rather than unilateral action.

In this connection, governments and international agencies need to talk early with any incoming US administration not only to get an appreciation of its

By Sir Ronald Sanders

policies and priorities, but also to present their own views for consideration.

It is no secret that some of Joe Biden’s declared policies coincide more closely with those of Caribbean governments than President Trump’s.

Among those policies are Climate Change and an effective multilateral system.

Much has been made by some commentators about the potential for trade and aid between CARICOM and the U.S. under a Biden administration. However, not much is likely to change on either front.

The United States is the greater beneficiary of trade with CARICOM. In 2019, the US enjoyed a trade surplus with the 14 independent CARICOM countries of $8.1 billion.

For the first ten months of 2020, the US trade surplus already stands at $5 billion, notwithstanding the effects of COVID-19 on CARICOM economies.

These are not aberrations; they are perennial.

U.S. aid to the CARICOM area in 2019 was a mere 0.0095% of its aid to the world. Of the $298.8 million provided to all 14 CARICOM countries, $236 million

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went to Haiti alone. The remaining 13 countries divided $62 million, with Jamaica getting the lion’s share of $28 million or 44.5% of it.

Eight countries got less than $2 million each, mostly to stop drugs from transiting the Caribbean to the U.S. It is on other issues that CARICOM countries should seek a beneficial arrangement with a Biden administration, principally Climate Change which poses an existential threat to the region.

CARICOM countries have faced resistance from the present U.S. government to every attempt they have made to gain remedial attention to the calamitous effects that Climate Change has on them. Not surprisingly, CARICOM governments would like early contact with representatives of the Biden team to set out their peculiar concerns.

Beyond this urgent issue, substance needs to be given to the mantra that the Caribbean is the “third border” of the U.S. The Caribbean cannot provide security to the U.S. from drugs, organized crime, refugees, and instability on its doorstep unless the

region is itself secure.

To achieve that security, the economies of CARICOM countries need to be strengthened so that they increase employment and reduce poverty and crime.

Their debt has to rescheduled with aged ones forgiven, especially now when their economies are battered

by COVID-19; their vulnerabilities have to be recognized and factored into their eligibility for concessional financing from international agencies; the myth of CARICOM countries being ‘major money launderers’ also has to be dispelled and restrictions on correspondent banking relations have to be lifted.

These are issues of mutual benefit to the U.S. and CARICOM countries that should be placed before President-elect Biden and his team as they prepare to take office and make policy decisions.

Other regions of the world have their own agenda for discussion.

The world waits for an end to the U.S. imbroglio so that it can breathe again.

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

Guyana Post, Tuesday November 17, 2020

ANOTHER WOMAN MURDERED

BY HUSBAND Another woman has been murdered by her jealous husband who accused her of infedility.

Dead is Amrita Rahim, called “Sally”, 28, a housewife and a mother of three of Marcy Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice.

The police are investigating the circumstances which led to her death reportedly caused by her 32-year- old husband, Taijram Rahim, a cane cutter.

The incident reportedly occurred around 23:45 hrs on Friday at their home.

The house is situated in a yard which has more than one house. Earlier in the

CORENTYNE MAN JAILED, ORDERED TO PAY $1M COMPENSATION

A Corentyne resident who robbed a goldsmith before escaping has been jailed and ordered to pay compensation.

Ramdat Persaud, 31, a labourer of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, was on trial before Magistrate Alex Moore in the Springlands Magistrate’s Court on a charge of robbery under arms.

He is accused of robbing Khemraj Tulsi, 34, a goldsmith of Lot 79 Corten Street, Springlands, Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice. The incident is said to have occurred on December 19, 2019.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail. He was found guilty as the trial continued.

However, the convicted

man was not in court and was sentenced in his absence. He was sentenced to two years’ in jail and ordered to pay compensation to the Virtual complainant in the sum of $1M. In default he is to serve a further 18 months in jail.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

afternoon the couple and their three children went to a birthday party which was held in the said yard.

They reportedly imbibed alcoholic beverages.

The family subsequently left for home. Around 23:45 hrs an argument developed between the woman and her husband. The woman became annoyed and threatened to leave the house as the argument got more intense.

She eventually went to her bed. The man went into the kitchen and returned with a knife which he used to stab her on her left side breast. The man then left the house

and ran away.

An alarm was raised by one of the children who noticed what took place.

Relatives who lived in the said yard responded and found the victim in an unconscious state.

She was picked up and placed in a taxi and rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect was subsequently arrested, placed into custody. He is assisting Police with the investigation.

The woman’s body is at Bailey’s Funeral Home where it awaits Post Mortem examination.

COVID-19 UPDATE NOVEMBER 16

The Ministry of Health recorded 161 new cases of COVID-19 over the last three days. 62 cases were recorded on November 13, 70 cases of COVID-19 on November 14 and 29 cases on November 15.

24 cases were recorded in Region One, two in Region Two, eight in Region Three, 88 in Region Four, one in Region Five, four in Region Six, five in Region Seven, 11 in Region Eight

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and 18 in Region Ten. The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now 4,823.

The COVID-19 death toll has increased to 140 with the death of a 47-year-old woman from Region 7 on Saturday.

As of November 15 there have been 24,664 persons tested for the virus. 3,777 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases at 906.

Persons are reminded to observe the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No.11), which are in effect until November 30, 2020 and emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

COMMON ENTRANCE EXAMS WILL NOT BE WRITTEN IN MARCH/APRIL 2021 most likely be pushed back to later in the year or an alternate form of assessment would be used to assign students to high schools.

“The exams will not be written in March/April.

We’re definitely going to be postponing it, if we write it at all. It is our exam. We can set it; we can determine how we write it and whether we write it.

“It’s a placement exam and there are other ways Minister of Education, Grade Six Assessment April 2021 due to the that we can place students fairly, into secondary Priya Manickchand, Examinations will not coronavirus pandemic.

The examination would schools and we’re looking has announced that the take place in March or

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

at that.”, the Minister said.

This year’s Common Entrance exams were postponed for over two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With schools being closed since March and

parents urging for children to return to school, the Minister added that more consideration would have to be taken before making a decision to return the Grade Six students to classrooms.

GENERATORS FOR GARDEN OF EDEN POWER PLANT ARRIVE

The Five Wartsila generators

Five Wartsila generators, which will be used to upgrade the efficiency of the Garden of Eden power plant have finally arrived in the country.

Each of the generators has the capacity to generate 9.3 megawatts (MW) of power and are the main components of the project to upgrade the power plant to 46.5MW.

The generators were procured by the previous APNU+AFC government and arrived from Finland on November 5. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works,

Deodat Indar, witnessed the offloading of the generators at the East Bank Demerara facility on Wednesday.

Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc.,

reminded citizens that the upgrade to the almost 50-year-old power plant would not be completed until the end of April 2021.

Minister Indar said that currently, engineers are carrying out work both below and above ground at Garden of Eden and additional interconnection will need to be done before the 46 MW can be suppied.

Indar said the power generated would be added to the current Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), but the old transmission lines will have to be upgraded to effectively move power from the generators to households.

Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Albert Gordon,

said the project was on schedule and highlighted its significance since it would provide additional reserve capacity, replace old parts being used and save on fuel use.

The upgrade to the plant is the first step in the transition to the use of natural gas which would greatly reduce the cost for the generation of power.

The Divisional Director of Engineering Services, Ryan Ross, who is responsible for the Wartsila project, echoed that this was GP’s largest project to date. Ross added that the project was currently 58 percent complete and the team of sub-contractors was working hard to complete the project by the due date.

TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ASKS A NEW YORK JUDGE TO DISMISS A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY EDDY GRANT …at issue is the use of “Electric Avenue” Donald Trump still thinks he can win this one. We’re of course referring to the lawsuit that was filed against his info@guyanapostonline.com

presidential campaign for using the 1983 hit “Electric Avenue” in a campaign video.

On Wednesday night, amid legal challenges around the nation focused

on the results of voting, Trump also filed a dismissal motion in New York court with respect to the copyright case brought

by Eddy Grant. The motion argues that Trump

should escape the lawsuit on fair use grounds.

Unlike many past challenges to use of music by politicians, this controversy has nothing to do with what’s played

9

over the loudspeakers of a campaign rally. As such, Trump is unlikely to argue he had license to the song nor assert any fancy counterclaim premised Continue on pg10

International recording Artiste Eddy Grant.

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

TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN....

Continue from pg9

on performance rights consent decrees.

Instead, Trump is actually trying a fairly straightforward defense even if other politicians have tried and failed here before.

His campaign argues that it was transformative to use the song over a cartoon version of Joe Biden driving an old-fashioned train car interspersed with his rival’s speeches.

“The purpose of the

Animation is not to disseminate the Song or to supplant sales of the original Song,” states the motion.

The motion points to lyrics from “Electric

Carnival”: “[N]ow in the street, there is violence … And a lots of work to be done.”

“These lyrics, however, stand in stark juxtaposition to the comedic nature of the animated caricature

of Former VP Biden, squatting and pumping a handcar with a sign that says, ‘Your Hair Smells Terrific’, and to the excerpt of the overlayed speech that references ‘hairy legs’ and kids playing with his leg hair.

“Obviously, Mr. Grant’s purpose of creating a meaningful song for the pop music market is completely different from the Animation creator’s purpose of using the song ‘to denigrate … Former Vice President Joseph Biden.’”

Trump shoots for a pretty liberal — yes, we’ll use that word — reading of copyright fair use.

“Here, a reasonable observer would perceive that the Animation uses the Song for a comedic, political purpose — a different and transformed purpose from that of the original Song,” continues the motion.

As for another fair use factor, the effect of the use upon the potential market, Trump’s campaign ignores licensing and focuses just on sales.

To whit: “Here, finally, it is utterly implausible that fans of Mr. Grant’s music,

or pop music listeners in general, would opt to acquire the Animation in preference to the Song, in order to watch the Animation and thereby to hear the warped snippet of the Song accompanied Former VP Biden’s voiceover. Therefore, the Animation does not affect — much less usurp — the market for the Song and does not offer a market substitute for the Song.”

The Trump campaign is represented by Peruff Saunders, and with no signs of settling, musicians could be in line for a welcome ruling on copyright and politics.

Upper Corentyne Sports China’s Sinovac vaccine trial personality dies in road halted in Brazil accident

Dead is Sherwin Murray, called “Chest” of Bengal (No43) Village, Corentyne Berbice.

A 38-year-old father of four is now dead following an accident between a motorcycle and a Motor Lorry on the No 47 Public Road, Corentyne Berbice.

Dead is Sherwin Murray, called “Chest” of Bengal (No43) Village, Corentyne Berbice.

Police are investigating the fatal incident which occurred about 22:10 hrs on Tuesday 10th November.

Information revealed that Murray was riding his motorcycle No CG 612 about 22:10 hrs on the No 47 Public Road,

Corentyne, Berbice.

The lorry No GNN 9131 which is owned

by Balram Singh of lot 182 ‘B’ #47 Village, Corentyne, Berbice was parked on the said road.

It was reported that Murray was proceeding north on the western carriageway when he apparently lost control of his motor cycle and collided with the front of the lorry which was parked on the parapet.

Following the collision, Murray sustained injuries to his head and other parts of his body. He was found

lying on the bike.

Murray was an ardent sports personality and a popular figure in the Upper Corentyne area. He was subsequently picked up and taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital by ranks from No 51 Police Station where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Murray is the son of popular Community activist and Sports Personality Linden Murray.

The body at the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary awaiting post mortem examination.

