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Thursday Edition March 26, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 12 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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Online readership yesterday 165,063

Preliminary audit report for Exxon's US$460M pre-contract costs being examined - GRA Boss Region Seven rolls out action City Council begins plan to deal with COVID-19 sanitisation exercise

to combat Coronavirus Inter-Religious Organisation calls for 7 weeks of social distancing Several Caribbean countries to benefit from IMF/World Bank initiative - Antiguan envoy says many others should be included

Visitors to Bartica Regional Hospital are required to wash their hands as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID -19.

Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus, Queen Elizabeth in good health COVID-19 update...

UN launches US$2B global No new cases, but 'person of interest' on humanitarian response Health Ministry's radar plan to tackle COVID-19

- awareness messages being translated for migrant, indigenous populations

Kaieteur News

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Thursday March 26, 2020

Region Seven rolls out action plan to deal with COVID-19 A

regional task force has been set up as part of an action plan to deal with measures to safeguard against the spread of COVID- 19 in Region Seven.

Heading the task force is Regional Health Officer, (RHO) Dr. Edward Sagala, with close support from Deputy Regional Health O ff i c e r, D r. J u l i a n Clementson; Bartica Hospital Superintendent, Dr. Gillian Jardine; Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford; Regional executive Officer, Kerwin Ward, and others.

According to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region seven, the work of the task force will be to draft strategies for public awareness and also for response protocols for the Bartica Hospital and all other hospitals, health centres and health posts across the region.

Dr. Sagala stressed the importance of immediate health education, health promotion, and the promotion of proper washing of hands on a regular basis, as strategies to prevent COVID-19 infection.

In the statement, the RDC outlined that a series of meetings were held this week, with representatives

Visitors to Bartica Regional Hospital are required to wash their hands as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID -19.

of various organizations, both governmental and private measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease.

The meetings were spearheaded by the Regional Disaster Management Committee of CuyuniMazaruni, as regional authorities intensify efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the region, and also to make preparations for any eventuality of an outbreak.

In a meeting of the committee held on Monday at the head of the committee, Regional Health Officer, Dr. Sagala, said that “in order for the efforts of the authorities, in the quest to prevent the importation of the disease

into the township of Bartica and the region as a whole, to be successful, there must be a concerted effort and cooperation of the general public, especially business operators and those in strategic positions to effect action to help the cause�.

As such, he noted the involvement of government agencies, businesses and the Bartica Speedboat Association was integral to stopping the disease.

At the meeting, it was also pointed out that the town's main port of entry, the Bartica Stelling, where passenger boats arrive from Parika, is a vulnerable point where persons infected with the disease can enter the community. The group

discussed the possibility of setting up a medical screening station there.

The meeting also discussed the lockdown or restrictions on a number of public spaces and nonessential businesses, in the effort to heighten social distancing.

In the drive to educate and inform the public about COVID-19, a number of volunteers have come forward to share fliers and talk to residents about preventative methods. An announcement by way of public address system will be made around the streets of Bartica, while radio, television, internet and other medium are being utilized.

Bartica is a community

RHO Region Seven Dr Edward Sagala

Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall

of over fifteen thousand residents, located on the Essequibo River, and is the capital town of CuyuniMazaruni Region. Similar preventative arrangements are being carried out across the region. Regional Health officials and others were deployed to various areas to ensure awareness and preparations are put in place for any eventuality.

Health facilities across Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region consist of one Regional Hospital at Bartica, one District Hospital at Kamarang Village, two Health Centres and twentysix Health Posts.

In the interim, the Bartica Regional Hospital, which is the largest in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region, has been leading the way in putting systems in place for

the prevention of the dreaded disease across the region, and also to be prepared in case of any infections.

Upon arrival at the hospital, persons are now required to wash their hands at the entrance.

Visitors must then report to the temporary screening station, located in the compound, to respond to a number of questions from health personnel, who will direct persons with flu-like symptoms, and those who recently returned from another country, directly to the Accident and Emergency Unit, while other sick persons will be sent to the Out-Patient Department.

Exit from the compound has been restricted to the gate at Second Avenue (opposite St John-the(continued on page 17)

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 26, 2020

PAGE 03

No new cases but 'person of interest' on Ministry's radar - awareness messages being translated W for migrant, indigenous populations COVID-19 update...

hile Guyana's cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) remain at five, the Ministry of Public Health has a 'person of interest' on its radar.

This was disclosed by Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, during a live Facebook presentation yesterday. The Minister did not detail the specific characteristics of a 'person of interest' but she revealed that “at one point we did have seven persons who were of

interest to us.”

With six less persons to monitor, the Minister said that the national response to the novel coronavirus has warranted nine persons be placed in mandatory quarantine and an additional four in mandatory isolation.

She disclosed too that all persons in quarantine and isolation will be receiving psychosocial services support from the Public Health Ministry's Mental Health Unit. The disease, which

emerged in Wuhan, China in December of last year, has since made its way into more than 190 countries with the total number of infected persons surpassing 400,000. Of the total number of persons infected with the virus just over 18,000 have died, according to the World Health Organisation [WHO].

Currently the Ministry's response is premised on eight pillars set out by the WHO. And according to Minister Lawr e n c e , t h e H e a l t h

Measures implemented at tax offices to create social distancing

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aking into consideration recommendations from the Ministry of Public Health to create social distancing and discourage mass gatherings, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be implementing several measures immediately at its tax offices.

GRA noted that it will be restricting the number of customers who will be allowed into its offices at one time, to avoid crowding as well as discontinue the acceptance of returns at the counter and printing of lodgement receipts when taxpayers submit their returns. The authority said that this is applicable to all returns including Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Property Tax, PAYE and VAT. GRA will also reduce the processing of Driver's Licenses, Motor Vehicle Licences and Motor Vehicle Registrations. A notice advising of same has been

published in all the daily newspapers. It will also cancel all Taxpayer Education workshops and presentations.

In this regard, it encourages taxpayers to use its online tax p l a t f o r m a t https://eservices.gra.gov.gy which allows the electronic submission of returns.

Alternatively, a drop-box will be available for taxpayers to deposit all returns which will be subsequently lodged by the staff.

Kaieteur News understands that applications for new TINs and for updates to TINs can be submitted via email to filing@gra.gov.gy.

Taxpayers are asked to include a landline or mobile number with all emails in case contact has to be made to resolve any issues that may arise.

Ta x p a y e r s a r e a l s o advised to use the electronic payment facilities offered by Mobile Money Guyana (MMG), Western Union Bill Express and participating

online Commercial Banks such as Republic Bank, Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry and Demerara Bank.

For customers who need to visit GRA's tax offices, the authority advised that it will be operating with a reduced number of staff members since it is currently utilizing a rotation schedule to limit the persons in the building.

Additionally, some of its team members would have had to be permitted to accommodate their children's stay at home due to the closure of schools, as well as others who may be quarantined due to recent overseas travel or possible trace contact with affected persons.

For queries or need special assistance with taxrelated matters, taxpayers are asked to call the Tax Advisory Helpline on 2276060 Ext 1200 or 1201 or visit the website at www.gra.gov.gy for contact numbers for the various departments within GRA.

Emergency Operations Centre [HEOC], set up in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, is tasked with implementing the Ministry's national strategic plan. The HEOC, the Minister informed, is tasked with meeting every 48 hours for updates. This, she explained, is in an effort to monitor the disease situation with a view of mitigating its spread.

The Minister sought to underscore too that “there is an adequate supply of testing kits and PPEs [personal protective equipment] for our medical personnel” and “continuous education of the public through various media messages is ongoing”.

In the latter regard, Lawrence said that the Ministry has sought to translate its me s s a g e s i n t h e f o u r indigenous dialects of

Wa p i c h a n , M a k u s h i , Akawaio and Patamona.

Also, the Minister informed that “We are currently working on the messages for persons living with disabilities and through some of our international partners” and “we are working on translation into languages for our migrant population”.

Regarding its multisectoral and multi-partner coordination, the Minister said that her Ministry intends to continue to work closely with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health O r g a n i s a t i o n [PAHO/WHO], the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund [UNICEF], the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], and members of the Diaspora. Additionally, the Minister said that locally, her

Ministry has been working with the Rotary Club, which has been doing several sanitation tasks.

Other measures that the Ministry has adopted from WHO to combat this disease include: risk communication and community activities; surveillance; rapid response teams and case investigations; points of entry; the national reference laboratory; infection prevention and control; case management and operational support and logistics.

Aside from its technical efforts, the Minister said that social distancing and hygienic practices are continually being encouraged to ensure that “we can beat COVID-19”.

It is expected that the local Health Ministry will provide another update on the local COVID-19 situation today.

Taxes waived for all medical supplies needed for Coronavirus - GRA

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he Guyana R e v e n u e Authority (GRA) has issued a waiver of Value Added Tax (VAT) and duties on all medical supplies associated with the testing, prevention and treatment of the Coronavirus until June 30, 2020.

This measure applies to soaps, disinfectant sprays, hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes, face masks, rubbing alcohol, multivitamins and Vitamin C tablets. A waiver

was also approved for 15,000 litres of rubbing alcohol which has been provided to Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) since that company is providing it through the Ministry of Public Health.

The Guyana Revenue Authority also noted that there would be tax deductions for all donations made by local businesses to staff and health institutions for the treatment of the virus.

It was further noted that there would be deferred

payment of corporate and individual advance taxes and PAY E f o r b u s i n e s s e s affected until June 30, 2020.

Those in the airline and tourism and associated industries, like hotels and transportation, who continue to keep their employees on the job or send their employees on extended vacation leave, would not receive any penalty and interest. Thereafter, GRA will allow businesses to pay advance taxes on the current year basis.

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The dream threatens to die a premature death The dream threatens to die a premature death. It is a testimony to the follies of political leaders lost in the addictions of their selfish ambitions for their visions of exclusive control of a country, and its wealth, which is now under a convergence of crises that menace its existence as a polity of any kind.

Warring peoples, fanatical supporters all, share the selfserving ambitions and visions of their masters and, thus, the dream long held, recently subjected to sickening jolts looks dimmer and dimmer, as it falters before what encroaches and enfeebles.

This is the current outlook of no less a global authority than Bloomberg, as carried in an article titled, “Bloomberg paints gloomy economic picture of Guyana - says country’s future as world’s fastest-growing economy dims” (KN March 25).

How far we have fallen, this state in which Guyana finds itself! This sorry and savaging state that conveys to a universe of disbelieving onlookers as to how sick we are to the bone, maybe even the depths of our darkened souls.

We are faced with not one overhanging plague, but the high probability of three of them. First, there is an elections conclusion waited upon in vain: starts and stops, failure and finger-pointing, and the wounding acrimonies that leave us unable to think on our feet any longer.

We muddle along, tumble headlong forward, in the desperate hope of a soft landing, a safe one. The problem is, whichever way these elections results conclude, no such softness or safety is assured. That is as good as guaranteed.

For neither of the contesting groups, none of their leadership classes, are so much as contemplating anything but winning and ascending, and going it alone from thereon forward.

In such concretized sentiments and unflappable positions, there is only the steepest, slipperiest, and most treacherous of misjudgments and miscalculations. Greater men and more endowed places have fallen down and fallen apart from the selfdestructive futility of their follies.

We should not attempt any such thing here, but we are bent on so doing, in spite of the gravest of misgivings that hover and encircle. We say: do not go down roads that will come back to haunt and condemn the rest of us and our prospects downward.

Those same elections and their controversies have been endless and have raised the hackles and ire of those looking on from abroad. The cautions and blunter condemnations have been consistent and, on occasion, the delicate protocols of diplomatic speak have been pushed to the edges.

It is an indication of the tricky state in which Guyana currently functions, where one misstep, a single misplacing of confidence, could lead to a rushing downward spiral. This is said because that deboning and disemboweling word “sanctions” keeps being uttered, and is slowly intensified in a relentless drumbeat that, at bottom, imparts: get this thing right! Don’t do it wrong. Don’t muddy further the Guyanese electoral waters. And to sum all of this up: Don’t put self in a position where swords are crossed with us. There could only be one loser, and that is Guyana and its sure-to-suffer peoples.

It would have been bad enough if those were all that this country faced. But all the way from the distance comes an apocalypse of fear, death, and developmental destructiveness.

COVID-19 is the name by which it reigns over an alarmed and shrinking world. Our local world has shrunk, but nowhere to the extent that is required. There is too much distraction (elections), too much disregard (individual and societal casualness), too much uncertainty (official unreadiness, despite assurances to the contrary), for our attentions and urgencies are not where they should be uppermost and always constantly. That raging virago of a virus is going to cut a wide swath and it knows no friends, spares none foolish enough to stand in resistance against its unchecked prowling.

And in the final enveloping piling on, this perfect storm that comes brings the news of flatlining oil prices. The bottom is so close as to trigger the chills. What are we fighting for so senselessly? The dream wilts and wanes.

Still, we wrestle and wrench each other deeper into the grave dug.

