Guyana Times - Sunday May 16, 2021

Being P17 differently abled does not mean being disabled – Teacher Orissa Sinclair

…“My students are amazing”

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4649 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

Guyana will be good partner for US climate change efforts – Ambassador …will share clean energy technologies − White House Climate Advisor

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Consultation to amend P31 Condominium Act to start in June

Page 33

Election riggers will be held accountable − GECOM commissioner Page 3

…slams GHRA for silence on rig attempt, but sudden rebirth to criticise IRI

3 more deaths, From teen bride to mother of 3 180 new – domestic violence victim tells her COVID-19 cases story of fighting for survival Page 2

Page 13

Guyana Times Berbice correspondent Andrew Carmichael listening to Yonelle Lewis as she tells her story

$13.7M worth of ganja discovered along Canje River

P34

Suspected bandit shot by cop P8 Guyana wins P9 plaudits in US Report on religious freedom …says Govt continues to promote religious tolerance & diversity

T&T declares state of emergency as COVID-19 cases surge P37

P27 Drunken 25-year-old stabs WBD man

2 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 more deaths, 180 new COVID-19 cases W

ithin the first two weeks of May, Guyana has recorded 39 coronavirus-related deaths and an alarming 1764 new cases.

On Saturday, the Health Ministry announced that three more persons succumbed to the virus, raising the country’s death toll to 338. The latest deaths are three females: an 80-yearold and a 72-year-old from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); and a 40-yearold from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

They all died while receiving care at the respective medical facilities, raising May’s deaths from the virus to 39. For the week, 13 persons lost their lives to the novel disease.

New cases

Meanwhile, another 180 positives were also confirmed from 1053 tests. As such, the total confirmed cases moved up to 15,168.

In the facilities, 16 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, 106 in institutional isolation, 1822 in home isolation and 10 in institutional quarantine.

Active cases are at 1938

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

while 12,889 persons have completely recovered. To date, 136,112 individuals were tested.

The dashboard has pointed to an increase of cases across all regions; with four new positives in Region One (Barima-Waini); six in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 30 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 98 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); 20 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); two

in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); five in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 12 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has notified that if positive cases are detected at workplaces, the companies should reach out to the regional task force so that the situation can be contained.

“In every region, we have a Regional Health Officer and in each of those regions, they also have a regional COVID task force.

In whatever region you’re operating in, what you need to do is contact either the Regional Health Officer or anyone from the regional task force and they would be able to guide you,” he shared during the latest coronavirus briefing.

He advised that the Regional Health Officer would be able make arrangements in a timely manner. If someone was exposed, the quarantine protocol would be implemented to prevent a spread.

Thereafter, they will be tested.

“If they test positive, then we would have to isolate and to get all that person’s contacts so that we can reduce the spread of the infection. Each one of the regional teams by now would have good experience in managing these things.

We continue to use the two options that are available to us; that is if you’re positive, you can use the option of isolating at home or one of our institutional isolation facilities.”

Vaccine hesitancy

He had notified earlier in the week that more outreaches are organised for this weekend, so as to increase the vaccination numbers. Regions Eight and 10 are still facing vaccine hesitancy, causing officials to reach out to these communities.

“We will be doing a lot more outreach work this weekend. I know the teams in the different regions have been planning outreaches so over the weekend, there will be many more sites. On average, we’re hoping to operate

close to 100 sites. People on the weekends have a little more time so perhaps we’ll see a better uptake,” the Minister had stated.

In the Americas, there are over 65.5 million detected cases and over 1.5 million deaths.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

Misinformation

On another issue, the Health Ministry on Saturday rejected claims that a Region Six woman died after taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

Labelling the information pedalled as “mischievous and unsubstantiated”, the statement clarified that the woman took the vaccine on April 17 at the Skeldon Hospital and was due to return for her second dose on May 19, 2021.

“The Ministry wishes to clarify that there is no evidence that her death is linked to the COVID-19 vaccine…The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, encourages everyone 18 years and older to visit a vaccination site in their community and get vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 disease.

The Ministry wishes to reiterate that the COVID-19 vaccines being administered are safe and effective,” the statement added.

Over 160,000 persons have since taken the vaccine, and there has been no reported complications or deaths. (G12)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, May 16 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Monday, May 17 – 09:00h – 10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, May 16 – 06:15h – 07:45h and Monday, May 17 – 07:00h – 08:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunny intervals during the day. Expect light rain showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 06:52h and 17:27h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.32 metres.

Low Tide: 12:57h reaching a minimum height of 0.72 metre.

Election riggers will be held accountable – GECOM Commissioner

…slams GHRA for silence on rig attempt, but sudden rebirth to criticise IRI

O

ver a year has passed since the tumultuous March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and with several Guyana Elections Commission officials before the courts, GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj urged patience and remains hopeful that all who were complicit will face justice.

During an appearance on a “Let’s Talk Politics” show, Gunraj was hopeful that those complicit in election rigging will face justice. He also spoke about the expected political fallout for the main Opposition party – APNU/AFC – noting that the people are becoming more politically aware.

“A significant part of the electorate has already woken up…but wait. It will happen.

As night follows day, it will happen. So be patient. The last time I admonished the same thing. Patience. The people are obviously waking up.

And I would hope that persons are held accountable in a more meaningful manner than that which I just spoke about.”

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The Commissioner also threw his support behind the International Republican Institute (IRI), in Guyana to do electoral reform with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The IRI is currently working on a project to strengthen the capacity of GECOM and the Attorney General’s Chambers, to lay the groundwork as it relates to electoral reform. The 18-month project is being supported by the US Department of State.

Gunraj pushed back at the Guyana Human Rights Association among others, which has criticised the IRI project and has urged the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to do the reforms.

He pointed out the association’s silence during last year’s struggle for democracy.

“The Guyana Human Rights Association, in the face of such horrible atrocities a year ago, failed or neglected to even utter a single word. Issue a single statement. Take any stance upon the trampling of democracy,” Gunraj said.

The IRI has experience with Guyana, having supplied technical experts to GECOM to assist in the run up to last year’s elections. They come now at a time when Guyana is sorely in need of constitutional, and more so electoral reform following last year’s March elections, which led to a five-month tumultuous impasse.

Only recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali reassured that constitutional and electoral reforms are still a top priority for his Administration. He noted that work is already ongoing on both fronts.

Reforms critical

During a press conference last month, the Head of State, in response to a question from Guyana Times, contended that

those reforms are “indeed critical.” According to President Ali, there is a lot of work currently ongoing regarding electoral reform.

“A lot of international agencies are in discussions with both GECOM and the

Earlier this month, a group of labour unions, leaders and ordinary workers had joined forces to establish the “Labour for Electoral Reform” – a body focusing on championing the need for electoral reform in Guyana.

“The Guyana Human Rights Association, in the face of such horrible atrocities a year ago, failed or neglected to even utter a single word, issue a single statement, take any stance upon the trampling of democracy,” – GECOM Commissioner different stakeholders. But, more importantly, we, as a people, have to start the discussion on electoral reform, but that is high on the agenda. Also important on that agenda is the strengthening of GECOM and the internal reform of GECOM itself. So that we can have the best professionals in there managing and running an election,” the President had posited.

The Labour for Electoral Reform will be led by General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), Carvil Duncan, and its Secretary is General Secretary of the

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Aslim Singh.

Speaking with this newspaper recently, Singh had explained that the entity is hoping to engage more with workers on their concerns and views on electoral reform.

Singh further pointed out that the new body is hoping to meet with the IRI. (G3)

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 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

Social COVID-19 vaccine I

ndian PM Narendra Modi has taken a lot of flak in the last month for the tsunami of COVID-19 infections and deaths that have undoubtedly overwhelmed India’s health system presently. While India’s numbers are still far below those of the much more developed USA, with its very advanced and pervasive health system, it is interesting that Modi had been heavily criticised for implementing one of the most draconian lockdowns in the early phase of the pandemic, yet he is now pilloried for not repeating the exercise.

In next door Trinidad, PM Keith Rowley was praised by many for that country’s strict lockdown policy, and the Guyana Government was - and still is - criticised for allegedly “lax” initiatives in this area. Trinidad’s lower numbers of infection and fatality had seemed to have validated Rowley’s decision - until this last week. Suddenly, just as in India, the numbers of infection and death in that country started to go off the charts. The causes for this phenomenon have still not been identified conclusively, as, for instance, in India, where a specific mutant variant of the virus has been shown to be much more contagious and deadlier that the original virus. In Trinidad, it is now alleged that while the Government might have plugged one avenue for introducing the virus at the airports, the less vigorous policing of their “Venezuelan” waters had left another open.

For us in Guyana, where we are witnessing a seemingly inexorable rise in deaths and infections, our authorities are stressing the vaccination programme that would supposedly lead to “herd immunity” when we have vaccinated 80% of our population. And “vaccination” in this usage means the two recommended shots. But, as we know, there are still some ambiguities that will pose challenges to our populace. The most significant of these will be the constantly mutating nature of the virus, of which one of the other strains might be immune to the present vaccines. For instance, we know for sure that the South African variant is not responsive to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is one of our major weapons. Then, again, even though we have instituted a screening process at our airports, this is based of detecting symptoms such as an elevated temperature and coughing. But we know that a significant number of infected persons are non-symptomatic. And there are our porous borders with Brazil and Venezuela.

Since we cannot throw up our hands, what then can we do? Ironically, the “solution” was proposed by PM Modi as far back as in September 2020, when the world was awaiting the first COVID-19 vaccine. He called it the “social vaccine”. The theory behind the “social vaccine” is simple and is based on the irrefutable fact that the COVID-19 virus can be physically transmitted only from infected persons.

And very early on, we were told that this was predominantly in the form of “aerosols” formed from our saliva when we speak or exhale in the presence of others who are less than six feet away. The wearing of close-fitting, specificallydesignated masks and maintaining social distancing were recommended to prevent this form of transmission.

Initially, we were also told that when the aerosols containing viruses landed on surfaces, individuals touching those surfaces and touching their mouths, noses or eyes could become infected. We were advised to wash our hands thoroughly with soap or hand sanitizers after touching surfaces in public. We should also avoid greeting each other with handshakes. All these social precautions, if followed diligently, would prevent the transmission of the virus and bring the pandemic to a halt. And it is clear that this is possible, since China and the Far Eastern countries have halted the spread of the virus without achieving 80% vaccinations and “herd immunity”. When a COVID-19 infection is detected, meticulous “contact tracing” and isolating are necessary to nip its spread.

In Guyana, as we move towards achieving vaccination herd immunity, the authorities must vigorously implement “social vaccination” through public information programmes and sanctions for violating the social protocols.

GOAL can position you on the highway to a secure future: Public Affairs Minister Kwame McCoy explaining the application process to these scholarship applicants at the Kuru Kururu Primary School on Friday

Let’s have electoral reforms now Dear Editor, The call for electoral reform in Guyana could not be more imperative, given the plethora of internal and other issues that contributed to the almost derailed March 2020 General & Regional Elections.

As the administrator of our elections, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ought to play a pivotal role in advancing the necessary reforms. However, there is a sense of ongoing pussy-footing that raises serious concerns for Guyana, as a democratic nation. With GECOM being the recipient of election reports from internal and external sources, the institution is obviously well positioned to make public numerous recommendations. Although it is clear that GECOM has lost much face and confidence of the Guyanese people, the nation is yet to see any definitive action to suggest proactive correction is taking place.

The laid-back approach advances a “wait and see who will make the most noise” attitude in the face of the existence of overwhelming evidence of this necessity.

The way forward clearly must be driven by the focal ideals of efficiently and transparently delivering free and fair election results at all times. It is recognised that much of the challenges to this come from the continuous filibustering approach of some in the Commission itself, who have been biasedly self-serving to the PNC-R party, contrary to their constitutional obligations.

However, all are aware that the current construct of the Commission allows the Chairwoman a casting vote, which MUST be used to rationally address the means to GECOM’s readiness.

The logical question therefore is: Why was the recent GECOM meeting aborted? The Commission must assert itself and get down to serious and urgent work. It is known that the International Republican Institute (IRI), after consultations with the Attorney General, representing the Government, and the Leader of the Opposition, was scheduled to make a presentation to GECOM Chairman and Commissioners on the proposed Electoral Reforms that are desperately needed for GECOM to hold free and fair elections.

Is the Commission still bending backwards to the whims and fancies of the PNC directors? Certainly, this pussy-footing by the Commission must stop.