(BBC News) The Brazilian clinical trial for a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine has been suspended after health authorities reported a “severe adverse” incident.

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said the incident took place on 29 October, but did not give further details.

The CoronaVac vaccine, developed by the Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech, is one of several in final-stage testing globally.

Sinovac says it is “confident in the safety of the vaccine”.

The firm has already been using it to immunise thousands of people at home in an emergency use programme.

Brazil has been one of the countries worst

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affected by coronavirus, recording more than 5.6m confirmed cases – the third highest tally in the world after the US and India – and nearly 163,000 deaths so far, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University.

On Monday Anvisa said it had “ruled to interrupt the clinical trial of the CoronaVac vaccine after a serious adverse incident”.

It did not reveal what happened, nor where it took place. Late-stage trials for the Sinovac vaccine are also being conducted in Indonesia and Turkey, but neither of these countries have announced a suspension.

Indonesia’s stateowned Bio Farma said on Tuesday that its own

Sinovac vaccine trials were “going smoothly”, according to Reuters news agency.

Dimas Covas, the head of Butantan, the medical research institute conducting the Brazilian trial, told local media that the trial’s suspension was related to a death.

However, he insisted that the death was not related to the vaccine, Reuters said.

Sinovac said on Tuesday that it was communicating with Brazil about the reported incident.

“We learned the head of Butantan Institute believed that this serious adverse event (SAE) is not related to the vaccine,” it said in a statement. “The clinical study in Brazil Continue on pg11

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

China’s Sinovac vaccine..

POLICE ARREST HAITIANS WHO Continue from pg10 ENTERED THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY is strictly carried out in by AstraZeneca, saying the People’s Progressive Party/Civic while they were the Opposition.

Felix had stated that the unaccounted Haitians might be leaving through unauthorised ports in Guyana to go to other countries.

Felix also noted that the legislative adjustment to Schedule II of the Immigration Act, Cap 14:02, might have been one reason for the influx of Haitians into Guyana.

The Act was amended to include Haiti as beneficiaries to the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), which facilitates free movement within the region and automatic entry and stay of six months in Caricom countries.

Prior to the amendment, nationals of Haiti were required to have a visa and were only allowed to stay for up to 90 days or three months.

Some of he Haitians who reportedly entered Guyana illegally were arrested at the Mabura Trail (Region 10) on Sunday.

Twenty-six Haitians who reportedly entered Guyana illegally were arrested at the Mabura Trail (Region 10) on Sunday.

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force in E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) intercepted two minibuses of foreign nationals on the Mabura Trail around 9:30 p.m. The Haitians were detained after it was discovered that they had entered the country illegally via Suriname.

Police also said that the

buses were on the way to Brazil at the time of interception.

The arrested foreign nationals were taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where they are being interrogated and face possible prosecution and deportation.

In 2019, former Citizenship Minister, Winston Felix had revealed that between January and July 2019, over 7000 Haitian nationals who entered the

country were unaccounted for. Foreign nationals overstaying their time in the country is a constant issue with increasing numbers since 2015.

In 2015, there were 770 arrivals and only 136 departures; in 2016, 722 arrivals with 451 departures; in 2017, 3515 arrivals and 291 departures; and in 2018, 1237 arrivals with only 85 departures.

The large number of unaccounted Haitians had raised major concerns for

accordance with GCP (Good Clinical Practice) requirements and we are confident in the safety of the vaccine.”

Butantan has said it will hold a news conference on Tuesday at 11:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

A pause in a clinical trial is not unusual. In September, the UK paused trials for another Covid-19 vaccine after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction.

The trials for the vaccine being developed

by AstraZeneca and Oxford University were resumed a few days later after regulators said it was safe to continue.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been open about his preference for the vaccine being developed

his government would not buy a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine.

CoronaVac is one of around a dozen vaccines in the final stage of testing – known as a phase 3 trial – around the world.

This is a crucial point in vaccine development, where some experimental vaccines will fail.

The news of its suspension in Brazil came shortly after a rival vaccine developer, the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, said its own vaccine candidate had shown 90% effectiveness.

Last month the Oxford vaccine trial reviewed the death of a volunteer in Brazil, saying an assessment had revealed no safety concerns.

Man attempts suicide after murdering teenage girl

Regent St. fire was Miner, woman robbed electrical in origin at Ogle seawall

The fire which destroyed Sachi’s building on Regent Street a few days ago was determined to have been caused by an illegal electrical connection in the shopping tent facility which was set up in the lot next to the building.

Fire investigators concluded that the fire info@guyanapostonline.com

started at the tent facility and quickly spread to the building next door which was completely destroyed.

The Sachi’s Store was ravaged by another fire in February this year. The owners recently decided to set up the tent facility.

The February fire was found to have been started deliberately.

Police are investigating an armed robbery which occurred on Monday night at the Ogle seawall. The victims were Cleveland Mentore, 35, a gold miner of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Shelly Thomas, 29, of Industry, ECD. According to a statement from Police, the couple was on the seawall near the Shell Gas Station around 21:30h. Mentore had parked his car with the engine on when two men, one armed with a handgun, confronted them.

Cleveland then ran away after noticing the handgun and threw a glass bottle at the suspects

from a safe distance. The armed suspect responded by firing two shots in his direction.

The suspects then searched Thomas before escaping East in Cleveland’s car. The vehicle, at the time, contained: a 32″ Samsung television valued $140,000; a stabilizer valued $12,000; a speaker box valued $12,000; and two cellular phones – a Samsung A2 Core valued $30,000 and a Samsung Galaxy 8 Note valued $200,000.

The investigation is underway and no arrests have been made as of yet.

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A 34-year-old man is currently hospitalised under police guard for the murder of 16-yearold, Sanesha Lall, of Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast.

It was reported that Lall and the suspect had previously been in a relationship together.

The murder occurred around 09:00 a.m. on Wednesday at the teen’s home. The suspect entered the young girl’s home, went into her bedroom and stabbed her multiple times to her body with a Rambo knife.

He then fled the scene driving a blue minibus.

The teen was rushed to the Suddie Hospital where

she was pronounced dead.

Around 12:20 p.m., police found and arrested the suspect at Better Hope Backdam, Essequibo Coast. Police noticed the man vomiting a green substance and after being questioned he admitted that he consumed a poisonous substance in an attempt to end his life.

He was then taken to the Suddie Hospital and admitted under guard.

A search of the vehicle revealed an Indezone bottle and a black Rambo knife.

The teen’s body is awaiting a post mortem examination and investigations are ongoing.

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

GUYANA FOREVER INDEBTED TO FALLEN WORLD WAR HEROES – PRESIDENT ALI Dr Mohamed Irfaan yaing a wreath Ali Cenotaph Sunday morning,

Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali says Guyana will forever be indebted to those who gave their lives in service to their country.

In return, he said the country rededicates itself to the search for peace and

renews its commitment to the development and wellbeing of the state.

The Head of State paid homage at the Georgetown Cenotaph Sunday morning, to the hundreds of then British

Guianese who died in the first and second World Wars.

“We are forever indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice in the cause of peace and freedom. We also recall

with gratitude those who through the years have made similar personal sacrifices in the continuing struggle for human dignity, social justice and freedom from all forms of oppression, wherever these exist,” Dr. Ali said.

The President said the example of the fallen strengthens “our resolve, to maintain our efforts for a world at peace, with justice and prosperity for all people.”

The Commander-in-

Chief was joined by Prime Minister, Hon Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, Police Commissioner (Ag.) Nigel Hoppie, President of the Guyana Veterans Legion Lt. Col. (ret’d) George Gomes, and representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, who also laid wreaths.

Remembrance Sunday is commemorated on the second Sunday of November. Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day, is observed on November

11, annually, by Commonwealth countries to honour those who died in the Wars. British Guianese soldiers served and fought in Egypt, France, Belgium, and East Africa.

Of the hundreds of war heroes who returned, nine veterans remain.

The oldest, Mr. Benjamin Durant, will celebrate his 102nd birthday on November 15.

CHURCH THIEF President Ali urges Guyanese to use Diwali JAILED FOR THREE to reflect on inner light YEARS

President Dr Irfaan Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has urged Guyanese to introspect on their lives to find their inner light—which can promote harmony, selflessness and lead to a sense of consciousness.

The Head of State made this call during the Sixth Annual National Diya Light-Up at Rahaman’s Park. The event was organised by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sanghinfo@guyanapostonline.com

Guyana (Hindus for Selfless Service-HSS). ”My brothers and sisters, as a country and as a people, we must contemplate on this inner light. Each one of us must contemplate individually on that inner light and ask ourselves some very searching questions. Is my inner light contributing positively to the people of society, to the people of my community? Is my inner

light selfish or selfless?

Is my inner light in the cause of my country or in the cause of something individualistic?”

President Ali pointed to the importance of reflecting on the best pathway for personal development, community development and the development of Guyana.

Towards this end, he said that the first step is in acknowledging that our

actions may be harmful to our society and our nation. ”Unless you bring yourself to the position of acknowledging that you did something that caused harm to society and country then you cannot go on this road to reconciliation because that light within you is kept in darkness.”

The President assured that his Government is willing to embrace all Guyanese and push forward with the achievement of a singular vision where all are connected and united.

He emphasised too that leading a country and being part of a country requires all to collectively manoeuvre beyond obstacles in order to achieve true potential. ”I believe that we have it in us to take this country to the next level in a dignified manne

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A man who is well known to the authorities and made it a habit to break and enter the Church of Latter Day Saints in his area on a regular basis was subsequently caught and charged.

Raymond Chung, 55, of Lot 14 Pitt Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice is charged with three counts of breaking into a place of divine worship on three separate days. He was found guilty of brake and entering the Church of Latter Day Saints at Lot C3 Vryheid Street, New Amsterdam.

He appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

The first charge read that between September 12 and September 13, he broke and entered the church and stole one pack of milk, one pack sugar, half roll electric wire,

some pens and a tea flask, one-wheel Barrow, a quantity of sandpaper and sanding disc, two-gallon polish, an electric fan, a set of curtains, some kitchen utensils, bathroom maps and shower curtains.

He was sentenced to one year in jail.

He is further charged with between October 4, and October 5, he stole one wheelbarrow, eightgallon paint, a quantity of putty, one gallon thinner, a coil electric cable, a quantity of led bulb and a bale of toilet paper.

He was sentenced to a further one year in jail.

He was further charged with between September 27 and September 28 he again broke and entered the Church and stole one electric kettle, a number of electrical fittings, and a quantity of plastic chairs.

He was sentenced to a further one year in jail

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

Guyana Post, Friday November 20, 2020

St. COVID pandemic Regent building and the curfew destroyed by fire extension Dr. the Hon. Karen Cummings, MP

To the Editor and Fellow Guyanese Fellow Guyanese, it has been noted that the curfew time has been extended further to10:30 pm to 4am. It has also been observed that the COVID -19 deaths for the month of October was 124 with 4, 162 confirmed cases and to date as of November 8, 2020, the deaths are at 134 with 4516 confirmed cases. We have seen an uptick of COVID – 19 deaths in Guyana. Region 4 being the epicenter with 2139 cases followed

by Region 1 with 772, Regions 7, 9, and 3 with 382, 376, and 348 cases respectively. The Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony says, “We must balance the COVID-19 pandemic with economic recovery.” I wish to say that this statement will not be realized unless the common sense measures are enforced: strategic lock down, wearing of masks, physical distancing, and the washing of hands for at least for 20 seconds.

Those basic things must be drilled into the Guyanese psyche.

This government has shown that it is not serious and that it is incapable of bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

The extension of the curfew hours means that they are sending mixed messages to the populace.

