Daily Archive: Thursday, April 16, 2020

De facto Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence this afternoon announced that the number of persons tested positive for the coronavirus has risen to 57 from 55 yesterday.

The Commonwealth observer group which was accredited to the March 2 General Elections today urged that GECOM undertake the long-awaited recount of votes in full compliance with the Representation of the People Act and a credible manner.

Guyana will have to wait one more day for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to communicate its decision on the way forward with the promised National Recount of votes cast on March 2.

The Guyana Bar Association today called on GECOM to act expeditiously to enable an accurate and transparent declaration of results from the March 2 elections noting that a constitutional deadline for the convening of a new Parliament was fast approaching on April 30th.

Three men accused of hanging a dog has been granted $15,000 own bail.

(Trinidad Express) Five Trinidadian men and six Venezuelan nationals appeared in court today, charged under the Public Health [2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)] (No.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Clarendon community of Mitchell Town is reeling from the loss of three of their own in New York in the United States as countries across the globe continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Naomi Thompson-Henry boiled with anger as she condemned as malicious a video that has emerged on social media linking her late husband’s death to COVID-19 and potentially putting their lives at risk.

BENGALURU,  (Reuters) – India said on Thursday videoconferencing software Zoom is “not a safe platform”, joining other countries that have expressed concern about the security of an application that has become hugely popular worldwide during the coronavirus lockdown.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – This year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) was officially postponed until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic today but the Indian cricket board believes it can find a “safe” window later for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

TOKYO,  (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded a state of emergency to include the entire country on Thursday and said the government was considering cash payouts for all in an effort to stem the coronavirus outbreak and cushion the economic downturn.

(Trinidad Guardian) T&T’s healthcare system has been given a shot in the arm as the country will receive from the CAF—Development Bank of Latin America a loan of $340 million (US$50m) to mitigate the COVID-19 health crisis here.

Seven new positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were yesterday recorded by the Ministry of Public Health in Guyana, as the country’s major public hospital “prepares for the worst”.

GECOM is today expected to make a long-awaited final decision on a plan for the recount of votes at the March 2nd elections.

Two men were yesterday remanded to prison after they were charged with the murder of Timehri, East Bank Demerara resident, Lawrence Raymond Benjamin who was stabbed to death more than a week ago.

In his latest call for democracy to be upheld here, Acting Assistant Secretary for the U.S.

The victim of the fatal accident which occurred on Tuesday night when a motorcar collided with a cow on the Good Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara, has been identified as a taxi driver and former resident of No.

The management of the SleepIn Hotels in Guyana yesterday announced that it has taken the brand international.

In recognition of the need for persons to stay at home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has collaborated with the Help and Shelter organization to provide a toll-free hotline number to assist victims of domestic violence and abuse.

The Head of the OAS observer mission at the March 2nd elections, Bruce Golding  yesterday expressed concern that an accurate result has not been determined six weeks on and said this was crucial to restoring Guyana’s position as an “internationally respected democracy”.

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have committed to reviewing a series of proposals designed to tackle the issues arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis as part of their general agreement on a way forward in the Community’s battle against the pandemic.

Two men were yesterday remanded to prison while another was released on $75,000 bail after they were charged in relation to last Friday’s home invasion at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), where a businessman and his family were robbed of over $1 million in cash and gold jewellery.

In light of the suspension of all prison visits due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Guyana Prison Service yesterday announced the introduction of video calls for inmates.

The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has expressed confidence that rice production this year would be “excellent” despite the novel coronavirus pandemic fallout and assures that that there will be adequate supplies for local, regional, and extra-regional markets.

Guyana will now host the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games in 2022 instead of 2021 following the cancellation of this year’s event due to the pandemic, COVID-19.

As the world is grappling with the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), Sheltez Tennis Club, is among one of the local clubs to have felt the brunt of its impact.

In another one of its initiatives to help combat the spread of COVID-19, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has donated a range of sanitising products to the Beacon Cancer Foundation.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Captain Kieron Pollard says West Indies’ aggression in their series win over Sri Lanka last month was an encouraging sign of development ahead of this October’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.

The Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday handed over a $17 million river ambulance to Region 10 and five passenger boats valued at $2.6 million for several riverine communities.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Brazilian health officials braced yesterday for President Jair Bolsonaro to fire his health minister over disagreements on how to handle the coronavirus outbreak, with at least one secretary offering his resignation in protest.

Dear Editor, Kindly permit the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to respond and hopefully clarify a few issues highlighted in a letter published in the Friday, April 10, 2020 edition of Stabroek News under the headline, `China Rail should reconstruct substandard curbs between Better Hope and Buxton’.

Nearly one year after he secured a scholarship at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, United States, junior lawn tennis champ Heimraj Resaul is enjoying his first full stint abroad although in unfamiliar territory. 

When Ronaldo AliMohamed wasn’t initially named in the 2018 West Indies Under – 19 World Cup squad many were surprised since he had produced quite a number of match-winning all-round performances to lead Guyana to championship honours. 

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government is employing harsher measures in one of Caracas’ largest barrios to ensure residents comply with a coronavirus quarantine, as many poor Venezuelans continue to head outside in search of scarce food and water.

Dear Editor, Michael Gilkes was a contemporary of ours – at Queen’s College, when close to one hundred percent of those bright students were also sportsmen.

The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) yesterday announced the implementation of new procedures as part of the national effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Trinidad Express) Ordinary Seaman Takeem Alexander has appeared before a Port of Spain Magistrate charged with the unlawful killing of his colleague, Ordinary Seaman Gyasi Richardson.

Dear Editor, Further to a Joint Statement by the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union on Guyana’s failure to deliver a credible General and Regional Elections result and the country’s probable isolation, there are a variety of sanctions we can anticipate.

An announcement of the annual May Day rally’s cancellation is expected to be released by the end of the week, according to Seepaul Narine, General Secretary, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

Despite the Covid-19 virus forcing a shutdown of the local and international football industry, Golden Jaguars International Akel Clarke, revealed that he has maintained a structured training programme in anticipation of the sport’s eventual resumption.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 yesterday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the “new normal.”

Former West Indies captain, Sir Richie Richardson, is of the opinion the Caribbean side can return to the top of world cricket.

(Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton a short while ago disclosed that test kit supplies for COVID-19 to Jamaica from the United States were blocked by that jurisdiction, and that the Government is now awaiting supplies from other sources.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown has cancelled its annual Hat Show and Garden Party, which was scheduled for April 18, 2020.

Dear Editor, I would like to pay tribute to my esteemed and cherished colleague, Dr Michael Gilkes, who died in London of the coronavirus.

GENEVA/WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday he regrets U.S.

Dear Editor, To clarify matters and claim ownership since the letter was mentioned in your editorial of Easter Sunday I, living in London since 1980, am the Peter Fraser who calculated how long it would take to count the votes in other peoples’ elections at the rate of 3,031 a day.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – This year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) has been postponed indefinitely following the COVID-19 pandemic, key franchise officials told Reuters yesterday.

A young resident of `A’ Field Sophia is currently in hospital nursing a cutlass wound and his mother is calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to act quickly to prevent his attackers from doing further harm to him.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday his government is trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing “needs to come clean” on what they know.

PORT-AU-PRINCE,  (Reuters) – Haiti will reopen its key textile industry next week, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said yesterday, suggesting the impoverished nation had escaped the worst of the global coronavirus pandemic by imposing early on a state of emergency.

MANAUS, (Reuters) – A two-month-old baby born to Warao indigenous refugees from Venezuela has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the mayor’s office in the Brazilian city of Manaus said yesterday.

Married for 53 happy years, Guyanese-born Abdul and Tazroon Wahab were inseparable in life.

Dear Editor, The Bible tells us that we must respect the president so I’m writing this letter with the greatest respect for His Excellency David Granger.

With the Ocean View Hotel undergoing massive repairs to serve as a COVID-19 hospital, a member of the public says he has been told that the renovations will cost $600m.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The NFL campaign and an abbreviated baseball season may be possible if games are played without fans and players are kept in lockdown, U.S.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund is looking to triple its concessional financing for the poorest countries to over $18 billion to help them respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said yesterday.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s heartfelt praise of that country’s publicly funded National Health Service (NHS) and the two migrant nurses he credited with saving his life went viral on Sunday last.