Guyana Times Sunday April 26, 2020

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4267 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Caretaker President suffering from ‘selective amnesia’ – PPP/C Page 17

…feigns ignorance of his party frustrating recount process …if APNU/AFC won, why not release SoPs? GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy: Day 55

GECOM Chair’s rejection of Commissioners’ motions “incredulous” – former AG Page 18

…says tainting recount with partiality, unfairness … motions were designed to increase transparency $1B Ocean View COVID-19 project

Construction workers clash with sub-contractor over salary

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Dredge owner, bandit killed P13 during mining camp robbery Joseph Harmon let go as Director General at MotP P10

Bartica man busted with ganja, ecstasy pills P12

COVID-19 outbreak

Extension of P12 Guyana’s airport's shutdown “likely” - GCAA Head Granger’s office slaps down Nagamootoo on int’l reluctance to help Guyana …rubbishes his comments

P15

Page 8 Construction ongoing at the flood-prone Ocean View Hotel, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown

Guyana’s confirmed Woman clinging to life after being COVID-19 cases chopped, stabbed increase to 74 by husband …enhanced testing needed – Jagdeo See story on page 3

Page 18

…man commits suicide

Trans Guyana starts Region P15 8 flights

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Sunday, April 26 – 05:30h – 07:00h and Monday, April 27 – 05:00h – 06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, April 26 – 05:40h – 07:10h and Monday, April 27 – 06:10h – 07:40h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain and sunny intervals are expected during the day. There will be partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 06:11h and 18:38h reaching maximum heights of 2.69 metres and 2.55 metres.

Low Tide: 12:11h reaching a minimum height of 0.51 metre.

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Guyana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 74 …enhanced testing needed – Jagdeo

G

uyana has recorded one more COVID-19 case, bringing the country’s total confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus to 74.

According to the Public Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday, the number of deaths remain at eight.

Guyana recorded its latest coronavirus fatality on Friday following the death of 45-year-old Lennox Williams. He was a patient at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and had suffered from other complications.

In addition, the Ministry noted that the number of persons tested for the life-threatening disease to date has gone up to 442 – of which 368 were negative. There are five persons in the dedicated COVID-19 ICU. Meanwhile, the number of persons in institutional quarantine has climbed to 23 while there are still 54 persons in isolation.

Additionally, the number of persons who have recovered from the deadly virus remains at 12.

However, even as the Ministry reported on Saturday that 32 more tests were conducted since the previous day, calls are being made for there to be increased testing for COVID-19 – a pandemic which has been devastating countries around the world, killing more than 187,000 persons and infecting in excess of 2.7 million people.

Enhanced testing

During a virtual media briefing on Friday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that based on consultations with medical professionals, enhanced testing is needed in Guyana.

“We are testing too few people and… if you have the virus, there is a stigma attached to people. So many people are afraid of being tested and they are afraid that if they test positively, they’ll be placed in quarantine facilities that are not conducive to the non-spreading of the virus or in conditions that are not livable,” he stated.

On Thursday caretaker Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence disclosed that the Ministry continues to face the challenge of under-reporting from persons who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case because of the stigma associated with the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo contended that the country needs to work on removing the stigma, thereby enhancing testing. He said that it is unbelievable that only 400-plus persons have been tested so far.

“When countries are boasting about testing sev-

eral percentages of their population, we’re lagging not just behind but unbelievably way behind…,” he stressed.

The Opposition Leader further noted that countries are already moving towards testing for antibodies when Guyana is still playing catch-up with COVID-19 testing. He pointed to recent reports from New York in the United States where nearly 1 in 7 people who were randomly tested for coronavirus antibodies turned out to have them.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has re-

vealed that the antibodies suggest these people were exposed at one point to the coronavirus and recovered.

The State launched an antibody study on Monday last and collected around 3000 samples from 40 locations in 19 counties for testing.

Using this as a catalyst, Jagdeo, a former President of Guyana, pointed out that there could be persons here who could have unknowingly contracted the disease and are asymptomatic.

“So at some point in time, we have to step up the testing of antibodies because there may be a large

number of people out there who have the virus now or who may have had it and didn’t even know, and now they could be showing positive for the antibodies,” he stated.

This call by Jagdeo for increased COVID-19 testing comes days after the Public Health Ministry’s updated figures on Wednesday showed that there were no changes in the number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

Wednesday’s figure for the number of tests conducted was 348 – the same figure given on Tuesday.

This was despite calls by the Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr Carissa F Etienne, for accelerated and expanded coronavirus testing in countries of the Americas.

During a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Dr Etienne said there is a need for a clearer view of where the virus is circulating and how many people have been infected in order to guide actions.

“The pandemic continues to impact our region, and it’s vital for all countries to actively embrace preventive measures while preparing for more cases, hospitalisations and deaths,” she noted.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

Views You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

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

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GECOM Chair holding Guyana hostage

t is now almost two months since the people of Guyana exercised their inalienable sovereign right to choose their representatives in Government, but they are still in the dark as to when their will, expressed via their votes, would be declared.

The country has, not surprisingly, been placed under a great deal of stress because of the outbreaks of violence precipitated by the PNC and its surrogates, which have marred the outcome of previous elections. Adding to that stress has been the COVID-19 pandemic that has placed the world, and our country, into a lockdown mode to slow its deadly spread.

Under such conditions, it is important to examine the roles played by the institutions that have a major stake in the election crisis, not only to delineate their responsibilities to work towards defusing the crisis, but also to possibly identify changes that might have to be engendered in these institutions so that our country is not subjected to these stresses in the future.

The crisis was actually more than a year in the making – from the day the NCM was passed – but the PNC-led coalition refused to obey the clear instructions of the Constitution, and elections were delayed for a year.

The institutions that contributed to that charade, which had to be settled in disparaging terms by the CCJ, were the PNC-led coalition and GECOM. These two institutions played a tag-team game in dragging out the elections date via a variety of stratagems executed by PNC leader David Granger’s unilaterally appointed GECOM Chairman, James Patterson.

Finally, a new Chair – Justice Claudette Singh – was agreed to by Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and it was hoped that at least this institution would act in the national interest. Very early on, however, the Chair signalled she would make decisions in accordance with the law, but would also, in the law’s performative aspect, attempt to strike a balance between the Government and the Opposition’s positions when they conflicted.

After a while, however, it became clear that the Chair was going out of her way to mollify the PNC-led government, even when it was neither legally demanded nor in the country’s interest to do so. This was illustrated graphically in her handling of the H2H registration, which was authorised by her illegally-appointed predecessor upon the demand of the PNC/APNU/AFC combine.

While cancelling the H2H exercise after it was almost complete, rather than discarding the unverified data and completing the Official List of Electors (OLE) from the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) that was subjected to a Claims and Objections (C&O) process in accordance with the law, she inexplicably ordered that the data be merged into the OLE. This was accomplished at great expense, while dragging the elections date out but doing nothing to reduce the “bloating” that Granger had originally complained about.

In the present iteration of the PNC/APNU/AFC’s stretching out of the recount, the PPP made ten motions in relation to forming a work plan for the recount, of which only two were accepted. Glaringly, it could not have escaped the Chair’s attention that the fatal flaw in the count was the manner in which the Reg 4 SoPs were tabulated. Yet, while accepting that there should be a recount, she steadfastly refused to instruct that the recount begin with the SoPs from that region, or even in conjunction with Reg 1, as the PPP requested in a spirit of compromise. The PNC/APNU/ AFC coalition had requested that the recount be done in numerical order of the regions, and this is what the Chair has ruled.

Just as significant was her refusal to have the SoPs for Reg 4, in the possession of the CEO, be made available to the Commission.

After her string of one-sided decisions over the last year, the PPP has ruefully been forced to conclude that she has shown clear bias for the caretaker administration.

There must be root-and-branch reform of GECOM.

Justice Singh is substituting use of the Region 4 SoPs to replace with head-in-the-sand approach

Dear Editor, The ten motions supported by the PPP-appointed Commissioners at Guyana Elections Commissioners’ meeting on Friday, April 24, 2020, were prudent and necessary, yet Retired Justice Singh decided to reject most of the motions that would have greatly accelerated the obligations of GECOM to deliver election results that to this day have been denied the Guyanese people and international stakeholders.

Three of the ten motions that were rejected will be used herein to highlight how complicit or compromised the Madam Chairperson has been throughout the March 2, 2020, post-election period of crisis.

Motion number 1. a): The originals of all Statements of Poll for District Four received by the Chief Elections Officer be provided by the said Chief Elections Officer to the Commissioners for examination.

Motion number 1. b): Copies of all the Statements of Poll for District Four received by the Chief Elections Officer be provided to Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission by the said Chief Election Officer.

Rejected by Justice Singh: In justifying her decision to reject the motion, Justice Singh in an interview with Guyana Chronicle explained that the Elections Commission, having agreed to proceed with a national recount on April 3, 2020, cannot backpedal on its decision, noting that the production of the SoPs, at this stage, will be of little value to the process.

“I committed to a recount. I made a commitment to the court to have a recount; and if you have the SoPs that will not resolve the problem,” the GECOM Chair said.

Comment: Justice Singh is ignoring the bird in her hand represented by the Region Four SoPs and instead seeks to use a convoluted system led by several discredited GECOM individuals, who are bent on denying the democratic will of the Guyanese people. The pro-

vision of the GECOM SoPs for Region Four will swiftly bring an end to the rigging game; while a national recount will open the Pandora boxes and provide open season for more fake ailments, excessive security barriers, extreme requirements to sanitise, disinfect and fumigate, unnecessary and false coronavirus test results, disappearing acts, miscounting, more rigging, court hearings, violence, looting, extend the presence of an illegitimate Government, stifle aid to Guyana and worsen the impact of COVID-19 in Guyana.

Motion number 5: That all members of staff of the Guyana Elections Commission who were involved in the activities which resulted in controversy, allegations of fraud and legal proceedings in the High Court after Elections Day 2020, be removed from active participation in the recount process.

Rejected by Retired Justice Singh: Retired Justice Singh was referenced as saying that there was no evidence before the Elections Commission which supports the basis of the motion. Both Gunraj and Alexander confirmed that the GECOM Chair advised that it would be unwise to have District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, involved in the process. Mingo was responsible for the tabulation of the SoPs for his electoral district, when the electoral process was repeatedly disrupted, and allegations of fraud levelled against him and GECOM. Comment: The core players responsible for the fraudulent speed reading of the amended Region Four SoPs are still ominously present in the recount cast, except for Mingo, allowing the other tainted players to continue by any means necessary, to frustrate and undermine the recount process. How can the Chairperson logically discard Mingo - yet keep Mingo’s outlandish Region Four declaration, along with his enablers and willful assistants in the fraudulent process? Clearly a case of inverse logic by Justice Singh.

Motion number 10: That

the declaration of the election results of Electoral District Number Four (4) by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, made on the 13th day of March 2020, and the consequential report prepared and submitted to the Commission by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, pursuant to the provisions of Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, be set aside, revoked, annulled and rescinded by the Guyana Elections Commission.

Rejected by Justice Singh: The Chair refused to pass the motion, on the grounds that there is nothing to replace them. She reportedly posited that the declarations will be nullified when the recount provides new declarations.

Justice Singh told the Guyana Chronicle that the declaration of the results for District Four or any other district cannot be nullified at this stage of the electoral process. “The declarations are in abeyance, we put them in abeyance because I cannot replace them until after the recount. They only can be replaced by a new declaration from the recount,” the GECOM Chair explained.

Comment: A null and void declaration cannot be nullified, it cannot be replaced as it does not legally exist. The non-adherence to the Representation of the People Act in the adding and tabulation of Region Four, as recognised by Guyana’s High Court and evidenced by the common-sense observations of the local and international observers and the international community, ought to have stirred some mental acuity in Justice Singh’s thinking. And prevented her from saying that she has to put in abeyance, a declaration of Region Four, which is a known nullity and further saying that she cannot replace the Region Four declaration, which the Madame Justice has already declined by pledging to the Chief Justice to have a recount of Region Four. It boggles the mind why the obvious irrationality of accepting the fraudulent Region Four declaration still finds credence

in Justice Singh’s mind, even after dumping Mingo.

It is beyond the point of logic.

In concluding, it is pertinent to note that on Thursday, March 12, 2020, as reported in the media, The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission requested from GECOM the Statements of Poll that were used for the declaration of results for Region Four.

The letter signed by EU Deputy Chief Observer, Alexander Matus, said that the request was being made pursuant to Section 4 (1) and (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act, as well as Section 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Administrative Arrangement between the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana and GECOM. Matus wrote, “I am hereby requesting to examine the Statements of Poll based on which you have prepared the spreadsheet of results before the ascertainment of results for Region Four is completed”.

Guyana’s Private Sector Commission made a similar request for Statements of Poll, after the EU request.

Both requests were made on solid legal grounds, yet GECOM has failed to respond in both instances to the soliciting parties, as they have failed in many other instances to comply with their legal obligations.

The use of the Statements of Poll is an essential requirement (sine qua non) under the Representation of the People Act, to validate the adding and tabulation process for Region Four.

Instead of using these most needed GECOM Statements of Poll to quickly allow for a democratic transition, the constitutionally empowered Retired Justice Singh has denied access to the stakeholders by seeming to bury her head in the sand to find an interminable series of messy solutions, all combined together in an order for gazetting that will implode.

Dear Editor, Events unfolding at the Guyana Elections Commission are a clear indication that the GECOM/ APNU/AFC cabal responsible for the destruction of electoral democracy in Guyana remains in control of the election machinery.

Retired Justice Claudette Singh voted with the APNU Commissioners in favour of not setting aside the declarations, par-

ticularly the one made by Mingo, which has been discredited and deemed fraudulent.

Retired Justice Claudette Singh voted with the APNU Commissioners in favour of not allowing the recount to be livestreamed, thereby allowing all Guyanese and the world to observe the process.

Retired Justice Claudette Singh voted with the APNU Commissioners

in favour of not having an independent auditor, appointed by the Commission, oversee the recount, thereby ensuring the highest level of credibility of results.

The evidence shows that Retired Justice Claudette Singh voted with the APNU Commissioners to block every measure proposed that would add another layer of transparency and credibility to the process. The big question is, why?

The answer is simple but chilling. Retired Justice Claudette Singh is a party to the glaring and continuing attempts to subvert the will of the Guyanese people.

The recount will be a farce if international pressure is not brought to bear now on the conspirators of this dastardly scheme.

Sincerely, Nigel Hinds

The recount is a farce in the making

With regards, Trevor Reid

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Transparency and credibility at stake Dear Editor, Even the ordinary man in the street will have no problem defining what is meant by the words ‘transparency’ and ‘credibility’. He would tell you that ‘transparency’ means that he must actually see what is going on and ‘credibility’ means that he must believe and trust what he has seen to be the truth.

In other words, there must be no room for any doubt whatsoever in his mind. He will then accept the results.

What has transpired since Elections Day, March 2, has left no doubt whatsoever that there has been a complete lack of transparency and credibility with regards to the results declared for Region Four and as such, the results can be deemed to be criminally fraudulent.

The world has seen this. But what is alarming is the fact that the independent constitutional body which was supposed to ensure such transparency and credibility has been the major perpetrator of this massive fraud against the citizens of this country.