Thursday March 26, 2020

Our democracy is paramount to our economic wellbeing DEAR EDITOR, As an international development professional and academic, I have studied and witnessed firsthand the effects of conflict, political instability, insecurity, poor governance, and sanctions (economic and political) on ordinary citizens in many developing countries around the world. For this reason, I am afraid of what is coming Guyana’s way if an illegitimate government is installed with the help of GECOM, the Guyana Police Force, and to a certain extent, the judiciary.

While the empirical evidence is bountiful, we do not have to look beyond Venezuela for signs of what

is to come if an illegitimate government coupled with sanctions take full effect.

There is little doubt in my mind that ordinary Guyanese of all walks of life will suffer.

A few years ago, when I first saw Venezuelans lining up to buy food and medicine, my memory immediately jogged to when as a nine-year-old in the early 1990s, I lined up to buy tennis roll and bread from my neighbour’s bakery. In what seems like two lifetimes ago and in some ways, it is, I see history repeating itself all because of the selfish actions of a few rogue elements who are determined to sacrifice Guyana’s development gains and prospects by holding

onto power in the most undemocratic way.

The illegal actions of these few individuals will no doubt set Guyana’s development trajectory back decades with or without oil.

Why should any Guyanese tolerate such undemocratic behaviour that benefits only a few while sacrificing the many? The entire country will suffer irreparable damage that will destroy the prospects of current and future generations. And unlike the 1970s and 80s, Guyanese do not have Venezuela to turn to when the hard times arrive.

On recent trips to Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda I have seen how ordinary people that lack democratic norms and independent institutions are caught in a

vicious cycle of poverty, conflict, and hunger. I do not wish this for Guyana, but the signs are ominous. From what has transpired thus far, it appears that the APNUAFC coalition is hell-bent on holding onto power at all costs.

We must not let this happen as this will be the beginning of the end of our basic human rights. If we allow our democratic rights and freedoms to be stolen, our economic wellbeing both as individuals and as a country will soon follow. Take it from someone who has spent considerable time in conflict, post-conflict, and less developed countries as a development practitioner.

Yours faithfully, Omchand Mahdu

We might be reaching for a mirage, clutching at straws DEAR EDITOR, In my estimation Guyana’s political junkyard dogfight is all about power. I am unmoving that ascending to power provides the first access to the feverishly desired control and dissipation of that opulent oil ocean out there within this country’s borders. Though those are what is of restating the now undeniable, already those worst of calculations are losing horsepower and grabbing power and spending power by the day, if not by the minute. I say this and am prepared to stand by this without retreat, despite all the plasters and cosmetics about democracy and process and the rest. My position is: what do we know about democracy? What do we know about what is demanded of each and every one of us to make it work? It is why I submit that what we are doing is struggling to hold on to the winds that came smartly and now rush away via the daily lightning flashes, which strike numb.

Yet we still drill the hugest of holes in our psyches, as we ignore one looming disaster after another. We ignore coronavirus to our peril. We seek to borrow money on an emergency basis; it is a lot of money, possessing the potential to help in the fight, while also hinting strongly at the opportunity for the ongoing skullduggeries that have been characteristic of things Guyana and Guyanese governance. But outside of the borrowing, and some determined efforts at the governmental levels, there is a population still immersed in elections and the mesmerizing fascinations with what victory at the polls could mean. Some

of us may be dead before we could get to a taste of what that oil means, could do for us. before we get there, just look at what it is doing to us, making of us.

For developments in the world at large have made the oil less of a dream almost in hand, and more of a mirage that enchants, toys with, and then jilts. It could be the hardest of separations for Guyanese politicians and Guyanese citizens, who have gambled with the mortgage (and bread) money on the magic that is promised by access to and control of that oil. And a mirage it has become, at least in the near and intermediate term. For that is what is promised when oil prices, as measured by the leading benchmarks such as Brent Crude, West Texas Intermediate, and ICE (Platts) Dubai, indicate an across-theboard hemorrhaging in the world markets. At $25 dollars a barrel, the multi-nationals have retreated to contingency plans; those call for deep spending cuts, slowing down of operations, and waiting out the steepening descending volatility.

It promises to be the longest of waits, with this year, this elections year here that is 2020, just as good as gone down the tubes. We are pinning our hopes on a wing (one wing) and a prayer. It had better be many prayers, for the expert watchers and authoritative market readers are predicting less than $20 a barrel in some scenarios.

What price that oil over which we dismember each other in this senseless loser of a country!

Somehow, I have not heard any squawks of disbelief, any spirited protests, that the oil gloom is overblown and that there is so much scaremongering

behind the choppiness. Hell!

What is going on cannot be described realistically as choppiness, since the tumble in prices has shown little signs of stirring, and none of recovery from where they are at present. The numbers do not lie; they are not from GECOM or Guyanese in origin. Overblown and defeatist panic cultivating are what was said, and still being chanted in some corners, including by the reckless and unthinking in this country, about the coronavirus scourge. Well, I would like to hear them state where they are with losing oil prices.

For certainty, I think I would hear and, the rest of Guyana too, that markets are temporary in nature. While that does have some merit, it is unlike that immutable law of gravity, which says that what goes up must come down. I refer to 2008, and ask the interested to refresh their memories to when oil price

had touched above $147; now just look at where it is today, confirming that pull of physics. Unfortunately, matters do not operate as well when the reverse applies.

That is, that what goes down inevitably floats back upward.

If that were so, then we would be astronauts heading for outer space. And that promises to be the fate and state of oil markets in the long depressing months still to come in this year, maybe beyond.

The way I look at things, months are an eternity in this country. Too much betting.

Too much passion. Too much depending on the political (and racial) power and the power of oil. Now there is this mirage during the day and nightmare during the darker hours. Come to think of it, our world is dark, with no respite in sight, what with elections and judicial adjudications and (Continued on page 5)

To see and yet not see DEAR EDITOR, Like many other Guyanese, I have been finding the letters of Mr GHK Lall learned and erudite and entertaining yet, even so, a little troubling in its studied purveying of us the PPP/C as being much the same as the PNC/R/APNU+AFC. Not so.

Great and significant are the differences between us in beliefs, world view, actions and history.

I have before me the recent OPINION: I am not interested in who should win but all that is lost.

At this time of crisis, I must go beyond recognizing those letters as pieces demonstrating the art of great writing. At this time of crisis, I will be frank: I do think that however well intended they

have been and continue to be, the views advocated such as this one have been sweet nourishment to those in the leadership of the PNC/ R/APNU+AFC who have been having their way in an open bullied grabbing of our 2020 elections, dressing it up as a win and making a travesty of our laws.

To see and yet not see all of that is to excuse and greatly nourish those perversions.

At a minimum, commend Dominic Gaskin; commend Joe Singh and CN Sharma. At a minimum, denounce the open nationally and internationally evident acts which successfully frustrated the transparent counting of District 4 votes and denounce the purported (Continued on page 6)

Thursday March 26, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Democracies allow for you to Our new administration should take a no vendetta approach to governance win some and lose some DEAR EDITOR, The turmoil that has arisen since the recent General Elections in Guyana is reminiscent of the machinations under the Burnham regime. His ghost still stalks the land. Having contested the 1973 elections, I remember Mr. Granger very well.

Two people were killed and I was subsequently charged for sedition because I was in possession of an official Government document with directions to the Elections commission, Army and Police how to control the ballot boxes, contrary to the assurances given to the political parties a few days before, that counting will be done at the polling stations in the presence of representatives from all the contesting parties.

Guyanese will recall that the ballot boxes were hijacked to the GDF Headquarters and to the Eve Leary compound.

We are truly grateful and highly appreciative of the efforts of the International Community for sending observers. However we need a truly independent Elections Commission to prevent the Government of the day from thwarting the will of its citizens.

The situation in Region Four is a brazen attempt by those in power to drown the legitimate voices of the electorate. The APNU and its political hacks have constantly shown blatant disregard for the rule of LAW. They have flouted the rulings of our local courts and of the CCJ and continue to thumb their noses at the International Community who agree with the simple mathematical truth that 33/65 is a majority.

This is not surprising, since scholars under the Burnham regime argued vigorously that it was mathematically possible for 110% of the Buxton population to have voted under one of our previous elections. Math has never been their strong point!

The PPP accepted their ONE seat defeat in the 2015 elections. APNU/AFC/WPA

should be mature enough to accept the will of the people in 2020. That is what happens in democracies. You win some and you lose some, and when you lose, you reorganize and rebuild.

The last Government failed on several counts. They increased taxes, voted themselves a Parliamentary raise, removed subsidies to the needy, lacked a cohesive economic plan and abruptly closed the sugar estates without an alternative employment plan for the workers who have yet to receive their severance package and by all accounts signed a disastrous agreement with EXXON. Tell me, why would the majority of Guyana re-elect such a Government?

There has been a call by some respectable Guyanese including Mr. Eusi Kwayana for whom I have the greatest respect for a Unity/Coalition Government, a noble sentiment indeed. Such a Government would go a far way to easing racial tensions and insecurities. However under the present circumstances this would amount to a capitulation to

fraud. The APNU team insists that it has won the elections and continues to place obstacles in arriving at a valid recount.

Even if the animus between the two major parties can be overcome, how will the power be shared? Who will get the vital ministries of Finance, Defence and Home Affairs?

We cannot morally object to the sentiments of the International Community under the guise of sovereignty. If so, how can we agree with past International efforts to end Apartheid and for its support for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. We must establish Law and Order and lay the frame work for a valid recount for at least Region Four or for all the Regions if required. But this must be done under strict scrutiny by the contesting political parties and the teams of International Observers.

We cannot and must not repeat the travesties and injustices of the past to avoid becoming one of the FAILED STATES in the world despite our resources.

Ganraj Kumar

We might be reaching for...

From page 4 tabulations and the sorry panoply of other engagements that drain the life and good sense out of us.

It is said that a wise man, a theologian by the handle of Thomas Fuller wrote that “the darkest hour is just before the dawn.” That may be well and good everywhere else, other than in Guyana. It is where I am because of my dwindling, not yet rock bottom, optimism, I sense that there is no dawn either promised or

forthcoming in this country in the near future. In fact, it is my belief that the darkest moment is still not near, which means any dawn to come is distant.

At present, we reach for a mirage; we clutch at inconsequential straws.

Thus, we sprawl from loss of equilibrium, loss of mind, and loss of face before the whole watching world. The wisest of fools we are.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

DEAR EDITOR, I offer my congratulations to President-elect, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, the political party, which to the best of my knowledge gained the majority of votes at Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, held on March 2, 2020.

It is very unfortunate that the fraudulent conduct of some representatives of GECOM, enabled by the incumbent regime; along with the continuing abuse of the court process has delayed a democratic transition and the swearing in of a new President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The Father of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine, once said: “He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.”

I am in favour of no preconditions as a prerequisite for Dr. Ali to be sworn in as

President of Guyana. It is sufficient that we have a democratic transition that is in keeping with the legislative mandates of our electoral system.

What I look forward to is a new government that is inclusive, consultative, transparent and participatory, in keeping with the type of democratic governance that Guyana desperately needs.

One aside that I feel necessary to include in this congratulatory note is an extract from page 41 of the “1997 National Development Strategy” anchored by The Carter Center, Former President Desmond Hoyte, then President Cheddi Jagan and then Finance Minister Bharrat Jagdeo, re: “AfroGuyanese dominate state-run agencies and the public service the targets of privatization and downsizing; Indo-Guyanese dominate agriculture and the private sector - the main beneficiaries of economic liberalization. Local actors better understand such structural realities.”

It is my fervent hope that after being sworn in as President of Guyana, the new administration takes a no

vendetta approach to governance and focus on working assiduously towards bringing our people together by creating an environment and dynamism that will foster the accelerated economic and social development of Guyana.

To my friends in leadership positions in APNU-AFC-WPA, I plea with you to take swift action and align yourselves for a democratic transition. We Guyanese will be so much stronger, when our major political parties can accept an election loss and use it as an opportunity to learn from mistakes made and prepare for the next elections.

As we struggle to put Guyana’s fledgling democracy back on track, I close by using the wise words of the slave-born Epictetus, the Greek Philosopher: “No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”

Nigel Hinds

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Kaieteur News

Thursday March 26, 2020

Respect for the constitution is vital to a normal society DEAR EDITOR, The PNC-led APNU+AFC was caught red-handed attempting to steal the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Even though thoroughly exposed, the regime pushed ahead shamelessly. The reason is clear, the last five years the PNC/AFC cabal abused public office and most have become enormously rich in a short while.

That elite wants to continue that kind of behaviour and has tossed Guyana’s interests aside.

Under the threat of sanctions from the international community, including the US, the small cabal continues to try to stifle the will of the people exploring every crack to prolong their illegality.

In the face of this betrayal of our country some of the PNC allies and friends have come out with the call for ‘power-sharing’.

They manufacture all kinds of arguments to perpetuate PNC in power. I am amazed at this call in the light of an attempt to steal the elections, an attempt at fraud against all the people of our country.

