Guyana Times - Saturday November 27, 2021

Canadian High Commission to host Virtual EduCanada Fair P15

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4844

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

7% salary increase contextualised

Govt focusing on boosting spending power of Guyanese – President Ali Page 3

...says disposable income was crippled under APNU/AFC coalition

Recent spate of fires an obvious threat to law and order – PSC – condemns calls to create havoc by outside forces

Page 9

$200M Jaigobin Hotel opens at Anna Regina Page 11

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P12 2 more unvaccinated men die from COVID …spike in cases in Reg 6 brews concern

APNU/AFC P7 ‘ready to work’ with Govt in its fight against COVID-19 – Dr Cummings ...says ‘sensible’ thing is to get vaccinated before holidays

Abusive man doused with hot oil after threatening to kill fiancée P2 St Cuthbert’s Mission man slapped with rape charge P8

President Dr Irfaan Ali, members of the Jaigobin family, and other officials at the opening of the state-of-the-art modern hotel in Anna Regina on Friday

Speeding taxi Page 17 driver killed in Linden-Soesdyke Highway accident – 3 others hospitalised

23 of 38 patients at COVID-19 facility are pregnant women Page 16

More contraband items found P2 during raid at Timehri Prison WCD teen P8 robbed by knifetoting bandit

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Abusive man doused with hot oil after threatening to kill fiancée

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20-year-old fisherman of Princetown (Number 77 Village) Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice was in the wee hours of Friday doused with hot oil by his fiancée’s stepfather during a commotion at their home.

The Police have said that the young man has been living in a conjugal relationship with a 17-year-old female for the past two years, and on Thursday evening, at about 19:30h, he returned home under the influence of alcohol, and this resulted in an argument erupting between them.

During the argument,

the man reportedly dealt the female two slaps, threatened her with a kitchen knife, and pulled her by the hair. The matter was reported to the Police and checks were made for him, but he was not found.

However, at about 2:00h the following day, he returned home, opened the louvre panes to the young woman’s bedroom window, and asked her for a cigarette lighter. She reportedly told him that she did not have one, and this angered him, so he began to threaten her.

On hearing the commotion and threats, the teen’s stepfather rushed into the

bedroom and threw some water in the young man’s face while demanding that he leave the premises. The young man became annoyed, pulled out the louvre panes and iron bars from the window, and attempted to enter

the room.

According to the Police, the stepfather returned to the room with a cup of hot oil, and threw same in the young man’s face, causing him to receive injuries.

The young man then fled

to his mother’s home, from where he was taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital, where he was treated and sent away. He is expected to return there for further treatment.

The young man sub-

sequently went to the Springlands Police Station and lodged a report, and the Police went in search of the stepfather, but the suspect was not found.

An investigation is underway.

More contraband items found during raid at Timehri Prison

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everal searches conducted by Prison authorities at prisons throughout Guyana over the past few months have unearthed a number of contra-

band items, and the issue has continued to cause worry.

The trend continued on Friday when a search was conducted at the Timehri Prison and the following contraband items were unearthed: a quantity of marijuana seeds in oil; three packs of cigarettes and four cigarette lighters; one improvised smoking utensil; eight cellular phones, one memory card and reader; three cellphone chargers, several razor blades, and eight improvised weapons; six bottles of pepper sauce, four metal spoons and three bottles of fermented drinks.

This search lasted for just over three hours, and was a collaborative effort between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).

The items found were confiscated, and investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances un-

The prohibited items found during the search on Friday

der which they were able to enter the prison compound.

In the latter part of October, a search conducted at the Timehri Prison had unearthed a quantity of prohibited items, which included a quantity of narcotics; 2 black Samsung cellular phones and 1 Hyundai

cellular phone; 5 phone batteries, 2 phone casings, 1 Digicel SIM card and 4 phone chargers; a quantity of nails, 1 mirror and 2 twoway electrical points; 9 cigarette lighters, 11 improvised weapons, 1 kitchen knife, 1 pair of scissors and 2 earpieces.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Nov 27 – 11:59h – 06:00h and Sunday, Nov 28 – 11:00h – 12:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Nov 27 – 10:30h – 12:00h and Sunday, Nov 28 – 11:35h – 13:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers during the day.

Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Westerly to Northerly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 10:11h and 22:37h reaching a maximum height of 2.14 metres and 2.2 metres.

Low Tide: 16:05h reaching a minimum height of 1.11 metre.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS E

08 11 17

19 21 23

FREE TICKET FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

10 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

02 07 18 19 20 LUCKY 3

2

3

9

8

Afternoon Draw

9

3

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

02 03 06 10 12 13 17 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021

02 05 06 15 17 13

06 10 11 12 19

8

8 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

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8 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$72.72/barrel

-13.11

Rough Rice

$258.12/ton

-0.83

London Sugar

$511.20/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1791.80

$1792.80

Low/High Change

$1779.80 0.00

$1818.00 0.00%

7% salary increase contextualised

Govt focusing on boosting spending power of Guyanese – President Ali

...says disposable income was crippled under APNU/AFC coalition

I

n defence of the seven per cent retroactive across-the-board salary increase for all public servants, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday said his Administration is focused on holistically improving the lives of Guyanese by enhancing their spending power.

During a live broadcast to the nation, President Ali posited that the salary increase that was announced by his Administration last week cannot be viewed in isolation and must be compared with the living conditions under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition from 2015 to the early parts of 2020.

He reminded that the coalition Administration inherited a buoyant economy when they took office in 2015, whereas his party – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) – entered Government in the midst of a global pandemic and at a time when most of the economic sectors in the country were on the decline.

“Disposable income was reduced to rubble under APNU/AFC… Public servants, like all other Guyanese, bore the brunt of the tax increases and new tax implemented by the APNU/AFC when they were in Government,” he stated.

These include ValueAdded Tax (VAT) on water, electricity, medical supplies, and even private education.

He reminded too that one of the first actions of the coalition Administration was to give their Ministers a 50 per cent salary increase, while many public servants, such as medical professionals, were driven out of the system after they were forced off of contract employment and placed on the permanently established system. This, the President explained, deprived many persons of benefits they were receiving under the contract system, such as gratuity that is equivalent to 22.5 per cent of their salary.

The Guyanese Head of State further highlighted that the ban on the importation of vehicles more than eight years old has made vehicle ownership practically inaccessible to the ordinary man. He added that homeownership was similarly out of reach after the APNU/ AFC Government reduced the ceiling on mortgage interest relief by 50 per cent.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Crippled spending power

These, Ali noted, were also coupled with the removal of cash grants to children in the public school system as well as the thousands of workers that were placed on the breadline by the coalition regime.

“All of this was introduced by them that disappeared your disposable income. VAT on essential foods – all this crippled the spending power of the public servants and the Guyanese as a whole,” the Head of State argued.

According to President Ali, the current criticism over the salary increase is to distract from the destruction the coalition caused the Guyanese economy, which resulted in the drastic reduction of disposable income and crippled the spending power of Guyanese including public servants.

“You know how you can understand the effect [of the measures by APNU/AFC], let us go back to the records, and see how many people build homes in that period, how many people accessed a loan to do business in that

period, and compared that with just one year of the PPP Government in office. You’ll be blown away because now, there is more disposable income in the hands of people to do more,” he stated.

In fact, he further reminded that it was his PPP/C Administration that had to put several initiatives in place to reverse these draconian measures and burdensome taxes upon taking office in August last year.

He also recalled the host of other initiatives such as cash grants that the current Government implement over the past year to bring relief to Guyanese; firstly, from the impact of the pandemic, and then from the unprecedented May-June floods – which have resulted in billions of dollars being placed into the pockets of the people.

Strengthening disposable income

Nevertheless, President Ali contended that the seven per cent increase must be taken into context holistically coupled with his Government’s “balanced approach” to improve the lives of Guyanese in all facets.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Suicide - a scourge affecting the world

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he World Health Organization (WHO) reports that, every year, close to 800,000 people take their own lives, and there are many more people who attempt suicide. The WHO also informed that suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-to-29-yearolds globally.

Suicide is a mental health problem, often precipitated by one catalysing factor at a moment’s impulse. This global phenomenon is a scourge affecting every nation of the world.

However, suicide is preventable, and education through generally interactive counselling sessions -- especially in schools, churches and at various youth fora; as well as easily-accessible helplines that could provide timely interventions by way of a conduit, a compassionate listening ear, and provision of advice based on rational reasoning for revealing bad experiences and expressing negative emotions, especially impersonal ones -- can serve to reduce the crippling pain to bearable levels, and enable rational thought that diffuses intentions of self-destruction In a national context, there needs to be a holistic approach involving multi-sectoral agencies, especially in the health, education, and social services sectors.

A comprehensive suicide prevention strategy is imperative to curb and eventually eliminate this scourge from society.

According to the WHO, experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse or loss, and a sense of isolation is strongly associated with suicidal behaviour. Suicide rates are also high among vulnerable groups who experience discrimination, such as refugees and migrants; indigenous peoples; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) persons. By far, the strongest risk factor for suicide is a previous suicide attempt.

Prioritising formulating a strategy for suicide prevention has become an imperative, because the consequence is not only the tragic, preventable loss of a life; but this one irreversible and tragic act has many victims, especially loved ones on whom are inflicted a lifetime of unendurable pain and emotional and psychological scars.

Statistically, only 38 countries are reported to have formulated a national suicide prevention strategy.

Raising community awareness and breaking down the taboo is important for countries to make progress in preventing suicide, but this figure is not cast in stone because, according to WHO, globally, the availability and quality of data on suicide and suicide attempts is poor. Only 80 Member States have good quality, vital registration data that can be used directly to estimate suicide rates. The first WHO World Suicide Report, “Preventing suicide: a global imperative”, published in 2014, was aimed at increasing the awareness of the public health significance of suicide and suicide attempts, and to make suicide prevention a high priority on the global public health agenda. It was also aimed at encouraging and supporting countries to develop or strengthen comprehensive suicide prevention strategies in a multisectoral public health approach.

Suicide is one of the priority conditions in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) launched in 2008, which provides evidence-based technical guidance to scale up service provision and care in countries for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. In the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020, WHO Member States have committed themselves to work towards the global target of reducing the suicide rate in countries by 10 per cent by 2020.

In addition, the suicide mortality rate is an indicator of target 3.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals: by 2030, to reduce by onethird premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and wellbeing.

Recently, in Guyana, a 15-year-old student of a city school took her own life. Adolescents are especially at risk of hormone-related fluctuation of moods, and they can sink into depression through many catalysts. In this instance, it is being alleged by fellow students that the child was being bullied, humiliated for alleged wrongdoing by a teacher, causing her shame.

These accusations against the teacher by the dead child’s classmates need to be thoroughly investigated, and if found culpable, the teacher should be removed from his/her position and be severely punished, even charged, because teaching is not merely a profession, but should be a vocation. Teachers have the over-arching responsibility of moulding young lives to become the best they can be, and becoming rounded, grounded, mature personalities; simultaneous to guiding young minds into achieving their greatest potential for education acquisition.

Even one life lost to suicide is one too many. A listening ear and rational advice proffered in a non-judgmental way can prevent many disturbed persons from taking their own lives.

41 persons in Bartica, Region Seven, were presented with certificates on Friday after successfully completing training programmes under the Board of Industrial Training’s National Training Project for Youth Empowerment. Eighteen persons participated in commercial food preparation; fifteen in garment construction, and eight in electrical installation. In photo, some of the persons who completed the training pose with officials

Electoral reforms are mandatory Dear Editor, Given the well-known circumstances that exist in Guyana - let’s say the “peculiar situation” in which one political party keeps bullying its way past laws and established norms to win an election - electoral reform becomes a mandatory issue.

