Guyana News

With novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases continuing to rapidly increase in Kwebanna, the Region One community’s Village Council has decided to impose a two-week lockdown in an attempt to curb infections.

Despite minor deficiencies uncovered during an inspection, the National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat (NCTFS) has granted approval for MovieTowne’s hosting of drive-in film screenings, which begin last evening.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Narine Singh has acknowledged that the home isolation system for COVID-19 patients is “not a fool proof system,” but says Guyana does not yet have the capacity to institutionalise all persons who test positive for the virus.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday confirmed 83 additional cases of COVID-19 from the results of 216 recent tests.

In a bid to assist local farmers access regional export markets, the Guy-ana government is in discussions with the Carib-bean Community (CARICOM) in hopes of securing the relaxation or removal altogether of what it sees as some rigid non-tariff measures on local food produce, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has said.

Devon Alleyne and Rodrick Thomas, the two men accused of fatally shooting taxi driver Kelvin Walters more than a year ago, were freed on Thursday after a city magistrate upheld no-case submissions made by their lawyers.

A mechanical problem with the road milling machine has delayed the trial application of asphalt on the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue Project.

From next year, the Ministry of Public Works will grant certification to providers of raw construction materials—quarry, loam and sand pit owners—as a means of ensuring compliance with established standards.

The Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) yesterday warned the public against purchasing “misleading” brands of sweetened condensed milk, which are currently being sold on the local market.

The new Commander of Region Six, Police Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, yesterday announced that New Amsterdam would soon have “24 hours police presence” as part of plans for the region.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) yesterday donated 2,000 medical masks to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to aid in the protection of ranks as they perform their duties during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Wednesday met with minibus operators, vendors, and other stakeholders on plans to address current traffic congestion and road safety issues at the Stabroek Market Square.

Discussions on increasing the minimum wage in the private sector to $60,000 are underway, according to Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton.

Five short films from the Caribbean and the Caribbean-US diaspora are due to be screened this evening as the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) continues to host the virtual edition of its annual LGBTQ+ film festival.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has gifted phones with SIM cards and special mobile plans to the Region Four Health Department to ensure it remains in contact with COVID-19 patients.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) today said that parts of the Essequibo River island of Leguan will experience a six-hour blackout on Sunday, October 25th.

The Ministry of Public Works, Special Projects Units will be conducting maintenance works (patching of pot holes, overlaying of deteriorated and depressed sections) and road surface marking from Saturday, October 24, 2020 to Sunday, October 25, 2020 from 9:00 hrs.

A woman was seriously injured when a tree fell on her and other squatters this afternoon at the first flooded field at Success, East Coast Demerara.

Three private criminal charges previously filed against Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield were today withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The PPP/C will not accept the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) Act in its current form and will either repeal or amend it sometime early next year, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharat has said.