Clearly to speak about power sharing in this circumstance is putting a premium on PNC/APNU cabal crookery and the violence they are unleashing on our people using, rather misusing, our police to daily harass PPP/ C supporters.

This is an attempt to reward the PNC elite for all their wrongdoings. This is akin to a banker bringing crooks to work at the bank after they committed a robbery of his bank.

Not one of them has outrightly and unconditionally condemned this atrocity.

One of the arguments used is that we are a multiethnic society and we should ‘share power’.

Guyana is not the only multi-ethnic society in the world or in the region. None of which have the same problem created as in Guyana by the PNC/APNU. Take Trinidad & Tobago for instance, that country’s demographic closely approximates ours, but those questions never arise there.

Trinidadians do not go through what we have to endure because of the corrupt elite that controls the PNC/ APNU+AFC. Therefore, that argument does not hold water.

Moreover, it should be pointed out that talking about ‘power-sharing’ as a means of dealing with the racial/ethnic issue will not work. In my view it will institutionalize racism in Guyana. It would be telling us that PNC owns AfroGuyanese and that no matter how corrupt the leadership of the PNC is, no matter how much they abuse Black people, they will still support the PNC. This is a position that no right-thinking Guyanese can tolerate.

The reason that Trinidad & Tobago does not experience this trauma is because it has created a normal, civilized society. All the political parties and civil society respect and uphold the constitution and respect the laws. It’s institutions including the judiciary, are independent. Its court would never give the outrageous decisions as often emanate from our courts. The Elections Commission there displays a genuine sense of fair play.

The integrity of the officers is intact. The outcome of elections is rarely questioned.

That is where our main problem lies. The PNC has never shown any respect for our constitution or the rule of law. To them the constitution is just a piece of paper that is

to be violated. In their Sophia Declaration the PNC sees the Government as the Executive Arm of the PNC. Another important matter is the question of leadership.

The PNC has never given proper leadership in this country. They have misled ordinary people instigating and inspiring them to violence, over and over again. They organize fundamentally on racism.

They have been guilty of misleading their supporters and fostering division in our country.

The PPP has always sought to promote unity of

our people. It is this stance of the PPP and PPP/Civic that has limited the PNC antinational, racist practices.

That policy has been paying off. This last election, the PPP/Civic would not have won if every single IndoGuyanese voted for it, because no racial group has a majority in this country. The PPP won because it got cross-over votes from AfroGuyanese and from the Amerindian community.

It’s hard work to promote national unity has been paying it big dividends and will pay even greater benefits in the future.

Inclusivity will not come about with the crude constitutional engineering being proposed, even if some do so honestly. Inclusivity will grow in a democratic atmosphere, in a normal society which must be based on respect for our constitution and the rule of law.

A normal society must also have a system where the institutions, Elections Commissions, the Judiciary and others must not be subverted and must discharge their function freely, without political bias just on the basis of the law.

The attempt by the PNC to rig the 2020 elections shows us that that path is a dead end. It leads to dictatorship in the political arena and poverty in the socio-economic sector.

The best service that the PNC can do for the country is to allow a transparent recount and respect the will of the people. If they do so, without being forced, that would show that the regime is willing to begin a process of reforming itself so important for national development.

Donald Ramotar Former President

How can Guyanese have confidence or trust in the electoral process?

DEAR EDITOR, The court battle on matters related to the March 2nd, 2020 national and regional elections continues and will hopefully be resolved sooner, rather than later.

The daily reports on the court proceedings have revealed a number of things, but for the purpose of this letter, I will focus on one glaring claim that was made by the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, in his affidavit to the High Court.

The content of Mr. Lowenfield’s affidavit was the focus of a newspaper on Tuesday, March 24th, 2020.

The newspaper reported that Mr. Lowenfield said: “The Statements of Poll were scanned in the presence of persons entitled to be there and displayed. All the Statements of Poll were picked up, one after the other, in the presence of the persons entitled to be there, and were scanned in their presence, and also displayed in their presence on the screen set up for that purpose…at no time did the Returning Officer and the Election Clerks read or call votes cast for the List of Candidates from a spreadsheet.”

This is what Mr. Lowenfield said about the Region Four election results which remain mired in controversy.

I have been following the reports/statements from the international Election Observer Missions (EOMs) because I think they play an important role in free and fair elections, and the claim by Mr. Lowenfield is troubling because it is starkly different from what the international EOMs have said.

After the Region Four Returning Officer, Mr. Clairmont Mingo, declared – and I will say fraudulently because of the facts that have

been made public – the international EOMs said clearly that what Mr. Lowenfield claims happened did not happen.

In chronological order, the Organisation of American States EOM on March 13th, 2020 said: “The process conducted by the Returning Officer for Region 4 to ascertain the results of the national and regional elections held on March 2 does not meet the required standard or fairness and transparency.” The OAS also said: “Without any plausible explanation, the Returning Officer continued to ascertain the votes cast for each party list without affording the duly authorized candidates and counting agents an opportunity to see the Statements of Poll, in order to compare them with the copies in their possession.”

Also on March 13th, 2020, there was a joint statement from the European Union, Carter Center and Commonwealth EOMs. That said: “The order of the Honourable Chief Justice on 11 March was not followed.

The tabulation process did not resume on 12 March as mandated by the court. When the tabulation process was resumed on 13 March, it was not in line with the judgment, which required public tabulation as a safeguard and a measure for promoting transparency and accountability. The Chief Justice reasserted that the actual Statements of Poll have to be displayed in this process.

The orders issued with the judgement should be complied with, and the tabulation process conducted and concluded accordingly.

Unless and until this is done in Region 4, the election results cannot be considered credible.”

On March 18th, 2020, a

further statement from the Commonwealth EOM said: “On resuming the tabulation after leaving the Court on 13 March, Mr Mingo refused all requests from those entitled to be present to view the actual statements of poll and did not display the spreadsheet being populated.

This compromised the process of ascertaining the credibility of the statements of poll relied on by Mr Mingo to tabulate the results; and, it was impossible for party agents and those entitled to be present to observe that the numbers being called out were being accurately entered on the spreadsheet.

In some cases, the tabulation totals announced

by Mr Mingo on 13 March reflected more voters than were entered on the list of eligible electors for certain polling stations. At no point did the leadership of the Guyana Electoral Commission halt or rectify these blatant instances of

disregard for the rule of law and electoral ethics, despite its vested authority to independently ensure credible elections.”

The statements from the international EOMs, as well as the reporting from the Guyanese media (kudos to the Newsroom, Stabroek News and Kaieteur News for fulfilling their duty to the public), made public what the facts are.

How then can Mr. Lowenfield expect his claim to be seen as anything but a show of duplicity? How can Mr. Lowenfield expect the Guyanese people to have confidence or trust in the electoral process? How can Mr. Lowenfield expect Guyanese to accept the results of Region Four without a recount?

There is much at stake for our country and our people.

We can all only hope that a sense of duty to country kicks in at some point.

Sincerely, Erin Northe

To see and yet not see From page 4 declaration of fraudulent numbers on which some number of persons are actively or passively colluding in accepting, hell bent on imposing a government of their own choice.

If it is that the leadership elite of the PNC/R/ APNU+AFC cannot stomach living with the PPP/C in office - then let them put that on the table and wi t h t h e t r u e reasons why - we may then know whether there are prospects for reconciling or whether we should be resigning ourselves to a parting.

As I laid out in my letter, “We Guyanese may be approaching our moment of truth and

reconciliation “, I am very much aware of the challenges we face in coming together from our different distant starting points. I do believe that the leadership elite of the PNC earlier and the PNC/ R/APNU+AFC n o w, dismayed and alarmed by the slow but growing success of the PPP and PPP/C, in bringing Guyanese together, in spite of all our real and perceived faults, find it imperative for them to keep the PPP/C out of office, however openly and brazenly and bizarrely, and at whatever cost to our People and Nation.

And in that, the letters of GHK may have been their unwitting, unintended ally.

Samuel A A Hinds.

Thursday March 26, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Thursday March 26, 2020

Preliminary audit report for ExxonMobil's US$460M pre-contract costs being examined - GRA Boss

C

ommissionerGeneral of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Godfrey Statia has confirmed that he is in receipt of an initial audit report for the US$460M in pre-contract costs Guyana must pay to ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration

and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

Statia said he is now examining the report, after which he will do his own internal work, and then have discussions with IHS Markit, the UK company that was recruited to audit the billions of dollars ExxonMobil said it

invested in the Stabroek Block.

“It is still a work in p r o g r e s s , ” t h e C o m m i s s i o n e r- G e n e r a l added. In its Expression of Interest (EOI), the Londonbased firm had stated that it has the deepest source of information, analytics and

solutions for the major industries such as oil, while noting that it has provided its expertise to clients in over 165 countries for more than 50 years. The company further stated that it understands the holistic impact of costs on upstream operations.

In terms of what it is bringing to the table for Guyana, IHS said that it has a comprehensive global database of exploration and production costs. It said that this data includes local and regional costs at the component level so as to allow for detailed comparisons.

IHS also said that it has developed proprietary software solutions and tools to gain insights into costs faced in the exploration and production sector. It said that it uses cost estimation tools such as Que$tor and Vantage, paired with its rich databases, to provide industry leading

GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia cost analysis.

PRE-CONTRACT COSTS International lawyer, Melinda Janki, was one of the first persons to note that the country is neck-deep in precontract costs.

During a panel discussion

that was held on Guyana's oil contract with ExxonMobil at Moray House, Janki reminded that the country has to pay US$460M in precontract costs.

This covers the period 1999 to 2015. But there is a second lot. Janki noted that the contract specifically states that Guyana is to pay contract costs from January 2016 to when the deal was signed on October 7, 2016.

The international lawyer had said, “The costs for the whole of 2016 were about US$583M and if you apportion it to October, you get roughly US$400M.” This by her estimation brings the pre-contract costs to US$960M. Be that as it may, the costs being audited by IHS Markit is the US$460M portion that is listed in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) as recoverable.

We await the decision of the Court before any further action - GECOM

W

h i l e understandin g the anxiety and frustration of the electorate, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) states that it will await the decision of the Court before taking any further action.

In a statement to the press yesterday, GECOM noted calls in the public domain by

political parties and other stakeholders for the agency to take certain decisions aimed at ensuring the electoral process ends within the “shortest possible time.”

The statement said that though it may appear that GECOM is silent and not taking all necessary steps to arrive at a conclusive decision, the fact that injunctions were granted

restraining GECOM officials from proceeding with the national recount supervised by CARICOM and setting aside or varying the declaration of the Returning Officers of the ten electoral districts, and from substituting or replacing the said declaration of the Returning Officers until the hearing and determination of the judicial review, the Commission cannot pronounce on the matter.

GECOM stated that in light of this, until these matters are properly ventilated in the Court and a decision is given, it is unable to take any further action.

“The Commission, which is an autonomous constitutional agency, is guided by a legal framework, and therefore it is imperative that it abides by the decisions of the Court. In this regard, the Commission reiterates its commitment at ensuring the 2nd March, 2020 General and Regional Elections concludes in a manner that is guided by the Court.”

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 26, 2020

PAGE 09

Plan for the worst and hope for the best

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recautions are absolutely necessary to contain and prevent the importation and local transmission of the coronavirus.

But the precautionary measures adopted must be evidence-based. Extreme measures may become necessary eventually, but at this stage there is no reason to cause unnecessary panic.

The Task Force which has been established should immediately recruit an epidemiologist and a statistician to help it devise a strategy to combat the virus.

In the United States, some epidemiologists are predicting that the virus can peak within the next six weeks.

While modeling is not a perfect science, it does give authorities a guide from which they can make interventions. Right now Guyana is in a wait-and-see mode; that is a disastrous strategy when it comes to this highly contagious virus.

Once this virus spreads more widely in Guyana, the local authorities would not be able to contain it. An unimaginable catastrophe will result, because the bulk of our population is narrowly concentrated along the sea coast and this creates the perfect conditions for an

epidemic.

Statistical modeling needs to be done to determine possible worst case and realistic case scenarios. Guyana has approximately 750,000 persons. Some people say as much as 80% can be infected, but not everyone will be infected at the same time. This is why you recruit persons with data and statistical modelling skills to do this.

From these numbers, the Task Force should begin to identify buildings - outside of hospitals - for care for the critically infected. The reason for this is that infection is only part of the problem. The real challenge is the ability of the health system to cope with the many cases.

Not only do we not have enough beds or ventilators to deal with an epidemic, but we do not have the numbers of medical personnel to handle such a crisis.

The Task Force needs to ensure that there is sufficient protective gear available for health workers should there be a worst case scenario. And it should also begin to procure stockpiles of ventilators, as expensive as they may be. China is the only country with the capacity to fill large orders in a short period of time. You

have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

The Task Force should have been more broadbased. Everything, however, cannot be left to the Task Force.

The political parties during the election produced tens of thousands of jerseys and caps for its supporters.