Ever since the institution of self-government in Guyana, it is a well-established fact that the PNC Party has always tampered with elections to forge a victory for itself. Burnham, for 28 years, practised this disgraceful act, to the point where the present lot believes we are compelled to accept it.

Well, I am happy to disappoint them that this shockingly despicable act is no longer a part of our political landscape. Rigging is dead; we have to rush into the emancipated modernity of free and fair elections!

For too long, this nation has been mired in the mud of fraudulent elections and in being a country governed by installed personalities. We must embrace a future of freshness and the newness of hope!

Electoral reform is not a new word to us. This term was first coined somewhere before 1990, when the international community was called in to reorganise our electoral machinery. After some stout resistance from the ruling PNC regime, it finally gave in when it realised that the international community was not going to back away from electoral reform.

This ushered in the elections of 1992, held under a new electoral reform charter. Electoral reform did two things: it ushered in an era of ‘one man one vote’ and it put an end to that despicable system of rigging. We thereafter enjoyed the freedom of electoral reform, up until 2011, when there was again the discussion of fraud creeping its way back into the system. Election 2015 was no different, when there was again evidence of fraudulent SOPs being found. By this time, the system of rigging was reintroduction as a well- thoughtout, well-fortified strategy.

By this time too, it was too late to contest that reinstituted fraud, so the Coalition came to power.

The APNU/AFC Coalition was so full of itself, thinking that it had an airtight system in place, that its members were brazen enough to change the results of the 2020 elections.

This shameful act was allowed to drag on for 5 long months, carried out before an international audience; indeed, it shocked us to the core!

This essentially taught us the lesson that we have to review our electoral laws.

We must strengthen that which exists, while instituting stringent penalties for those who run afoul of the law. One of the areas that need urgent attention is the revision of the laws governing the conduct of the Chief Elections Officer, to determine what he can and can-

not do. All CEOs, whether it is a local person or foreign person chosen, must be cognisant of the fact that there would be severe consequences for electoral fraud, and the certainty that it would not be tolerated here.

Installed Governments are a hindrance to progress. It is for these wellknown reasons that our country has been denied progress these many years.

Our Caribbean neighbours, where a free and transparent system is the norm, are way ahead of us in the developmental trajectory.

With our newfound oil wealth, we must get into that very same stretch of

development.

Fraudulent or installed Governments, a terminology frequently used by the APNU Opposition, are a hindrance to progress, and this foolishness of fraudulent elections must stop now! We will have the strengthening of our electoral laws, so that we get back on to the beaten path of free, fair and transparent elections. This means that we will also have the institution of a Government that is of and for the people.

Long live a free and united Guyana!

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Total neglect Dear Editor, If the greats of the past were to return to the pitch that helped shape their careers, they would be shocked. In fact, they might be furious to see their beloved cricket pitch abandoned for almost 3 years, and long before COVID-19.

The estate groundsman sleeps in the pavilion for most of the day, and is hardly ever monitored. In fact, he leaves two hours early every day.

If you were to visit the community centre at Albion, or Rose Hall, or Skeldon, you would see the vast difference. All their pitches have been maintained during the COVID-19 era.

Why must the aspiring young cricketers who want to follow in the footsteps of Kanhai, Butcher, Solomon, and Kallicharran go through such an ordeal? Imagine your child being cursed just for asking about the pitch.

I do hope the relevant authorities would treat this issue with the urgency it deserves. Because of one man, cricket is dying in this area.

N.B: The previous Human Resources Manager at Albion Estate, who happens to be the President of Albion Cricket Club, has a lot to answer, if you can read between the lines.

Concerned Resident/ Parent

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

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News

CDC engages Local Govt authorities on emergency flood preparedness T

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Thursday hosted an Emergency Flood Preparedness Meeting with Regional Chairpersons, Regional Executive Officers and Town Councils from most of the administrative regions and towns in Guyana.

This virtual meeting was aimed at presenting climate information to meet the needs of stakeholders and to communicate uncertainties associated with the climate predictions for the upcoming rainfall season.

The climate and weather predictions were produced by the Hydrometeorological Office, a facet of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Hydromet Service reaffirmed predictions from last week’s meeting with the CDC where such information was shared in detail.

CDC’s Preparedness and Response Manager, Major Salim October provided the opening remarks for the session. He assured those

in attendance that the significance of the information shared is monumental.

Major October advised all Local Government arms to use the knowledge in tandem with their disaster plans and to ensure that all stakeholders are consistently updated

if there are any changes.

The Climate Outlook was presented by Hydromet’s Komalchand Dhiram, a specialist meteorologist. He reiterated the predicted climate and weather patterns for December 2021 to February 2022 rainy season, indicating

that above normal rainfall is expected in most regions across Guyana with potential flash flooding. The participants were then allowed to direct their questions relevant to the accuracy of the impending weather pattern, to which Dhiram gave cer-

West Indies were humiliated in the first Test match Dear Editor, The young Sri Lanka cricket Test team humiliated the experienced Roger Harper/ Phil Simmonds West Indies Test team by 187 runs in the first Test match in Galle.

Sad to know that more than a full day’s play was not needed to send the West Indies team packing.

The West Indies batting collapsed, and failed in both innings, while the best Test batsman in the Caribbean, Shimron Hetmyer, is at home suffering from insularity and victimisation. It is difficult for millions of cricket fans around the world to accept this weak and insular cricket team to represent the West Indies.

Imagine the pain and frustration that we had to endure as the West Indies were reeling with their score at eighteen runs for six wickets. Instead of hoping for our batsmen to score runs, we were praying for rain to wash out the game.

As for the performance of the Sri Lankan team, their skipper led from the

front; he hammered a magnificent century in the first innings, and scored a masterful half-century in the second innings. He was just playing with authority. Sri Lankan bowling, even though lacking experience, was too good for the mediocre West Indies batsmen. The young spinners bowled an immaculate line and length as they destroyed the West Indies in both innings.

The second Test match will be very interesting.

The home team are favourites, and the visitors would have to hope for the weather to save them from a clean sweep. The West Indies team for the second Test match would have to be more focused and concentrate on their batting.

Kraigg Brathwaite would have to play long innings, and the other unreliable lucky ‘picks’ should try and justify their trip to Sri Lanka. While the bowling attack, undoubtedly the weakest in many years, would have to improve tremendously if the West Indies are to curtail the

strong home team’s batting line-up.

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is in tremendous form with the bat, and the young Pathum Nissanka seems to be thirsty for runs.

Rahkeem Cornwall is not fit to be selected for any team. He is a liability in the field, and when batting, he struggles to run between the wicket. Jomel Warrican will get wickets only when the opposition is looking for quick runs.

And while Roston Chase is a steady bowler, he is seen on the trip as a batsman.

It would be interesting to see if the necessary changes would be made.

Veerasammy Permaul is a mature player, and it is

indeed foolish to take him on a tour. Kemar Roach is an experienced bowler, and he should be in the playing eleven. Jayden Seales is a quick bowler and he could be effective with his pace.

The entire Caribbean will be looking at the second Test match, and let us hope that we could really rally behind our Test team.

Not a single batsman in the team is competent and reliable to make a big score, hence our fans would have to hope for the best.

The big question is: Who will make a Test century on the trip? Can the West Indies win their first Test match in Sri Lanka?

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

tain assurances.

Major October then presented the Mitigation and Preparedness Capacity Assessment and CDC’s Reporting Requirements to the participants. In this segment, he allowed those present to complete a form that asked several questions about their disaster preparedness. There were sections on what steps have been taken thus far to prepare for the upcoming rainy season; as well as any shortcomings that they may have and what can be done to mitigate those shortcomings.

The variety of operations and obstacles were then ad-

dressed and solutions were proposed. The feedback from CDC and the stakeholders proved fruitful, not just for this venture but perpetually.

Captain Lakshman Persaud, Senior Response Supervisor at CDC then portrayed all the Impact Reporting Tools and Procedures. He outlined the specific and intricate forms that should be completed when reporting any impact.

The forms cater to household impacts, livestock and crops affected, and the severity of impact coupled with any steps taken to adapt to the impact. Stakeholders were encouraged to share the forms with their constituents so that the data given to CDC’s National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) can be accurate and efficiently addressed.

The meeting came to a close after further questions were fielded. Participants confirmed that their level of preparation for the rainy season has evolved, despite the shortcomings beyond their control. The CDC is urging all residents to be vigilant this season and to prepare for any eventuality, while using the guidelines provided by their respective local authorities. Persons are also encouraged to monitor the weather reports and make impact submissions to their Local Government bodies or NEMS on 600-7500.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

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Multiplying fractions: Reciprocals o multiply fractions, treat the numerators and the denominators as two different multiplication exercises. Multiply the numerators to find the numerator of the product. Then multiply the denominators to find the denominator of the product.

1

2

3

Example: 5/6 x 2/8 Step 1: Multiply the numerators: 5 x 2 = 10 Step 2: Multiply the denominators: 6 x 8 = 48 Step 3: Write the product: 10/48

You may need to multiply reciprocals. Reciprocals are two fractions that look like upside-down reflections of one another. The numerator of the first is the denominator of the second and the numerator of the second is the denominator of the first.

Example: 2/8 x 8/2 Step 1: Multiply the whole number by the numerator of the fraction: 26 x 2 = 52

4

You could go through the steps of multiplying the numerators (2 x 8 = 16) and then multiplying the denominators (8 x 2 = 16). Notice the products are the same.

When multiplying reciprocals, the product of the numerators and the products of the denominators will always be the same.

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Materials:

Exercises: Multiply

1 pinto bean 1 Ziploc bag 1 paper towel Spray bottle for holding water

Instructions:

1) 4/4 x 1/4

4) 3/8 x 1/4

2) 1/5 x 5/1

5) 3/15 x 4/8

3) 2/6 x 14/24

6) 1/7 x 7/1

How it works:

What’s going on? Germination! That means the plant is sprouting its roots and first leaves. Awesome! Usually, you can’t see the roots sprout when the seed is under soil, but since there is no soil in this experiment you can see the whole process.

Dampen paper towel with spray bottle Place wet paper towel in Ziploc bag Place bean on top of wet paper towel Close Ziploc bag Place Ziploc bag in a warm, sunny spot Add water to paper towel when it dries out Observe your plant growing in 3-5 days!

Extra experiments:

Prepare two bean plants, but put one in a sunny area and one in a dark area. Observe their similarities and differences and chart them down.

Chart your bean plants’ growth each day using a ruler.

After 2 weeks, move your bean plants to some soil. Don’t forget to water them and give them some sun!

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC ‘ready to work’ with Govt in its fight against COVID-19 – Dr Cummings ...says ‘sensible’ thing is to get vaccinated before holidays

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he A Partnership For National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition on Friday reiterated that it stands willing to assist the Government in its COVID-19 response by working collectively to increase vaccination coverage.

Shadow Health Minister Dr Karen Cummings related that her party is ready to work with the Irfaan Ali-led Administration in identifying constraints, educating the public, and spreading awareness on the importance of immunisation.

“The APNU/AFC coalition members are ready to help the citizens through this difficult time, and we stand ready to work with the

APNU/AFC MP Dr Karen Cummings

regime to denounce complacency, identify constraints, and to help in building the confidence of the populace.

Of course, we want to work collectively, share the responsibility, so that we can bring this pandemic to an end,” Dr Cummings outlined.

She pointed out that, as the Christmas season approaches, infections and deaths may surge due to increased activities. Guyanese have been cautioned to get immunised and take the booster shots currently being offered by the Health Ministry.

“With Christmas approaching, one may see a surge in cases and deaths.

Hence, the onus will be for the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, and for the vaccinated to get booster shots to boost his or her immuni-

Govt focusing on...

“Our focus is on strengthening your disposable income. Our focus is giving back more to you; giving to your families; enhancing your welfare; improving your livelihoods; making homeownership easier; building a strong, healthy, highly-educated society; scholarships for you. In addition to the scholarship, we still have the commitment to making university education free. All of those measures we have to find resources for,” he stressed.