It is a known fact that representatives of the PNC-R, who largely stood to benefit from the March 2020 thievery attempts, would not want to proceed with these reforms. The obvious reason is that the current structure favours their unprincipled approach, and allows the continued skullduggery.

The PNC-R representatives have long been very vocal about the need to keep the current status quo. The Demerara Waves article: “APNU+AFC cautious about electoral reforms that may further politicise GECOM”,

published on Sunday, October 20, 2020, reports PNC-R Executive Mr. Norton as saying that “the coalition would not “rush” into electoral reforms that could risk handing over the electoral machinery to political operatives who are disguised as civil society.

What Mr. Norton and the PNC never wanted is the levelling of the playing field.

Vincent Alexander, on the other hand, has led all of the disruptive, suffocating manoeuvres in the Commission. He is a wellknown ‘obstructionist’ and vindictive PNC discard who continues to try to make himself relevant. His track record confirms removal as the Chairman of the Young Socialist Movement, and also the Regional Executive Officer by President Desmond Hoyte, before being kicked out of the PNC. Further, he was removed from Parliament, and was described as an obstructionist in the Ministry of Education.

After the passing of the No-Confidence Motion on the night of 21st December 2018, Alexander’s clandestine manoeuvres and skullduggery were taken to a heightened level to postpone the National and Regional Elections. He raised ID card issues and tried vainly to defend the continuance of the illegal house-to-house registration. Further, he supported the manipulation of activities related to the staff selection, but eventually, all his ill-fated efforts were thwarted.

At the Commission’s meeting last Tuesday, he again demonstrated tremendous fear of Electoral Reforms and concocted representation which prevented the Commission from getting the most valued information on the way forward from the IRI. His frivolous objections led to the frustration of the meeting. However, it must be noted that the IRI had already held fruitful meetings with the Attorney General and the Leader of the Opposition and his team.

It is recalled that the same Alexander played a big role in the frustration of the ‘Special Task Force’ that was set up after the 1994 Local Government Elections to introduce Local Government Reforms.

Local Government Elections (LGEs) are due this year, and GECOM has been allocated enough money to fund these Elections.

Hence, while we are looking at electoral reforms, it is imperative that GECOM immediately remove the “Riggers” and prepare to hold the LGEs this year.

There cannot be anything so disastrously wrong to prevent the holding of these elections mere months after the National and Regional Elections were held. In operationalising its SoPs, there must be a period of continuous registration, followed by the necessary claims and objections period to update the National Register of Registrants (NRR) and be ready for the 2021 LGEs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

5

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PPP/C moving ahead with progressive plans Dear Editor, One of the things that make them successful as a party and Government is the fact that the PPP/C have a workforce that is well qualified, well equipped, is brimming with ideas, and are willing and able to move this country forward.

Team PPP/C is a driving force of development and progressive thinkers, always coming up with plans and projections for the futuristic good of this nation; and for this, the people of this country have given them the mandate.

It is a sacred trust given to the party, which they cannot - and I repeat: they cannot - deceive the people. No one can deny this fact: that, in nine short months, so much has been done in this country that the 5 years 5 months of the PNC pales into oblivion.

So, no amount of pining by the Opposition would

help their cause.

But I am not here to run a comparison between the two political parties; because, quite frankly, there is none. So I shall forge ahead with what I want to discuss today. Our discussion again centres around the use of our forests and the Norway Fund.

Now, you would recognise that the world is in a quandary as we grapple with the crisis situation of global warming. Along with this fact, we are looking for a suitable solution to the crisis. One of the ways to solve it is the use of our forests to arrest the suffocating influence of carbon emissions. To this end, there is renewed interest in areas of large tracts of forest, where the trees would act as carbon sinks for the escalating carbon emission.

The Amazon Region, of which Guyana is a part, has large tracts of pristine forest which can be utilised

for such purposes; hence this country became the focal point of the Norwegians.

Norway thereby set up a fund with a healthy monetary sum to go with such a programme.

In exchange for the preservation of a carbon sink here, the Government of Guyana under Jagdeo placed a million acres of our forest for the said purpose. In addition to that, he came up with the superb plan of the Amaila HEP Project, which is another area in which we can generate clean energy and save our planet. This was readily accepted by the world at large, who later conferred on Jagdeo the title of Champion of the Earth and an honorary doctorate degree.

So, in short, Guyana became the recipient of some US$230M for its forests and a world class hydroelectric programme.

But the incoming PNC

Administration of 2015 had other plans, as they discredited and discarded the Amaila Falls HEP. Theirs was the misconceived idea that the Norway Fund was just a blank cheque into which they could delve without keeping the accompanying hydro project.

That was not going to happen. So, when they realised that they were not going to be able to tap into the fund without the requisite clean energy hydro programme, they redoubled their efforts by making an even more gratuitous proposal, by giving up more of our forest, this time putting up another 1 million acres for carbon emission purposes.

But even this did not catch the attention of the Norwegians, as they in turn saw a Government who were unsure and unsound in their approach, totally out of sync with the real issues of low carbon emission.

In this regard, Norway held

More COVID-19 enforcers needed Dear Editor, I wish to take this opportunity to recognise the Government of Guyana, particularly the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, and all other Ministries and Ministers for their admirable and splendid efforts in attempting to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our country.

Unfortunately, since the emergence of this awful disease, we have seen the loss of tens of thousands of lives, particularly in countries like India and Brazil, where the daily death toll is heartbreakingly staggering. Even in Guyana, our rate of infection is quite alarming, given the ratio per capita.

It is unfortunate that, despite the infection numbers rising across the globe, there are those who simply ignore it. For those of us who are mindful of the gravity of this terrible epidemic, I take this opportunity to remind those who are indifferent about this horrific disease that it has the ability to decimate mankind in the same manner that a

hostile alien invader invades a body and kills the host as it travels from person to person.

When the COVID-19 virus mutates, it poses an even more serious threat. Many people are unaware that they may be asymptomatic, and therefore transmit the disease. The challenges we encounter in persuading the indifferent minds are understandable. However, if we are to put an end to this, we must instill more discipline in the people by establishing and applying tougher rules and regulations.

I believe that impromptu raids are necessary to ensure that procedures are observed.

Further, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the Government of Guyana to appoint or consider appointing COVID-19 “enforcers/counsellors” comprising of high school students, business people, other professionals, university students, and even members of the public. These enforcers/counsellors, who volunteer their time, can be appointed to be on the lookout for those who violate the COVID-19 protocols and regulations. They can warn them, show them pictures of the stockade, and

Let’s have electoral...

It is of note that the PNC cabals prevented the Carter Center from coming to Guyana to witness the Recount Process, and is also trying through their operatives to condemn any agency of repute that would lend to fairness in the reforms.

The Guyana Human Rights Association, which could not find its voice during the relentless attempt to change the results of the election, is now making recommendations. It is important to recognise

FROM PAGE 4

that changes to the associated legislation would, in many instances, require a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

The PNC are fully aware that they were humiliated at the last two LGEs which were held when they were in power, and it would be more difficult for the PNC to win votes at the upcoming LGEs. Let’s have the electoral reforms now!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

if they do not comply, then off they go to the stockade. If people in Guyana who break these rules see this as a scare, they may probably adhere to the COVID-19 protocols more. We need to create such enforcer/ counsellor teams from Berbice to Essequibo, from the West Coast of Demerara to the West Bank of Demerara; to all interior areas, etc. These enforcers/counsellors can be given an ID card and certificate appointing and recognizing them for their voluntary work in the aid of Guyana’s development and growth during this difficult time. This certificate of recognition can even be used as a form of patriotic motivation, and which can be produced in a future time to get certain benefits for their

personal development.

I also wish to recommend to the Government of Guyana to accept the Antigen test upon entry to Guyana so as to facilitate travels. Antigens are widely used in the USA and other developed countries. They are even commonly accepted for Guyanese flying to the United States. It simplifies life, and is less costly.

I hope my suggestions are taken into consideration.

I pray that Almighty God heals us from within! I implore all to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and follow the Government’s restrictions and protocols. We will be safe only if everyone else is safe!

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr

fast to its fund, and an entire nation suffered as a result of the backward thinking of the PNC. One can clearly see the Granger Government was only interested in the monetary gains to be had from Norway, and not on any real futuristic plans for sustainable growth and development. This is the real cause for their downfall, and for which cause the PPP/C are light years ahead of them.

Truly, the PNC are their own destruction. You cannot so wantonly put aside a world-renowned major project and expect a progressive

world to agree with you. No, that is not going to happen.

Here we are in 2021, with a new Government with progressive ideas. We are back on sure ground as we get into the implementation stage of the Amaila Falls HEP as well as the fulfillment of the long-term Low Carbon Strategy. I am sure of our plans, and sure of where we are headed. We will get all our plans accomplished as this country moves forward in a progressive mode.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

6 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GIPEX goes virtual for 2021

T

he 3rd Annual Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) will be returning this year, from June 2830 via a virtual platform hosted jointly by Valiant Business Media (VBM) and the Natural Resources Ministry with support from the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).

GIPEX 2021, which is being organised by Valiant

Business Media (VBM), will comprise a virtual conference and exhibition and include private breakout rooms; facility for one-on-one virtual meetings; integrated chat and video conferencing, and the virtual exchange of business cards and brochures.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat in a statement said the Ministry is pleased to be hosting the event jointly with VBM. “GIPEX remains our larg-

est oil and gas conference and exhibition, providing a great opportunity for all stakeholders to convene in order to discover opportunities; be updated on the latest developments; network; establish business contacts and discuss opportunities and developments within the oil and gas sector in Guyana,” the Minister said.

He added, “This year we would like to put more focus on the advancement of local content and are looking

forward to facilitating maximum participation of the indigenous companies, the small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the startups in addition to international companies interested in exploring tremendous opportunities in our oil and gas sector.”

The exhibition will allow participants to interact closely with peers across the globe and conduct business, generate qualified leads and gauge instant market reaction with real-time engagement metrics.

The conference will include presentations and panel discussions giving insights on the latest trends and techniques in the industry as well as prevalent challenges and solutions to tackle business disruptions caused by the pandemic; and the implication of COVID-19 on the global oil and gas supply chain. In addition, leading experts in the market will field participants’ questions on the industry.

Chief Executive Officer of VBM, Shariq AbdulHai said the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the organisers’ decision to hold a virtual version of GIPEX before returning to in-person events. However, he anticipates that the benefits of participating will be equivalent to what was offered during the physical events and even more.

Speakers at GIPEX 2021 will include Guyana’s Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat; Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond; Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal; President of the GMSA, Rafeek Khan; President and Chief Executive Officer of Saipem, Giorgio Martelli; Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin; President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana, Zulfikar Ally; Chairman of the International Association of Drilling Contractors, Carlos Ortiz Rigeur, and many other industry experts.

Chinese nationals charged for entering Guyana illegally

T

wo Chinese nationals were arrested and charged for entering Guyana illegally.

Li Yixian, 59, and Qiu Fengye, 47, were arrested and charged on Friday for their illegal entry into Guyana.

They appeared at the No 51 Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alex Moore where they pleaded guilty and were fined $15,000 each.

Failure to pay the fine will result in them serving two weeks’ imprisonment.

They were later handed over to the Immigration Department.

OUR BIODIVERSITY AND COVID-19

I

nternational Biodiversity Day will be celebrated on May 22. This year, 2021, the observance will be celebrated under the theme “We’re part of the solution” - a continuation from last year’s (2020) theme of “Our solutions are in nature”. Both themes remind us that biodiversity still remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges.

What is biodiversity?

According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area: the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even micro-organisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. These species and organisms work together in ecosystems like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.

Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.

Biodiversity and COVID-19 As the 2021 theme suggests, we are an integral part of the solution, so our interaction with the environment can result in either negative or positive impacts. Additionally, with the upsurge in cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), which is now a pandemic, a correlation can be drawn between the status of our biodiversity and the prevalence of strains of viruses. Research has shown that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses - diseases transmitted from animals to humans - while, on the other hand, if we keep biodiversity intact, it offers excellent tools to fight against pandemics like those caused by coronaviruses.

The global projection is that approximately one billion cases of illness and millions of deaths would occur yearly from diseases caused by coronaviruses; and about 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, meaning that they are transmitted to people by animals. Could it be that nature is sending us a message?

Because of human actions, which include deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, intensified agriculture, and acceleration of climate change, the delicate balance of nature is upset.

