NEWS
1,343 active covid19 cases, one additional death
There are over 1300 active covid19 cases in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the latest covid19 update. There was also an additional death which increased the covid19 death toll to 159. The total number of active cases now stands at 1,343. The total positive cases since March 3, 2020, when the first case entered the country, is now 9,676. From samples taken between April 22 and April 24, the Ministry of Health identified 84 new cases. The update also noted that 34,353 people have been vaccinated thus far. Read more here
Caribbean COVID Task Force calls for diligence on variant
The Caribbean COVID-19 Task Force has noted the presence of variants in the region that spread more rapidly. Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley reposted a CCCTF statement that stated that diligence and vaccines are key to Caribbean’s tourism recovery. The Task Force is calling for continued diligence and adherence to public health safety protocols, as it encourages all tourism-related stakeholders who are able to do so to be vaccinated as they become available. The Task Force said the Caribbean has generally been successful in containing the virus over the past year to levels below those which are being experienced in many parts of the world. Read more here
POLITICS
Mottley thanks ‘Dear Keith’
The Prime Minister on Sunday shared a letter he received from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, thanking him for Trinidad and Tobago's support to Barbados during the recent eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The signed April 19 letter from Mottley which began "Dear Keith", was posted on Dr Rowley's Facebook page. In the letter, Mottley said she was writing Rowley about ash from the volcano covering much of Barbados. She said it was contributing to potential health and environmental hazards on the island. Read more here
Cabinet to decide on Khan’s funeral this week
Cabinet will make a decision this week on an official funeral for late Energy Minister Franklin Khan, Communication Minister Symon de Nobriga said yesterday. He gave an update on the situation as planning for Khan’s farewell ceremonies began moving into higher gear. Khan, 63, died on April 17 at his Moka, Maraval home. Khan had taken the COVID 19 vaccine four days earlier. But his wife Laura was quoted in the media over the weekend saying an autopsy done the same day he died showed a calcified cyst in his heart had curbed blood flow to the organ. She said doctors had told her it was “a matter of time” for Khan, as blood was not reaching his heart, which was extremely weak. He had been on blood thinners. Khan had had heart issues since 2016, followed by triple bypass surgery in 2017. Read more here
BUSINESS
Vaccine key to rebound
“Widespread vaccination of the adult population is the best economic policy available today to get our economies and employment growing again,” — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Read more here
REGIONAL
Discipline, involvement of parents behind SVN’s CSEC success
The Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) Secondary School has recorded another successful year at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination after its students accounted for half of the ten who were named as the country’s top performers. The educational institution has since credited the persistent success of its students to a high level of discipline, and the involvement of parents. Seventeen-year-old Geveshwar Rajkishore, who placed fourth in the country with 18 Grade Ones and one Grade Two, said the school was pivotal in his accomplishment. Read more here
George back in church
As calls mount for the resignation of under-fire Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament George Wright, pastor and confidant Custos Hartley Perrin sought on Sunday to cast the politician embroiled in an assault scandal as the victim of detractors...Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
As India breaks another global Covid-19 record and hospitals run out of oxygen, countries pledge assistance and aid
As India fights a devastating second wave of Covid-19 that is killing thousands each day, international efforts to help tackle the crisis are hastening, with both Britain and the United States pledging aid and much-needed medical supplies. The second wave, which began in March, has escalated rapidly, with India recording more than a million new cases in just three days. For the past two weeks, medical facilities have been running out of oxygen and ICU beds, with patients left outside hospitals waiting for care. On Monday, India reported 352,991 new cases and 2,812 virus-related deaths, marking the world's highest daily caseload for the fifth straight day. Read more here
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe sentenced to a year in Iran prison
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sentenced to a year in prison after being found guilty of propaganda activities against the regime in Iran. The British-Iranian charity worker was also given a one-year ban from leaving the country. Her lawyer said she had been accused of taking part in a demonstration in London 12 years ago and giving an interview to the BBC Persian service. The prime minister said the UK would "redouble" efforts to free her. Confirming the sentence, her husband Richard Ratcliffe told the BBC the court's decision was a bad sign and "clearly a negotiating tactic" by the Iranian authorities - who are in the middle of discussions over the country's nuclear activities. She has not been taken to prison yet, her husband said, and plans to appeal. Read more here
26th April 2021