Daily Archive: Tuesday, May 12, 2020

In keeping with a call by the Guyana Nursing Association (GNA), masked Stabroek News staff gathered in the compound of the newspaper’s headquarters on Robb Street at 5 this afternoon and clapped their hands for two minutes.

The number of persons positive for COVID-19 has risen overnight from 109 to 113, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle.

Six legislators from the US House of Representatives representing both Democrats and Republicans today expressed support for the recount of votes underway here and called for the return of Carter Center observers.

On the heels of its announcement that as much as 85% of its workforce here could be severed  in a restructuring exercise, Guyana Goldfields yesterday announced that it has received an unsolicited proposal from fellow Canadian miner Gran Colombia and this will be reviewed by the board to determine if it is superior to one from silver company, Silvercorp.

Heavy rain this morning left parts of the city flooded. The Civil Defence Commission has warned about the possibility of flooding.

Region Nine’s first coronavirus (COVID-19) victim this morning escaped from the Lethem Hospital where he had been quarantined and was later apprehended at his Bon Fim, Brazil home just across the border, Region Nine Police Commander Keithon King confirmed.

(Trinidad Express) San Fernando businesswoman Jowelle De Souza went to her hairdressing salon yesterday although the Government had not yet given the green light for businesses such as hers to operate.

KAMPALA, (Reuters) – Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni has said it would be wrong to hold a presidential election expected for early next year if the coronavirus persists, signalling for the first time a possible delay.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – A fire apparently started by an overloaded ventilator killed five novel coronavirus patients in an intensive care unit in a Russian hospital today, news agencies reported.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – The United Kingdom’s COVID-19 death toll topped 38,000 as of early May, by far the worst yet reported in Europe, raising more questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prestige Holdings CEO Simon Hardy has defended his company in the face of allegations it benefitted from information it had ahead of yesterday’s restarting of KFC restaurants as food businesses reopened in phase one of Government’s COVID-19 reopening plan.

(Jamaica Observer) FIFTY-SEVEN of Jamaica’s 505 confirmed COVID-19 cases are children, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has confirmed.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaican Dr Anita Brown-Johnson said yesterday that she was not shocked that her son Nicholas Johnson’s record of academic excellence paved the way for his history-making exploits as the first black valedictorian of Princeton University.

(Jamaica Star) Apostle Christene McLean, founder of the City of Refuge Endtime Prophetic Ministries in St Ann’s Bay, St Ann, last night reacted in dismay to a declaration from Prime Minister Andrew Holness that churchgoers must wear masks when they are in the sanctuary.

Canadian gold miner Guyana Goldfields Incorporated (GGI) has informed the employees of the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) that a significant number will be made redundant since the size of the workforce will be reduced over the next month to facilitate a transition from open pit to underground mining.

The first confirmed case out of Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) is among the five new COVID-19 cases, raising the overall number in Guyana to 109, according to de facto Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Cricket West Indies president, Ricky Skerritt, has ruled out sending a second string team to England, if the region’s leading Test players are hesitant to tour because of COVID-19 fears.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is slowly increasing the number of ballot boxes it processes daily in the National Recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections.

Junior national table tennis player Jamal Nicholas is one of those extraordinary players who could frustrate you as one of his fans and a fan of the sport. 

A Vryheid’s Lust mother of three was  stabbed to death by her son-in-law yesterday afternoon and he is currently in police custody after he was apprehend by public-spirited citizens.  The dead woman has been identified as Velma Pickering, 56, of 257 Section ‘B’ South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Executive Member of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Anil Nandlall has released a letter he wrote to Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, formally complaining about the results declared for Region Four by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

Members of the Essequibo T20 Bash Cricket Committee on Sunday donated a large quantity of food hampers on the coast of the Cinderella County as part of its COVID-19 Pandemic outreach.

The Ministry of Public Health has launched a COVID-19 testing and screening site at the Merriman Mall, Bourda. 

Delivering on their promise, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) in collaboration with Seon Bristol of Briso Promotions presented 65 hampers to boxers and officials during the weekend.

Now that the rainy season has started, many persons living in the Deep South area in the  Rupununi are wondering how they are going to adhere to the many restrictions outlined by the Ministry of Public Health and their respective village councils to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Rookie West Indies white-ball batsman, Brandon King, has set his sights on this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, and is hoping to further impress selectors to ensure he is selected for the showpiece Down Under.