By our actions, we have changed the system that would naturally protect us, and have created conditions that allow particular pathogens – including coronaviruses – to spread. While the trends posited above are of global concern, and Guyana has not been spared the pandemic, we have much to be thankful for in Guyana, since our rich biodiversity and ecosystems are still among the best in the world.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the National Focal Point (NFP) for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and its related protocols, viz. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

The National Biodiversity Strategic and Action Plan (2012-2020) is an important document that allows stakeholders to identify how they may contribute to, and support, Guyana in meeting its national biodiversity vision while simultaneously meeting its obligations to the UNCBD. As the 2021 horizon looms, the process for the post-2020 biodiversity framework has commenced with global consultations. This provides Guyana with a timely opportunity to propose novel ideas in supporting global sustainability efforts. The EPA, and by extension Guyana, remains committed to helping Guyana meet the obligations of the UNCBD. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, 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.

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8 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Suspected bandit shot by cop

A

suspected bandit has been shot by a cop who gave chase following an attempted robbery.

Reports are that at about 21:15h on Thursday, Police received a call from an overseas-based female Guyanese, saying that her family at No 11 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), were being approached by two armed male suspects, who had scaled their fence.

Ranks of the Fort Wellington Police Station reported that at the time the woman and her family members were in their yard socialising when they observed that a male had jumped into their backyard while another tried to jump into the yard from another fence.

Police responded promptly and on arrival at the

scene, they were informed that the two men made good their escape.

However, at about 22:34h, ranks on patrol received a call from one of the victims informing them that both men had returned and attempted to gain entry into the yard for a second time, and they managed to apprehend one of the suspects.

The suspect was handed over to the Police along with

a metal pipe he had in his possession.

Further intelligence received led ranks to the other suspect. Upon their arrival, a male was seen running into a yard, and the Police gave chase.

The suspect, realising he was cornered, turned around and began advancing menacingly towards a rank with a then unknown weapon, Police said.

A shot was discharged in his direction, and the suspect turned around and attempted to scale the fence of the yard. He was subsequently apprehended.

Police upon investigating found that the weapon the man had in his possession was a piece of wood measuring about two feet with several nails to one end. He was escorted to the Police vehicle where blood was seen coming from the left side of his body.

He was later taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor and admitted a patient in a stable condition, under Police guard.

The wood was lodged along with a firearm, ammunition and spent cartridge.

Investigations are ongoing.

Limbjumping…

W

…on Electoral Reform ell, well, well, whad’ya know? The IRI’s back in town, and the PNC and its myrmidons have their knickers and bucktas all in a knot!! Wasn’t it the same outfit working to “bring democracy” to Guyana that precipitated the “feral blast” from the PPP camp back in 2014? To wit: Blue Caps and Red Caps and Vote like a Boss campaigns, to mention just what was in the public space?

Who knows what went on behind closed doors?!

The last elections hadn’t even been completed meaning the PNC’s rigging wasn’t yet stymied - when most of the external observers - invited in by the PNC Government - recommended there must be - at a minimum - “electoral reform”. Those observers included Caricom, the EU, the Carter Center, the US and the UK. At that time, the PPP assured one and all that they’d definitely put that subject high up on their list of “to dos”. And they did when they took office on Aug 2, 2020, declaring they’d accept all the help they can get. Canada then stepped up to the crease. And now the IRI. Well, who told them to do that!? The PNC immediately said to the IRI rep, at a meeting they demanded, that they weren’t consulted! While not rejecting the organisation’s involvement, they launched into a tirade as to their bona fides by scoffing at their Republican Trustees’ allegedly “suppressing voters” in the American South. They implied this is what’s gonna happen here with PNC voters to help the PPP remain in office.

Ironically, in view of the IRI’s post-2011 involvement in Guyana and the regime change in 2015, Harmon claimed the IRI doesn’t understand the nuances of Guyana’s politics!

Harmon took along Amanza Walton-Desir to presumably explain her theory on Guyanese voters’ participation to the IRI team. To wit, that PPP supporters are “mentally lazy” and not seized by the demands of democracy, as were the PNC supporters! If there is any fixing to be done, then it should be to not allow these mentally lazy creatures to get their hands on the levers of power.

Then, sharply following on Harmon’s heels, came the usual suspects, the GHRA and ACDA, taking an even harder line. The GHRA insisted that the IRI wasn’t needed, and Caricom was a better interlocutor. Seems they forgot the PNC’s rejection of that body following the last elections!!

ACDA was convinced that the IRI would work to exclude African- Guyanese from sharing in the oil wealth. Never mind that the IRI folks assured them they’d be consulting with the widest range of “civil society organisations” and individuals as is humanly possible.

But the PNC wouldn’t accept anything else than changes that would put them back in power, would they?

…on producing SOPs When it comes to elections, the PNC really believe they’re “the smartest of them all!” Take our Statements of Polls (SOPs). After a long and bruising battle, Guyanese won the right for their votes to be counted at the place of poll, rather than at Camp Ayanganna by the Army.

Everyone figured that, once that was done, it was just a mechanical task to tally the SOPs and identify the party with the highest number of votes. Simple, eh?

Well, not really. The SOPs have to be tabulated at the ten Regional Offices - under the direction of ten Returning Officers (ROs). And in the last elections, this is where the PNC headed off the count at the Reg 4 pass! But copies had been sent to GECOM c/o its CEO. And this could be used to stymie any hanky-panky, no?

NO! Not when the CEO refuses to show them.

Let’s see if the courts would allow him to treat the SOPs as his private property!! …and development It isn’t that your Eyewitness thinks we shouldn’t respect our environment as we try to lift ourselves out of poverty.

But we gotta draw the line somewhere, don’t we?

Or do we want to remain in the Stone Age? Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana wins plaudits in US Report on religious freedom …says Govt continues to promote religious tolerance & diversity

Was WaltonDesir racist?

I

have held off to date from commenting on the remarks of Ms Walton-Desir that HAVE precipitated such a heated debate on race and racism in Guyana. On a social media discussion with David Hinds, attempting to explain voter behaviour in Guyana, Ms Desir divided them into “PPP voters and PNC voters”. After the storm erupted, Ms Desir asserted that she never spoke about “Indian and African Guyanese”.

While she did not do so explicitly, even if Ms Desir were not an attorney who studied defamation, she knows that if ordinary Ravi Dev Guyanese listening to her could identify who she was referring to, then it’s rather disingenuous to sustain her denial. So, let’s move on.

What did Ms Desir say? Pertinently, that PPP voters are “a bunch of mentally lazy people” for whom “the burden of sorting things out for themselves is too great” and they remain “trapped and in bondage”. “Contrastingly” she asserted, “supporters of the PNC are far more inquisitive, and enquiring and who have a greater appreciation of the democratic process.” The question, therefore, is whether this statement is “racist”? It certainly is, since, at a minimum, it attributes an impaired mode of thinking to a whole group of people based on their race (Indian-Guyanese). In contrasting this racial group with another racial group, African-Guyanese, whom she claims are superior in their thinking process, Ms Desir removes all doubt as to the import of her statement about Indian-Guyanese. It was, and is, racist.

The irony is that Ms Desir’s evaluation of IndianGuyanese voting behaviour is a rather inelegant statement of what political scientists have discovered as far back as the 1960s - but applying to all voters. Using research drawn from psychology on the limits of rationality when applied in everyday decision making, they came up with the notion of “bounded rationality” and the use of “heuristics” or shortcuts in voter decision-making. They explicitly explained that it had nothing to do with being stupid or “mentally lazy” as Ms Desir proposed. Back in the 1990s, Prof Michael Dyson used the concept as the “Black Utility Heuristic” to explain Black Americans’ voting patterns. He postulated that the heuristic was related to their knowledge of their condition, and one of the elements of their heuristic was the acknowledgement of a “linked fate” as a group. From this perspective, their behaviour was quite rational. These are matters I have written on extensively over the years to explain Guyanese voting by the major ethnic groups.

All Guyanese, being humans, utilise heuristics to make decisions in politics and in life. I have proposed that because of their lived experience, which had sedimented to make them perceive their linked fates ethnically, the structural bases of the heuristic for the major ethnic groups are their “Ethnic Security Dilemmas”. And the “knowledge” that actuates them is embodied in the narratives each group have about themselves and other groups. Ms Desir was merely regurgitating the heuristics from her “ethnic group’s” narrative. As I wrote to Vincent Alexander a few months ago in our discussion on the subject, African-Guyanese stressed their “earlier westernization”, of which Ms Desir’s rationality and democracy are integral elements.

I continued that “The Indian-Guyanese narrative, on the other hand, proposed that they saved the sugar industry – and hence Guyana as a viable entity – since a peasant economy could not generate the funds necessary to maintain the hydraulics”. That they remained rural bound to accomplish this task and away from “westernization” longer allowed African Guyanese to inflict epistemic violence on them with the claim that they were “mentally lazy” and “not rational” So yes, Ms Desir was being racist in her explanation some claim, not intentionally so. I agree, yet she uttered words that made an entire group of fellow Guyanese feel insulted, her intention does not matter. And in fact, it is privileging her as the perpetrator of the racist statement to make that exculpatory argument rather than focusing on the feelings of the persons who have been harmed.

I conclude with what I had told Vincent: “notwithstanding our several ethnic orientations and truths, we have to craft a common narrative that infuses a Civic Guyanese nationalism to deliver justice and equity through its institutions to all Guyanese.”

We must be careful with our words in Guyana; they have consequences.

G

uyana has won plaudits in the United States’ (US) latest report on religious freedom, which quoted religious leaders as saying that the Guyana Government has been consistent in trying to promote religious tolerance and diversity.

According to the report, the Government has presided over a pluralistic society where the three denominations, Christians, Muslims and Hindus, live in relative harmony. Additionally, it was noted that the Constitution itself provides for freedom of religion and worship, including the right to choose and change one’s religion.

Another observation of the report is the schooling system, which it noted features no religious education in public schools even if the school is religious affiliated. However, there are different rules for private religious schools.

“There are both public and private religiously affiliated schools. Private schools are

operated entirely by private groups and are not funded by the State. All students attending private religious schools must participate in religious education, regardless of a student’s religious beliefs,” the report said.

Meanwhile, it was further observed that the Government itself has interactions with all religious faiths. Reference was made to December, when Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports Charles Ramson said he was focused on ensuring public observances of national holidays were religiously diverse, while having members of different religious groups participate actively in

national celebrations.

“He also said he was committed to holding a dialogue with all religious organizations to better understand their needs and concerns.

Government representatives continued to meet with leaders of various religious groups to promote social cohesion and discuss tolerance of diversity, including Muslim, Hindu, and Christian groups.”

“Government officials also participated regularly in the observance of Christian, Hindu, and Islamic religious holidays throughout the year.

The Government continued to declare some holy days of the country’s three major religious groups, including Eid al-Adha, Holi, Easter, and Diwali, as national holidays,” the report said.

Mention was also made of the representatives of the Rastafarian community, who continued to complain that a law criminalising the possession of marijuana infringed on their religious practices. It

is something that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has made significant progress in addressing since coming to power last year.

“In September, at an interfaith roundtable, a representative of the council said the group would be advocating with the newly installed Government to decriminalise marijuana possession for religious purposes. The council also asked for international support to lobby the Government,” the report said.

“In December, the Cabinet approved a decision to amend the law to remove custodial sentencing for small amounts of marijuana. It also said it was deliberating on the quantity that would not mandate custodial sentencing.”

During a press conference last year, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had said the removal of custodial sentencing for small amounts of marijuana is a manifesto promise the PPP/C Administration intends to keep. (G3)

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FEATURE

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Guyana Times Berbice correspondent Andrew Carmichael interviewing Yonelle Lewis

By Andrew Carmichael

V

iolence against women is one of the issues that has reached an epidemic level in Guyana.

Though there are efforts to have that addressed, it seems as though every time we take a step forward, we get pulled four steps back.

The battle is constant and relentless.

The United Nations estimates that almost one in three women have been subjected to some form of violence in their life. The major perpetrator of the violence is quite often their intimate partners, ex-husbands or boyfriends.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and limited moving around, women still living with abusive partners are even more at risk of being abused.

Abuse not only affects the direct victim but also

those around them, especially if there are children around.

In Guyana, violence against women is forever on the table and there are numerous interventions but the it seems as though we are yet to even begin curbing it. Women are constantly being killed or maimed and it is true that the reported numbers far exceed the reality.

The Sunday Times recently sat down with mother of three and domestic violence survivor, 42-year-old Yonelle Lewis who shared her story with us.

Lewis is now dependent on friends for food and other essentials after walking out of an abusive relationship with her three children. She left after she was hospitalised from some of the physical abuse meted out to her.

Abuse is not a notion that is foreign to Lewis be-

cause it has been something she experienced from her early days. Her parents were the first perpetrators of violence against her. She was the eldest child, which meant a lot of the responsibilities fell on her and when she fell short, it was hell.

