NEWS
41 new covid19 cases, 4,777 vaccinated
The Ministry of Health recorded 41 new covid19 cases in its 4pm update on Thursday, bringing the total number of active cases to 432. These figures reflect samples taken between April 5 and 7. The update also said the total number of people vaccinated since Tuesday is 4,777. The number of deaths remains at 145. Read more here
St Vincent quiet, businesses open
A 25-year-old resident of Kingstown has described this morning's dawn across SVG as calm and quiet so far. Based in the green zone which is furthest away from the danger zone, the young man who works for a private company said some businesses are opening as normal as their employers have not given any directives to remain at home. Speaking with Guardian Media Limited around 6 am today, the resident said up to late last evening there was panic buying and bakeries had run out of bread. Essential supplies like bottled water and canned foods were also said to be in high demand. Read more here
POLITICS
PM holds 'productive' talks with energy leaders
The Prime Minister, who is being treated for covid19 at his official residence in Blenheim, Tobago, had a packed agenda on Thursday. A post on Dr Rowley’s Facebook page said he met virtually with Maarten Wetselaar, director of integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions at Shell Global and Eugene Okpere, president and country chair of Shell TT. Read more here
Young: T&T stands ready to assist St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Minister of National Security Stuart Young says this country stands ready to assist St Vincent and the Grenadines in light of the increasing activity of the La Soufriere Volcano. In a press release issued this afternoon, the Security Minister stated following instructions given by the Prime Minister he has instructed the Acting Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Dexter Francis, to have members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force on standby to provide any assistance to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines that may be necessary. The following is the the press release from the Ministry of National Security: Read more here
BUSINESS
Central Bank: Trinidad and Tobago lucrative for mergers, acquisitions
Trinidad and Tobago has been described by the Central Bank as a lucrative market for investment following the recent acquisitions of financial institutions locally and regionally. Deputy inspector of banks, non-banks and payments oversight Michelle Francis-Pantor made the statement at a Central Bank webinar on Thursday which addressed trends, legal frameworks, the role of the bank and the future of mergers and acquisitions within the financial sector. Read more here
Resigned to our fate
On April 1 Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Ltd announced that it had taken a decision to immediately shut down its M4 and M5000 methanol plants in Point Lisas, with the latter being the largest methanol plant in the country and the world. According to MHTL the decision was due to the cessation of the supply of natural gas from the National Gas Company (NGC) after NGC failed to renew its contract with MHTL because the proposed price for the natural gas was too high. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana stands ready to support St. Vincent
Citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are waiting with bated breath as scientists have warned that the island’s La Soufriere volcano, which has been erupting continuously since December, can erupt explosively in a matter of hours or perhaps days. This is according to reports published by iWitness News on Thursday. The report quoted Professor Richard Robertson as saying that the heightened volcanic-tectonic (VT) earthquakes in March had suggested that fresh magma was trying to get to the surface. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Covid-19: Why have deaths soared in Brazil?
Brazil has recorded more than 330,000 deaths from Covid, second only to the United States, and experts are warning the current surge in cases may not peak for several weeks. The rapid spread of a coronavirus variant first discovered in Brazil has been a major cause for concern around the world. President Jair Bolsonaro has consistently played down the severity of the virus, but he is now turning his focus to the nationwide vaccination drive which his critics say has come far too late. Read more here
'Only for the wealthy': Airlines slam UK foreign travel rules
Airlines have panned the UK government's plan to restart foreign travel, arguing that expensive mandatory coronavirus tests will make vacations and family visits unaffordable for everyone but the rich. Under the "traffic signal" framework unveiled by the government on Friday, even Brits who travel to "green" countries deemed to be low risk must take a coronavirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test when they return to the United Kingdom. Each test costs around £120 ($165), adding £480 ($660) to the travel bill for a family of four. Read more here
9th April 2021