NEWS
Health inspectors to restaurants: Follow the rules when restrictions lifted
Restaurants are being asked to use fresh ingredients and proper practices to prepare food when the anti-covid19 public health regulations are lifted. On April 29, at a media conference the Prime Minister announced that all restaurants, bars, cinemas, casinos, malls, spas, beauty shops and hairdressing salons would be closed in a bid to reduce public gatherings and the spread of the virus. Speaking with Newsday on Thursday, a health inspector who asked not to be named said there was a concern that some restaurants may try to "cut corners" and reduce costs by using ingredients that were close to or past their expiration date. Read more here
TTUTA wants CMO to say if it’s safe to stage SEA
The T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) is still hoping for a postponement of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam on July 1 because of high COVID-19 figures. In an attempt to reassure teachers, especially those who are yet to receive their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, TTUTA president Antonia Tekah-De Freitas has challenged Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram to come out and say if it is safe and acceptable for this cohort of people to be out and about in public. Read more here
POLITICS
Chaguanas man takes Imbert to court over unpublished NIB reports
A Chaguanas man has received the court’s permission to proceed with an application which seeks to compel Finance Minister Colm Imbert to lay the National Insurance Board (NIB) annual reports for 2019 and 2020. Justice Margaret Mohammed, on Thursday, granted leave to Chan Rampersad, of Enterprise, to pursue his judicial review claim which he has to file in 14 days. Rampersad is also seeking two declarations that the minister breached or omitted to perform his statutory duty under the National Insurance Act to lay the reports and was guilty of unreasonable delay. Read more here
UNC to move motion of no-confidence in Deyalsingh today
There will be Opposition pressure in Parliament today for Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, including a call for his resignation. United National Congress whip David Lee said yesterday that the Opposition will pilot a debate of no-confidence in Deyalsingh at today’s House of Representatives sitting. Today is Private Member’s Day when Opposition business is done. The motion against Deyalsingh by UNC Caroni East MP Dr Rishad Seecheran, states that the Minister of Health “has persistently demonstrated his inability to effectively undertake his duties in the health sector for the welfare of our citizens.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Michael B Jordan's J’Ouvert rum a huge missed opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago
The furious backlash over J’Ouvert rum is myopic and has made us poorer. It all started when American actor Michael B Jordan (of Black Panther fame) launched a rum in California called J’Ouvert, named after the daybreak opening festival of Caribbean carnivals, originating from the celebrations of freed slaves. This immediately triggered a backlash on social media and in the press in TT and internationally. Read more here
REGIONAL
Multidimensional approach to crime-fighting
With Guyana firmly en route to prosperity, the government will be modernising and specialising its approach to fighting crimes and maintaining security across the country. This is according to President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, who emphasised the importance of having specialised regional crime-fighting units established across the country. “A more prosperous country becomes a target for more sophisticated criminals,” Dr. Ali recognised. The Head of State related that the specialised regional outfits are intended to have a “multifaceted menu” of skillsets, capable of effectively and rapidly responding to a variety of situations. Dr. Ali pointed specifically to inclusion of civilians, officers trained in Special Forces, and ranks from Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) as members of the regional outfits. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Officials try to remain hopeful as dozens remain unaccounted for after the collapse of a Florida apartment building
The painstaking search for dozens of missing people continued Friday morning in the rubble of a partially collapsed residential building in South Florida as officials held out hope that others would be found under the mountain of debris. At least one person was confirmed dead in Thursday's collapse in the beachfront community of Surfside, a few miles north of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. The collapse left at least 99 people unaccounted for as of Thursday, officials said. Read more here
Coronavirus: Israel reimposes masks amid new virus fears
Israel has reintroduced a requirement to wear masks indoors amid a rise in coronavirus cases, just days after it lifted the measure. Concern has grown after the country recorded more than 100 new daily cases in successive days after registering zero earlier this month. Most of the cases have been linked to the Delta variant from abroad. Israel has been one of the most successful countries in the world in tackling the pandemic. It implemented the fastest vaccination programme, under which well over half the population of 9.3m has been partially or fully immunised. But on Thursday, 10 days after the mandate was lifted, Israel's coronavirus response chief Nachman Ash said people would once again need to wear masks indoors to try to stem the rise in cases. "We are seeing a doubling every few days," Mr Ash told public radio. "Another thing that's worrying is that the infections are spreading." Read more here
25th June 2021