Her other siblings did not suffer the same fate since they received much love and caring from her parents. They were spared the rod, she was not.

“I was abused from a very early age by my mother and father then I got married at the age of 17 years because my mother said I was too much for her to handle. As a child coming up, I was the Cinderella girl. I had to do everything. I had to do all of the work and then if I don’t do it, I will get licks. At one point my mother even chopped me because of not finishing what I was supposed to have finished in

time,” she related.

While this may sound familiar to a lot of people, to a lesser extent, it does not mean that it should be normal. Those experiences have shaped Lewis’s outlook of life and she thought that the abuse was normal.

When she got married at the age of 17, the then young woman thought that she was leaving the abuse behind but little did she know, life was going to deal her another wrong hand.

After getting married, she realised that the events in her life were familiar to what she thought she left behind.

She had to be cooking and cleaning for her inlaws.

“I got married but that became another challenge because I have to deal with him, his mother and sisters.”

Her husband was not providing financially for her and was seldom at home.

“Sometimes I see him only at night and when he comes, he only wants sex.”

She explained that the marriage got to a point where they only had sexual intercourse if her husband paid her for it.

“Because he wasn’t giving me money and that was the only way I could get money and could eat. I went months without eating proper meals,” the woman revealed.

That marriage lasted for seven years and resulted in

one child.

After she left that marriage, Lewis had no job and no means of providing for her child since the father was not doing so. She needed someone to depend on and that was when another man stepped in. Initially, things were going well in that relationship and she thought that she was now in a place where she could be happy and not face constant beatings, taunting and deprivation of basic necessities.

“After 7 years of living in hell, I left that relationship and I got involved in other relationships which did not work out well because he was also abusive to me.”

That second relationship resulted in another child but ended after her partner started using illegal drugs and had a mental breakdown.

She subsequently left and went back to her father, who was living with her new stepmother. There, she was advised to reunite with her husband and acted on the advice, but it did not work out.

Again, the then mother of two, found herself entangled with a new lover. Lewis said she remained single for four years but after experiencing some medical problems, she was advised by her doctor to have a partner. Acting on the doctor’s advice, Lewis met a man who later sent her to the hospital with a broken jaw.

Quite a large number of relationships start on Valentine’s Day, but Lewis said hers ended on Valentine’s Day. “I ended up in the present relationship I was in from 2015, but we started living together four years ago until he started hitting me. It was twice and the recent encounter left me with a fractured jawline.”

She was hospitalised for a week and moved out two days after.

However, she never filed a Police report because she “didn’t want a story.”

“I was ashamed that if this gets out it would cause problems for me and the kids because I was still living with him. But when I came out of hospital there was another woman in the house. So, I spoke with my friend and I left knowing there is no turning back. So, I am encouraging women not to accept violence of any form from a spouse.

“There is help for them.

Just like I came out of it, they can also come out of it.

There are people that they can reach out to, they just need to take the first step,” Lewis advised.

She is currently being supported by friends.

“Had it not been for them, I might be on the streets. One friend is paying my rent presently and I am looking to do something on my own as a woman. I want to take care of my own kids.”

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen Toshao Jason Caitan

By Lakhram Bhagirat

J

ason Caitan came into the spotlight just a few days ago when he was elected Toshao of Shea

Village at just the age of 19.

Shea Village is located just about 100 miles from the township of Lethem in the Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo Region.

It is accessible by dirt road and is approximately 9 miles from the picturesque Kanuku Mountains.

With a population of just over 450 persons, Shea Village is a primarily farm-

ing community and home of the Wapichan tribe.

It held its elections for Toshao on Tuesday and elected Caitan – a simple young man raised by his single mother – to be its leader for the next three years.

Caitan is the third child of teacher Vilma Caitan and lived his entire life in Shea Village. There, he learned the value of community and being together

despite differences. He was educated, until primary, in Shea and then secondary in the village of Aishalton.

“I went to secondary school in Aishalton. I wrote CXC there and I succeeded with 7 subjects. I have 6 brothers and 1 sister and I graduated so now I am back here in my village again helping and leading the people of Shea here,” he said.

In a recent conversation

with the Sunday Times, Caitan spoke about life in Shea and outlined his plans to further develop the village so that the residents can have an enhanced quality of life.

Recounting his childhood, the young Toshao said that growing up in Shea is the best experience one can hope to have. The entire village comes together and cares for each other without expecting anything in return.

However, in spite of being in a village that cared, his mother still struggled to raise him and his siblings.

“It wasn’t an easy task for my mother to raise 7 children in the family. We had challenges growing up and although it wasn’t entirely financial because she is a teacher at the school here there was always others. My brothers attended different schools and it was difficult for her to handle all of her work and then the responsibilities of raising us,” he explained.

The decision to throw his hat in the ring for the leadership of the village was one he did not make easily. Caitan thought about what being Toshao meant and the responsibilities attached to that position.

“I was involved in most of the activities here in the village and most of the people said that you should run for Toshao so they encourage me. I had to make the decision to take that position and it was successful.

It was not an easy task to think about running for the post. I wanted to make sure that I understand everything about what it is about to be Toshao,” he said.

He ran against one of the elders in the village and secured 76 votes.

Caitan is taking over the village at a time when COVID-19 further compli-

cates things but according to him, it is a challenge he is ready to take up. The young man said that thus far, Shea has been COVIDfree and he intends to keep it that way.

“Here we didn’t have any cases so far and we are very happy about that and most of our villagers have taken the COVID vaccines and we are waiting on the second dose. I am very glad that SRDC (South Rupununi District Council) and the organisations are helping with COVID hampers,” he said.

When asked to outline some of the things he and his Council hope to achieve for the three years, Caitan said that first they can put forward plans but the village need to collectively agree on how those plans should be executed.

However, he said that there are some things he hopes to see happening immediately and explained: “For Shea Village, I look at the elderly persons and my plans are to help them immediately. We need to provide what they need because, for example, some of them are unable to [do] hard work because of various reasons and they have no one to help around. They cannot go to the farm or to look for food so we need to focus on helping them and providing them with the things they may need at home. We also need to work on better access to the pension for the pensioners because they need that money as well.

“I looked at the farmers also because all of us here in this village are farmers and we depend on our products to provide a living from that. I looked at the road to the farm, the water and the bridges needed to be put in place.

TURN TO PAGE 16

FEATURE

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By L akhram Bhagirat

C

alisthenics – derived from the Greek works “kalos” which means beauty and “stenos” meaning strength – was developed in ancient Greece.

Men’s Health website says, “calisthenics is a form of fitness which utilises gravity and bodyweight leverage to challenge your fitness level.”

Initially, calisthenics was a method of promoting health in school children but has since transformed into a something that has allowed fitness training for any person.

The method of working out can quite often be miscategorised as gymnastics/acrobatics since they share a lot of similarities.

However, unlike gymnastics, calisthenics can be practiced outdoors and is often dubbed as the “street workout” according to Men’s Health.

“The 2017 study, ‘The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition’, by scientists from the Sport and Exercise Sciences research unit at the University of

Palermo, Italy, found that calisthenics training is an effective training solution to improve posture, strength and body composition without the use of any major training equipment.

The study took 28 men and divided them into two groups. One group practised calisthenics for eight weeks, while the other group continued with their normal workout routines.

After eight weeks, all of the participants underwent a body composition analysis, a postural assessment, a handgrip test and a press-up and pull-up test.

The researchers discovered that the men who trained calisthenics had improved their posture and lowered their fat mass, while the number of press-ups and pull-ups they were able to do had increased, even though their calisthenics training didn’t include these specific exercises. In contrast, the group who continued with their normal training routines didn’t really improve on what they could do before they eight weeks had begun,” Men’s Health wrote in a 2020 report.

With the world in a pandemic at this time and large gatherings advised against, there are numerous persons turning to calisthenics to stay fit.

In Guyana, though, a limited mumber of persons dedicate their workout routines to calisthenics but it was not an uphill task to find one.

If you are an avid social media user then you sure would have come across videos of Veda Kumar Bissoondyal, or “Akash Lee” as he is known, doing extraordinary workouts. His videos are daring and many compare him to martial art actor Jet Li because of the sheer grace and “daredevil-ness” of his moves.

The 22-year-old hails from Vigilance on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and has always had a passion for fitness. At the age of 16, he got into juggling, martial arts and acrobatics.

Like many, he did not just wake up one day and start doing advanced calisthenics. Rather it has been a long and hard journey for him.

TURN TO PAGE 16

16 FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FROM PAGE 15

Veda Kumar Bissoondyal doing one of his workout routines

“For me, some of the techniques was difficult for me but other than that it was easy for me but practice makes perfect. If you like something then you try to do it and that has been how it is for me. I have learned everything for me and it is now fun.

The more I train, the better I get at it. It was fun taking challenges and I got my secret is that before I get anything done is to visualise the technique and go with a positive mindset and do it and get it done. I am more excited to do more difficult techniques so I am never out of training and my growth is not stunted. Calisthenics have allowed me to push my body to its limits,” Bissoondyal said.

The young man trains at least three times per week and incorporates a number of disciplines. He would, from time to time, pull his little brother in on his workouts as well. Bissoondyal hopes to one day open his own gym so that he can impart the knowledge he has gained on his journey to others.

To keep fit, he not only works out his body but also his mind as well. He also maintains a strict vegetarian diet.

“My advice to persons who want to learn calisthenics is to have a positive mindset, discipline, concentrations, inner strength and always be yourself. You have to express yourself, have faith in yourself and work hard to achieve what you want.”

FROM PAGE 14

The Shea Village Council’s Office

We will be clearing out some road to the farms so that farmers can have a proper way of going to the farm because sometimes they have a hard time to get to the farm due to the road or the water being high. We will be clearing out some bushes and putting up bridges as well.”

Toshao Caitan also had some advice for Indigenous youth on taking up leadership roles: “Take up the responsibility to be a leader of yourself first. Attend meetings and workshops that can develop your skills and self confidence and once you are confident in yourself then you can be in a good position to take up those leadership roles.”

FEATURE

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

I

f Guyana awarded its teachers special prizes for going above and beyond for their students then Orissa Sinclair would be a front runner every single year because she is just that invested.

Sinclair, a teacher at the New Amsterdam Special School in Berbice, has been in the profession just about 18 years now and the passion is still there.

The 35-year-old mother of two grew up in Sandvoort Village, West Canje, with her single mother. Her father committed suicide just after she finished writing her Common Entrance Examination.

“From there the challenges grew, it was hard for my mother but she tried her best. My brothers would strip broom and stuff like that to help provide food and passage for us…so just after writing CXC, because of the circumstances I grew up in, I knew that I needed to get a job. I didn’t want to live in poverty all the time and I needed to be able to help my siblings and I also needed a better life for me, so I just started working just out of school,” she said.

She first entered into the teaching world in 2003 when she started at the David Rose Special School in Georgetown and worked there until 2013 when she moved back to Berbice and started at the New Amsterdam Special School.

There, she teaches all subjects in the primary curriculum and is also trained to teach braille to visually impaired students.

When asked about the challenges of executing her duties, Sinclair said that there are many but it is her view that not much resources are being given to the advancement of special needs education.

“Much is not being put

into the special needs arena for me. It desires more.

To teach at a special needs school you have to have patience and you have to put a little bit more into it.

You have to devise a lot of strategies and you have to be open-minded because if you are not open-minded then you will find it difficult. Like communicating and so for me was difficult at first because I didn’t know sign language but now, I don’t practice it much but I can communicate with the children.

Another issue I have is the way people talk about the children or look at them and even you as a teacher working with children, the ‘normal’ people would look at you and think funny of you because you are working with those children. They would actually ask you ‘how you able with them mad children’ and stuff but they don’t know there is a joy working with those kids. They may have a disability but they also have ability and you may be amazed at the things those kids can do. Differently abled does not mean disabled because my students are amazing,” she explained.

Though still an untrained teacher, Sinclair said that she would avail herself to attend all the workshops and training seminars to better position herself to deal specifically with the children in her care.

When asked as to how she communicate with her students during the pandemic, she said: “I use worksheets and because most of the kids in my class they don’t have access to internet so what I do is call them on the landline or cellphone. When the parents pick up the worksheet, I call them, explain to them and let their parents work with them but I check in with them periodically to see how they are coming along.”

Single parent

The reason for Sinclair moving back to Berbice was because she and her husband separated. That left her and her two daughters alone.

However, she explained that while they are separated and the children live with her, her ex-husband would still play his part in supporting them.