Moreover, the President further stated that in addition to the seven per cent

pay hike, his Government has also set aside $400 million specifically for frontline health workers, while also hinting at more benefits for public servants.

“We’re still not at the end of this year… and we still have announcements to make… I promise you that we will be transparent in every measure… All our commitment in the manifesto will be kept, mark my words this morning. We don’t hide from what we do because what we do can withstand scrutiny,” Ali declared.

Further insisting that he is not in the business of scor-

FROM PAGE 3

ing cheap political points or misleading people, the Head of State called on naysayers to be objective in their assessments.

He specifically mentioned trade unions that have been critical of the seven per cent increase, saying that those leaders must “take off its political hat and put on the hat of reality” as he outlined the situation across the globe and how public servants in other countries have not benefitted from so many measures during the pandemic as Guyanese have.

ty. It has been now proffered that although children generally have a robust immune system, the science and data indicate that children are usually asymptomatic, and can transmit the virus,” she said.

Accordingly, the Member of Parliament calls on the Joint Services to educate the public during campaigns, while at the same time she urged citizens to fact-check information before being misled by social media.

“We have to keep educating all the time. There are some persons that would understand right away, and some persons that we would have to have some more patience with them. Our Police, soldiers, law enforcement, I call on them to educate and explain to (the people) the importance of having reputable information and not to follow everything on social media without checking it out to clear their doubts; to encourage the populace to get vaccinated and take their booster shots,” the coalition MP expressed.

Earlier this month,

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon pledged to support Government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, which is being rolled out across the country. This was his position after the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry Limited (GCCI) facilitated a meeting to discuss support from the Opposition Leader office for the National Vaccination Drive.

The APNU/AFC Opposition has been critical of Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which was launched back in February. In fact, back in June, Harmon had come under fire after questioning the authenticity of the Russianmade Sputnik V vaccine – the same jab that he took.

However, he subsequently reversed his position, saying that he was only concerned about the handling of the vaccines by the third-party source from whom Guyana sourced the jab.

To immunise the population, Guyana is using AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Johnson and

Johnson, and Pfizer as part of its vaccination campaign.

At present, over 52 per cent of the population has been completely immunised, and efforts are continuing to achieve herd immunity.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

St Cuthbert’s Mission Kanville man busted with ganja man slapped with during Police raid rape charge

War of...

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The ganja that was found in the suspect’s home

41-year-old male was arrested on Friday after he was found with 229 grams of cannabis during a Police operation at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The Police have said that, acting on information received, a search was conducted at the home of the suspect, during which a black plastic bag was found in a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. Upon

inspection of that bag, several small and medium-sized Ziplock bags containing ganja were found.

The suspect was immediately told of the offence committed before being cautioned and arrested. The confiscated cannabis, when weighed, amounted to 229 grams.

The suspect remains in custody as investigations continue.

Rape accused Shameer Clenkian

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wenty-year-old Shameer Clenkian of St Cuthbert’s Mission was on Thursday placed on $200,000 bail by Magistrate Melissa Mittelholzer, before whom he appeared at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court to answer a rape charge after being arrested on Sunday last.

He was not required to plead to the indictment,

which was laid under Section 3 (3) of the Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 8:03, and bail was granted on condition that he reports every other Monday to the Mahaica Police Station until the determination of the matter.

The matter has been adjourned until December 23, 2021.

WCD teen robbed by knife-toting bandit

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n 18-year-old lad was on Friday robbed at knifepoint along the Ruimzeight, Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD), in the process, being relieved of one haversack, a wallet, and $20,000 cash.

Based on reports received, on Friday, at about 7:00h, the lad was standing on the northern side of the Ruimzeight Public Road waiting on public transportation to go to work when the suspect drove up alongside him in a green motor

car. Thinking that it was a taxi, the victim entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and on doing so, the suspect held him at knifepoint and took away the above-mentioned articles.

Out of fear for his life,

the victim exited the motorcar and the suspect drove away.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police and an investigation has been launched. No arrest was made.

…Black Pudding ust when your Eyewitness thought it was safe to come out after all those missiles had been fired in the wake of the elections’ heist attempt, here comes the “BLACK PUDDING WAR”!! That’s right, black pudding!! Now, for years and years, since he was a wee tyke, your Eyewitness just lived for black pudding. It gotta be one of the greatest culinary concoctions of mankind. At the head of his street, there was an old lady, Aunty Shirley, whose appearance he breathlessly awaited every Saturday afternoon. But if the truth be told, it was Aunty Shirley’s black pudding that actually drew him like a butterfly to nectar!!

Those coils of stuffed blood and rice and her secret spices (long before the Colonel!!), served with a dollop of “sour”, would just disappear as we kids lined up to spend our weekly allowances at one go!! But it was always worth it…since you then knew how it felt to’ve died and gone to heaven!! Yes…Aunty Shirley’s black pudding was something else. But he could understand war being declared over it!! After all, even though we all grew up and discovered Banks Beer, that only meant we could now have black pudding while quaffing some beers!! Life doesn’t get any better!!

And now, war it is. Seems that while the petitions over the rigged elections are slowly working their way through the courts - have they, or have they not been thrown out? - a rearguard action continues, being fought by some long-in-the-tooth sappers. And what has earned the ire of those on the other side of (lectins) line was this call for Opposition supporters to boycott the Indian black pudding vendors in Mon Repos Market in favour of the ones in their own (Black) villages!!

Now, if this isn’t war, what else is? If you didn’t appreciate the semiotics of being between a black pudding vendor and her clients from your Eyewitness’s paean above, then you’re not a real Guyanese; it’s as simple as that! For you to tell a Guyanese to change their black pudding vendor is just asking them to make the greatest sacrifice imaginable, and that sacrifice can only be justified by a war or such like. Incidentally, another salvo in the war of attrition that your Eyewitness had picked up on - the not-so-serendipitous series of arson on Government buildings - has been explicitly noted by the PSC as “aimed at destabilising the Government”.

But, understandably, that didn’t get the traction of the “Black Pudding Boycott” in terms of signalling a full-blown war!! After all, it’s one of the few foods we inherited from the British that has become quintessentially Guyanese!!

To call for change is “fightin’ words”!! …salary increases Your Eyewitness had read so much of Churchill addressing the British people over radio during WWII - when all of us were fighting to save democracy (and our black pudding heritage!!) - that when he heard President Ali was going to address us at 7:30am, he waited as anxiously as he used to do for Aunty Shirley.

For sure, he was going to take up the gauntlet thrown down by the head of the TUC on the matter of wages for Government workers. “War Break” from another front?

The TUC honcho insisted he expected to hear from President Ali by Friday 3rd December, 2021 by 15:30 hours” - on a DOUBLING of the announced 7% pay raise. Well, Pressie did have an answer - and not to parse it too finely - said, “No way, Jose!!” He debunked the TUC fella’s “rationale” for his demand by pointing out the totality of the benefits received by Government workers.

He also educated the latter on the fine points of Budget Line items!! Touché, TUC tough guy! Words?

Your Eyewitness is quite proud of his British heritage and all that; he refuses to throw out the baby with the bathwater. But did that female British explorer actually replicate her male forbears’ insensitivity by referring to us as “natives”??

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Recent spate of fires an obvious threat to law and order – PSC – condemns calls to create havoc by outside forces

The Brickdam Police Station on fire last month

The destroyed OPR building

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he Private Sector Commission (PSC) is of the view that the recent spate of fires which have destroyed public buildings across Georgetown is an obvious threat to the maintenance of law and order in Guyana and is calling on the Government to protect the nation.

In a statement on Friday, the PSC expressed concerns over these constant fires which it said seem to be targeting certain institutions. It was referring to the fire that destroyed most of the Brickdam Police Station last month and the one which erupted on Saturday last at the building which houses the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

“Most concerning is the fact that these fires are being directed against institutions which form part of the architecture of civility and law and order; firstly, at the Police Headquarters at Brickdam and now, most recently, in the Eve Leary Police Compound,” the PSC said in its missive.

The Private Sector body further highlighted commentaries from well-known political activists who are not in Guyana but are encouraging and promoting terrorist activities here.

According to the Commission, “These calls, notably, have included the deliberate setting of fires to create instability in an attempt to make the country ungovernable. These public calls must be condemned by every right-minded citizen.

In these circumstances, we urge our government to act swiftly and condignly to utilise all the facilities at its disposal, to protect against this threat to the country’s safety and well-being.”

The PSC contended that Guyana’s prosperous future requires a stable national environment, free from any intent to incite fear and terror aimed at not only destabilising the country but also bringing down the current Government by criminal means.

Last month’s fire at the Brickdam Police Station saw approximately 80 per cent of that facility being destroyed.

Days later the Guyana Police Force said a prisoner was reportedly behind the blaze. It

was reported that the man allegedly “grew frustrated” after being detained for several hours hence he decided to set fire to the building, which is also the Headquarters for the Force’s Regional Police Division 4 A (Georgetown) and housed the Divisional Commander’s office.

Meanwhile, last Saturday’s fire destroyed the building that housed the OPR and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office in the Eve Leary Compound, where the GPF headquarters is located. The building was also being used as the Force’s barrack and its Carpentry Division.

The blaze started on the western side of the building, where the barracks, carpentry unit and OPR were located, and destroyed half of it. While the section that housed the DPP Chambers was saved from the fire, it had extensive water-damage.

Efforts have since been made to relocate these offices. Ranks who were in the barracks (living quarters) were questioned but the cause of the fire has not been reported.

But at the scene on Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn told reporters that Guyana seems to be experiencing a “trial by fire.” He too had raised concerns about persons overseas inciting such destructive acts.

“It appears that a subliminal message is being put around the country starting from some pyrotechnic-minded person in the United States. And that maybe, perhaps, much more than likely that the incidents we see and the timings at which they occur are related to those more than subliminal messages about Georgetown will burn if the PPP don’t do whatever,” Minister Benn had stated.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$200M Jaigobin Hotel opens at Anna Regina

President Dr Irfaan Ali assisting in cutting the ribbon to open the state-of-the-art hotel

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ssequibo Coast businessman Ganesh Jaigobin, who already has a hotel in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Friday opened a brandnew location in the township of Anna Regina.

The five-storey Jaigobin

President Ali being given a tour of the facility

which involved the distribution of groceries and beverages.

A few years later, they expanded their small business into a retail outlet at Suddie, and this was eventually converted into a supermarket.

Businessman

One of the dining areas in the hotel

Hotel, an investment totalling some $200M, boasts 35 rooms and a large conference hall overlooking the mighty Essequibo River, besides a bar and lounge and a spacious lobby. It is considered a high-end establishment with modern amenities that would offer quality services.

The hotel is owned by businessman Ganesh Jaigobin and his family - his wife Indy Jaigobin and his two children, Gavinash and Kureshma Jaigobin.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and other Cabinet members today attended the opening of the hotel. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ganesh Jaigobin detailed how his business ventures started. He said the G&P Jaigobin and Son business was established on August 4, 1996. At the time, he was employed with Amazon Chemical Limited as a sales manager, and his wife managed their small business,

Jaigobin added that because their business was doing exceedingly well, it allowed him to resign from his full-time job at Amazon

ing “Jaigobin” a household name in the county.

“We realised (that) to survive in business…it is necessary to diversify… My grandparents usually say, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’,” the businessman explained.

He further noted that a careful survey was done, and his family saw the need for a compatible hotel in Region Two. In 2016, they established their first hotel at Cotton Field, and that eventually became inade-

One of the bedrooms in the newly-opened hotel

Chemicals.

In 2008, Mr and Mrs Jaigobin decided to further expand their business, and another branch was opened in the township of Anna Regina. This is now the most prominent supermarket in Anna Regina, mak-

quate for the accommodation demand in Essequibo.