It now leaves no doubt in one’s mind that the Chairperson of GECOM is not independent and is working assiduously to ensure that the 2020 Elections is rigged in favour of the APNU/AFC or more realistically, the PNC. It must be recalled that Justice (retd) Claudette Singh had vowed at her swearing-in ceremony that, “there is only one way, in accordance with the law and in accordance with the Constitution, and nothing else” and everyone had thought then that here comes the ‘Iron Lady’ whose entry at GECOM will end the drama of deceit. She had claimed that she took up the appointment “for the sake of my country”, this means that she is a patriot who will not display any partisanship in dispensing her duties. Moreover, she had said that “I will not sell my integrity for all the oil in Guyana” and had vowed to

deliver credible elections despite “many negative things in the newspapers”. Any reasonable person knew for a long time that CEO Keith Lowefield was severely compromised but had thought that the Chairperson would reign him in since she has the decisive vote and her ‘integrity’. But this was never to be!

It is now conclusive that all the controversy which arose since the Region Four counting fiasco arose simply because the GECOM Chairperson allowed the fraud to be perpetrated. It must be recalled that she was missing in action at Ashmins mall and had allowed the CEO to take charge. The GECOM Chair had also allowed the flouting of the acting Chief Justice’s orders which had stated that the counting of the SoPs must be done in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act. Imagine a retired Judge as the head of GECOM allowed this contempt of court to take place. Since then and after the Court of Appeal’s judgement, she has allowed the CEO to come up with an unbelievable and unacceptable 156-day recount. Are we to believe that the CEO came up with this lengthy recount period all on his own? Is there a disconnection between the CEO and the Chairperson?

Then she threw the ball into Nagamootoo’s court in yet another attempt to delay. He made full use of this opportunity to carry out his rubberstamp duties by proposing to quarantine the observers for 14 days which had to be revoked by the caretaker President. Now that the ball is once again in the Chairperson’s court, she has reduced the counting stations and proposed a 25-day counting period which can be extended based on progress made but yet the date for the recount is in abeyance. Why is she always making room for further fraudulent overtures?

Dear Editor, The recent fiasco at Uitvlugt which resulted in a 300:1 product conversion ratio may lead to a solution for the industry’s profitability issues. This comes at a very unfortunate time when the economy has been spiralling downward with increased national debt on the horizon. The local price of sugar will most likely increase, at a time when the buying power of consumers has dramatically deteriorated. However, profit improvement should be expected over the medium to long term. Covering operating costs and overhead will be challenging in the near term if the conversion ratio continues to be too high.

The silver lining is that demand and supply dy-

namics in the local market will not hinder the expected price growth seen in the global market due to the supply shortfall. Instead, we should expect an improved profitability position for GuySuCo which may help self-finance a renewed expansion of local operations. Whether sugar readjusts to regain alignment with cane juice market prices of $200. The equivalency in per pound prices is yet to be seen. Timing will determine the level of price courage to be expected going forward. A healthier consumer base appears to be on the horizon as a little goes a long way in months to come.

Uitvlugt woes

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

Why can she not deliver a decisive judgment? But this is not all. She has rejected the PPP/C’s proposals which would have heightened the ‘transparency and credibility’ of the recount process.

This brings to question her vow to deliver ‘credible elections’. Her actions are questionable on many counts but people have exercised patience.

Claudette Singh needs to give reasons why she is against the following recommendations proposed by the PPP/C which would have boosted and sharpened the transparency and credibility of the recounting process.

Some of these proposals are the releasing of Statements of Poll for Region Four; the live streaming of the recount process; the observation of the recount process by the Audit Office of Guyana or a duly accredited auditing firm contracted by GECOM; the removal of suspect members of GECOM who were involved in controversy and allegations of fraud resulting in legal proceedings in the High Court; the recount to be conducted in accordance with the Representation of the People Act and the Laws of Guyana Chapter 1:03; to set aside and annul the fraudu-

lent results for Region Four and the resultant report prepared and submitted by Lowenfield. In addition, the proposal to invite all the observers who were accredited to observe the March 2 Elections is vital since they had observed the entire 2020 elections and will be in the best position to report on the validity of the recount process. They had to abort the Region Four electoral process after attempts were made to stall and rig the elections by the APNU/AFC aided by certain GECOM officials. Are these proposals against ‘transparency and credibility’ Madame

Chairperson?

It is my conclusion based on many circumstantial pieces of evidence and logical reasoning that the GECOM Chairperson was never interested in delivering free, fair, transparent and credible elections and at each and every opportunity, she has deliberately failed to make the timely and appropriate decisions, being content to let it seem like her ‘hands are clean’. The man on the Clapham bus has already condemned Retired Justice Claudette Singh!

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Our human rights cannot be snatched away in the name of COVID-19 Dear Editor, It is disheartening and deeply worrying to have to remind the de facto Government of our human rights since our Constitution provides for the adherence and respect of international treaties, such as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights outline the minimum standard that must be respected, protected, and fulfilled for us, as humans, to live in dignity. The COVID-19 pandemic does not mean human rights do not apply.

During these extraordinarily uncertain times, our human rights, now more than ever, must be respected. We have human rights treaties ratified to guarantee the right to health. All necessary steps must be taken for the prevention, treatment, and control of the disease.

Prevention: it is not a nocturnal disease; the Government has a duty to ensure preventive care measures are available to everyone. So why is it that the Government is not ensuring everyone has masks, vitamins, access to safe water, etc. Why limit the hours we have access to goods and services which will force everyone out of their homes for a short period, this not only makes social distancing more challenging but the congestion it causes puts everyone at even greater risk. Wearing a mask does not mean you do not still have social distance, so imposing curfews for a disease that is not nocturnal is pointless and is doing the opposite of tak-

ing necessary preventive steps. Must we wait on the “Marriot for COVID-19” to be built to have an effective response to this pandemic?

Treatment of the disease: Some persons in quarantine have taken to social media to show us the horrible conditions, the lack of proper facilities to aid in their recovery, the food, whatever happened to the eat the rainbow concept to have a nutritious meal? Must we wait on the “Marriot for COVID-19” to be built to have an effective response to this pandemic? On a global town hall on CNN, Chris Cuomo and his wife both have tested positive for COVID-19, they are not quarantined together. What will happen, God forbid, if people end up at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, those cots, not even beds, do not look even 6ft apart.

Back to why I mentioned Chris Cuomo, he said “they don’t know and in the abundance of caution, one person can be reinfected, so do not quarantine together”, when discussing why he and his wife aren’t quarantined together. With that being said, how are the preparations effective?

Control of the disease: A curfew system will not control the spread of the disease, do not force people to go out for a short period to get their errands done.

This will force everyone out, and increase the risk of the disease being transmitted. How is that effective in controlling the disease?

The lack of information, we know nothing about contact tracing of persons exposed, how can the curve

be flattened if there are no effective policies in place to control COVID-19?

Our human rights cannot be snatched away, after all, they are our rights because we are human and have legal protection from the numerous human rights treaties Guyana not only signed onto but also ratified. Our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, elderly friends, atrisk neighbours, loved ones who are considered immunocompromised for whatever reason, let’s think of them. A few human rights reminders, as it seems the ever-mysterious caretaker President and the cabal are too taken up by the continuous change of narrative, the access to information is one such human right, we

have a right to be properly informed about the risk it poses to our health, mitigation risks, and all information about ongoing responses. For example: Why have they not rented out a functioning hotel, instead of rebuilding a low tide hotel without a proper agreement? The ever-mysterious caretaker President made a statement, it was to defend the dossier scandal.

At this point, I have daily addresses from other world leaders, why can’t ours do the same? Why is there the sense of an abdication of his responsibility to the people? Shouldn’t we be hearing from the President more?

Respectfully, Nutana Singh

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGE 19

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

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Foundation

COVID-19 and its impact on frontline workers in the health care system

Dr Tariq Jagnarine BSc, MD, MMed Family Medicine, CCFP

M

uch has already been written about the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups, including older people and those with underlying health conditions. Yet, there is another vulnerable group that is rarely mentioned in this pandemic: HEALTHCARE WORKERS. Throughout the world, everyone is adjusting to new ways of living because of the effects of the coronavirus.

All of us are learning what it means to self-quarantine, work from home, homeschool children, and some have even lost their job or sadly, a loved one. Each person’s situation is different, but for sure, the coronavirus will reveal the different realities of each one of us.

At the frontline of this pandemic, are the healthcare workers who are working assiduously around the clock putting themselves at risk to care for patients.

Most of this workforce which includes nurses, doctors, medical technologist, pharmacist, paramedics and clinic attendants are women with very demanding workloads, - which can take an emotional toll. Yet, their profession is one of the most undervalued, discriminatory and in some cases underpaid.

Health Care workers around the world are facing an unprecedented workload in overstretched healthcare facilities, and with no end in sight. They are working in stressful and frightening work environments, not just, because little is known about the virus, but also because in most settings they are under-protected and overworked which adds to their vulnerability to infection.

The risk to doctors, nurses and others on the front lines has become plain: Italy

has seen at least 18 doctors with coronavirus die. Spain reported that more than 3,900 health care workers were infected and 9000 in the US. Although the exact numbers are yet unclear, thousands of healthcare workers worldwide have caught COVID-19 and many have lost their lives.

There are also concerns among healthcare workers that the extra strain on healthcare systems will mean that people with illnesses unrelated to COVID-19 may suffer substandard care.

A similar pattern was seen in 2014 in West Africa with an estimated 10,000 excess HIV, malaria and tuberculosis deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak. It is also likely that COVID-19, like other pandemic infections, such as tuberculosis, will affect people inequitably. Such infections typify the medical poverty trap in which poorer people are more likely to have severe disease and worse outcomes.

Due to the Coronavirus being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), all “non-essential” services, such as outpatient clinics and planned operationswere cancelled and healthcare workers had to postpone their annual leave. Being discouraged or even prevented from taking leave could affect healthcare workers mentally, adding to their existing fatigue and stress.

In addition, many healthcare workers have children or older relatives to care for.

Increasing work demands mean that their feelings of duty towards patients are sometimes in direct conflict with their duties to friends, family members and other dependants.

Mental health burden

Healthcare workers are only human experiencing

the same COVID-19-related fear and anxiety as everyone else. There is the fear that friends or family can become infected with Covid-19 and may have to self-isolate or quarantine, or even become critically ill or die.

A survey of nearly 1,300 healthcare

workers treating people with COVID-19 in hospitals in China showed high rates of depression, distress, anxiety and insomnia. Some of these symptoms could be related to guilt. Guilt over potential transmission from healthcare workers to vulnerable patients because of inadequate or inappropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), or being off work and untested for the virus.

Guilt, anger, anxiety, fear, shame and depression were all shown to lead to resignations and poor work performance in healthcare workers during the SARS outbreak. Sadly, most health care worker are afraid to speak out or even seek professional help.

Although not actively discouraged, an environment in which feelings and fears can be shared is not actively nurtured. Indeed, there have been reports of suicide in healthcare workers in Europe during this pandemic. There is no blue

print or instructions manual to this outbreak; however, the best response is not to keep calm and carry on, but to seek help and speak up.

“Burnout” among healthcare workers during this pandemic is also reported and would worsen. Many healthcare workers are working beyond their

regular working schedules and performing activities outside of their normal duties. These extra duties might include providing palliative care or managing ventilators of patients with lungs that are failing because of COVID-19.

As the response to the pandemic has mounted, the unpredictability associated with providing health care has been immense.

Healthcare workers are trained to deal with change and stressful scenarios in the short-term, but facing these circumstances repeatedly is foreign to many of them. This creates a notable problem, especially given that it is unclear how long the surge of sick people needing care will last and when the peak in new cases and deaths will be.

Realising that healthcare worker, whether junior or senior, are all in the same boat and are asked to manage a disease that is new not just to us but to everyone on the planet.

Amid escalating clinical demands, they have to learn rapidly and constantly update themselves from -the natural history, structure and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 -the virus that causes the disease, symptoms, signs, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 on a daily basis while caring for patients and their families.

Healthcare workers have to make difficult decisions every day. The COVID-19 outbreak is leading to previously unseen levels of demands on resources.

This means that decisions relating to ICU and CPR will necessarily prioritise those who are most likely to survive and have the most potential years of life. This can lead to “moral injury” of health workers, especially in the most overstretched hospitals and ICUs. Moral injury represents “perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations”. It is a situation in which, due to competition for limited resources, healthcare workers are not able to say: “We did everything we could.” Instead, they have to say, “We did what we could with the available resources.” Even experienced staff have expressed sadness and fear about the possibility of having to choose which patient gets a ventilator and ICU bed due to an overwhelmed health system.

How do we keep our healthcare workers from becoming patients?

In the index outbreak in Wuhan, thirteen hundred health-care workers became infected, their likelihood of infection was more than three times as high as the general population. When they went back home to their families, they became prime vectors of transmission. The city began to run out of doctors and nurses. Forty-two thousand more had to be brought in from elsewhere to treat the sick. Luckily, methods were found that protected all the new health-care workers: none—zero—were infected. What were some of these measures learnt from this process?

• Officials banned large gatherings, • Directed people to work from home, • Encouraged social distancing, and • Testing was ramped up as quickly as possible.

However, even these measures were not enough to keep the virus from propagating among health-care workers and facilities.

• All health-care workers are expected to wear regular surgical masks for all patient interactions, to use gloves and proper

hand hygiene.

• Disinfect all surfaces in between patient consults.

• Patients with suspicious symptoms (a low-grade fever coupled with a cough, respiratory complaints, fatigue, or muscle aches) or exposures (travel to places with viral spread or contact with someone who tested positive) are separated from the rest of the patient population, and treated—wherever possible—in separate isolated respiratory wards and clinics, in separate locations, with separate teams.

• Social distancing should be practiced within clinics and hospitals, waiting-room chairs are placed six feet apart; direct interactions among staff members are conducted at a distance, doctors and patients stay six feet apart except during examinations.

What happens when someone unexpectedly tests positive—say, a hospital coworker or a patient in a primary-care office or an emergency room?

In Hong Kong and Singapore, they do not shut the place down or put everyone under home quarantine.

They do their best to trace every contact and then quarantine only those who had close contact with the infected person. In Hong Kong, “close contact,” means fifteen minutes at a distance of less than six feet and without the use of a surgical mask while in Singapore, they use thirty minutes. If the exposure is shorter than the prescribed limit but within six feet for more than two minutes, workers can stay on the job if they wear a surgical mask and have twicedaily temperature checks.

People who have had brief, incidental contact are just asked to monitor themselves for symptoms.

The fact that these measures have succeeded in flattening the COVID-19 curve carries some hopeful implications. One is that this coronavirus, even though it appears to be more contagious than the flu, can still be managed by standard public-health measures as advised by all health care workers: • Social distancing, • Basic hand hygiene and cleaning, • Targeted isolation • Quarantine of the ill and those with high-risk exposure, • An increase in health-care capacities (supplies, testing, personnel, wards), • Coordinated, unified public communications with clear, transparent, upto-date guidelines and data.

Please do not go outside if you absolutely do not have to. “We are at work for you and your loved ones, stay indoors for us.”