Both of her daughters are teenagers and according to her, working and raising them requires a special kind of balance.

“You have to know how to balance. It is very challenging at times but they are at that teenage stage and it is that time that they think they know everything.

I have learnt over the years that there are different ways of parenting your children so what I do now is talk to them,

I mostly talk to them because as a child I didn’t have much people around to talk to. There were lots of people around yes but even though you had a lot of people around there was not a lot of people to understand you or understand what you are going through and express your feelings or advise you. There was not this family support so I try to be there for my children and I sit and talk with them and explain things to them about their actions and so,” she explained.

When asked about what advice she has for other single mothers, she related: “Life is going to be hard. It is going to be challenging and you have to stand strong and most importantly, you have to seek God. Once you have God in

your life it doesn’t mean that things are going to be easy but it means that all things are possible and you will get through. Once you have that connection with him, build a relationship with him and he will see it through.

“Once you have supportive friends and family, link with them. This is where you need people that you can depend on. Don’t shut people out. Embrace people who genuinely care and when you feel stressed, find someone to talk to. As a single parent, your children are watching you, use them as your motivation to beat the odds.”

She recently graduated with her diploma in Social Work from the University of Guyana.

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oday, we will continue making some more general remarks on the matter of breeding companion animals.

Although it is more directed to socalled breeders who often actually mate dogs to make dollars, the advice contained in today’s column is valid for the family that wishes to acquire pets and experience the processes of reproduction and birth. The fact that some beautiful puppies can emerge from a sensible mating regime is a meaningful bonus.

Breeding is subject to the chance of combination of genes.

The smallest combination of genes which can determine a hereditary trait is a pair. One gene is inherited from each parent. When two genes combine, the dominant gene is the one that determines the trait. A recessive gene does not determine a trait unless it is combined with another recessive gene.

Other combinations may be additive – that is, both genes contribute in part to the expression of the trait. Unfortunately, most traits

BREEDING COMPANION ANIMALS – CONTINUED genes. By choosing not to breed such individuals, they can eliminate those traits from their breeding programme.

For these reasons, sporadic hereditary disorders are more frequently due to recessive genes.

that breeders are interested in are determined by a great many genetic pairs – which is why dog breeding is an art and not an exact science. Since a dog has 39 pairs of chromosomes and each chromosome contains more than 25,000 genes, the genetic possibilities are almost infinite.

Many undesirable hereditary traits are expressed by recessive

genes. Such a gene can be carried down through many generations of offspring, causing no problem until it is combined with a like recessive gene. This is why recessive traits cannot be eliminated in one or two generations of careful breeding.

In contrast, dominant traits are seen in the first generation of puppies. Breeders easily recognize problems caused by dominant

Undesirable hereditary traits commonly seen by dog owners: • Undescended testicles; • Extra toes; • Inguinal and navel hernias; • Abnormally short or absent tails; • Canine hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia; • Malocclusion of the jaws and incorrect bite; • Cleft palates and harelips; • Slipping kneecaps; • Immunity deficiencies; • Lowered ability to respond to stress and diseases • Quick collapse of organ function • Congenital cataracts; • Congenital deafness; • Entropion and Ectropion (rolling inwards and outwards of the eyelids);

• Progressive retinal atrophy; • Behaviour disorders such as inherited (as opposed to acquired) aggression and shyness.

When one breeds two dogs with a common ancestor, the resulting litter inherits some of the same genes from each side of the parent (i.e., from the mother and the father). The consequence may be that the expression of traits is more uniform; but, also, undesirable recessive genes may thereby give rise to serious problems such as those mentioned above.

Most of the above text has been taken from a handbook authored

by Drs. Carlson and Griffin.

We have kept it short today.

The subject matter is complicated and quite technical. We nevertheless hope that breeders and those who wish to acquire canine companion animals have grasped the fundamental issues relative to breeding. If not, please feel free to contact us for more (specific) information.

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FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HIV and COVID-19

Contributed By: Dr Mallika Mootoo, MD Pediatrician/ HIV Clinician St. Joseph Mercy Hospital

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he Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus which causes HIV infection. The abbreviation “HIV” can refer to the virus or to HIV infection.

The virus targets a person’s immune system and attacks and eventually destroys the infection -fighting CD4 cells. As more and more CD4 cells are destroyed the immune system becomes weakened, making it difficult for the body to fight off infections and certain cancers.

Without treatment, HIV can gradually destroy the immune system and lead to AIDS. A c q u i r e d Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

HIV is transmitted through contact with HIV infected bodily fluids. It is spread mainly by having unprotected sex with

someone who has HIV, sharing a needle with an HIV infected person and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery and/or breast feeding.

HIV infection is a lifelong disease for which there is still no cure. There is, however, effective anti-HIV medication which when taken correctly, allow people with HIV to live long and healthy lives.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the use of HIV medicines to treat HIV infection.

People on ART take a combination of HIV medicines every day.

ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. ART prevents HIV from multiplying, which reduces the amount

of HIV in the body (called the viral load). Having less HIV in the body protects the immune system and prevents HIV infection from advancing to AIDS. ART can’t cure HIV, but HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives.

ART also reduces the risk of HIV transmission. A main goal of ART is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test.

People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIVnegative partner through sex.

COVID-19 COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus called SARSCoV-2.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) first learned of this new virus on 31 December 2019, following a report of a cluster of cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China.

In March 2020 the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales.

These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.

You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminat-

ed surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth.

To date more than 100 Million people have been infected worldwide and more than 2.2 Million people have died from this disease.

COVID-19 and HIV We are still learning about COVID-19 and how it affects people with HIV. Based on what we know so far, we believe that people with HIV who are on effective treatment have the same risk for COVID-19 as people who do not have HIV. Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease or obesity might be at increased risk of

severe illness. Chronic smokers are also at risk for more severe disease.

People living with HIV who are either not on treatment or are not adhering to their treatment regimen have a compromised immune system and are therefore at risk of having severe disease should they be infected with SARS CoV2 virus.

This includes people with a: Low CD4 count (<350 cells), High viral load (>1000c/ul) And/or a recent opportunistic infection (eg: Pulmonary Tuberculosis).

People living with HIV who are not on treatment or failing their current treatment regimen, are also more susceptible to respiratory tract infections.

For this reason, it is important for HIV+ patients to remain on their medication as prescribed by their healthcare provider.

Similarily to the general population, older people with HIV who have other underlying health conditions should adhere to the prescribed treatment regimens for those conditions.

Being Prepared For COVID-19 COVID-19 Vaccines Many new vaccines have been developed to help stop the spread of this pandemic. In December 2020 several countries started giving emergency approval for the vaccines to be used. We are also hopeful that we will soon start offering vac-

cines to everyone.

The vaccines which have been approved for use are all considered safe for people living with HIV. 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 your body to develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 – so you are able to fight it off 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.

Key Points:

• People living with HIV and on effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) do not appear to be at greater risk of getting COVID-19.

• Our understanding of the risk of developing severe COVID-19 in people living with HIV is evolving. Current evidence suggests that HIV is less of a risk factor for severe COVID-19 than other health

conditions.

• People living with HIV not on treatment or virally suppressed may be at a greater risk. Speak to a healthcare professional for more information on how to stay healthy.

• As with the general population, older people living with HIV and those with other underlying health conditions should take extra precautions to prevent illness.

• Try to have at least a 30 days’ supply of ART in your home. If possible, ask for three months.

• The current COVID-19 vaccines are believed to be safe for people living with HIV. • We are continuing to learn about COVID-19.

Remember to keep in touch with your healthcare provider and follow government advice.

Article submitted as part of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 public information and education programme

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22 FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

HYPERTENSION ARTERIAL Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Med, Endocrinology/ Diabetes

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his year’s theme is ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer’, focusing on combating low awareness rates worldwide, especially in low to middle income areas, and accurate blood pressure measurement methods.

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessels. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work.

Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardiovascu-

lar disease, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and aneurysm. Keeping one’s blood pressure under control is essential for preserving health and reducing the risk of these dangerous conditions.

Hypertension is responsible for 20% to 50% of all cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, which contributes to increased health care costs.

In Guyana, hypertension

is the leading cause of mortality among those between 45 and 64 years.According to the latest WHO data published in 2018 Hypertension Deaths in Guyana reached 234 or 3.94% of total deaths.

The age adjusted Death Rate is 46.59 per 100,000 of population ranks Guyana #5 in the world.  Second leading cause of morbidity  2001-2011: ~ 15,000 new cases were diagnosed

 2007-2017: prevalence ↑ 32%  Women have a higher rate of death

RISK FACTORS

A number of factors increase the risk of hypertension.

• Age: Hypertension is more common in people who are more than 60 years of age.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

FEATURE

HEALTH TIPS

HYPERTENSION ARTERIAL

FROM PAGE 22

Blood pressure can increase steadily with age as the arteries stiffen and narrow due to plaque buildup.

• Ethnicity: Some ethnic groups are more prone to hypertension than others.

Africans have a higher risk than other ethnic groups, • Alcohol and tobacco use: Regularly consuming large quantities of alcohol or tobacco can increase blood pressure.

• Sex: According to a 2018 review, males have a higher risk of developing hypertension than females.

However, this is only until after women reach menopause.

• Existing health conditions: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and high cholesterol levels can lead to hypertension, especially as people age.

• Obesity Other risk factors include: • Sedentary lifestyle • Salt rich, high fat diet • Low potassium intake • Poorly managed stress and a family history of high blood pressure can also contribute to the risk of devel-

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oping hypertension.

CAUSES The cause of hypertension is often not known. In many cases, it is the result of an underlying condition.

High blood pressure that is not due to another condition or disease is called primary or essential hypertension.

If an underlying condition is the cause of increasing blood pressure, this is referred to as secondary hypertension.

Primary hypertension can result from multiple factors, including: • Blood plasma volume • Hormone activity in people who manage blood volume and pressure using medication • Environmental factors, such as stress and lack of exercise Secondary hypertension has specific causes and is a complication of another health problem.Conditions that can lead to hypertension include: • Diabetes, due to kidney problems and nerve damage • Kidney disease • Pheochromocytoma,

a rare cancer of the adrenal gland • Cushing syndrome that corticosteroid drugs can cause • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a disorder of the cortisol-secreting adrenal glands • Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland • Hyperparathyroidism, which affects calcium and phosphorous levels • Pregnancy • Sleep apnea • Obesity SYMPTOMS

Most people experience no symptoms from hypertension and may not be aware they have it, so people often call it the “silent killer.” Without detection, hypertension can damage the heart, blood vessels, and other organs, such as the kidneys.

It is vital to check blood pressure regularly.

In rare and severe cases, high blood pressure causes:sweating, anxiety, sleeping problems, and blushing.

However, most people with hypertension will experience no symptoms at all.

If high blood pressure be-

comes a hypertensive crisis, a person may experience headaches and nosebleeds.

SIGNS A sphygmomanometer, or blood pressure monitor, can help people keep track of their blood pressure.

Having high blood pressure for a short time can be a normal response to many situations. Acute stress and intense exercise, for example, can briefly elevate blood pressure in an otherwise healthy person.

For this reason, a diagnosis of hypertension requires several readings that show sustained high blood pressure over time.

The AHA issued guidelines in November 2017 that define hypertension as blood pressure that is consistently higher than 130 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

The systolic reading of 130 mmHg refers to the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body. The diastolic reading of 80 mmHg refers to the pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood.

The AHA 2017 guidelines define the following ranges of

blood pressure:

Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg) Normal blood pressure Less than 120 Less than 80 Elevated Between 120 and 129 Less than 80 Stage 1 hypertension Between 130 and 139 Between 80 and 89 Stage 2 hypertension A t least 140-160 At least 90100 Hypertensive crisis Over 180 Over 120 If the reading indicates a hypertensive crisis, wait 2 or 3 minutes and then repeat the test. If the reading is the same or higher, this indicates a medical emergency. The person should seek immediate assistance at the nearest hospital.

This is one time that the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is particularly apt. It’s best to avoid high blood pressure altogether. Healthy lifestyle choices are a great place to start.With proper treatment and management, persons can control their blood pressure to help them live a long and healthy life.

24 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 2 nurses, midwives honoured

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he Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council in collaboration with the Regional Health Services on Friday hosted a simple ceremony to honour nurses and midwives in observation of International Nurses Day 2021.

The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Nurses: A vision for Future Healthcare”.

