Guyana Times - Sunday January 31, 2021

From school dropout to photographer – Salim Mohamed never gave up on his dreams Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4545 guyanatimesgy.com

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THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

PRICE

Venezuelan border provocation

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

“We will not bend to threats to our national security”- President Ali

Region 4 P29 woman is Guyana’s 176th COVID-19 death …53 new cases recorded

Page 3

…no “business as usual” diplomacy until fishermen released

Venezuelan incursions

See story on page 5

Guyana steps up offshore monitoring - Commander-in-Chief

ExxonMobil’s flaring undercuts Guyana’s lowcarbon interests P31 – WWF

COVID-19 pandemic

Food security will be sustained in Indigenous communities– Sukhai …over 100 tractors procured to boost agriculture P33

Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, discussing Guyana and France’s valuable military relationship over the years with French Military Attaché to Guyana, Lieutenant Colonel Philippe Lamouret. The two met at the Guyana Defence Force HQ, where Lieutenant Colonel Lamouret assured that military cooperation between the two counrties is poised for expansion (GDF photo)

Diplomacy is Charrandas Persaud Guyana’s 1st line tipped as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India of defence - Greenidge …as Foreign Service shake-up looms Page 30

Page 34

First 3800 vaccines to arrive in Guyana by February – President …China to donate 20,000 more Page 12

Drugs abandoned, motorcycles found during Police raids …21 arrested

P31

Nabaclis P33 man killed by drunken driver Patricia Punch shares her journey of following her passion P15

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Venezuelan border provocation

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, January 31 – 04:30h – 06:00h and Monday, February 1 – 04:30h – 06:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, January 31 – 06:20h – 07:50h and Monday, February 1 – 06:55h – 08:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies during the night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 06:23h and 18:30h reaching maximum heights of 2.67 metres and 2.76 metres.

Low Tide: 12:13h reaching a minimum height of 0.54 metre.

“We will not bend to threats to our national security” – President Ali …no “business as usual” diplomacy until fishermen released

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that even though Guyana and Venezuela still have a diplomatic presence in each other’s countries, there will be no business-as-usual bilateral engagements until Venezuela releases the Guyanese fishermen it has illegally detained and desists from its aggression.

This pronouncement was made by the President during an address to the nation on Saturday with other top officials in the Government including Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips, Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and army Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess.

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President Ali disclosed that on Friday evening, he received a letter from the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres.

In the letter, he reaffirmed that in January 2018, he chose the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to be used as the solution for border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, as he was empowered to do by the agreement signed in Geneva in 1966 by all parties.

The President further indicated that while the Secretary General acknowledged that the World Court is proceeding to adjudicate the merits of the case, he also offered his ‘Good Offices’ role to address other important bilateral issues the two neighbouring governments may wish to engage on.

The President made it clear on what basis bilateral discussions between the two countries, such as discussions involving migrants seeking refuge in Guyana from the economic meltdown in Venezuela, must proceed.

“We are committed to bilateral discussions on matters that we have commonality on, matters that are of joint concern, COVID-19, for example, the Venezuelan migrants coming in Guyana.

But on the issue of the border, we have outlined very clearly the route of the ICJ.” “And to precede these discussions on bilateral relations, any discussions, we must have the immediate commitment of Venezuela to desist from the aggression and to release immediately the vessels and the crews,” Ali said.

During the press briefing, President Ali also responded to questions from both the media and the public on the Guyana-Venezuela controversy. According to the President, Guyana is

President Irfaan Ali

“fully committed” to the ICJ process, which comes up for a case management hearing on February 15.

“We believe international law and independent international jurists of the highest calibre offer the most credible and definitive way in which to put an end to the Venezuelan contention. Therefore, we will continue to pursue that course,” he contended.

No intimidation

The Commander-inChief also reaffirmed that Guyana will not bend to threats by its neighbour as it continues to pursue a final settlement of the ongoing border controversy at the ICJ, a court Venezuela has steadfastly tried to avoid.

“We will not bend to threats to national security.

We may be a small country but we are a proud people.

We may not have military might but we have moral and legal right. We pick fights with no one but will resist threats from anyone,” the Head of State asserted.

President Ali also pointed to the widespread and continuing support from the international community since the January 7 decree issued by President Nicolás Maduro renewing claims to Guyana’s maritime territory off the Essequibo Coast, and more recently, the detainment of the two Guyanese fishing vessels and the 12-member crews.

According to the Guyanese leader, “Not only do us Guyanese regard our cause as right and just but so too does the international community. We are not alone. We have the international community behind us.”

Guyana approached the World Court in 2018 seeking a final and binding judgement to reinforce that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains valid and binding on all parties, and legal affirmation that Guyana’s Essequibo region, which contains much of Guyana’s natural resources, belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.

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

Tensions further escalated after January 21, when two Guyanese-registered fishing vessels and a 12-man crew that were operating off the coast of Waini Point in

UN Secretary General António Guterres

Guyana’s EEZ were intercepted by the Venezuelan naval vessel, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, which was illegally traversing Guyana’s waters.

The Venezuelans boarded the vessels and the captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria where they were detained and are being kept to this day. The crew of one of the ships, the Lady Nayera, include Captain Richard Ramnarine and his crew members Ramlakan Kamal, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Michael Domingo and Joel Joseph.

The other ship, the Sea Wolf, was captained by Captain Toney Garraway, while the crew members include Errol Gardener, Orland Roberts, Christopher Shaw, Shirvin Oneil and Randy Henry. They have since been brought before a Venezuelan court and reports indicate they will be kept in custody for some 45 days pending an investigation. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Making (economic) hay

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rom all indications, Guyana is on centre stage in one of the great transitions in modern world history: the end of the fossil fuel age. Coal, petroleum and natural gases were used from the 18th century to provide energy to literally fuel the Industrial Revolution. This fundamentally changed the trajectory of human life. Almost every aspect of modern life that we take for granted currently depends on fossil fuels: food production, transportation, electricity, heating, medicine, communication and information technologies, construction, manufacturing, and most consumer products.

But carbon dioxide, a byproduct of fossil fuel- combustion, precipitated a just-as-significant negative impact: global warming. This is now threatening our existence as a species, unless there is a dramatic reduction in its creation. After decades of warnings and desultory action by the world community, we have reached an inflection point when the recommendations for reducing the production of carbon dioxide through generating energy from “renewables” have cumulatively turned the tide.

The change was driven by economics: renewables are now as cost effective as focal fuels, but are less polluting.

The great petroleum plays off our shores (as well as Suriname’s) will in all likelihood bring the curtain down on the “fossil fuel age”. While there are numerous technical studies for supporting this assessment, the recent removal of ExxonMobil from the “Dow Jones Industrials” of the NY Stock Market and the threatened downgrades of the credit rating of all the major oil companies are a more pointed signal of where the energy breeze is blowing. From all indications, we have a two-to-threedecade window before the bottom falls out of the fossil fuel market.

The Government has therefore made a very wise strategic decision to collaborate with the international oil companies (IOCs) to extract our oil as quickly as possible to benefit from the best market prices. While the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced demand for petroleum products drastically - and concomitantly their prices - our “light and sweet” crude commands the highest price in the market, and, combined with its comparatively low extraction costs, makes our operations quite viable.

But this window of opportunity must be seized with both hands to accomplish three major strategic goals: first, to achieve low-cost energy self-sufficiency; second, to create a world class infrastructural network across our country, especially into our interior; and third, to diversify our economy using our comparative advantage in agriculture. Sequencing the embarkation of these goals is critical, since the third, which is the desired end state, depends on the first two being successful.

It is therefore quite heartening to see that this is exactly the course the Government has embarked on with alacrity.

On the energy question, we have to balance our use of fossil fuels, which presently provide all our energy, with our transition to renewables. The Government has proposed to utilise natural gas from our oil fields to fuel a power plant at Wales to satisfy all the energy demands from our electricity grid. The use of natural gas rather than the present heavy fuel is less polluting, and this is a plus. There have been concerns raised both about the cost and environmental impact of the project, and we are sure the Government would address these. In the meantime, the Government has indicated that wind, solar and water power generation are also on the cards.

Fortuitously, natural gas can be combined with nitrogen from the air in an industrial process (Haber Process) to produce urea, which is a vital fertilizer needed for our agricultural diversification. The roads to ease the congestion into Georgetown, the Linden Highway, the bridges across the Demerara and Corentyne Rivers, a second West Coast Highway and a new inland city are the backbone of the infrastructural transformation.

The agricultural diversification will then proceed, since the agro-processing facilities needed for export markets will be facilitated through cheap energy and better transportation.

The Government is happily making hay while the (fossil) sun shines, and must be supported.

A traffic rank stationed in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) distributing flyers and educational materials on COVID-19 emergency guidelines to these residents of the community. The exercise was conducted at the round-about on the Takutu Public Road (Guyana Police Force photo)

LGE is most welcome, and GECOM must deliver

Dear Editor, Local Government Elections (LGE) is scheduled for this year and every effort must be advanced to ensure its conduct, fully within our Constitutionally enshrined democracy framework. Its welcomed role in regulating, empowering, and supporting development at the municipal, community, and village levels cannot be understated. Consequently, the focus on its acceptable delivery must be prioritized.

The committed leadership of the President Dr Irfaan led Government in ensuring a supportive financial platform towards this end must be applauded. The Guyanese Nation, therefore, demands that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), take all steps to deliver a transparent, free, fair, and credible process. Renewed efforts must be enhanced by acceptable oversight, procedure, and professionalism, which will far improve its badly damaged image realized throughout March 2020 General and Regional Elections debacle.

The widespread condemnation of the lawlessness taking place at the Georgetown Municipality needs no further justification and must be stopped now. Other serious levels of corruption exposed at several other Local Government Councils have not complemented the Governments’ National Development Strategy.

Rather, they serve as restrictions to the support and provision of essential services that are required to transform these communities. The acceptable remedial approach to removing these obstacles and ease the sufferings

from poor LEADERSHIP at the local level is free, fair, and timely LGE. Since earning the right to govern our nation as a consequence of the massive support by a wide majority of citizens, the Central Government has done and continues to do an excellent job. From the ongoing evidential work towards rapid development before us, it has become obvious to the Guyanese people that the ‘screened horizon webs’ of the five APNU/AFC budgets which obscured our vision of success together with their failed promises, must now be obliterated from our thought process.

Notwithstanding the threatening COVID-19 environment, an incentivized construction ‘boom’ is off at a great pace. Streets and Roads in many areas are also being improved rapidly and thousands of Houselots are being distributed under a genuine Central Government development program. Given the extremely poor achievement in the areas of Drainage and Irrigation by the previous APNU/AFC regime, it has been identified that the required supportive infrastructure thrust, must be tackled at all three levels. Central Government is now combining with the Neighborhood Democratic and the Regional Democratic Councils to advance the improvement of our communities.

Editor, Elections at the Municipalities, the NDCs, and Village councils will bring fresh and better leadership where this is lacking. The likely impact points to improved synergies from this combined effort. It is critical, therefore, that the Local Government

Elections are not unnecessarily pushed back in keeping with the delaying tactics that some PNC and APNU forces are reportedly trying to effect.

It is public knowledge that GECOM is paying millions of dollars to the permanent staff members who are expected to deliver. Aside from the charged corrupt lot who should be permanently delinked from the Organization, there are no acceptable reasons why the organization should not be ready to hold LGEs on schedule. There ought to be no dependency on any sole staff of the Secretariat such as the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield whose abominable behavior has held the organization in a vice of untrustworthy regressiveness.

Further, the nation is asking where did Keith Lowenfield secure or hide the Statements of Polls, (SOPs) of March 02, 2020, General and Regional Elections. No one reported seeing him extract the documents from the auspices of the normally secured and controlled areas of the organization. Suddenly, he turned up to deliver documents following the instructive ruling of the Chief Justice, which obviously, forced the SOPs from his unworthy closet.

Under the circumstances, it is imperative that those SOPs lodged with the Court registry, be carefully scrutinized to ensure sure compliance with the published verifiable security features. One observer has suggested that through such necessary attention, our nation might be now be appraised of the true origin of still undetermined 2015 fake SOPs.

In this election petition, no stone must be left unturned in exposing the rotten intent and actions of the key fraudulent officials who attempted to derail the true results of the Election held on March 02, 2020. It will be interesting for the public to see and hear why the Chief Elections Officer did not produce the SOPs; or the correct results, particularly in response to the request of Chairperson Claudette Singh of the Commission.

Keith Lowenfield must stand the consequences for his blatant disrespect to the Commission, and publicly reprehensible disrespect for the Chairwoman of GECOM. Naturally, it is implicit that once requested, there is an intent to forensically examine the evidence in these SOPs. It is anticipated that foolproof methods of authentication will be utilized including the use of specialists regardless of the costs, in exposing the culpable actors. A determination of culpability must ensure appropriate sanctions to deter similar future inclinations and also realize a surcharge to recover the millions of dollars that were unnecessarily expended by GECOM during the subsequent five months and recount activities.

In the meanwhile, the Chairwoman and Commission of GECOM MUST act to direct the necessary activation of the Stanard Operational procedures of the Organization, to ensure that the welcome and due Local Government Elections are delivered in a free and fair manner, and with efficiency this year.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

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News

Venezuelan incursions

Guyana steps up offshore monitoring - Commander in Chief

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n the wake of Venezuela incursions into Guyana’s waters, which started earlier this month and with two fishing vessels being detained, President Dr Irfaan Ali, the commander in chief for Guyana’s armed forces, has assured that Guyana’s coast guard has stepped up its monitoring in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore Guyana.

The president made this pronouncement during a virtual briefing on Saturday with other top officials.

According to the President, Guyana has since stepped up its monitoring of the EEZ, from which two Guyanese fishing vessels were recently seized by the Venezuelans.

“Our EEZ remains open.

It is our EEZ. And we have stepped up the monitoring of our EEZ… the Guyana Defense Force has been actively monitoring and actively informing me as commander in chief, as to the various developments in relation to our EEZ, airspace and land border. We remain committed, strong and vigilant.”

Commander-in-Chief, Dr Irfaan Ali

Cognizant of dangers

This point was reinforced by the Government’s Advisor on Borders, former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who urged fishermen to carry on their activities while remaining cognizant of the dangers. He also suggested that the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) play an increased role in alerting fishermen to the Venezuelan presence.

“I think the important thing to note here and I’m not saying this lightly because we know there are hazards… Venezuela would be very happy if Guyanese were to decide, out of fear of Venezuela, they would get up and leave Essequibo… because they can then say to the world, look! These people don’t want this territory. They recognize they are there improperly and so they are not using it,” Greenidge said.

“We have to avoid that.

And I’m saying this aware of the risks. Ask the crews that go out, to be especially alert and careful. Perhaps the GDF can find some communication mechanism by which they keep in touch with them as far as possible to see what might be done or advise given… if the GDF has spotted hazards in particular zones or regions, hazards. But what Venezuela would like to see is the abandonment of our marine resources.”

Meanwhile, the GDF’s Chief of Staff Godfrey Bess revealed that the army first

Army Chief of Staff, Brig. Godfrey Bess

noticed Venezuelan vessels in the EEZ earlier this month, just over 20 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana. He explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed of these developments.

“We would have observed that the Venezuelans navy ships have been in our EEZ from January 14 and they have been there intermittently. And we recognize that their mode of move-

Public feels Irfaan Ali Govt more caring, compassionate

Dear Editor, According to an opinion poll conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) on contemporary issues, the public finds the President Irfaan Ali-led PPP Administration has done or achieved more than the preceding APNU+AFC regime in governance in a variety of areas.

The public feels the five-month-old Irfaan Ali Administration has shown it is more caring and compassionate than the coalition Government.

The survey was conducted in mid-January. Some 470 respondents were interviewed, to represent the varied demographics of the population (40% Indians, 30% Africans, 19% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, 1% Others).

Based on the findings of the poll, the public feels the PPP Administration has made a greater effort than APNU in implementing measures to create jobs (increase employment) in the public and private sectors. The general perception among the population is that, under APNU, thousands of jobs were lost in the public as well as private sectors, as businesses shrunk.

Respondents feel that APNU almost exclusively hired its supporters, whereas, under the current Ali Administration, jobs are

open for all, regardless of political affiliation or ethnicity.

Asked which Government has done more to create jobs, PPP leads APNU+AFC 61% to 28% with 11% not offering a response or saying “not sure”.

Asked which Government has done more to help farming communities and rescue agriculture, PPP betters APNU 79% to 12% to 9%.

On which Government (has) made a greater effort to turn around the economy, PPP is ahead of APNU+AFC 57% to 38%, with 5% saying not sure.

Queried on which Government (has) attracted more investments into the country, PPP leads APNU 74% to 15% with 11% not offering a response.

Asked which Government did or has done more to crack down on corruption, 56% said PPP, with 36% saying APNU+AFC and 8% not sure.

Asked which Government has demonstrated more empathy and compassion for the public during the COVID pandemic, PPP batters APNU overwhelmingly, 82% to 11%, with 7% not giving a response.

The general perception among non-APNU+AFC supporters is that the APNU-led administration had focused on helping its own supporters, rather than

the entire population.

The public also feels that people are better off today under the PPP than they were under the coalition, 59% to 34%.