He noted that with the discovery of oil in Guyana, he realised that the country was about to head down a path of major economic transformation. With this in mind, his family com-

menced the construction of the five-storey hotel in 2019.

President Ali, during his feature address, thanked

the Jaigobin family for providing new direct employment to 15 people, totalling 72 persons now in their em-

ploy.

“These are the heroes in small and medium-size communities… On behalf of the Government of Guyana, I thank the family for their confidence, commitment, and courage for opening such initiative…the region that provides better services to the people of Guyana,” President Ali said.

Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond lauded the initiative and noted that it would significantly boost the regional tourism industry.

“This hotel will be a base for tourists. So, I am urging my fellow business colleagues in the Private Sector to further invest and boost tourism in the region. We have an integrative and collaborative support to expand tourism, and we will work to develop the tourism sector in the region,” she said.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 more unvaccinated men die from COVID …spike in cases in Reg 6 brews concern

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he Health Ministry has reported that two more unvaccinated men who were infected with the novel coronavirus have died, taking the country’s death toll to 985.

The latest fatalities are a 55-year-old from Region Six and a 99-year-old from Region Eight. They both died on November 25.

New deaths were accompanied by 50 new infections of the virus in one day, taking the total positive cases to 37,663. Statistics provided by the Ministry showed that 15 persons are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 65 in institutional isolation, 1376 in home isolation, and six in institutional quarantine. Recoveries stand at 35,222.

A breakdown of the new cases pointed to two new cases in Region One (Barima-Waini), two in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), four in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 20 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and 20 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

There were no new cases in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Region Eight

(Potaro-Siparuni), Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Hospitalised cases in the country stand at 63.

Out of the 38 patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, 15 are in the Intensive Care Unit.

However, authorities have recorded a “worrying trend” in Region Six, with new infections being detected. In August, just over 170 cases were recorded in the region. Fast-forward to this month, this number is now 512. While some patients have since recovered, the sharp jump has been a concern for the Health Ministry.

“I think a lot of people there are not taking their vaccine so right now…

Secondly, people need to take the measures that we have seriously and that is measures regarding how many people can gather because people are gathering in large numbers. On many occasions, they’re not wearing their masks or keeping social distancing,” Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony expressed on Friday.

The overall decline in infections, he noted, is due to improving figures in

Regions Three and Four.

These regions have been leading with the highest active cases but there has been a gradual decrease.

Region Four also has the highest vaccination rate.

“While we have this national decline, we’re also seeing in some regions there has been an increase.

This decline I would attribute primarily to a decline in numbers in Region Four and Region Three. Region Four now has the highest vaccination rate in the country so perhaps, that is contributing to a reduction in the cases that we’re seeing,” said the Minister.

First dose uptake in the vaccination campaign is 398,949 or 77.8 per cent of adults. Additionally, 275,126 second doses have been administered, representing 53.6 per cent of this cohort. For children aged 12 to 17, some 20,153 or 27.6 per cent are completely vaccinated.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD NOVEMBER 26, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

50

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

65

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1376 15

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

6

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

19,923

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

17,740

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

37,663

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

35,222

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

398,949

FULLY IMMUNISED

275,126

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

985

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1665

REGION 2

1550

REGION 3

5075

REGION 4

17,690

REGION 5

1405

REGION 6

3191

REGION 7

1780

REGION 8

620

REGION 9

2473

REGION 10

2214

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which

emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance

of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Appeal Court to rule on dismissed elections petition case on Dec 21 T he Appeal Court led by Chancellor Yonette CummingsEdwards will on December 21, 2021, make a decision in an appeal filed by the Opposition to have the election petition that was dismissed to be reinstated.

The Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), through Attorney Roysdale Forde, had filed an appeal challenging Chief Justice Roxane George’s decision to throw out one of the party’s election’s petitions, and on Friday, the case was called before Justice CummingsEdwards, Justice Rishi Persaud and Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes.

In the last case, Attorney Roysdale Forde had asked the court for more time to make further submissions

Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes

on the court’s jurisdiction, and those submissions were made on Friday.

However, during the court proceedings, Trinidadian Senior Counsel

Douglas Mendes, who is representing the PPP/C in the case, asked the court to disregard the submissions, on the grounds that Forde did not address the question of the Full Court’s jurisdiction.

Mendes in his objection claimed that Forde, through his submissions, presented his arguments on the Appeal Court’s jurisdiction. “…you had said that you would ignore submissions that didn’t follow your instructions… there is nothing further to submit to you this morning…. the parties would have first exchanged submissions on the jurisdiction on the full court which we all did,” Mendes posited.

With this being said, Mendes asked the Chancellor to set the adjournment date for a deci-

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall

sion to be made, since the case was being prolonged.

The coalition had filed two petitions challenging the results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional

Elections. However, Chief Justice Roxane George struck down the election petitions.

In election petition 99p2020, the CJ found that former President David Granger and leader of the APNU/AFC List of Candidates and named as the second respondent in the case was not properly served according to the rules outlined in the National Assembly Validity of Elections Act. She also found that Granger is a necessary and proper party in the proceedings since the list he represents stands to be affected. As a consequence of the late service, Petition 99 – filed by Monica Thomas and Brennan Nurse – was declared a nullity and dismissed.

Following this deci-

Attorney Roysdale Forde

sion, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall had filed a motion asking the Guyana Court of Appeal to dismiss the appeal.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GWI embarks on Canadian High Commission to countrywide holiday host Virtual EduCanada Fair disconnection campaign T

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s the holiday season approaches, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has taken a decision to embark on a countrywide disconnection campaign dubbed “Let it Flow and Keep the Glow”, targeting customers with outstanding balances as well as current charges.

To avoid disconnection, customers are urged to settle all payments at any GWI office or authorised payment agency countrywide (these include SurePay, MMG, Bill Express, post offices, Scotiabank, Republic

he Canadian High Commission in Guyana is hosting its annual #EduCanada Caribbean Virtual Fair on Sunday, November 28, 2021.

This year, the EduCanada Fair will offer visitors the opportunity to meet representatives from Canadian institutions, learn about the Canadian education system, and get the most up-to-date information on visas and study permit applications.

Canada is among the top destinations of choice by international students for pursuing their education. In 2019, over 640,000 international students chose to pursue their education in Canada.

Representatives from 29 Canadian universities and colleges will showcase their

Bank, GBTI and Citizens Bank).

Once disconnected, GWI cannot guarantee reconnection within seven working days. To accommodate customers, GWI has extended its opening hours beyond weekdays and therefore will be opened to facilitate payments on December 4, 11 and 18 from 09:00h to 14:00h.

GWI has recorded a significant increase in its water production and usage since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in a much higher produc-

tion cost. Revenues, however, have not been consistent with this increased consumption.

As a result, the utility company is forced to roll out this disconnection campaign with the aim of recovering its operational costs.

The “Let it Flow and Keep the Glow” disconnection campaign is expected to run from December 1 to 30.

Customers can query their account balances by contacting GWI’s Customer Call Centre on 227-8701, WhatsApp 620-1667 or their local GWI office.

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman

virtual booths at the fair and interact virtually with students, parents, guidance counsellors and other education stakeholders. Through webinars, they will provide information about the pro-

grammes they offer, admission requirements, the application processes and scholarship information.

There will also be a session from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on applying for study permits and visas.

When attendees log into the EduCanada Virtual Fair website, https://educanadacaribbeanfair.vfairs.com/, they will be able to search institutions by name, type of programmes or courses, and location. Just like a physical event, attendees can then visit the “booth” of each educational institution to see more information and chat directly with their representatives – virtually! You can directly connect with your institution of choice through audio and video calls.

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23 of 38 patients at COVID-19 facility are pregnant women

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regnant women infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) account for a whopping 23 of the 38 cases that are currently being monitored at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

This was revealed by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony while reemphasising the need for expectant mothers to get vaccinated.

This, he said, would ensure protection against the virus and cause just a milder form should they get infected.

“Of the 38 persons that we currently have at the Ocean View Hospital, 23 of them are pregnant women. I hope that people are understanding that this is a serious thing…Again, I want to appeal to pregnant women if they haven’t been vaccinated, please go and get vaccinated because if you get COVID, you’ll get a milder form of it. The vaccine is protective,” Dr Anthony explained.

He reassured that data

from the obstetrics society and reputable agencies have backed the vaccines as being for pregnant women.

They can be administered in any of the trimesters.

“A lot of the prominent societies have put out guidance to obstetricians, informing them that these vaccines do not harm the mother nor the child. They have done studies and they have released those results to show that there is no harm that would come to the child. The vaccines right now are recommended…It’s never too late [to get] the vaccine and even after you would have delivered the baby, you should still take that vaccine while you’re breastfeeding.”

The Minister has previously outlined that the minimal side effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccine are insignificant when compared to the benefits which pregnant and breastfeeding mothers will attain, since it drastically reduces their risk of serious infection or

death.

“The side effects are minimal…but these things don’t last. They go for 24 to 36 hours after which everything returns back to normal. All the data that we now have pertaining to these vaccines is that it’s safe during pregnancy, whether it’s in the first three months, second three months, or the last three months. At what point you choose to get the vaccine, it doesn’t matter,” Dr Anthony was quoted as saying in October.

Since the Pfizer vaccines are available for women in

this bracket, the Ministry has started a campaign to

get more persons vaccinated. Interest has been growing, with more women taking the initiative to get vaccinated.

In Guyana, approximately 14,000 pregnancies are reported yearly. Dr Anthony stated that most pregnant women are at risk of contracting COVID-19, but immunisation will reduce those chances as well as hospitalisation or death.

If vaccinated, some antibodies will also be passed to the child, transferring some protection against the virus.

More medical practitioners needed at Fort Island …adequate supplies at health facility

Ranks lack tactical communication skills to deal with conflicts – Commander

Regional Commander of Division 4 A, Simon McBean

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ollowing a recent analysis conducted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), it was revealed that its ranks lack tactical communication skills to deal with conflicts, to effectively resolve conflict, to access risks, and, more so to execute an arrest.

As a result, a Tactical Enhancement Training Programme was launched on Friday and several pieces of equipment were handed over to the Police Force

by SAD Mining and Security Services.

Regional Commander of Division 4 A, Simon McBean during his address to the ranks posited that the lack

of the much-needed skills is coupled with the fact that ranks are most times not equipped with non-lethal weapons.

“This put them in a position to use what they have and know to do, that is, using either their firearms or their hands and feet. The approaches seldom put us in good stead. This led to the division being in search of training…”.

He made reference to recent articles which stated that Police officers were attacked by civilians while on duty, and them reacting negatively in conflict situations. The Commander related that these situations

have led to negative public perceptions and a lack of confidence in the Police.

“As a division, we decided to analyse the situation…”, he said.

Commander McBean explained that after analysing the study, the hierarchy of the Force has found that their ranks need to be trained; but, even with the need for training and equipment, the biggest Police Division needs adequate funding to execute its duties.

“The training became a reality with funding support from SAD Mining and Security Service funding…”, he said.

According to the Commander, 40 patrol ranks were outfitted with ballistic vests, security patrol belts which consist of batons handcuffs, and its holders along with other equipment for training, which cost some $10 million.

“I urge you the participants of the training to make full use of the opportunity. I was exposed to similar training, and I can assure you that it made a difference in the way I view and execute my duties,” Commander McBean added.

The training lasts three weeks and is aimed at helping officers execute their duties in an adequate and effective manner.

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Fort Island Health Centre

he health services at Fort Island, located in the Essequibo River, are in dire need of additional human resources to cater adequately to the needs of residents and patients from surrounding areas.

Community Health Officer, Pretty Debedin is the only health worker on the island. She explained that whenever she is on leave, there is no one at the facility to treat patients or offer medical services.