During the ceremony, the frontline healthcare workers were particularly recognised for their tireless efforts and dedication to the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regional Health Officer

Nurses and midwives attending the Nurses Day programme

(RHO) Dr Ranjeev Singh thanked the nurses and midwives for their efforts and hard work, as he called on the public to treat these professionals with utmost respect.

The nurses and midwives were given plaques as to-

kens of appreciation. Plaques were also awarded to various wards with the Suddie Regional Hospital and the Oscar Joseph Hospital.

The nurses and midwives, in their remarks, expressed gratitude to the regional administration for

recognising and honouring their efforts.

In attendance during the event were Administrator Shelly Ambrose; Acting Hospital Administrator, Omkar Persaud and Medical Superintendent, Dr Sheneer Reid.

25 Guyana to drive food agenda in Caribbean – Mustapha NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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griculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha has signalled at enhanced endeavours from Guyana to deliver an agricultural agenda to the Caribbean region, that will advance food security and other critical concerns.

He made these remarks at the commissioning of a new office for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The secretariat is now located at the Ministry of Agriculture’s La Bonne Intention (LBI) Complex, having outgrown its previous location.

Guyana is now leading a ministerial task force in the region, aimed at examining a strategy to advance food systems across various countries and moreover, mitigating current food concerns for Governments.

“Guyana is once again taking its rightful place in the region’s agenda in terms of pushing agricul-

ture, the agricultural agenda and food security…Now, our President has put forward a document to advance the agriculture agenda and food security in the Caribbean that was again adopted by the Caricom Heads of Government. As a result of that, we have seen ministerial task force set up, which Guyana is heading and pushing. I’m very optimistic that we, with the help of FAO and other partners, we can develop a strategy to advance our food security agenda and try to see how we can resolve the issues of food problems,” Mustapha identified.

The Agriculture Minister outlined that the Caribbean Community has an import bill of some US$5-8 billion.

As such, he said there is need to tap into these markets with the help of international agencies.

“We are the first country in the Caribbean that started the national dialogue,

leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit that will be held in September. So, we’re driving the food systems, the food agenda and the agriculture agenda in the Caribbean. I think that Guyana has a leading role to play in all these agenda.”

With the development of new crops and aquaculture industry, he expressed that collaboration is needed from the FAO and other partners. The Ministry is also exploring non-traditional crops, with trials to commence later this year in corn and soya.

“We are now formulating a document so we can launch aquaculture because there is great potential for aquaculture in the Caribbean and North America, where we could tap into these markets.

Very shortly, we will launch the masterplan and we can now formulate a strategy for our aquaculture industry,” Mustapha under-

Dr Smith detailed, “As a UN agency, we have been embedded in the Ministry of Agriculture which is probably the closest and most important partner that we have in the Government…We have been looking at how we can support and expand the work that Government has been doing and the people

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

scored.

Meanwhile, Country Representative from the FAO, Dr Gillian Smith said the expanded space provides the agency with better resources to assist Government with current programmes in several areas.

of Guyana are doing in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, rural development.

This building helps us to be able to support and provide the kind of work and the quality of work that is required by Guyana. It is also, I think, a recognition of the importance that Guyana is increasingly playing in the Caribbean.”

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NEWS

Fisherman stabbed 6 times with scissors during fight

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27-year-old fisherman was on Friday night stabbed six

times to his chest and back with a pair of scissors during a fight at Belvedere

Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Following the incident, the 22-year-old suspect was taken into Police custody and is currently assisting with investigations. Reports are that at about 21:30h, the fisherman and suspect were involved in an argument during which the suspect picked up a pair scissors and stabbed the victim six times. He then fled the scene.

However, he was later apprehended by Police.

The victim was taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital and transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he is presently a patient.

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Drunken 25-year-old stabs WBD man A shopping trip turned bitter for 31-year-old Vishal Ramdiaol after he was slapped and stabbed by a 25-year-old man at Westminister, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

It was reported that Ramdiaol went to purchase items at a shop in the area when the suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol, came out of his yard with a long knife and started an argument.

Ramdiaol told Police that he cautioned the suspect and told him to desist from his actions.

It was then the suspect

became annoyed and dealt the victim a slap to his face before stabbing him twice to his left side ribs.

Ramdiaol was rushed to the West Demerara

Regional Hospital, where he was treated by a doctor on duty and admitted as a patient. He is slated to undergo surgery.

His condition is stable.

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NEWS

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Hit-and-run accident leaves pedestrian with severe injures

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n unidentified male pedestrian is presently hospitalised nursing severe injuries after a White Toyota Axio with an unknown registration number struck him down on Saturday morning.

Police on Saturday said that the unidentified pedestrian, who is of East Indian descent, was standing on the centre portion of Duncan Street, Georgetown, at about 04:47h on Saturday morning when he was struck down by motor car heading east.

As a result of the collision, the pedestrian was flung into the air before landing on the road’s surface. The motor

The unidentified pedestrian

car subsequently fled the scene.

The man, who Police is still trying to identify, was later picked up in a semi-conscious state by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit. He suffered injuries to his head, chest and genital area, and remains hospitalised as investigations continue.

This accident came just days after a fisherman was killed in a hit-and-run accident on the Better Hope, East Coast Demerara Public Road.

Fifty-year-old Navindra Ramnarine of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was struck down some time around 20:00h on Saturday last.

This publication had reported that Ramnarine was crossing the road when he was struck by what appeared to be a Tundra pickup vehicle.

An eyewitness related that Ramnarine was crossing from the northern side of the road and was already on the southern carriageway when the pick-up overtook a motor car and struck the victim.

Following the accident, a Police Constable attached to

the Brickdam Police Station surrendered to authorities.

Ashton Barker of Norton Street Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, had reported that the vehicle that was involved in the accident belonged to him.

However, the Police Constable, Joel Simon, presented himself at the Sparendaam Police Station in the company of his attorney claiming that he was the driver of motor vehicle GPP 8699 at the time of the fatal accident.

As such, he was placed under close arrest as Police continue their investigations.

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NEWS

31

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Consultation to amend Condominium Act to start in June

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Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

takeholder consultations to streamline the amendment of the Condominium (Regulation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act is slated to begin by the first week of June.

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal announced on Friday that the Attorney General’s Chambers is in the process of completing the draft amendment.

“The first draft we’re expecting by the new week and then it goes through the con-

sultative process with our key stakeholders, for example, the banks, insurance companies and other relevant institutions who will have to give their input,” Croal said.

In the statement from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), it further detailed that feedback garnered from the stakeholder forum will play an integral role in development of the legislation. By September, it is anticipated that the bill will be presented to the Parliament for con-

sideration.

The amendment of the Act will pave the way for owners of condominiums and duplexes to access titles for their land. Additionally, commercial banks would also be able to accept the properties as collateral and offer loans to the homeowners for expansion and insurance companies will also be allowed to issue policies for protection.

Currently, the Act caters for the regulation and division of properties into parts that are to be owned individually and parts that are to be owned in common, and to make provision for the use and management of such properties, and to make provision for the assignment of certain properties owned by the Government.

During this year’s budget presentation, Croal had told the National Assembly that the former APNU/AFC Government constructed duplexes without amending the Condominium Act to include this type of house. As such, persons are feeling the bugbear of being disqualified

from accessing loans, insurances or titles.

“The result is that those citizens that invested their hard-earned dollars into these houses cannot get insurance or titles and even more worrying is that the banks are not amendable to hold duplexes as collateral. How could any Minister with an ounce of sense allow this to happen? No won-

An example of condominiums

der even they though they inherited a robust housing and water sector, it has plunged into chaos for four years.

It falls to us, this PPP/C Government, to once again rescue the housing sector,” he was quoted as saying.

The national housing development plan for 2021 includes the construction of 1000 homes for low-income earners in areas

such as Cummings Lodge, Prospect, Providence, Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Onderneeming, Wales, Ordinance, Fortlands, Hampshire, Williamsburg and Amelia’s Ward. Another 100 is set aside for the hinterland communities.

This is in conjunction with the allocation of house lots to meet the 50,000 target within five years. (G12)

32 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

24 connector roads to be built along ECD highway T he Government has gotten approval from its counterparts in China to utilise the sums saved on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) road widening and improvement contract to execute addi-

tional roadworks linked to the project.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made this announcement in an interview on Friday.

“We are going to be doing 24 connector roads.

The connector road is the road that is going to be coming north or south to the main access road,” the Minister is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

Some $1 billion has

been allocated for the programme in the 2021 budget. From that sum, the Government of Guyana has invested nearly $440 million with about $560 million saved from the project.

China Railway First Group Company Limited is the contractor for the project. Works are expected to be completed by year end.

Upon taking office, Minister Edghill criticised the coalition’s handling of the project, which saw a rushed commissioning in the lead-up to the 2020 elections while there were critical outstanding components.

A section of the ECD road at Montrose (DPI photo)

Many of those issues were later rectified. This includes the installation of street lights and traffic

signs, among other works.

The ECD connector roads tie into the Government’s infrastructural development agenda that is linked to other transformational projects.

These roads will provide easier access and reduce traffic congestion when the Ogle-Eccles thoroughfare comes on stream.

That four-lane highway will connect the ECD and East Bank Demerara corridors.

Edghill has said there are plans to extend the road further to Diamond, then Timehri. He said the intended outcome is to have a thoroughfare connecting the country’s two main international airports at Ogle and Timehri.

India has already prequalified contractors for the $10.4 billion OgleEccles road. A contract award is expected by the last quarter of 2021.

33 Guyana will be good partner for US climate change efforts – Ambassador Lynch NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…will share clean energy technologies – White House Climate Advisor

By Vahnu Manikchand

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ith the BidenH a r r i s Administration prioritising climate change both domestically and internationally, the United States is now looking for partners across the globe and according to US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, Guyana will make a good partner on this front.

“We’re looking for good partners to work on [climate change]. Guyana will be a good partner, I’m absolutely certain,” Ambassador Lynch told Guyana Times.

She explained that while there is not any programme in place presently between the US and Guyana, this is an area that the two countries will definitely collaborate on. In fact, she mentioned that only recently Guyana participated in a Ministerial Roundtable hosted by the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.

That virtual session last month was attended

by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who, according to Ambassador Lynch, expressed support for efforts to tackle the climate emergency and also expressed interest with partnering with the US on this global issue.

Amongst its pledges to the global climate fight, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to double overall climate financing and triple the amount of finance going towards adaptation in countries that need help in managing climate impacts.

In addition to this, the US Government has also recognised that it has international obligations to not just meet its commitment in the Paris Agreement but also providing resources for vulnerable and in-need nations. As such, the US is planning to share its domestic technologies and innovations with developing countries to aid in their efforts to combat climate change.

Energy technologies

This was according to White House National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy, during a briefing with journalists from several countries who are participating in a three-week Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) on “Combatting the Climate Crisis through US Innovation” hosted by the US Department of State’s Foreign Press Centers (FPC).

McCarthy was at the time responding to a question posed by Guyana Times on the US sharing its technologies and innovations to assist developing countries.

“I want other countries

US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch

to understand and to have access to the innovations in clean energy technologies as soon as we can so they can reap not just the cost-savings benefit but the public health and safety and security benefits that a clean energy economy can bring,” McCarthy stated.

The National Climate Advisor pointed out that it is important for the US to recognise, and it has, the size of its economy as well as the technology and innovations it currently has.

She explained that both herself and Secretary Kerry are working together to ensure that the US positions itself domestically to be effective, and raises the strength and profile and commitment of the world towards tackling climate change.

“There’s been a lot of progress and a lot of opportunities that are being provided to American workers and to our industry sector for investments that are going to really make a difference and be able to deliver this type of commitment in the US. So, today is also a product of a Governmentwide assessment that looked, sector by sector, at how we can address the challenge of climate change and make the success that we’re looking for,” she noted.

The National Climate Advisor disclosed that like in most countries, the electricity and transportation sectors in the US represent some of the biggest challenges that they face. She said that the current US Administration is looking into every sector, at what kind of already-existing, cost-effective clean technologies and products are already being deployed.

“There are many [such clean technologies] which is what brings us hope for the future. And we also looked at innovation trends, and that will allow us to look at the biggest opportunities we have to actually win that clean energy future,” McCarthy posited.

Moreover, the White House Climate Advisor went on to outline that the US is using the power of both its private sector and public sector investments to try to drive clean energy in-

vestments.

“I can’t say that all of their investments of private sector companies will be investing in the kind of clean energy future we all want, but I’m hopeful that the lessons have been learned here that that’s where the money is, that’s where the opportunity is. And the more I think that leaders across the world like President Biden send that signal about what we want to see happen in our own countries, then I believe that more will display that kind of same pathway and utilise it in their international work,” she asserted.