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$1B Ocean View COVID-19 project

Construction workers clash with sub-contractor over salary

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orkers involved in the controversial rebuilding of the flood-prone Ocean View International Hotel clashed with their sub-contractor on Saturday after weeks of withheld payments for their labour led to an outpouring of emotions.

When this publication arrived at the scene, some workers were in tears as they questioned the whereabouts of their pay. Raymond Seodat, who has been working with the sub-contractor for two weeks, explained that despite agreeing to pay workers every week, the sub-contractor reneged on

Deyounge, a representative of International Import and Supplies

this understanding.

“The agreement was, every week we supposed to get paid. But [this afternoon] he

A group of the aggrieved workers outside Ocean View

tell we he ain’t get money to give we. He then go upstairs and we ain’t get to see him back,” Seodat explained.

Sookdeo Persaud, another worker, backed up Seodat’s explanation. According to him, their work ranges from masonry to carpentry.

Kevin Bissessar, another of the aggrieved workers, explained that he worked with the sub-contractor for almost three weeks without being paid. Bissessar said that after enquiring about his pay, he was told by the sub-contractor to go to the police station and he would “see what we gon do.”

“I was working with (name witheld) at the building, for almost three weeks and I didn’t get paid. He told me come 15:00h, now is 15:00h. He told me he ain’t got no money to pay we, he say leh we go to the station and see what we gon do. So, because of the [media] he get scared and that’s how he

paid us.”

Eventually, payments did arrive for the workers. Deyounge (only name given), a representative of International Import and Supplies, the firm that con-

One of the workers, Raymond Seodat

tracted the sub-contractor, noted that the issue could have been resolved sooner had workers approached the contractor directly.

“The misunderstand-

ing this afternoon is basically caused by skipping of the chain of command. Now, [name withheld], he employed these guys. And we employed [the sub-contractor]. [Name withheld] was supposed to pay these guys.

But he didn’t,” he explained.

“Now if these guys had come to me and said, [name withheld] was giving them a hard time, it would have been resolved by me. It is being dealt with. I’m sure he will be [reprimanded],” Deyounge also said.

Secrecy surrounding project

Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Guyana, Government has been rebuilding the flood-prone Ocean View International Hotel, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, into a COVID holding facility.

Caretaker Finance Minister Winston Jordan had revealed last week that over $1 billion will be spent on this project, which includes an extension of the hotel and rehabilitation of the main structure.

Operational costs are not included in the $1 billion price tag.

There have been questions, however, as to who really owns the building and what will be the arrangement post-COVID. People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali has been very critical of the secrecy surrounding the project.

Expressing his incredulity over the arrangement, he pointed out that not only is in excess of $1 billion being spent to retrofit it, but it is also being rented for $22 million per month.

However, he did not disclose the exact nature of the arrangement. In an interview with this publication, former shadow Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had also questioned what the arrangements are.

“We would like to see the contract, what are the arrangements, what obligations they would continue to have going forward. How long will this contract be in place? And if in a year’s time this thing is over, what happens? Is the Government going to be reimbursed for all this investment they made into the building?” Anthony had asked.

Back in 2008, the ownership of the Ocean View Hotel had passed to local businessman Jacob Rambarran. In the run-up to the 2015 elections, Rambarran had endorsed the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition. One of the contractors on the renovation is a known People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member.

Emasculating…

W

…democracy e know that democracy in Guyana has been under attack ever since the PPP successfully passed its NCM back on Dec 21, 2018. From the way the PNC has (literally) demonised Charrandas (“Judas”; bribe taker; snake-in-the-grass, and so on) you’d never suspect that voting against your party on matters of conscience is a fundamental tenet of representative governance and democracy! And that’s why the NCM’s an integral part of the Constitution.

MPs are supposed to be represent their constituencies; and that’s why the Constitution was amended several times after 1992 to have 25 designated “Regional Representatives” distinct from the general MPs who’re selected from the list. Charrandas was a REPRESENTATIVE of Region 6, and the man clearly said his complaints to his party leadership – Nagamootoo and Ramjattan – on Granger’s decision to shutter 2 Berbice sugar estates and fire 4000 workers fell on deaf ears. Who wouldn’t hear had to “feel”.

Your Eyewitness doesn’t have to rehearse all the indignities piled onto our Constitution and our democracy as the PNC insisted that 33 wasn’t larger than 32 all the way to the highest court in the Caribbean, does he?? The shame!

The shame!!

So, not being a masochist, your Eyewitness will move to the present frontal attack on our democracy, which had barely sprouted: Brigadier Granger appointing Lt Col. Harmon as CEO of a COVID-19 Task Force that was suddenly created after the US gave the country $100M to fight the pandemic.

Now, how does this endanger democracy? Well, if that’s still a question, dear reader, you haven’t been paying attention! Your Eyewitness has been pointing out how tyrants and would-be tyrants from China to Algeria have been moving under the COVID cover to suppress their opposition. In our case, let us not forget that the PNC-govt gazetted colonial era regulations supposedly to fight the virus, which allows them (for starters) to summarily arrest anyone they choose to, and even seize and burn their property. They don’t even need to invoke the National Security Act like Burnham did in the sixties to round up and jail dozens of PPP activists.

What shouldn’t pass unnoticed is that another ex-military character – who’d been interestingly appointed to establish the PUBLIC SERVICE INSTITUTE – was appointed by Granger as Harmon’s deputy. Harmon was given total responsibility and authority to hire other members of the COVID Task Force – and we don’t have to be clairvoyant to know he’ll be digging into the pool of ex-GDF types on whose loyalty he can be sure.

This COVID fight is a war, and Harmon is now in charge.

And you can be sure it’s not only viruses he has in his sight!!

Look out, Opposition and democracy!! …Nagamootoo Technically, Harmon is supposed to be working “under” Nagamootoo, who’d been functioning as Chairman for a month. The announcement declared: “The CEO is responsible, under the direction of the Chair, for directing the NCTF operations and restarting interrupted activities; all important logistics measures necessary to prevent the disease from spreading further, directing rapid responses to unexpected and emergency incidents; developing short-term plans for disease prevention and safety of the people; and communicating directly with agencies, ministries, regional task forces, agencies and stakeholders.”

We know that this will merely replicate what went on at the MotP, where PM Nagamootoo had to genuflect to Harmon. That Harmon is also now responsible for speaking to the public has to be the unkindest cut of all to Nagamootoo, since we all know how that wanker just loves to hear the sound of his own voice.

But with Harmon now running this new Secretariat, what’s the position of Chairman Nagamootoo?

Well, he’s still in that supine position, where he can act as a doormat to Harmon!! …the recount Chairman Singh has already set a precedent with Chairman Nagamootoo for the COVID Task Force to control the recount – for “health” reasons. Be sure Harmon will be sending staff to “ensure” compliance.

Expect a stoppage if the PNC’s health is threatened by the recount!!

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

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Joseph Harmon let go as Director General at MotP

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etired Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Harmon has been removed from the post of Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, where he had been since May 2019 after it was revealed that he was a dual citizen and could no longer serve as a Member of Parliament.

On Friday it was announced that Harmon was taking up a new role as Chief Executive Officer of

the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF). Then on Saturday, it was clarified by the Ministry of the Presidency that he is no longer its Director General.

“As CEO, Mr Harmon under the general or specific directions of the Chairman of the NCTF is to establish a permanent National Task Force Secretariat; assign permanent staff to manage the national campaign; create preventive measures against the disease to safe-

Former Director General of the MotP, Joseph Harmon

guard citizens’ health and collaborate with regional task forces and stakeholders to safeguard citizens’ health,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry also listed some of Harmon’s other functions, in his new role.

These functions include coordinating responses to emergency incidents and developing logistical measures for containing the spread of the coronavirus.

Harmon previously

served as Minister of State until April 25, 2019, when he had to resign both as a Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) because of court rulings at the time which reaffirmed the law barring persons with dual citizenship from sitting in the National Assembly.

Since a Minister must also sit in the National Assembly, he was barred from holding that position.

In addition to Harmon, who was an American citizen, the rulings also saw former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin and former Public Service Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine being forced to resign.

After his resignation, the position of Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency was created especially for him.

Although he was no longer a Minister of Government, Harmon was still attending Cabinet meetings and hosting the post-Cabinet press briefings he had previously hosted as Minister of State.

Harmon subsequently announced in November of last year that he had given up his citizenship.

Hiring of lobbyist firm

Harmon’s removal as Director General and assignment to his new post comes just days after confusion swirled over who hired lobbyist firm JJ&B LLC to plead the caretaker coalition Government’s case against sanctions in the United States and the compilation of a dossier against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), that has since been dismissed as a “tissue of lies.”

The United States has been at the forefront in mounting international pressure for the March 2 elections results to be credible and transparent, following fraudulent declarations made by embattled Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

As such, the coalition had hired Washingtonbased lobbyist firm JJ&B LLC to engage the US Department of State on its behalf in changing the narrative on the current political and electoral impasse.

Harmon had defended the retainment of the firm, saying that as a Government “it was our duty, our responsibility” to defend themselves in Washington. In the document filed with the US Department of Justice, which was received by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit of the United States National Security Division on March 31, 2020, the Guyana Government was named the ‘foreign principal’.

In addition, the Ministry of the Presidency was listed as the agency that is being represented by the lobbyist firm; and Harmon was named as the official with whom the company engages. However, the President, through the Ministry of the Presidency, had then come out and denied hiring the firm.

According to the Ministry in a statement, President Granger was not involved in the hiring of the said lobbyist firm. However, Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan had also said that Granger may have been ignorant of the hiring of the firm.

Harmon was listed as a United States citizen in the dossier. On November 14, 2019, Harmon announced that his US citizenship had been officially renounced, a move which paved the way for him to continue his political career in Guyana.

However, if Harmon is not a US citizen then he can be charged for committing a federal crime.

Additionally, if he is still a US citizen then he misled the Guyanese public when he announced that he had renounced his US citizenship.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 in hot water over illegal gun, ammo

T The anatomy of power in Guyana

T

he following is excerpted from a piece written after the PPP had won the 1992 elections. It was written to describe some of the challenges they would face in governance. I repeated it last year, when elections were in the air and the PPP seemed likely to return to office -- but, in my estimation, not “power”.

A person or group has “power” when they can make decisions affecting other persons or groups and the latter have to go along with the decision, even though it may be against their interests. Power thus implies, simultaneously, a relationship (another person has to be affected) and the possession of resource - sanctions or inducements - which he can bring to bear on others to ensure compliance. For Guyanese, therefore, the question is whether, in the relationship between a PPP Government and the populace, the PPP have the resources to enforce Ravi Dev compliance with their decisions and initiatives, or are these in the hands of others?

At this point, we have to distinguish between the State and the Government. The former represents the full panoply of the power institutions in a country, and has the ultimate resort of force to ensure compliance with its policies. The Government, (and this is what political parties now occupy) is simply that aspect of the State that initiates policies which the other arms of the State— such as the army, the police, the judiciary and the bureaucracy — are supposed to implement. In a word, the Government has formal “authority”, and has “power” only to the extent that these other arms recognise the legitimacy of its directives and act to ensure compliance.

Consequently, real power lies with those who control these other arms of the State, as many junior officers in several Third World States have demonstrated. The answer to the question posed earlier lies therefore in ascertaining whether the other arms of the State accept a PPP government as legitimate.

The army, Peoples Militia, Police and Bureaucracy (Civil Service etc.) are overwhelmingly staffed with AfricanGuyanese, and all tilt towards the PNC, as can be seen in the actions of GECOM, a nominally “autonomous” state organ.

In addition to the army, police, bureaucracy etc., certain groups within a society can have “disruptive power”. By this is meant the recognition by any Government of the day of the potential or likelihood of particular groups looting, burning etc in the capital of Georgetown. In the 1960s, 1992, 1997 and subsequently, the PNC had demonstrated they possess disruptive power.

By the impressively-titled “Rule of Anticipated Reactions”, the PPP have had to take into consideration the reactions of all the above-mentioned groups before they make any policy initiatives. By tailoring their policies depending on their reading of the reactions of those other groups, the PPP demonstrate conclusively that those groups have real power, rather than the PPP. A second set of resources which may confer power on individuals or groups is “economic”. In fact some, noticeably Marxists, maintain that the holders of economic power ultimately control even the State. There is a widespread perception that “Indians own everything”, and thus also have economic power to buttress the political power they may capture. This myth is so pervasive that even some Indians believe it.

Reacting against this perceived Indian-Guyanese economic dominance, African-Guyanese hark to Nkrumah’s dictum, which was: “Seek ye first the political Kingdom and all else will be added unto it.” Indian businessmen may have some influence in some instances, and over some people, but this is totally different from “power”.

With influence, one depends totally on the other acquiescing on his own, without the “influential” party employing the ultimate sanction of force, which a true powerholder possesses. The Indigenous Peoples, excluded from both political and economic power, are sadly excluded from even the discourse.

Finally, African-Guyanese also share in the cultural power implicit in the assumption that the Caribbean is an African nation, which delegitimises the rights of others, such as Indians and Indigenous Peoples, to be aspirants and holders of national power.

In any future dispensation, the economic aspirations of African and Indigenous Guyanese must be addressed, as well as the exclusion of the Indian and Indigenous Guyanese from the power bases of the state.

hree men are now in hot water after one was seen throwing an unlicensed firearm, which had several live rounds, through a window when the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) turned up at a residence in Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Those in custody are a 36-year-old who resides at the premises; a 24-year-old of Kitty, Georgetown, and a 21-year-old, also of Crane Housing Scheme, WCD. According to reports, at about 13:30h on Saturday, ranks acting on information visited the residence to conduct a search of the premises.

The unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol along with 11 matching rounds of ammunition

While conducting a search on the occupants of the home,

the 24-year-old Kitty resident was reportedly seen throwing

“an object” through one of the windows.

Upon noticing the man’s action, one of the police officers quickly made his way outside of the house to retrieve the item. It was discovered that the man threw out a .32 Taurus pistol. The trio all denied ownership of the gun. They were arrested and taken to the La Grange Police Station, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

Meanwhile, the firearm with the 11 matching rounds of ammunition, was lodged at the police station as investigations continue.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 outbreak

Extension of Guyana’s airports’ shutdown “likely” – GCAA Head

D

irector General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Egbert Field has signalled a possible extension of the shutdown of the country’s international airports, as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to pose serious threats.

When contacted on Saturday, Field indicated that discussions will be facilitated with the National COVID-19 Task Force and Public Health Ministry to determine whether the suspension will be lifted.

However, the likelihood of an extension is high, he said.

“I will be speaking with the Ministry of Health and the Task Force and then a determination would be made. More likely, it will be extended but you will get a report of that shortly in another couple of days,” the Director General posited.

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport is closed to commercial activity

Since March 18, the Cheddi Jagan and Eugene F Correia International Airports were closed to commercial traffic, only operating for outgoing, cargo, medevac or specially authorised flights. Guyana joined Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and many other countries in the closing of their airports to international flights as threats from the virus advanced.

The initial order was expected to last until March

31, but was further extended until May 3. As the global pandemic deepens, travelling poses a higher contraction rate, especially from one country to another. In fact, asymptomatic passengers can fly under the radar and infect other people without any awareness.

Major air carriers around the world have opted to cease operations from popular destinations until the virus is contained. One

of the first was American Airlines, which announced

since March that it would be suspending its flights to several locations across the world including Guyana in a bid to slow down the rapid spread of the virus.