The young people will feel that they are invincible, and that they can go out as they will, with no dire consequences. In addition, the small gatherings seen in social clubs and bars which are indoors will become hot spots or clusters for the spread of COVID 19. Persons who engage in such delinquent info@guyanapostonline.com

behaviors and attend these super spreading events will no doubt affect the vulnerable at home – the elderly, persons with comorbidity or underlying health conditions who will certainly be at a high risk for the disease.

On Sunday November 7, 2020 two of my colleagues, MPs Coretta McDonald, Maureen Philadelphia, and I visited the President’s College at Golden Grove Village on the East Coast Demerara, having gotten a wink that students from some COVID-19 at risk communities of the hinterland and the outskirts of the village were in the dorms mixing and mingling with other student without their being first tested for COVID-19.

Careful examination revealed that at least four students displayed symptoms of COVID-19 from Kato village, Region 8 and were referred to the Georgetown hospital for management for COVID-19.

It was subsequently found that the students were COVID-19 positive. As the incubation period, the time between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms, for this dreaded pandemic is 4-14 days, it is hoped that many more students who are asymptomatic at present do not later test positive for COVID-19 as the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 PCR tests offered to the students were not mandatory by the Education Ministry.

It is the wish of the APNU/AFC Coalition government, that good sense will prevail and the present illegitimate government will not be

foolhardy by ignoring the science or the WHO guidelines that help to check the spread of this deadly disease. The Public health mantra is to have healthy people in healthy communities, and to empower communities to have healthier schools.

So Mr. Health Minister, it is not simply about balancing health with economics. Public health must take priority over profits. Covid-19 will impact economics. If stringent measures are not enforced, we will have a sick nation and there will be no trade or commerce to keep the economy afloat. Rather, there will be the converse effect leading to a total shut down of the country.

I appeal to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who should know better. Do the research, follow the science of COVID-19.

Take a leaf from the pages of countries such as Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland, and other countries such as Norway, Uruguay, Switzerland, and Germany who successfully have this pandemic under control.

Minister of Health, the Coalition government is asking that you be engaged with experts in the field of medicine who are unhappy with one death by COVID-19; have mandatory measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. One cannot sit idly by and be comfortable and expect that COVID-19 will be whisked away and disappear.

Article 148 (3) ( b) of the constitution provides that a person may be deprived of his or her freedom of

movement through the imposition of restrictions by law on the person’s movement or residence within Guyana that are reasonably required in the interests of public health.

The APNU/AFC Coalition government calls on the current\ government to be strategic and have plans and policies to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Guyana.

We ask that there be better coordination between the hinterland and the coastland in terms of the management of COVID-19 cases. We call on you to expand the capacity for diagnosis and treatment and pay attention to the borders and entry points.

We call on this government to pay the frontline workers the overdue risk allowance which has been passed in the recent budget debate and remains outstanding.

We call on this illegal government to commence the cash transfers of $25,000 to each household especially in Region 4, the epicenter of the COVID -19 Pandemic.

We call on you to remove the burden of cost to the persons who home isolate saving the government approximately $25, 000. We also call on the Minister of Public Health to build public trust by educating the citizenry on the new COVID-19 vaccine which is expected to arrive in Guyana the first semester of 2021.

We ask that the Minister of Health Take the Necessary Action Now and save the people of our nation from dying prematurely form COVID-19.

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Sachi’s building on Regent Street was ravaged by a fire which started Sunday night.

Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle said that the Fire Service received reports about a pile of rubbish on fire in an empty lot at the side of the building at around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

When firefighters arrived on the scene the building was already engulfed in flames.

More firefighting units were called to assist and to prevent the fire from spreading.

The second firetruck that arrived was unable to connect to a fire hydrant

immediately since it had to be cleared of garbage which was blocking it.

The Fire Chief noted that this was a recurring issue with some fire hydrants being blocked similarly with garbage or abandoned vehicles.

While the building was destroyed by the fire, firefighters managed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to the neighbouring Doray’s building and the nearby Guyoil gas station.

The Fire Chief said that a full investigation into the origin of the fire is underway. This was the third fire to occur along Regent Street shopping area this year.

Another COVID death The Ministry of Heath recorded 57 cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. 27 cases were recorded on Saturday November 7 and 30 cases were recorded on Sunday November 8.

15 cases were recorded in Region One, four in Region Two, two in Region Three, 25 in Region Four, one in Region Five, one in Region Six, four in Region Seven, four in Region Eight, one in

Region Ten. The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now 4,514. There have been 352 cases recorded so far in November.

The number of recorded COVID-19 deaths is currently 135.

As of November 8, there have been 22,092 persons tested for the virus. 3,526 persons have recovered from the virus leaving 853 active cases in the country.

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

IMF staff concludes virtual visit to Guatemala

remittances (Loop News) mission, Pérez Ruiz issued Resilient and exports, and lower W A S H I N G T O N , the following statement:

USA – An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Esther Pérez Ruiz, conducted a virtual staff visit to Guatemala during October 26-30, 2020. At the end of this

“Guatemala’s expected contraction of about 2 percent in 2020, and recovery to 4 percent next year, fares well in global and regional comparison.

(family bonus, employment protection plan, working capital credit fund), alongside temporary loans restructuring, are helping to support households’ income and firms’ liquidity.

The central bank’s policy rate cuts, the activation of liquidity facilities and flexible reserve requirements have also secured the provision of liquidity with no detriment to the inflation objectives.

To enable these policy responses, the authorities have promptly mobilized market funding and

oil prices, have given rise to a current account surplus and allow significant accumulation of international reserves.

A number of COVID-19 programmes

loans from international financial institutions, including US$ 594 million under the IMF Rapid Financing Instrument (pending Congress approval).

“Despite this resilience, the COVID-19 crisis is likely to have a durable economic and social impact. After falling markedly, the recovery in formal employment and tax collections is lagging activity, while chronic malnutrition and food insecurity keep rising, and significant downside risks remain.

These risks include a rise in COVID-19 infections, which might lead to partial lockdowns, and a possible worsening of the global outlook

and external financial conditions. Against this backdrop, policies should continue to sustain the recovery and safeguard downside risks.

“During the virtual staff visit, the team met with Sergio Recinos, the President of the Central Bank of Guatemala, Alvaro Gonzalez Ricci, the minister of finance, Erick Vargas, the superintendent of banks, Marco Livio Diaz, superintendent of SAT, other senior officials and representatives of the private sector.

Edgar Cartagena (OED) participated in the discussions. The mission would like to thank the authorities for their close cooperation and candid discussions.”

Caribbean company wins award at int’l food expo

(Loop News) Naledo’s wild-crafted Truly Turmeric paste was the judge’s pick for New Food Product of the Year.

Naledo’s turmeric paste comes in four sizes and two flavours and is currently sold in over info@guyanapostonline.com

1,000 retailers in Canada, Belize, America and the Bahamas.

The paste is sustainably produced from forestto-table without any agricultural inputs.

This creates a product that is exceptional in

terms of taste and with minimal impact on the environment, #cleaneats.

Naledo pays its farmers 28 times more than the average turmeric grower and this enables them to invest in education, health care, improved nutrition,

and building a better future for their families and communities.

To say team Naledo is extremely proud is an understatement.

After hearing the news, Umeeda Switlo, coprincipal, Naledo Foods

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and Beverages and Naledo Belize, graciously accepted the award.

‘Naledo would like to thank Caribbean Export and the European Union for making sure we could attend the virtual event.’

‘Thank you to team Belize and all our growers: Spice Farm, Texbell, Silk Grass and our distributors Ecoideas in Canada, United Natural Foods Inc in America, and Circle R in Belize.

Switlo also publicly thanked Marie Sharpe ‘for her support and the Government of Belize’.

‘We couldn’t have achieved this without our Belizean team and our wonderful customers around the world.’

Freya Strutt, Nutritionist at Chartwells, supports the

judge’s decision.

According to her, Naledo copped the top prize because of its taste, usability, and the overall aesthetic of the brand.

‘The shortlist was really strong with lots of really good products, and it’s exciting to see where the market is going in terms of new food products.’

‘But one winner was clear in terms of taste, usability, and the whole enterprise around the product itself. I congratulate them on their business.’

The FML judging panel commended all five finalists in the new products category for their ‘innovation’.

Food Matters Live 2020 connects food producers from around the world.

This year, the annual expo was held virtually in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leader of the Opposition letter to President-Elect Joseph R. Biden

President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Delaware,UnitedStates of America Dear Excellency,

President-Elect Biden,On behalf of A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)

Coalition and the people of Guyana, I am honoured to congratulate you on being elected the 46th President of the United

States of America.

Kindly also accept congratulations on the election of Senator Kamala Harris as your Vice President.

Her election is indeed historic as the first woman and first person of colour to be elected to the Vice Presidency.

As you are aware, the United States is home to the largest Guyanese Diaspora who make up hundreds of thousands of our brethren and sisters.

Consequently, it is no surprise that the people of Guyana, both here and in the United States, rejoice at the welcome news of your election to

the White House.

Our nation looks forward to engaging with you, Vice President-elect Harris and your Cabinet in strengthening bilateral relations and building a stronger and more unified CARICOM and Caribbean basin.

The APNU+AFC Coalition also looks forward to briefing you and Vice President-elect Harris on the political situation in Guyana.

We commit to working with you to rebuild trust between our peoples, strengthening goodwill and re-establishing constitutional democracy and social cohesion in

Guyana after a recent period of political and social turmoil and distress.

I wish you a successful term in the White House as you embark on serving the people of the United States, providing hemispheric and global leadership and the unenviable task of restoring the United States’ status and reputation globally.

Yours sincerely, Hon. Joseph Harmon MSM, MP Leader of the Opposition Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Import tax on Government purchases stone removed

US$2.5M generators

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, said on Friday that the Government has purchased additional generator sets through MaCorp Ltd. at a cost of US$2.5M. The generators will be used to increase the power capacity of the Guyana Power and Light

(GPL) company and are expected to be installed by the end of the month.

Vice President Jagdeo said the purchase of the generators was to ensure there would be adequate emergency power for Christmas and the New Year.

The Vice President also

added that the previous administration had paid for a Wartsila generator to produce 46 megawatts of power but there were no preparations made to install the generator once it arrived.

“The engine is here in the country but it will have to sit and wait for as much

as five months while the civil works are being done to accommodate it.”

The Vice President also said that sources of hydro and solar energy are being looked at to help reduce the overall cost of electricity and provide more reliable power.

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Taxes on the importation of stones were removed earlier this week by President Irfaan Ali and will remain in effect until June 30, 2021.

This decision was made to provide a boost to the country’s construction industry.

There have recent complaints concerning the shortage of stones and the delay in its arrival to the country.

The President exercised powers conferred to him by section 98 (1) of the Value Added Tax Act,

stating, “Zero-rated for the purpose of Section 17 is importation of stones of a type and quality used in construction and housing, provided that a Certificate of CARICOM origin is submitted by the importer in accordance with Section 15 of the Customs Act…” Guyana’s construction sector is expected to experience increased activity with various developmental and infrastructural projects being discussed by the government.

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

Guyana Post, Sunday November 10, 2020

JOE BIDEN BEATS DONA THE 46TH PRESIDENT O

J

oe Biden has won the 2020 presidential election, the Associated Press projected Saturday, sending President Trump to a bitter defeat four years after he shocked the world by winning the White House with a victory over Hillary Clinton.

Biden crossed the 270-vote threshold in the Electoral College on Saturday after the AP called Pennsylvania for him. He was also able info@guyanapostonline.com

to capture Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, states that Trump carried in 2016.