Asked by Guyana Times about the policies in place to encourage US private sector companies to make “green investments” in developing countries, McCarthy indicated that they do work with companies to make sure that their work internationally reflects the values of the United States of America as well as the country’s influence – in terms of where technologies are heading and where the opportunities lie, not just in the US but internationally.

“So, we definitely do want to do the best we can

White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy

to ensure that we’re providing incentives for our businesses both here and abroad to be kind – to be sharing the most innovative technologies that they have available and to be advancing those in other countries. We don’t always have an opportunity to dictate that, but we do have ways in which we can use our financial structures to actually advance those efforts considerably,” she contended.

Further, the National Climate Advisor noted that the US is also in a position to start working with some of the independent offices and agencies in the Government as part of its “whole-of-government approach” to start advancing the transparen-

cy of where its private sector companies are investing.

This, she added, will allow investors and shareholders to better understand what is going on and enable them to use their power to ensure that US values are best represented financially in all markets across the world.

“So, we’re going to be tackling this issue. There are ways in which we can influence it, but ultimately, it’s going to – a lot is going to be about advancing clean energy to the extent that it becomes the preferred alternative, where it becomes less and less expensive, where mandates are no longer necessary but where it becomes the future that everybody demands.

And in many ways, the investment strategy that the Biden-Harris Administration has put on the table and our regulatory approach is to recognise that in the US today, we are making progress in the utility sector mainly because clean energy is the cheaper alternative. And the more that we can promote that and show that it has added benefits for our health, for our air quality, for our water quality, the more that

we can show that, the more that the people in every country will begin to demand that. And you will see that demand shift so that any international company coming in has only one in one choice in terms of how they build the market, and that’s to go to clean energy. And so, our hope is that over time that demand will build. It is building in the United States, and we’re going to work that like crazy,” McCarthy pointed out.

Meanwhile, the US envoy in Guyana could not say definitively whether any US company has expressed serious interests in investing in renewable energy areas in Guyana.

However, she too posited that they try to ensure that any company that is coming here to invest from the US engages in green practices.

“We’re hoping that they all want to make green investments because it is such an important issue…

And we always emphasise the importance of doing whatever work they’re interested in, in an environmentally friendly manner,” Ambassador Lynch related to Guyana Times.

34 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$13.7M worth of ganja discovered along Canje River

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force unearthed and destroyed $13.7 million worth of ganja during a drug eradication exercise at Cow Savannah, Canje River, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

During the exercise, a quarter acre cultivated farm was found with about 1000 cannabis plants of about two feet in height on the right bank of the Canje River at Cow Dam. The ranks also conducted a search on the left bank of the said river and during that search, several parcels wrapped with transparent and black plastic bags were found with a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

A black bag with six twelve-gauge cartridges was also found.

The cannabis plants were cut down, and the suspected cannabis taken into custody.

While the ranks were heading up the Canje River,

The quarter acre cultivated farm and other items that were discovered by Police

a wooden boat with three occupants was stopped at Calabash, Canje River.

The boat’s occupants and their belongings were searched.

During the search, one black plastic bag with a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis was found in the backpack of an occupant, which

amounted to 500 grams.

The suspected cannabis found at Cow Savannah, Canje River, was weighed and it amounted to 55kg. The suspected cannabis and cartridges were lodged and the suspect placed into custody.

The estimated value of the cannabis found at Cow Savannah, Canje River, is $13,750,000.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

35

Around the World

Gaza tower housing Al Jazeera Trinidad and Tobago declares state of office destroyed by Israeli attack emergency as COVID-19 cases surge

A

building that housed international media offices including Al Jazeera’s in the Gaza Strip has been hit by an Israeli air raid that demolished the structure.

It was not immediately clear if there were casualties in Saturday’s attack.

Live Al Jazeera video showed the 11-storey al-Jalaa building, which also houses several residences and other offices, crashing to the ground after being bombed as dust and debris flew into the air.

The building also housed The Associated Press news agency bureau.

A statement from Al Jazeera condemned the attack, calling on “all media and human right institutions

to join forces” in denouncing

T

The al-Jalaa tower housing Al Jazeera and The Associated Press offices collapsed after being hit by an Israeli missile in Gaza City

the bombing and to “hold the government of Israel accountable”.

“Al Jazeera condemns in the strongest terms the bombing and destruction of its of-

fices by the Israeli military in Gaza and views this as a

clear act to stop journalists from conducting their sacred duty to inform the world and report events on the ground,” the statement read.

“Al Jazeera promises to pursue every available route to hold the Israeli Government responsible for its actions.”

Meanwhile, the AP said on Saturday it was “shocked and horrified” by the Israeli air attack.

“This is an incredibly disturbing development. We narrowly avoided a terrible loss of life,” AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement.

“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today,” Pruitt said.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

rinidad and Tobago will impose a state of emergency from midnight to contain an increase of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said on Saturday.

Rowley also imposed a curfew from 9 pm to 5 am local time, with some exceptions to essential services including the energy sector, supermarkets, and pharmacies.

The twin island state was experiencing a third wave of COVID-19, Rowley said.

Seven hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients are at a critical stage of 73 per cent overall occupancy, Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam AbdoolRichards added.

With a population of more than 1.3 million people, Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley

has registered 15,375 infections, 5214 of them active, and 265 deaths, Health Ministry data showed.

Health officials have cited a highly transmissible Brazilian variant, first identified in a Venezuelan

migrant, as a factor in the increase in cases.

Some 60,500 people have received their first vaccine dose but only 1000 of these have received a second dose. (Excerpt from Reuters)

36

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

ARIES (March 21April 19)

37

An incident will escalate if you aren’t forgiving. Pay more attention to being the best that you can be instead of complaining or criticizing someone. Focus on love, romance and happiness.

Catch up with friends and relTAURUS atives.

Showing interest in others (April 20May 20) will also lead to valuable infor-

mation that will help you make up your mind about something.

Don’t overreact or overspend

Take pride in what you do, and GEMINI (MAY 28- you will gain confidence. A steady June 20) pace and an innovative idea will help you turn something mediocre into something spectacular. Take a simple, efficient approach.

Share your intentions, and CANCER you’ll get positive feedback.

(June 21Broaden your horizons, and you’ll July 22) find a way to use your skills more efficiently. Take nothing for granted. Be honest about the way you feel.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Keep moving forward.

Express your dreams, intentions and feelings to a loved one. A commitment will bring you one step closer to a stable and happy future. Romance is favored.

Be aware of what’s going on around you, and you’ll avoid being broadsided by someone’s actions. Focus on making personal changes that will improve your life and bring you more friends.

Don’t lose sight of your goals. Personal growth along with educational pursuits will lead to stability and exciting relationships with like-minded people. Romance is encouraged.

An open mind will lead to knowledge and exciting opportunities. Explore possibilities and prepare to leap into a world of intrigue. Engage in what brings you joy and peace of mind.

Take precautions when SAGITTARIUS dealing with people who are (Nov. 23unrestrained or tend to exagDec. 21)

gerate. Get your facts straight before you pass along information. Take your responsibilities seriously.

Plan to do something that CAPRICORN will improve your personal (Dec. 22life.

Getting the ones you love Jan. 19)

involved in a project will bring you closer together. Plan something special to show your appreciation.

Calvin and Hobbes

Stop worrying about someAQUARIUS thing you can’t control. Make (Jan. 20personal changes that boost Feb. 19)

your confidence. Prioritizing romance will tighten the bond between you and someone special.

Focus on what you can do, PISCES not on what you can’t. Distance (Feb. 20Mar. 20) yourself from people who are challenging or indulgent. Pay more attention to your health, and make physical fitness a priority.

38 Smith, Permaul selected for 30-man Windies training camp

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

– no room for Hetmyer

T

he Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has named a 30-man squad for a three-week, highperformance, red-ball training camp in St Lucia, starting tomorrow, Sunday May 16, in preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa.

The camp provides an opportunity for established Test and developing players alike to sharpen and enhance their redball skills in a high-performance environment, after a monthlong break following the Sri Lanka Series.

The camp will include two “best v best” inter-squad matches, as the West Indies look ahead to their final series in the ICC World T e s t

Shimron Hetmyer

Championship with two Test matches against the Proteas in June.

Most players attending this camp have been involved in recent West Indies Test squads and high-performance camps.

A few players, however, will be receiving their first international training experience since the beginning of the pandemic.

Among those are Guyanese fast bowler Nial Smith, Jamaican top-order batsman Paul Palmer, Vincentian leg-spinning allrounder Keron Cottoy, and St. Kitts & Nevis’s left-handed batsman Kieran Powell.

Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph will not be attending this camp, as they are currently competing in the English County Championship, and will return to the West Indies for the Test Series if selected. Current world #1 ranked Test all-rounder Jason Holder is being rested due to his workload across all formats of the game, and will arrive in St Lucia at the end of the month.

The squad will arrive in

St. Lucia and complete the quarantine protocols established by the Ministry of Health for the bio-secure environment before they start training under Head Coach Phil Simmons and his team management unit.

Coach Simmons has said: “This camp is very important for our preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa, and for the rest of our busy and exciting summer.

We will continue the work which we began last year in England to further develop our Test team into a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.

“We welcome the good news of a rise to sixth in the ICC Test Rankings. However, this is just the beginning of our journey, and we know we have lots of hard work ahead of us.”

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, is looking forward to the camp as CWI continues its investment in, and focus on, building a high-performance environment.

“The pandemic has made it necessary to assemble larger squads during the pre-tour phase, to allow our preparation to be facilitated within one biosecure bubble.

This has turned into a positive for us, by creating a

much-needed level of focus and intensity leading into tours, while also allowing for players to make a case for selection if they perform well in the warmup games.

“Given the lack of regional 4-day cricket so far this year, these camps have taken on even greater importance in our Test match preparations.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI), in partnership with the St. Lucia National Cricket Association, have been working closely with the Government and Ministry

Nial Smith

of Health to create a safe biosecure bubble for the players and staff. Everyone entering the bio-secure bubble will undergo two COVID-19 PCR tests prior

to their arrival in St. Lucia, and throughout the duration of their stay.

The Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium (DSCG) will host both Test matches against South Africa, the first bilateral cricket that the Proteas would be playing in the Caribbean since 2010. The first Test would be played from June 12-16, and the second from June 18-22.

CWI HIGH-PERFORMANCE TRAINING SQUAD: Jermaine Blackwood Nkrumah Bonner Darren Bravo Shamarh Brooks John Campbell Roston Chase Rahkeem Cornwall Keron Cottoy Joshua Da Silva Shannon Gabriel Keon Harding Jahmar Hamilton Kavem Hodge Chemar Holder Shai Hope Kyle Mayers Obed McCoy Preston McSween Marquino Mindley Shayne Moseley Paul Palmer Veerasammy Permaul Anderson Phillip Kieran Powell Raymon Reifer

Versammy Permaul

Jayden Seales Nial Smith Oshane Thomas Hayden Walsh Jr. Jomel Warrican TEAM MANAGEMENT UNIT Head Coach – Phil Simmons Team Manager – Rawl Lewis Assistant Coach – Roddy Estwick Batting Coach – Andre Coley Fielding Coach – Rayon Griffith Physiotherapist – Denis Byam Physiotherapist – Lyndon Knights Strength & Conditioning Coach – Ronald Rogers Massage Therapist – Zephyrinus Nicholas Massage Therapist – Kurlyn Smith-Nicholas Mental Skills Coach – Donald La Guerre Media & Content Officer – Dario Barthley

Shennel Daniels scores perfect GPA in first year at US college CSA Director Smith grateful

G

uyana Football Federation (GFF) scholarship awardee Shennel Daniels has successfully completed her first year as a business student at the Bryant and Stratton College in the USA with flying colours, having secured perfect academic scores and played every minute available for the Bobcats women’s soccer team.

Daniels received a partial scholarship from the GFF to support her pursuit of an associate degree in business at the college’s Syracuse campus. She scored straight A grades in both her mid-term and final reports to achieve a perfect GPA (grade point average) of 4.0.

The former Fruta Conquerors player also made her mark on the Bryant and Stratton Bobcats women’s soccer team, being selected in every starting line-up, and completing the full 90 minutes in all its matches.

“Having achieved a GPA of 4.0 in all my studies and being able to perform well on the Bobcats women’s soccer team is really a wonderful feeling and a great achievement for me,” Daniels said. “I am very happy and proud of my achievement in soccer and in my studies at this point of my journey.