Thousands of Guyanese were enthusiastically donning their political tshirts during the months of January and February. Party flags made out of cloth are still hanging from some lantern posts. The parties have the means to mobilize their supporters to make their own protective face masks, as is being done at present in Cuba.

The cost of one of those jerseys can buy at least five good quality face masks.

Now that the campaign is over, the parties should invest in these things and begin to share them out nationally so that people can protect themselves.

Some people do not feel that face masks are necessary. But there can be no harm in wearing one - and wearing one, signals to others that you are being responsible. This, at the symbolic level, is priceless.

It will encourage others to show greater responsibility.

It is ironic that the Task

Dem boys seh...

Bloomberg blooming wrong!

D

em boys read a report from Bloomberg dat seh because ah de problems over de elections, Guyana can turn like Venezuela.

Dem boys vex when dem read dat.

Dem want remind Bloomberg dat before we discover oil, we had plenty gold, bauxite, rice and sugar.

We can't turn like Venezuela because we not as dependent on oil as Venezuela.

Oil or no oil, we not gun turn like Venezuela. We got plenty land and plenty crops g r o w i n g . We e n t b i n starving. We ent hungry. And while we got problems wid de election results, we only got one President. Venezuela got one man who is de President and one man who seh he is President.

Right now oil is a curse pun de country. It got a whole set a people fighting fuh power to control what is not dem own fuh control. People fighting over crumbs, because dat is wha Exxon

leffin' we wid.

But dem boys seh dat dem who fighting woulda fight anyway – oil or no oil.

Because dat is wuh elections in Guyana is about, nuff fighting. But Bloomberg want we believe dat dem politicians only fighting fuh de control de oil.

Bloomberg is like Exxon.

Dem want we fight. Because while we fight, dem gun fetch way we oil. Dem keeping we divided so dat we nah gun come together and fight fuh ah better deal.

Dem boys seh we should always be fighting for a better deal, not who gon be dealing wid de oil. Oil don't spoil. So why fight fuh it?

Dem boys mo' vex when dem read how Bloomberg seh dat de IMF seh we got de fastest growing economy in de world. Dem boys remember wha ole people seh. Nah count yuh chickens till de eggs hatch.

We is not de fastest growing economy in de world yet. And dem boys seh

dat from de way oil prices plunging, we might end up in mo problem.

One man dun peep in de deposit account at de Bank of Guyana and he seh dat how de treasury in overdraft.

Dem boys want fuh believe he, because dem can't understand how we is de fastest growing economy in de world and gat to beg de World Bank fuh lend we money fuh fight de coronavirus.

But we know wheh Bloomberg coming from.

Dem want we believe dat Exxon is a Fairy Godmother to we. But we know dat de only fairy tale dat happen is when Trotty signed on de dotted line and Exxon pumpkin tun into a cash cow.

Dem boys ent worry though. We gat a secret weapon. When de time come fuh renegotiate de contract, we gun send Mingo. He gun know exactly what to do.

Tek half and left de other half for Bloomberg figure out.

Force is said to be contemplating 'extreme measures', a euphemism for a lockdown.

But why contemplate a lockdown when there are no efforts at mass distribution of face masks, and when the health sector is nowhere near in a state of readiness to deal with exponential increases in infected cases.

The government, therefore, should concentrate on addressing the medical response and on tracking persons who would have been in contact with infected persons. The political parties should

concentrate on producing and distributing face masks and hand sanitizers.

The private sector should emphasize social distancing and finding ways to protect their staff. Give our school teachers the task of providing public education.

If everyone plays his or her part, this pandemic can be contained locally. The number of infected persons in Guyana has not increased in one week. This could be good news or it can simply be due to the limited testing that is taking place.

Either way, it gives the authorities the time needed

to better plan for the critical weeks ahead. They should make the best use of that time, and one way of doing this is to utilize a more evidence-based approach to measures to combat the virus.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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Thursday March 26, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Two trillion dollars to help a country in distress: Poor Guyana

T

he largest injection of money into the affairs of the country to help the economy in American history occurred yesterday.

In a bipartisan pact, Democrats and Republicans limited the damage done by the coronavirus; the legislators agreed to spend two trillion dollars.

The beneficiaries include all sectors of America that have suffered from the consequences of the virus. Those sent home by employers will receive their salaries. There are special provisions for hospitals and medical workers. There is money for all types of classes including the poor, small and large businesses.

This is what countries do

when they are faced with warlike conditions. Here in Guyana we would never survive a devastating outbreak of the virus, but yet look how our leaders are behaving.

With warnings about preventative measures, that the government of Guyana itself proclaimed, the rulers ignored prevailing medical sensitivities and sent GECOM and police officials to move the containers with the ballot boxes from the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. It was a sickening example where power was put in front of the lives of citizens. And this mentality persists.

In the midst of a global outbreak of a deadly virus, Guyana is paralyzed at the moment, and politics and

power are at the centre of the tragedy. We are facing a crisis that is beyond imagination. Which other country is fighting the virus yet immobilized by the syndrome of bitter political rivalry?

One of the consequences of this tragic stagnation is that ministers are unable to free themselves from their prison to stand tall in the fight against the virus. As a spin-off from this, is the attitude of the population to such ministers. Will they be willing to ignore the current political/ethnic crisis and embrace their leaders in the confrontation against the pandemic?

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h e Minister of Public Health is alleged to be one of the rulers

deeply involved in the election controversy.

She has had a private criminal charge filed against her on the basis that her signature appeared on the declaration sheet for Region 4, which may not be permissible. There has been no official explanation either from GECOM or the minister explaining why her signature was there.

There are Facebook postings from her accusing the opposition, PPP, of using an American company named Mercury to interfere with the election process.

My point is that it is this minister that has to be the face of the campaign against the coronavirus and her overt political involvement in the election controversy will not help a process of citizengovernment cooperation.

Only a fool cannot see that the political situation is expanding the horizon of uncertainties that the virus outbreak has caused, and we are nowhere near a solution.

Only a fool will refuse to see that the economy has been badly hit. Guyana is no exception – if businesses of all types are closed then the

ripple effect will be horrible.

And it has been horrible in the US, thus the 2 trillion dollars expenditure.

I have read powerfully placed persons in American society saying that if the withdrawal and close-down scenario continues, it could cause the American economy to collapse.

To underscore the double danger we are facing, the title of the Bloomberg article on the Guyana economy says it all – “A country's future of world's fastest growing economy dims.” Anyone who lives here and has no immediate plans to leave has to be mentally jolted by that caption – it refers to not one of the world's growing economies, but categorizes Guyana as the designated country that will grow faster than any other in the immediate future.

As the writers around the world ponder on the uncertainty of Guyana's future in their magazines and newspapers, power-drunk people sit happily ensconced in their cocoons, and refuse to carve out an aperture so sunlight and fresh breeze can fumigate their minds.

Frederick Kissoon We have to be the only country since the 19th century started, to be canopied in election doubt as to who won and refuse to accept the commonsensical method of determining the result. First, the imbroglio centred on just one section of the votes. The consensus around the world was just recount those particular ballots if there were questions about what was on the relevant paperwork. That did not happen.

T h e n , t h e commonsensical avenue, was further expanded when the desire emerged to count the whole damn thing again.

That has not happened, and the world is wondering why, and the whole damn world thinks that Guyana is just playing the fool and has in the process jeopardized its future. And the entire country is helpless to act.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Thursday March 26, 2020

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Thursday March 26, 2020

UN launches US$2B global humanitarian response plan to tackle COVID-19

A

global approach is the only way to fight COVID19, says the United Nations (UN). UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock warned that failing to help vulnerable countries fight the coronavirus now could place millions at risk and leave the virus free to circle back around the globe.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres yesterday launched a US$2 billion coordinated global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable countries (51 of them across South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia) in a bid to protect millions.

Governments are being urged to commit to fully supporting the global

humanitarian response plan, while sustaining funding to existing humanitarian appeals.

The response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international NGOs and NGO consortia playing a direct role in the response.

It will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people;

install hand washing stations in camps and settlements; launch public information campaigns on how to protect yourself and others from the virus; and establish air bridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.

Secretary-General Guterres said “COVID-19 is

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore menacing the whole of humanity – and so the whole of humanity must fight back.

Individual country responses are not going to be enough.

“We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable – millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. This is a matter of basic human solidarity. It is also crucial for combating the virus. This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable.”

Under-SecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock noted “COVID-19 has already upended life in some of the world's wealthiest countries. It is now reaching places where people live in warzones, cannot easily access clean water and soap, and have no hope of a

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

hospital bed if they fall critically ill.

“To leave the world's poorest and most vulnerable countries to their fate would be both cruel and unwise. If we leave coronavirus to spread freely in these places, we would be placing millions at high risk, whole regions will be tipped into chaos and the virus will have the opportunity to circle back around the globe.

“Countries battling the pandemic at home are rightly prioritizing people living in their own communities. But the hard truth is they will be failing to protect their own people if they do not act now to help the poorest countries protect themselves.

“Our priority is to help these countries prepare and continue helping the

millions who rely on humanitarian assistance from the UN to survive.

Properly funded, our global response effort will equip humanitarian organizations with the tools to fight the virus, save lives, and help contain the spread of COVID-19 worldwide.”

According to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “The virus is now spreading in countries with weak health systems, including some which are already facing humanitarian crises.

These countries need our support – out of solidarity, but also to protect us all and help suppress this pandemic.

At the same time, we must not fight the pandemic at the expense of the other (continued on page 17)

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Thursday March 26, 2020

PAGE 13

City Council begins sanitisation exercise to combat Coronavirus Members of the Guyana Fire Service washing down a section of Regent Street outside of Bourda Market

T

he Georgetown Mayor and City Council's Solid Wa s t e M a n a g e m e n t Department began its wellpublicised sanitisation exercise at 04:00hrs yesterday.

The exercise is aimed at slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative, led by Director of the Solid Waste Dept., Walter Narine, is being carried out in collaboration with the Guyana Fire Service.

T h e a r e a s t a rg e t e d yesterday morning included Bourda Market, and streets in the vicinity, as well as the Kitty/Campbellville Bus Park.

The cleaning was done using water that contained ten percent bleach and ten percent Jeyes Fluid.

“It is just a small step to arrest the spread of this virus.

It has been reported that it stays on plastic for three days and new research that just

came out shows it remains on roads and wood surfaces for a day,” Narine said.

The exercise will be continuous. “What we plan to do is to wash daily, certain areas in the city,” he noted.

Today's exercise will be extended to Water Street and in front of the Stabroek Market Square.

Narine related that they are also seeking the support of the business community to keep the exercise going.

“I am encouraging our business partners, if you have Jeyes Fluid or bleach, that you can donate to the municipality. It would go a long way towards the sustainability of this exercise, because this is not something that can be done one or two days; it has to be continuous,” the Director appealed.

The Solid Waste Director noted that due to the current staff rotation policy in effect, there have been a few

hiccups with the collection of solid waste in the commercial areas managed by his department.

However, he assured that there has been no disruption in household waste collection in the city.

Inter-Religious Organisation calls for seven weeks of social distancing

T

h e I n t e r Religious Organisation has called for Guyanese to observe seven weeks of social distancing to safeguard against the transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The organisation's secretary, Jennifer Dewar said in a statement that as it is represented on the Board of the National Commission for Non Communicable Diseases, it was asked to make a civil call to all religious leaders and

diabetes, etc. are very much at risk,” Dewar said.

It also endorsed a statement by President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, who extended the same concerns about observances of the sacred Hindu festival Chaitra Navrati and other similar gatherings. stakeholders. The call was made to all, regardless of religious belief.

“This matter should be given serious consideration, since persons with the NCDs such as hypertension,

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Thursday March 26, 2020

Factbox: Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world (Reuters) - New York, experiencing more coronavirus deaths and

infections than any other U.S. state, is showing tentative signs of slowing the spread of

the virus, as U.S. senators were set to vote yesterday on a $2 trillion bipartisan package

of legislation to alleviate the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

DEATHS, INFECTIONS * More than 435,300 people have been infected across the world and over 19,500 have died, according to a Reuters tally. * For an interactive graphic tracking the global s p r e a d , o p e n tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 EUROPE * Summer is unlikely to stop the spread of the virus, and every country in Europe is forecast to run out of intensive care beds by midApril unless it acts fast. * European Union states need 10 times as much personal protective equipment and other medical devices than traditional supply chains can provide, an internal EU document showed on Wednesday. * Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures showing that 7,503 people have died from the infection in barely a month. * A person who lives in the same Vatican residence as Pope Francis has tested positive for coronavirus. * Spain's coronavirus death toll jumped by 738 overnight to 3,434 fatalities and exceeded that of China. * French health authorities reported 231 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total to 1,331. * Germany plans to insist that airline passengers arriving from non-EU countries go into quarantine for 14 days. * British regulators will act against any companies found to be profiteering from the coronavirus emergency and the government launched a WhatsApp campaign against misinformation. * Prince Charles, the 71year-old heir to the British throne, has tested positive and is self-isolating in Scotland

with mild symptoms. * Kosovo's coalition government faces a noconfidence vote in parliament on Wednesday after a dispute over whether to declare a state of emergency. * Russian President Vladimir Putin postponed a nationwide vote on constitutional changes that would allow him to extend his rule.