“It’s difficult for me. I need assistance. Just an emergency, I need to leave the health facility unprotected. If I’m on sick leave, I need assistance so that persons could be there to assist the various areas. When we talk about Fort Island and dealing with health, we’re not saying Fort Island alone because we deal with a lot of catchment areas,” Debedin told Guyana Times on Friday.

She pointed out that the facility would attend to persons from the outskirts of Fort Island since medical workers are also lacking in some areas and as such, she is calling for at least one more person to be stationed at the centre to provide ser-

Community Health Officer Pretty Debedin

vices when she is not there.

“Some persons would come from Morashi. Right now, Morashi doesn’t have a nurse there. Right now, I’m on sick leave. It’s me alone and I have to do everything by myself. Nobody is there so that’s why I said we’re in need of someone else.”

Debedin said she has been encouraging youths from Fort Island to obtain the required qualifications with the hopes of being employed to serve the community in the health field.

“We’re looking at persons from the community to take the advantage to be there for the community…It has a

delivery and I was not here.

The persons delivered in the boat. I divide myself but not so much. We do not encourage community delivery. We also encourage you to go to the hospital.”

On the other hand, it was related that there are adequate medical supplies for the centre’s day to day function. With respect to COVID-19, she said symptomatic persons are asked to get tested while severe cases are referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) for further medical check-ups.

“We have adequate supplies. I have no problem with supplies for the health facility. The region has been supporting me a great lot with that…I’m the person on the ground. So, once I see a person with signs and symptoms, I refer them. They go and do the test. Once they’re positive and return back, they self-isolate at home.

If they’re critical, then the hospital (West Demerara Regional Hospital) would take care of them from there,” she shared.

On the island, there are currently 35 chronic disease patients, with over 20 neonatal and postnatal cases.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoE eyes implementation of TVET Speeding taxi driver killed in Linden-Soesdyke programmes at St Ignatius Secondary S Highway accident tudents of St Ignatius Secondary School, Region Nine, could soon benefit from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, as the Education Ministry seeks to advance the learning capacity there.

The aggressive intervention is being strategically considered, as the nation transforms into a more skill-based, manpower-driven economy.

Chief School Inspector, Saddam Hussain said he is making recommendations

– 3 others hospitalised

The car that Cameron was driving when he met his demise

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male taxi driver was killed on Friday while three others were injured following an accident along the LindenSoesdyke Highway in the vicinity of Marudi.

The fatal accident which occurred at around 09:10h claimed the life of 29-yearold Mark Cameron of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown.

Police stated that the motor car bearing registration number PVV 8399 was proceeding north along the western side of the Marudi Public Road at a fast rate of speed when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

As a result, the car toppled several times before coming to a halt. Reports are that Cameron fell out of the vehicle while it toppled.

Occupants Quakey Stanford, 38, of Guyhoc Park; Calldella Marshal, 25, of Stevedore Housing Scheme and Shemika Richards, 23, of Laing

Avenue East Ruimveldt, sustained injuries about their bodies.

Based on reports received, Cameron was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The other occupants were admitted and referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The body is presently lying at the Memorial Gardens awaiting post-mortem examination.

When Guyana Times visited the home of the dead man his family was too distraught to speak with the media. However, this publication was informed that Cameron had survived an accident back in 2017.

In that accident, he had reportedly collided with a couple along the Cummings Lodge Railway Embankment.

He was charged with two counts of

Chief School Inspector Saddam Hussain seen inspecting St Ignatius Secondary School, Region Nine

Dead: Mark Cameron

causing death by dangerous driving and placed on $700,000 bail.

It is alleged that Cameron was driving HC 4097 in a manner dangerous to the public, resulting in the deaths of Dennis Ross and his girlfriend, Jewel Pestano. Cameron pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted $350,000 bail on each charge.

It was reported that the couple was proceeding west along the embankment road on a motorcycle when the car, which was travelling east along the road, without any lights, collided head-on with them.

As a result of the impact, they were sent flying into the air. They were subsequently picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Ross was pronounced dead on arrival and Pestano succumbed hours after the collision.

Students of St Ignatius Secondary School, Region Nine

for TVET to be introduced into the school’s learning curriculum, as one of the main areas of study.

Hussain, along with technical officers recently wrapped up a series of inspections at several learning facilities in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo district.

At the St Ignatius Secondary School, the team carried out assessments to ensure the curriculum is properly delivered and all School-Based Assessments (SBAs) meet the deadline.

The dorms were also in-

spected to ensure students are protected and their sleeping conditions are favourable.

Hussain told DPI that the Ministry’s focus is to ensure standard education is delivered to students, despite their geographical location. He is also satisfied that two teachers are receiving virtual training from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

“One has to be worthy of the vision of the Honourable Minister of Education in pushing forward because we have moved from 500 students per year to 3000. I am very happy to see that

students are participating in CPCE programme. Of course, from this we also have some recommendations which we will take back to Georgetown, in terms of the programme itself and access to the programme,” the Chief School Inspector said.

Meanwhile, the school is currently battling the learning loss, due to the advent of COVID-19.

Of recent, the learning facility received equipment which boosted its ability for children to access information from the Guyana Learning Channel.

“The teachers are also enthusiastic about using the programme, and I know they will tune their teaching skills and their schemes of work to utilise the Guyana Learning Channel to the maximum to benefit the student,” Deputy Principal Lucille Williams told DPI. To make up for the education loss, she said there are additional classes apart from those timetabled.

CANU unearth cocaine in Patient sets fire to National Psychiatric Hospital’s Male Ward Christmas cards destined for USA – 2 arrested with $15M worth of ganja

Q

uick action by staff of the National Psychiatric Hospital averted disaster after a patient set fire to a section of the medical facility’s Male Admission Ward on Friday afternoon.

Guyana Times understands that the patient lit the vinolay covering one of the tables in the ward, but after other inmates alerted one of the nurses on duty, the fire was quickly put out.

Nevertheless, two units of the New Amsterdam Fire Service went to the scene, along with ranks from the Central Police Station, in response to calls made initially.

As soon as the situation was brought under control, the offending inmate was isolated.

Back in June, one person died from burns and several others were injured after patients of the National Psychiatric Hospital became violent and aggressive and started a fire before subsequently attacking each other. During that incident, there were 32 patients housed in the admission ward, and there was only one nurse attached to the ward at the time.

After that fire was put out, a second fire was started, again by the inmates, which caused some of the patients to suffer from the effects of smoke inhalation. Eleven patients were taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital for treatment for injuries and smoke inhalation, and one subsequently died.

Additionally, several patients escaped from the institution but were subsequently recaptured.

The envelopes with cocaine

The section of the table which was burnt (Photo: Police)

Then, on August 7, a fire of unknown origin erupted at the hospital, but no one was injured. Following that fire, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had put measures in place to ensure that security was beefed up at the hospital. The Minister then disclosed that some $26 million had been invested for the restoration of the hospital, to provide better living conditions for patients.

A

gents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Friday discovered 647.6 grams of cocaine in five yellow envelopes at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC).

The envelopes, which were destined for Brooklyn in New York, each had cocaine concealed in a sealed plastic pack within

The ganja unearthed during the Berbice operation

Christmas cards.

The street value of that stash of cocaine is pegged at $3.4M. Investigations are continuing.

Meanwhile, acting on information received, CANU agents conducted a search at a house in New Glasgow Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice (EBB) on Friday and unearthed several parcels containing

ganja.

At time of the operation, two persons - a male and a female - were present in the house, and they were arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters to assist with investigations.

The cannabis, when weighed, amounted to 48.4kg (107lbs), which has a street value of more than $15 million.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

Regional

“We need to work”: Hundreds T&T takes top spot globally for COVID-19 deaths per million people of migrants form new USbound caravan in Mexico O

Members of the Mexico National Guard ride in a truck as migrants, mostly Haitians, walk in a caravan heading to the US border, near Tapachula, Mexico November 26, 2021

H

undreds of Central American and Haitian migrants formed a new caravan on Friday in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the Guatemala border, and began walking north toward the United States.

The migrants said they wanted to leave Chiapas as they had not been given humanitarian visas promised

by Mexico or transferred to other parts of the country where they would have bet-

ter living conditions.

About 1000 migrants, many carrying children, early on Friday began walking from Tapachula, a city bordering Guatemala, to Mapastepec, about 100 km away (62.1 miles), where they plan to join another group of migrants, caravan organizers said.

A day earlier, Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) began transferring hundreds of migrants to other parts of the country after

they had spent months waiting in Tapachula for a response to requests for refuge or humanitarian visas.

The migrants were also offered documents for a temporary legal stay in Mexico that would allow them to look for jobs, defusing threats to start walking toward the US border.

However, many migrants in Tapachula were not transferred elsewhere or did not receive humanitarian visas, and they joined those heading toward the United States.

“We need to work to support our family and that is why we decided to do this, to leave in the caravan,” said one Haitian migrant, accompanied by his wife and family members, who declined to be identified.

Luis Garcia, one of the caravan organisers, said about 1500 people are expected to head north from Mapastepec on Tuesday. In the past, migrants have refused to accept government aid because of the fear of being deported. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Over 100 Colombia protesters suffered eye damage by Police in 2021 marches – report

O

ver 100 people in Colombia suffered eye damage at the hands of police during demonstrations that rocked the Andean country earlier this year, advocacy groups said in a report published on Friday.

Protests against a government tax reform enveloped cities throughout Colombia from the end of April and ran for six weeks as demonstrators’ demands expanded to include a basic income and an end to police violence.

From April 28 to July 20, at least 103 people suffered eye injuries caused by Colombia’s Police, according to a report from Amnesty

International, Colombian rights group Temblores, and the Program of Action for Equality and Social Inclusion of the Universidad de los Andes.

Most injuries were intentional and caused by Colombia’s feared anti-riot cops ESMAD, Amnesty said.

“It’s chilling to see how (ESMAD) officers deliberately fired at the eyes of so many people,” Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s Americas director, said in a statement.

Colombia’s national police say officers protect the right to peaceful protest and that cops committing abuses will be prosecuted. So

far, 231 investigations have been opened into 69 officers connected to police violence during the protests.

In 28 incidents, victims lost at least one eyeball or the sight in one or both eyes due to police wielding batons or firing less-lethal munitions, according to Temblores data and video verification by Amnesty.

The findings are reminiscent of major protests in Chile in 2019 and 2020 where, according to the country’s human rights watchdog, 460 people suffered eye injuries, primarily from police tear gas canisters and rubber bullets.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

n Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago took the grim title of recording the highest daily confirmed COVID-19 deaths per million people.

According to data analysis

by Our World In Data, this calculation used data from John Hopkins University CSSE COVID-19 data.

Trinidad and Tobago recorded 31 deaths on Thursday, marking the deadliest day for the pandemic to date. Looking at this data standardised, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 22.09 deaths per million people, surpassing many European countries amid their worst wave of the pandemic.

When looking at cases, the country had the seventh most confirmed COVID-19

infections per million people on Thursday in the entire world, with mainly European countries eclipsing Trinidad and Tobago’s 444.64. Our Caribbean neighbour, Dominica, takes the top spot, with a whopping 2452.47 COVID-19 cases per million people.

It is important to note that these figures change daily. In addition, due to limited testing and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death, confirmed deaths can be lower than the actual number of deaths in many countries.

Similarly, limited testing also results in the number of confirmed cases being lower than the true number of infectious.

However, even with these grim figures and ti-

Belize teachers exempted from mandatory vaccination policy

T

he Belize Government said teachers will be exempted from a policy that public officers must show proof that they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by December 15 or face the risk of being marked absent from work and subject to disciplinary action.

“As we have already agreed with the union, the position remains the same.

Those teachers who are not vaccinated will have to continue producing every two weeks, a test hoping that they are negative. So, a negative test every two weeks

if they have chosen not to get the vaccine,” Education Minister, Francis Fonseca.