Asked how confident they are of the country’s future under the Ali-led administration, 23% said extremely, 28% very, 22% somewhat, 21% not confident, and 6% offered no response.

Asked if they approve of the performance of the Government, 68% said yes,

with 25% disapproving and 7% not offering a rating.

Respondents signal support for Presidential outreach, with ministers interacting with communities all over the country.

President Ali’s approval rating is 73%, with a disapproval rating of 22%.

Sincerely, Dr Vishnu Bisram (Pollster and political analyst)

ment in the EEZ has been approximately 60 nautical miles east of our median line and approximately 25 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana,” the Chief of Staff said.

However, Bess noted that Guyana has been engaging with friendly military countries in the region and will continue sharing information with stakeholders.

According to him, meetings were recently held with the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

“We continue to work with our regional partners, friendly military countries.

We also continue to monitor our sea space. We’re out there, also by air and we’ve also recently met with the mariners and included MARAD,” Brigadier General Bess said.

“We’ve had discussions and we’ll continue to have information sharing with our fisherfolk and all the persons using our sea space, to ensure that their economic life continues. We will continue to collaborate with our regional and international military persons who have been doing operations and exercises with us.”

On January 21, two Guyanese registered fishing vessels and a 12-man crew that were operating off the coast of Waini Point in Guyana’s EEZ were intercepted by the Venezuelan naval vessel, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, which was illegally traversing Guyana’s waters.

Advisor on Borders, Carl Greenidge

The Venezuelans boarded the vessels and the captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria where they were detained and are being kept to this day. The crew of one of the ships, the Lady Nayera, include Captain Richard Ramnarine and his crew members Ramlakan Kamal, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Michael Domingo and Joel Joseph.

The other ship, the Sea Wolf, was captained by Captain Toney Garraway, while the crew members included Errol Gardener, Orland Roberts, Christopher Shaw, Shirvin Oneil and Randy Henry. They have since been brought before a Venezuelan court and reports indicate they will be kept in custody for some 45 days pending an investigation.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

Page

Foundation

ly, that day is coming—and imagine what their life will be like in the future. Another way to assist children to integrate grief and hope is to develop new rituals. Certainly, this includes using virtual visits in place of in-person visits, but also consider going beyond just virtual substitutes. For example, perhaps the time previously scheduled for soccer team practice could be replaced with playing a family game, every week at the same time. Or you might schedule a weekly baking time during the time that your child used to play with friends. The key here is to

By: Dr Pamela Davis

W

ith the COVID-19 pandemic raging around us and hospitalisations on the rise, mandated lockdowns are again a reality. It has been a long ten months of thwarted plans, virtual schooling, and social distancing, causing many families to feel on the brink of crumbling. While children are typically incredibly resilient, they do tend to follow the lead of their caregivers. Knowing this, there are some things parents can do to foster resilience in children during challenging times.

Remind them that they can do hard things

It can be helpful to remind children that living through this pandemic is a very hard thing, but they have done hard things before. Spend some time remember-

Welcome grief along with hope

ing together other things that have happened outside of their control and how they handled those things.

This hard thing will eventually pass and not feel so hard.

Remind children that it’s a lot easier to do hard things when we have other people helping us. On our own, we cannot conquer this pandemic, but together we are stronger. This certainly isn’t the last hard thing that our children will have to face in life, but this hard thing can build strength to handle other hard things that come.

Sometimes in our desire to hold hope and stay positive for our children, we unintentionally bypass the deep grief that has been a marker of this pandemic. Instead, consider finding ways to help children acknowledge the losses and express their sadness. Some have lost family members or friends to the pandemic, and these big losses are often easily identified. But the loss of comforting rituals—such as visiting with friends and grandparents, going to school and church, playing on a sports team, or going on vacation—is easier to skip over. Instead of thinking about grief and hope as opposites, help children integrate these two ideas together. As we hold grief and hope together, we help children process their losses in a way that produces growth.

Create a storybook and develop new rituals

One way to assist children to hold grief and hope together is to create a storybook about their experiences. For example, they might draw or paint pictures about what celebrating Christmas or going to school used to be like before the pandemic and what those things are like now. Then have them pretend that the pandemic is over—because tru-

create some new rituals for your family, in addition to re-shaping old rituals virtually. Incorporating rituals can provide stability for children and remind them that they are safe.

Limit exposure to media and the news

Children absorb much of what is going on around them, even when we think they are unaware. Pay attention to what children might be overhearing as you talk on the phone or listen to the news. For children with access to tablets and smartphones, ensure that they are not able to access news reports or social media feeds that can be tinged with doom and gloom. This idea is helpful for both children and adults.

Since children tend to mirror their caregivers, they easily take on the stress and anxiety that the important adults in their lives are holding. Consider taking a few days or a weekend off from any exposure to media and the news.

Remember that COVID-19 is a trauma for children and for you

Many experts acknowledge that COVID-19 qualifies as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and so we should expect responses typical to a traumatic event. Some children might react with behavioural changes, difficulties with self-regulation, intense emotional responses, or an inability to do simple tasks or complete schoolwork. What is unique about this pandemic is that it is a shared trauma, meaning that children and their parents are experiencing it simultaneously. Shared trauma creates unique opportunities for bonding during the hard experiences, but shared trauma also carries the possibility that children will flounder if their parents are floundering. For this reason, it’s important that caregivers find healthy outlets (such as with adult family or friends or a counsellor) to process their own experiences. One of the best ways that parents can help their children during this time is to find help for their own grief and trauma.

Summary

Finally, remember that children gain much from being in the presence of a safe caregiver. Safe adults assist children to ride the wave of even the most dangerous storm and emerge stronger and more ready to face the next hard thing. As we help our children hold grief and hope together and remind them that they can do hard things, we produce opportunities for growth and we create positive opportunities to bond with our children that we never imagined.

(Excerpt from Psychologytoday.com)

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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Lost...

...in finance our Eyewitness was asked to expand on the cryptic remark he made yesterday on Winston Jordan’s criticism of Finance Minister Ashni Singh’s announcement that his Government was raising both our domestic and foreign debt ceiling. Jordan, who was in the back office of the Finance Ministry when Singh was then his Minister, is running around like Chicken Little screaming, “The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!” about the move.

All Jordan’s doing with his histrionics is confirming that he knows squat about economics or finance. He was just a numbers cruncher who filled in figures on a template when budgets were being compiled from inputs from budgetary agencies.

First of all, what exactly is this “debt ceiling”? Even Jordan should understand this: it’s a “ceiling” or limit to what the Government can actually borrow; domestically from US$.75B to US$2.5B, and externally to US$1.25B. Now, Government can borrow domestically from local banks, and do this all the time by selling T-Bills or Bonds of a specified duration at stipulated interest to the said banks. The US has been raising its debt ceilings hundreds of percentage points in the last decades! Foreign debt is accrued when the Government borrows from external multilateral or bilateral sources, like the IDB or CDB etc. The first thing to note is that, unlike what Jordan is implying with his hysterics, the Government has NOT actually borrowed the new amounts!!

Governments spend only AFTER they pass Budgets in the National Assembly - or when they’ve overspent (as the PNC just did to the tune of $75B) - by passing Supplementary Spending Bills. And when these Budgets/ Bills are passed, the Opposition and the nation are fully apprised as to what the money is going to be used for during the extensive debates. Now, the Government had already announced in its Manifesto what it intends to spend on in the next five years: bridges, highways, electricity generating plants, a new city, stabilising the old economy and facilitating diversification, deeper social nets etc.

All these things demand money, not magic wands.

And since the PPP isn’t planning to squeeze the Guyanese public dry like sucked oranges - like the PNC did – it’s saying up front that, like any entrepreneurial entity, it expects to supplement its funds by borrowing. And, like any entrepreneur worth his salt, it expects to pay off its debt from generated income!

Jordan’s panic alarm comes from his PNC experience, which has proven - in all the PNC’s incarnations - that it only knows to spend, not to earn. The PPP, on the other hand, has shown that it knows how to stimulate business activity - from which the taxes would generate the revenues to service the debts.

The PNC can’t even expand a cake shop! …in moral turpitude Some people have no shame, but Hamilton Green takes the cake. He earned his spurs as the “muscle” for Burnham’s Mafia that terrorised Guyana between 1961 and 1964 in the racial riots that put the PNC into office. Then he burnished that reputation until 1985 as Burnham transformed his private Mafia to consolidate his public dictatorship. And now, after his “spiritual moral renewal” spiel has fallen flat - through actions like justifying Granger’s Mingo rig - he’s invoking Gandhi!!

In a letter, “Five Lessons from Gandhi’s Assassination”, he said, “The world was shocked as he (Gandhi) lived his life proposing non-violence, but violence was used against him.” So, what about the irony of he, Hamilton Green, living his life proposing violence and now citing Gandhi?? Or about this diehard extremist’s “takeaway” from Gandhi’s assassination: “Beware of and be able to identify the extremists in our midst.”

Your Eyewitness wonders what lesson he learnt from the assassination of our own Walter Rodney. …in the haze As we move closer to passing the “weed bill”, your Eyewitness croons, “Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side…Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side…Give me little music mek me wine up me waist”!

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

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Indentured Indians and Gandhi

Y

esterday was the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination.

When you can refer to someone by just his last name and yet most people in the world know who you are referring to, there has to be good reason. Most know Gandhi because of his introduction of “civil disobedience” – he called it “satyagraha” or “truth force” – as a form of struggle for justice. He is also associated with the struggle for India’s independence, which was a seminal event for all the other British colonies, including the then British Guiana.

But not so well known is that Gandhi was also associated with the events that led to the abolition of indentureship, as was alluded to in an earlier article. Gandhi had been hired as a lawyer by a wealthy businessman in South Africa, part of a 5000-strong mostly Indian Muslim community that had migrated there from Bombay. This community had stayed aloof from the Ravi Dev “indentured Indians” who were recruited to work on plantations - or, in the case of South Africa, also in the mines – except to sell them “goods”.

These two sets of Indians occupied separate worlds – socially, culturally and politically – and it was only when the two intersected through personal experiences of Gandhi that their commonality of interests was briefly glimpsed.

We have recounted how Gandhi was thrown off a train at the insistence of a white Britisher shortly after his arrival in South Africa. The newly minted, London-trained lawyer insisted that, as a “British subject”, he had the right to the first-class seat he had bought. These and other actions problematised Gandhi’s assumptions about what he had been taught about the “benefits” of India being in the British Empire.

Shortly after the train humiliation, Gandhi encountered the indentured world. As he recounted it: “A Tamil man in tattered clothes, headgear in hand, two front teeth missing and mouth bleeding, stood before me, trembling and weeping.” And elsewhere the “hat in hand” anecdote is repeated – clearly as a trope for his shaken premise on “Britishness”: “…Balasundaram entered my office, headgear in hand. There was a particular pathos about the circumstance which also showed our humiliation. I have already narrated the incident when I was asked to take off my turban. A practice had been forced upon the very indentured labourer and every stranger to take off his headgear when visiting European, whether the headgear was a cap, turban or scarf wrapped round the head. A salute even with both hands was not sufficient.”

Balasundaram’s case exposed the inequities indentureds endured, even though they were supposedly protected by a contract – the “agreement” they tried to uphold from their side scrupulously. Eventually, after a great effort, Gandhi gets Balasundaram transferred to another employer, but now he understood how SA’s institutions such as the magistracy were stacked against indentureds. In 1896, on a visit to Bombay, Gandhi produced a 15,000-word tract on the problems of Indians – merchants, free and indentured in South Africa. He complained bitterly that the Bombay merchants are called “Coolie Traders” and not treated much better than the indentureds. He earned some notoriety from the Whites when he returned to SA, but, at the same time, much goodwill from the indentured Indians.

Between 1907, when Gandhi launched his first “satyagraha” campaign, and 1914, when he left South Africa, even though most of the issues were peripheral to their plight, Indentured Indians formed the bulk of the protesters. As recounted before, he provided his mentor Gokhale in the Indian Legislative Council with information on the conditions in South Africa. In 1912, the latter called for the complete abolition of indentureship. When this was finally achieved in 1917, Gandhi suggested that satyagraha had “hastened the end”.

There has been a steady stream of revisionist accounts of Gandhi’s life – including his 21-year stay in South Africa – especially as they relate to Gandhi’s relations with both indentured Indians and native Africans. But we have to remember that while Gandhi was ahead of his time on human rights in many regards, we cannot judge him totally by present standards.

He was a “Mahatma” – a great Soul – not the “Paramatma” – the Supreme Soul.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

First 3800 vaccines to arrive in Guyana by February – President …China to donate 20,000 more

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced that Guyana will be receiving 3800 COVID-19 vaccines by next month through the COVAX facility – the global procurement mechanism that was created to increase accessibility.

During a briefing to the nation, the Head of State indicated that the first batch will be administered to the frontline medical personnel, people with comorbidities and the elderly.

Through the COVAX mechanism, Guyana will receive 20 per cent of the total vaccines needed to immunise the population at zero cost.

“Last year, Guyana joined the COVAX and is now eligible for vaccines for 20 per cent of our population, which will be free of cost. We expect to receive approximately 3800 vaccines in February and March which will be assigned immediately for our frontline health workers, people with comorbidities, and our elderly,” Ali informed.

While this mechanism is in place, Guyana is also in talks with the Caribbean Community, Organisation

of Islamic Cooperation and European Union for the remaining vaccines.

China, India and Russia have also been engaged. Thus far, China has already pledged to send 20,000 vaccines once available.

Guyanese were reminded that authorities are guided by the World Health Organisation and Pan American Health Organisation in its efforts to keep the population safe. In pursuit of this goal, Government is working with multilateral and bilateral partners while directly negotiating with the primary manufacturers of vaccines.

The President added, “Discussions are ongoing and arrangements to acquire vaccines from these countries will be finalised very shortly. We’re also negotiating with the major manufacturers: Pfizer, Biotech, Moderna and AstraZeneca and hope shortly to finalise the supply of vaccines from these manufacturers. Your Government is wholly committed to obtaining vaccines in a shortest possible time, utilising every means at our disposal for our people.”

He stressed that vaccines

President Irfaan Ali with Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Minister Frank Anthony during the address to the nation on Saturday

will give Guyana a “handle” of the situation but it is not the end of the problem.

Prepared

On the aspect of preparations to roll out the vaccination programme, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said Government is prepared and a total of 35 health teams have undergone training to administer the injections as part of the vaccine deployment plan. The expansion of storage facilities will be completed very shortly, he said.

Speaking during the briefing, Dr Anthony outlined, “We are prepared and ready so once we start receiving the vaccines, we will be able to deploy them as rapidly as possible and in the safest manner…We have started to make sure that

sites in every region are prepared and expanded so that we can store more vaccines and be able to roll that out to the public. Fourteen sites now are under expansion We’re hoping to complete that by next week or the following week. We’ve also acquired freezers ranging from -70 to the regular freezers.”

These arrangements will ensure that the vaccines are at the right temperature when administered. Once the vaccine is successfully delivered to a patient, they will receive an immunisation card. These persons will be kept under observation for a few minutes to ensure that there are no “adverse reactions”.

“We’ve estimated with these 35 teams that we have that we’ll be able to do at least 7000 vaccines per day when

we start the roll-out process.

Right now, we’ve done a risk analysis to determine how people may react to vaccines.

It is called a hesitancy survey and we have the results of that. Based on that, we have developed a risk communication plan that just before we roll out vaccines, we’ll be able to roll that out,” the subject Minister highlighted, It has been divulged that Government has not made the administration of coronavirus vaccines mandatory. However, citizens are encouraged to take the vaccine so as to attain herd immunity.

Enforcement

Government on Friday extended the National COVID-19 Measures, in which the curfew will remain the same through-

out the month of February, that is from 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (4 am). For this, Prime Minister Mark Phillips urged persons to ensure that they do not flout the guidelines and adhere to the curfew.

He said they have allowed businesses to partially open in a bid to have an economic balance in the country and keep income alive. He regarded villages which have been violating the guidelines as “problematic”.

“It is our view at the Task Force that if we as a people adhere to the measures and conduct our economic activities in keeping with the protocols outlined, that will help us to contain or reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout Guyana. We have communities that are adhering to the measures and we have seen the results of low COVID-19 transmissions in the communities,” the retired Brigadier said.

The President has expressed that managing enforcement of the measures is not an easy task but it will be intensified as the days progress. (G12)

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14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

From school dropout to photographer – Salim Mohamed never gave up on his dreams

By Lakhram Bhagirat

S

uccess is the product of hard work, determination and dedication and those are the ingredients that Salim Mohamed values the most. It led him to use his struggles as a drive to fuel his lifelong passion of getting into the creative industry.

The 26-year-old hails from the village of Hague Jib on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) and has been a professional photographer for just about three years. The journey to get there has been one that was filled with bumps along the way. However,

Salim Mohamed

those bumps are what fuels the burning desire for him to be among the greats in the world.

“Life has its ups and downs, but despite the various challenges, I can definitely say that I made it through.

I can recall the most heartbreaking moment of my life growing up was when I lost my grandmother who was very dear to me. That is when I realise how life is. Here today and gone tomorrow.

There will always be challenges in life but I learnt to overcome them by staying strong and understanding that it will pass. It is just a matter of

time,” he said.