AMERICAS * New York, experiencing more coronavirus deaths and infections than any other U.S. state, is showing tentative signs of slowing the spread of the virus. * New Orleans is on track to become the next coronavirus epicenter in the United States. * Defense Secretary Mark Esper has issued a stop movement order to the U.S. military halting all travel and movement abroad for up to 60 days. * Canada has almost doubled the value of an aid package to C$52 billion to help people and businesses. * Many of Brazil's 850,000 indigenous people are urging officials to expel from their lands outsiders who could introduce the disease. * Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro faced a political backlash for calling the coronavirus lockdown a crime. * Mexico temporarily halted the processing of asylum requests from Tuesday, as its cases climbed to 405. * Venezuela has opened talks with China over possible financial support to cope with a sharp drop in oil prices and the arrival of the novel coronavirus.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC * Life started returning to normal on Wednesday after two months of lockdown in (continued on page 15)

Amazon makes audiobook service free for kids worldwide

A

udible, an A m a z o n company, has announced that it is making all of its audible stories accessible for free to children worldwide.

This announcement comes as large sections of the world's population are on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amazon's website says “for as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting

from today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories�. These include stories in six different languages. This move, the company says, will help children to continue dreaming and learning.

These stories are a c c e s s i b l e o n https://stories.audible.com/s tart-listen and are compatible with desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets.

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 26, 2020

PAGE 15

In view of COVID-19 risk...

Diabetic Association halts monthly meetings

A

mong those most at risk of being infected with COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, are the elderly and those with underlying conditions such as lung, kidney and heart diseases, diabetes and compromised immune systems.

Against this backdrop, the Guyana Diabetic Association has decided to take protective action in the quest to help safeguard its membership.

This has included the cancelling of its monthly meetings at the Nurses Association Hall.

Moreover, diabetics are advised not to turn up for meetings until further notice.

This is according to the Association's President, Ms.

- urges diabetics to safeguard themselves

President of the Guyana Diabetic Association, Ms. Glynis Beaton Glynis Beaton.

A diabetic herself, Ms. Beaton has an appreciation for the risk the coronavirus

poses to persons diagnosed with diabetes.

“It is a pneumonia and not a flu, and the diabetics are very vulnerable. One reason for that is that their blood sugar is not [naturally] controlled and they might have underlying complications that cannot assist the process of getting them well, and as we all k n o w, i t [ i m p a c t ] i s respiratory [in nature], and when it is respiratory the risk is increased for diabetics,” Beaton divulged.

In addition to keeping hydrated, Beaton said that, most importantly, diabetics must ensure that they strive

to control their blood sugar level.

“If nothing else, they have to be controlling their blood sugar level 24/7,” said Beaton who underscored that the Association will do all within its power to ensure that useful information and help, where necessary, is forthcoming to diabetics.

Diabetics in need of assistance can contact the Association on 600-1152.

According to Beaton, while the Association will have insulin that can be availed to diabetics, these can only be administered by doctors, a major faction of the frontline workers who

Factbox: Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world From page 14 Hubei province, epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak. * Mainland China reported a drop in new cases on Wednesday as imported infections fell and no locally transmitted infections were reported. * Singapore reported 73 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, the city-state's biggest daily jump. * Singapore's government said on Wednesday it was not ruling out holding a general election during the outbreak. * Australia will expand testing, its prime minister said on Wednesday as Canberra struggles to contain the outbreak. * India's 1.3 billion people were under lockdown on Wednesday to prevent an explosion of coronavirus cases as the government struggled to deliver essential goods and calm nerves. * The Indian government banned the export of a key malaria drug, as experts test its efficacy in treating patients with COVID-19. * Thailand recorded 107 new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 934, while South Korea's tally rose to 9,137 with 100 new infections.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Israelis were instructed on Wednesday to stay within 100 meters of their homes under tightened restrictions that further reduced public transport, required

employers to check workers for fever and set sanctions for people who defy rules. * Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered in Christian tradition as the site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial, was closed. * Saudi Arabia reported its second coronavirus death and tightened a nationwide curfew. * Egypt has declared a two-week curfew, and those who violate the measure will be penalized under emergency laws, the prime minister said. * South African officials identified quarantine sites across the country on Wednesday, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 709. * The Nigerian Army is preparing to forcibly transfer the sick to hospital and enforce restrictions, and is leasing equipment for “possible mass burial”, according to an army memo seen by Reuters. * Congo closed its borders and imposed a state of emergency. * Mali and GuineaBissau reported their first cases on Wednesday.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT * The dollar slid and global equity markets marched higher on Wednesday for a second day of gains. * Seventy percent of people in G7 countries expect their household to lose income due to the outbreak. * U.S. senators were set

to vote on Wednesday on a $2 trillion bipartisan package of legislation to alleviate the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, although critics from the right and left threatened to hold up the bill. * G e r m a n y, w h o s e economy could contract by as much as 20% this year, is open to using the European Stability Mechanism to prop up economies under certain circumstances. * German lawmakers on Wednesday voted to suspend the debt brake for the first time ever to finance an aid package meant to help shield Europe's largest economy. * Nearly 100,000 French companies have asked the government to reimburse them for putting 1.2 million workers on shorter or zero hours since the coronavirus outbreak. * Venezuela has opened talks with China over possible financial support to cope with a sharp drop in oil prices and the arrival of coronavirus, sources familiar with the negotiations said. * India is likely to agree an economic stimulus package of more than $19.6 billion, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. * Pakistan is seeking another $1.4 billion loan from the IMF. EVENTS * This year's Wimbledon Championships could be postponed or canceled. * The annual Tony

Aw a r d s c e r e m o n y celebrating the best in Broadway theater was postponed indefinitely. * Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish and Tim McGraw will headline a benefit concert on Sunday, playing from their homes, to raise money to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

are already hard-pressed in the response to COVID-19.

“For them to get insulin we have to know their blood sugar level; they have to be tested,” said Beaton, as she sought to highlight the potential of the disease becoming a “serious, serious hazard” to a country.

Reiterating the Association's intent to help its own, Beaton said, “we cannot afford to not take necessary steps. If you think it's bad now, let 20 persons get infected then you will see the pressure on the health sector...we will not be able to look after an increasing number of persons, and that is how the disease will spread if it is not contained.”

Warding off COVID-19 could start with simple hygienic measures such as frequent hand-washing or sanitising of hands.

“If you go on the streets,

sanitise; if you go to mall, sanitise; avoid crowds...if you need to be in public take care of yourself,” Beaton urged. In fact, she added the importance of diabetics making a deliberate effort to “Avoid people who are coughing and sneezing or if they have a fever. If a diabetic by any chance picks up an infection and gets a fever, they've got to get it fixed right away.”

Social distancing has been one of the recommendations being embraced to combat the disease. As such, Beaton said, “diabetics in particular need to reduce their socialisation in order to save themselves.” Added to this, the Association President's appeal to diabetics is, “you can't skip medication in this period and proper hygiene at the highest level has to be maintained.”

PAGE 16

Three armed robbery charges for North R/veldt resident

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Twenty-five-year-old Osafo Denhart, of 316 North Ruimveldt Georgetown, was yesterday remanded to prison

by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

Denhart is slapped with three charges for armed robbery, which allegedly happened in one day and in the same area.

The defendant made his appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’

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Thursday March 26, 2020

Kaieteur News

Courts when the indictable charges were read to him.

The first charge stated that on March 21, 2020, at Jamoon Drive, Meadowbrook, Georgetown, while in the company of others and armed with a gun, Denhart robbed Lawrence McKay of a gold chain, 1 gold ring and a diamond bracelet, all valued at a total of $925,000.

The two other charges alleged that on the same date and at the same location while in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Sherwin La Fleur of a wallet and $25,000, cash and Ulric Edwards of a Samsung Galaxy cell phone valued $26,000.

Denhart told the court that he is a father of one and

is currently unemployed. He added that he has no antecedents. Police prosecutor Stacy Gittens made no objection to bail being granted to the defendant, but highlighted that a firearm was used to commit the acts and that three persons were robbed.

Denhart was granted $150,000 bail by Magistrate Marcus, with the condition attached that he report every Friday to Sergeant Singh at East La Penitence Police Station.

However, before the court break for lunch it was highlighted that Denhart and his brother, who was a juvenile at that time, were charged in September 2014 for armed robbery.

The court heard that Denhart was found guilty of

the offence on October 24, 2014, and sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.

Magistrate Marcus then ordered that the defendant be brought back upstairs after lunch. At 13:30hrs when court resumed, Denhart was brought back into the courtroom and informed about the 2014 armed robbery charge for which he had been convicted.

Denhart told the court that he was never convicted before for any armed robbery charge. The magistrate then told him that he could write to the Chief Magistrate and request an earlier date for the matter to be heard or he could approach the High Court for bail.

The Magistrate then revoked the bail and remanded him to prison until April 22.

Man remanded for alleged possession of unlicensed gun Forty-eight-year-old Kent Isaacs was yesterday remanded to prison by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and was charged for the possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Isaacs denied the charge which stated that on March 22, 2020 at Garnett Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession one 9mm pistol

when he was not a licensed firearm holder. The defendant told the court, “Two policemen stop me and search me and tell me that they gon lock me up.”

Police prosecutor Delon Sullivan made objections to bail being granted to the defendant based on the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the defendant is a flight risk.

The court heard that on

the day in question the defendant was intoxicated and on his way home when police on patrol saw him throwing an object over a fence. A search was then conducted in the area and the firearm was discovered.

The defendant was arrested and subsequently charged for the offence.

Magistrate Marcus remanded the defendant to prison until April 22.

Thursday March 26, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Caribbean Airlines Cargo Freighter flights continue to operate Several Caribbean countries to benefit from IMF/World Bank initiative - Antiguan envoy says many others should be included WASHINGTON - CMC – Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, yesterday called for the inclusion of several other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries into an initiative being spearheaded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) for a suspension of debt payments as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The two international financial institutions had earlier named Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti and St. Lucia among 76 countries on whose behalf they have made representation to the G20 countries concerning debt relief for the poorest countries.

“The coronavirus outbreak is likely to have severe economic and social consequences for IDA (International Development Assistance) countries, home to a quarter of the world’s population and two-thirds of the world’s population living in extreme poverty.”

They said eligibility for IDA support depends first and foremost on a country’s relative poverty, defined as gross national income (GNI) per capita below an established threshold and updated annual l y at US$$1,175 in fiscal year 2020.

But in a statement, Sir Ronald said the IMF and the World Bank should go beyond the named Caribbean states, adding “there are many other countries whose vulnerabilities, including dependence on one or two sectoral activities, such as tourism, render them urgently in need of the suspension of debt payments.

He said the IDA countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are so rated because of their per capita income, which by itself, “is a false criterion for judging countries’ level of development and their capacity to respond to severe economic shocks, driven by external factors.

“Caribbean countries that should be included in the WBG and IMF list are countries that are highly dependent on tourism,

Caribbean Airlines is advising that its Cargo freighter flights and ground transport trucking services continue to operate - moving cargo between the United States and the Caribbean.

In a statement issued last evening, Caribbean Airlines Cargo, said in addition to providing an essential service for businesses to ship pharmaceuticals and restock dwindling supplies locally and regionally, it is also offering a barrel and econtainer special out of New York, Fort Lauderdale and

Miami to Kingston, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad, that can allow loved ones to ship care packages to their families. Marklan Moseley, General Manager Caribbean Airlines Cargo stated that “Caribbean Airlines recognizes its critical role during times like these to keep essential goods moving. We closely monitor our operations, adher i n g t o strict precautionary m e a sures to prevent the spread of Covid19.”

The airline has optimized its cargo

operations given the i m p a c t o f Covid-19 on international trade, and operates a freighter schedule.

Meanwhile in order to prevent the spread of Covid19, the airline is continuously operating under established best practices for aircraft cleanliness and sanitation; following the recommendations set forth by the CDC for ‘Preventing Spread of Disease on Commercial Aircraft’ as well as adhering to stringent internal guidelines.

“All aircraft are regularly

cleaned using disinfectant deemed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19; HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestors) aircraft filtration systems which filter 99.97% of dust particles and airborne contaminants such as viruses and bacteria are used on all freighter services; and access to aircraft is limited to only personnel that are required for the safe loading/ offloading of the aircraft,” Caribbean Airlines said in the statement

Charter flight arrive from Barbados with 17, taken to quarantine facility Sir Ronald Sanders such as: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and St Kitts-Nevis whose economies, earning capacity and ability to cope with external shocks to their economies are no greater than the IDA nations. “ He said already, the severe blow with which the global effects of COVID-19 have walloped the economies of these countries is patently obvious.