Officials say that while teachers fall under the public sector, they are not classified as public officers and as a result, when the December 15 deadline comes into effect and public officers will be mandated to show proof of vaccination, teachers will be spared.

Belize has recorded 570 deaths and 30,060 positive cases linked to the virus since March last year.

A circular from the Public Service, Constitutional and Political reform, states that

F

The French Health Ministry said in a statement after a crisis government meeting on Friday that it had decided to postpone to Dec 31 “finalising the implementation of the vaccine mandate” in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

It had put those who refused inoculation on unpaid leave but now says it will give those suspended more time for individual “dialogue” with their managers while still getting paid.

Some on the islands have called the mandate a throwback to France’s slavery era, insisting that they should be allowed to make their own choices about health treatment.

The French Government meeting came as the riots in Martinique were still ongoing, a source close to the French overseas Minister said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said authorities in Martinique and Guadeloupe had made 10 arrests after shots were fired on Thursday night, injuring several people.

Journalists from French television, news and photo agencies were attacked on Thursday night, media group Altice said in a statement, confirming earlier remarks by the Minister. One police officer was seriously injured and needed surgery, local authorities said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

‘for the safety of all public officers and the public serve, it has been decided that all essential workers and other public officers must be vaccinated by December 15, 2021.

The move has been criticised by the Public Service Union (PSU) but Health and Wellness Minister, Michel Chebat, said vaccination for government workers is a direction being taken globally.

Meanwhile, Fonseca confirmed that government met with social partners on Wednesday to review the country’s economic performance. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Peru’s chief of staff stashed $20,000 in palace bathroom

France delays vaccine mandate for health workers in riot-hit Caribbean islands rance has postponed implementing a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health workers in Martinique and Guadeloupe after the measure spurred widespread protests on the French territories in which police officers were injured and journalists attacked.

The two Caribbean islands have been hit by unrest over the last week after the French Government imposed tougher measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Compulsory vaccinations for health workers, a measure already introduced on the French mainland, had fuelled resentment among the islands’ majority Black population.

tles, the country’s case-fatality ratio (CFR), or how many COVID-19 cases succumb to the disease, is the 34th worst globally, at 2.99 per cent. In the Caribbean, only Grenada surpasses T&T’s figure.

To date, Trinidad and Tobago has lost 2040 people to COVID-19 as of November 25.

Approximately one in 700 people in the country have succumbed to the disease since March 2020. With 344 COVID-19 deaths for November, the month is already the second deadliest month for the pandemic to date. The deadliest month for the pandemic in the country to date remains June 2021, with 352 deaths. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

The money was found in a bathroom in the government palace

P

rosecutors in Peru have found US$20,000 (£15,000) stashed in a bathroom inside the presidential palace.

The prosecutors raided the palace on Friday as part of an investigation into allegations of influence peddling.

Bruno Pacheco, who resigned from his post as President Pedro Castillo’s chief of staff on Friday, told investigators that the money was his but denied any wrongdoing.

He said that the stash

was a combination of his savings and salary.

Pacheco’s monthly salary amounts to 25,000 soles (US$6250; £4,600), an official document reveals.

According to the document, he did not tell investigators why he kept such a large amount of dollars in the bathroom of his office.

The raid was part of an investigation into allegations that Pacheco pressured the head of Peru’s tax and customs agency to give certain companies run by his friends more favourable

terms.

Pacheco denies the allegations.

He has also insisted that his resignation was not linked to any wrongdoing but was to protect Castillo, “so that the President won’t be touched by this smear campaign”.

President Castillo named a new chief of staff to replace Pacheco on Tuesday.

Castillo, a left-wing former teacher, became President in July after narrowly beating his right-wing rival, Keiko Fujimori, in the election.

Not only has Castillo come under pressure from Fujimori, whose party said last week it would back efforts to impeach the President, but also from some of his fellow teachers.

On Tuesday, members of a teachers’ union marched in the capital, Lima, demanding a 6 per cent increase in the education budget to cover higher wages and pensions for teachers. (Excerpt from BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil settles down $10/bbl in largest daily drop since April 2020

O

il prices plunged US$10 a barrel on Friday, their largest one-day drop since April 2020, as a new variant of the coronavirus spooked investors and added to concerns that a supply surplus could swell in the first quarter.

Oil fell with global equities markets on fears the variant, could dampen economic growth and fuel demand.

The World Health Organisation has designated the new variant, which it named Omicron, as "of concern," according to the South African Health Minister.

The United States, Canada, Britain, Guatemala and European countries are among those to restrict travel from southern Africa, where the variant was detected.

Brent crude settled down US$9.50, or 11.6 per cent, to US$72.72 a barrel, a weekly decline of more than 8 per cent.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled down US$10.24 on Friday, or 13.1 per cent, at US$68.15 a barrel, declining more than 10.4 per cent on the week in high volume trading after Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

"The market is factoring in a worst-case scenario situation in which this variant causes massive demand destruction," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Both contracts fell to a fifth week of losses and their steepest falls in absolute terms since April 2020, when WTI turned negative for the first time amid a coronavirusinduced supply glut.

News of the variant caused ructions in a market previously caught between producer and consumer nations.

"The biggest fear is that it will be resistant to vaccines and be a massive setback for countries that have reaped the benefits from their rollouts," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA. OPEC+ is also monitoring developments around the variant, sources said on Friday, with some expressing concern that it may worsen the oil market outlook less than a week before a meeting to set policy.

Scientists have so far only detected the Omicron variant in relatively small numbers, mainly in South Africa but also in Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel, but they are concerned by its high number of mutations which could make it vaccine-resistant and more transmissible.

Drug makers Pfizer and BioNTech said, if necessary, they would be able to redesign their shot within 6 weeks and ship initial batches within 100 days.

South Africa's Foreign Ministry said it would speak to Britain to try to get it to reconsider its travel ban.

"Our immediate concern is the damage that this decision will cause to both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries," Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said in a statement.

Oil prices rose early in the week as the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) suggested it could taper production in response to a strategic release from large consuming countries that are members of the International Energy Agency.

Such a release was likely to swell supplies in coming months, an OPEC source said, based on findings of a panel of experts that advises OPEC Ministers.

The forecasts cloud the outlook for a Dec 2 meeting when the group will discuss whether to adjust its plan to increase output by 400,000 barrels per day in January and beyond.

"OPEC's initial assessment of the coordinated (stockpile) release and the sudden appearance of a new variant of the coronavirus raises serious concerns about economic growth and the oil balance in coming months," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

WHO names new COVID variant omicron, cautions against travel measures

T

he World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday classified the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern," saying it may spread more quickly than other forms.

Preliminary evidence suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection and there had been a "detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology," it said in a statement after a closed meeting of independent experts who reviewed the data.

Infections in South Africa had risen steeply in recent weeks, coinciding with detection of the variant now designated as omicron, WHO said.

"This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning.

Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this vari-

A street hawker looking at her mobile phone as she sits next to her wares after the announcement of a British ban on flights from South Africa because of the detection of a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant, in Soweto, South Africa, November 26, 2021

ant, as compared to other (variants of concern), it said.

Omicron is the fifth variant to carry such a designation.

"This variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in in-

fection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage," the WHO said.

Current PCR tests continue to successfully detect the variant, it said.

Earlier, the WHO cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel re-

strictions linked to the variant of COVID-19, saying they should take a "riskbased and scientific approach".

Global authorities reacted with alarm to the new variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as scientists sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant.

It would take several weeks to determine the variant's transmissibility and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics against it, he said, noting that 100 sequences of the variant have been reported so far.

People should continue to wear masks whenever possible, avoid large gatherings, ventilate rooms and maintain hand hygiene, Lindmeier added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ethiopia restricts information-sharing about war

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thiopia has announced new restrictions on the sharing of information about the war in the north of the country which stipulate that battlefront updates can only come from the government. "Disseminating information on military maneuvers, war front updates and results via any medium is forbidden," except for information provided by a joint civilian-military command

set up to oversee a state of emergency, the government's communication service said late on Thursday.

The statement did not specify the implications of the new rules for journalists or media outlets covering the war, which broke out last November between the government and rebellious forces from the northern region of Tigray.

It did not, for instance, address the consequence

of publishing information provided by unauthorised sources. Ethiopia's media regulator did not return calls from Reuters seeking clarification on the matter. The Prime Minister's spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, told Reuters on Friday, "The state of emergency prohibits unauthorised entities from disseminating activities from the front via various channels including media." She did not elaborate.

Ethiopia's Parliament designated the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the party that controls most

of Tigray, a terrorist group earlier this year. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed oversaw sweeping reforms when he took office in 2018, including the unbanning of more than 250 media outlets, the release of dozens of journalists and the repeal of some widely criticised media laws. However, some rights groups say press freedom has eroded since then as the government has faced outbreaks of deadly violence, including the conflict in Tigray and neighbouring regions. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russian coal mine: Dozens killed in Channel migrants: Siberia accident Emmanuel Macron and Boris

F

ifty-one people have been killed in Russia's worst mining disaster in a decade, prompting three days of mourning in Siberia's Kemerovo region.

Among the dead were five rescue workers, although a sixth was found alive and taken to hospital in a serious condition.

The blast happened at the Listvyazhnaya mine when coal dust caught fire in a ventilation shaft on Thursday.

Rescuers suffocated as they tried to reach dozens of missing miners.

At the time of the accident early on Thursday there were 287 people in the mine, some 3500km (2175 miles) east of Moscow.

Many managed to get out and 49 people were taken to hospital, some of them suffering from smoke inhalation.

But dozens were trapped and rescue operations had to be suspended because of high concentrations of methane.

Officials said a methane gas explosion had filled the mine with smoke and the

victims had died because of a lack of oxygen and high concentration of poisonous gas.

The survivor from the rescue team was named as Alexander Zakovryashin and Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan said it was a "miracle carried out by our people".

The mine director, his deputy and the disaster area supervisor were arrested over alleged safety failings, according to Russian news agencies.

Russian mine accidents are not uncommon and this is not the first accident at Listvyazhnaya. In 2004, a methane gas explosion left 13 people dead.

In 2016, authorities assessed the safety of the country's 58 coal mines and declared 34 per cent of them potentially unsafe.

The list did not include the Listvyazhnaya mine at the time, reports say.

President Vladimir Putin described the loss of life as "a great tragedy". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Johnson clash over crisis

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mmanuel Macron has reacted angrily to Boris Johnson's public call for France to take back migrants who reach the UK. The French President accused the UK Prime Minister of not being "serious" by making the call on Twitter, after the deaths of 27 people on Wednesday.

The diplomatic row erupted after France withdrew a summit invitation to Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The UK Government urged it to reconsider, with the PM saying: "This is a problem we have to fix together."

Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Commission are due to attend Sunday's talks in Calais, which Macron set up to deal with the recent surge in migrant crossings of the Channel.

The diplomatic spat comes as French fishermen are holding a day of action, including blockades, to disrupt

cross-Channel traffic, in protest at post-Brexit fishing rights granted by the UK. The sinking of an inflatable boat on Wednesday marked the biggest loss of life by drowning in the Channel in many years, with 17 men, seven women - one of whom was pregnant - and three children dying.

Ahead of Sunday's meeting, in a letter to Macron on Thursday which was shared on Twitter, Johnson set out five steps which he said could help avoid a repeat of the tragedy.

These included joint patrols, better use of technology such as sensors and radar, maritime patrols in each other's waters and stronger cooperation by intelligence services.

The letter also called for immediate work on a policy of returning migrants who reach the UK to France, alongside talks to establish a UK-EU returns agreement.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

Having a realistic view of what's possible will help you overcome the pitfalls of uncertainty. Make improvements to the way you handle and earn your cash. Verify all information you uncover.

Seize the moment and take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way. Your confident decision-making will elicit respect from your peers.

Personal improvements will mark a new beginning.