Mohamed, owing to a number of factors, was never able to formally complete his education. However, it did not stop him from pursuing trade courses such as electrical installation, IT technician, auto engineering and graphics. His drive to continuously improve his skills led him to discover his talent in photography.

“I can reminisce growing up I found interest in editing photos.

I downloaded a lot of editing apps like lightroom, snapseed, canva, etc on my phone and had my friends sending me their pictures to edit. I enjoyed editing and from there on I developed my passion for photography.

“I was also inspired by all of Saajid Husani work. I admire his work a lot and I hope that one day I will produce work as good as his.

The thing about photography that I love is that we are able to capture best moments of our lives that we do not want to forget.

I am always excited to share my clients’ special moments with them.

It has been years since I am doing photography as a full-time profession and not one day it felt like work.

“The first picture I took and edited was scenery of the Soesdyke Highway. Because of my passion for photography, I placed 100 per cent of my efforts into it. My intention was always to make it my full-time profession. I had the full support from my family and friends and I thank them for their continued support,” he said.

When he first got into photography, the first challenge was getting people to recognise his work as a photographer. At first, the jobs only came from family and friends but he knew in order for him to make it, he would have to put himself out there for the world to see.

That was how he began to market his service on social media.

“I worked tirelessly to gain that trust and thus most of my work was from family members. I used Facebook as a medium of getting my work out there and upon seeing my work that is when I started getting calls from outsiders to shoot weddings, birthdays and other special events. To build my brand was a challenge by itself because there are so many other photographers, and I used to ask my-

self why people would choose a freshman in photography over someone who has more experience. That, I overcome and trusted in myself and my work. Another challenge of recent is that due to the pandemic work is not available as it used to. Most weddings that

were already booked got cancelled along with so many other events,” Mohamed recounted.

To this day he continues to work on building his brand.

“Within the next five years, I am hoping to build my studio so that I can commence my indoor photo sessions. In addition to capturing still photos, I also aspire to go into videography as well.

With my photography experience, one of my dreams is to travel the world capturing different sceneries and work with people from different culture thus building friendly relationships. I love meeting and interacting with different people and with photography, it permits me to do so.

“My advice to young people that are hoping to chase their dreams is to always keep working despite the many challenges that will come their way and yes, there will be lots of challenges. Do not be discouraged about what other people think, feel or say about your work. Keep being you, keep working and you will get there someday.

Also never forget to put God first and trust his timings.”

To contact Mohamed you can visit his Facebook page – Salim Mohamed Photography or call him on 688-2779.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Patricia Punch shares her journey of following her passion

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

of race, colour, or religious affiliation. To further strengthen this mission’s vision on the way forward, we have incorporated a new entity called The Humanitarian Mission-

amous American comedian Wanda Sykes once said: “If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, The Humanitarian Mission-Guyana Inc if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.”

That is exactly what Patricia Punch has been doing for the past three years.

The 41-yearold mother of three has been continuously working on self-improvement and following her passion.

Hailing from Rose Hall Town in East Berbice, Punch has always had a passion for baking and Guyana Inc which is a tax-excake decorating. However, empt, non-profit, educational, she never found the avenue social, and charitable organito follow her passion up until zation. This entity is secular 2018 when she came into con- with no religious affiliation tact with the Humanitarian and would make it easier for Mission-Guyana Inc which everyone in the community to was offering baking and cake seek much-needed help and decorating classes. get funding from agencies,” The Humanitarian the organisation says on its Mission-Guyana Inc is an ed- Facebook page. ucational, social and charThrough the itable Non-Governmental Humanitarian MissionOrganisation (NGO) with Guyana Inc, Punch has been its pain purpose being to able to move from being a "Educate, Empower and student to the teacher of the Elevate". four-month baking and cake The Humanitarian decorating course – a feat she Mission of NJAS Inc was initi- thought she would never be ated in 2005 under the auspic- able to accomplish. es of New Jersey Arya Samaj She had a regular job up Mandir Inc, with the sole pur- until she got pregnant with pose of serving humanity and her third child and stopped helping the underprivileged working. However, always to break the vicious cycle of wanting to be earning and poverty through education aid in providing for her chiland empowerment in Guyana. dren led Punch to start folSince its formation, the organ- lowing her passion for food. isation has been able, through At first, she started prepardonor funding, to build a fully ing hot meals and would vend functional training centre in at the bus shed in front of the Port Mourant, Berbice.

University of Guyana’s Tain The facility is being used Campus. for imparting vocational Then in 2018, via a training and education to the WhatsApp group chat, she community to help break the came across a flier from the cycle of poverty.

Humanitarian Mission about “It has been our mission its plethora of classes being to serve everyone, regardless offered.

“I got word about the mission from a WhatsApp group and I went there and visit. I had a passion for cakes. I can bake nice cakes but I always wanting to do the icing. I have

3 kids so I was always investing in buying birthday cakes and so I wanted to learn about how I can do it myself. So I went there and I signed up to

learn. At first, I was scared lil bit but then I got more comfortable as the course went on. I am now grateful for everything I learned,” she said.

There she was taught the principles of pastry making, the different types of pastries after which she moved on to the baking aspect of the course. She learned to bake all types of cake and moved on to decorating them.

“I learned to icing cake and prepare pastries and all of these finger foods but I wasn’t satisfied at first with the skills I had.

So I went back again in 2019, I did another four months and from that, I did well. I loved it all. I loved being able to learn about all these new things and for once I felt happy to be pursuing my passion. From then, I knew that I only had to keep building myself up.”

Being impressed by her commitment and dedication

towards self-improvement led the administrators of the learning centre to ask Punch if she could expand her role from being a student to a teacher.

“They asked me if I could teach the class after then and I consider it my honour to do that and now I am teaching there. They are doing a very good job there but they need some support because it is a non-profit organisation and being that they are doing the

Cake decorating in motion

training for mostly young women, stay-at-home moms and single mothers who want to empower themselves so we would need like some support and so for whatever it is so we can help provide for the ladies.

She started teaching in January of 2020 but had to cancel classes after the coronavirus pandemic hit, but she is now back in the classroom imparting the knowledge she gained.

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FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he transgender community, in Guyana and around the world, is subjected to discrimination on a daily basis for being their authentic self.

They are marginalised and forced to either hide their true selves or brave the world.

In Guyana, the transgender community is small and close-knit but they are considered to be outcasts in society as well. Many of the members in the trans community are forced to engage in sex work mainly because of discriminatory hiring practices and the fact that many of them are deprived of the opportunities to further enhance themselves when they decide to live the way they feel.

In an effort to under-

Carl “Tyra Banks” Sinclair

stand some of the issues affecting the trans community, the Sunday Times sat down with Executive Director of the Guyana Trans United (GTU), Candace McEwan.

The local trans community is plagued by not only discrimination from the outside but also the violence within. McEwan told this publication that intimate partner violence is rampant within the community for a number of reasons but mainly because many of its members are flamboyant.

Executive Director of the Guyana Trans United, Candace McEwan

“We cannot say that it is domestic violence because they (the law enforcement officials) never consider us as the domestic, so intimate partner violence it is. It is very high in the (trans) community because of the fact that persons within the community are fearful of stigma.

Meaning that I am a transgender woman and my partner is MSM (men who have sex with me) and he might be afraid to even go in public or even be seen in public with me because sometimes if persons know he engages in those behaviour, then they might act (discriminate/beat) out on him and the only revenge is him to come and act out on me at home,” she said.

McEwan said that the reasons for intimate partner violence within the community are not only linked to discrimination from outside but also within.

Over the years, the GTU has been trying to have issues facing the community addressed and have been making some strides. The organisation works at the grassroots level so the passion to address the issues is always there. It fuels their drive and the GTU has been working closely to address

them.

The GTU has a strong support system for its members and tailors its responses to the individual needs of its members. The Organisation has a social worker that is accessible to every member whenever they need to have a listening ear.

“Our funding would have ended since July (2019 because of COVID-19) but one of the good things is that the social worker that we have is very committed. She has been with us since 2015 and because funding is not there, she still continues to do supportive work for us. She is still there to address the needs of our community.

“The fact is that we have a social worker addressing the issues (faced by our members) on a one-on-one basis, so we have persons would come and engage the social worker on some of the challenges they would encounter,” McEwan related.

Since its formation, the GTU has been dealing with reports of intimate partner violence from its members along with the struggles they face in accessing justice. It has, over the years, seen many of its members being brutalised, murdered and maimed at the hands of their lovers or even clients.

One of its very early instances of dealing with intimate partner violence is that of the story involving Romario “Thin Slice” Lovell and her relationship with Samuel Bristol. Lovell and Bristol shared a rocky relationship for a number of years and were being counselled at the GTU. However, Bristol would accuse two of Lovell’s friends – 23-year-old Jason “Jada” John and 24-year-old Carl “Tyra Banks” Sinclair – of encouraging her to engage in sex work. On July 20, 2014, he murdered Jada and Tyra at Leopold Street and Lombard Street in the city.

The process of dealing with intimate partner violence is one that GTU is addressing to suit its members' specific needs. Many times, reports would be received through the office of the social worker.

The social worker would often counsel the victims since most of them are not ready to report it to the authorities at them.

“There is a higher level of discrimination from the community outside of the trans community in terms of now to have redress matter.

So, the social worker would have to counsel that person from time to time, have their confidence built up and then have them to be able to share it outside. Even when they are ready to share it outside, when they go to speak at some Police stations for redress, they reach with Police officers stigmatising them. It is not neces-

Jason “Jada” John

sarily the officers taking the report but like the Special Constables in the station’s compound and so.

“Sometimes they would just turn away and not make the report, especially if they are not accompanied by the social worker and when they have those cases the social worker may speak with the officer in charge.

We did some training last year with the Police officers

and SASOD but the fact that they (Police Force) always have a turnover, it should be an ongoing process and because of donor funding, when you don’t have donor funding then it’s a bit challenging to get your work out there,” McEwan said.

COVID-19 has impacted the work of the GTU, significantly, because of the fact that its funding has been cut off.

“I am so grateful for the staff and the fact that GTU is a grassroots organisation and we have a lot of community members involved and the fact that it is community-driven, the passion is always there for the community,” she said.

For now, the GTU is continuing to use its volunteer pool to help the community and further educate about the issues faced and propose solutions to have them addressed.

18 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Domestic violence against women

D

omestic violence — also called intimate partner violence — occurs between people in an intimate relationship.

Domestic violence can take many forms, including emotional, sexual and physical abuse and threats of abuse.

Domestic violence can happen in heterosexual or samesex relationships.

Abusive relationships always involve an imbalance of power and control. An abuser uses intimidating, hurtful words and behaviors to control his or her partner.

It might not be easy to identify domestic violence at first. While some relationships are clearly abusive from the outset, abuse often starts subtly and gets worse over time. You might be experiencing domestic violence if you're in a relationship with someone who: • Calls you names, insults you or puts you down • Prevents or discourages you from going to work or school or seeing family members or friends • Tries to control how you spend money, where you go, what medicines you take or what you wear

Recognise patterns, seek help

FLASKBACK: Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud (fourth from right) along with stakeholders including, from left to right, Hilton Wong, Senior Business Manager, GTT; Diego Alphonso, Senior Gender Affairs Officer at the Ministry; Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken. Head of Business Sales for Digicel Guyana, Nalini Vieira; and Irfan Akhtar, Deputy Representative, UNICEF, are pictured first and third from right

• Acts jealous or possessive or constantly accuses you of being unfaithful • Gets angry when drinking alcohol or using drugs • Tries to control whether you can see a health care provider • Threatens you with

violence or a weapon • Hits, kicks, shoves, slaps, chokes or otherwise hurts you, your children or your pets • Forces you to have sex or engage in sexual acts against your will • Blames you for his or her violent behavior or

tells you that you deserve it • Threatens to tell friends, family, colleagues or community members your sexual orientation or gender identity If you're lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you might also be experiencing domestic violence if you're in a relationship with someone who: • Tells you that authorities won't help a lesbian, bisexual or transgender person • Tells you that leaving the relationship means you're admitting that lesbian, bisexual or transgender relationships are deviant • Says women can't be violent • Justifies abuse by telling you that you're not "really" lesbian, bisexual or transgender Don't take the blame You may not be ready to seek help because you believe you're at least partially to blame for the abuse in the relationship. Reasons may include: partner • Your blames you for the violence in your relationship.

Abusive partners rarely take responsibility for their actions.

• Your partner only exhibits abusive behavior with you. Abusers are often concerned with outward appearances, and may appear charming and stable to those outside of your relationship. This may cause you to believe that his or her actions can only be explained by something you've done.

• Therapists and doctors who see you alone or with your partner haven't detected a problem. If you haven't told your doctor or other health care providers about the abuse, they may only take note of unhealthy patterns in your thinking or behavior, which can lead to a misdiagnosis. For example, survivors of intimate partner violence may develop symptoms that resemble personality disorders. Exposure to intimate

partner violence also increases your risk of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If health care providers focus on your symptoms, this may worsen your fear that you are responsible for the abuse in your relationship.

• You have acted out verbally or physically against your abuser, yelling, pushing, or hitting him or her during conflicts. You may worry that you are abusive, but it's much more likely that you acted in self-defense or intense emotional distress. Your abuser may use such incidents to manipulate you, describing them as proof that you are the abusive partner.

If you're having trouble identifying what's happening, take a step back and look at larger patterns in your relationship. Then, review the signs of domestic violence. In an abusive relationship, the person who routinely uses these behaviors is the abuser. The person on the receiving end is being abused.

Pregnancy, children and abuse

Sometimes domestic violence begins — or increases — during pregnancy, putting your health and the baby's health at risk. The danger continues after the baby is born.

Even if your child is not abused, simply witnessing domestic violence can be harmful. Children who grow up in abusive homes are more likely to be abused and have behavioral problems than are other children. As adults, they're more likely to become abusers or think abuse is a normal part of relationships.

You might worry that telling the truth will further endanger you, your child or other family members — and that it might break up your family — but seeking help is the best way to protect your children and yourself.

Break the cycle

If you're in an abusive situation, you might recognize this pattern: • Your abuser threatens violence.

• Your abuser strikes.

• Your abuser apologizes, promises to change and offers gifts.

• The cycle repeats itself.

Typically, the violence becomes more frequent and severe over time.

The longer you stay in an abusive relationship, the greater the physical and emotional toll. You might become depressed and anxious, or begin to doubt your ability to take care of yourself. You might feel helpless or paralyzed.

Create a safety plan

Leaving an abuser can be

dangerous. Consider taking these precautions: • Call a women's shelter or domestic violence hotline for advice. Make the call at a safe time — when the abuser isn't around — or from a friend's house or other safe location.

• Pack an emergency bag that includes items you'll need when you leave, such as extra clothes and keys. Leave the bag in a safe place. Keep important personal papers, money and prescription medications handy so that you can take them with you on short notice.

• Know exactly where you'll go and how you'll get there.

Protect your communication and location

An abuser can use technology to monitor your telephone and online communication and to track your location. If you're concerned for your safety, seek help. To maintain your privacy: • Use phones cautiously. Your abuser might intercept calls and listen to your conversations. He or she might use caller ID, check your cellphone or search your phone billing records to see your call and texting history.

• Use your home computer cautiously. Your abuser might use spyware to monitor your emails and the websites you visit. Consider using a computer at work, the library or at a friend's house to seek help.

• Remove GPS devices from your vehicle. Your abuser might use a GPS device to pinpoint your location.

• Frequently change your email password. Choose passwords that would be impossible for your abuser to guess.

• Clear your viewing history. Follow your browser's instructions to clear any record of websites or graphics you've viewed.

Seek help

In Guyana there are a number of organisations that provides help for domestic violence victims. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security recently launched the 914toll-free hotline for persons experiencing domestic abuse.

When a call is placed between the hours of 08:00hrs and 16:30hrs, it would be routed to a trained customer service operator, who, in turn, will connect the call to a Social Worker. Calls made after working hours and during weekends will be routed to the mobile handsets of Social Workers where all calls will be addressed with confidentiality. The Social Workers will provide necessary consultations and refer children and parents to local service providers and other relevant agencies. (Excerpts from Mayo Clinic)

HEALTH TIPS

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FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology/ Diabetes

T

here are over 102 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, and with numbers growing rapidly, it is important to focus on prevention strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, especially in countries with a high prevalence of HIV, like Guyana. There is great concern about the impact of COVID-19 among the near-

ly 40 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) worldwide. While several researches conclude that there is no higher prevalence of COVID-19 among PLHIV, having HIV does not confer protection against severe manifestations of COVID-19.

Additionally, several studies looked at antiretroviral drugs used against HIV to treat SARSCoV-2, and these have shown no major mortality benefit. The clinical course of COVID-19 among PLHIV does not seem to be different from what it is in the general population. However, there are areas of concern, included among them being high inflammatory states from both conditions, which could result in complications. The global focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, including the race for a viable and effective vaccine and research into treatment options, has the potential to synergistically drive progress for research in HIV infection.

HIV care delivery has been adversely impacted in Guyana, affecting our

UNAIDS target, during this pandemic; but has created an opportunity for accelerating effective strategies, like multi-month antiretroviral treatment.

