Daily Archive: Sunday, March 29, 2020

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO,  (Reuters) – U.S. deaths from coronavirus could reach 200,000 with millions of cases, the government’s top infectious diseases expert warned today as New York, New Orleans and other major cities pleaded for more medical supplies.

Bartica Mayor, Gifford Marshall, yesterday announced that the municipality will be implementing a “Stay Home” Public health advisory as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

(Jamaica Observer) The leadership of the Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay, St James, has sought to set the record straight regarding controversy over an advertisement it placed in the media regarding the contribution of tithes and offering during the suspension of church services as a result of the local coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.

(Jamaica Observer) A 26-year-old woman, a first-timer working with a popular cruise liner, is among four Jamaicans stuck at sea as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but surprisingly she’s quite happy aboard the ship.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the nation’s poor for forgiveness today, as the economic and human toll from his 21-day nationwide lockdown deepens and criticism mounts about a lack of adequate planning ahead of the decision.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain has placed an order for 10,000 ventilators to be made by a consortium of companies including Ford, Airbus and Rolls-Royce as part of efforts to fight the coronavirus, an industry source told Reuters.

(Barbados Nation) So far so good! Public Relations Officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss, said people complied with the 8 p.m.

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, the poster girl of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, took to social media yesterday to show her support for the decision to postpone the Games until next year Osaka, who won the U.S.

MURMANSK, Russia, (Reuters) – When a group of French chess players travelled to the Russian Arctic city of Murmansk for a tournament this month, they didn’t expect to end up in quarantine and face delays in getting home.

(BBC) Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin says the current football season could be lost if it cannot be restarted by the end of June.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA said it was temporarily halting all testing in response to government measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence yesterday announced that three additional cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been detected in Guyana, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana to eight, including one death.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago international Samantha Wallace says she will be finding ways to remain in shape following the suspension of the Australian Super Netball League.

(Reuters) – Juventus forward Paulo Dybala, one of the highest-profile players to be infected with the coronavirus, has started training again after recovering from the illness which he said left him struggling for breath.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) have jointly declared that any government that is sworn in on the basis of non-credible results will not be recognised by the local business community, and that every lawful measure will be taken to resist and condemn such an action.

Reeaz Holladar, the applicant in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-led court case challenging the Region Four vote count, died after he reportedly shot himself in the head yesterday morning during a domestic row with his wife.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Formula One could shorten grand prix weekends and race into January if that helps salvage a season ravaged by the coronavirus, according to Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto.

Australian gold miner Troy Resources has been fined $1 million by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the spillage of some 5,000 litres of fuel at its Karouni, Region Eight worksite and it has been ordered to pause works to emphasise safety measures.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – As Australians embarked on the unprecedented novelty of a weekend without sport yesterday, negotiations continued between professional leagues and players over wage cuts to ensure they survive the coronavirus shutdown.

Natoya Speede, the schoolteacher who was axed to death on Friday night at the Bartica Airstrip, was a victim of domestic abuse and had only ended her years-long marriage with her attacker several months ago.

(Reuters) – Juventus players and coach Maurizio Sarri have reached an agreement over a wage reduction that will save the Italian champions 90 million euros ($100.26 million), the Serie A club announced yesterday.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) yesterday stated that the blockage of the Berbice River or any waterway is illegal and in direct contravention of the law.

(Reuters) – India’s cricket board (BCCI) announced yesterday that it will contribute 510 million rupees ($6.81 million) to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – The pause in cricket due to the coronavirus pandemic will allow India’s jaded players to recharge their batteries, according to head coach Ravi Shastri.

President David Granger should exert his leadership and ensure that there is a recount of ballots and should take an example from the late President Desmond Hoyte and reach out to the PPP/C to work together, says former PPP/C Finance Minister and veteran politician Asgar Ally.

Despite the difficulty of attracting sponsorship throughout Guyana, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has always prided itself on its ability to attract sponsors ever since Hilbert Foster took over as president in February 2018.

(Reuters) – Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee president Yoshiro Mori has told international federations that deciding who foots the bill for postponing the Games to 2021 will be a “major challenge”, Olympic news website insidethegames https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1092504/tokyo-2020-president-warns-ifs-costs

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is calling on the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to urgently recount the votes cast in Region 4 and end the pain, shame and embarrassment Guyanese are now facing over the March 2nd general elections.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Revenue Authority says it is examining the audit report for US$460M of ‘pre-contract costs.’

