14 NEWS Pedal cyclist killed during UK gifts €5M to Caribbean for collision with motorcycle COVID-19 assistance T A FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
44-year-old pedal cyclist is now dead after he collided with a motorcycle along the Soesdyke Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Tuesday. Dead is David Grant Stuart of Ice House Road, Timehri, EBD. According to reports, around 16:00h, the motorcycle, CK 2411, ridden by a 20-year-old man, was proceeding south along the eastern side of the Soesdyke Public Road, while Stuart was proceeding north along the western side of the road. Reports are the pedal cyclist then diverged east to cross the road, which resulted in the front of the motorbike colliding with the pedal cycle.
David Grant Stuart
Owing to the impact caused by the accident, both the pedal cyclist and the mo-
torcyclist fell onto the roadway. Police stated that the biker picked up Stuart and transported him to the Diamond hospital. He was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital owing to the seriousness of his injuries. However, a short while after his admittance, the 44-year-old man died. His body has since been transferred to the Lyken Funeral Home. A breathalyser test was conducted on the motorcyclist, but no trace of alcohol was detected. It was noted that he did not have a licence to operate the motorcycle, so he is in Police custody and assisting with investigations.
he United Kingdom has made a contribution of five million Euros to help contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Caribbean. In a statement on Thursday, it was stated that three million of the funding would be channelled through the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the provision of essential medical supplies and management support to help public health systems around the Region combat the virus. The other €2 million will be used to scale up assistance for the most vulnerable households, and to help counter domestic violence against women and children. UK Minister for the
UK Minister for the Caribbean, Baroness Elizabeth Sugg
Caribbean Baroness Elizabeth Sugg stated that this donation was a testimony to the country’s commit-
Sophia Holding Centre escape
17-year-old murder accused still on the run
…as 5 more teens recaptured
P
olice have managed to recapture 11 of the 12 teens who escaped from the Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown on Tuesday. Five of the 11 were recaptured on Wednesday while the other six were recaptured on Thursday by Police. The remaining teen – a 17-year-old who is on a murder charge – is still on the run. His last known address is Leopold and Cross Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown. Guyana Times understands that the escape occurred at approximately 23:30h on May 5.
Reports are the teens, who were housed in cell two and who have matters ranging from armed robbery to rape and murder, broke out of their cells and attacked the security personnel who were guarding the entrance of the building. Two unarmed Policemen were injured during the escape. The teens relieved them of the keys to some of the other cells after which the juveniles sprinted from the facility. An alarm was raised and a search was conducted in nearby communities, where five of the teens were recaptured and taken back to the facility.
Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown
Meanwhile, security has been reinforced at the Holding Centre, and a full investigation has been launched. In recent times, several teens escaped from the Sophia Holding Centre, but
were recaptured. Juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 are held at the facility once they are charged with a criminal offence. After they have reached the age of 18, they are transferred to the for-
mal prison system. The Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia was commissioned in 2011 as a detention facility for juveniles, separate from the adult prisons.
ment to supporting countries throughout the Caribbean region. She also recognised that there were many vulnerable healthcare systems, which would be targeted. “We all face unprecedented challenges with COVID-19, and UK assistance is supporting vulnerable health systems in the Caribbean and across the world – to save lives, protect vital services and reduce the risk of future waves of infection globally. In addition to our multimillion funding to UN agencies and the WHO that benefits the Caribbean, this direct regional support will help Caribbean countries to cope with the coronavirus crisis, mitigate the wider social and economic impacts and protect the most vulnerable,” she shared. As part of its wider response to COVID-19 in the Region, the UK is also reallocating these resources from its £400 million development programme to support countries that are facing high risks. It has supported the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Regional Response Mechanism (RRM), which includes COVID-19 modelling and surveillance products. Pledges were made that the UK Government would continue to work with existing partners that were wellplaced to coordinate the regional and international response to the disease and help reduce the negative impacts on economies and people. So far, they have supported eight Caribbean territories namely Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda; and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Other notable efforts in their books are the international efforts being generated to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Some £250 million of UK aid has been provided to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine, the biggest donation of any country. Another £200 million was allocated to help global organisations and charities tackle coronavirus in vulnerable countries. This includes £130 million for UN appeals, including £65 million for the World Health Organisation (WHO); £50 million for International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appeals; and £20 million for international NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), including UK charities, to tackle the virus. Meanwhile, another £150 million has been contributed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Catastrophe Containment Relief Trust (CCRT) to help developing countries meet their debt repayments so that they can focus their available resources on tackling coronavirus.