Decentralising HIV care in low-resource settings and incorporating telemedicine in high-resource settings can be critical in mitigating the ripple effects to healthcare systems in the future.

FACTS

* People with HIV appear to have a slightly increased risk of dying from COVID-19 if they have detectable viral loads and low CD4 counts. * People with HIV and underlying health conditions, such as obesity, poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, can be at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. * People with CD4 cell counts below 50, or with an underlying opportunistic illness in the last six months, may need to take extra precautions to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

PEOPLE WITH HIV AND THE RISK OF COVID-19

While everyone is at risk of contracting COVID-19, the consequences of infection are more severe, and can even result in death, for some vulnerable groups.

This includes PLHIV who are: * Aged over 60 years old * Living with a detectable viral load, or are not on HIV treatment * Diabetic * Smokers * Living with a comorbidity such as heart or lung issues.

Since the disease is new, and no long-term study has been done to assess lasting impact and consequences of COVID-19, PLHIV need to be extra careful and adhere to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH’s) guidelines on COVID-19.

TIPS FOR PLHIV

* People with a CD4 count over 200, who are taking HIV treatment and have an undetectable viral load, are considered at no greater risk than the general population. They should follow

general advice: to stay at home and maintain social distancing. * People with a CD4 count below 200, or who are not taking HIV treatment, or who have a detectable viral load, may be at higher risk of severe illness.

Nonetheless, they should still follow the same general advice. * People with a very low CD4 count - below 50, or who have had an opportunistic illness in the last six months, are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, and need to practise all of the Ministry of Health’s advice.

PREVENTION TIPS

* As much as possible, stay at least one metre away from people outdoors, and maintain an even greater distance indoors. * Wear a face mask when around others. * Avoid places that are crowded, confined, or involve close contact with others, especially indoors. * Wash hands frequently and properly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

* Avoid touching the face. * Avoid people who are feeling unwell. * Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly. * Cover the nose and mouth with a clean tissue when sneezing or coughing, or sneeze into an elbow. Throw away the tissue sneezed into and wash hands. * Try to stock-up on antiretroviral treatment, or any other medication that needs to be taken for at least 30 to 90 days. * Make sure all vaccinations are up-to-date (such as flu and pneumonia vaccines). * Try to get in touch with the health-care facility and peer supporters. * Have a plan regarding staying at home for long periods, including how to get food and medicine. * Eat well, and exercise as best as possible (even at home). * Have mental health checks, and seek social support if needed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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COVID-19 and treatment of adults

Dr. Moti Ramgopal, the Guyanese doctor who led the clinical trial on to

COVID-19 treatment given US President Donald Trump

S

ince March this year, I have treated hundreds of cases of patients infected with COVID-19, but three cases in particular have aroused my curiosity about the genetic relationship of COVID-19. Do genes play a role in how severe symptoms will be?

Take the case of JT, age 61, I saw over a month ago with a history of COPD, hypertension and diabetes, who developed fatigue, body aches, cough, shortness of breath, and a temperature of 101.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

His COVID test was positive.

His oxygen saturation

was 94percent on 3.5 L. Indicators of severe disease are marked tachypnea (respiratory rate, ≥30 breaths per minute), hypoxemia (oxygen saturation, ≤93percent; ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen, 50percent of the lung field involved within 24 to 48 hours).

Once admitted, he started treatment with decadron, remdesivir, convalescent plasma, vitamin C, zinc and anticoagulants. With a history of diabetes and obesity, iron deteriorated, and he was enrolled into clinical trials and received several investigational drugs as well as Actemra, an immunomodulator.

30 days later, he is currently hospitalized with a tracheostomy tube and a feeding tube.

His brother PT,with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity as well as bladder cancer, was admitted two days prior to his brother’s admission with cough and a positive COVID-19 test.

PT was hospitalized for four days and discharged on oxygen after he clinical-

ly improved. PT was readmitted five days later with worsening shortness of breath and he was started on Remdesivir, Decadron, heparin and plasma. PT’s condition improved over the next three days, but then went into cardiac arrest with ventricular arrhythmia and died.

Their 82-year-old mother was infected with COVID as well, but was asymptomatic until she presented three weeks later for thromboembolic event, or a blood clot, involving her right leg. She developed ischemia, an inadequate blood supply, requiring amputation. The family decided on hospice care.

Genetic composition

These three cases question the genetic component of COVID-19. A UK group studying more than 2,200 COVID-19 patients has pinned down common gene variants that are linked to the most severe cases of the disease.

In June, one such genome wide association study in “The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)” found

two “hits” linked to respiratory failure in 1,600 Italian and Spanish COVID-19 patients: a marker within the ABO gene, which determines a person’s blood type, and a stretch of chromosome three that holds a half-dozen genes.

A gene called IFNAR2 codes for a cell receptor for interferon. A variant of this gene raises the risk of severe COVID 19 by 30 per cent. There are genes which code proteins, that can activate an enzyme that breaks down viral RNA changes in this gene, and this activation allows the virus to flourish.

Also, genes can code for proteins to ramp-up the inflammatory response to lung damage triggered by COVID-19. Genes DPP9 and TYK2 are involved in inflammation and blocking these enzymes may be beneficial.

CCR2 is a gene that encodes a receptor for cytokine proteins that play a role in inflammation. But other data points to SLC6Z20, which codes for a protein that interacts with the main cell receptor used by COVID-19 to enter cells.

The importance of recognizing the genetic impact may influence treatment strategies.

It still unknown why African-American or Hispanic patients had such a higher risk of infection, but this can be related back to pre-existing conditions.

However, I would not be surprised if there is a genetic relationship that can be found.

Blood type A is associated with higher risk of respiratory failure. COVID-19 is primarily spread from person to person through respiratory particles, probably of varying sizes, which are released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Because both smaller particles (aerosols) and larger particles (droplets) are concentrated within a few meters, the likelihood of transmission decreases with physical distancing and increased ventilation.

Aerosols can be generated under circumstances, such as talking, singing, or shouting indoors in poorly ventilated environments.

In these situations, transmission over longer distanc-

es may occur. Respiratory transmission is probably the main mode of transmission, hence masking and physical distancing markedly decrease the chance of transmission. Under laboratory conditions, COVID-19 may persist on cardboard, plastic and stainless steel for days.

Patients can be infectious one to three days before symptom onset, and up to 40-to-50 percent of cases may be attributable to transmission from asymptomatic or presymptomatic people.

Just before and soon after symptom onset, patients have high nasopharyngeal viral levels, which then fall over a period of one to two weeks.

A patient maybe positive for weeks to months, but viable virus and contact-tracing assessments suggest that the duration of infectivity is much shorter and isolation can be lifted in most patients 10 days after symptom onset if fever has been absent for at least 24 hours and other symptoms have decreased.

CONTINUED IN MONDAY’S EDITION

FEATURE

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VACCINATION SCHEDULES FOR DOGS AND CATS

- CONTINUED -

L

ast week, within the context of presenting the protocols/ schedules associated with the delivery of vaccinations to dogs and cats, documentation was made about the compulsory prerequisites which accompany the actual, physical injection of the respective vaccines.

Today (below) we are presenting the proposed schedules which, over the years, have proven to be the most efficient way of inoculating our canine and feline wards.

Please understand that when we write about “Polyvalent Vaccine”, we mean that the injection given to the animal offers protection against the diseases listed on the vials containing the vaccine.

You will notice that your veterinarian will pull up from one vial a liquid and inject the same into a second vial containing a solid.

Having combined and the shaken the contents in the second vial, the vet will pull up the mixture which is then

The vaccination schedules proposed above rely greatly on advice documented by the American Veterinary Medical Association and are consistent with tested and proven global practices. ready to be injected subcutaneously (under the skin) into the animal. The animal’s immunity against the stated diseases will begin to kick-in within one week of it being vaccinated.

Also, if the animal has already contracted the disease, but is not exhibiting the specific disease symptoms described in previous Pet Care columns, the expected immunity from the vaccine will not occur, and the vaccination may even precipitate the onset and severity of the disease.

HEALTH TIPS

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PERSONS...

FROM PAGE 19

HIV AND COVID-19 VACCINE

The COVID-19 vaccines already approved for use or under development are considered safe for people living with HIV. Generally, to be approved, vaccines must pass multiple safety trials, and be reviewed by national regulators to ensure they are both safe and effective.

Several of the COVID-19 vaccine trials included people living with HIV. As with the general population, for people living with HIV, the vaccines help the body to develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19; this allows persons to fight off the virus if exposed. Even after being vaccinated, it is important to continue to take steps to prevent COVID-19 transmission, until cases of the virus have fallen to a safe level in Guyana.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, a high percentage of people living with HIV were engaged in the informal economy. They faced high levels of discrimination in employment, and

had high rates of unemployment - which was significantly impacted by lockdown measures. Women are overrepresented among the informal economy workers in the hardest hit sectors.

The rate of relative poverty is expected to increase by approximately 34 percentage points globally for workers in the informal economy. With further increases in income inequality among workers, an even greater proportion of informal economy workers would be left behind.

As lockdowns end, and recovery plans are put in place, it is important to ensure that people living with HIV, and key populations, do not face stigma and discrimination in resuming their jobs or reintegrating into the labour market. Given the high unemployment rates of people living with HIV, targeted income-generation programmes as part of their COVID-19 response and recovery plans are encouraged.

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1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 36 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 49 50 51 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 77 80 81 82 86

ACROSS

Golden-haired Explorer -- Polo Moves swiftly Salts away Designer Nina -The Ewoks’ moon -- -- in the bucket In the dark D’Artagnan’s friend Mr. Amundsen One of a strand Dry-heat bath Ernesto Guevara Quicklime Pounces Turban wearer Cold mo.

Patio Major artery Rozelle of football Furniture buy Suffix for forfeit Ruffle Narrow pillow -- theft auto -- -duddy Daughters’ brothers Grouchy Ride the rapids Ceremonies Whey opposite Imposing estate Call -- -- day Toxic gas Mme.’s daughter Attack of the flu Flee hastily On the wrong track Dandy “Star Trek” speed Carpe --!

Reasons Rackets New Haven campus Thick with cattails Motel offering Noted music festival “Ben- --” Behind bars -- the weather?

Othello’s betrayer Radiator’s must (2 wds.)

Be a party to

87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 106 107 108 111 112 113 117 118 119 120 121 122 124 126 128 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137

Mountain pool NCAA Bruins Narrow passage Hwys.

Woman, but not she Footnote abbr. (2 wds.)

Prizefight events Mess up Posse’s quarry Command to Fido Paddock papas Therefore Laundry-room item Word plays Sorrow, to poets Violin holders Without doubt Part of BLT California’s Big -Fawn’s father In a frenzy Luxury furs Horse-drawn cabs NASA counterpart Red-waxed cheese -- Hawkins Day Brick oven Compost Less courteous Full of pep Sidled past Infuse Dainty pastries Port for Pompey Cotton thread Boom-box issue Driving hazard Tree homes Crackles Community type

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Moss leaf Agile Yellow pigment Sgt. Deep-six -- Haggard of music Strong as -- -Vitamin amt.

Lab suspensions Neat Frank or Moon Unit Lyric poems

DOWN

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- AESTHETIC (AESTHETIC: ess-THET-ik: Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste.)

Average mark 48 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 63 or more words in AESTHETIC? TODAY'S WORD -- AESTHETIC

ache achiest aitch atheist attic each ease east estate esthetic etch ethic sachet sate scat scathe

seat sect seiche sheet site stat state static stet stitch tacit tact taste teach tease teat

tech teeth test that thee theist these theta this tithe haste hate heat heist hesitate itch

case cash cast caste cease cesta chaise chase chaste chat cheat chest chia chit cite

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4.

Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 31 33 35 38 39 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 56 57

58 60 61 62 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 85 87 88 89 91 92 93 96

Zoologists’ mouths Bites Divides Hindu -- range Actress -- Hartman Dodge Coniferous trees Mound Queen beater E. Coast ocean Hot dog go-with Anagram for “turn” Bard’s forest Ducks’ haunt Confound it!

Fold-up mattress Tiresome talker Q.E.D. part Fairy tale brother Math figure Pull -- -- one Bona - (credentials) Kirk’s helmsman Gainsay Bleated Tasty Did a fall chore Like Mozart’s music Heart Carried on about Repair Show reluctance Where Lhasa is Resume cousins Baylor site Run for the roses Soft plumage Exercise system Viking letters Tattered Like redwoods Luminous auras Imitation chocolate Kareem -- -Jabbar Medieval tale Herr’s abode Aviator Big pitchers Huge Amateurs Brunette’s opposite Arapaho foes Slugger Hank -Table salt’s formula ___ meeny ...

Metric pounds Shortage

97 98 99 101 102 103 105 106 107 108 109 110 112

Rusted-out ship Fogbound (2 wds.)

Maize units Vow Webster and Boone Like a fox Hippolyta, for one Auction action Mineo of old films Lahr and Parks Ordinary Skilled force Chichen Itza founders

113 114 115 116 118 119 120 123 125 127 129

Lays low Circle the Earth Black eye, slangily Fiery horse Formerly, formerly Kind of curl Brown seaweed Cousteau’s summer Qt. parts Cookie-selling org.

Kiwi’s extinct cousin SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 33

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MovieTowne launches its “City of Love”

T

o kickstart the celebration for Valentine’s Day, MovieTowne at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, has launched its “City of Love”. The mall’s entire fiesta plaza has been decorated to mirror a scene of Paris, France. Standing tall in the centre of the plaza is a 23 feet replica of the Eiffel Tower, which is surrounded by little love-related activity booths where persons can purchase sentimental gifts for their loved ones.

Speaking with this newspaper, the mall’s General Manager, Rochelle Parasram, highlighted that since travels have been restricted due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the idea was designed with the aim of giving patrons a “real” feel of Paris.

“Love is in the air at MovieTowne. So, we decided to more or less play on the idea that persons are not allowed to travel right now, so we decided to bring the City of Love - Paris, to the Guyanese people,” Parasram

MovieTowne’s General Manager, Rochelle Parasram

explained.

Rochelle further added that in efforts to make the experience even more surreal, they decided to add activities around the Eiffel Tower.

“We have activities that will be happening from the 1st to the 14th of February.

To really give people that whole feel. We wanted to

create that city by allowing persons to come in and have things that you’d want to have in Paris,” she added.

The tower is surrounded by many activities for couples and families to indulge in such as portrait painting, hand casting and temporary tattoos.

In order to complete the experience, Neshas Flowerland has fresh flowers on sale while the Wine Cellar has wine and cheese deals.

She clarified that all activities will be carried out in adherence to the COVID 19 protocols.

“When you come in, all protocols are in play, you have to ensure you sanitise and wear your mask when you come in… Even though we have these beautiful events we always make sure it’s done in one of the safest ways possible,” she posited.

Rochelle also noted that the City of Love is not the only way that MovieTowne will be celebrating Valentine’s; the mall

Movietowne’s City of Love

has also launched its “Cute Couple competition”.

She explained that shoppers can make purchases of $6000 or more from any of the stores in the mall to gain a coupon to participate

in the competition. She added that participants can win prizes ranging from a staycation at the Arrowpoint Nature Resort to shopping vouchers from the Massy Mega Supermarket.

Since its opening in March 2019, the mall has continuously transformed its fiesta plaza to suit varying celebrations. For Christmas 2020, the plaza housed and lit a 25ft Christmas tree.

29 Region 4 woman is Guyana’s 176th COVID-19 death NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…53 new cases recorded

T

he Health Ministry on Saturday reported another death from the novel coronavirus in Guyana, which raised the total deaths to 176.

The latest fatality is a 53-year-old female from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), who died while receiving care at a medical facility on Friday.

Prior to this, the last death was reported on Wednesday after a 65-yearold male from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) succumbed while receiving treatment.

New cases

As of Saturday, there were 53 new novel coronavirus cases from a total of 270 test samples.

According to the Ministry’s dashboard, the total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 7581 – 3920 males and 3661 females. The data showed

that 6570 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus – 29 of which were reported on Saturday.

There are 835 active cases: five in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 774 in home isolation and 56 in institutional isolation.

Some 19 persons are also in institutional quarantine.

A breakdown of the new cases showed: two were detected seven in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); four in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara);36 cases in Region Four; one on Region Five; one in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); six in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and three in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The figures for Regions One (Barima-Waini), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) – remains at 1004, 233 and 409 respectively.

Government has tightened security at the border regions after COVID-19 variants were detected in Brazil. For this, it announced on Friday that all flights to and from the country are prohibited.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony indicated during the coronavirus update that officials are seek-

ing to acquire more information about the virus before reopening. In the past weeks, the P.1 and P.2 variants were detected in Brazil, causing Guyana to cease all border travel.

The public has been informed that there is limited trade between the two countries on Thursdays but throughout the week, bor-

der patrols are closely monitoring for persons illegally entering Guyana. The Minister contended that other countries have already restricted flights to and from Brazil, fearing transmission of the new variants.

This week, inmates and prison officers across the penitentiaries were placed

into isolation after testing positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). A few days ago, there were over 30 positives at the Timehri Prison. Four prison officers and one inmate at the New Amsterdam Prison were also positive. At Lusignan, there are also a few cases.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need 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 Persons with comorbidities have been asked to continue taking their respective medications or treatment to control their condition. The preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to since this category of persons is at a greater risk if they contract COVID-19.