Other states remain too close to call, and the Trump campaign has filed multiple lawsuits to contest the legitimacy of certain ballots. The fate of those challenges was obscured after Biden was projected to have won the Electoral College.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people

have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris,” Biden said in a statement. “In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted.

Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.

“With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation,” the presidentelect continued. “It’s time

for America to unite. And to heal.”

He added: “We are the United States of America.

And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.”

Biden now holds the record for the most number of votes cast for any presidential candidate in history — more than 74 million — shattering the previous mark (69,500,000) set by Barack Obama in 2008.

The former vice

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president, who turns 78 this month, won his bid for the White House on his third attempt, becoming the oldest person ever elected president in the U.S. His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is the first Black woman and first Asian American elected vice president in U.S. history.

Trump, however, has signaled that he is not likely to concede defeat quickly.

In a Wednesday tweet, the

hereby claim the State of Michigan if, in fact, there was a large number of secretly dumped ballots as has been widely reported!”

Hours earlier, the Trump campaign announced it would seek a recount in Wisconsin, another state the AP said Biden had won.

On Thursday, as it became clear that his early lead in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia

president declared without evidence that he had won in Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.

“We have claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (which won’t allow legal observers) the State of Georgia, and the State of North Carolina, each one of which has a BIG Trump lead,” Trump wrote in tweets that were quickly flagged on Twitter as containing disputed or misleading election information.

“Additionally, we

was eroding as more ballots were tabulated, Trump posted a dramatic tweet that read, “STOP THE COUNT!” Then in a White House speech without precedent in American history, Trump flailed at the media, pollsters, election officials, mail-in voting, judges and Democrat-led U.S. cities Thursday evening, as his rival Joe Biden continued to inch toward a win in the 2020 election.

“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” Trump said, though no state allows the counting

Guyana Post, Sunday November 10, 2020

ALD TRUMP TO BECOME OF THE UNITED STATES of illegally cast votes. “If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”

The president portrayed the counting of legally cast mail-in ballots as improper — an assault on American democracy by the president himself.

“Our numbers started miraculously getting whittled away, in secret,” Trump said, again without evidence. “This is a case where they’re trying to

coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 234,000 Americans and infected more than 9.5 million in the U.S., including him.

Throughout the pandemic, Trump sought to downplay the virus, mocking Biden for wearing a mask and falsely claiming that the United States is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic at a time when cases and deaths from COVID-19

steal an election. They’re trying to rig an election.

And we can’t let that happen.”

Biden’s election was as much about rallying support among Democrats, independents and even some Republicans with a message of unity as it was a repudiation of Trump, whose approval rating, according to Gallup, never hit 50 percent.

In poll after poll leading up to Election Day, large majorities of voters disapproved of Trump’s handling of the

continue to rise.

As the race for the White House pushed into October and November, the country set a string of new daily records for coronavirus cases and saw a dramatic spike in states that Trump needed to win to secure his reelection.

After recovering from his own bout with the disease caused by exposure to the coronavirus — which led to a three-day hospitalization and forced the cancellation of one presidential debate — the president returned to the

campaign trail in midOctober, holding rallies where he and many of his supporters eschewed the recommendations from public health officials to wear face masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

The Biden campaign offered a sharp contrast, adhering to guidelines from Trump’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avoiding large rallies and making attendees at campaign events wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

Biden overcame numerous attacks from Trump on the campaign trail, including claims of cognitive lapses (Trump branded him “Sleepy Joe”) and questions about his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine and China. Trump even called on Attorney General William Barr to launch an investigation into the Bidens just two weeks before Election Day. (Barr did not.)

Trump, who sought to paint his opponent as a closet socialist being manipulated by the progressive wing of his party, falsely claimed that Biden wanted to “defund” the police and argued that a Biden presidency would “destroy” the suburbs and embrace antifa.

He also floated wild conspiracy theories and disinformation about Biden and other Democratic figures that had been promoted by right-wing activists on social media.

But none of the punches managed to land, infuriating the president and the GOP. “If I lose, I will have lost to the worst candidate, the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics,” Trump said at an Oct. 17 campaign rally.

The president also

accused Democrats of trying to “steal” the election, falsely claiming that mail-in voting would lead to widespread fraud.

The pandemic caused many states to expand early-voting options, and a record 101 million ballots were cast either in person or by mail before Election Day. In 2016, Trump won office by riding a populist message against a deeply unpopular establishment candidate in Clinton. But polls showed Biden as being far more popular with the electorate than the former secretary of state, giving him more ways to win the election.

Biden, a Scranton, Pa., native, began his presidential campaign in April 2019, joining an already crowded field of Democrats with a video denouncing Trump for his response to the violent white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017.

While speaking out against the violent clashes that erupted among white supremacists and counterprotesters, Trump infamously said there were “some very fine people on both sides.”

“With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,” Biden said in the video. “And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime.”

He carried that message into the general election campaign, promising that his election would “restore the soul of the nation.”

Biden shrugged off disappointing performances in early primary and caucus states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, gaining his footing after

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a crucial win in South Carolina, where he was buoyed by the support of African American voters wary of the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had emerged as the frontrunner.

Biden went on to control of the race, winning 10 of 14 states on Super Tuesday in March.

Sanders dropped out of the race and quickly endorsed Biden, paving the way for his nomination.

In August, Biden, who had promised to pick a woman as his running mate, announced his choice of Harris shortly before the Democratic convention. The senator from California, who lost her own bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination, had clashed with Biden during the first primary debate by attacking his record on race.

But after ending her campaign, she endorsed the former vice president and stumped for him in Michigan ahead of Super Tuesday.

While Biden enjoyed a wave of support among Democrats, he was also backed by “Never Trump” Republicans who opposed the president from the start of his term or became disillusioned by what they considered to be his chaotic and divisive style of governing.

During the campaign, Biden was endorsed by dozens of Republican former national security officials, U.S. attorneys and governors, including former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, former Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, former Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, the widow of the 2008 Republican nominee for president, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Biden now faces the enormous challenge of attempting to unify a

country deeply divided by partisan politics. While that reality predated Trump’s time in office, it also crystallized over the last four years.

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was born in Scranton, Pa., on Nov. 20, 1942, to Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Biden (née Finnegan) and Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. He was raised in Scranton and New Castle County, Del. Biden studied at the University of Delaware before earning his law degree from Syracuse University in 1968.

He married his first wife, Neilia Hunter, in 1966. They had three children: Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III (born 1969), Robert “Hunter” Biden (1970) and Naomi Christina Biden (1971).

A month after he won his first race for the U.S. Senate in 1972, Neilia and Naomi died in a car accident that also injured his sons.

During his six terms in the Senate, Biden commuted by train between his Delaware home and Washington, D.C. — 90 minutes each way.

He met his second wife, Jill, in 1975, and they married in 1977, having a daughter, Ashley, in 1981.

Biden mounted two unsuccessful presidential bids, in 1988 (which was marred by a plagiarism scandal) and 2008 (which he lost to Barack Obama, who ultimately picked him as his running mate).

He flirted with the idea of running again in 2016 but was too grief-stricken over the loss of his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.

“Beau should be the one running for president, not me,” he told MSNBC host Joe Scarborough in Januar

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

UK assists Guatemala

C

aribbean N e w s Global) LONDON, England – The British Embassy and the department of international trade delivered training to customs officials from Guatemala.

The aim of the training was to provide the tools to allow public officials

from Guatemala to effectively implement the UK-Central America Association Agreement, which is due to come in force from 1 January 2021. The Agreement will promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the United Kingdom and its partners throughout the region.

BREAKING

News

The session included background on the agreement and agreeing future objectives that will allow for uninterrupted trade between the UK and Central America, support market competition, create jobs, and foster prosperity and development.

More than 30 Guatemalan customs officials led by the

Customs chief, Werner Ovalle, attended the training. The consultancy company Deloitte provided the training.

Deloitte is delivering this training in the incumbent countries of the Association Agreement.

Trade between the UK and Guatemala has grown more than 30 percent between 2018 and 2019.

Come REPORT with

ADAM HARRIS Tel: 592-623-9971 or 641-2501

Two in custody as COVID-19 claims Police finds narcotics three more, total in Barbeque Grill

now 123

T

he Ministry of Health recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday October 28 and 24 cases on Thursday October 29.

The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now 4,098.

The death toll has risen to 125 with the deaths of 65-year-old woman from Region Four and a 64-year-old man from Region One on Wednesday and the death of a 70-year-old man from Region Four today.

As of October 29 there info@guyanapostonline.com

have been 18,009 persons tested for the virus. The number of active cases in the country is 819.

The COVID-19 guidelines for November are currently being developed by the National COVID-19 Task Force.

The Task Force is considering several requests made by stakeholders.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, said the new measures will be similar to those already in place.

“There would be a few adjustments, but the measures would pretty

much be similar to what we have now. A number of stakeholders would have met at various times during the past month with the Task Force, [and] brought to our attention a number of areas that they think we should change.

We have listened to those suggestions and done some assessments.”

The Minister hopes that a decision will be made by Friday and the new guidelines can be put into effect on Sunday.

The current guidelines will remain in effect until October 31 with curfew hours from 9pm to 4am.

T

wo men arrested following ganja bust About 15:45 hrs on Friday the lawmen went to Church Street, Rampoor, Corriverton, Berbice following the report of threatening behaviour.

Upon arrival at the residence the two men a

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19-year-old goldsmith and a 28 year-old fisherman began acting suspiciously.

This led the cops to search the premises. During the search the police found a bulky black plastic bag in a Barbeque grill.

The contents were examined and found to contain a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems

suspected to be cannabis.

The men were both arrested and taken to the Springlands Police Station along with the suspected cannabis.

The items were tested and weighed in the men’s presence and found to be 550 grams of marijuana.

Investigations are ongoing.

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

PRES. IRFAAN ALI WANTS GAS TO SHORE PROJECT COMPLETED BY 2023 President Irfaan Ali said that he is hoping for the completion of the ongoing gas-to-shore project by 2023.

The President said there are two advisory committees currently working on the project, one focused on local content and the other on the gas-to-shore project.

The gas-to-shore project advisory committee is headed by former

National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) head, Winston Brassington.

“What I know is they’re doing the ground work in terms of getting the information.

Because before we move to strong negotiations, we have to get the information together,” the President said.

The project involves running a 120-mile-long

pipeline from the Liza field to the shore, which has been determined to be ‘technically feasible’.

Discussions on the project will continue with ExxonMobil, which is producing oil in the Stabroek block. The President wants to ensure that at least by the end of 2023, the gas to shore project will be completed and operational and can provide the country with

natural gas-powered energy.

Natural gas is not a renewable source of energy but is composed mostly of methane and small amounts of hydrocarbon. It can provide a large amount of energy when burned while producing emissions containing a significantly lower level of carbon dioxide, compared to oil.

Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) also has plans to construct a

46-megawatt, dual engine generator at its Garden of Eden power plant by April 2021. The engines will be capable of using both Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and the natural gas being piped in from offshore Guyana.

ExxonMobil officials have said that using natural gas to power the generators that provide electricity to consumers across the country will be cleaner by up to 50 percent when compared

to using heavy oil. Using natural gas would also be a cheaper option than heavy oil.

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is one of several private companies that have begun the transition to using natural gas.

Last year, the company commissioned Guyana’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) gasification terminal.