A few days later, Caribbean Airlines declared a suspension of international fights, after the Government of Trinidad and Tobago went ahead to close all commercial services out of the country.

In an issued statement, the airline stated that do-

mestic flights will continue.

It went on to say that customers holding tickets for international services beyond March 23, 2020, can place them on hold for future travel.

Headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, the carrier provides its services across the region, especially in linking Caribbean states and North America. Prior to this closure, the airline had implemented a number of measures in preparation.

Bartica man busted with ganja, ecstasy pills

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27-year-old porter was on Friday busted with 716 grams of cannabis along with 10 ecstasy pills.

Reports are at about 07:50h, the man, of Fourth Avenue, Bartica (CuyuniMazaruni), was driving motor lorry GXX 6389 when it was stopped and searched

by Police at the Itabali Check Point, Region Seven.

During the search, the items were found concealed in a brown carton box, which contained two parcels secured with clear scotch tape Morgan was told of his offence and allegedly admitted to the cops that he was

The two parcels of marijuana along with the 10 ecstasy pills

aware of the contents in the box.

However, in his confession, he said that he was

given the box by a taxi driver to transport to a particular shop in the “Quartz Stone” backdam.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Health authorities claiming ‘mistake’ in child’s COVID-19 results

…mother demands clarity after 40 days in isolation

T

he mother of an 11-year-old, who was placed in mandatory quarantine, has expressed frustration at the Public Health Ministry for claiming a mix-up in her child’s COVID-19 tests.

Roshanie SinghBaboolall is the daughterin-law of Guyana’s patient zero. She was placed at one of the isolation facilities since March 16 along with other relatives.

Her husband, daughter, father-in-law and brotherin-law would’ve later tested positive and were placed in a separate room of the facility. After 14 days, the four of them were tested again, to which only the 11-year-old’s test returned positive.

However, SinghBaboolall said that she and other persons were transferred to the same room with her daughter after also testing positive. Another 14 days were spent in isolation and tests were performed again. It showed negative but health authorities returned, claiming that another sample was needed from the child. Two days later, they claimed that she was instead, positive and a ‘mistake’ was made.

“They told me that she didn’t get enough sample so they did the test Tuesday gone. Tonight (Thursday), they’re coming to tell me that they made a mistake that my daughter is positive,” the frustrated mother explained.

“Give me some answers.

Isn’t this madness? She’s inside of the room with us.

They said she’s negative when she did the test. Then they come and tell us that she’s positive. What really

Roshanie Singh-Baboolall

are these people doing with our lives? ...I need help. My daughter is only 11 years old and she’s in quarantine for 40 days and over,” she added.

Singh-Baboolall is calling for answers into these discrepancies and for the health authorities to come clean on if they’re actually positive for the coronavirus.

She stated that they were the first set of persons to be isolated and are still at the facility, awaiting word from the health counterpart.

“I don’t care if I am discriminated. I know I don’t have the virus and she doesn’t have the virus but they’re saying that she has it…We haven’t seen the test results. Nothing! They’re just coming and telling us…

We are not sick and we don’t have any symptoms.”

The child’s grandmother, 52-year-old Ratna Baboolall, was considered Guyana’s patient zero after she posthumously tested positive for COVID-19. The New Yorkbased Guyanese woman was making her annual visit to Guyana when she took ill and subsequently passed away at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Dredge owner, bandit killed during mining camp robbery

A

Brazilian dredge owner and a bandit have been killed during a robbery at Marudi mining at South Rupununi in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Reports are that the robbery occurred at about 18:30h on Friday evening, and dead is 58-yearold Brazilian gold miner Fredson Da Conceiaco, also known as ‘Zezong’.

The dead bandit is yet to be identified.

According to Regional Commander, Superintendent Keithon King, four men armed with guns attacked the operator’s camp on Friday night to rob him. During the rob-

bery, the miner, a licensed firearm holder, opened fire, killing one of the gunmen before he was gunned down.

The other three bandits ransacked the camp before making good their escape.

King said a team of Police ranks from Lethem was sent into Marudi on Saturday morning.

Police said they received information that a few persons traversed that area earlier that afternoon, and they are alleging that those persons are suspected to be the bandits who committed the crime.

The two bodies are presently at Aishalton, waiting to be transported to Lethem as investigations continue.

On March 10, a test of her blood glucose level revealed it was at 578. Later that day, another test showed that her blood sugar level had risen to 598. Sensing that something was wrong, the woman was taken to a health facility at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where they were told that it was suspected that she had pneumonia. However, further testing had to be done to confirm.

She was then transferred to a doctor in Georgetown.

While taking her medical and travel history, a doctor at the private hospital immediately referred her to the Georgetown Public Hospital, since she had travelled from NY. Efforts for clarity from health authorities proved futile.

Family members have since been moved to The Daimond Hospital.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EPA takes single-use plastics (SUP) ban consultations virtual

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he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in celebration of Earth Day 2020, conducted a virtual consultation on the impending ban on single-use plastics using ‘Facebook Live’ on April 22. Guyana will be joining a global concerted effort to ban single-use plastics in 2021, due to their impacts on human health, marine biodiversity, and the environment.

The session aimed to educate the public on the impending ban on single-use plastics, and garner feedback on areas of concern relative to the ban. Discussions were mainly centred around the availability of alternatives to single-use plastics, and timelines for implementation of the ban.

The activity was well received; and, given the positive feedback, the Agency will be conducting follow-up sessions relative to the ban, as well as other matters of public interest relevant to the function and mandate of the Agency.

Given the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency has transitioned towards hosting its public consultations virtually since March 2020. We have not only increased our social media presence, but also extended our radio and TV programmes, now having weekly radio interviews in Linden, Mabaruma and Lethem.

The Agency has, via Zoom and other platforms, also been conducting remote consultations with key stakeholders, including manufacturers, importers and the tourism sector. In the upcoming weeks, we will be meeting with stakeholders from financial institutions, hotels, restaurants and bars.

Additionally, on Saturday April 25, 2020, we will be launching our Public Survey on the Proposed Single-Use Plastics Ban virtually on the EPA–Guyana Facebook Page.

The Agency is making every effort to meet with as many stakeholders as possible, including members of the public and importers and manufacturers of single-use plastics and/or alternatives.

We encourage you to contact us if you have feedback to provide. Please send an email at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or epa@epaguyana.org , follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: The Environmental Protection Agency, C/O Communications Department, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and You Tube.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: The Environmental Protection Agency, C/O Communications Department, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN; or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Granger’s office slaps down Nagamootoo on int’l reluctance to help Guyana …rubbishes his comments

Crisis Management for SMEs

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esearch suggests that small businesses that have experienced crisis in the past are evidently more concerned about crisis events than those that have not experienced crisis (Spillan and Hough, 2003; Mikusova, 2011; Herbane, 2013). Most SMEs typically do not start crisis management planning until after an actual catastrophic experience.

Economic policy measures in small open economies like Guyana are often limited. Since the future within the context of a dynamic business environment is very uncertain, and further deterioration of economic conditions is expected, economic policies must focus on at least three basic areas: 1. Reduction of uncertainty in the business environment. Much of this in Guyana’s context has to do with the inherent intricacies of the political economy 2. Strengthening the basic social network. And 3. Preservation of future fiscal power (Bole, 2009).

In every crisis, the labour market is affected the most. Therefore, one of the most important policy challenges is how to design and implement measures that are socially sensitive and economically effective at the same time.

The creation of more resilient SMEs In order for SMEs to respond better to crises, they need to recognize that the risk is present, and they must do something about it. In fact, not only should SMEs be proactive, but promoting resilience is key.

Secondly, SMEs have to be realistic as to what they can plan for and what is likely possible post-crisis. Researchers contend that in situations where there is extensive crisis experience, those seeking to respond invariably confront unforeseen situations. It is important for SMEs, when planning for crises, to be mindful that ‘unexpected’ means that their plan might not be realizable, and evaluate what they consider as crucial for the survival of the enterprise after a disaster.

Thirdly, SMEs should conduct a risk assessment to assess the potential impacts of various events on all levels. For example, they should assess the vulnerabilities of an infrastructure towards different types of events, different locations, or different activities.

Fourth, SMEs should not underestimate the importance of the people factor. The reality is such that all employees may not be available after a crisis, and therefore it cannot be predicted how employees would react in stressful situations (Dahlberg & Guay, 2015).

Developing a model for crisis strategic planning Organizations wanting to perform well at crisis strategic planning must do the following: * Be pre-planned, and yet fluid enough to adapt to changing circumstances. * Have leaders who are able to inspire their people with a sense of hope and direction while also being grounded with realism about the situation they are faced with. * Have an organizational culture that values disciplined planning, whilst fostering an ability to be creative and innovative. * Plan, and make decisions carefully and in a structured way; yet be responsive and able to move quickly and boldly. * Have teams that are able to recognize patterns and integrate disparate information in order to make sense of chaotic situations, while being sensitive and alert to subtle changes to the environment as the situation evolves.

Crises often present a nexus of significant risks together with substantial opportunities. These factors, however, are typically not managed by a single coherent set of processes, but rather by two separate disciplines: crisis management and strategic planning. As such, effective crisis strategic management and planning; that is, the process of surviving the crisis while finding the silver lining, involves four key enablers: leadership, culture, decision making and situation awareness.

These four enablers must be viewed from the perspective of duality involving planning and adaptiveness (Vargo & Seville, 2011).

Researchers further suggest that effective crisis management of SMEs involve proactive business mindsets for sustainable growth and continuous expansions (Hong & Li, 2012).

There is need for creative solutions to administer financial support for SMEs in the case of Guyana’s COVID-19 response. This author has, in previous articles, written on the likely economic impacts of a prolonged crisis period brought on by COVID-19 and compounded by the political impasse.

It has now become necessary to brainstorm creative solutions to support SMEs and the impact on the labour market, to avert a severe social and humanitarian crisis. To this end, the Bankers Association, through collaborative efforts with the Small Business Bureau (SBB), the central bank, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Business, can consider the establishment of a $10 billion fund for these purposes. The banking sector has well over $150 billion liquid assets that can be used therein. However, stringent conditionalities ought to be put in place, backed by Government support; inter alia, Government guaranteeing of the Fund.

The SBB, for example, operates a US$5 million Revolving Fund administered through the commercial banks.

This fund, therefore, can be re-calibrated towards supporting measures to keep SMEs as going concerns throughout this COVID-19 period, and to keep employees on their payroll. Other unemployment support for persons directly affected by COVID-19 responses can also be administered through the National Insurance Scheme. In fact, the governing structing of this fund should include the NIS, SBB, Bankers Association, Bank of Guyana, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Business.

More thoughts to come next week on how this can work.

By: JC. Bhagwandin, MSc., Exec Ed. (The author is an experienced macro-finance and research analyst, Lecturer and Business & Finance Consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own, and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper or the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail.com).

J

ust days after caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo admitted that international agencies might be reluctant to help Guyana until a president is sworn in, the Ministry of the Presidency has issued a statement denying this and rubbishing his statement.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP) said no international agency has made aid to Guyana conditional on the elections. The Ministry pointed out that Government remains engaged with its international partners, and the United States Government recently furnished Guyana with US$475,000.

Guyana has noted reports published in Friday’s daily newspapers suggesting that foreign partners as well as international financial institutions are unwilling to provide Guyana with financial aid to combat the dreaded Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because the country’s electoral process is incomplete.

That suggestion is “inaccurate.”

The Ministry said it wishes to make it clear that no international financial institution has linked support to Guyana’s national COVID-19 campaign to the outcome of

the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

“No international financial institution has indicated that financial aid has been made conditional upon the completion of the electoral process,” the Ministry statement said.

It has been weeks since Guyana applied to the World Bank for emergency funding to fight the coronavirus pandemic. While other countries were provided with funding, Guyana was excluded.

On Thursday, Nagamootoo was asked during a Zoom press conference, when Guyana could expect funding to be made available by bilateral partners.

“I believe that, because of the political situation in Guyana, while we are in transition to a Government that will emerge after March 2, 2020, we cannot say for sure whether some of these international multilateral lending agencies are going to be dealing with Guyana’s applications any time soon.

They probably would want to sit it out and wait until the President is sworn in,” Nagamootoo said in response: “So, we are being updated on that. We have an ongoing relationship with the InterAmerican Development Bank

Caretaker President David Granger

Caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

in terms of several projects that will be reconfigured into Covid-related projects. I’m told that will be a huge sum of money, just under US$80 million.”

The Ministry’s denial came just hours after a shakeup in which the caretaker President appointed former Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, to manage the National COVID Task Force’s operations. The announcement was made on Friday that Harmon would be the Chief Executive Officer of the Task Force.

Granger only last week said he had intervened in the task force decision after Nagamootoo had given directives to Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that would have delayed the re-

count. Among the directives that Nagamootoo gave were for all observers coming into Guyana to observe the recount at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre be subject to 14 days’ quarantine in a Government facility.

Nagamootoo had also told GECOM that they could not go past the curfew hours during the recount. After an outcry from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), however, Granger intervened and these directives were rescinded.

It was determined that observers would be pre-tested in their home country and not be quarantined. Persons have posited, however, that the directives were politically inspired and designed to deter observers from coming to Guyana.

Trans Guyana Airways begin flights to Region 8

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omestic airline, Trans Guyana Airways on Saturday announced that it has commenced flights to hinterland communities in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

This announcement was made just after Amerindian People’s Association (APA) member, Michael McGarrell expressed concerns over the increase in passenger and freight fares by the domestic operator, Air Services Limited (ASL). ASL has since denied that it increased its fares. However, several persons, particularly in Paramakatoi, Region Eight, made social media posts about the increase and in one instance, a picture was posted of the notice of the increase.

However, in a recent statement, the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) had said that none of its members - Trans Guyana

Trans Guyana Airways at Chenapau airstrip [Trans Guyana photo]

Airways, JAGS Aviation, Wings Aviation, and Roraima Airways - have increased their fares. ASL was not listed as a member. ASL was the only airline operating in Region Eight.

Trans Guyana in a release on Saturday said that the flights have commenced and will operate from the Eugene F Correia International Airport to Mahdia, Kaieteur,

Chenapau, Paramakatoi, Karisparu, Kato, Monkey Mountain, and Kurukubaru.

The return fare varies between $26,500 and $39,000.

The airline said that the fare from Mahdia to Ogle will be $15,000. The airline noted that its staff will continue to take every precaution necessary to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Their procedures include 100 per cent tem-

perature testing of all passengers and staff, sanitising of aircraft before every flight, the compulsory wearing of face masks and hand sanitising before passengers and crew board the aircraft.

“All cargo is similarly sanitised,” the statement said.

The carrier further explained that it took on the initiative in response to the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana’s (AOAG) request to address the concerns expressed by the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) and the Government concerning Region Eight’s access to food and freight supplies.

“The local aviation industry is highly competitive and thus the market forces that result from this dynamic work to keep the industry fair. Trans Guyana Airways will continue to provide a superior and safe service to and for the people of Guyana,” the release read.

COVID-19 outbreak

E-Networks reduce Internet, wireless TV price to support customers

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s Guyana continues to feel the impact of the novel coronavirus, E-Networks on Saturday announced that it will be reducing the prices for its wireless TV and internet services to support its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting from May 1, 2020, the company said that the monthly fees for its

DreamTV wireless service, its most popular TV service, will be reduced by 10 per cent.