(G12)

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Diplomacy is Guyana’s 1st line of defence – Greenidge …importance of “defence diplomacy” cited by Chief of Staff

By Jarryl Bryan

D

iplomacy remains an integral weapon in Guyana’s arsenal and in light of the recent acts of aggression by Venezuela against Guyana, the importance of diplomacy has taken front and centre in the national effort.

Guyana’s internation-

al relation efforts have brought the verbal support of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and members of the international community including the ABC countries (the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada).

On Saturday, President

The OAS has already condemned Venezuela’s actions

Dr Irfaan Ali delivered a presidential address, followed by him and a panel of top officials fielding questions from the public and media. The entire panel emphasised the importance of diplomacy being pursued to resolve the matter and to avoid an armed conflict. According to Advisor on Borders Carl Greenidge, diplomacy constitutes

Justice (ICJ) and “defence diplomacy.”

“We continue to cooperate and work with our friendly militaries in the Caribbean and further afield, which include our neighbours Brazil and Suriname. Our soldiers are strategically positioned to ensure Guyana’s patrimony is upheld… while our military might be small,

Caricom has also stood firmly with Guyana

Guyana’s first response.

“In international relations, the first response of allies and members of the international community who may not be allies is to use diplomatic means.

The first reaction isn’t to meet breaches of international law with force. They use various devices at their means as recalcitrance persists.”

“So don’t expect tomorrow that the international community is going to send troops and boats overnight, to fix this problem. They’ll bring pressure to bear on Venezuela and escalate that, until such a time as they deem any other action necessary.”

Meanwhile, President Ali noted that their diplomatic efforts are bearing fruit with the condemnation that has flowed against the Nicolás Maduro regime.

“We have strong condemnation from international organisations and bilateral partners, from Caricom (Caribbean Community) itself (against Venezuela).

That is the first phase, to have this international condemnation. And there is international support for Guyana.”

“As I said, we pursue the resolution of this conflict. We are committed to the International Court of Justice, to peaceful resolution and also to diplomacy. And through diplomacy, we have seen overwhelming support for Guyana’s case and cause,” the President said.

Defending Guyana’s territory

Meanwhile, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff Brigadier General Godfrey Bess noted that while the GDF is committed to defending Guyana’s territory, the clear intent is for a peaceful resolution to the matter through the International Court of

I’m leading men and women with big hearts to defend this country,” he said.

On January 21, two Guyanese-registered fishing vessels and a 12-man crew that were operating off the coast of Waini Point in Guyana’s EEZ were intercepted by the Venezuelan naval vessel, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, which was illegally traversing Guyana’s waters.

The Venezuelans boarded the vessels and the captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria where they were detained and are being kept to this day. The men have since been brought before a Venezuelan court and reports indicate they will be kept in custody for some 45 days pending an investigation.

Since then, however, a number of countries have condemned Venezuela’s actions and urged the Spanishspeaking country to release the fishermen. Last week, the OAS Permanent Council met to discuss, among other things, the tensions between Guyana and Venezuela.

During the Permanent Council’s virtual meeting, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the OAS Riyad Insanally informed the Council about the recent actions of Venezuela and a number of countries on the Council took a firm stance against Venezuela, including the US, Canada, Trinidad, Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda and Belize.

The Permanent Council is one of the two main political bodies of the OAS, the other being the General Assembly. The Permanent Council keeps vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and, for that purpose, effectively assists them in the peaceful settlement of their disputes. (G3)

NEWS

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ExxonMobil’s flaring undercuts Guyana’s low-carbon interests – WWF

T

he World Wildlife Fund-Guianas (WWF) on Saturday said that the resumption of flaring

by United States oil giant, ExxonMobil, is undercutting Guyana’s “green image,” making it more difficult for the country to promote and build a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

In a statement, WWFGuianas noted with deep and growing concern that Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL) has restarted flaring of gas on its first oil and gas platform in the Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana. Notably, it is reported that the company did not inform the Government of Guyana prior to this devel-

opment.

Recommencement of flaring, WWF said, defies ExxonMobil’s global commitment to reduce flaring from 2016 levels by 20 per cent in 2020. “It certainly does not support the company’s global statements about reducing its greenhouse gas footprint.

The burden of responsibility falls squarely on ExxonMobil.

We look forward to the company being held accountable for this development,” Director of WWF-Guianas David Singh said.

He noted that future development of its oil expansion programme must be reviewed against this recent develop-

Exxon has wiggle room to flare gas during its start-up, in reality, that wiggle room is no more than 60 days.

He explained that after those 60 days, Exxon can face fines from the EPA for

Liza Destiny flaring gas offshore Guyana (Annette Arjoon photo)

ment and the way it was disclosed.

On Friday, ExxonMobil said that it had to increase its flaring of gas due to more technical issues on the gas compressor of the Liza Destiny vessel.

In a statement, the oil major said it is experiencing a technical issue with a seal on Liza Destiny’s gas compressor.

“This unfortunate incident resulted in us having to temporarily increase our flare above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations,” the missive stated.

According to President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, efforts are underway to fix this issue as soon as possible.

“We are disappointed that this unexpected issue has occurred and we’re working diligently with the vessel’s owner and the equipment vendor to understand and fix the issue as quickly as possible,” Routledge posited in the brief statement.

Exxon further noted that the relevant Government authorities have been informed and that they are providing regular updates on the matter. Only less than a year ago, the oil giant came under heavy fire for its flaring activities, which have negative ef-

fects on the environment and has had environmentalists up in arms over the harmful exercise. Back in December, on the oil company’s first anniversary since commencing production in 2019, Routledge had expressed disappointment at the equipment issues they experienced and assured that routine flaring would not be used.

Nevertheless, the PPP/C Government has made its position pellucid on routine flaring and in the Payara Development Licence, prohibited the activity unless approval was granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Flaring to maintain oil production will not be permitted. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) will pay the Government for the cost of gas wasted during flaring and will also be subject to fines under the EPA related to emissions from flaring,” the Natural Resources Ministry had stated back in October. EEPGL is Exxon’s local affiliate, which along with other partners are operating in the Stabroek Block.

Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had subsequently pointed out that while some have contended that

Drugs, abandoned motorcycles found during Police raids …21 arrested

P

olice arrested 21 persons during separate raids in Georgetown which unearthed drugs and abandoned motorcycles.

On Saturday between 04:30h and 09:30h, Police raided several homes in Hadfield Street, Lamaha Springs, Sophia, Cummings Lodge, Atlantic Ville, Kitty, Alberttown, Bourda, Leopold Street, Albouystown, Cemetery Road and D’Urban Street, Georgetown, where a number of items were found.

A total of 16 males and two females were also arrested and placed into custody for various offences including trafficking in narcotics; robbery under arms, receiving stolen property and unlawful possession of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) uniforms and a quantity of pharmaceuticals.

Three XR motorcycles, two bicycles, one keyboard and eight cell phones were seized and lodged as investigations continue. Meanwhile on Friday at about 03:30h,

Some of the items found during the raids

ranks of Regional Police Division 4 A (Georgetown) also conducted a raid exercise on several homes during which they unearthed two abandoned motorcycles and 37 grams of marijuana.

During the raid, three suspects were also arrested pending investigations for the offence of robbery under arms.

These persons were

identified as a 34-yearold self-employed male of Tucville Squatting Area, Georgetown; a 28-yearold labourer of Non-Pariel, East Coast Demerara, and a 48-year-old labourer of Melanie Damishana, ECD. The items found during the raid were lodged and the suspects are in custody assisting with the investigation. (G9)

flaring that does not fall under special circumstances. According to Jagdeo, this is a vast improvement from the Lisa Production Licence that the former APNU/AFC Government issued to Exxon,

where routine flaring was not prohibited.

Jagdeo had noted that if Exxon flares gas and is at fault for doing so, they, therefore, will have to pay a fine to Guyana for the burnt gas.

32 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

AG formally asked to probe EBD overpasses

P

ublic Works Minister Juan Edghill has formally written Auditor General Deodat Sharma to commence a forensic audit of the five pedestrian overpasses on the East Bank Demerara corridor.

In a correspondence seen by this publication, the Auditor General was provided with documents showing the various equipment and inspections that were reportedly carried out on the overhead pedestrian crossings. This probe specifically focuses on the elevator units were never operationalised.

Under the road improvement programme along the EBD, the overpasses were built at Diamond; Providence; Peters Hall, Eccles and Houston. The elevators for

the overpasses were manufactured by Swedish company Cibes Lift Group AB and supplied by RBP Lift Limited of Trinidad and Tobago.

In addition, the then Ministry had procured and installed five complete solar photovoltaic systems at the overpasses. These facilities would be maintained and managed by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation after the infrastructure was handed over to former General Manager, Rawlston Adams.

The letter indicates, “In April 2018, the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation signed an agreement with the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure to manage, maintain and clean the overpass and immediate sur-

roundings daily on the premise that revenue would be recovered to offer these costs from advertising.”

The DHBC did not operate any of the elevators as per the agreement during October 2018 to August 2019, and they remained closed and unused.

There were several instances of vandalism involving the damaging of cables, broken glasses, theft of lights and others.

Since the elevators were installed, various technical issues developed. The doors are not opening or closing, elevators are malfunctioning while people are inside and the emergency errors are appearing during operation. The company which installed the elevators and was responsible for quarterly maintenance

Elevators on the overpasses are not functional

was summoned on numerous occasions in relation to these issues.

In light of these and other issues, the Minister said in the letter, “In light of the foregoing, therefore, I would appreciate if you would arrange for a forensic audit to be carried out since, from all appearances, the Government of Guyana did not get value for money in relation to the installation and operation for

the five elevators which was part of the project and still have not been completed for well over two years now.”

Minister Edghill had visited the overpasses earlier this month, where he expressed disappointment in the state of affairs after hearing of the issues. He was displeased that persons with disabilities and senior citizens have not benefitted from the lift system which was intended to safely

assist them to cross the EBD public road.

“All that we have here is a scandal. Monies spent and there is no benefit for the people because you have 10 elevators became non-functional and people still struggling to get up and down these stairs,” he was quoted as saying.

The Minister further chided his predecessor, former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, and the former APNU/AFC Administration, for wasting taxpayers’ money on a project that is yet to be fully realised.

“We have had situations where people got stuck in these elevators. The doors are not functioning properly and they are not available…

Significant sums have been spent on these five overpasses and these elevators. This is a project that was [done in] 2018. We are now in 2021, maybe the warranty period is already dead and we do not have the benefit.” (G12)

NEWS

33

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19

Former Finance Minister’s argument on the increase of the debt ceiling comical and disingenuous

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(Part 1)

enior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, recently proposed in the National Assembly – to raise the current public debt ceiling, which was adjusted in the early 1990s. In this regard, the Hon. Minister proposed to raise the domestic debt ceiling from $150 billion to $500 billion, and the existing external debt ceiling to be increased to $650 billion. The Minister also noted that this increase will facilitate the regularization of inherited liabilities incurred under the previous regime, which were not treated in the appropriate manner.

This does not mean, though, that the new debt ceilings limit will be maxed out immediately since it would appear that this is what the Former Finance Minister thinks along with other commentators like GHK Lall and a certain section of the media. The increase debt ceiling is necessary to simply allow for increased borrowings – relative to the rate of expansion of the economy that will occur over the next decade at least.

Following this presentation in the National Assembly, the Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, in an invited commentary in another section of the media, hastened to chastise the Hon. Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh for the increase in the public debt ceiling. Mr. Jordan in his ramblings described the move as one that spells danger and will somehow be burdensome on current and future tax-payers. The former Minister’s utterances were not only comical and idiotic but more worryingly – disingenuous.

The former Minister stated that the Hon. Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, is pulling “the proverbial wool over the eyes of the discerning public since the evidence will show that over the last five years, the APNU+AFC regime racked up a deficit of $92 billion.” Then he went on to state that the deficit for 2020 projected under the current regime was projected at $75 billion, before they went to parliament on December 28, last, to extract another $17 billion”. By this comparison, Jordan sought to argue the point that the current Government’s deficit in 2020 alone is equivalent to the accumulated deficit under his tenure in five years. In other words, the simple interpretation by a layman reading Jordan’s statement would lead one to believe that the current Government in less than one year in office would have expended the equivalent of all the monies expended by the previous Government in five years.

This notion, however, is far from the truth and the real evidence will in fact prove the inverse of Jordan’s postulations.

Having said that, let’s understand what deficit of $92 billion Jordan is referring to and how much monies did he actually expend in five years during his tenure as Finance Minister. The evidence in this regard is illustrated in the table below of which the data were extracted from Bank of Guyana Annual reports as well as the Auditor General Reports.

Food security will be sustained in Indigenous communities – Sukhai …over 100 tractors procured to boost agriculture

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nitiatives are underway to strengthen the food security in Amerindian villages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with new investments in the agriculture sector.

This was shared by Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai

Berbice man hospitalised after losing control of motorcycle

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26-year-old man of Number 73 Village, Corentyne, is now hospitalised after he lost control of his motorcycle and collided into a hire car on the Springlands Public Road, Berbice.

The accident occurred on Friday at about 22:05h. The car, driven by a 33-yearold driver of Number 79 Village, Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, was proceeding south along the eastern lane when the driver alleged that he put on his left indicator and was in the process of stopping his vehicle to pick up a passenger on the eastern footpath. The driver said that the motorcyclist was proceeding at the rear of the hire car at a fast rate of

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK… About the Author: JC. Bhagwandin is a financial analyst, lecturer and business & financial consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail.com.

speed and was in the process of overtaking when he lost control and collided into the rear right portion of the car.

As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist fell onto the road’s surface where he received injuries about his body. He was picked up by public-spirited persons and taken to Skeldon Public Hospital where he was admitted a patient in the Accident and Emergency unit suffering from head injuries and bruises about his body.

Meanwhile, the 33-yearold driver was arrested and placed into Police custody and both the car and motorcycle were lodged as the investigation continues.

(G9)

their food security. The machinery can also be used in other sectors to push economic growth.

“The food security of the Amerindian communities will be supported and sustained during the long challenge that we are facing with respect to the pandemic. In so doing, we have invested in the procurement of 112 tractors, which will go to the Amerindian villages that do not have tractors.

These machineries will be used in the agriculture sector, forestry sector, and the transport sector; enhancing and embracing the development of these sectors in the various hinterland and Amerindian communities,” Sukhai told a group of Toshaos.

The Minister indicated that upon assuming office last year, resources were immediately deployed to North Pakaraimas and other areas, owing to shortages. Since then, several regions have since benefitted from assistance.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai

Last year, Sukhai had voiced that neglect under the previous coalition Administration in hinterland communities created the threat of starvation, after dwindling food resources were not replenished nor was any assistance provided.

After experiencing floods in 2017, the lands had not fully recovered to provide adequately. The COVID-19 lockdown compounded the issue since persons cannot traverse border communities to access their food necessities. She went on to say that apart from agri-

cultural woes, there were grave shortages of medical supplies for hospitals and health centres, which transcended beyond the COVID-19 needs. As such, the PPP/C Government had undertaken efforts to alleviate the situation.

Meanwhile, she encouraged residents to take the pandemic seriously as it has already claimed the lives of some 175 persons in less than one year. “…we are still battling COVID and I take this opportunity to encourage the Toshaos and other leaders of the various Amerindian villages, communities, and settlements to ensure that we encourage the villagers to take COVID-19 seriously.

COVID-19 is a real threat and COVID-19 has already taken more than 100 from our population. Many has been affected so it is important for us to not only encourage but stress the need for the Amerindian population to take care of themselves,” she cautioned. (G12)

control of his car and also collided into a pick-up vehicle which was parked on the western side of the road.

As a result of the collision, Deonarine, who was in the canter at the time it was hit, and received injuries about his body.

He was picked up by public spirits citizens and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was admitted. A breathalyzer test was conducted on the 22-year-old car driver, who was found to be over the prescribed limit.

Neglect

Nabaclis man killed by drunken driver

A The data in the above table illustrating Government’s total expenditure for the period 2010 – 2019 revealed that total expenditure during the period 2015 – 2019 amounted to $1.143 trillion, while for the period 2010 – 2014 total Government expenditure amounted to $794 billion. By the time the new Government assumed office in August 2020, Jordan racked up over $1.2 trillion in five years – which is almost twice the amount of monies expended during the period 2010 – 2014 by Dr. Ashni Singh who was also Minister of Finance during that period. It is humorous and sad at the same time – reflecting on the fact that the former Minister Jordan and by extension the previous Government – have absolutely nothing to show for the more than 1.2 trillion expended – twice the amount of monies expended in a five-years cycle by this current Government.

on Friday as she outlined some of the projects on stream for villages, especially those that have been gravely impacted by the coronavirus. Some 112 tractors have been procured for distribution in the communities so that residents can independently maintain

59-year-old man is now dead after he was struck down and killed by a motorcar that was driven by a drunken driver along the Nabaclis Public Road East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is Terry Straker of Lot 47 Nabaclis, ECD. Reports are that at about 20:40h on Friday evening, motorcar, PWW 6389 which was driven by a 48-year-old man of Golden Grove, ECD, was proceeding west along the southern side of the road allegedly at a fast rate of speed, when the accident occurred.