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said yesterday he might prohibit travel in and out of the New York area to limit the spread of the coronavirus from its U.S.

Dear Editor, Please be informed that the NIS has cancelled the Life Certificate Signing Day which was scheduled for Monday, March 30th at our Head Office, Brickdam and Winterplace, Georgetown.

(Reuters) – Ehsan Hadadi, Iran’s first Olympic track and field medallist, has tested positive for coronavirus, World Athletics reported yesterday.

The recruitment process of the Spotlight Initiative has been put on hold, according to Sylvie Fouet, UNICEF’s Representative here, even as several organisations have expressed concern about aspects of the project such as restorative justice in domestic violence as they believe such settings in Guyana will put the safety and well-being of survivors at risk.

Dear Editor, As I get older, I think I get bolder yet more humble.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – The United Kingdom will do well if it manages to keep the coronavirus death toll below 20,000, a senior health official said yesterday after the deadliest day so far of the outbreak saw the number of fatalities rise to more than 1,000.

 Bryan Mackintosh, the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara resident who is accused of threatening several public officials during a live video broadcast on popular social media site, Facebook, earlier this week, was expected to be released on station bail last evening.

Enterprise Busta Sports Club and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club have  paid tributes to former Guyana Beverage Company General Manager, Robert Selman, who passed away earlier this week in Trinidad and Tobago.

(Trinidad Guardian) The number of local deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has risen to three.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – Russia’s largest oil producer, Rosneft, said yesterday it had terminated operations in Venezuela and sold the assets linked to its operations in the South American nation to an unnamed company owned by the Russian government.

(Barbados Nation) All businesses in Barbados, except those deemed as essential services, were to be closed for two weeks from 8 last night.

Pele F.C one of Guyana’s leading football institutions is mourning the passing of one of its own, Wendell Manifold who died recently in the United States. 

The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) has stepped up the use of protective equipment and is disinfecting more than usual in an effort to protect health workers and patients from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Dear Editor, If the events that followed the March 2nd General and Regional Elections, coupled with the present COVID-19 outbreak, do not motivate us as Guyanese to pull together for what may be the very survival of our people and nation-state, then I think we can say that nothing will.

MILAN,  (Reuters) – The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy barrelled past 10,000 yesterday, a figure that made an extension of a national lockdown almost certain.

The plummeting oil prices worldwide would see Guyana getting less than the expected US$300 million for this year but if the APNU+AFC government had negotiated for better royalties it would have cushioned the lost sums, says Dr Jan Mangal, the former Petroleum Advisor to President David Granger.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jermaine Blackwood says the region can expect a new and improved player when he eventually returns to international cricket.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados is putting Bds$3 million into the operations of regional airline LIAT to keep it in the air during the COVID-19 crisis.

Dear Editor, This letter is directed to Mr Raphael Trotman. We, the children of Harold, wish to remind you, your parents Justice Donald Trotman and Sheila Chapman, your sisters Anande and Vania that our father who was your mentor was a person whose integrity was never in question.

I began playing music for fun, many years ago, growing up in Vreed-en-Hoop, across the Demerara River from Georgetown, and in a recent conversation with Bajan musician Roger Gibbs, now based in Toronto where I lived for many years (Tradewinds started there in 1966), it struck me that there is a terrific book in the story of the evolution of Caribbean music that has happened in our lifetimes, particularly in Trinidad and Jamaica, but also across the region generally, from St.

The Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) has taken the necessary precautions to ensure that its staff and members of the public are protected from COVID-19, its Director Ann Greene has said, but it is also cognisant of the fact that services provided by the agency are critical and it continues to operate as per normal.

With COVID-19 wreaking havoc worldwide and many countries imposing mandatory lockdowns and encouraging self-isolation, mental health is increasingly becoming a problem.

Last Update: 624.29                         Movement: -0.013% Current Update: 622.45                   YTD Movement 2.72% LUCAS STOCK INDEX The Lucas Stock Index (LSI) fell 0.013 percent during the fourth period of trading in March 2020.

PANAMA CITY,  (Reuters) – A cruise ship stuck off Panama’s Pacific coast after four passengers died and more than 130 others developed influenza-like symptoms, including at least two with the coronavirus, will be allowed to proceed through the Panama Canal, the government said yesterday.