“I would like to personally thank the Guyana Football Federation for all the help and support you’ve given me when I first obtained the scholarship from Bryant and Stratton College. I am grateful for the support I have received, and I look forward to your continuous support as I enter my second year at Bryant and Stratton College.”

Part of the GFF’s strategic plan is to provide meaningful opportunities for Guyanese footballers, including college schol-

to Grenada, St Lucia

– for agreeing to host South Africa tour at short notice

Shennel Daniels

arships, trials with professional clubs, and vocational training.

In April, for example, the GFF joined forces with MACORP to offer 10 excavator training scholarships for male and female footballers.

“We are extremely proud of the impact Shennel has made on her college experience, both in her outstanding academic achievements and in her on-field performances for the Bobcats,” GFF President Wayne Forde has said. “She is rapidly proving herself to be an exceptional ambassador for Guyana, the GFF and our football community.

“We look forward to supporting her further on this journey, as she continues to excel in her studies and football career.

“As a role model, we hope Shennel’s achievements will inspire many more young female footballers in Guyana to follow in her footsteps.”

Bryant and Stratton’s Head Women’s Soccer Coach Alex Grigorita was full of praise for his new star player and student.

“Shennel became an important part of our starting line-up,” Grigorita explained. “She was able to adjust quickly to the demands and athleticism of college soccer. Her experience and knowledge allowed her to be competitive at a high level.

“Shennel was able to cover a few different positions for us, and we were very happy with her performance on the field and in the classroom.”

“Shennel accomplished the highest possible GPA of 4.0 in all of her classes. This is an exceptional achievement, and everyone is very proud and happy for her,” he said.

Daniels’s scholarship with the college was facilitated by former national team player Kevin Beaton.

I

t has been confirmed that the West Indies will officially host South Africa for the first time since 2010. The series has been booked for the islands of Grenada and St Lucia.

The parties had been locked in negotiations for the past several months, with several obstacles having had to be overcome. The latest obstacle, it is believed, was a venue for the tour, which reportedly was originally set for Trinidad and Tobago.

A recent spike in COVID-19 cases has, however, forced an alteration to those plans.

The current plan will see the teams play two Tests at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, and the T20s at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada. The series will take place between June 10 and July 3.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) Director Graeme

Smith has expressed delight to be heading back to the Caribbean, particularly in light of the difficult and uncertain times caused by the pandemic. He has reserved a special word of gratitude for the countries that stepped in to host the series on relatively short notice.

“We are extremely pleased to have the men’s team’s tour to the West Indies officially confirmed.

COVID-19 has played havoc with the ICC Future Tours Programme, and we are thankful to Cricket West Indies and the Governments of St Lucia and Grenada for ensuring that the tour goes ahead as planned‚” Smith said.

“The hosting nations‚ in particular‚ came to the party at very short notice, and Cricket South Africa would like to extend its immense

gratitude to them for their enthusiasm and willingness to host us.” (Sportsmax)

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

Golden Jags tackle Guatemala on July 3 T

he Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Federation (CONCACAF) has announced the official schedule for their 2021 Gold Cup tournament.

With that came the dates of the preliminary games in which Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Football team will participate in hopes of making it to their

revamped Knockout Stage (July 24–Aug 1).

This summer’s Gold Cup, the 16th edition of the competition and a key part of Concacaf’s 60th anniversary celebration, will be played in 11 stadiums across eight US metropolitan areas.

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will host the competition’s final match on Sunday, August 1.

“We are extremely pleased to confirm the schedule and venues for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, which

The local arm of the national team is currently in training

second consecutive Gold Cup tournament.

This year’s edition will include a new Preliminary Round (July 2-6) prior to the Group Stage (July 10-20) and a

promises to be a celebration of football in our great region,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani. “2021 is Concacaf’s 60th anniversary year, and we look forward with great

anticipation to watching the best men’s national teams in our confederation compete for the Gold Cup title. With an exciting new format and the prospect of welcoming passionate fans to the stadiums for these compelling matchups, I can’t wait for the football to begin on July 2nd, and to crown a champion in Las Vegas on August 1st,” added Montagliani.

Prior to the start of the 2021 Gold Cup Group Stage, 12 national teams which qualified through their Concacaf Nations League (CNL) performances will compete in the Preliminary Round (Prelims) from July 2-6, 2021 as they vie for a spot in the second knockout stage.

There, the Golden Jaguars will take on Guatemala on Saturday, July 3 at the PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That game will kick off at 9.30pm. Should Guyana emerge victorious from the second knockout, they will advance to battle the winner of a Guadeloupe vs Bahamas matchup for a spot in Group C of the Gold Cup. That game will be played on July 6 from 9.30 pm at the same venue.

The Group Stage of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup will kick off on July 10, and will run through July 20. The 12 qualified nations,

LGC grateful to MACORP for support – aims to install floodlights in the future

the AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar (guest participant), and the three Prelims winners were drawn in September 2020 into four groups.

Group C currently comprises Jamaica, Suriname and Costa Rica.

If the Golden Jags are lucky enough to make it into the 2021 Gold Cup, they will take on Costa Rica on July 12 from 9pm, Jamaica on July 16 from 6.30pm, and Suriname on July 20 from 6pm.

In an exciting football first development to this year’s edition of Gold Cup, each group’s final group stage matches will be played simultaneously. This is to ensure an even more compelling spectacle as the teams compete to reach the Knockout Stage.

At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group would advance to the Quarterfinals.

State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas will play host to the Quarterfinal doubleheaders on July 24 and 25 respectively.

The Semifinals will be played on July 29 in NRG Stadium in Houston and the brand-new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

The venue for each specific semifinal matchup

will be confirmed at the conclusion of the Group Stage (Q2 Stadium, Austin and NRG Stadium, Houston will each host one Semifinal).

The winners of the two semifinal matches will travel to Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to face off in the Final on August 1.

The Golden Jaguars also have separate upcoming international engagements on July 4 and 8, in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Gold Cup Preliminary Round Schedule Friday, July 2 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One) 1 6 : 3 0 (16:30) M1: Haiti vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

39

19:00 (19:00) M6: Bermuda vs Barbados 21:30 (21:30) M3: Trinidad and Tobago vs Montserrat Saturday, July 3 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One) 16:30 (16:30) M5: Guadeloupe vs Bahamas 19:00 (19:00) M4: Cuba vs French Guiana 21:30 (21:30) M2: Guatemala vs Guyana Tuesday, July 6 - DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round Two) 16:30 (16:30) M9: Winner Prelims 3 vs Winner Prelims 4 19:00 (19:00) M7: Winner Prelims 1 vs Winner Prelims 6 21:30 (21:30) M8: Winner Prelims 2 vs Winner Prelims 5

Ramdhani siblings break into Senior rankings

G

uyana’s badminton s t a r players Narayan Ramdhani a n d Priyanna

LGC President Patanjilee Persaud

Part of the scenery at the LGC

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Lusignan Golf Club has continued to move from strength to strength, and each time they are coming bigger and better. As at Friday, they obtain 21 Tee Signs for the golf course from MACORP, and while it may be the beginning of better things to come, there is still more work to be done, as the club aims to take its course to an international standard.

In an exclusive interview with LGC President Patanjilee Persaud, it was disclosed to this publicationo understand that the club is extremely grateful for the support being received from MACORP, and as the future awaits, is hoping to get its course in top shape.

“This means a lot! The company has stood by our club in the bleakest of times, (and) we are very grateful for MACORP. The executives had a vision for the golf club, which it channelled to all members.

As our plans start to materialize, MACORP played an integral part in the development going forward. For now, it is important to maintain the course in top shape, improve the aesthetics and club house, and try to One of the 21 signs donated by MACORP make the atmosphere the new executive board was a more family- oriented one. installed, more and more “As our plans come to light, companies are coming on we will continue to advise the board to sponsor golf. media. A corporate sponsor “We need to continue to like MACORP will help firstly highlight and echo MACORP’s with a well maintained and words, as they have noted beautifully laid our course. that they are pleased with the As such, we will utilise some direction of the club,” Persaud more areas of the land to add added. a few more holes,” Persaud In terms of securing explained. corporate sponsors, the He went on to state that the Lusignan Golf Club is well on LGC plans to install floodlights target, and is gaining more and on the greens, so players and, more corporate sponsors daily by extension, their families can as it continues to grow the enjoy some night golf. sport locally and gradually take He also noted that since it to the international level.

Ramdhani have graduated from the Junior Division (Under-19) of their favourite sport and have moved to the Senior players’ league. With the Coronavirus pandemic affecting all sports worldwide, the racquetwielding siblings have, to date, played only three International Open tournaments since 2019, but have performed impressively enough to maintain positions in and around the Top 50 in the Pan American Circuit and in the top 300 players in the Badminton World.

There are more than 189 countries and thousands of players who participate in the sport of Badminton.

Compared to Narayan and Priyanna’s three outings over t h e past

two years, the top ranked players have accumulated 30 games in the same period. This just

Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani

achievement speaks to the quality of the siblings’

performances thus far.

In a statement from the Guyana Badminton Association ( G BA ) , it has been shared that, “I consider our Guyanese

players have a great chance in the future (when tournaments recommence after the pandemic) to go a far way.

At the moment, as Student/ Athletes, they (Narayan and Priyanna) are competing against the professionals, and still can compete at an extremely high standard.”

Rankings Mixed Doubles (Narayan and Priyanna): Pan Am Rank, 31 (Points: 3950). World rank, 268.

Men’s singles: Pan Am Rank, 38 (Points: 3540). World Rank, 350.

Ladies’ Singles: Pan Am Rank, 53 (Points: 2720). World Rank, 384.

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

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

Independence Three-stage Road Race…

Mario Washington leading the pack in stage one

Briton John wins opening stage, Raynauth Jeffery supreme in second stage

After two stages, the females and juniors are not required to ride the third stage of the race. Their overall placings will be calculated based on the positions of the two stages

The top five riders in the opening stage in New Amsterdam Story and Photos by Brandon Corlette

U

nited We Stand top cyclist Briton John has won the first stage of the Independence three-stage Cycle Road Race from Corriverton to New Amsterdam, a distance of 45 and one-half miles; while the stylish overseas-based Raynauth "Obeah Man" Jeffery went for glory when he claimed the second stage: a gruelling 65-mile journey from Rosignol to Georgetown yesterday.

Paul DeNobrega came in third position. Jamual John finished fourth, while Christopher Griffith rode in fifth position.

for the start of this race of attrition. The returning Raynauth "Obeah Man" Jeffery attacked early in the race as cyclists

Briton John celebrating a comfortable win

Opening Stage

The brilliant Briton John defied all odds to claim victory in the first stage of the Independence Three-stage Cycle Race. Adealie Hodge, who was leading the race throughout the Number 19 road, and engaged in early attacks, rode in second, while

Flying Ace cyclist and top junior rider Mario Washington finished sixth, emerging victor from the finishing pack.

How Briton took stage one

Conditions were overcast as cyclists assembled outside the Corriverton Police Station

battled through the storm and muddy Corentyne roadway, but that was neutralised early.

Despite numerous attacks, the peloton stayed together while passing through the Albion area, but several riders were marking the dangerous Jamual John. Hodge, who on Sunday last was involved in an

accident that broke his bicycle, led the way. He was followed by four chasers in Briton John, DeNobrega, Michael Anthony and Jamual John.

Anthony was dropped after he crossed the Canje Bridge, while Briton took the inside and sprinted away from Jamual and DeNobrega at Princess Elizabeth Road (in front of the Berbice High School). Briton then overtook Hodge to claim victory, while DeNobrega finished ahead of Jamual John. The first stage commenced at 7:37h and finished at 9:25h.

Jeffery extended dominance, leading the second stage for the most part, while Briton, Jamual who suffered a flat tire earlier, and Christopher Griffith then reached the leaders at the Mahaica Bridge.

It quickly became 11 leaders at Bachelor's Adventure on

roundabout at the same time, but Jeffery took the final sprint and he finished ahead of Jamual (second), DeNobrega (third), Briton (fourth) and Alex Mendes (fifth).

The final stage of this race is set for today (Sunday May

Jeffery wins second stage

Earlier, United We Stand riders controlled the peloton, while the four leaders made an early attack at Rosignol.

Junior Niles, Jeffery, Ralph Williams and Curtis Dey led the way throughout the West Berbice area. Alex Mendes and

Back with a bang! Raynauth Jeffery storming to victory in the second stage

the East Coast of Demerara.

Griffith then took a 100- metre lead from the 11-man group.

That large group passed the

16). It commences at Linden at 8:00h and will end at Thirst Park, the industrial complex of Banks DIH Limited.

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