RSS TEAM RECOMMENDS POLICE FORCE DO ADDITIONAL WORK President Irfaan Ali disclosed yesterday that the five-member team sent by the Regional Security System (RSS) to assist with the investigation of the murders of Isaiah and Joel Henry and Haresh Singh, has recommended that the Police Force do additional work in the investigations.

The RSS team was led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police

and comprised of officials from countries within the Regional Investigative Management Systems (RIMS). The team was in Guyana from September 28 to October 6.

President Ali said he was briefed on the contents of the report which the team handed over to the Guyana Police Force.

“They recommended some additional work to

be done but in total they were satisfied with the work the local police have done,” the President said.

Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, said the police are still pursuing various leads regarding the murders of the teens.

Several persons had previously been arrested in Connection with the Henry murders but were released following the end of the 72-hour holding period. No arrests have

been made for the murder of Haresh Singh.

On September 6, the bodies of Isaiah and Joel Henry were found in the backlands of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, after relatives went in search of them almost one day after they were reported missing. They had left their home in Number Three Village to pick coconuts in the backlands, but did not

A 15-year-old schoolboy of New Amsterdam, Berbice is now in a serious condition in the New Amsterdam Hospital after he was injured in a fight with a 41-year-old man from the said town.

The police say that they are investigating the wounding of the 15-yearold student by the 41-year-

old man of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam Berbice, which occurred around 18:00 on Sunday at Pope Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Reports are that the victim and his friend were standing on Pope Street. During that time the suspect passed and told the victim that his mother who is a nurse, has

return. The location where the murders happened has still not been discovered by police.

On September 9, 17-year-old Singh was found murdered at the Number Three Village backlands. It is suspected that his death was in retaliation for the murders of Isaiah and Joel, since he was related to one of the suspects initially held by

the police.

Additionally, an Argentine team of Forensic Anthropologists has suffered a setback due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in that country. The team was due in Guyana two weeks ago. Once the team arrives, they will examine the areas where the bodies of the teens were found for any forensic evidence.

School boy injured in fight with 41-year-old man

info@guyanapostonline.com

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COVID19. The victim did not take the remarks lightly and an argument ensued which ended in a scuffle.

It was reported that during the fight the suspect used an ice pick which he had concealed in his pants waist and dealt the victim a stab to his left side chest, injuring him in the process.

The injured teen was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he has been admitted in a serious condition.

The accused, who is a known character, was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

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

Essequibo man killed by speeding car Police are investigating the death of a 59-yearold man who was hit by a speeding car while riding his bicycle on the Essequibo Coast Public Road.

The deceased is Tulsiram Rajkumar,

called Otam, of Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast.

The driver of the car was a 57-year-old man, also from Golden Fleece.

Police said the car was speeding north along the road and Rajkumar was heading in the opposite

direction. The driver claimed that Rajkumar suddenly swerved into the path of his vehicle.

The vehicle hit Rajkumar and he was flung onto the western lane of the road.

He sustained injuries to his head and body.

He was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The driver of the car was arrested at the scene

Zeta rapidly strengthening, hurricane conditions expected today (Loop News) Tropical Storm Zeta is rapidly gaining strength.

Hurricane conditions and storm surge are expected across portions of the Yucatan Peninsula later today.

A Hurricane Warning continues for the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Dzilam and Cozumel.

Hurricane conditions are expected there by late today.

A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1-3 feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast in the Hurricane Warning area near and to the north of where the centre makes landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula. info@guyanapostonline.com

A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Pinar del Rio Cuba, and for Mexico from south of Tulum to Punta Allen and from west of Dzilam to Progreso. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area of Mexico by late today and could occur in the warning area of western Cuba beginning later today.

At 5 a.m. EDT, the centre of Tropical Storm Zeta was located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea about 210 miles (340 km) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

Zeta is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). On the forecast track, the centre

of Zeta will move near or over the northern Yucatan Peninsula later today or tonight, move over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and approach the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Data from an NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropicalstorm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the centre.

Strengthening is forecast, and Zeta is expected to become a hurricane later this morning.

Additional strengthening is expected before Zeta moves over

the Yucatan Peninsula.

Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts of 12 inches, are possible through Tuesday along and east-northeast of Zetas track across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and central to western Cuba.

Zeta is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength when it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, and there is an increasing risk of storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

Residents in these areas should monitor the progress of Zeta and updates to the forecast.

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Guyana records another COVID-19 death The Ministry of Health recorded three new cases of COVID-19 on Monday October 26. One case was recorded in Region One and two cases in Region Four. The total number of cases in Guyana is now 4,026.

The death toll has risen to 121 with the death of an 82-year-old man from Region Four. 41 COVID-19 related deaths have been recorded so far in October.

As of October 26 there have been 18,489 persons tested for the virus. 3,009 persons have recovered leaving the number of

active cases in the country at 897.

The Ministry of Health continues to ask persons to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No. 9), which are in effect until October 31, 2020.

The measures emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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

GPHC DEBUNKS FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA POST

APNU CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF TOURISM MINISTER

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has addressed the circulation of a post o n

social media claiming that today, two persons who came to the GPHC to be tested for COVID-19

wish to assure the general public that no such incident occurred at the GPHC. The post is entirely fabricated and fallacious. Management strongly condemns this mischievous and reckless action.”

“Once again, we wish to appeal to the general public to desist from making false claims that peddle misinformation and induce panic. We urge persons to act responsibly and refrain from sharing this misleading post.”

collapsed and died.

The post also claims that doctors at the GPHC suspect that the persons succumbed to COVID-19.

The GPHC said in a statement, “We

COVID-19 Update October 23 The Ministry of Heath recorded 27 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday October 22. Four cases were recorded in Region Three, 21 in Region Four, one in Region Six and one in Region Seven.

The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now at 3,877.

There have been 118 recorded COVID-19 deaths. 38 deaths were recorded over the last three weeks.

As of October 22 there have been 17,625 persons tested for the virus. 2,853 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases in the country at 906.

The Ministry of Health has said that there have been considerable achievements in its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said the regions have been

doing well in containing the disease but also acknowledged that there would be spikes in infections.

The Minister pointed to a reduction in the number of positive cases in Region Nine with a change from close to 100 active cases to six active cases.

Region One has one of the highest number of COVID-19 cases with Kwebanna being among the most affected villages.

Dr. Anthony said a health team will be dispatched to boost the medical workforce in the Region.

Once someone tests positive, they will be isolated at home; Contact tracing is done, and their relatives are informed about how to protect themselves. There will also be strict monitoring of persons entering and leaving the community.

The Minister added that these methods have

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Minister of Tourism, Oneidge Waldron

The APNU/AFC Coalition has called for the resignation of Minister of Tourism, Oneidge Waldron, following inquiries into the relinquishment of her dual citizenship.

Minister Waldron said in a statement regarding her citizenship, “I wrote to the US Consular Office on August 18 renouncing my citizenship to the United States of America with immediate effect.

“I was thereof informed of the administrative procedure I must comply with to obtain a Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States. I complied with that process

by August 27. I have since received the Certificate of Loss of Nationality.

“I took the oath to the National Assembly on September 1. That was after I renounced my citizenship of the United States of America.”

The APNU/AFC Coalition responded to

the Minister’s statement saying that renouncing citizenship was a process and “a person’s dual citizenship comes to an end at the time of the dated renunciation certificate, not at the time when one decides to embark on the process.”

The coalition also said that Waldron’s statement shows that she was still a citizen of the United States when she became a Minister and was sworn in as a Member of Parliament.

APNU/AFC Member of Parliament and shadow Attorney General, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, said the same rules governing elected members would apply to Minister Walrond even though she is a Technocrat Minister.

The Court of Appeal ruled in 2019 that someone who holds dual citizenship cannot be elected to a position in the National Assembly.

proven effective in other villages with a reduction in the number of cases after two to three weeks.

Minister Anthony also said that the challenges of dealing with the disease have been reduced with the capacity to now conduct tests at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, which has been boosted with three Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

machines. The Ministry was also successful in procuring adequate test kits and reagents to ensure there are sufficient stocks available.

The Minister reiterated the call for Guyanese to do their part to reduce transmission of the disease by wearing masks and sanitising or washing their hands thoroughly.

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

Norton Street fire leaves five homeless

2:45 p.m.

A Sunday afternoon fire Lodge, Georgetown, Quincy McEwan, one destroyed a two-storey leaving five persons of the persons who lived wooden and concrete homeless. in the house, said, “I was house at 62 Norton Street, The fire began at around at home. I was downstairs

soaking clothes; my friend was cooking. I went on the phone inviting my friend for some food and I hear ‘pow!’

“When I hear the ‘pow’, I raise my head same time to know what is going on upstairs. When I look up, I see fire coming from the backroom, that’s all I know.”

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received a report on the fire around 3:00 p.m. and dispatched two water tenders to the location.

Deputy Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, said, “Upon arrival, the entire building was engulfed in flame. The entire top floor had already caved in. The fire was also threatening the building on the western side. Immediately we went into firefighting mode, and brought the fire under control.”

(Loop News) Tropical Storm Zeta is rapidly gaining strength.

Hurricane conditions and storm surge are expected across portions of the Yucatan Peninsula later today.

A Hurricane Warning continues for the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Dzilam and Cozumel.

Hurricane conditions are expected there by late today.

A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1-3 feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast in the Hurricane

northwestern Caribbean Sea about 210 miles (340 km) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

Zeta is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). On the forecast track, the centre of Zeta will move near or over the northern Yucatan Peninsula later today or tonight, move over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and approach the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Data from an NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 70

mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropicalstorm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the centre.

Strengthening is forecast, and Zeta is expected to become a hurricane later this morning.

Additional strengthening is expected before Zeta moves over

the Yucatan Peninsula.

Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts of 12 inches, are possible through Tuesday along and east-northeast of Zetas track across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and central to western Cuba.

Zeta is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength

Defence Commission (CDC), of the 12 persons being housed there, three are children (one boy and two girls). There are six men and three women.

The Ministry of Education has said that One dozen squatters Graham’s Hall Primary it will provide assistance have now taken up School, East Coast and educational materials residence at the shelter Demerara. for any school-aged constructed in the According to the Civil children that are residing

in the shelter.

The shelter was established to be used by displaced squatters from the lands at Success.

Those lands are owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

The two-storey wooden and concrete house at 62 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown

The Fire Service managed to keep the house on the western side from being destroyed but it was scorched by the flames.

McEwan has been living at the property for over 23 years along with a four-year-old son and three other adults. The house is owned by their brother, Calvin Waterton.

McEwan said that while they did manage to save a television set and a refrigerator, they had suffered millions of dollars in losses. He added that the building was not insured.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway.

when it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, and there is an increasing risk of storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

Residents in these areas should monitor the progress of Zeta and updates to the forecast.

Zeta rapidly strengthening, hurricane conditions expected today Warning area near and to the north of where the centre makes landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Pinar del Rio Cuba, and for Mexico from south of Tulum to Punta Allen and from west of Dzilam to Progreso. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area of Mexico by late today and could occur in the warning area of western Cuba beginning later today.

At 5 a.m. EDT, the centre of Tropical Storm Zeta was located over the

More squatters move into Graham’s Hall shelter

info@guyanapostonline.com

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GuySuCo is working towards resuming operations on the closed estates and has made several attempts to remove the squatters from the land including the use of the Police and flooding the land.

Many of the squatters have refused to vacate the land and still remain

living there in makeshift dwellings. On Friday, a tree fell on a structure and injured eight women who were inside.

President Irfaan Ali has called on squatters to do the right thing to obtain land and noting that the squatter settlements were not sustainable.