“Many of them lost more than 10% of their gross domestic product in three weeks, and the situation is deteriorating as cruise ships and airlines curtail schedules, hotels close, workers are laid off and the countries are forced to close their borders.

“Indeed, some of these countries need more than debt relief, they urgently require budgetary support – grants or very concessionary long-term, low interest loans – to carry them for at least the next year or they will find it very difficult, not impossible, to recover from a severe economic downturn.”

Sir Ronald noted that the WBG and the IMF have invited G20 leaders to task them to prepare a proposal for comprehensive action by official creditors “to address both the financing and debt relief needs of IDA countries”, saying that they will seek endorsement for the proposal during the Spring Meetings scheduled for April 16 and 17.

“But, the WBG and the IMF must include other vulnerable economies that are already reeling.

“These are extraordinary times and extraordinary responses are required. All governments must raise their voices, and G20 countries must respond” he added.

Some 17 Guyanese, including three children and one elder were late yesterday abruptly accosted by police officers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, after arriving from Barbados on a Trans Guyana flight chartered by one of them.

As the passengers exited the airport, they were met by persons wearing hazmat (hazardous material) suits and were beckoned to board a 48seater bus. The passengers were given the impression that they were being taken only to be screened for Coronavirus, but they later learnt that they were being taken to endure 14 days of quarantine.

Even if they test positive, they will be kept quarantined for the entire period. Kaieteur News understands that there were at least two doctors on site last night.

When persons asked where they were being taken, they were reportedly told that that was a secret. Kaieteur News later learnt from a parent

The Madewini Campsite facilities where Guyanese who arrived from Barbados and Suriname are being kept who followed the bus that the persons were taken to the Madewini Campsite on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

One Ministry of Public Health staffer told them that he has operational management of the facility. It is manned by military officers.

Kaieteur News was told that the persons were taken to dorms segregated by gender. Each dorm consists of enough double-bunk beds to

house all of them. The passengers are concerned about the conditions they are expected to live under, as they say it is unsanitary. They worry that, as they are kept in cramped quarters, they will all eventually get infected, even if only one person was, at first.

There are reportedly few bathrooms and toilet facilities, and insufficient ventilation. They were told

that the facilities they were placed in were all that were at the disposal of the team at this time. Kaieteur News understands that there were already about four persons at the site when the group got there, quarantined after arriving from Suriname.

Up to press time last night, some persons reportedly refused to sleep in the facilities because they found them unacceptable.

Region Seven rolls out UN launches US$2B global humanitarian... action plan to deal with...

From page 12 humanitarian health emergencies.”

Meanwhile, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore says that “Children are the hidden victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lockdowns and school closures are affecting their education, mental health and access to basic health services.

The risks of exploitation and abuse are higher than ever, for boys and girls alike. For children on the move or living through conflicts, the consequences will be unlike any we have ever seen. We must not let them down.”

At the virtual launch of the COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, the UN Secretary-General was joined via video link by Mr. Lowcock,

Dr Tedros and Ms. Fore.

Together they called on UN Member States to commit to stemming the impact of COVID-19 in vulnerable countries and containing the virus globally by giving the strongest possible support to the plan, while also sustaining core support to existing humanitarian appeals that help the more than 100 million people who already rely on humanitarian assistance from the UN just to survive.

COVID-19 has killed more than 16,000 people worldwide and there are nearly 400,000 reported cases. It has a foothold across the globe and is now reaching countries that were already facing humanitarian crisis because of conflict, natural disasters and climate change.

From page 2 Baptist Primary School).

The hospital is advising that vehicles will be allowed in the compound only if the patient cannot walk. Only one visitor per patient in the hospital is allowed, and one person is allowed to accompany a patient visiting the Out-Patient Department.

Dr Sagala, continues to appeal to the general public to adhere to the systems put in place for the prevention of COVID-19, and also to practice good person hygiene, regular washing and sanitizing of hands, social distancing and good nutrition.

While the region has not recorded any case of COVID19, Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall also appealed to Barticians to practice the safety measures recom-

mended by health workers “My grandmother always said "prevention is better than cure". Today we are faced with a crisis, in the form of the "COVID19" “Thousands have died around the world and we need to make a few but meaningful behavioural changes so as to protect ourselves, family, friends and neighbours. A regional task force headed by Dr Sagala is doing its best to save lives.

Therefore let us all cooperate with our health personnel and behave responsibly.

We need to get through this together, so STAY AT HOME, wash your hands regularly, and frequently sanitize all surfaces.

Together we can survive this crisis,” the Mayor said in a social media post.

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Thursday March 26, 2020

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Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Trio left glum, but agrees with Olympic Games delay AIBA hopes suspension Jamaica Observer Jamaica’s reigning Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah and Omar McLeod along with rising star Briana Williams were left disappointed but philosophical after it was announced that the Olympic Games are postponed until 2021.

The 27-year-old Thompson-Herah who won both the 100m and 200m at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil and became the first woman to win the rare sprint double in 28 years, said she was really looking forward to the Olympic Games.

“I was looking forward to this year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

We all are facing this global pandemic, but we as athletes still have to keep training no

matter what,” said Thompson-Herah.

“We can only hope for the best. Delay is not denial,” she added.

Thompson-Herah, who has been struggling with injuries over the last few years, said she was in “good condition and getting ready for a good season”.

She was down to compete at the Grenada Invitational on April 4 before that, too, was postponed.

McLeod, who won the 2016 Rio Olympic Games’ gold medal in the 110m hurdles, was one of three individual gold medallists for Jamaica alongside Thompson-Herah and the legendary Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals.

Although disappointed, the

outspoken McLeod agreed with the decision.

“I am devastated and truly feel for all us athletes who have been working tirelessly to accomplish our goals we’ve set for this year. One of those common goals is obviously the Olympic Games,” said McLeod.

“I do understand though that our health comes first and we cannot be naive, thinking that this coronavirus pandemic isn’t something serious,” he added.

“So, personally, I do believe that postponing the Games to 2021 is the best solution for all athletes. We just have to stay motivated and keep aspiring.

God blesses and washes your hands,” he continued.

The talented athlete won the 110m hurdles in 13.05 seconds to become Jamaica’s first male Olympic Games champion in the

Thursday March 26, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You're romantic by nature, but today you're probably more interested in sensuality than roses and champagne. Even the idea of inviting seduction seems too insipid right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Dark dreams may haunt your sleep and cause you to awaken in the night. The dreams probably represent nothing more than your unconscious mind releasing the darkest of your worries.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You're apt to feel rather tense today and blame it on boredom and discontent with your current life. You could spend much of the morning daydreaming, formulating outrageous plans to escape what you see as a rut.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your partner may be worried because a family member is ill. This could cause your friend to be distracted. If this is a love partner, offer sympathy, but don't expect any gratitude now.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Do you feel like you're about to explode? Tension may have built up through the week and now there may be no outlet for it.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Was there a task you wanted to have completed by now that was delayed for reasons beyond your control? Don't obsess over it.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Over the past few years you've been aware that both you and your chosen life path are changing. This hasn't always been easy for you VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Are you planning to hear a sermon, lecture, or speech of some kind today? Don't be surprised if what the speaker says turns out to be more hot air than useful information.

He or she is probably more interested in venting feelings than presenting the facts.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Have you resolved to give your house a thorough cleaning? You may have gone to the store and bought every conceivable type of cleaner.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) If you're in the mood for love, remember to be sensitive to your partner's needs and give lots of love in return. Don't forget that the old standbys of champagne and chocolate still work!

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) A woman, perhaps your mother, could visit you today. She may not be in a great mood, so perhaps you'd better take her out in public where she'll have to maintain some self-control.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Traffic in your neighborhood could be congested beyond anything you've seen before. Perhaps an accident or road construction is blocking the street.

event.

He is Jamaica’s national record holder with 12.90 seconds set in 2017, and has won every major event on the calendar.

He was National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Indoor champion in 2014 and the NCAA Outdoor champion in 2015, then after he went professional he won the 2016 Olympic Games and followed that up with triumph at the 2017 World Championships in London.

The 25-year-old McLeod, who has a personal best of 9.99 seconds over the 100m, was the lead-off runner on Jamaica’s illfated 4x100m relay team at the 2017 London World Championships which ended with anchor runner Bolt tumbling to the turf injured.

Meanwhile, young Williams, who celebrated her 18th birthday on Sunday, said the “postponement of the Olympics is a great decision because it’s for our health and safety”.

“I’ve been looking forward to making the team for Tokyo 2020 with all the hard work I’ve put in and the daily struggles that all of us athletes have to face. But these things happen for a reason. We just have to keep safe and take care of ourselves,” said Williams.

The Florida-based Williams is the world age-15 record holder and the Jamaican Junior (Under-20) record holder in both the women’s 100m and 200m.

In 2018, the then 16-yearold won the sprint double at the World Under-20 Championships in Finland and a year after dominated the Carifta Games capturing three gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

Pride named champions...

From page 20 five-game winning streak to storm to the top of the standings.

Five-time defending champions, Guyana Jaguars, who had dominated the tournament since the inception of the professional era, finished joint third with Jamaica Scorpions on 91.8 points.

Volcanoes ended in fifth spot on 78 points with Leeward Islands Hurricanes last on 52.8 points.

Final Points Table: Barbados Pride 134.8 points Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 94.6 points Guyana Jaguars 91.8 points Jamaica Scorpions 91.8 points Windward Islands Volcanoes 78 points Leeward Islands Hurricanes 52.8 points

lifted before Olympics in 2021: official MOSCOW (Reuters) Amateur boxing’s international governing body (AIBA) should be able to complete its reforms and have its suspension lifted before the Tokyo Games are held in 2021, a Russian boxing official who also holds a position at AIBA said yesterday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year suspended AIBA, the International Boxing Association, over issues surrounding its finances and governance and took over the boxing competition and qualification for the 2020 Olympics.

With the Games being postponed to 2021 because of coronavirus outbreaks worldwide, AIBA could be in a position to retrieve its status before the Olympics, said Umar Kremlev, president of Russia’s Boxing Federation and chairman of

AIBA’s market commission.

“I’m sure that by the end of the year or early next year, AIBA and the IOC will find a mutual understanding and will start working together,” he told Reuters.

“AIBA is not what it was.

It is already different. It has reformed. There are strong reforms taking place.”

Kremlev said that European Olympic qualifying, organized by the IOC’s Boxing Task Force (BTF) earlier this month in London, should not have taken place at all because of the pandemic.

The tournament was halted in its early stages because of the virus.

“What happened is of course a very bad situation for athletes,” he said. “They had prepared, went to the competition and then the tournament was stopped. It was ridiculous to even begin this tournament.”

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Thursday March 26, 2020

Kaieteur News

Grave holds out hope for BCUA and BFA pays tribute ‘important’ women’s championships to the late Robert Selman BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave says the governing body had gone to great lengths not to also scrap the junior and senior and women domestic championship, in light of the coronavirus outbreak in the region.

The board on Tuesday announced it was aborting the two final rounds of the domestic first class championship while also cancelling the Regional Under-15s Boys Championship and this summer’s West Indies Under15s tour to England.

But it said it would postpone the Women’s Super50 Cup and the inaugural Regional Under19s Women’s T20 Championship with hope of staging both tournaments later this year.

“They are very important tournaments, not just in terms of the preparation but in terms of the preparation for the selection of those respective squads as we look to compete in the World Cups of those events due to take place in the early part of 2021,” Grave said.

The ICC Women’s 50overs World Cup is carded for New Zealand starting in February next year along with the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup scheduled for Bangaldesh.

West Indies currently lie seventh in the eight-nation ICC Women’s Championship standard, with the top four gaining automatic qualification to the senior World Cup. Both domestic women’s tournaments were part of a suite of competitions suspended earlier this month for 30 days as CWI moved to restrict movement of players and officials as cases of the coronavirus were reported throughout the region.

Grave said that these two women’s tournaments, along with West Indies HighPerformance and International preparation training camps, would now not be held before May 31.

“Following the advice from our medical advisory committee, we’ve extended the suspension that we announced 10 days ago which was for an initial 30-day period,” Grave explained.

“We’ve now extended that until the end of the May as

well as postponing a number of our tournaments, and we’ve reluctantly had to cancel some as well.”

He continued: “We’ve also continued to pause all of our high performance camps and our international preparation camps until at least May 31 …

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation, we’ll continue to have teleconferences with our board of directors and seek the advice of the medical advisory committee as we navigate the organisation through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The virus has also put in peril the men’s international home series against South Africa and New Zealand scheduled for July and August, along with June’s three-Test tour of England.

There have been over 125 COVID-19 cases reported in the English-speaking Caribbean, including in the major cricket-playing nations of Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados.

Globally, there have been over 421 000 cases of the virus with nearly 19 000 deaths reported.

Foster pays tribute to Robert Selman Hilbert Foster, RHTYSC Secretary/CEO and BCB President has extend his condolences following the passing of Guyana Beverage Inc. (Busta company) Boss Robert Selman, who passed away in his native Trinidad on Monday.