For its wireless internet customers, E-Networks underscored that they will not only be lowering pricing but customers will experience 20 times greater speeds.

“This move comes after an upgrade earlier this year

to the company’s OnFiber residential packages, which were increased from 3 Mbps to 250 Mbps for the same price”, the company stated.

During these unprecedented times in which more persons have to work and study from home, E-Networks said that it recognises the importance of delivering adequate inter-

net and content on a reliable network to keep persons connected, informed, and entertained.

So far, the overwhelming pandemic has already led to a major disruption of the global economy. Some persons have already lost their jobs, while others were forced to accept a reduction in their salaries.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caretaker President suffering from ‘selective amnesia’ – PPP/C …feigns ignorance of his party frustrating recount process …if APNU/AFC won, why not release SoPs?

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aretaker President David Granger made a post on his Facebook page accusing the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) of attempting to frustrate the recount process and the PPP/C has come out swinging, hard, at Granger.

Granger, on Facebook, said “The PPP are trying to frustrate the recount process after losing the elections.

All Guyanese must support GECOM and support the national recount of all ballots.”

This did not go down well in the PPP/C camp and the party has since accused Granger of suffering from ‘selective amnesia’ and sought to set his record straight.

According to the PPP/C, though Granger would like “us all to forget, the fact is that following his request to Caricom for a supervised recount it was the PPP that agreed as a means of finding a way forward. On the other hand, it was Granger’s people – inclusive of two APNU+AFC candidates – who went to the court to block the recount. All of Guyana and possibly the world looked on in shock as fumigation of the venue and

other infantile manoeuvres were employed by Granger’s people to stymie the Caricom supervised recount.”

Granger’s cohorts

The party, which publicly released the Statements of Poll (SoPs) it collected following the March 2 General and Regional Elections, reminded Granger that it is his people at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that are frustrating the process.

They noted that it is former PNC Vice Chair and current GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander, who sought to defend the outrageous 156 days’ recount proposal brought to the Commission by APNU/AFC sympathiser Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.

Additionally, it was caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who suggested that the high-level team from Caricom be quarantined for 14 days and the recount process not breach the curfew hours of 06:00h to 18:00h.

In an effort to jolt Granger from his partial blackout of memory, the party reiterated its proposal for a recount lasting no more than 10 days.

Identifying the duplicitousness of the ‘Granger cabal’, the PPP/C repeated that it was his people who voted against having an independent auditor present to observe the count; voted against live-streaming the count so that all Guyanese can see that it is done transparently; and wanting to limit the number of observers at each counting station.

Whole world, all of Guyana

In adding facts in an effort to clear the delusion from Granger’s mind, former Opposition Chief Whip and Executive Member of PPP, Gail Teixeira said it is factual that the PPP/C won the elections and that the APNU/AFC coalition is doing everything to clench to the final threads of power.

She noted that Guyanese have been intellectually assaulted and psychologically abused for the last 17 months following the defeat of the Granger-led APNU/ AFC Government by the successful passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018, and its defeat once again at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

It is now 54 days and

Guyanese are without a date for the commencement of the recount of the votes.

Like her party, Teixeira reminded Granger of the facts surrounding the current attempts to frustrate the process.

She attempted to jog his memory by stating that it was Granger’s candidate, Ulita Moore, represented by another APNU candidate, Roysdale Ford, who approached the court to block the recount; and it was the Granger-led machinery in cahoots with the GECOM Secretariat that proposed to have the recount done in 156 days, supported by Vincent Alexander and the two other Granger-appointed Commissioners, and opposed the PPP proposal to have it done in 10 days.

“One must wonder why Granger, the First Lady and other leaders of his party, who seem so certain that their party won the elections, are so intransigently opposed to releasing copies of the SoPs that are in their possession? One also must wonder how he has conveniently forgotten once again that it is he who called on GECOM to publish the SoPs in the 2011 elections

PPP/C Executive Member Gail Teixeira

Caretaker President David Granger

which was granted? He has forgotten that the same request was made by the AFC in the 2006 elections and that too was granted. Mr Granger may delude himself but the whole world and all of Guyana already knows who won the March 2, 2020 elections - the PPP/C won,” the former Home Affairs Minister argued.

She added that the whole world, represented by all the international and regional bodies, is demanding transparent, timely, fair and credible results of these elections, nothing less, or it will not recognise the Government. “…It is this GECOM arm of the rigging cabal who voted against having an independent auditor present

to observe the count, who voted against live-streaming the count so that all Guyanese can see that it is done transparently, who voted for a limit on the number of observers at each counting station; who supported the Lowenfield plan, although the process outlined is radically different from the procedure set out in the Representation of the People’s Act and is therefore not in accordance with the law,” she added.

The seasoned politician said that there is still a chance for Granger to redeem himself and ensure the expeditious delivery of results – and this is by the support the PPP/C proposals.

18 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Woman clinging to life after brutally chopped, stabbed by husband …man commits suicide

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North East La Penitence, Georgetown woman is currently battling for her life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after she was brutally chopped and stabbed several times about her body by her abusive husband, who later committed suicide.

Dead is Glen Forde, also known as “Blackboy”, a fish vendor at the Meadow Bank Wharf of Calabash Alley, North East La Penitence, Georgetown. Injured is his 30-year-old reputed wife, Collen Daly.

Reports are the incident occurred at about 17:30h after a heated argument ensued between the couple.

This newspaper was told that Forde accused his reputed wife of infidelity which led to the argument that eventually escalated.

According to residents in the area, during the heated exchange, Forde picked up a knife, which he used to clean fish and dealt the woman several chops and stabs to her abdomen and other

Colleen Daly

parts of her body. Believing that Daly was dead, the man then climbed onto the roof of his house, threw a twoby-four wood on the woman, and slit his throat. He then fell to the ground and died on the spot.

The wife was picked up by public-spirited persons and rushed to the hospital while undertakers from the Lyken Funeral Home collected Forde’s body.

A neighbour recalled that after seeing the man slitting The house in which the couple lived at North East La Penitence, Georgetown

Undertakers removing the body of Glen Forde, aka “Blackboy”

his throat, she called the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) 911 number but it rang out.

“All I hear is some lashes and I asked my husband what is going on and he said ‘I don’t know’ and I see he jumped on a ladder and looking over the back and all I hear is ‘Blackboy chopping up Collen’ and I saw him on the top of the roof and I ran out here,” one resident stated.

The couple has three children together – 11 and sev-

en-year-old boys along with a six-year-old girl. At the time of the incident, the children were at their grandmother’s house. This publication was told that the couple shared a very abusive relationship and was constantly heard quarrelling.

Another neighbour told this publication that some time ago, Daly was seen running on the road naked with Forde in hot pursuit as he attempted to beat her.

Further, another resi-

dent related that the couple’s arguments usually turned violent.

For this year, Guyana has recorded eight domestic violence incidents which ended in death.

Meanwhile, comparing statistics from the Social Protection Ministry for the same period last year, the Ministry recorded eight women being killed – six allegedly by their current or former partners. (Shemar Alleyne)

GECOM Chair’s rejection of Commissioners’ motions “incredulous” – former AG …says tainting recount with partiality, unfairness …motions were designed to increase transparency

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xecutive Member of Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Anil Nandlall has described the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission, Retired Justice Claudette Singh’s rejection of several motions tabled by the Oppositionnominated Commissioners as incredulous.

GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj tabled 10 motions on behalf of the PPP/C to ensure transparency in the pending recount of the March 2 votes. However, the GECOM Chair used her tie-breaking vote to throw out the motions.

Among the 10 resolutions tabled by the Opposition Commissioner are for the release of Statements of Poll (SoPs) from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) where fraudulent declarations were made by embattled Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. The party also wanted the Audit Office or a private audit firm to monitor the recount and the process to be live-streamed for the public and international observers as well as for GECOM to set aside the fraudulent declarations by Mingo and the report subsequently prepared by Chief

Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to the Commission, among others.

However, Nandlall in a statement on Saturday said that “Justice Claudette Singh’s justifications for rejecting our ten motions, put

by PPP Commissioners at the last GECOM meeting, are simply incredulous”.

He pointed out that following the crude fraud perpetrated by Mingo in relation to the Region Four results, the motions were all intended to bring “greater transparency, oversight, public scrutiny, greater dispatch” – aggregating to add significant credibility and integrity to the recount process.

Conveniently relying on Section 90

In an interview with the State’s newspaper, the GECOM Chair defended her decision to throw out the motions, saying that since a recount is underway, the release of the SoPs will not serve any purpose and that Section 90 of the Representation of the People Act provides for secrecy of the tabulation of ballots, hence she cannot allow live streaming of the recount process.

But according to Nandlall, who is a former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Justice Singh’s reliance on Section 90 of the Representation of the People Act to reject the party’s proposal to live stream the process is as convenient as it is preposterous.

He noted that while the Chairperson conveniently relied on Section 90 in her rejection of the motions, the recount is being done under Section 22 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act and Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution – both of which empower GECOM to issue such instructions and take such actions as appear to it necessary and expedient to ensure impartiality and fairness.

“Would the live streaming of the process and the other proposals contained in the nine other motions not enhance impartiality and fairness? In fact, in rejecting those proposals the Chairperson herself is tainting the process with partiality and unfairness. Significantly, the Chairperson herself in her written submissions to the court highlighted the importance of GECOM and the

electoral process enjoying public confidence so that the election results would be accepted by all,” he posited.

The PPP Executive went on to point out that it is no secret that public confidence in the Elections Commission and its staff is at an all-time low given the events that followed the March 2 polling day and persists some seven weeks after.

“The truth is that a majority of the electorate does not trust GECOM. After what transpired, there is sound basis for this mistrust. The live streaming of the process would contribute tremendously to boosting public confidence in the process,” Nandlall stated.

He went on to stress, “After what Mingo did and the Chairperson’s repeated public commitment to act fairly and transparently, how can she reject a proposal to allow the Audit Office of Guyana or a private audit firm to aid and scrutinise the exercise, but rather choose to support highly toxic persons from the Secretariat whose conduct have been condemned by all the observer teams, to conduct the recount exercise. It is difficult to defend an argument that she is not

PPP Executive Anil Nandlall

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

part of the same design.”

Moreover, the former AG contended that the Chair’s justification for throwing out the proposal that sought the release of the SoPs to GECOM Commissioners is equally baffling. He outlined that the documents are not the private property of Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, who is in possession of the documents.

According to Nandlall, the Commissioners have a legal entitlement to them.

He added that these documents are not secret since they were posted at polling places across the country after the ballots were counted.

“As Chairperson of the Commission, is Justice Singh not even curious to see what those SoPs say in

relation to the fabricated spreadsheet which Mingo used as the basis of his tabulation? This must be boggling to the rational mind.

The same arguments apply, a fortiori to her refusal to have Region Four ballots counted off early rather than stretch it until the end of the exercise,” he asserted.

Against this backdrop, the PPP Executive further stated that it is imperative that the GECOM Chair reconsiders her position lest the recount process evoke greater controversy than it was intended to resolve.

Only on Friday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that Justice’s Singh rejection of the PPP’s motion has revealed “where she stands” to the public.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Down with all the delays and trickery!

Dear Editor, Never again in Guyana must the future of so many be placed in the corrupt hands of so few. The shameless subterfuge of those at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its Secretariat, cannot re-establish the lost confidence and stained credentials caused by its leading tarnished and cheating staff members. It justifies the widespread local and international condemnation facing GECOM and the David Granger-led conspirators.

The organisation failed to activate Standard Operational Procedures for ‘recounts’ and the pretence over a myriad of Commission time-wasting meetings presided over by Chairwoman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh failed to establish acceptable transparent procedures. The situation highlights a heightened loss of confidence in not only the Chairwoman but the organisation as a whole. The gravity of the situation facing our dear country has been made clearer by the position outlined in her recent despicable decisions.

It has been over seven weeks since the March 2,

2020, General and Regional Elections, in which evidence of some of the most disgusting, disturbing, and fraudulent practices by GECOM staff was actioned and observed. It necessitated interventions through the High and Appeal Courts, where the overwhelming illegalities were recognised. As a consequence, the courts made and upheld pellucid rulings regarding the instructed methodology for the recount of the Region Four votes, but these seem to have since been frivolously disregarded. The current status quo is now surprising because the Judiciary would not have instructively ruled on the challengeable matters had the Judges found these cases lacking the flagrant fraudulent abuse by GECOM Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo.

Forced to state her position on key issues brought through PPP/C Commissioners’ petitions at the Commission’s last meeting allowed the unmasking of indecent pretence.

This nation is being held at ‘ransom’ as the PNC-APNU/AFC after two months, has main-

tained their kleptomaniacal and time-delaying antics to stay in Government with the aid of purposeful cheaters at GECOM. The blatant attempt to call votes from a ‘rigged’ spreadsheet, occurred after half the votes in Region Four was properly tabulated, and all the other nine regions’ votes were similarly tabulated and delivered to the Chief Elections Officer.

The Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Mr Keith Lowenfield has possession of all the Statements of Poll for each electoral region. I was present at the GECOM Office situated in Ashmins building at High and Hadfield Streets when Deputy RO, Miss Bobb abandoned the legitimate SoP verification approach and started calling the results from a ‘rigged’ spreadsheet prepared or provided by someone at GECOM. The differences in votes on the spreadsheet were indeed a revelation since the votes called were all for the APNU/AFC and falsified to the extent that the votes reflected as cast by GECOM, were sometimes more than the total votes on the voters’ list for the specific division.

All of these cheating and rigging attempts of the results took place in the presence of the international and local observers. It was so blatant that all the political parties objected and demanded that the RO return to the original method and requested that the votes be called from the Statements of Poll.

Even the CEO, Mr Lowenfield, came and attempted to call from the ‘rigged’ spreadsheet and when he saw the blatant difference in the numbers, he instructed that the RO call from the SoPs. After a smooth run of the process, the tabulations were abruptly stopped for no acceptable reason. Then came the chief Mingo ‘rigger’ who feigned sickness the day before and he proceeded to announce the unverified and rigged results of Region Four, following the falsified spreadsheet.

The emergence of the numerous problems including the abandonment of the process of verification by socalled tiring staff with no replacements followed a 2015 pattern in which key senior GECOM administrative staff suddenly became unreachable. Concurrently, it is now public knowledge

that the PNC riggers were at Congress Place planning court cases after court cases to delay the process of a proper count of the Region Four votes.

With the recent turn of events, the apparent locking up of Chairwoman Claudette Singh in a room in the building for hours under Police guard must now be looked at with equal suspicion. Of note, the Chairwoman has decided among the many disappointing positions that: * The current status of declaration stands until they are replaced. Does this mean that she is accepting the fraudulent Mingo tabulation although the courts and every observer have discredited it? * There would be no live-streaming of the process. (There goes transparency) * The recount period would take 25 days with the ten teams working 10 hrs per day. This is under conditions of sanitisation of the ballot boxes and their contents, but by whom? One would hope that the latter aspects would be witnessed by all parties present and that this sanitisation is not

done solely in the presence of Volda’s men and women. * She does not have enough evidence to remove some compromised staff from the process. At least the courts have evidence of their affidavits which are available. * Opposition Commissioners are not entitled to see the copies of the CEO’s Statements of Poll when these ought to be public documents.