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

PRIVATE CRIMINAL CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST KEITH LOWENFIELD, VOLDA LAWRENCE AND CLAIRMONT MINGO

Keith Lowenfield Today, the Director of Public Prosecutions moved to nolle prosequi the private criminal charges brought against Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform, Volda Lawrence and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Attorney at law, Nigel Hughes said, “Mr Lowenfield also had matters before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs. Those were cases brought by the police.

“It was disclosed that there were six persons to whom the Director of Public Prosecutions

Volda Lawrence gave the fiat to prosecute.

Sanjeev Datadin, Glenn Hanoman, Ganesh Hira, Mr Gossai, George Thomas, and Mark Conway.”

These are all private lawyers who would be paid by the DPP to prosecute the matters.

These matters stem from the charges brought by the police.

Mr Hughes said that the defence team was not afforded a copy of the fiat. The court. However, shared the fiat. It stated that Sanjeev Datadin would be in charge of the prosecution. The defence objected.

“Mr. Datadin is a sitting MP for the People’s

Progressive Party. To give him responsibility for the prosecution of a matter that is highly political and for which Mr. Hanoman agreed had political consequences, we believe is a poor exercise of her discretion.”

Mr Hughes contended that all prosecutors have a responsibility to fairness. In a matter that has political implications and with Datadin being a Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party, that could not fit him in the role of a prosecutor.

“All prosecutors have a responsibility for fairness.

They have no interest in conviction; they have a

Clairmont Mingo responsibility for fairness.

Part of that responsibility is that they must bring all the material to the court, whether it is in favour of their case or against their case.

“The Legal Practitioners’ Act says that all prosecutors have an obligation to be dispassionate. We believe that the appointment of a sitting government MP as a prosecutor completely violates all of those and has the appearance of bias.”

Mr. Hughes said that Datadin would be advocating a position that is hostile to the defendant.

“Mr Lowenfield’s ability to get a fair

trial depends on the prosecution acting fairly and in an open manner. One of their obligations is to disclose any information that they have in their presence which may be in favour of the accused person.”

The argument is that Datadin, who has a political bias, would not be disposed to disclose information that is in favour of the accused person. He said that he would adversely impair Mr Lowenfield’s right to a fair trial.

“The court ordered us to put over our submissions in writing and we come back in three weeks.”

Mr Lowenfield, Ms Lawrence, Mr Mingo and all those charged have been charged indictably.

This would mean that the matter should be disposed in the High Court. But the prosecution had other ideas.

“The prosecution asked for a summary disposal of the matter. We opposed this application. (The prosecutions’ contention) is that he defrauded the people of Guyana.

“There are 750,000 people in Guyana. You don’t get an allegation of a criminal act that has

more victims. Therefore we believe that the person whom you accuse of defrauding 750,000 people should face those 750,000 people in the shape and form of a jury of 12 persons of their own.”

Mr. Hughes said that the prosecution does not want that. They are contending that the matter would be too complicated for a jury.

This matter, too, would be further discussed in the magistrates’ court late in November.

Ms. Roxanne Myers, the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, faces the same conditions as Mr. Lowenfield. A member of the defence team, Ronald Daniels, said that the prosecution was expected to make full disclosure today.

“As we come here for disclosure in the private criminal charges, those matters were withdrawn.”

Mr Hughes said that these were the charges that were so serious that the prosecution was opposing bail for Mr. Lowenfield.

The trial for those matters was scheduled to begin on Monday.

That is no longer the case. The prosecution simply could not present the evidence hence the withdrawal of the charges.

National Assembly Clerk questions dual citizenship of Tourism Minister

Oneidge Walrond’s

The legitimacy of Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond’s position as a Member of Parliament (MP) was called into question after Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, said he had not received a document indicating that she had renounced her American

citizenship.

The issue of MPs holding dual citizenship was raised after December 21, 2018 when Alliance For Change (AFC) MP, Charrandass Persaud, voted in favour of the noconfidence motion against the APNU/AFC Coalition Government.

In 2019, the Court of Appeal ruled that

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someone who holds dual citizenship cannot be elected to a position in the National Assembly.

After the ruling by the Court, then government parliamentarians Joseph Harmon, Rupert Roopnaraine, Carl Greenidge and Dominic Gaskin resigned. Harmon and Greenidge have since said that they have

renounced their American and British citizenships.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, said that Minister Walrond’s application to renounce her American citizenship was completed before she was appointed as a parliamentarian and the constitution was being upheld

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

There could be a challenge to the DPP’s shocking decision to withdraw the charge against Nandlal

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall The decision by Director of Public Prosecutions to nolle prosequi the criminal charges against Anil Nandlall has sent shockwaves in many quarters. Perhaps the shock has been felt hardest within the ranks of the

coalition.

On Thursday, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde said that the decision was most unusual. Nandlall was before the courts for larceny of law books, property of the state.

“These charges were

DPP, Mrs. Shamimar Ali Hack, Sc instituted by the DPP and now appear to be arbitrarily withdrawn without explanation or reason. The withdrawal of these charges is yet another signpost signalling the erosion of law and order in the Guyanese society

since August 2, 2020.”

Mr. Forde said that the withdrawal of the charges highlight the fact that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has been politically compromised.

The DPP is acting, not

Success squatters injured after tree falls

independently or of her own free volition within the law, but under duress and immense political pressure and direction, he said.

Mr. Forde added that the APNU+AFC Coalition has learnt that the DPP office has become the new watering hole and gathering place for several well-known, prominent pro-PPP attorneys, including sitting Members of Parliament.

He said that these people frequent the DPP chambers on a daily basis to presumably cook up and concoct the litany of frivolous and vexatious charges that target APNU+AFC leaders, activists and supporters.

“The DPP chambers has become a virtual cook shop for politically motivated and vindictive

trumped up charges.”

The APNU+AFC Coalition wants the DPP to provide to the public, without delay, a thorough explanation for her withdrawal of the charges against Nandlall.

Lawyers are at present contemplating a challenge to the decision by the DPP to withdraw the charges.

Nandlall’s trial had reached the stage where the Magistrate had overruled his lawyer’s no-case submissions. He was then called on to lead a defence. He appealed to the Guyana Court of Appeal which said that it cannot pronounce on the matter that is still before the courts.

Nandlall took the matter to the Caribbean Court of Justice where it remained until the DPP opted to withdraw the charges.

COVID-19 Update October 24

Dr. Karen Cummings

The fallen tree on the shack

Eight of the squatters residing on the land at Success, East Coast Demerara, were injured yesterday after a tree fell onto a shed they were sitting in. All of the injured persons were women.

According to police, around 2:10 p.m. the tree fell on top of a makeshift structure on a dam running east to west, injuring the women sitting inside info@guyanapostonline.com

it. One woman was seriously hurt after being pinned by the fallen tree.

The others only received minor injuries about their bodies.

They were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital with assistance from law enforcement officers.

The police also stated that no work was being conducted in the area

by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) when the incident occurred.

The injured women are Dallyan Donald, 25, Shevon Bell, 34, Pinky Benjamin, 33, Sunita Persaud, 46, Nalini Lalland, 47, Sonia Nazir, 40, Nafeeza Persaud and a person whose name was given as “Smart”.

The Ministry of Health recorded 83 new cases of COVID 19 on Friday October 23.

36 cases were recorded in Region One, three in Region Two, three in Region Three, 16 in

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Region Four, five in Region Six, 19 in Region Seven and one in Region Eight The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now at 3,960.

The death toll is

currently at 118.

As of October 23 there have been 17,841 persons tested for the virus. 2,923 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases in the country at 919.

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

Guyana Post, Monday October 26, 2020

SENIOR COUNSEL ROYSDALE FORDE SAYS THE PPP WILL TRY TO STALL THE ELECTIONS PETITION

Senior Roysdale

Member of Parliament, is satisfied that the coalition satisfied all the laws pertaining to the elections petition.

His comments came in the wake of objections of a lack of service on Bharrat Jagdeo, the representative of the PPP list of candidates.

Rep r es en tin g Jagdeo is Senior Counsel D o u g l a s Mendes.

“There were indications of objections being Counsel raised by Mr Forde, a Mendes on behalf of Mr

Jagdeo in relation to the service of the elections petition but I am satisfied that we would have complied with all the legal requirements in relation to the elections petitions and the laws governing them.

“We therefore expect that these elections petitions will be heard and determined quickly and in favour of the petitioner.”

Mr Forde said that he is confident about the petitions being successful. He said that the petitions should be heard expeditiously. He said that his team that included attorney Mayo Robertson, anticipated such objections.

CDC says there is no risk of oil spill from Nabarima vessel The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) wishes to notify the public that there is minimal risk of an oil spill in the Gulf of Paria. This information comes after assessments conducted by Trinidad and Tobago, efforts to relieve the Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel (FSO) NABARIMA of its cargo and the ongoing remedial works.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, said yesterday, “The FSO Nabarima is upright and stable with no visible tilt and there is no imminent risk of tilting or sinking.”

A three-man team from Trinidad and Tobago assessed the situation and reported that the ongoing maintenance on the vessel

was “quite satisfactory” with pumps and electrical motors being repaired and replaced as needed.

The Guardian Newspaper reported that the Venezuelans and Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) had started to offload the vessel on Tuesday after the arrival of PDVSA’s Aframax ship, Icaro – a much smaller vessel than Nabarima.

Khan said that the team recommended that the transfer of oil from

the vessel be done by a larger vessel which will reduce the offload time and logistics of the transfer as “this will reduce the possibility of an environmental incident occurring in the Gulf of Paria.”

The CDC will continue to liaise with its local, regional and international counterparts to ensure the situation is adequately monitored and that no threats are posed to Guyana.

“It was clear during the process of serving of the petition that Mr. Jagdeo, the representative of the list, would have sought to avoid service, repeatedly.

“But the law, the National Assembly Validity Act, contemplated those possibilities. We complied with the law, we applied to the court in due time and got orders of court granted in respect of himself and other respondents we had difficulty effecting service upon and we were able to comply with the law.”

The preliminary case is that the objections may not have merit. Mr Forde said that the objections

would be exposed as being misconceived.

The fact that the two petitions filed by the coalition may be seeking the same end result does not mean that they are the same. Mr Forde said that the reliefs being sought are completely different.

And in response to the comment by Attorney General Anil Nandlall that the petitions will go nowhere, Senior Counsel Forde said that the PPP is simply putting up a front.

“If they have all this degree of confidence in the elections petition being without merit, why spend state resources hounding down employees of the

elections commission?

Why spend considerable time and energy seeking to use state force against persons?

“Why seek to lockup people? I am not worried by the statements made by the Attorney General.

What I know as a fact is that they are extremely worried about the elections petitions being heard so early and what they are likely to reveal.

Because a petition seeks the removal of a government from office, lawyers will seek every available path to delay an elections petition from being heard, according to Mr. Forde.

Police force receives donations from PSC to help protect them from COVID-19

Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie received 2,000 masks and a check for $99,000 from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) done by Chairman of the PSC, Nicholas Boyer

Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie received 2,000 masks and a check for $99,000 from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to help protect ranks from COVID-19.

The handing over was done by Chairman of the PSC, Nicholas Boyer, and businessman, Maniram Prashad, today, October 23, at the Commissioner’s conference room at Eve Leary.

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The Commissioner said the funds will be used to purchase materials to sew reusable masks for the police ranks who are a part of the Government’s COVI-Curb operation.

The COVID-curb operation was started with the goal of sensitizing the public to the importance of the measures that are in place for the prevention of COVID-19.

The Police Force is working in every Region

to “engage, encourage, educate and enforce.” The Commissioner also said that he hopes people will continue to adhere to the measures in place.