Keep the peace. Don't GEMINI jump to conclusions or take (May 21- anything or anyone for June 20) granted. Emotional matters are best not dealt with until you can clear your head and figure out what you want.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Make time for people who put a smile on your face. Romance is favored.

Quality time spent making plans with someone special will improve your life. Run your household with charitable efficiency.

Get out and about.

Enhance your chance to advance by upgrading your qualifications. Sign up for courses, attend a networking function or mingle with people who share your skill set.

Troubles will mount if you can't agree with someone close to you. Consider how you can rectify a domestic problem by rearranging your environment to suit certain needs. Romance is encouraged.

You'll be disappointed if you rely on someone who promises a lot and does nothing. Take control by making plans to improve your home life and offload responsibilities that don't belong to you.

A reserved attitude will prevent an emotional scene.

Don't get involved in a joint venture. Shared expenses will cause worry and anxiety, not to mention loss, if each party doesn't hold the same values.

Say little and do a lot.

SAGITTARIUS Keep your thoughts to your(Nov. 23self and focus on attaining Dec. 21) what you want to achieve.

Don't allow your emotions to overrule what you know is right and best for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Be direct, and you'll avoid someone taking your remarks out of context. Live up to your promises. Change is inevitable. Get your facts straight, then proceed with confidence.

Hold on to your thoughts.

Time is on your side, so make sure your strategy will bring the outcome you desire. Take a break, and you will gain perspective on what's best for you.

Emotions will surface if you can't get along with (Feb. 20a loved one. Fill your day March 20) with activities that require physical action, and it will help you avoid an emotional debate. Choose love.

PISCES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

21

India vs New Zealand, 1st Test…

Southee, openers bring New Zealand back in the game -as visitors reach 129 without loss T

he openers and Tim Southee helped New Zealand wrest back the advantage on Day 2 of their first Test match against India. The visitors ended the day on a strong note at 129 without loss, in arrears by 216.

When the day began, with the score reading 258 for 4, India seemed to have the upper hand. However, their plans of dominating the Test were upended by Southee’s guile and discipline. The experienced paceman tactically outplayed one batter after another to bag his second five-wicket haul in Tests in India.

Ravindra Jadeja, who had shared a crucial hundred-plus stand with Shreyas Iyer on Day 1, was the first of his victims for the day. From round the wicket, Southee employed the inward angle to sow the seeds of doubt in the batter’s mind. He also provided the finishing touches to his plan by knocking over the all-rounder with the three-quarter seam ball.

Wriddhiman Saha didn’t last long, as he, too, fell to Southee. The 32-year-old then bagged the prized wicket of Shreyas Iyer by tempting him to drive it to covers.

Southee wasn’t done yet, as he also prised out Axar Patel with another of his three-quarter seam deliveries.

The key to Southee’s success was he used his tried and tested weapon - three-quarter ball - to exploit the little bit of uneven bounce on offer. In between, he also generated enough outswing to keep his opponents guessing.

Ajaz Patel followed up Southee’s efforts by picking up the last two wickets to fall, to wrap up the innings for 345.

On the other hand, Iyer’s ton on Test debut was a bright spot for the home team. The middle-order batter started the day with positive intent, and soon reached the coveted three-figure mark with a double off Kyle Jamieson.

Despite bowling India out for a score of less than 350, New Zealand still had to wade through a couple of sessions on a track where the odd ball was staying low. The duo of Latham and Young did just that, and steered the side to the stumps. On a slow pitch, the pair stuck to their plan of playing an attritional brand of cricket, and waited for the loose delivery.

Young was the more aggressive of the two, as he skipped down the track and also employed the sweep to frustrate the spinners. Both Latham and Young were also sure-footed in their defence, by either moving right back or taking a good stride forward as the pair reached respective fifties.

During the course of their unbeaten alliance, the pair also had a few narrow escapes.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA 1ST INNINGS Mayank Agarwal c †Blundell b Jamieson

13 Shubman Gill b Jamieson 52 Cheteshwar Pujara c †Blundell b Southee 26 Ajinkya Rahane (c) b Jamieson 35 Shreyas Iyer c Young b Southee 105 Ravindra Jadeja b Southee 50 Wriddhiman Saha † c †Blundell b Southee 1 Ravichandran Ashwin b Patel 38 Axar Patel c †Blundell b Southee 3 Umesh Yadav not out 10 Ishant Sharma lbw b Patel 0 Extras (b 5, lb 2, nb 4, w 1) 12 TOTAL (111.1 Ov, RR: 3.10) 345 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Mayank Agarwal, 7.5 ov), 2-82 (Shubman Gill, 29.6 ov), 3-106 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 37.4 ov), 4-145 (Ajinkya Rahane, 49.2 ov), 5-266 (Ravindra Jadeja, 86.6 ov), 6-288 (Wriddhiman Saha, 92.2 ov),

Latham, in particular, survived a couple of LBW decisions which he got overturned via the DRS. On both occasions, it was clear that he had eked out an inside edge. Just before the umpires decided the light wasn’t good enough for further play, Latham was adjudged to have edged one behind. However, he once again got it reversed through the review system.

7-305 (Shreyas Iyer, 96.1 ov), 8-313 (Axar Patel, 98.6 ov), 9-339 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 109.2 ov), 10-345 (Ishant Sharma, 111.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Tim Southee 27.4-6-69-5 Kyle Jamieson 23.2-6-91-3 Ajaz Patel 29.1-7-90-2 William Somerville 24-2-60-0 Rachin Ravindra 7-1-28-0 NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS Tom Latham not out 50 Will Young not out 75 Extras (lb 1, nb 3) 4 TOTAL (57 Ov, RR: 2.26) 129 Yet to bat: Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell †, Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William Somerville BOWLING O-M-R-W Ishant Sharma 6-3-10-0 Umesh Yadav 10-3-26-0 Ravichandran Ashwin 17-5-38-0 Ravindra Jadeja 14-4-28-0 Axar Patel 10-1-26-0

By the fag end of the day, India’s lead spinner - Ravi Ashwin - also seemed to be in his groove, as he got a few to rip off the surface.

The Indian camp would hope for the spin trio of Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel to extract more bite out of the surface on Day 3. For now, though, the New Zealand camp would be the happier side of the two. (Cricbuzz)

GFF delivers goalkeeping coaching course to boost Academy Training Centres taught them the fundamentals.

“I hope they return to their respective environments and make an impact, host sessions and seize every opportunity to work on the things they would’ve learned, and develop

the players out there,” he said.

The GFF’s ground-breaking ATC programme was launched in 2017, and is the first of its kind in the Caribbean region. The programme is a selective national youth development initia-

tive that gives girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 19 a weekly, structured training curriculum anchored in the GFF’s football philosophy and delivered consistently throughout its nine regional associations.

Simmons’ domination helps River’s View claim Bartica All Stars Championship

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he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) delivered its end-of-year goalkeeping coaching workshop on Thursday November 25th with intention to further build capacity among regional associations’ coaches and enhance the impact of the GFF’s Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme.

The one-day training session, hosted at the GFF National Training Centre at Providence, EBD, was focused on teaching the methods of goalkeeping fundamentals, and was led by GFF Goalkeeping Coach Eon De Vieira and GFF Coaching Education Officer Lyndon France.

This theoretical and practical workshop was attended by 24 enthusiastic coaches from the GFF’s nine regional associations, who expressed

their continued commitment to improving their goalkeeping skills. The workshop included classroom modules on developing goalkeeping practice structures, training techniques and session plans; as well as fieldwork focusing on positioning, types of catches, and distribution.

“This is a very important course as part of the drive the GFF is currently undertaking with respect to getting football growing and coaches and players equipped to be able to move forward in the right direction, come 2022 and beyond,” said De Vieira.

Technical Director Ian Greenwood added, “The main aim is for each of the regional Academy Training Centres to have a specialised goalkeeping coach. We have a couple of very strong goalkeeping coaches with the national teams,

and we want to ensure that the Academy Training Centres follow the same structure.”

West Demerara Football Association coach Yonette Hector deemed the course a great opportunity for coaches to take their goalkeeping skills to the next level. “When I go back to my team, I will be able to show them the basics of coaching,” Hector declared.

East Bank Demerara Football Association coach Andre Gibbs added that he attended the session to improve his goalkeeping knowledge, “so in the future I could share my knowledge with the youngsters, and we can all improve Guyana’s football”.

GFF Assistant Technical Director Bryan Joseph said that while participants would not become professional goalkeeping coaches in one session, the year-end course had

The victorious River’s View football team

I

n a showdown worthy of a final, the River’s View football team held off their Beacons counterparts to win the Bartica All-Stars Knockout Tournament on Tuesday night by a scoreline of five goals to their opponents’ three.

With both teams choos-

ing to attack with aggression, it was the River’s View boys who, in front of their screaming fans, managed more finishes on target, with four goals being scored through the skills of Andrew Simmons and one coming off the boots of Omario Lake.

Beacons answered their

opponent with strikes by Whitney Welcome, Kurt Welcome and Clint Kellman.

The Bartica All-Stars Knockout Tournament consisted of four nights of football action between eight clubs affiliated to the Bartica Football Association.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ICC Men’s U19 World Cup…

Pioneer Ramkissoon in full support of West Indies team Youth Team on their tour of England in 1970. That summer, they played matches all across the United Kingdom.

The team manager was legendary West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall, and the

W

ith 50 days to go before the first ball is bowled in the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, Dudnath Ramkissoon, the man who captained the first West Indies Under-19 team 51 years ago, has thrown his full support behind the regional team.

The West Indies will bowl off the tournament against Australia on January 14 in Guyana, and as Ramkissoon

recalled his time as a youth cricketer in the class of 1970, he offered advice to the class of 2022.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for these young men to represent the West Indies, and I want them to grab the chance with both hands. A Cricket World Cup is a major event and to play in at home. It is something extra special as well,” he said.

“We need to support

them. The whole region should come together and give them their full support.

This is a crucial stage of their development, and this is a prestigious international cricket event we will be hosting,” said Ramkissoon.

He was part of a media interaction held at Queen’s Park Oval to mark the countdown to the first ball of the tournament on January 14.

Ramkissoon led the first-ever West Indies

are still good friends. We had a fantastic team, and we played some really good cricket. Travelling around the country we played was a great experience, and we were well supported by the

Dudnath Ramkissoon

squad included Larry Gomes, Richard Gabriel and David Murray, who represented the West Indies on the international stage. Several other members of the squad also played at the regional firstclass level.

“It is more than 50 years ago, but I still have some wonderful memories of that tour. And 50 years later, we

fans who came to see us play.

It was a memorable tour, and it was an honour to represent the West Indies,” he said.

Cricket West Indies will host the 14th edition of the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup for the first time ever, and the event which showcases the future stars of the game will see 16 teams travelling

to the Caribbean to compete in 48 matches to be played from January 14 to February 5 across four host countries.

The 16 teams competing will see current holders Bangladesh, England, Canada and the United Arab Emirates form Group A, with debutants Uganda placed in Group B alongside India, South Africa and Ireland.

Group C comprises Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea; and Group D sees hosts West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka. Scotland complete the tournament line up in Group D after New Zealand withdrew due to the extensive mandatory quarantine restrictions for minors on their return home.

The four host countries have been confirmed as Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad & Tobago, with 10 venues hosting matches. The format would see the top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super League stage, while the remaining teams feature in the Plate across 23 days of competition. (Windies Cricket)

OUSTANDING PERFORMANCE FROM JUNIORS IN JAMAICAN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Kishan Pooran

leven (11) talented local chess players competed last

Sunday, 21st November 2021, in the Jamaica Online Open Tournament.

51st respectively.

The Open chess cham- (1) draw.