Foster remembered Selman as a wonderful personality and friend of sports in general. Here is the full text of the message: On behalf of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, I must express deep sadness on the death of our friend and supporter Mr Robert Selman, who died on Monday last in his native homeland of Trinidad. We knew that he was ailing but his death has left a huge hole that would be very difficult to replace and personally I have lost a true friend, father figure and a mentor who is one of the main reasons why my work at the RHTYSC, MS and BCB has been so successful.

I first met Mr Selman in 2003 when he asked the RHTYSC to organise the Busta Champion of Champions 40 overs tournament in Berbice for his company. The club and the BCB have hosted a total of sixteen editions of the very popular tournament since

Robert Selman then, while the relationship with the company has touched and changed thousands of lives in the Ancient County. He was a remarkable human being, who was caring, humble and down to earth, despite his position.

He had a strong passion to make sure that sports was used to improve the lives of less fortunate youths and to promote the importance of education and discipline.

The cricketing careers of numerous RHTYSC members were made richer because of his love and encouragement.

Robert Selman never said no to any of our requests and he was always available to give advice when we sought one.

Players like Esuan and Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Shemaine Campbelle and Eon Hooper all benefited from the support he provided for over 15 years.

In October 2015, he became the first recipient of our highest award-The Dolphin Award of Excellence for his contribution to sports and youth development. Despite not been a Guyanese, there are very few of our countrymen who can match his contribution to sports in our country. His support for cricket, football, cycling and other sports during his time in our country is well recorded.

The club along with the BCB would make sure that the memory of Robert Selman is kept alive by organising something in his memory. On behalf of the Management and members of the RHTYSC, MS and The BCB, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Robert Selman. It is our sincere hope that God would guide and protect you during this difficult time. May his soul rest in Peace. Farewell, dear brother and thanks for the rich memories you left behind.

The Berbice Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) has joined with fellow Berbician institutions, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the Berbice Football Association (BFA) paying tribute and farewell to the late Robert Selman, former Manager of Guyana Beverage Company Inc. manufacturers of the popular Busta soft drink and

the famous, Fruta line of juices.

In a release from President of the BCUA Joseph Simon, who is Secretary of the BFA, the entities remembered Selman as being very instrumental in the promotion and personal support of sports in Guyana, including football within the County of Berbice and elsewhere in Guyana.

“As an administrator of

both entities, I was personally touched by his generosity and commitme n t to ensuring that organisations where youths are the beneficiaries received his support and that of his company’s “Busta” brand, among other brands.

We at the BCUA and BFA hereby extended heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives and friends. He will be surely missed.”

Pride named champions after CWI aborts first class championship

Barbados Pride have been named champions.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies has aborted the remaining two rounds of the domestic first class championship and declared leaders Barbados Pride champions of the 2020 season.

The decision was taken following a board of directors teleconference on Tuesday, where the governing body also moved to scrap the Regional Under-15s Boys Championship and the West Indies Under-15s tour to England scheduled to take place this summer.

CWI had last week suspended the first class championship following the eighth round of matches, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the Caribbean, and also postponed the Under-15 Boys Championship, the Women’s Super50 Cup and the inaugural Regional Under-19s Women’s T20 Championship.

Despite the cancellations, CWI hopes to salvage the Women’s Super50 Cup and the Regional Under-19s Women’s T20 Championship and have postponed them until later in the year.

“All around the sporting world we are faced with the

challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” CWI chief executive, Johnny Grave said.

“Cricket, cricketers and all our stakeholders involved in the game have been affected at various levels and we must continue to work to together and act responsibly in containing the spread of the virus.”

He continued: “Ten days ago, we suspended our tournaments and camps for 30 days and now we have extended that suspension until the end of May as well as reluctantly cancelled some tournaments and tours in their entirety.

“We will continue to monitor and assess the situation and make further decisions and announcements in due course.”

When the first class championship was halted, Pride topped the standings with 134.8 points, well ahead of second placed Trinidad and Tobago Red Force second on 94.6 points.

And though their lead, though significant, was not yet unassailable, Grave said the decision among directors had been “unanimous” to award Pride the Headley/ Weekes Trophy.

“The major discussion point that came from the board of directors as a unanimous decision for us to curtail the last two rounds of the first class season and announce Barbados Pride as the winners of the West Indies championship and award them the Headley/Weekes Trophy,” the Englishman said.

“Barbados are significant leaders after eight rounds … and though mathematically Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica could overtake them if they’d won the final two games, Barbados Pride would’ve almost certainly picked up enough bonus points even if they’d lost their final two games and still be winners.”

He continued: “Notwithstanding the maths of the situation the board were unanimous that if the season was to end now, [that we] would announce Barbados as the winners and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force as the runners-up, so that’s the situation with the West Indies championship.”

Ironically, Pride started the campaign with a shock three-wicket defeat to Windward Islands Volcanoes before recovering to go on a (Continued on page 19)

Thursday March 26, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Greene staying patient despite delayed return

By Calvin Chapman Former national hockey player; Ato Greene, following a two year hiatus from the sport is working hard towards making his return to not only competitively play but to the national setup.

In 2017, the then budding star suffered a life threatening diagnosis of Pleura Infusion; a condition that causes fluid to build up between the lungs and chest plate which saw him being sidelined for almost two years.

“By the grace of God”, as Greene explains it, he recovered after being hospitalised for several weeks and like the doctors would have explained to him, rehabilitation took some time.

The 23-year-old would have represented the Golden Arrowhead for the first time in 2014 where Guyana finished second in the Pan Am Challenge.

In 2015, his senior debut was at the Pan American Challenge Cup in Peru, where an agonising 3-2 penalty loss to Uruguay in the third place playoff denied the Guyanese the bronze medal finish.

During an interview Tuesday with Kaieteur Sport, the forward shared that he had earmarked 2020 as the year he was going to make his comeback to competitive

Ato Green (on the ball) against Argentina. hockey but the coronavirus pandemic has stalled him once again.

“Initially, I calculated that a year off would have been enough for me but I wasn’t fully up to speed so I decided to take another season off so that I could’ve been fit and rearing to go. However, the Coronavirus tragedy has forced sports events to be cancelled worldwide with Guyana being affected as well, so I am not sure when I will be able to be back on the field and in my element again,”

Green posited.

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) had to postpone their Smalta/Icool under-14 indoor development league which got underway in late February and all other tournaments inclusive of the outdoor second division development league have been put on hold.

“I thought this virus would’ve been under control quickly but it doesn’t seem that way. Earlier today (Tuesday), I read that the IOC has called for a one-year

postponement of the Tokyo Olympics so I’m guessing it may be a while before I can get out there an compete but the safety of our athletes and our people in general along with the containment of this deadly virus is most important.”

“I will just continue doing what I have been doing during my layoff. I will do my endurance runs and work on strengthening my core, so when we overcome this global crisis, I will be even more fit than before to take the field.

Rescheduled Tokyo Games may come before summer 2021: Bach ATHENS (Reuters) - The head of the global Olympic movement said yesterday the rescheduled Tokyo Games faced “thousands” of logistical and financial problems but could go ahead before summer 2021.

Though most people have assumed the Games will be held around roughly the same July-August timetable as they were planned for this year, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said earlier dates in 2021 were possible.

“The agreement is that we want to organize these Games at the latest in the summer 2021,” he told a conference call.

“This is not restricted just to the summer months.

All the options are on the table including the summer 2021.”

The IOC agreed with Japan on Tuesday to the first postponement in the Olympics’ 124-year history due to risks from the coronavirus impact.

It was the last major international sporting event

of 2020 to be canceled, with many questioning why a seemingly inevitable decision took so long to make as the coronavirus epidemic raged around the world.

Athletes were sad but largely relieved, given disruption to their training.

The decision was a huge blow to Japan, which has invested $12 billion in the runup, and presents a massive headache to reorganize logistics, funding and sponsorship.

Bach said he could not guarantee all elements of the Games would remain as initially planned. For example, he did not know what would happen with the athletes’ village, where apartments were set to be sold after the Games this year.

“This is one of the many thousands of questions this task force will have to address. We hope and we will do whatever we can so that there is an Olympic village, the village is where the heart of the Games beat,” he said.

Bach also warned the $12 billion price tag for the Games

would rise further, with additional costs for everyone involved.

“WONDERFUL GAMES” PROMISED “Our mission is to organize Games and make dreams of athletes come true,” he added. “We have no blueprint but we are confident we can put a beautiful jigsaw puzzle together and in the end have wonderful Olympic Games.”

Bach, a 66-year-old German lawyer and former Olympic fencing champion, also said outright cancellation was discussed, even though the IOC had long insisted that was not an option.

“Of course cancellation was discussed and considered like all options on the table, but it was very clear from the beginning that cancellation should not be something the IOC would in any way favor,” Bach said.

The IOC has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks from athletes and teams calling for the Games to be postponed and unhappy with the slow

decision-making compared to other sports events.

Asked by a German reporter whether he considered resigning over his organization’s handling of the issue, Bach said “No”.

In talks with athletes’ representatives and national Olympic committees last week, no-one opposed the IOC’s stance, he added.

After repeatedly insisting the Games were on as scheduled, the IOC at the weekend announced a month of consultations over possible postponement, before seemingly bowing to global pressure for a faster judgment.

The body is due to start talks from today with other global sporting bodies as moving the gigantic Olympics event has a knockon effect for many other competitions.

“We are in an unprecedented situation. I guess these postponed Olympic Games will need sacrifices, will need compromises by all stakeholders,” he added.

‘Board did the right thing in cancelling season’ says Barnwell

By Sean Devers Thirty-three-year-old Guyana Jaguars batting allrounder Christopher Barnwell has been his team’s most consistent batsman this season with 438 runs from 14 innings in eight matches with a highest score 107.

The DCC right-hander has one century and two fifties and collected seven wickets with his right medium pace and only skipper Leon Johnson, who scored the Jaguars’ other ton this season, has more runs than Barnwell.

With the final two rounds and a possible four innings for the attacking Barnwell to bat the tournament has been cancelled by CWI due to the world-wide outbreak of the Corona Virus which so far has no cure.

Barnwell, who made his First-Class debut against the Leeward Islands in Nevis back in 2009, admitted he was disappointed that the season was halted at the time when he was in good form.

CWI confirmed that Barbados have been declared the 2020 Champions following a Board of Directors teleconference held yesterday afternoon.

CWI said it was acting upon the advice of its Medical Advisory Committee and a decision was made to cancel the last two rounds.

“Yeah I am disappointed but at the same time we have to be careful with this Virus because it’s very serious. I think the Board did the right thing by cancelling the season. Saving lives should always be the most important thing and asking people stay to at home and obeying sanitation instructions could save lives here,” disclosed Barnwell.

Barnwell credits his constancy over last two seasons in both formats, to a few key aspects of his game that have changed.

“I am fitter and more mature I just tried to keep it simple and be positive and it was just reward for the work I put in,” said Barnwell, who

has played for the West Indies, Barbados Tridents, Guyana, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore, St Lucia Zouks and West Indies A. The entertaining strokeplayer who seemed unfortunate to get a few ‘hard’ umpiring decisions this season, explained why he felt getting out when looking well set for a century.

This season the batsmen reached fifty or more on 15 occasions but only Barnwell and Johnson converted into three-figure scorers.

“I think I needed to be a little tighter but those things tend to happen when you are batting well and feeling good you tend to force a few shots and get out and it’s something I am aware of and work to correct going forward,” said Barnwell who has 2,406 runs with two tons and 12 fifties and 85 wickets with three five-wicket hauls and a best of 6-78 from 61 First-Class matches.

When asked if he still thinks he has a chance of being re-called for the West Indies in the T20 or ODI formats, Barnwell said, “Once you are playing at the Regional level you always have a chance. It’s just about the numbers and match winning performances.”

With no sporting activities to participate in and the County at a virtual standstill due to the deadly Virus, Barnwell said there is not much to do.

“There is not much to do at the moment but fitness work set out by the trainer and hitting a few balls,” informed Barnwell who played six T20 Internationals for the West Indies between 2011 and 2013.

Barnwell revealed that, he his family and team mates are so far good.

“We frequently are in contact with each other to see how things are and to compare what we are doing with the programmes which were set up by our trainer Neil Barry and everyone is OK,” Barnwell concluded.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 26, 2020

In coronavirus-hit world, sponsors to stand by delayed Olympics (Reuters) - Major corporate sponsors of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are standing by the International Olympic Committee after the Games were postponed and experts familiar with the deals said the companies would not likely seek the return of billions of dollars committed to the agreements.

Fourteen global companies including CocaCola Co, Procter & Gamble Co and Intel Corp spent $500 million this year and have committed close to $4 billion on multi-year contracts that designate them as top-tier sponsors, according to research firm Global Data.

On Tuesday, the Tokyo Games were postponed to 2021, a first in the 124-year modern history of the event, due to the coronavirus pandemic which has prompted governments to shut businesses globally.