The driver of the car claimed that while driving on the Nabaclis Public Road, he saw Straker about 30 feet ahead of him and the man suddenly ran across the road and into the path of his vehicle. He claimed that he applied brakes to avoid a collision, but the vehicle collided with now dead man.

As a result, Straker fell onto the roadway and re-

ceived injuries to his body.

He was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver was later taken into police custody where a breathalyzer test was conducted on him. The results showed that he was above the prescribe legal limit. He was arrested and is assisting traffic ranks with investigations.

Only recently, another drunk driver collided with a parked canter and injured a 43-year-old driver, Dharampaul Deonarine of Walton Hall, Essequibo Coast.

It was reported by Police that a 22-year-old resident of Hyde Park, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, was proceeding along the Parika Public Road when he alleged that he saw a cow and swerved to avoid hitting it but instead collided with a motor lorry, which was parked on the said road.

He reportedly then lost

34 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Charrandas Persaud tipped as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India …as Foreign Service shake-up looms

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harandas Persaud, the former Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian whose break with the former Government caused them to topple from power via a NoConfidence Motion (NCM) in 2018, is being tipped to be Guyana’s new High Commissioner to India.

According to a wellplaced source, Persaud’s appointment along with the appointment of various other key diplomats are likely to be announced soon, as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government seeks to fill various diplomatic postings and a shakeup of the foreign service looms.

The previous High Commissioner to India was Ambassador David Pollard.

Prior to Pollard, Guyana’s former Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj served in that position until 2015, when A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) came to power.

Guyana and India, which established bilateral relations in 1966 following Guyana’s Independence, have strong diplomatic and economic ties that are bolstered by several high-level deals brokered through India’s diplomatic presence in Guyana.

One such project is the Ogle-Diamond bypass road project, which will see a total of 26 kilometres of road constructed, linking two of the country’s main thor-

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

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

At present, works are ongoing on the new alternative road connecting Diamond and Eccles to ease the traffic congestion. The new alternative road will run from Sixth Avenue, Diamond to the Windsor Estate Road that leads on to the Eccles Landfill Site Road. This will form a connection through the new Herstelling Housing Scheme and other schemes that are being developed along the EBD corridor.

These projects are part of the India-funded Bypass Road Project which would link the East Bank Demerara corridor to the East Coast of Demerara, creating a new highway in the backlands, for which the Indian Government had provided a US$50 million Line of Credit (LOC).

But other groundbreaking projects funded by the Indian Government, like the Specialty Hospital Project, which had been marred in controversy since its initial stage, never took off from the ground.

The US$18 million project, which was being funded by the India Export-

Import (EXIM) Bank via a line of credit (LOC), was dropped in 2016 after the contracted company, Fedders Lloyd Corporation Limited – which was handpicked by the coalition Administration— was blacklisted by the World Bank until 2020 over fraud and corruption practices.

The former APNU/AFC Government subsequently announced that the project was “dead”. Former Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam had described this project as his biggest disappointment.

Charandas Persaud, on his part, has been living in Canada since fleeing Guyana under the weight of death threats immediately after he used his conscience vote to side with the PPP during the NCM of December 22, 2018.

The former APNU/AFC Government argued vehemently but unsuccessfully, first at the National Assembly and then at the High Court, that the motion was not validly passed. Among their arguments was that 33 was not the majority of 65 and that Charandas Persaud was not qualified to be in Parliament because he held dual citizenship with Canada.

They found success at the Appeals Court, which overturned the no-confidence vote. All the while, the constitutional deadline of March 2019, by which

Tipped to be Guyana’s High Commissioner to India, Charandas Persaud

time Granger should have called elections, expired.

But the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which upheld the passage of the NoConfidence Motion, vindicated Persaud.

However, the former APNU/AFC Government found other means of delaying the calling of elections, including by the use of House-to-House Registration. In the meantime, under the former Government, an investigation was pursued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) into Persaud and whether he was bribed to vote the way he did.

This investigation never went anywhere and there are many who have theorised that it was politically motivated. Persaud returned to Guyana only after Government changed hands, making an appearance during a sitting of the National Assembly in October of last year. (G3)

CH&PA inviting bids for Eccles to Mandela 4-lane highway

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he Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is now inviting bids for the construction of a 2.8-kilometre four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela Avenue.

President Dr Irfaan Ali announced the construction of this access road during a visit to the area last week.

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal has since said that work is expected to begin in April once the evaluation process is completed.

“We have tendered the contracts into six lots, and this will allow a spread for quick implementation,” Croal told the DPI on

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Wetlands and water

f you live on the coast or in certain hinterland regions, you most likely live in, or near, wetlands. According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, “wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.”

Inland wetlands include ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, floodplains, marshes, and swamps. Coastal wetlands include saltwater marshes, mangroves, lagoons, estuaries, and coral reefs.

There are also man-made wetlands, such as fishponds, rice paddies, and saltpans.

Wetlands can be thought of as giant sponges. They absorb water from many different sources during wet periods, and they release it slowly into the surrounding areas during dry periods. In this way, wetlands can help to reduce flooding, ease the impact of drought, and recharge groundwater supplies.

On February 02, Guyana will join the rest of the world in observing World Wetlands Day, a day to reflect on the importance of wetlands and to highlight issues affecting these critical ecosystems. In fact, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the historic signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This year’s theme, “Wetlands and Water”, shines a spotlight on wetlands as a source of freshwater, and encourages actions to restore them and stop their loss. We are facing a growing freshwater crisis that threatens people and our planet. In fact, there is growing global tension surrounding the use of freshwater. We use more freshwater than nature can replenish, and we are destroying the ecosystem that water and all life depend on most - wetlands. The theme this year highlights the contribution of wetlands to the quantity and quality of freshwater on our planet.

One of the most important benefits that wetlands provide is their capacity to maintain and improve water quality. When healthy, wetlands have a rich natural diversity of plants and animals, these can act as filtering systems, removing sediment, nutrients and pollutants from water. The capacity of wetlands to maintain and improve water quality is under threat because human activity and extreme weather conditions have had a significant impact on water flows, nutrient balance, and biodiversity.

Changing water flows The water regime is how rivers and wetlands change in response to rainfall and groundwater flow. It includes how much water is present, as well as its duration and place of location. There are many ways that a water regime can be affected, particularly by humans. These include damming rivers, pumping water, and constructing farm dams or banks that change drainage patterns.

Why do we need healthy wetlands?

In addition to improving and maintaining water quality, wetlands provide numerous other benefits to humans and other living beings: * When healthy, their soils and vegetation can capture, process, and store nutrients and/or contaminants; and if the natural rhythms and flows of the wetland are undisturbed, the release of potential stressors, such as sediments, nutrients, acids and/or metals, from the soil can be prevented. * Healthy wetlands can assist in removing harmful bacteria, and wetlands can also be important in the management of urban storm water and effluent by improving the removal of nutrients, suspended material, and pathogens from water prior to its return to the environment. * Healthy wetland ecosystems, such as mangroves and sea grass beds, provide not only a habitat for wildlife, but shelter for junior fishes, allowing local fishing to thrive, and providing sources of income generation for local communities. * Further, in Guyana and other parts of the world, intact mangrove ecosystems have been proven to provide protection against natural hazards such as tsunamis and high tides. * Additionally, carbon and greenhouse gases are stored in sinks in wetlands, instead of being released into the atmosphere.

Threats to wetlands Wetlands are threatened by earthworks, drainage, water extraction, climate change, poor agricultural practices, feral animals such as wild pigs, invasive plants, and uncontrolled fires. Impacts of these activities and encroachments include: * Erosion, resulting in an increased sediment that blocks out light to aquatic plants and smothers aquatic animals. * Introduction and mobilisation of contaminants such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. * An oversupply of nutrients, resulting in rapid and unpredictable growth of plants and algae, blocking out light and, in the case of blue green algal blooms, producing toxins that affect wildlife stock and humans. * Rising water tables as a result of loss of vegetation. * Increased soil salinity, as the salts naturally found in soils move closer to the surface, where than can hinder vegetation growth; and * Release of acids and metals into the soil, which then affects water quality.

This may result in fish disease, dominance of acid-tolerant species, contamination of groundwater, reduction in agricultural productivity, and damage to infrastructure through corrosion.

Wetlands in Guyana In Guyana, the North Rupununi wetland is the largest in the country, covering 22,000 hectares of flooded savannah and forest. The North Rupununi wetland is dominated by the Rupununi, Rewa and Essequibo rivers, and includes over 750 lakes, ponds and water inlets. More than 400 species of fish, the highest diversity of fishes in the world for areas of similar size, are found in the Rupununi wetlands. This area is also home to some of the world’s endangered giants – the Arapaima (largest fresh water fish), the giant river otter (largest of the 13 otter species), the black caiman (world’s largest of subfamily Alligatorinae), giant river turtles, the harpy eagle (largest bird of prey), the jaguar (largest cat in South America) and hundreds of other plants and animals.

The Rupununi wetlands play a very important role in the lives of more than 5000 Indigenous people of Guyana. The rivers and waterways found in the wetlands act as a source of drinking water and a main transportation route for the people living in the Rupununi.

The vegetation found in the wetlands is used by our Indigenous tribes to make craft, traditional medicine, houses, and sometimes food.

Works ongoing on the alternate East Bank Demerara road

Saturday.

The road will link to the new one being con-

structed from the Diamond Housing Scheme to Eccles.

Croal said he anticipates President Ali commissioning the road from Diamond to Mocha during the first quarter of this year.

It will also complement the construction of internal roads in housing schemes along the East Bank corridor.

“Huge opportunities will be created with the opening of a number of ac-

cess land, and we want to commend His Excellency on leading this effort and the PPP/C manifesto commitment to ensure more access is made available for new lands and the opening for a number of road networks. This augers well for our Ministry and the country,” he added.

The delivery/construction period for the project is 210 days per lot. Bids are open until February 25.

Wetland protection in Guyana The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project was executed during 2010-2013 under the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute. Following completion of the Project phase, and given the importance of mangroves to Guyana’s coastal defenses, mangrove restoration and management was integrated into NAREI in 2014.

You, too, can do your part to protect wetlands in Guyana. Tune into radio and television to hear about our celebration of wetlands.

Visit our social media platforms to enter our quiz competition, and tune into our panel discussion on February 02. Happy Wetlands Day! Sources https://www.worldwetlandsday.org/about https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/ factsheet-wetlands-water-quality#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20 important,nutrients%20and%20pollutants%20from%20water https://wwf.panda.org/?295254/nrw%2Dcharrette https://conservation.org.gy/project/mangroves/ http://narei.org.gy/departments/mangroves/ https://sciencing.com/do-wetlands-purify-water-7585568.html You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN; or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

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Regional

COVID: Argentina imposes Costa Rica sees ailing tourist trade stagnant in new tax on wealthiest 2021 after COVID-19 blow A

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ourism to Costa Rica will likely stagnate this year at the sharply reduced levels of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, weighing on the economy of the Central American country, a top Government official said on Saturday.

Tourism Minister Gustavo Segura said Costa Rica will in 2021 probably receive about one-third of the 3,139,000 international tourists it had in 2019, on a par with last year, when some 1,011,000 foreign visitors arrived, official data shows.

In an interview, Segura said around 75,000 tourists came to Costa Rica in December, down from 327,000 a year earlier, underlining the challenge facing the popular tourist destination and the industry as a whole in Latin America.

Battered by the loss of tourists, the Costa Rican hotel and restaurant trade shrank by 40 per cent last year, the central bank said.

In 2019, tourism represented 8.5 per cent of gross domestic product and 9 per cent of formal jobs in the country of 5 million people.

Segura projected that in

2021 it will only be worth around 3.5 per cent of GDP and that the industry will shed about half the employment it generated, or about 100,000 jobs.

The Minister was hopeful that Costa Rica’s focus on nature tourism would reduce some of the attendant risks with people being outdoors. He also pointed to the fact the country’s health system had managed to avoid saturating its hospitals.

Costa Rica has to date registered 193,276 infections and 2604 deaths linked to COVID-19. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Cuba to quarantine travellers amid COVID-19 surge

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ost travellers entering Cuba as of Feb 6 will be quarantined for up to a week, the Government announced on Saturday, and flights from the United States and some other countries reduced to no more than one per week per airline.

Tourists will have to remain in hotels at their own expense and residents in special centres free of charge until a test at five days comes back negative.

Visitors already must arrive with proof of a negative test for the new coronavirus and take another one at the airport.

Some resorts isolated from the population may have looser rules, and diplomats, businessmen, foreign students and journalists will each have their own locations and protocols.

COVID-19 cases have surged in the country since

one-off tax on Argentina's richest people comes into effect to help pay for medical supplies and relief for businesses struggling due to COVID-19.

Those with assets of more than 200 million pesos (US$2.3 million; £1.67 million) will have to pay about 3 per cent on assets declared within the country and over 5 per cent on assets held abroad.

It will apply to around 12,000 people.

The Government hopes to raise around US$3 billion. The money will also help fund scholarships and social aid.

Senators passed the oneoff levy - dubbed the "millionaires' tax" - by 42 votes to 26 in December.

The measure, brought in by centre-left President Alberto Fernández, has been criticised by the opposition, which described it as "confiscatory".

There have also been

Argentina has been badly hit by the pandemic

concerns raised by the Argentine Rural Society that the tax could be made permanent.

But the country has been badly hit by the pandemic, which has deepened already high rates of poverty. Almost 40 per cent of the country's population lives under the poverty line, while the unemployment rate sits at 11 per cent.

Oxfam's annual report on economic inequality said Argentina was showing the way towards progressive taxation of the rich as the

key to an equitable recovery from the current crisis.

"A tax on the excess profits earned by corporations during the coronavirus pandemic could generate $104 billion - enough to provide unemployment protection for all workers, and financial support for all children and elderly people in the poorest countries," the report stated.

Argentina has almost two million confirmed cases and more than 47,000 deaths from the virus.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Agriculture critical to recovery of Jamaica's tourism, says Bartlett

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Tourists from Russia staying in a beach resort walk in downtown Havana during a day trip to Cuba, January 6, 2021

airports began reopening in November with more than 13,000 cases so far in January, more than four times the monthly toll last year, with deaths now at 213, for a rate of 0.87 per cent, less than half the international and regional percentages.

The Government said more than 70 per cent of the cases are directly or indirectly linked to trav-

ellers, mainly Cubans living abroad visiting family, who disregard home-based quarantine rules.

Flights from the United States, Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti and a few other countries, and which carry many Cubans, had already been reduced this month and now will be cut back further. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett said agriculture and manufacturing will be critical to the recovery of the tourism industry in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, from the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He said the impact of COVID-19 has been “huge”, noting that Jamaica lost approximately US$2.5 billion in earnings and just over 100,000 jobs since the pandemic's onset.

Bartlett was speaking during the closing session of the 16th Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference at The Jamaica Pegasus ho-

tel in New Kingston, on January 28, on the theme “Connecting Tourism and Agriculture: Mitigating the Impact of these Key Regional Industries”.

“The essence of our focus now has to be about resetting tourism… and agriculture and manufacturing, in my mind, are the two central pillars on which that must be done,” the Minister said.

Bartlett said that based on the industry's 2019 earnings locally, regionally and globally, “it is very clear that tourism is a huge driver of foreign exchange”.

Bartlett said a recent demand study for local agricultural produce revealed a $39.6 billion (approximate-

ly US$2.5 million) demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, noting that “of that, we are only able to supply 20 per cent… so there's a huge gap”.

Coupled with this, he informed, is a great demand for seafood, meat and poultry, dairy products, preserves, canned products, and confectionaries “that are consumed in large quantities in our hotels”.

Against this background, he said the industry reset must focus on changing these patterns, adding that “we have to look at how we source supplies to enable the demand that tourism brings to be met”. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Mexico to import AstraZeneca Haitian Health Ministry monitoring vaccine from India, President says emergence of a “very infectious” skin disease

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exico plans to import about 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from India in February, as well as producing it locally, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday.

Mexico and Argentina have a deal with AstraZeneca to produce its vaccine for distribution in Latin America, with financial support from the foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

Meanwhile, deliveries of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico would “very probably” resume on Feb 10, Lopez Obrador said, after global delivery delays by the

US company. Mexico was expecting about 1.5 million doses from Pfizer, he noted.

Mexico is trying to secure as much vaccine supply as possible amid delivery delays and a surge in cases. Mexico’s death toll from COVID-19 was 156,579 on Friday.

Lopez Obrador, speaking publicly for the first time since revealing on Sunday he had COVID-19, said Mexico would also receive 870,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in February.

Additionally, Lopez Obrador said 1.8 million vaccine doses would arrive next month through a UNbacked mechanism, an ap-

parent reference to the global COVAX facility.

Mexico has secured enough vaccines to cover 20 per cent of its 126 million people through COVAX, led by the GAVI vaccines alliance and the World Health Organisation to promote equitable access.

Six million doses of the CanSino Biologics vaccine, which is due to share its clinical trial results soon, should arrive in Mexico in February, Lopez Obrador said.

It would also be “no problem” for Mexico to have 12 million doses of the Chinese vaccine in March, he added.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

H

ealth officials have been monitoring the emergence of a very infectious skin disease that is similar to scabies.