Junior Blitz Champion Maliha Rajkumar, pionship was contested by Couchman and 2020, Keron Sandiford of a total of 124 players from Aniyah across the Caribbean in var- Naila Rahaman finished St. Stanislaus College, was 8th, 11th and 12th respec- Guyana’s lone competiious categories. tor in the U1600 category.

In each category, six (6) tively after six (6) rounds.

As for the males, Kishan He finished 28th, after derounds of matches were played on the Tornelo.com Puran placed 3rd with 4 wins feating half of all his oppo2 draws from six games. He nents. chess platform.

The junior players have Best finish for Guyana drew his final game against from the females was Pooja the eventual winner of the shown much improvement Lam from Saraswati Vidya U1300 absolute category, in their play, no doubt as a result of the frequent onNiketan, who placed 3rd in Jamaican Ajay Tennant.

Kyle Couchman, Arysh line competitions throughthe U1300 category with five Mahir out the year, and the train(5) points. She has starred Raghunauth, on the local scene in numer- Rajkumar and Xavier Pratt ing by IM Atanu Lahiri.

The players will now ous online tournaments this placed 16th,30th, 38th and year, including the FIDE PLAYER SCHOOL CATEGORY SCORE Youth World Keron Sandiford St. Stanislaus College U1600 3 Cup. Kishan Puran Queen’s College U-1300ABS 5 She was Kyle Couchman Queen’s College U-1300ABS 4 followed Arysh Raghunauth Queen’s College U-1300ABS 3 closely by Mahir Rajkumar Mae's School U-1300ABS 2.5 Guyana’s Xavier Pratt Queen’s College U-1300ABS 2 N a o m i Pooja Lam SaraswatiVidya Niketan U-1300FEM 5 Barkoye, who Naomi Barkoye Queen’s College U-1300FEM 4.5 copped 4th Maliha Rajkumar Queen’s College U-1300FEM 3.5 with four (4) Aniyah Couchman Queen’s College U-1300FEM 3 Naila Rahaman Queen’s College U-1300FEM 3 wins and one

MVP Sports endorses GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup

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VP Sports has pledged one million dollars in sponsorship for the Guyana Football Federation-Kashif & Shanghai Super 16 Cup as part of growing corporate support for the year-end celebration of football.

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde received the cheque from Managing Director of MVP Sports, Ian Ramdeo, on November 25 at a handing over ceremony at MVP Sports’ outlet at the Giftland Mall at Liliendaal.

Ramdeo has commended the GFF and its partners for staging the Super 16 year-end tournament. “After the tumultuous year and a half that we’ve all had in sports and all other aspects of our daily lives, we thought it was an excellent initiative to be part of this…for footballers

to get some playtime and exposure, but also for the fans to enjoy the game again in a safe way.

“We want to be a big part of this, not only in this particular event, but going forward in 2022 as well,” Ramdeo said.

President Forde thanked Ramdeo for his continued support of football development, and emphasised the importance of corporate partnerships for the future growth of sport in Guyana.

“As leaders, we all have a responsibility to improve the quality of life for our young people, and when corporate Guyana takes that faithful step to climb on board and support sports in general, then we are meeting that obligation,” Forde expressed.

Over the holiday season, the GFF has organised one month of elite football action in-

volving Guyana’s top male and female players and clubs from all nine GFF regional associations: the GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup, to be held over the period December 12 – January 1; the GFF Women’s Super-16 Festival 2021, to be held over the period December 11 – January 2; and the GFF-K&S Futsal Championship, to be held over the period December 14 – January 8.

All these matches would be played in venues across the country, including in Georgetown, Buxton, St Cuthbert’s Mission, Providence, Leonora, Linden, New Amsterdam, Bartica, and Essequibo.

All participants, including players, coaches, staff, match officials and fans, would be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access the competitions.

turn their attention to this weekend’s three (3) mmg+ online rapid tournaments.

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23 Guyanese Motie, Shepherd among CWI-selected squad for 6-match white-ball Tour of Pakistan SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…Hetmyer unavailable due to personal reasons

T

he Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel today announced the squads for the West Indies Men’s team tour of Pakistan.

The series will feature three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) to be played from December 13 to 22 at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The panel named a number of uncapped players in both formats. For the ODIs, the newcomers are batters Justin Greaves, Shamarh Brooks, left-arm spinner

Gudakesh Motie and fast bowling allrounder Odean Smith.

Smith and Motie are also selected in the T20I squad for the first time, along with left-arm fast bowling allrounder Dominic Drakes.

Motie was a travelling reserve for the recent ICC T20 World Cup, while Drakes and Smith were net bowlers before the start of the tournament.

Lead Selector Roger Harper has said, “There are a number of talented newcomers in each format (who)

will have the opportunity to show what they are capable of at the international level. Justin Greaves is a very talented player, had a good CG Insurance Super50 tournament, and performed well in the President’s XI match against Ireland in 2020.

“Odean Smith really grabbed our attention in the last CPL. His pace was never in question; however, he has added greater control and has displayed the ability to be a wicket-taker.

“Shamarh Brooks batted well in the CG Insurance Super50 Cup, and followed that up with good performances in the CPL. He will lend greater depth to the batting

Romario Shepherd

Shimron Hetmyer is unavailable due to personal reasons

Gudakesh Motie

line-up.

“Gudakesh Motie has been rewarded for his outstanding performance in the CG Insurance Super50, followed up by his showing in the CPL. “Dominic Drakes has the potential to be an outstanding all-rounder, as he displayed during the last CPL.”

FULL SQUADS One-Day Internationals * Kieron Pollard (Captain) * Shai Hope (Vice Captain) * Darren Bravo * Shamarh Brooks * Roston Chase * Justin Greaves * Akeal Hosein * Alzarri Joseph * Gudakesh Motie * Anderson Phillip * Nicholas Pooran * Raymon Reifer * Romario Shepherd * Odean Smith * Hayden Walsh Jr. T20 Internationals * Kieron Pollard (Captain) *Nicholas Pooran (Vice Captain) * Darren Bravo * Roston Chase

Harper added, “The ODIs in Pakistan are part of the ICC ODI Super League, where points gained work towards qualification for the ICC World Cup 2023.

So, these ODIs are very important to us, and are being treated as such.”

The ODI Series will be West Indies’ fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s

* Sheldon Cottrell * Dominic Drakes * Shai Hope * Akeal Hosein * Brandon King * Kyle Mayers * Gudakesh Motie * Romario Shepherd * Odean Smith * Oshane Thomas * Hayden Walsh Jr.

Jason Holder is being rested for this tour due to workload management.

Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are unavailable due to injury and rehabilitation. Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons are unavailable due to personal reasons.

Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. West Indies currently lie in eighth position out of 13 teams, and have the opportunity to move above Pakistan into seventh position. (Windies Cricket) TOUR SCHEDULE * December 13 – 1st T20I, Karachi * December 14 – 2nd T20I, Karachi * December 16 – 3rd T20I, Karachi * December 18 – 1st ODI, Karachi * December 20 – 2nd ODI, Karachi * December 22 – 3rd ODI, Karachi

10 Upper Corentyne cricketers receive Patron’s Educational Grants -Dennis D’Andrade re-elected UCCA President unopposed

Newly elected executives of the UCCA pose with delegates attending the AGM at the Skeldon Centre

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The ten cricketers pose with executives of the UCCA after receiving their educational grants

ong serving cricket administrator Dennis D’Andrade was on Wednesday re-elected President of the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) when the UCCA held its biennial elections at the Skeldon Community Centre Ground in Corriverton.

D'Andrade and his entire slate were re-elected on a vote of 19 to nil as clubs in the area rewarded them for their outstanding work in the largest sub-association in the county of Berbice.

Others elected were: former national player Sydney Jackman as Vice President, Reeaz Hakim as Secretary, Victor Thakurdeen as Treasurer. Lawrence Mentis would serve as the Asst Secretary/Treasurer.

The newly re-elected President committed his executives to continuing the outstanding work they are doing, and promised they would hit the ground running with three new cricket tournaments in the next few weeks and the hosting of several developmental programmes, including a social skills seminar and mini academy.

He hailed the outstanding cooperation of Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster, who has visited the area a total of 107 times on cricket-related matters since his election to the position almost four years ago.

Vice-President Jackman had earlier provided the clubs with a comprehensive report on the outstanding work of the association, with special emphasis on several tournaments played, assistance received from the BCB, and developmental programmes and sponsorships obtained in an aggressive marketing drive.

Like the UCCA President, Jackman hailed the hard work of Foster in making sure that cricket in the Upper Corentyne area is always on the move, and he said that in his entire involvement in the game for over 60 years, he had never seen a more progressive leader who was passionate about the development of the game and players.

The elections were done in the presence of Cricket Ombudsman Malcolm Peters, who verified the clubs present before the AGM and elections were held.

Meanwhile, ten youth cricketers from the area have each received an educational grant totally one hundred thousand dollars from the BCB under its Patron’s Trust Fund. Those receiving the grants were Trevon Sukhu, Gibeon Yacoob, Alameen Khan, Keshan Khan, Venus

James, Gobin Doodnauth, Charran Singh, Jeremiah Joseph, Abbas Khan and Orlando Joseph.

Foster congratulated the youths on being selected to receive the grant, and spoke on the importance of education as a key factor in a successful cricketing career.

Hundreds of youths have, over the last four years, benefited

from a massive investment in education made by the BCB, Foster has said, and more emphasis would be placed on making sure that all Berbice cricketers complete their educational careers.

He praised the cooperation of BCB Patron Minister Vickram Bharrat, who is sponsoring the educational grants along with the host-

ing of social skills seminars across the county for youth cricketers.

UCCA President Dennis D’Andrade expressed gratitude to the BCB for investing heavily in the education of players in the area, and noted that the UCCA would continue to follow the progress made by the players in their respective schools.

1st Test, WI vs SL…

Dropped chances haunt West Indies, says Bonner

W

est Indies m i d dle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner said the dropped chances in the first Test match against Sri Lanka cost the team a lot of runs, and this must improve in the second Test match that bowls off on Monday, November 29 in Galle.

The most significant of those dropped chances came off the Sri Lankan captain Diumth Karunaratne, who eventually scored 147 and 83. The Jamaican Bonner also said that the Caribbean team

must bat better in the next Test and be precise with their footwork.

He also noted that without Sri Lanka’s skipper scoring big, their batting is not long, and West Indies will target him in the second Test match.

“They were a few chances that we put down.

It cost us a lot of runs. In terms of our batting, we have to look a t for sure, how w e mitigate the spin. For us it is mental because everybody

can play spin,” Bonner told media operatives on Friday.

Despite West Indies warmup match being rained out, Bonner said the team was prepared heading into the Test match, having played two three-day Best v Best warmup match.

“Preparation was good, leading into the Test match.

We had a lot of practice to simulate, batting against spin. I think the momentum was with Sri Lanka and they ride on that. If we could have gotten more partnership from the top it would have been easier, but I am sure the guys know what they need to improve on.”

The right-hander said his role in the team is to bat long

as possible and provide solidity. “I know I have the ability to bat long and that is what I do for the West Indies.” Opener Jeremey Solozano who was struck on the helmet in the first Test at short-leg is undergoing concussion Tests and his availability for the next Test remains unclear. (Brandon Corlette) FULL SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain); Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain); Nkrumah Bonner; Roston Chase; Rahkeem Cornwall; Joshua Da Silva; Shannon Gabriel; Jason Holder; Shai Hope; Kyle Mayers; Veerasammy Permaul; Kemar Roach; Jayden Seales; Jeremy Solozano and Jomel Warrican.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

Pg 23

Shepherd

Motie

Hetmyer

Guyanese Motie, Shepherd among CWI-selected squad for 6-match white-ball Tour of Pakistan …Hetmyer unavailable due to personal reasons

OUSTANDING PERFORMANCE FROM JUNIORS IN JAMAICAN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS Page 22

MVP Sports endorses GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup Pg 22

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Pooja Lam