In a statement released yesterday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has reiterated that there is no breakdown in the rule of law in Guyana and stressed that the APNU+AFC coalition government remains in place until a successor is declared and sworn-in in its stead.

(Barbados Nation) Prime Minister Mia Mottley has emerged from her medical procedure “in high spirits” and with the “assurance of success by her medical team”.

Guyana is currently plagued by two pestilent emergencies demanding immediate and effective collective action which is imperative for the health of the nation.

Dear Editor, APNU’s strongman Joseph Harmon seems to have a knack for pre-empting decisions of high and independent bodies – such as GECOM and the Courts.

Larimakabra is a community of 18 people – a shopkeeper who lives by himself and the 17-member Williams family– located along the Parika-Hubu Road, between Naamless and Bendoroff, on the East Bank of Essequibo.

The gyms are closed. Stores are shutting down. Schools are closed.

He is rushing things Dear Minerva, I am 22 years old.

As the movie industry slows to a halt, now is as good a time as any to turn to the digitised media that’s available.

The 2020 Candidates Chess Tournament, which was ongoing in Russia, has been suspended.

Over 20 years ago, Ecliffe Cooblall started out on a journey delivering the Stabroek News to homes and offices over those years, in his own words, he has met “a lot important people, people who I could talk to”.

This past week Hulu announced an early digital release for Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which topped my list of 2019 films, and the release is a great reason to explore the recently published e-book from Seventh Cinema, titled “Portraits of Resistance: The Cinema of Céline Sciamma”.

On Thursday Mr Joseph Harmon held a press conference on behalf of his party at the APNU+AFC headquarters on Lamaha Street. 

Introduction Today’s column continues my evaluation of the impact of the 2020 global crisis on Guyana’s “infant petroleum sector”.

It has been said that with a strong personal identity, we can withstand powerful storms.

The headline is not an original formulation. It is partially borrowed from the late Miles Fitzpatrick, then a columnist in the Stabroek News.

”Stay at home” is one of the protocols to follow in confronting the Corona virus plague. 

KAMPALA (Reuters) – A Ugandan musician and political challenger to the country’s aging leader released a song on Wednesday to help efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus in the east African nation.

DAKAR (Reuters) – Dressed in hooded medical suits and protective goggles, Senegal’s activist hip-hop group Y’en a Marre rap about washing hands, disposing of used tissues and avoiding crowds in their latest release: ‘Shield against Coronavirus.’

(SciDev.Net) – The World Health Organization (WHO) last Tuesday issued new recommendations to tackle tuberculosis (TB), a respiratory disease, in the wake of coronavirus spreading across continents.

WARSAW/BERLIN (Reuters) – Governments across Europe are turning to technology to track the spread of the coronavirus and monitor people under quarantine, an approach that seeks to learn from Asia but is also putting the region’s privacy rules to the test.

(Reuters) – As the United States works overtime to screen thousands for the novel coronavirus, a new blood test offers the chance to find out who may have immunity – a potential game changer in the battle to contain infections and get the economy back on track.

(Reuters) – Auto companies and suppliers around the world are ramping up production of critical healthcare products and machines – everything from cloth face masks to sophisticated ventilator systems – to meet a critical shortage of those items at hospitals and care facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.

SAO PAULO,  (Reuters) – Few venture into the streets of Sao Paulo these days, but Erik Thiago says he will not stop working as a bike delivery man until he gets sick or the government forces him inside.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – At least one New York hospital has begun putting two patients on a single ventilator machine, an experimental crisis-mode protocol some doctors worry is too risky but others deemed necessary as the coronavirus outbreak strains medical resources.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Prototypes of a coronavirus antibody test which could be a game-changer in the fight against the pandemic are being assessed and are ready to be optimised, the developer of the technology said on Thursday.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – When Europeans first arrived in the Amazon rainforest, their smallpox decimated local tribes.

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON,  (Reuters) – Africa is crying out for debt relief to weather a perfect storm of coronavirus, plummeting oil and commodity prices, mounting budget deficits and weaker currencies.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Americans are employing humor as a balm to soothe nerves during the coronavirus pandemic, flocking to new Instagram stars like Quentin Quarantino and sharing Facebook memes about taking off bras and pants and putting on weight in self-quarantine.