Four Corentyne men were yesterday charged with seven counts of armed robbery committed on residents within the Central Corentyne area over the past few weeks.   John Simon, 34, a labourer of Lancaster Village, Corentyne; Gavin Durant, also known as ‘Son Son,’ 33, a labourer of Liverpool Village, Corentyne; Garfield Gray also known as ‘Town Sheep,’ 50, a cattle farmer of Alness Village, Corentyne and Samuel Fraser, also known as ‘Charlie,’ 30, a cattle farmer of Alness Village, Corentyne, were all jointly charged with seven counts of armed robbery when they appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

A flood warning has been issued for flood-prone areas over the next few hours, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) said yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, has given the assurance that the tour of England will only take place once the regional body is satisfied that the safety of players will not be compromised, and that conditions in the United Kingdom do not put them at a disadvantage.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) with full admiration and total recognition of the importance of the essential service nurses provide, stands solidly behind the Nurses of Guyana on this auspicious occasion of International Nurses’ Day.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India’s 2011 World Cup-winning batsman Suresh Raina has called on the country’s cricket board (BCCI) to lift its ban on players participating in overseas Twenty20 leagues.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC)  has written to the Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh expressing concern at the unfounded allegations about the March 2nd elections being made by party agents during the ongoing recount.

Dear Editor, Perhaps it’s because I’m sometimes willingly guilty of reminiscing about my years of association with the People’s National Congress (PNC) as a once worthy and formidable political institution, that I still write this type of testimony of regret.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – New Zealand’s five Super Rugby teams will play each other in a 10-week domestic competition from June 13, bringing comfort to “Kiwis doing it tough” and inspiring a sports world brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two Corentyne men were charged with the attempted murder of a Port Mourant vendor when they appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court yesterday.  Ryan DeHart also known as “Crapo”, 26, a cane harvester of Lot 447 Train Line Port Mourant, Corentyne, and Krisindat Ganga also known as “Yankee”, 31, unemployed of Lot 2 Rose Hall Town, Corentyne appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh who read the charge via Skype.

A 57-year-old labourer was chopped to death on Sunday morning during an argument over a bicycle and the suspect has since been arrested.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Brazil deployed thousands of soldiers to protect the Amazon rainforest yesterday, taking precautions to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus, as the government mounts an early response to surging deforestation ahead of the high season for forest fires.

DETROIT,  (Reuters) – Factory workers began returning to assembly lines in Michigan yesterday, paving the way to reopen the U.S.

MADRID, (Reuters) – Gerard Pique has said he is not confident that the 2020 Davis Cup will take place due to Spain’s restrictions on spectators attending events because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dear Editor, Hats off to your Sunday Stabroek columnist Ian McDonald for his bold on point and inspiring  `Ian on Sunday’ feature titled `Something rotten in the State’.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has accepted the resignation of his Miami-based adviser Juan Rendon, his press team said yesterday, after Rendon acknowledged discussions with a U.S

The police have not yet been able to make an arrest in the murder of Brazilian dredge owner Fredson Da Conceicao which occurred more than two weeks ago and it is believed that the perpetrators have fled to neighbouring Brazil.

Dear Editor, How will David Granger be remembered? For me, he came into power with a lot of goodwill; sacked thousands of poor Guyanese people; misinterpreted the Guyana Constitution thereby putting his own spin on things on numerous occasions; exited power as a laughing stock.

OTTAWA, (Reuters) – Ottawa yesterday said it would be the lender of last resort for large Canadian employers that need help getting through the economic downturn caused by the novel coronavirus, including those in the hard-hit airline and energy sectors.

(Reuters) – Dutch Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen has said she will retire from cycling after defending her road race title at the rescheduled Tokyo Games in 2021.

(Trinidad Guardian) Senior Lecturer, University of the West Indies (UWI) Dr Roger Hosein, is projecting that T&T will suffer one of its worst Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declines in 2020 in almost 40 years.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Dear Editor, I remember well, when in the late 1980s, ensconced on the St.

(Reuters) – China has included three naturalised players in the national squad for the first time as coach Li Tie has gathered the side in Shanghai for training.

A Port Mourant, Corentyne man who was arrested after a quantity of narcotics was found in his house last Saturday was yesterday placed on $200,000 bail after he was charged.

Long before we can even begin to determine the extent of the likely overall toll of the coronavirus – in terms of deaths, possible longer-term illnesses, social and economic dislocation, changes in our socio-cultural behaviour,  how long the malady will remain with us and the longer term  adjustments we might have to make in terms of the way in which we live our lives – we are going to have to – both as a global community and as individual societies – find short-term responses to some of the immediate challenges that are already here with us.

(Jamaica Observer) Moody’s, one of the world’s leading credit ratings agencies, is describing Digicel’s plan to wipe away as much as one quarter of its US$7-billion (€6.5bn) debt through restructuring as defaulting.

Dear Editor, We cannot with any shred of good intentions or integrity – continue to keep the fraudulent declarations made by Mr.

ACCRA,  (Reuters) – A worker at a fish-processing factory in Ghana’s Atlantic seafront city of Tema infected 533 other workers at the facility with the coronavirus, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a broadcast late on Sunday.

(Reuters) – Elite sport in England cannot return until at least June 1 and will have to take place without spectators present, a government document containing guidelines on easing lockdown restrictions said on Monday.

By Shashi Tharoor NEW DELHI – As India’s 1.3 billion people struggle to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the country’s 28 states stands head and shoulders above the rest.

A day will come when a vaccine is available, the World Health Organisation confirms there are no new coronavirus cases, and our lives return to normal.