According to the Ministry of Health, this skin disease has affected residents of several communities in the west of the country, for several days.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health deployed mobile clinics to areas such as La Gonave, Petit-Goâve and Arcahaie.

The Government as sought to assure the population that all stops will be pulled out in an effort to eradicate the disease.

“An awareness and information campaign for the general public and the affected areas is already underway. It covers personal hygiene, the use of drinking water, laundry and the treatment of infected clothes.

Note that unsanitary conditions are fertile ground for skin disease such as scabies,” said a Government statement.

Scabies has been described as an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny burrowing

mite called Sarcoptes scabiei.

Intense itching occurs in the area where the mite burrows. Scabies is contagious and can spread quickly through close physical contact. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

36

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

Around the World

UAE to offer citizenship Coronavirus: WHO criticises EU over to select expats in vaccine export controls rare move for Gulf

Relatively few vaccines have so far been administered in poorer countries A boat speeds past giant skyscrapers at the Marina waterfront seen from Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai

T

he United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced it is opening a path to citizenship for select foreigners, but it is unclear if new passport holders will benefit from the public welfare system.

Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum on Saturday said “investors, specialised talents and professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families” would be eligible for naturalisation under the new amendment to the citizenship law.

“The UAE cabinet, local emiri courts and executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear criteria set for each category,” he said. “The law allows receivers of the UAE passport to keep their existing citizenship.”

The UAE Government said the amendment “aims at appreciating the talents and competencies present in the UAE and attracting more

bright minds to the Emirati community”.

Citizens make up a small minority of the nine million-strong population of the UAE, which has a huge migrant labour force, largely from South Asia, some of whom are second or third generation residents.

Foreigners in the UAE usually have renewable visas valid for only a few years tied to employment.

The Government in recent has made its visa policy more flexible, offering longer residencies for certain types of investors, students and professionals.

Last year, the Government extended its “golden” visa system – which grants 10-year residency in the Gulf state – to certain professionals, specialised degree holders and others.

The UAE also has a growing community of wealthy expats attracted by the lowtax regime and the luxury megaprojects and tourist attractions of the larger emirates. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India cuts Internet near Delhi as hundreds of farmers begin hunger strike

I

ndia blocked mobile internet services in several areas around New Delhi on Saturday as protesting farmers began a one-day hunger strike after a week of clashes with authorities that left one dead and hundreds injured.

Angry at new agricultural laws that they say benefit large private food buyers at the expense of producers, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped at protest sites on the outskirts of the capital for more than two months.

At the main protest site near the village of Singhu on the northern outskirts of the city, there was a heightened Police presence on Saturday as hundreds of tractors arrived from Haryana, one of two states at the centre of the protests.

India’s Interior Ministry said on Saturday internet services at three locations on the outskirts of New Delhi

where protests are occurring had been suspended until 11 pm (1730 GMT) on Sunday to “maintain public safety”.

Indian authorities often block local internet services when they believe there will be unrest, although the move is unusual in the capital.

Farm leaders said the hunger strike by hundreds of protesters, primarily at Singhu and two other protest sites and designed to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, would show Indians that the demonstrations were non-violent.

Eleven rounds of talks between farm unions and the government have failed to break the deadlock. The government has offered to put the laws on hold for 18 months, but farmers say they will not end their protests for anything less than full repeal. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he World Health Organisation (WHO) has criticised the EU’s announcement of export controls on vaccines produced within the bloc, saying such measures risked prolonging the pandemic.

The EU introduced the measure amid a row with vaccine manufacturers over delivery shortfalls.

But WHO vice-head Mariangela Simao said it was a “very worrying trend”.

Earlier WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “vaccine nationalism” could lead to a “protracted recovery”.

The so-called transparency mechanism gives EU countries powers to deny authorisation for vaccine exports if the company making them has not honoured existing contracts with the EU. “The protection and safety of our citizens is a priority and the challenges we now face left us with no choice

but to act,” the European Commission said.

The controls will affect some 100 countries worldwide - including the UK, the US, Canada and Australia but many others, including poorer nations, are exempt.

However, the EU has been forced to backtrack on plans to impose restrictions on the export of vaccines across the border on the island of Ireland after outcry from Dublin and London.

The EU insists its controls are a temporary scheme, not an export ban.

The EU is allowing some 92 exemptions from the export control regime, including: vaccine donations to Covax, the global scheme to help poorer countries; and exports to Switzerland, countries in the western Balkans, Norway and North Africa. Other Mediterranean countries such as Lebanon and Israel are also exempt. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Iran rejects new talks or parties in nuclear deal

I

ran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected any new negotiations or changes to the participants of Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers, after French President Emmanuel Macron said any new talks should include Saudi Arabia.

“The nuclear accord is a multilateral international agreement ratified by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which is non-negotiable and parties to it are clear and unchangeable,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted by state media as saying on Saturday.

Iran began breaching the deal’s limits on uranium enrichment activity after Washington withdrew from the pact in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump and reimposed economic sanctions on Tehran.

President Joe Biden’s new Administration has said it will rejoin the deal but only after Tehran resumes full compliance with its terms.

But Iran has rejected US

demands to reverse its acceleration of the nuclear programme before Washington lifts sanctions on Tehran.

Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates have said that Gulf Arab states should be involved this time in any talks, which they say should also address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for proxies around the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, which is locked in several proxy wars in the region with Tehran including in Yemen, supported Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

Earlier this month, Iran resumed enriching uranium to 20 per cent at its underground Fordow nuclear plant – a level it achieved before the accord.

Iran’s Parliament, dominated by hardliners, passed legislation last month that forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if US sanctions are not eased within two months. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

OILNEWS OIL NEWS EIA: Global oil consumption crashed by 9% in 2020

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ue to the coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns, global consumption of petroleum and other liquid fuels crashed by 9 per cent to 92.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Friday, nothing this was the largest drop in EIA’s series dating back to 1980.

The world will return to more normal consumer behaviour this year, and a continued recovery in economies is set to contribute to rising oil consumption in 2021 as the year progresses.

EIA expects in its January Short-Term Energy Outlook that global liquid fuels consumption will grow by 5.6 million bpd this year, or by 6 per cent compared to 2020, and rise by another 3.3 million bpd in 2022.

The United States will contribute with a 1.4 million bpd consumption increase to the growth in 2021, the EIA forecasts.

Oil consumption will rise this year thanks to both economic growth and a return to more normal travel patterns by the middle of the year, which will also have a small effect on oil consumption growth in 2022.

Despite the expected growth in global oil consumption in 2021, EIA still forecasts it to average below pre-pandemic levels— at 97.8 million bpd, it would be 3 per cent less than the 2019 level.

OPEC also sees oil demand growing this year from the crash in 2020. Yet, at an expected 95.9 million bpd in 2021, oil consumption would still be nearly 5 million bpd below the pre-crisis levels from 2019.

“Oil demand is not projected to fully recover from the 2020 slump,” said OPEC, which estimates 2020 demand to have crashed by 9.8 million bpd to average 90 million bpd.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), for its part, cut in its January report its estimate for oil demand growth for this year by 300,000 bpd to 5.5 million bpd. The IEA expects oil demand to average 96.6 million bpd in 2021, after crashing by an all-time high of 8.8 million bpd in 2020 under the weight of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Several killed as bomb blast hits Afrin in northern Syria

The attack reportedly took place in an industrial site in Afrin

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t least five people have been killed and more than 20 wounded when a car bomb detonated in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, according to the Turkish Defence Ministry.

The Ministry said in a statement the explosion took place on Saturday in an industrial site at the centre of the town and wounded 22 people.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the death toll was six, citing local sources in the region, adding that at least 25 people have been wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Turkish Defence Ministry blamed the attack on Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) fighters.

Ankara regards the YPG as a “terrorist” group tied to the outlawed armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party

(PKK) group inside its own borders, and has staged multiple incursions into Syria in collaboration with Syrian rebels it backs to push YPG and ISIL (ISIS) fighters from the Turkish frontier.

Afrin was largely cleared of YPG fighters in 2018 through a military operation by Turkey, but the town and other parts of the region are regularly rocked by such bombings.

Ankara now retains a large military presence in the area, deploying thousands of troops in the last rebel enclave in Syria.

The PKK, designated a “terrorist” group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, focused in southeast Turkey. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

37

Windies vs BCB XI 3-day game…

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he West Indies had their best day on the tour on the second day of their threeday warm-up match against the BCB XI. After bowling out t h e

duck, and went to add 130 for

home s i d e for 160 with the help of Rahkeem Cornwall's five-wicket haul, they proceeded to post 179 for 5 at stumps and took their lead to 276.

Nkrumah Bonner, who, like the rest of the batsmen during the ODI series, had Nkrumah Bonner a wretched time, is unbeaten on 80 was unbeaten on 80. He struck 12 fours in his 131ball stay, while John Campbell struck nine fours in his 68 runs made off 98 balls.

The pair got together in the first over of their second innings after Shayne Moseley fell for a

o n

the second wicket. Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers and Kavem Hodge fell cheaply, but Bonner has Joshua Da Silva for company when they start the third day.

Saif Hassan was a surprise with the ball, picking up 2 for 32, while Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam and Tohwid Hridoy each picked up one wicket.

Earlier in the day, off-spinner Cornwall took the important wickets of Mohammad Naim and Yasir Ali. His haul also included Akbar Ali and Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Ahmed.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took out the middle order with his three-wicket haul, removing Rakheem Cornwall Shahadat Hossain, bagged 5-47 captain Nurul Hasan and Hridoy.

Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph took the other two wickets.

The BCB XI's batting line-up is considerably strong, so the visitors would be pretty happy with their showing. Their batsmen, at least Bonner and Campbell, also have got runs under their belt.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD BANGLADESH CRICKET BOARD XI 1ST INNINGS Saif Hassan lbw b Roach 15 Shadman Islam c 22 Brathwaite b Joseph Mohammad Naim b Cornwall 45 Yasir Ali c Hodge b Cornwall 1 Shahadat Hossain c Cornwall b Warrican 13 Nurul Hasan (c)†c Hodge b Warrican 30 Towhid Hridoy c †Da Silva b Warrican 7 Akbar Ali b Cornwall 5 Mahmudul Hasan Joy c Hodge b Cornwall 4 Rishad Hossain not out 1 Khaled Ahmed lbw b Cornwall 0 Extras (b 4, lb 4, nb 4, w 5) 17 TOTAL (47.4 Ov, RR:3.35, 199 Mt) 160 Did not bat: Shahin Alam, Mukidul Islam Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Saif Hassan, 8.5 ov), 2-98 (Mohammad Naim, 25.6 ov), 3-100 (Shadman Islam, 26.6 ov), 4-100 (Yasir Ali, 27.2 ov), 5-130 (Shahadat Hossain, 38.5 ov), 6-138 (Towhid Hridoy, 42.2 ov), 7-143 (Akbar Ali, 43.3 ov), 8-159 (Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 45.6 ov), 9-159 (Nurul Hasan, 46.1 ov), 10-160 (Khaled Ahmed, 47.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W 7-4-13-1 Kemar Roach Shannon Gabriel 8-2-30-0

Rahkeem Cornwall 16.4-3-47-5 7-0-31-1 Alzarri Joseph Kyle Mayers 2-0-6-0 7-1-25-3 Jomel Warrican WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS John Campbell c Rishad Hossain b Saif Hassan 68 Shayne Moseley lbw b Khaled Ahmed 0 Nkrumah Bonner not out 80 Jermaine Blackwood c Towhid Hridoy b Saif Hassan 4 Kyle Mayers lbw b Towhid Hridoy 8 Kavem Hodge b 19 Mukidul Islam Joshua Da Silva †not out 0 TOTAL (48 Ov, RR: 3.72) 179/5 Yet to bat: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jomel Warrican Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Shayne Moseley, 0.4 ov), 2-130 (John Campbell, 30.3 ov), 3-135 (Jermaine Blackwood, 32.3 ov), 4-144 (Kyle Mayers, 35.4 ov), 5-177 (Kavem Hodge, 46.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W 6-0-16-1 Khaled Ahmed Mukidul Islam 7-2-32-1 9-1-32-2 Saif Hassan Rishad Hossain 13-3-61-0 7-1-22-0 Shahin Alam Towhid Hridoy 6-0-16-1

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MCY&S responds to Stabroek News article of January 30 I

n response to an article published in the Stabroek News on 30th January 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) has said it “would like to dispel and disabuse any concerns the Guyana Press Association or the media may have on the issue, and state that there is no “ban” of the media or any particular media personnel from the Guyana National Stadium.

“In fact, a chess tournament is currently being held at the Guyana National Stadium, and the Ministry is advised that the media will be present to cover the event. While the Ministry’s Ministerial Secretariat has been unable to confirm receipt of

a letter (from) the Guyana Press Association, the Ministry would like to state that the Ministry holds the media in high regard, and will continue to do so. For the sake of clarity on the issue, the Ministry has sought to establish a simple procedure for media reporting on the condition of the ground at the Guyana National Stadium; that is, a letter is written to the Ministry to schedule a visit to the ground by any media personnel/representative for the purpose of reporting on its condition. This visit will be expeditiously facilitated, and will be conducted in the presence of a representative of the Ministry.

“This simple procedure was established in response

to an unfortunate incident which occurred a few weeks ago, (when) there was a false media report published on the condition of the ground at the Guyana National Stadium which the Ministry was compelled to refute publicly and in the presence of the media.

Upon further investigation by the Ministry, there were conflicting contentions that a visit was made to the ground by media representatives immediately before publication, even though the staff at the Guyana National Stadium denied observing any such visit, and the cameras, when reviewed, did not capture any such visit.

“It is also important to note that the condition of

the ground at the Guyana National Stadium is the basis for Guyana being able to host international and regional tournaments. This means that the Ministry has a responsibility to protect the image and reputation of the facility. This also means that reporting on the condition of the ground must be responsible. It is for these forgoing reasons that the Ministry has established a simple procedure for the reporting on the condition of the ground of the Guyana National Stadium by the media.

“The Ministry publicly extends an invitation to anyone in the media (who is) interested in reporting on the condition of

the ground at the Guyana National Stadium, to write to the Ministry to schedule a visit and one will be facilitated expeditiously.

“The Ministry would also like to emphasise that while the simple procedure has been established for the reporting on the condition of ground, any media representative is welcome to visit the Guyana National Stadium at any time.

“The Ministry uses this opportunity to remind everyone that it was only a few months ago that the facility was opened to the public for the first time, because of a decision made by the new President Irfaan Ali- led Government of Guyana.”

2237230-1

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NOW!

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

BCB 2021 Cricket Programme…

France Electrical & Construction Company sponsors 40-over tournament for Berbice River sub-association “W

hen I became the President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) in 2018, I pledged that no sub-association would be left behind, even if they didn’t vote for me. For years, the Berbice River SubAssociation was just looked at as a provider of four votes for some people. That is no longer the case, as they are now been treated equally as the other sub areas in Berbice”.

Those were the words of BCB President Hilbert Foster as he launched another cricket tournament for teams in the Berbice River Sub-

Association.

Mr Uborn France, Managing Director of France Electrical and Construction Company, has come on board to sponsor the tour-

nament, which would be played using the forty-over format. The BCB COVID-19 regulations would apply, and at least

Mr Uborn France handing over sponsorship to BCB President Hilbert Foster, while Region 6 REO Navindra Persaud looks on

four teams are expected to participate in this tournament.

The top two teams would then travel to a venue on the coast to contest the finals, possibly at the histor-

ic Albion Sports Complex Ground.The teams expected to contest this tournament include Ebini, Wiruni and Sandhills.

Foster disclosed that, over the last three years, the BCB had organised several tournaments for this sub-association, and those

Cricket development at West Dem Secondary receives massive boost

Former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul (fifth from right) presenting a bat to Headmaster of the West Demerara Secondary School, Harrinarine. Sharing the moment are teachers and students of the school, cricketers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (third right) and Akshaya Persaud (fourth right), and local Almuni representative Naveed Ali (third left)

C

ricket development at the West Demerara Secondary School has been given a major boost following the presentation of a large quantity of equipment on Thursday.

Some students and teachers gathered at the school, located a short distance from the Demerara Harbour Bridge, on Thursday morning to receive the equipment from representatives of the Alumni.

Making the presentation on behalf of the Alumni was former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul, his son Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Guyana Jaguars Super50 selectee Akshaya Persaud, and an ex-student of the school, Naveed Ali, local coordinator of the Alumni.

The donation included cricket bats, batting and wicketkeeping pads, stumps, balls, helmets, gear

bags and protective equipment.

Some computer supplies also formed part of what is an initial donation to the school from the Alumni, who are based in the United States and Canada.

Harrinarine, beaming Headmaster of the school, was particularly pleased to receive the pieces of equipment. He noted that the school not only has a vibrant cricket programme, but students are active in other disciplines.

The academic head, using the opportunity to boast of the students’ athletics prowess, highlighted boxer Mark Crawford and middle-distance athlete Joanna Archer.

While Crawford is a Caribbean gold medalist, Archer has also been on the podium at the National Schools Championships, the Inter-Guiana Games,

Carifta Games, and the South American Championships. She is currently on scholarship in the United States of America.