Boyer also encouraged the public to work with the police force and to follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Public Health and the international agencies, WHO and PAHO.

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

House to House registration is a must Dear Editor, My country remains a strange and interesting place in the run up to National and Regional Elections 2020, for reasons which I never understood.

GECOM suspended House-to House Registration.

Spurious reasons were advanced to justify us going into Elections before completing this House-to-House registration exercise.

For some equally strange reason our political leaders seem to accept going into Elections using a list that was clearly not wholesome.

Those of us who have experienced the

contentions of Elections, since Universal Adult Suffrage was introduced in 1953, must know how important an updated list of voters is.

What prevented us from continuing Houseto-House Registration, Covid 19 or no Covid?, Are we to believe that our new political leaders relish a situation where Elections provide opportunities for disputes?

For the sake of removing all obstacles in the way of a peaceful and speedy Election, a Houseto-House registration should be reactivated and a system put in place for an annual review and update of such a list.

Hamilton Green

Coastal warnings discontinued as Epsilon moves away from Bermuda Loop News) Bermudians are breathing a collective sigh of relief as the country’s Meteorological Service has discontinued the Tropical Storm warning for the island.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, as Epsilon has veered off its projected course and is now moving northward, away from Bermuda.

The National Hurricane Centre has advised,

however, that large swells generated by Epsilon will affect Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Leeward Islands, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the next few days.

These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

At 5am AST, the centre of Hurricane Epsilon was

located over the central Atlantic Ocean about 195 miles (310 km) eastnortheast of Bermuda.

Epsilon is moving toward the north near 8 mph (13 km/h). A generally northward motion with increasing forward speed is expected through early Saturday, with an even faster motion toward the northeast later that day.

The centre of Epsilon will continue to move away from Bermuda.

Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts.

Epsilon remains a large storm system. Hurricaneforce winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles (405 km).

Some fluctuations in strength could occur for the next day or so before gradual weakening begins on Saturday.

Trinidad and Tobago prepares tourism sector for reopening of borders (Caribbean News Global) PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL) in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) hosted a train the trainer webinar: COVID-19 health guidelines for reopening the tourism sector and the tourism health information system.

Designed for a wide range of tourism stakeholders, this webinar provided a comprehensive understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as protection and safety measures. This training is a crucial step in the overall preparation for eventual reopening of the destination to international travellers.

One of the key messages from the virtual training was that tourism stakeholders must deliver simple, easy, healthy, and safe experiences for all visitors to Destination Trinidad as we navigate through the coronavirus pandemic. Over 200

info@guyanapostonline.com

tourism stakeholders took part in this program on October 14.

Tourism practitioners were briefed regarding best practices to be implemented to restore the confidence of the travellers t h r o u g h regional safety and security protocols designed to reduce risks in each step of the tourism value chain. These protocols include the implementation of check procedures where appropriate, including temperature scans, testing, physical distancing, enhanced frequency of cleaning and the provision of hygiene kits for safe air travel, hospitality services and safe events.

According to the chief executive officer of Tourism Trinidad

(Acting) Heidi Alert, “this training was essential for the industry to emerge stronger and

tourism resilience training that we have engaged COSTATT to deliver to transport operators,

Heidi Alert further added: “We are also thrilled to be working more closely with

more sustainably from COVID-19. At this time, we must act decisively to restore travel confidence in a safe and responsible manner. It sends a clear message that we care deeply about the health and safety of both our citizens and visitors”.

“The CARPHAtraining complements the wider

tourist attractions, hotels, tour operators, and food and beverage facilities to prepare for when the time becomes appropriate to reopen borders and once again welcome visitors.

This retooling of the tourism sector will give Destination Trinidad an edge in its marketing activities”.

CARPHA, the leading regional public health response to COVID-19, to roll out to the industry the online Tourism Health Information System (THiS) that will make successful tourism organizations eligible to receive the Caribbean Travel Health Assurance (CTHA) Stamp, adding

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further assurance to travellers about their commitment to their health safety.

The advantage of this Stamp is that it provides measurable and verifiable recognition that tourism businesses are implementing the recommended proactive COVID-19 health monitoring and safety measures and is, therefore, an excellent marketing tool”.

Established in 2011 by the Caribbean Community Member States, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is the recognised single regional public health agency for the Caribbean.

The main objective of CARPHA is to strengthen and reorient the Caribbean’s health system approach so that our island states are better equipped to address the rapidly changing nature of public health challenge

Guyana Post, Monday October 26, 2020

COVID-19 Update October 23 The Ministry of Heath recorded 27 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday October 22. Four cases were recorded in Region Three, 21 in Region Four, one in Region Six and one in Region Seven.

The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now at 3,877.

There have been 118 recorded COVID-19 deaths. 38 deaths were recorded over the last three weeks.

As of October 22 there have been 17,625 persons tested for the virus. 2,853 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases in the country at 906.

The Ministry of Health has said that there have been considerable achievements in its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said the regions have been doing well in containing the disease but also acknowledged that there would be spikes in infections.

The Minister pointed to a reduction in the number of positive cases in Region Nine with a change from close to 100 active cases to six active cases.

Region One has one of the highest number of COVID-19 cases with

Kwebanna being among the most affected villages.

Dr. Anthony said a health team will be dispatched to boost the medical workforce in the Region.

Once someone tests positive, they will be isolated at home; Contact tracing is done, and their relatives are informed about how to protect themselves. There will also be strict monitoring of persons entering and leaving the community.

The Minister added that these methods have proven effective in other villages with a reduction in the number of cases after two to three weeks.

Minister Anthony also

said that the challenges of dealing with the disease have been reduced with the capacity to now conduct tests at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, which has been boosted with three Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines. The Ministry was also successful in procuring adequate test kits and reagents to ensure there are sufficient stocks available.

The Minister reiterated the call for Guyanese to do their part to reduce transmission of the disease by wearing masks and sanitising or washing their hands thoroughly.

Health Minister abandons COVID-19 patients — says Dr. Karen Cummings Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament, Dr. Karen Cummings

pandemic in Guyana has taken a turn for the worst with an alarming increase in the number of deaths

Ministry of Health and Dr Frank Anthony

has accused the Ministry of Health and Dr Frank Anthony of what she calls ‘dereliction of duty.’

At a press conference yesterday she said that the Health Ministry has abandoned its duty to COVID patients.

“The COVID-19

as more and more people become infected.

“On October 13, 2020, the Ministry of Health recorded 1,008 active cases of COVID-19 of which 876 infected persons were left to home isolate.”

Dr. Cummings said that

it is wishful thinking of the to government-operated Minister of Health, that isolation Units. he expects home isolated Today, the infected patients to stay home, people are not provided with any support from the government. This causes more persons to become infected and later die, Dr. Cummings said.

It is almost impossible for an infected person to be isolated in a normal home in Guyana. She said that it is wishful thinking on the part of the Health Minister to believe that infected people will be in a home and not infect the not infect their families, other occupants. and not die but rather he Dr. Cummings said that expects these very patients the patients also have to to foot the bill while the foot the bill for their care Health Ministry continues while the Ministry eases itself of this responsibility. to waste tax dollars.

She said that in the past “(The authorities) the Coalition isolated no longer have to find anyone who tested nurses and doctors to positive. They were taken provide patients with daily

27

Dr. Karen Cummings

checks to ensure they are recovering well.

“They no longer have to ensure patients have access to vitamin supplements such as Vitamin C and Zinc along with medication for fever, headache and cough “They no longer have to supply each positive patient with a minimum of three surgical face masks a day to prevent them from spreading COVID-19 “ They no longer have to provide PPE – face masks, face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and gowns – for doctors and nurses to use daily – a minimum of three times per day to follow-up on patients.”

In the end the Ministry saves at least $24,500 per patient.

“When a patient is on home isolation the Ministry of Health saves money as follows. On average the Government saves about $24,500 a day for every COVID-19 case that is on home isolation,” Dr. Cummings said.

This value to the Government of the day is in exchange of an average of two new cases of COVID-19 which is gained for every person they place on home isolation, she added.

This constitutes a dereliction of duty by the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and the PPP regime who are failing to deliver adequate and sufficient health care to the people of Guyana during this global pandemic.

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

Private Sector Commission Elections observer pleads guilty to cocaine trafficking Ghalee Khan

On Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Guyanese businessman and former Private Sector Election Observer, Ghalee Khan, made a plea deal before a Federal Judge in the US, according to New York-based Enrico Woolford.

Khan, a 43-year-old Guyanese, admitted that he is guilty of conspiracy to import drugs into, conspiracy with intent to distribute drugs in the US and of jumping bail.

Khan was arrested in November 2008 when he and Danvor Griffith were

…Ghalee Khan faces five-year jail term

indicted on the cocaine charges. They were accused of moving five or more kilos cocaine from Guyana.

Khan jumped bail in December 2008. He proceeded to reestablish residence and business in Guyana.

Although the then PPP government was aware of Khan and his coconspirator’s presence in Guyana very little effort was made to have them appear in the US court.

Khan set up a security company that tendered for and obtained security

contracts from the Guyana Government for nearly a decade.

Khan’s firm was accepted as a member of the private sector and the Chamber of Commerce in Guyana On Wednesday, the court this morning heard that the plea agreement was in discussion with the Prosecution since last year. Khan left Guyana for the US days after he was an observer at Guyana’s March 2 Elections this year.

According to Woolford, the Managing Director

Epsilon now a category 2 hurricane, Bermuda braces for bad weather

(Loop News) A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Bermuda and residents have been advised to brace for Tropical storm conditions today.

The National Hurricane Centre stated in its 5 reports that these conditions will continue intermittently in Bermuda throughout this evening.

At 5am AST, the centre of Hurricane Epsilon was located about 260 miles (415 km) east-southeast of Bermuda.

Epsilon has been wobbling around since last evening, but according to the NHC, its longerterm motion is toward the

northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h).

A turn toward the northnorthwest is expected later today, followed by a northward motion tonight through Friday night, and an acceleration toward the northeast on Saturday.

On the forecast track, the centre of Epsilon is forecast to make its closest approach to, but well to the east of, Bermuda later this evening.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 110 mph (175 km/h) with higher gusts – a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centre and tropicalstorm-force winds extend outward up to 310 miles (500 km). Additional weakening is forecast to take place during the next few days.

Large swells generated

by Epsilon will affect Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Leeward Islands, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the next few days.

These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions

COVID-19 Update October 22

The Ministry of Health recorded 54 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday October 20.

Five cases were from Region One, three from Region Two, seven from Region Three, 31 from info@guyanapostonline.com

Region Four, two from Region Seven, two from Region Eight, two from Region Nine and two from Region Ten. The total number of recorded cases in Guyana is now 3,850.

There have been 956 cases recorded over the last three weeks.

The death toll has risen to 118 with the death of a 68-year-old man from Region One. There have been 38 recorded

of the Guyana-based television newscast, Capitol News, Khan will be sentenced on January 28 next year by Federal

District Judge Sterling Johnson. He faces a minimum of five years in federal jail.

Khan appeared with his

attorney Michael Kushner before Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann via video and telephone conference because of COVID considerations.

Two of three escapees recaptured

Two of the three men who escaped from Lusignan Prison have been recaptured. The three prisoners escaped on Tuesday night by jumping the fence of the Prison.

A statement from the Guyana Prison Service said that swift and tactical action by members of the Joint Services led to the recapture of Alex Matthias

and Arnold Kennedy at Zeelugt Public Road, East Bank Essequibo.

Both men were facing murder charges.