After the announcement, five major sponsors, Procter & Gamble, Intel, Airbnb, Coca-Cola and Samsung Electronics reaffirmed their commitment to the games.

Bridgestone Corp will seek “creative solutions” in a delay, it told Reuters ahead of the announcement.

“As the longest standing sponsor of the Olympic

Olympic rings monument at Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Tokyo.

On Monday the IOC announced that the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Games would be postponed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports) Games, we remain committed to working together with the IOC and TOCOG (Tokyo Organising Committee) to create a successful and safe event,” said a Coca-Cola spokesman.

Samsung in a statement to Reuters said, “We will continue to work closely with the IOC and Games organizers to ensure a safe and memorable Olympic Games.”

Despite the severe financial toll on the sponsors, the companies generally

consider themselves longterm partners of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“No doubt, the IOC and Japan are working hand-inhand with those 14 sponsors,” said Jason Karlov, a partner at law firm Barnes & Thornburg, who has worked on previous IOC sponsor deals. “They keep the Olympic movement functioning and thriving.”

Beyond the Olympics, the

pandemic has forced the cancellation of nearly every national and regional sporting event in the coming months.

Lawyers involved in those deals said many corporate sponsors, often smaller companies hard hit by the outbreak, are trying to back out and get their money back.

However, even if a company wanted its Olympic sponsorship money returned, it is unlikely the deal with the IOC allows it, according to

those lawyers familiar with the deals.

The sponsorship dollars are crucial to the operations of the IOC, which is a nonprofit funded primarily by broadcast rights and revenue from top sponsors. The companies generally pay a portion of the total contract upfront when they sign and the remainder is paid in installments over the length of the agreement.

Reuters did not view the sponsorship contracts, but those familiar with the deals said every contract differs and the delay of the Tokyo games may not necessarily trigger any obligation for the IOC. Some sponsorship deals might require the IOC to provide “make good” compensation to its sponsors for a postponement of one year or more, lawyers said.

Make goods might include product placements for manufacturers of consumer goods, promotional footage or “meet and greet” events during the Olympics, said Eric Bergner, a lawyer for Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in New York.

Even with sweeteners, some companies may find it difficult to remain in long-term pricey contracts as the spread of coronavirus takes a huge toll on the global

economy, one senior media executive said.

McDonald’s Corp pulled out of its long-term Olympics sponsorship in 2017 when the restaurant chain was overhauling operations and cutting costs.

“I think it is definitely a possibility that some sponsors may seek to terminate their sponsorship entirely, based on overriding hardships,” said James Johnston, a partner at law firm Davis and Gilbert, which represents a current top IOC sponsor.

“Nothing is off the table,” the senior executive said.

Michael Lynch, a partner at sports marketing company 3 Emerald Marketing, said the IOC likely will work with sponsors even if it is not required to.

“The IOC has an obligation to respect the integrity and spirit of the agreements, which was delivering a winter and summer games within a fouryear period,” said Lynch, who has worked on Olympic sponsorship deals, including 17 years with Visa Inc. “The last thing the IOC will do is be at odds with the commercial organizations that partner to fund these games,” he said.

De Grasse now has chance to be part of Olympic sprint show The Associated Press Andre De Grasse now has the chance to be a major part of the sprint show at the Tokyo Games.

For that, he’s breathing a little easier.

A day ago, Canada’s fastest man wasn’t sure he would be allowed to take to the starting line, even if he wanted to. His country decided to not send a team to the Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic unless the games were delayed a year.

They were, and now he’s back on course.

On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee postponed the Olympics until 2021. The announcement was recognition of the reality that training and qualifying schedules have been completely disrupted as the coronavirus spreads.

This was supposed to be De Grasse’s year - his first chance for Olympic gold without Usain Bolt looming a few steps away. Only a new crop of talent has arrived on the scene in Americans Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles.

It’s shaping up to be quite a showdown, one that De Grasse certainly wanted in on

Canada’s Andre De Grasse celebrates after winning the silver medal in the men’s 200-meters at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) and now can be given the IOC decision not to start the games on July 24 as scheduled.

Next on the agenda for the IOC and organizers is picking a date when it might be safe again to hold such a big event.

They’ll also have to rearrange the 2021 global sports calendar.

De Grasse is, by most measures, Canada’s highestprofile summer sports star. The country brought 314 athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

It captured 22 medals, with De

Grasse bringing home three.

Although De Grasse wasn’t contacted individually by Team Canada in regard to its decision not to send athletes to Tokyo before the IOC decision to postpone, he did receive a survey.

He didn’t fill it out. ‘’I didn’t know how I felt about the situation at the time,’’ explained De Grasse, who has seven Olympic and world championship medals to his credit. ‘’I was letting it go and

playing it by ear day by day and seeing if this things got better. ‘’They’re trying to protect us. We’re humans first and athletes second. We’ll get through this.’’

These days, he’s in Florida with his girlfriend, American hurdler Nia Ali. Now that cities and states are closing gyms and urging social distancing, his workouts have been reduced to running on a soccer field and chasing around their daughter, Yuri, who turns 2 in

June. Ali also has a son, Titus. ‘’I’m with the kids, at home, a lot,’’ De Grasse cracked. ‘’I feel like I’m active because I’m chasing them around. We go swimming in the backyard.’’

De Grasse didn’t take the most conventional route into the world of sprinting. In fact, he thought his path to glory was as a point guard in basketball.

That changed when he bumped into a friend on the bus in high school. He boasted he could beat him in a race.

Race on.

Wearing baggy basketball shorts and borrowed spikes, De Grasse started from a standing position instead of uncoiling from the blocks.

He won.

A coach, Tony Sharpe, happened to see him from the stands, took him under his wing and helped fine-tune that raw speed.

De Grasse burst on the scene in 2015, when he tied for the 100-meter bronze medal at the world championships in Beijing. Back then, he was just a role player in the showdown between Bolt and American rival Justin Gatlin.

A year later at the Rio Games, De Grasse took center stage and clowned around

with Bolt, though it wasn’t all fun and games. Bolt was looking for the world record, possibly to even break the 19second barrier in the 200. He fell short, and among the reasons he cited was De Grasse’s decision to push him the night before in the semifinals.

De Grasse ended up earning silver during the 200 in Brazil, along with bronze medals in the 100 and as part of the 4x100 relay team.

He occasionally watches his Olympic races - for inspiration. ‘’There’s a lot of motivation to say to myself, ‘I can be one of the fastest men in the world,’’’ De Grasse recounted. ‘’When I watch, it fuels that and makes me hungry to win again and have that feeling that I felt in Rio.’’ He’s healthy again, too.

Bothered by hamstring injuries in 2017 and in ’18, he flashed his familiar - and fast - form at the world championships last fall in Doha, Qatar. De Grasse took bronze in the 100 behind Coleman and Gatlin. Later, he picked up silver in the 200 behind Lyles.

A rematch in Tokyo?

De Grasse has that chance.

Thursday March 26, 2020

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Kaieteur News

West Indies over-50’s Media Officer stranded in Boston - S/Africa was an excellent host and tournament was competitive After the inaugural eightteam over-50 World Cup in Sidney, Australia in 2018, the 2020 event in Cape town South Africa attracted four new teams; West Indies, India, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The West Indies over-50 team, which does not represent an official West Indies team but was allowed to use the West Indies colours on their uniforms by the CWI lost both of their games.

The tournament was suspended on Sunday March 15 after two and a half matches due to the deadly Pandemic Corvid-19 which was spreading world-wide.

The team’s Media Officer, Guyanese John Ramsingh, who is stranded in Boston, USA, spoke with Kaieteur Sports yesterday about the standard of the tournament which were not played on International Venues, how the news of the Covid-19 Virus affected the players, his experience in the Rainbow Nation and how he got stranded in a foreign Country.

The West Indies, a team in which none of its members had played International

West Indies 0-50 Media Officer John Ramsingh in South Africa. cricket, departed South Africa

by Thursday March 19.

“The standard was good and the tournament was very competitive for over-50 players. The pitches had true bounce and carry, while the spinners got some turn in the second innings,” said Ramsingh.

According to Ramsingh, the outfields were lush and fast with fair sized boundaries but none of the International venues were used, while the hospitality in Cape Town was great and many of the teams

felt South Africa had set the bar high as host.

Each team had their own Coach, team Bus, Physiotherapist and liaison officer, while the teams were accommodated at five-star Hotels.

“When the organisers broke the news of suspending the tournament after two and a half matches most of the teams were disappointed before the mad scramble to get flights.

All team had to leave at the same time which created

Federer donates one million Swiss Francs to vulnerable families (Reuters) - Roger Federer has joined the list of sports stars helping out the needy during the coronavirus pandemic, with the former world number one and his wife donating one million Swiss Francs ($1.02 million) to vulnerable families in his native Switzerland.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had each donated one million euros ($1.08 million) to help clinics and medical centers fight the outbreak.

Portugal and Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes also came together to donate lifesaving equipment to Portuguese hospitals.

“These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind,” Federer wrote in a statement posted on Twitter yesterday.

“Mirka and I have personally decided to donate one million Swiss Francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland.” Globally, more than 420,700 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 18,820 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Switzerland has

some anxious moments.

However, after the news sunk in players realised the seriousness of the COVID-19 and were grateful that the tournament was stopped,” Ramsingh reported.

Ramsingh informed, team members all took different routes out since South Africa Airways which had taken the team from JFK in New York to Johannesburg, had stopped working which made getting out much longer.

“Upon arrival at JFK, I enquired about flights to Guyana only to be told that airports in Guyana were closed to International flights so I decided to visit a friend in Boston where we both remain in quarantine but all others got home.

The trip was an eye opener for me. It was pleasing to see the level of preparation that went onto the tournament both from the West Indies and over 50 CWC. The players embraced the concept really well. South Africa made five Legends patrons of the tournament and they remained with the action throughout; that was well received by the players, officials and fans.”

“On the off days the organisers put together features including tours of South Africa.

I was especially happy for the players who for one reason or another did not represent their Country at International level but really grabbed on to this chance.

Ex Guyana and USA opener Sudesh Dhaniram was the closest to playing International Cricket.

Players went through the drills ahead of games and the passion for the game was still evident and I admired that.

The host clubs were really welcoming it was an experience to remember.”

Ramsingh further stated, “Azad Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago scored the only century, while Sudesh Dhaniram, skipper Zamin Amin, Narine Bideshi, Fareed Hossein and Ishwar Maraj had e n c o u r a g i n g performances for the West Indies, while others did not get enough opportunities to showcase their talent, included Julian Charles, Mark Audain, Kenney Girdharry and Allison Johnson.”

The 53-year-old Dhaniram who played for Guyana and later the USA and scored four First-Class centuries including an elegant ton for Guyana against Barbados at Bourda, was the closest to playing for the West Indies.

But he was born in the wrong era since he was competing with Greenidge and Haynes, the most successful opening pair in the history of Test Cricket.

Ramsingh stated that after the tournament was called off, news that the next tournament will also be played in Cape Town brought smiles to the faces of the players since South Africa had proved a great host.

(Sean Devers)

Messi thanked by hospital for Coronavirus donation Omnisport - Lionel Messi has been thanked by a Barcelona hospital after making a donation to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 has caused havoc across the globe and subsequently brought the

sporting world to a standstill, with more than 418,000 confirmed cases.

Wi t h s p o r t s l a rg e l y unable to continue, many clubs and leagues are making decisions to safeguard their financial solvency, with lay-offs and

Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after winning the exhibition match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo) nearly 9,900 confirmed cases with 122 deaths.

“Our contribution is just a start,” Federer added. “We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis.”

Federer, a 20-times Grand

Slam winner, is currently recovering from a knee surgery he underwent last month and was targeting a return in June in time for Wimbledon.

The tennis season is, however, suspended until June 7 due to the pandemic.

Lionel Messi has been thanked by a Barcelona hospital for making a donation.

salary deductions becoming more common.

But some high-profile individuals are sacrificing their own money to help the cause, with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed to have donated €1million to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation.

Messi – a six-time Ballon d’Or winner – has made a contribution of his own to the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

A Tweet from the clinic on Tuesday read: “Leo Messi made a donation to fight against COVID-19 in the clinic.

“Thank you very much, Leo, for your support and your commitment.”

Spain is the second worstaffected European nation with almost 40,000 people diagnosed with the virus, including over 2,800 deaths.

‘Board did the right thing in cancelling season’- says Barnwell

Chris Barnwell has been Guyana most consistent batsman this season.

rt Spo

Ato Greene (center) in action against Puerto Rico during the junior Pan Am games in 2016.

Greene staying patient despite delayed return

Grave holds out hope for ‘important’ women’s C/Ships

Rescheduled Tokyo Games may come before summer 2021: Bach

West Indies women’s championships were spared the axe.

In coronavirus-hit world, sponsors to stand by delayed Olympics

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) attends an interview after the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 25, 2020. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)

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