The Alumni would soon make a second donation to the school, in the form of a gas- powered power washer, weeding machine, printers, computer supplies, and footballs and volleyballs.

Meanwhile, former Guyana and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul addressed the students on the need for them to have a balance in terms of academic pursuits and excellence in sport.

He urged the students to stay focused on achieving their goals and setting high standards for themselves. The Caribbean’s most capped Test player proffered that, with hardwork, dedication and commitment, all goals can be achieved.

have all been very successful. Moreover, teams in the areas have benefited from numerous donations of items, including cricket gears, cricket balls, stumps, educational materials, water pitchers, school bags, and trophies and medals.

The BCB has also do-

nated $120,000 worth of coloured uniform to this sub-association under the Clayton Lambert Gears project. Foster also disclosed that, for the first time ever, a Berbice River Cricket Team would be participating in a BCB first division tournament when they play

in the historic semi-professional league scheduled for August. Great effort would also be made to send coaches into the area to host a mini cricket academy.

The BCB has expressed confidence that the standard of the game in that riverine community would result in players going on to play for the county, and even higher.

He committed the BCB to organising at least two tournaments there in 2021, but cautioned that the teams would have to follow all the COVID-19 guidelines.

He also expressed gratitude to Mr. Navindra Persaud, Regional Executive Officer of Region 6, for his cooperation and support of Berbice Cricket.

France, in brief remarks, said he admired the outstanding work of the Fosterled BCB, and was delighted to join the vast number of persons coming on board to assist.

CSCA looking forward to an exciting 2021 season

P

Spartan X1 had emerged victorious last year

resident of the Canadian Softball Cricket Association (CSCA), Rishi Mohan, has said he and his executives are ready to run off another cricket season once all goes well.

Understandably, things were kept off the field last year owing to the unprecedented times because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the CSCA was the only association able to pull off two competitions, howbeit shortened.

Mohan has expressed satisfaction with the 2020 proceedings and is highly optimistic that this year would see more events being staged by his association and other leagues.

“We trust 2021 will be a better year for everyone, especially the cricket fans, as we all know cricket is evolving and the CSCA’s executives are motivated to expand their minds and push the envelope, so we make cricket more fun and exciting for the players.

“We have lots of plans in the pipeline, and (are) working diligently behind the scenes to continuously make cricket fun for CSCA. We are excited, and looking forward to 2021,” Mohan, a Canadabased Guyanese, declared.

He continued by mentioning that cricket had been badly affected by the virus which broke out in mid-March of 2020, and the Municipalities within its jurisdiction put out limitations for fans.

“No cricket league in Ontario was able to have a regular cricket season.

However, thanks to our fellow board members, participating teams, umpires, sponsors, and wonderful supporters, CSCA was able to put together two successful tournaments,” Mohan commented.

In addition to the excitement on the field, Mohan said, one of the competitions saw a side (Sparta X1) donating $350 to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto as

a charitable venture. The CSCA was able to raise a total of $1,350 during the season.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to give back to a needy cause. Think of the smile it would put on the faces of kids that are less fortunate.

And we, as an organization, surrounded by some of the most dedicated fans and supporters, were able to make a difference; and it goes a far way,” Mohan related.

According to him, their Annual General Meeting would be held soon and they will get cracking with their plans for some softball action.

As at January 26, the Province of Ontario reported approximately 2,100 new cases of the novel coronavirus, while 46 more persons had died.

In Canada, around the same date, records showed 756,600 cases and 19,580 deaths, but 687,991 recovered since the global disaster of COVID-19 started.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

39

Copa Airlines' Flag set to fly high over golf in Guyana

GGA and NexGen Golf Academy President, Aleem Hussain

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opa Airlines, one of the leading airlines in the region, have signed a major marketing and promotion agreement with NexGen Golf Academy that would see this major airline’s flag flying over many of the upcoming golf events and programmes in Guyana.

Compañia Panameña de Aviación, S.A., known simply as Copa Airlines, is the flag carrier of Panama.

Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, the airline connects destinations in North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean through its Hub of the Americas®, located at Tocumen International Airport.

Copa’s General Manager, Camille Hackett, said, “Our relationship with NexGen Global and Mr. Hussain has seen tremendous positive impact in the areas of development of the sport, and the strides that have been made to include women and children in the game have given us the assurance that this is the right step for Copa Airlines

to take to provide the necessary support he and the Golf Association requires.”

President of the Guyana Golf Association and NexGen Golf Academy, Aleem Hussain, was effusive in his praise for Commercial Coordinator Nadine Oudkerk and Sales Executive Christopher Ferrell, who he credited with the initiative to join forces to help develop the sport in Guyana.

“This forward-thinking team saw the niche for growth, and without hesitation did everything possible to ensure that we could form a sustainable partnership that would see as many as 3,000 new persons exposed to the game in the next twelve months.”

This year, as a part of this exciting partnership, many activities and events for new players and schoolchildren will be run off by NexGen Golf Academy, the Guyana Golf Association, and Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Unit. By these, participants will have the opportunity to play and learn, and in so doing, win lots of prizes simply by taking part in a COVID-19 compliant activity, he dismissed.

According to Ms.

Oudkerk, “the grand event that will take place in the first quarter will be a fabulous Hole-in-One Contest, whereby the winner will receive a roundtrip ticket to any destination in the Americas where Copa Airlines flies!” (travel must be completed by certain dates and some restrictions do apply).

The activity will take place at the Academy on Woolford Avenue starting February 6th, and all players have to do is hole the ball in one shot to win the incredible prize, a dream trip to the destination of their choice!

“We expect that this will encourage many people to come out and get involved, and Copa Airlines staff will be on hand at many of these activities to support NexGen Golf and the Guyana Golf Association and answer any questions persons may have about our services and destinations,” said Sales Executive Christopher Ferrell.

According to Hussain, 2021 will be a banner year for golf as the interest in the sport has risen to new levels and there are several major developments underway.

“With the construc-

tion of the 18-hole Championship golf course in Maraiko Bay underway, and at least three other courses set for construction, Guyana will soon become a golf destination, and that means great news for tourism, hotels, airlines and other service providers. Golfers are amongst the highest spenders in the tourism industry, averaging approximately US$3,950 per golfer on a golf trip. And add to that the fact that most golfers love to live near or on a golf course, value of properties tend to increase by 30% or more wherever courses are built.”

A 4-bedroom golf course home in neighbouring Barbados rents for as much as US$3,000-$4,500/ night depending on the season, and it’s the same in Jamaica and virtually every other golf destination.

“We have missed out for far too long on this lucrative market, and we see this partnership with Copa Airlines and the development of Maraiko Bay and other golf communities as the path to new wealth for Guyanese investors and homeowners,” said Hussain. “We see Maraiko

Broadway Hotel donates, urges others to support Golden Jaguars’ World Cup Campaign

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he owner of Broadway Hotel is urging more private sector organisations and companies to support the Golden Jaguars’ FIFA World Cup campaign. The hotel made a financial contribution to the squad’s preparation for its first qualification matches in March.

Broadway Hotel, situated on Broad Street in Georgetown, joins a growing number of private sector partners, such as Banks DIH and Muneshwers, coming on board to support the Golden Jaguars as they prepare for the start of their World Cup campaign.

“The Guyana Golden Jaguars are preparing for what will be a very difficult 2022 World Cup qualification campaign. I believe we all have a responsibility to help them in every way that we can, and I am personally pleased to support the nation’s team,” said Broadway Hotel Managing Director Alepemo Peters.

“I would like to encourage other corporate entities to support our Golden Jaguars in their quest to qualify for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.” The donation was made

by Broadway Hotel General Manager Junica Pluck, and was received by Guyana

Football Federation President Wayne Forde.

“On behalf of the players, staff and the GFF, I would like to say, ‘Thank you,’ to Broadway Hotel for supporting our national team at this exciting time,” Forde said.

“The qualification process for the FIFA World Cup requires a huge allocation of resources, and cannot be managed without the help, commitment and generosity of our private sector partners.

“We are therefore grateful for thus timely contribution, which will help us prepare the team in the best way possible for its World Cup journey after such a long lay-off due to the pandemic. We hope that many other partners will also come on board to join us on this amazing journey, as the whole nation gets behind the Golden Jaguars this year.”

Domestic-based players are currently in training five days a week at the GFF National Training Centre under the supervision of Head Coach Marcio Maximo, as the squad seeks to build fitness and sharpness ahead of its first World Cup fixture, against Trinidad and Tobago on March 25th.

“If this contribu-

Copa’s Sales Executive Christopher Ferrell

Bay as rivalling any of the Caribbean’s best resort properties, since it offers everything and more that they provide – championship golf, marina, shopping, beach, and eco-tours.”

With a championship golf course, the airlift will increase, and so will revenues from sports tourism. And the possibility of hosting major golf tournaments on a regular basis is fast becoming a reality.

With golf having now been introduced into the school system, and with the excellent corporate support and sponsorship being placed behind the development of the game, Guyana will be in a position to compete on an international and even an Olympic level in a short time.

Hussain emphasized that the number and qual-

ity of the facilities under the Nexgen Global umbrella will continually improve, but the goal is to lower the cost of playing golf while making it more accessible to a wider audience.

“Our corporate partners agree that, for far too long, this incredible sport has been kept out of the hands of our citizens, and this is the first of many cooperation agreements designed to allow thousands of Guyanese to play Golf.”

For more information on Copa Airlines, their destinations and services, please visit their local office on 212 Camp Street, or visit their web page www.copaair. com. To find out about the Hole-in One tournament or any golf activities at the NexGen Golf Academy. You can find information on Facebook, or call 645-0944.

Rising Stars Club congratulates

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tion helps a young player to move one step closer to the realisation of his dream to represent the Golden Arrowhead, then this would be a tremendous source of satisfaction for the management of Broadway Hotel,” said

Peters.

Banks DIH have offered water and energy drinks, and Muneshwers have provided health and sanitisation equipment, to support the Golden Jaguars’ preparations at the National Training Centre.

he Rising Stars Sport Club from South Essequibo would like to extend congratulations to Kemol Savory, who was awarded a place in the Guyana Jaguars Senior team for the upcoming CWI Regional Super 50 in Antigua & Barbuda from the 7th to 27th of February.

We are confident that Kemol will continue to put in his hard work and remain focused and committed to the tasks ahead for his team in the competition. We know he has the ability to deliver some very good performances in his game, which all of his cricket loving fans will be proud of. Best wishes to Savory and the Guyana Jaguars team as they hunt the Regional 50 Overs titles in 2021.

Kemol Savory

The Rising Stars Sport Club would also be extremely happy to see Anthony Adams given his chance in the Guyana Jaguars Regional 4 days or any other Regional duty. So, we are calling on the selectors, coaches and CGI to please give Anthony Adams his well-deserved opportunity and stop this disrespect of non-selection of this disciplined and humble young man.

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

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Three Guyanese Match Officials receive FIFA Badges for 2021

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uyana’s top three match officials, Sherwin Johnson, Maurees Skeete and Kleon Lindey, are now ready to officiate in international matches this year, after they received their FIFA badges at a ceremony at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on Friday.

The three officials received their badges from GFF President Wayne Forde alongside GFF Executive Committee member and Interim Head of Refereeing Dion Inniss.

“I want to commend these three match officials that have been placed on the FIFA list,” Forde said. “They are a credit to Guyana football and to all of Guyana. We know they are going to go out there, do

exceptionally well and make all of Guyana proud.”

Referees Johnson and Skeete and assistant referee Lindey were reappointed to FIFA’s list of international referees in December, giving them the right to wear the coveted FIFA badge and to take charge of international matches in 2021.

“Last year, we all know was a very difficult year, but I stayed positive and continued training. The fact that I am in the army – I’m a staff sergeant – that has kept me focused and motivated and strong to continue to push forward,” Skeete said. “I am excited to get back on the field – to get out there and show my talents and to make Guyana, myself and my organisation proud.”

Johnson and Skeete, a

double nominee for Concacaf female referee of the year, have been part of the FIFA list since 2012 and 2014 respectively, while Lindey has featured in the selection since 2015.

“I’m looking to reach the highest pinnacle possible,” said Lindey, who last patrolled the touchline in Concacaf U20 Championship qualifiers in February 2020. “It’s currently very challenging, but I am just keeping my body fit because fitness is one of the key elements in refereeing.”

Johnson, who officiated the final of the GFF Bounce Back Classic tournament at the turn of the year, said he couldn’t wait “to get back to the pitch to referee and represent Guyana.”

Last year, the GFF launched

a referee recruitment campaign –“Get involved” – to encourage more young people to train to become match officials.

“For the game to progress and to develop as we want to see it, the importance of high-class officiating cannot be overstated,” said Inniss.

“We are on a path of upward trajectory. We have a plan in place to put refereeing back where it deserves to be.”

“The systems that have been put in place for training and development have quadrupled. I would invite any young girl and boy from the length and breadth of Guyana to show an interest in officiating. We look forward one day to seeing our match officials at a World Cup or Olympic match.”

Jaguars wing-out for CG Insurance Regional Super50 Cup

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he Leon Johnson-led Guyana Jaguars team departed Guyana yesterday for Antigua & Barbuda, where they will contest the upcoming CG Insurance Regional Super50 Cup, slated for play from February 7-27.

Jaguars will play their first match against Barbados Pride on February 8 from 13:30 h.

Jaguars squad, along with the management team, departed the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle at 11:00hrs. They headed for Barbados before arriving at their final destination, Antigua.

The Regional Super50 tournament was last played in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament will be played this year, 2021, in a bio-secure environment.

The aim of this bio-secure environment, or bio-bubble, is to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and at the same time minimise the risk of transmission of the virus from one person to another during an ongoing tournament or bilateral series.

Earlier in the week, the Jaguars squad did two tests and it was only Trevon Griffith who

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019 Senior Chess Champion, FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, had a child-like excitement about him because of his eagerness to get back to in-person chess competition.

The event was the first round of the 2020 Senior Chess Championships, which had to be put off from last year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, with the requisite permission from the National COVID-19 Task Force, Drayton and nine others have been given the opportunity to compete again.

“It’s been very hard.

But this year we’ll know, because this will be the first over- the-board chess tournament since 2019 for us. So, it was basically online tournaments,” Drayton commented when asked

Drayton was in good spirits on Saturday afternoon at the National Stadium, Providence as he prepared for his first game of the tournament.

“I hope to bring my best, seeing that I’ll be representing my title; so, I hope to get it back.

I have some confidence that I will, but we’re yet to see what will happen,” Drayton said as he exuded confidence.

When probed about competing against the likes of Candidate Masters Wendell Meusa and Taffin Khan, who are both former Senior Champions, the reigning champion shared that he wasn’t too worried about the stiff competition that would unfold over the next few weekends.

He answered in the affirmative, stating, “Yes. I like the pairings, and I’ve been working

The Jags’ management and players prior to departing the Eugene F Correia International Airport at Ogle

returned a positive COVID-19 test. He was replaced by Essequibo's Kemol Savory.

Additionally, the squad, upon arriving in Antigua, will be tested again, before being placed in a bio-secure bubble. Following four days of quarantine, players will be allowed to train while remaining in their team bubble. With strict quarantine restrictions currently in place, Cricket West Indies (CWI) was forced to reduce the number of teams for this year’s tournament.

The 47th edition of the tournament will revert to only the six regional franchises taking part, which would mean that defending champions

West Indies Emerging Players, along with Canada, USA and the Combined Campuses and Colleges, would miss out.

This will mean the six leading franchises – Jamaica Scorpions, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, Guyana Jaguars, Barbados Pride, Leeward Island Hurricanes, and the Windward Island Volcanoes – are the only teams competing this year for the Clive Lloyd Trophy.

The six franchises will play 19 matches in a round-robin format at Coolidge and the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. Last year, CWI was unable to host the tournament after being forced

to abort the last two rounds of the first-class championship, and then scrap all of its scheduled international home series due to COVID-19.

Guyana Jaguars squad reads: Chandrapaul Hemraj, Kemol Savory, Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson (captain), Shimron Hetmyer (Vice-captain), Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Ramaal Lewis, Nial Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble, Akshaya Persaud and Tevin Imlach.

Esaun Crandon is the head coach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the Manager/Assistant Coach, and Ernesto Campo Gonzalez is the physiotherapist.

The Championship schedule is as follows: Round 1 – Saturday, January 30th @ 2pm Round 2 - Sunday, January 31st @ 9am Round 3 - Sunday, January 31st @ 3pm Round 4 - Saturday February 6th @ 2pm Round 5 - Sunday, February 7th @ 9am

about the time away from in-person competition.

He continued on the topic by saying, “Online tournaments are a bit different from the overthe-board, because it’s shorter-spanned games and you don’t get to actually play chess as in chess.”

Round 6 - Sunday, February 7th @ 3pm Round 7 - Saturday February 13th @ 2pm Round 8 - Sunday, February 14th @ 9am Round 9 - Sunday, February 14th @ 3pm

with it so far, and I’m hoping that I could retain my title.”

Aside from Drayton, Meusa and Khan, Loris Nathoo, Glenford Corlette, Davion Mars, Errol Tiwari, Saeed Ali, Roy Sharma and Justino DaSilva are among the other players participating. (Jemima Holmes)

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