Police have said that the pair will provide aid in the ongoing search for the remaining escapee Mark Rafino. Rafino is from Good Intent Village, West Bank Demerara and was

committed to stand trial for robbery.

The Police also thanked persons who helped to get the information about the escape out to the public, the support of the public for providing information on their location and the Joint Services members for conducting a clinical recapture.

COVID-19 deaths so far in the month of October.

As of October 21 there have been 17,482 persons tested for the virus. 2,839 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases in the country

at 893.

The COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No. 9), will remain in effect until October 31st, 2020.

This order emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face

mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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GUNMEN VISIT CHIEF JUSTICE’S HOME, DROP FAKE PISTOL The Police Criminal Investigation Department, Major Crimes Unit and other law enforcement agencies are on high alert after three men showed up at the home of Chief Justice Roxane George, one day before the case management into the elections petition filed by the coalition administration.

BIG Smith News Watch, headed by Leroy Smith, reported that the men showed up with a Glock Pistol which they

dropped and left behind after the female police rank who was on duty at the location raised an alarm and the Tactical Services Unit rank who was also on duty at the premises responded.

However by the time the rank took up his tactical posture to engage the men, they made good their escape. The pistol turned out to be a fake.

The community where the Chief Justice lives has a number of houses with CCTV cameras as well as

the main entrance to the community.

It is unclear if any evidential footage was recovered by the detective who visited the location. It is also unclear if the Chief Justice was at home at the time.

Chief Justice Roxane George is expected to start the case management procedures into the March 2020 election petition which was filed by the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC).

Ministry discusses plans to reopen schools

Chief Justice Roxane George,

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, held a virtual meeting with all Regional Executive Officers and Regional Education Officers to discuss plans for the eventual re-opening of schools.

In attendance were Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson; Permanent Secretary, Alfred King; the Assistant

Chief Education Officers for Nursery, Primary and Secondary; all District Education Officers and the Chief Planning Officer Nicola Johnson.

The objective of the meeting was to determine the level of preparations each region had for the eventual re-opening of schools.

Grades 10 and Eleven 11 students were

considered for the first group of students to return to in class learning as they would need more time in the classroom to complete School-Based Assessments (SBA) for CXC and CAPE examinations in 2021.

The Minister stressed the importance of schools being prepared to safely receive both students and teachers once they are

approved for re-opening by the Ministry of Health.

Every school should have running water, adequate toilets and other related features made available.

Currently works are underway at schools across the country to install additional sinks at the entrances and within the schools. Additional toilets are being built;

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COVID-19 guidelines signs are being placed around the schools and the compounds are being weeded and cleaned.

The issue of students at schools with dormitories being adequately facilitated while still observing the COVID-19 social distancing guideline was also discussed in the meeting.

Minister Manickchand

acknowledged that these undertakings are expensive but noted that the National Budget did cater for this approach in addressing the situation.

She also said that the ongoing work had to be accelerated and efficiently managed to ensure the safety of students, teachers and other stakeholders once schools were reopened.

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

Stop giving money to child beggars— CPA’s Ann Greenefor Ms. Ann Greene

Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ms. Ann Greene is calling on the public to stop giving

money to children who are begging at stop lights around Georgetown.

The Director raised this issue, and other troubling

matters, on a recent television programme.

“These children are at risk and members of the public must not give these children ‘small change’ because when they do, they become a part of the problem and not the solution,” Ms. Greene said.

The CPA has received reports that children are soliciting money at various stop light junctions, in exchange for cleaning the windscreens

of random cars.

“We cannot arrest random persons who hand out money to these children on the streets, but we are pleading with them to be our eyes. The Childcare and Protection Agency cannot do the job alone; wherever there are children wandering report them to the Agency, so we can get them off the streets. Do not feed into the issue,” Greene said.

Recently, the CPA team conducted an exercise

in which several were removed from the streets.

Through this intervention, a single mother of nine, who is a security guard, was called into the Agency after one of her children was taken into care.

Ms. Greene said that after listening to the woman’s plight the Agency took a decision to list the names and last known addresses of absentee fathers in the daily newspapers, asking them to report to the

Agency.

“Through this system, once the information is published and the father/s reach out to us, we don’t throw them in the lockups.

Instead, we work with them, whether through counselling or the court system, to ensure these children who are on the streets are taken care of rather than neglected and exposed to danger,” the Director said.

Late and unsubmitted SBAs responsible for ungraded CXC results A review of the grades released by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has found that the reason behind the ungraded scores received by students was late, and in some cases non submission, of school based assessments (SBAs) by teachers.

Schools across the Caribbean have lodged

complaints about this year’s CXC results in almost all of the subject areas. Students have also requested reviews of their final grades.

CXC altered the format of the Caribbean Secondary Certificate Examination by not including a long paper but requiring the submission of entire SBAs for to be

graded. Usually, only a sample of the SBAs is used to make up the final grade.

Speaking on the explanation given by CXC on the ungraded results that were received, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, said on Tuesday that it appeared some teachers did not submit the SBAs

on time or failed to submit them at all.

“Of the 20 schools that had ungraded marks, for most of them, it was because our teachers and our central Ministry failed in making sure those SBAs reached CXC or reach them correctly. So, it was not the students’ fault. It was the way it was delivered and submitted

and that will not happen again.”

The Minister also said that there would be more training and monitoring of teachers in the future. She added that Marcel Hutson, the Chief Education Officer, is collaborating with the Assistant Chief Education Officer, Secondary Exams

Division, to ensure that there is accurate and high quality marking and that the timetable for submissions is kept.

CXC is still in the process of reviewing the grades for other students and has made moves to address those who received ungraded results.

Guyana’s COVID toll is 110 and counting The Ministry of Health recorded 52 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday October 16. Nine cases were recorded in Region One, one in Region Two, four in Region Three, 24 in Region Four, one in Region Five, nine in Region Seven, and four in Region Ten. The total number of recorded cases in Guyana info@guyanapostonline.com

is now 3,672.

The death toll is currently at 110. There have been 30 COVID-19 deaths recorded so far in October.

As of Friday, 16,561 persons have been tested for the virus. 2,590 persons have recovered leaving the number of active cases in the country at 972.

The Head of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Dr. Lucio Pedro, disclosed that there are currently 37 postpartum mothers who are infected with the virus.

Pedro said the hospital was unsuccessful in determining how these women had contracted the

virus.

Studies initially revealed that coronaviruspositive mothers do not transfer the virus to their babies, but other research has linked coronaviruspositive mothers to higher rates of premature births and maternal morbidity.

The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) had stated that

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studies showed pregnant women can be severely affected by COVID-19 but Dr. Pedro said none of the positive mothers had shown any severe forms of the virus.

Dr. Pedro added that all swabs which were lifted from newborns for COVID-19 testing have returned negative.

Once a mother tests

positive for the virus they are isolated from their newborns to help reduce infection. The hospital has also constructed a makeshift labour room for positive COVID-19 mothers to keep them separated from those who are not infected.

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

Police have a woman reporting to CID every day since August 26

former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence

Chairperson of the People’s national Congress and former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, made another of what has become a pilgrimage to the

Georgetown Magistrates’ Court today. Again she was slapped with charges pertaining to electoral fraud.

Also appearing alongside her and charged with conspiracy was PNC activist, Carol Joseph.

Attorney at Law, Nigel Hughes, accompanied by attorney Darren Wade was later required to address the situation.

“Ms. Volda Lawrence, Mr. Clairmont Mingo and Ms. Carol Smith-Joseph were all charged. Ms. Volda Lawrence had one charge, Ms. Carol SmithJoseph had three charges.

Two were of conspiracy to defraud. She was jointly charged with Ms. Lawrence.

“Mr. Mingo had three charges. One of forgery for which he has been jointly charged with Ms. Joseph, and two others of conspiracy.”

This time the bail

amount was $30,000 on each charge. The matter has been adjourned to October 28.

Mr. Hughes said that the charges are the same that have been applied. At the same time the defence has not seen any statements in relation to any of the charges.

“Both Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Joseph attended video-recorded interviews at which the same questions were asked of them previously.

“These were repeated yesterday. So one is at a loss to find out the basis for these charges, particularly when they are existing charges.

“Ms. Joseph is of course appearing before the court

for the first time.”

Mr. Hughes said that today, like any other time when his clients have had to appear in court, he asked that for the purposes of efficiency the prosecution should bring all the charges at one time.

This would allow for the defence to determine the most efficient way to have the charges heard by the different magistrates.

“Bringing them in drips every week or every two days does not help, particularly when you have reported to the courts that you have not completed your investigations.

“Our proposal was that they take a long date so when they are confident that they have concluded their investigations we would be aware of all the charges.

“At that stage we could sit down and decide which cases could go forward, which cases are not going forward and which witnesses are going to come.

“The present way in which they have elected to conduct this results in great inconvenience to all the people charged.

Mr. Mingo has to travel from West Coast Berbice; Ms. Joseph, every time she has to go to the CID Headquarters at Eve

Leary, she has to travel from West Coast Berbice.”

He said that this could be a burden, especially at this time of COVID. Organising the charges would be a help to these people, according to Mr. Hughes.

“Of course, if you complete your investigation, you have one mass interview, then they come to court to deal with the charges.

“These charges may be without foundation but we will address them at the time. But having them come every day, every two days every week; the administration probably

has some other intent.”

Ms. Lawrence was one frustrated woman. “Come back for Act 1; Scene 5.

Come back before the Chief Magistrate. Today they read several charges against myself and my sister. And let me tell you the truth, I stop listening.

“Let them just do what they think they can continue to do here on earth and God would do the rest.”

But there was something upsetting amidst all the happenings.

And these happenings involve the women employed by the Guyana Elections Commission.

“I was very touched when I heard they had been reporting to CID

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since August 26. One has a sick mother living way over the river. (This woman) got to come every day and report. That is money that she has to spend that she doesn’t have.

“This morning when the other name was calling in there, in court, she was in CID.” The police had sent charges for this woman while they had her sitting at CID headquarters, Eve Leary. And there was evidence of continued

harassment.

Ms. Lawrence said that those charged were requested to report to court for 9:00 this morning. The charges did not arrive until after 10:00.

“This is harassment.

This is nothing to do with law and order and forgery and what else. This is just harassment.

“In my own purview, I feel that they got to please somebody so every other week they got to march us to CID.” The matter has been adjourned

Three more escape from Lusignan Prison

Three inmates who are said to be facing murder-related charges have escaped from the Lusignan Prison.

They have been identified as Mark Rafino, Alex Mathias and Arnold Kennedy.

Rafino was committed to stand trial for the attempted murder of a barber at Richmond. He was granted bail and was also on trial for the robbery of a money changer and his daughter.

Matthias was accused of the murder of a man at Pomona Housing Scheme in December 2018 Kennedy and several others were accused of the murder of Alvin Seenarine, called ‘Chockoloo’, of 820 ‘G’ Zeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo in July 2019.

A report from Police Headquarters said that the prisoners escaped by jumping the south eastern fence of the Prison. An intensive

manhunt for the prisoners is currently underway as investigations continue.

Police are asking persons to report any suspicious individuals or activities to the nearest police station or call 2256411.

The Lusignan prison has experienced several escapes and incidents of violence over the last few months.

Leroy Graham escaped from a burnt section of the prison on September 21 and just over a week later, James Moore, escaped while he was placed on kitchen duty.

Two inmates were killed by prison officers during a riot that occurred following a visit from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Home Affairs.

On October 16, prisoners attempted to kill Aszim Shivgobin who was on remand for the murder of Canadian citizen, Nicholas Jaipaul.

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

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