The list goes on and too many questions have emerged without rational or acceptable positions. It merely outlines that one having a capacity to understand laws as in the case of a retired Judge does not mean that such a person commits to abides absolutely. What is indicative is also their capacity to take advantage of legal shortcomings when the real intent is clandestine.

There is no urgency by the Chairwoman and the mechanism for transparency has been fractionalised, making recognition more problematic. We must down with all of this trickery.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

GECOM Chair has APNU/AFC now on propaganda disappointed Guyanese

campaign trail for recount 2020 Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC is on the campaign trail again, only this time they are around the various communities spreading rumours and propaganda.

Recently, Mr Gary Best visited Region 10 and went on one of the broadcasting networks to inform the people of Linden and the region that the APNU/AFC coalition has won the March 2, General Elections and it is the People’s Progressive Party/Civic who wants to rig the elections by requesting the recount and it is essential that the people of Linden stop this from happening.

This, in my view, must be considered as inciting which should be investigated by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority.

Lindeners, I’m sure you remember the strategy outlined in that email which encouraged the APNU/AFC Government to keep propagandising on the issues of having inherited an empty treasury.

The propaganda that APNU/AFC peddled for years that Mr Bharrat Jagdeo and his Ministers stole billions while in Government these may have worked well in the past but we are now in 2020, we all see these were rumours.

I’m of the impression that this was a sign of desperation by the PNCR to control their stronghold, Linden Mr Best, Lindeners cry

shame on you, to believe that they are so stupid. You are a man of the law and was trained to uphold the law.

How can you be involved in such deception?

Many Lindeners and Guyanese alive today, were too young or not born in 1964 to remember what happened in Wismar, Linden, because of rumours, deception and propaganda. Today I ask you not to be influenced by words that will incite wrongdoing, we have seen in the past the loss of so many lives because of the wrong information given to us under the leadership of the PNC, now the APNU/ AFC. As Lindeners and Guyanese, we should seek to heal the wounds inflicted on us by past generations, we have to seek the truth and try to report the truth.

We are a strong, smart and educated people and must not allow leaders who only care about power to continue instilling fear by embellishing and twisting facts.

Lies often repeated, become facts, be aware! Guyanese we must ensure that what happened in May 1964 does not happen again and don’t encourage any political party to do their dirty work, it is only a blind man that cannot see that the 2020 General and Regional Elections was rigged. However, the results from the recount will reveal the truth. The APNU/AFC leaders need to stop dwelling in mischief and targeting Linden’s young people for their personal gains

and benefits. Gone are those days, our young people have a vision and need visionary leaders.

Lindeners, Guyanese, we are faced with a critical challenge ahead of us, on how best to empower our young people and adolescents after the aftermath of the election results and the coronavirus so that they can become healthy adults and future leaders that will lead this country towards to a thriving economy over the next five years.

I know for a fact that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic has an urgent comprehensive action plan already established through 2025 to empower our young people all across this country with the knowledge and skills they need in order to shape the future of our nation and contribute to achieving the aims set out in the strategy and vision with the Sustainable Development Goals. The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic has a vision for all young people’s future with an underlying set of coherent policies, services and resources dedicated by a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic elected Government to address the specific needs and aspirations of diverse groups. This vision will target all those who need support the most; those who are not in education nor employment and training today; adolescents and young people from poor backgrounds, the thousands of teenage

moms, and other disadvantaged young people, including those with disabilities.

These challenges are real, too many young people are still missing out on essential services and support under the APNU/AFC caretaker Administration from the education system or employment system, while we have adolescent girls giving birth every day in Guyana, with the vast majority of them then dropping out of school, to subsequently struggle to access decent skilled employment opportunities for the rest of their lives, a People’s Progressive Party/ Civic elected Government will deliver skills, development programmes and co-create pathways to employment, including reserving or creating jobs for cadres of new graduates. They plan to strengthen vocational training systems, the online scholarship programme, overseen by the Government, and make it easier for out-of-school adolescents and youth to benefit from such specialised technical skill, training opportunities that would also promote holistic and lifelong skills development for disadvantaged young people who are not in school today, and possibly allow hundreds of them to integrate jobs in the formal economy in the future. Young people, let’s remain focused on the price ahead.

Sincerely, David Adams

Dear Editor, I write with the deepest disappointment in Justice Claudette Singh. She has disappointed thousands of Guyanese, especially women that held her in high esteem. It appears that she was installed for a specific purpose. That of derailing the elections if the coalition does not win.

It should be and probably is the fundamental right of every Guyanese to be able to view the SoPs. They are not her personal property and she should not be allowed to get away with hiding them.

After all, these SoPs were publicly displayed at the respective stations of polls. So what now is the excuse for not allowing every Guyanese the chance to view them?

Additionally, what is the harm with live streaming the process which would only lend more credibility

and transparency to the recount?

If she felt that she could not perform the job fairly, then she should not have accepted it at all.

There are strong rumours that Retired Justice Singh is very close to Amna Ally and takes instructions from her. This fact is whispered with pride by the coalition. I certainly hope that there is no truth to that.

Lastly, Retired Justice Singh is being paid handsomely and she must perform her duties without fear or favour. Her behaviour so far has been that of a person who is obliging the entire country by consenting to be the elections chief. In what way is she better than Mingo and Lowenfield?

Sincerely, Shazad Sookram

20

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

Archie

Get out and have fun, but do so in moderation. Pay at(March 21- tention to what’s important April 19) and focus on improving your appearance, skills or relationship with someone special.

Romance is encouraged.

ARIES

TAURUS A time-out will help put (April 20- your personal life in perspecMay 20) tive. Before you say or do something, you should check the facts. Reassess matters and be willing to compromise.

GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)

Focus on improving friendships, sharing information and traveling. A physical challenge or activity will motivate you to take better care of yourself. Romance will enhance your relationship with someone special.

CANCER

Keep your life simple and (June 21- your relationships amicable.

July 22) Don’t overdo it or overreact.

Balance and equality should be your priorities when dealing with life and those closest to you.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Refuse to let a sudden turn of events slow you down. Don’t worry about what others do.

Focus on what’s important to you and follow through with your plans.

Take the initiative and try doing things differently. Take something you enjoy doing and add it to your daily routine. Strive for positive change and walk away from emotional turmoil.

A problem at home won’t go away unless you discuss matters and take action. A favorable decision will help you get your life back on track.

Romance is on the rise.

Make a positive lifestyle SCORPIO change.

A move or proper(Oct. 24ty deal will lead to unexpectNov. 22) ed benefits. Embrace change with open arms. Channel your energy into achievement, not into arguments.

Be productive and bring SAGITTARIUS about positive adjustments (Nov. 23Dec. 21) to the way you live and how you spend your time. Love is on the rise. Make plans with someone who brings out the best in you.

Calvin and Hobbes

Gauge your time carefully.

CAPRICORN Consider what’s doable and fo(Dec. 22cus on your target. The changJan. 19) es you bring about will make your life easier and less stressful. A healthier lifestyle will help control medical issues.

Consider your options and AQUARIUS make a move that will give (Jan. 20you the momentum to reach Feb. 19) your personal goals. If you set aside time for a loved one, it will encourage a better relationship.

PISCES You’ll have to do some fan(Feb. 20- cy footwork to avoid controMar. 20) versial situations. Refuse to get in the middle of someone else’s melodrama. Focus on making positive changes and keeping the peace.

21

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

22

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

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Mc Gill Super Stars Sports Club celebrates 28 years of existence T

he now popular Mc Gill Super Stars Sports Club was founded on April 24th 1992 by members of the agricultural village of Canal #1, West Bank Demerara.

It was named after the Mc Gillivary Primary School in that village, which was attended by most of its past and present members.

Initially a countryside softball team, the club quickly developed into a hardball unit run and controlled by executive members, and is now indisputably one of the most dominant clubs of the West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA).

Current club president is the captain Sudesh Persaud, who with fellow team mate Balram Aron are the only members of the club to have played in the club’s first hardball match and are still playing with the club presently.

From 1992 to 1999, this club played with great passion and determination, but was unable to cop a championship. That all changed from the year 2000, when Mc Gill Super Stars commenced its dominance of cricket on the

West Demerara for 10 straight years, during which it won most of the competitions held by the WDCA and DCB. The club has seen three generations of players coming through the ranks, and hopes that this would continue for a very long time.

From 1992 to 2020, the Club has achieved a lot, and has toured more than 5 islands in the Caribbean, hosting many successful fund-raisers and

awards ceremonies.

The club has produced three national athletes over the years: right-handed batsman Travis Persaud, who captained the Guyana Under 19 Team to back-to-back regional titles in 2015 and 2016 in Jamaica and St Vincent respectively; left-arm spinner Kheshram Seyhodan and left-arm seamer Daniel Basdeo who were part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise in the inaugural season of the CPL. Canal #1 Polder is known as the home of the “Mighty Mc Gill”, and the village will always be recognized for producing such a great Club and such great athletes.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

Canadian Collegiate Badminton…

Priyanna Ramdhani named Rookie Player of the Year G

uyana’s star athlete Priyanna Ramdhani is quickly making a name for herself in the world of Canadian Collegiate Badminton. She has been named Rookie Player of the Year at the Old’s College in Alberta, where she is a student.

The award, which spans the 2019-2020 Badminton season in Canada, comes as no surprise, considering the impressive first year Priyanna has had at that college.

Being the first international athlete in the Old’s College Broncos badminton team, 18-year-old Priyanna Ramdhani has had a lot on her plate, but she has handled herself well and striven to excel on every platform.

The Alberta College Athletics Conference (ACAC) usually hosts three competitions in the early part of the season, and Priyanna placed third in each competition.

When she advanced to the ACAC provincial championships, Priyanna and her older brother Narayan each placed second in the women’s and men’s singles respectively.

Her performance gained her a spot at the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) Championships, and she finished that competition in fourth position.

Based on these performances, the Old’s College had no

Albion CCCC extends gratitude to BCB, RHTY&SC for assistance

T

Albion groundsmen with the food hampers

he President, Executives and Members of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club (ACCCC) would like to thank the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) for making five food hampers available to the ACCCC. These food hampers were given to five of the Club’s young cricketers whose respective families are in need. A release from the Club detailed.

“We sincerely thank the BCB and the RHTY&SC for this kind gesture, as this is another testimony of the wonder work being done by both organizations”, the ACCCC has said in its release.

The ACCCC had last Wednesday provided face masks to its membership as part of its efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and is currently looking at engaging in other activities to provide continued assistance, not only to its members, but to needy persons in the Albion area and nearby communities.

Distribution of sanitizing agents and food items is high on its agenda. According to the release, the Club’s Executives will be having a virtual meeting early in the new week to finalise arrangements in this regard.

Albion CCC was among the clubs that benefited from this RHTY&SC/BCB food hamper project. Among cricket clubs in Berbice that received these hampers were West Berbice, Blairmont, Mt Sinai, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Chesney, Whim, Port Mourant, Guymine and Kildonan.

trouble in selecting Priyanna as their most outstanding rookie player for 2019-2020.

Broncos Head Coach Mary Smith shared why Priyanna was selected for the award.

“Priyanna is extremely positive, and her energy spreads (throughout) the team. She’s had fantastic results for a first-year player, and she truly deserves Rookie of the Year,” the Broncos Head Coach said.

Expressing great elation at receiving such a prestigious award, Priyanna noted that she has put a lot of work into the recently concluded season.

“I’m very happy to receive Rookie of the Year from my college. My overall success for the year was very good. I’m very happy with my performance, but I do think I can improve much more for next year,” Priyanna expressed.

This outstanding young Guyanese declared that her intention is to raise her ranking next season with some improved performances.

“I think I can do better next year, and I’m trying to go for a second or first place; that’s my goal. And hopefully, I can achieve better,” she said. (Jemima Holmes)

Priyanna Ramdhani

23

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Canadian Collegiate Badminton…

Pg 23 Priyanna Ramdhani in action

Priyanna Ramdhani named Rookie Player of the Year

Albion CCCC extends gratitude to BCB, RHTY&SC for assistance Pg 23

Priyanna Ramdhani in action

Omarnauth Outar and an Albion cricketer pose with a food hamper

Mc Gill Super Stars Sports Club celebrates 28 years of existence Pg 22

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

April 26, 2020

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Safeguarding our diminishing

Coastline

2 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 26, 2020

Feature

Lindener trapped in India due to COVID-19 travel restrictions longs to return home

By Utamu Belle

W

hat was initially expected to be a six-week educational trip to India has turned into a lot more for Lindener Leon Roberts. Roberts is one of a few Guyanese who departed these shores and other parts of the world back in February, to pursue an International Scholarship Training Programme offered by the Government of India through the Indian High Commission.

But while the majority of students made it back to their homelands before the closure of international airports due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Roberts is one of those who were left behind.

He departed Guyana on February 14 for India, where he pursued a course in Industrial, Infrastructure and Sustainable Project Preparation and Appraisal.

The programme was conducted by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India and sponsored by the Government’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Lindener arrived in India on February 17 and was scheduled to depart on March 29.

If all had gone as planned, Roberts was expected to be back in Guyana on March 31.

In a telephone interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, the Lindener shared his experience on what it’s like being quarantined in a foreign country as the world faces major social and economic challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The coronavirus situation happened, and so coming up to around the 16th of March... the officials for the course started realising that things were getting serious and they started trying to make arrangements to get persons back to Guyana. But what happened is that because of the distance and how I had travelled - I travelled through the Netherlands and Panama, I would have taken three days to get back home... So, by the time they were trying to get flights, of course all the flights got tied up and what not, and then Guyana announced that they’re closing the airports. So, I was left stranded,” Roberts related.

He said that most of the other students were able to secure flights out of India, with him and another three students being left behind. Roberts said overall, there were nearly 50 students from various countries who attended the training initially, with 21 of those from about 17 different countries accounting for his group alone.

“The Mongolian Government closed their airport early and Afghanistan did similarly, and then the Congo. So, all of us got stranded,” he said, explaining how the foursome got

left behind.

Roberts explained that there were other Guyanese who were part of the programme, but they were fortunate to get back home before the lockdowns.

He is presently housed in a hostel on campus along with the three other overseas-based students who hail from Mongolia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan respectively. Though he is safe, having been placed in quarantine, Roberts said he longed to be back in his home country.

“You got to really discipline your mind to actually prepare a kind of a schedule, so that you could live by the schedule - just to break the monotony. One of the first things is that I never got acclimatised to the change of time zones, so I find myself still sleeping on Guyana’s time which means I’m up all night here. During the day, it’s a total lockdown, nobody is moving,” he explained.

Roberts said thankfully he was at the mercy of the Indian High Commission, which is in control of his travel itinerary and documents. The High Commission, he noted, is monitoring when the airports will be opened and he will be booked to return home as soon as this happens.

“I registered with the Guyana High Commission here in India as well, so they too, more than likely, are looking to see how they could assist me to get back home,” Roberts related.

Although he receives shelter and three square meals each day on the campus, Roberts disclosed that he was concerned as to how long the supplies would last.

Additionally, he said there were challenges for the skeleton staff on campus to go out and get food.

“I have shelter; I feel reasonably secure.

The only concern that I have is whether or not they would be able to maintain food supplies in this place - food security. That is the only concern that I have. But so far, so good...It’s the uncertainty of waking up in the morning not knowing... (fearing) that everything cut off and you don’t know what to do,” he shared.

Roberts added that he was in a community which is complete vegetarian, which presents a minor challenge, but he was coping.

And he has gotten into the daily habit of saving some leftover food just in case. Painting a picture of the overall atmosphere at his location, Roberts related that the military was enforcing the lockdown and there were consequences for anyone who went against the rules.

Missing family, longing to be back home

Roberts is able to keep in touch with his family back home via the Internet as he had managed to purchase a SIM card. He recently suffered a great inconvenience, however, as the data had expired and he was without Internet connectivity for a few days. Luckily, he was able to replenish his data after getting into contact with someone during a chance encounter. But being a father of one and a sole breadwinner, Roberts is much worried about his family back home.

“I have my 17-year-old son at home with his grandmother, who is a pensioner, so I still have to, while I’m here be trying to figure out how I’m going to provide for them back home...they depend on me. So, at the moment, I’m out of a job. They’re existing basically on my savings and my mom’s pension,” he disclosed.

Meanwhile, he tries to occupy his time meaningfully. Daily he dedicates some time to reading, talking on the phone with his family back home, and walking on the campus just for a little exercise.

As the days go by and uncertainty looms, Roberts is longing to return to his homeland.

He said he was made aware of persons expressing sentiments online that those overseas at this time should be left there. This, he sees, as unreasonable thinking.

“I just want to say that it’s the first time in my entire life that they made me question whether or not I am Guyanese and I really think I am still entitled to every facility that any other Guyanese is entitled to, including the ability to be home. I understand fully the

health situation and I understand that there will be a quarantine... As a matter of fact, I am under a quarantine right now, but an individual’s fear of the health situation in the world should not rob me of my birth right entitlement to be in Guyana as a Guyanese.

I’m equally entitled to it, and so once something could be done to mitigate the risk that I might present to other Guyanese, it should be done and not just simply say that you got to ‘stay where you deh’,” he said.

Roberts posits that this idea expressed by some only makes him feel like a stateless person. He opined that this should not be the tone of any responsible Guyanese from any political arena or otherwise. He said instead, it should be a case whereby all options should be explored in an effort to have Guyanese return home in a manner that is safe for them as well as the rest of the population.

“You can’t just simply say that people need to stay where they are. You don’t know the circumstances that they’re under, and I don’t say that for myself. All things being equal, I am in a better position than most, but if, let’s say, somebody is in a foreign country in a cold climate on the street, they are entitled to be back home in Guyana,” he reasoned.

In the meantime, Roberts continues to pursue humanitarian work through the non-profit Non-Governmental Organisation Sexual Assault and Family Education (SAFE) Guyana Inc from his location. The organisation is presently assisting vulnerable families in his hometown who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, through the distribution of food and hygiene hampers.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 26, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

We can become guardians of our diminishing coastline – Reel Guyana

A section of the rapidly eroding Shell Beach Protected Area

Waves lashing in and overtopping the seawall

not only happen along the East Coast (Demerara) mong the constants in the universe, and close to (George)town, change is a big one. Though change it was essentially a probis most welcomed, some forms of that lem that was happening very change are causes to worry and among all over as a result of our those worrying changes is perhaps the most low-lying coastland,” he dreaded one – climate change. noted.

Climate change is real and is happenIt was from there he ing before our very eyes as we experience started building an arstrange phenomenon in the form of higher chive of the footage he colsea levels, unpredictable weather patterns, lected. Over the years, that rapidly-melting glaciers, and unprecedent- archive would be transed changes, both on land and in the water. formed into a library that If these everyday experiences do not open led to the compilation one’s eye and motivate one to make drastic and production of “Coast changes to everyday life, then nothing will.

Land”.

The very planet, according to scientists, The 27-year-old felt is in deep trouble owing to the actions of one that although he had an auspecies – humans. dience, he needed to build Here in Guyana, we have been experi- a stronger connection with encing the effects of the rapidly-changing the general Guyanese popclimate, but they have not yet caused a se- ulation and “Coast Land” rious conversation about what will happen was a step in that right when the sea rises and encroaches on our direction. Over the years, coast – the very coast where the majority he has worked with variof the Guyanese population resides, works, ous Non-Governmental conducts business. Our coastland is vulner- Organisations (NGOs) as able to the domino effect of climate change, well as Government agenand we need to begin acting fast if we want cies and in order to get the to be able to continue residing here.

Alex Arjoon desired output for his documentary, Arjoon capitalised on those connections.

The production of this high-quality documentary did not come without its challenges. As one is aware, the creative industry in Guyana is perhaps one of the most neglected and this caused Arjoon to dig deep into his own pockets to finance this venture.

“Funding is always an issue. The creative industry doesn’t have a lot of support here and it is not very structured. This project specifically was a big personal and financial investment, but I think it is good in a way, because it gives me something as a filmmaker to prove. Telling a story that is honest and genuine and with the intention to bring awareness, so it is Alex Arjoon behind the scenes good that maybe it is on my own back.

We need to first spark that That being said, it serious conversation and then is not sustainable work on formulating plans to and I would love for protect the coastland for the futhe powers or the ture generations of Guyanese. higher powers that In an effort to spark that be to really think much-needed conversation and about putting more highlight the plight of the coastinvestments into land, environmental filmmakthe creative induser Alex Arjoon’s Reel Guyana try,” he said. spent over four years document- Andrea Dutton, Geochemist Climate change ing what exactly was happening & Paleoclimatologist is such a worldto our coast. wide issue and it He released a 25-minute docreally goes beyond umentary titled “Coast Land” on Friday.

Guyana. That being said, climate change is Arjoon, son of environmental activist causing our sea level to rise and it has the poAnnette Arjoon, did not envision he would tential to drastically affect the way in which be filming a documentary about the coast- we live and our development in the future. If land, since most of his work was concen- this goes unmonitored, or if enough importrated in the hinterland region and focused tance is not placed on it, then we may be in on marketing Guyana as a budding tour- some deep trouble in the years to come. ism destination. However, it was his mother For Arjoon, his goal is to bring awareness who dragged him one day to film the prog- and he thinks now is the right time. ress of the mangrove restoration project and “This is an issue that is everybody’s probhe then found out that the coast was under lem and something we can agree on and threat. work together. It’s how we can collectively “So, we would always do a family trip come together and solve this. How can we, now and again and sort of monitor the man- at the very least, begin a conversation on groves and as we did that, we started notic- what our coast really means to us and how ing the mass amount of overtopping happen- will we react if we are sort of affected or if ing all along the coast. The waves would be our livelihoods are affected?” he questioned. crashing over the seawall and flooding the “Coast Land” is an extremely informative road and in my travels, I noticed that it did documentary and explores the past, pres-

By Lakhram Bhagirat

A

ent, and future of the coast. Arjoon brings onboard personal experiences of those on the frontline, activists, and an expert in the person of Andrea Dutton. Dutton is based in the United States and is a sealevel rise expert, geochemist and paleoclimatologist.

With Guyana’s coastland being part of a much larger ecosystem that stretches from the mouth of the Amazon in Brazil to the Orinoco in Venezuela, there is much at risk if we do not protect it.

These rivers, according to Arjoon in “Coast Land”, play massive roles in pushing mineral-rich mud banks along the Guyanese coast from

sea rises we should have cause to worry.

It is estimated that global sea levels are predicted to rise one to four feet by the end of this century and Arjoon posits with every millimetre Guyana’s watery border approaches a point of irreversible collapse.

“In the last few years, Guyana has witnessed and felt the physical effects of rising sea levels and overtopping. Coastal communities have felt this devastation as their open backyards have become one with the ocean. These harsh realities are only being felt when we are directly affected, when in fact we should be working to combat it every day. With the collaborative effort with civil society and public institutions, we can combat the issue of rising sea levels and overtopping, and become the guardians of our coastland communities,” he notes.

In “Coast Land”, we hear Dutton speak of the possible effects of rising sea levels as well as give recommendations on what needs to be done to preserve the ever-changing coastline.

She noted that one of the things that really affect the shape and position of a coastline is really how much sediment is getting delivered there or being eroded away, adding that many people there were aware of changes over time.

Flooding due to overtopping

east to west like a giant wet conveyor belt.

The abundance or scarcity of these mud deposits is subjected to an ebb and flow cycle lasting approximately 30 years.

“Coast Land” informs that it is estimated that roughly three times per century the coastline is subjected to severe periods of mud scarcity and erosion which allow high tides to penetrate further inland.

“These periods of erosion are followed by periods of accretion as the cycle continues.

The cyclical erosion happening on Guyana’s foreshores have the potential to displace natural sea defences such as mangrove forests – which are an eco-system in itself.

They act as a buffer shielding the coast from intense wave action. However, over the years, we have seen a significant decrease of mangrove forest leaving our coast directly exposed to wave impact, which is more now that temperatures around the world are rising,” Arjoon narrates at the beginning of the documentary.

When icebergs, snow, and ice sheets melt, and they are doing so at an alarming rate, that water is deposited into the oceans which means that its level rises. With parts of Guyana’s coast sitting 19.7 inches (0.5 metre) to 39.4 inches (1 metre) below sea level, it means every time the level of the

Within human lifetimes you can see some big changes depending on how much mud is coming out of the rivers, how it is getting transported along and so there is already a lot of variability in that system that creates for a very dynamic coastline in that region, she explained.

“Places with low-lying topography are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise as that occurs. Places that are already vulnerable are getting flooded and will be flooded more frequent. So, as the background level of sea level goes up, you’re getting an increasing frequency of these high flooding events that will affect the communities and that’s really how it’s going to be felt. More than a gradual change, there will be those extreme events which will become even more extreme and more frequent,” Dutton relates in the documentary.

One of the glaring facts is the majority of Guyana’s coast is being protected by manmade sea walls and while this may seem as though it is a long-lasting solution, Dutton explains that it only presents itself as a scary one. She notes it is a fact that the coastline will retreat owing to higher sea levels and erosion, and explains why she thinks seawalls are not the ideal solution.

PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5

4

Sunday Times Magazine

Health

P

APRIL 26, 2020

Pleurisy

guyanatimesgy.com

leurisy (PLOOR-ih-see) is a condition in which the pleura — two large, thin layers of tissue that separate your lungs from your chest wall — becomes inflamed.

Also called pleuritis, pleurisy causes sharp chest pain (pleuritic pain) that worsens during breathing.

One pleural layer of tissue wraps around the outside of the lungs. The other pleural layer lines the inner chest wall.

Between these two layers is a small space (pleural space) that’s usually filled with a very small amount of liquid.

Normally, these layers act like two pieces of smooth satin gliding past each other, allowing your lungs to expand and contract when you breathe.

If you have pleurisy, these tissues swell and become inflamed. As a result, the two layers of the pleural membrane rub against each other like two pieces of sandpaper, producing pain when you inhale and exhale. The pleuritic pain lessens or stops when you hold your breath.

Treatment of pleurisy involves pain control and treating the underlying condition.

Symptoms Signs and symptoms of pleurisy might include:

Chest pain that worsens when you breathe, cough or sneeze Shortness of breath — because you are trying to minimize breathing in and out A cough — only in some cases A fever — only in some cases Pain caused by pleurisy might worsen with movement of your upper body and can radiate to your shoulders or back.

Pleurisy can be accompanied by pleural effusion, atelectasis or empyema:

Pleural effusion. In some cases of pleurisy, fluid builds up in the small space between the two layers of tissue. This is called pleural effusion. When there is a fair amount of fluid, pleuritic pain lessens or disappears because the two layers of pleura are no longer in contact and don›t rub together.

Atelectasis. A large amount of fluid in the pleural space can create pressure, compressing your lung to the point that it partially or completely collapses (atelectasis). This makes breathing difficult and might cause coughing.

Empyema. The extra fluid can also become infected, resulting in an accumulation of pus. This is called an empyema. An empyema is often accompanied by fever.

When to see a doctor

Call your doctor right away if you experience unexplained, intense chest pain during breathing. You might have a problem with your lungs, heart or pleura or an underlying illness for which you need prompt medical care.

Causes

A variety of underlying conditions can cause pleurisy. Causes include: Viral infection, such as the flu (influenza) Bacterial infection, such as pneumonia Fungal infection Autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus Lung cancer near the pleural surface Pulmonary embolism Tuberculosis (TB) Rib fracture or trauma Certain inherited diseases, such as sickle cell disease Certain medications

Diagnosis

Your doctor will start by asking about your medical

history and doing a physical exam, including examining your chest with a stethoscope.

To determine if you have pleurisy and identify the cause, your doctor might recommend: Blood tests. A blood test might tell your doctor if you have an infection. Other blood tests also might detect an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, in which the initial sign can be pleurisy.

Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray can show if your lungs are fully inflating or if there is air or fluid between the lungs and ribs.

Computerized tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around your body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images that look like slices of your chest. These detailed images can show the condition of the pleura and if there are other

causes of pain, such as a blood clot in the lung.

Ultrasound. This imaging method uses high-frequency sound waves to produce precise images of structures within your body. Your doctor might use ultrasound to determine whether you have a pleural effusion.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Your doctor might recommend this heart-monitoring test to rule out certain heart problems as a cause for your chest pain.

Diagnostic procedures

In some cases, your doctor might remove fluid and tissue from the pleural space for testing. Procedures might include: Thoracentesis. In this procedure, your doctor injects a local anesthetic between your ribs to the area where fluid was seen on your imaging studies. Next your doctor inserts a needle through your chest wall between your ribs to remove fluid for lab analysis and to help you breathe better.

Your doctor might insert the needle with the help of ultrasound guidance.

Thoracoscopy. If TB or cancer is a suspected cause of

your condition, your doctor might perform a thoracoscopy — also called a pleuroscopy — in which a tiny camera (thoracoscope) is inserted through a small incision in your chest wall. This procedure allows for a direct view inside your chest to look for any abnormalities or to get a tissue sample (biopsy).

Treatment

Treatment for pleurisy focuses primarily on the underlying cause. For example, if bacterial pneumonia is the cause, an antibiotic will be prescribed to manage the infection. If the cause is viral, pleurisy may resolve on its own.

The pain and inflammation associated with pleurisy is usually treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).

Occasionally, your doctor may prescribe steroid medication.

The outcome of pleurisy treatment depends on the seriousness of the underlying disease. If the condition that caused pleurisy is diagnosed and treated early, a full recovery is typical.

Lifestyle and home remedies

The following steps might help relieve symptoms related to pleurisy: Take medication. Take medication as recommended by your doctor to relieve pain and inflammation.

Get plenty of rest. Find the position that causes you the least discomfort when you rest. Even when you start to feel better, be careful not to overdo it.

Don’t smoke. Smoking can cause more irritation to your lungs. If you smoke and can›t quit on your own, ask your doctor for help.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 26, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

SOME MORE TOXIC ENCOUNTERS

EMERGENCIES – CONTINUED

The usual culprits in Guyana are:

Insects

Marabuntas and sundry wasps Bees (not lastly those vicious, ferocious and aggressive Africanised bees Ants (we called the real nasty ones “cop-cop” when I was young), including the red ants and the big black ones.

Non-Insects (which can inflict the most painful experience upon our pets) Spiders (the tarantula springs to mind) Scorpions Centipedes Hairy worms Snakes (to be dealt with next week)

RAISINS TOXICITY IN DOGS

The other day someone called me and asked about the issue captioned above. She said that she had read about this problem during a Google search. My answer, I confess was a bit too flippant and lacked the degree of seriousness which I now feel, in retrospect, was warranted. I opined that, over the last 5 decades of practice, raisins (=dried grapes) fed to dogs, especially during the Christmas Season, resulted in no worrying ill effects. As to what is the actual toxic ingredients in grapes, the scientific jury is still out. Much of the evidence seems to be circumstantial at best. The toxic agent has not currently been isolated. Actually, some scientists argue that the culprit may well be fungi (moulds) on the grapes.

Anyway, let us not provoke fate. Just do not feed raisins or grapes or fruitcake containing raisins to your dogs.

If, after all I have written, you still feel compelled to give your dog raisins, then please no more than one raisin per one pound of your dog’s bodyweight, i.e. a 20-pound canine pet might be able to tolerate 20 raisins. However, but I would not advise that you test chance. It has been documented that raisins do seem to compromise the functions of the kidneys.

POISONOUS STINGS AND BITES

Here, in the tropics, insects and other species of biting/ stinging pests abound and flourish. Most of them are harmless, at least where the infliction of pain is concerned. Ah, but there are some whose venomousness makes up for the relative harmlessness of their counterparts.

In some cases, the pet is inquisitive and wants to investigate a fallen wasps’ nest or wishes to find out why the insect is going into and out of a hole in the wall or in a mud heap. The very funny walk of a scorpion or a centipede invites a closer look by a curious companion animal. In fact, the reaction of a scorpion to a nosy puppy actually provokes a competitive game. Or so thinks the puppy – until it finds out differently.

Anyway, before you get the wrong impression, let me hasten to add that most insects, even the biting ones, do not go out of their way to make a confrontation. They much prefer to go quietly about their own business.

In the case of the bee, for example, once the stinging apparatus (stinger) is lost, the insect dies. Insects, especially the flying/biting kind, attack only to defend – usually their hives. In other words their action is protective, and usually the dog or cat gets bitten only by a few insects initially. It is not as if hundreds of honey-bees or marabuntas, kamikazelike, will dive bomb a poor innocent pooch – unless they feel that he is hell bent on destroying their home.

Having said all that, let me tell you that the sting from only one wasp or from a single bee can bring about severe pain to the recipient – especially if the animal is particularly sensitive (allergic) to that particular poison. And if the animal is stung often enough, it can exhibit a toxic shock syndrome which ends in a coma or even death, if professional help is not immediately summoned.

Under those conditions when the animal has received several bites/stings, they will develop a fever (with chill/ ague symptoms) and respiratory distress (labored breath-

ing). In all cases, the bite site is extremely painful. In all cases, there is a local reaction with redness (inflammation).

In most cases, bites and stings don’t’ heal well and may need veterinary intervention.

HOME TREATMENT FOR STINGS AND BITES

If you can actually see the sting, try to remove quickly by scraping with a flat piece of plastic, flat surface of a knife or a fingernail. Actually, only bees leave their stingers behind.

It would help the Veterinarian if you were able to identify which creature did the biting/stinging. Was it an insect, a scorpion, centipede, hairy worm, etc.?

As I have previously advised, in similar conditions, use the ice pack (crushed ice in a cloth) to relieve the swelling and the pain.

Mix Baking Soda and water into a thick paste. Place the paste on to the sting/bite wound.

As a consequence of bites/stings, you can be sure that itching will emerge. I am a firm believer in Calamine lotion or a Zinc Oxide cream to relieve itchiness. But there are several products on the market and pharmacists can advise you accordingly.

Obviously, act expeditiously to remove wasps’ nests and the like from one’s premises. Conditions in which scorpions, centipedes tarantulas are nurtured, should be eradicated.

Next week we will deal with, under the rubric of “Poisonbased Emergencies”, snake bites and frog poisonings.

We can become guardians of our diminishing coastline (cont'd) “Seawalls are a scary solution because if you build a wall in one place, water has to go somewhere, so if it’s not getting in from that wall it makes the flooding even worse in someplace else. The other thing in building seawalls, I think it builds in complacency for the communities who live behind them, because they feel as though they have addressed the problem and they are safe which makes them all the more vulnerable because at some point that wall will fail and then they will not be prepared at all,” Dutton informed.

Speaking on the topic of a silver lining among all the expected worry, Dutton said at this time conversation was warranted.

She urged the stimulation of conversation even if you do not have all the answers since it may be a learning experience. The expert notes that the investment in conversation will be worth the returns since it is the wish of everyone to want to stay ahead of that rising sea and not go under it.

Arjoon takes us through a four-year journey with “Coast Land”. The entire documentary is one that opens the eye of the normal person and educates them on the impending dangers if we do not act as fast as we should.

Perhaps, one of the most eye-opening experiences documented was that of the farmers and residents at Mahaicony. In 2019, a breach in the sea defence was reported there and salt water invaded the farmlands, this was catastrophic for the farmers who lost

Repairing the breach at Mahaicony

millions.

Arjoon was able to capture the restoration effort and challenges encountered.

He noted that hearing the waves crashing in on the seawall invoked a very surreal feeling of vulnerability.

“If we look at old kokers and sluices that was where we were. That was where the seawall was. Look at where we are now.

Most recently, there has been severe overtopping in other parts, particularly on the West Demerara. Below the seawall is a bowl that is essentially waiting to be filled and once water gets in there it is not that easy to get out. When that water starts to pour in, we are basically sitting ducks -- helpless… the overtopping is one thing, but once that water gets in, all hell breaks loose,” Arjoon

explained.

Turning his attention to the NorthWest District, particularly the Shell Beach Protected Area, Arjoon sat with his mother who spent over 30 years working there.

With one of the largest mangrove forests in the country, the Shell Beach area is home to several eco-systems but it also saw the worst form of erosion.

According to Annette, the Almond Beach area was home to a large population of farmers and fisherfolk, but because of the rising sea levels, they were forced to relocate. They had to pick up their lives and restart in other parts of the country.

“Shell Beach in 2012, we started to see waves and wind getting stronger. Waves becoming higher and were overtopping the beach and eroding the coconut plants that were there. It eroded so far until it forced the community to relocate to higher ground.

Now there are barely about three dozen people there,” she said.

One takeaway from this documentary is the fact that we are in deep trouble unless we begin preparing for the diminishing coastlands. It means that the responsibility is everyone’s to take and we need to start that much-needed conversation. “Coast Land”, hopefully, is that conversation starter, but what we need to do is to sustain that conversation and move in the direction of tangible solutions.

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APRIL 26, 2020

Feature

Sea level rise, explained

A

s humans continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, oceans have tempered the effect. The world’s seas have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from these gases, but it’s taking a toll on our oceans: 2018 set a new record for ocean heating.

Many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms, but scientists prefer to use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems.

Rising seas is one of those climate change effects. Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches (about 23 cm) since 1880, with about three of those inches gained in the last 25 years. Every year, the sea rises another .13 inches (3.2 mm).

The change in sea levels is linked to three primary factors, all induced by ongoing global climate change: Thermal expansion: When water heats up, it expands.

About half of the sea-level rise over the past 25 years is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.

Melting glaciers: Large ice formations such as mountain glaciers naturally melt a bit each summer. In the winter, snows, primarily from evaporated seawater, are generally sufficient to balance out the melting. Recently, though, persistently higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater-than-average summer melting as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs.

That creates an imbalance between runoff and ocean evaporation, causing sea levels to rise.

Loss of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets: As with

mountain glaciers, increased heat is causing the massive ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica to melt more quickly. Scientists also believe that meltwater from above and seawater from below is seeping beneath Greenland’s ice sheets, effectively lubricating ice streams and causing them to move more quickly into the sea.

While melting in West Antarctica has drawn considerable focus from scientists, especially with the 2017 break in the Larsen C ice shelf, glaciers in East Antarctica are also showing signs of destabilizing.

Consequences

When sea levels rise as rapidly as they have been, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats farther inland, it can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants.

Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons that move more slowly and drop more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can strip away everything in their path. One study found that between 1963 and 2012, almost half of all deaths from Atlantic hurricanes were caused by storm surges.

Already, flooding in low-lying coastal areas is forcing people to migrate to higher ground, and millions more are vulnerable from flood risk and other climate change effects. The prospect of higher coastal water levels threatens basic services such as Internet access, since much of the underlying communications infrastructure lies in the path of rising seas.

Adapting to the threat

As a result of these risks, many coastal cities are already planning adaptation measures to cope with the long-term prospects of higher sea levels, often at considerable cost. Building seawalls, rethinking roads, and planting mangroves or other vegetation to absorb water are all being undertaken.

In Jakarta, a $40 billion project will aim to protect the city with an 80-foot-high seawall. Rotterdam, home to the Global Center on Adaptation, has offered a model to other cities seeking to combat flooding and land loss. The Dutch city has built barriers, drainage, and innovative architectural features such as a “water square” with temporary ponds.

Of course, communities vulnerable to rising seas can only go so far in holding back the tide. In the Marshall Islands, where rising sea levels are forcing a choice between relocating or building up the land, residents will need help from other nations if they decide to undertake the expensive latter option.

How high will it go?

Most predictions say the warming of the planet will continue and is likely to accelerate, causing the oceans to keep rising. This means hundreds of coastal cities face flooding. But forecasting how much and how soon seas will rise remains an area of ongoing research.

The most recent special report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we can expect the oceans to rise between 10 and 30 inches (26 to 77 centimeters) by 2100 with temperatures warming 1.5 °C. That’s enough to seriously affect many of the cities along

the U.S. East Coast. Another analysis based on NASA and European data skewed toward the higher end of that range, predicting a rise of 26 inches (65 centimeters) by the end of this century if the current trajectory continues.

If all the ice that currently exists on Earth in glaciers and sheets melted it would raise sea level by 216 feet. That could cause entire states and even some countries to disappear under the waves, from Florida to Bangladesh. That’s not a scenario scientists think is likely, and it would probably take many centuries, but it could eventually happen if the world keeps burning fossil fuels indiscriminately.

In the meantime, scientists keep refining their models of sea-level changes. They also point out that the extent to which countries work together to limit release of more greenhouse gases may have a significant impact on how quickly seas rise, and how much. (Christina Nunez for National Geographic)

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APRIL 26, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

7

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 26, 2020

Puzzles

ACROSS 1 Luke’s twin sister 5 Cunning 10 Logger’s alert 16 Grouchy Muppet 21 Vases with feet 22 Open, as a gas tank 23 Dream of 24 Unduly severe 25 Be without 26 Form a gully 27 Champagne size 28 Meek and timid 29 Heralds (2 wds.)

31 Mentalist’s claim 33 Ladybug features 35 Convene 36 Thin clouds 37 O.K. Corral name 40 Play about Capote 41 Blackjack 42 Check fig.

45 Peace gesture 46 Lunch counter order 48 Be off 50 Angels’ home 52 Soft purples 54 Persians, to Greeks 55 “-- Zapata!”

57 Depot info 58 Sonnet stanza 59 Klutz’s mutter 60 Other sock 62 Phoenix origin 66 No way! (hyph.)

67 Flail 69 Sangfroid 71 Crow’s-nest locale 72 Don Quixote’s horse 74 It borders Fla. 76 Kayak kin 78 Round stopper 79 Stephen King chiller 80 Where artists mix 83 Stock holder?

85 “Hamlet” prop 88 Eye enhancer 89 Buzzer 90 Arthur’s domain 93 Russian “icebox” 95 Overhang 97 Moon or planet 98 Muscle cramp 100 Pass near Pikes Peak 101 Shabby (hyph.)

106 Presage

108 Casual wear (hyph.)

110 Drags out of bed 112 Steakhouse order 113 Whittled down 115 About 2.2 lbs.

116 Cuba, to Castro 117 “20,000 Leagues” author 118 Mortar trough 120 MHz part 122 Ersatz butter 123 Unsavory 124 Beg and plead 128 “The,” to Wolfgang 129 -- Enterprise 130 Family mem.

131 Winner’s shout 132 Maui cookout 133 It goes for a spin 135 Cookie sheets 137 Fold one’s tent 139 Rather or Duryea 140 Seal a tub 142 Morticia’s hairy cousin 144 Current (hyph.)

148 Lethargic feeling 150 Hors d’oeuvre 153 Jaunty lid 155 Gauge 156 Hound’s track 157 Short on iron 158 Incantation 159 Goddess’s statue 160 Roosevelt or Ruxpin 161 Enya’s music (2 wds.)

162 No longer chic 163 Lighten up

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Comic-strip moppet Hurlers’ stats Unit of length Lopsided Ballpark figures Green Mouse targets Terhune collie Non-aluminum foil Busch Gardens site My mind -- -- blank Sticker stat Flour holders Release magma Shark hitchhiker Electrical units -- Paulo Friday’s companion

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD -- IBUPROFEN (IBUPROFEN: eye-byoo-PRO-fen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication.)

Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 57 or more words in IBUPROFEN? infer inpour inure iron bier bine bone bonier bonfire bore born borne bourn brief brine

brio bruin burp burn unripe upon urine peon pier pine pone pore pouf pour probe

prone prune punier pure rein rife ripe ripen robe robin rope roue ruin rune open

opine fern fiber fine finer fire firn fore four froe ebon euro

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

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

19 St. Francis of - 69 Tailor, often 20 Musical beat 70 Meadow murmur 30 Hold, as attention 73 Declares invalid 32 Treats fractures 75 Credo 34 Fix a piano 77 Scoundrel 38 Give it the gas 81 Cassius Clay 39 Fuss with makeup 82 Numerical prefix 41 Yawning gulf 84 Fairer 42 Secret romance 85 Dip of ice cream 43 Like a he-man 86 Cosmic law 44 Ballet attire 87 Earth pigment 46 One prone to sheepless 91 Choose nights? (2 wds.)

92 Piece of work 47 Reduced 93 Acted friendly 49 Insulation meas. (hyph.)

94 Tickles 51 -- -- disadvantage 95 Jazzy -- James 53 Sled or taxi 96 Happy sighs 54 Frontier outpost 99 Wedge 56 It may be split 102 European capital 59 Mr. Bill’s cry (2 wds.)

103 Late 61 Kuwaiti leader 104 Bilko’s name 63 -- yoga 105 Has occasion for 64 Glacial ridge 107 First P.M. of India 65 Squall or gale 109 Synonym scouter 67 -- Mahal 111 Van Gogh’s medium 68 Flounder 114 Woodland creature

117 Car import 119 PC fodder 121 Onassis, to Jackie 122 Bounce 123 Space Needle site 124 Most senior 125 Shade of meaning 126 Made suede 127 Jungle squawker 130 Drives away 134 Branch of geometry 136 Female relative 137 Entices 138 A funny Murphy 140 Fat --; easy street 141 Had down pat 143 Recipe qty.

145 Slave girl of opera 146 Art colony town 147 La femme 149 And, to Fritz 151 GP group 152 Overeat, with “out” 154 It banned DDT SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 7