NEWS
Bar owners hoping to reopen by next week
The Barkeepers & Operators Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BOATT) is hoping the Government will give the green light for bars to reopen by next week. In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said it is highly optimistic that the industry would be allowed a partial opening. “A proposal was sent to both the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Health proposing Monday September 6, 2021, as the start of a phased reopening process, the first being a take-away service option only,” the association said. Read more here
POLITICS
Al-Rawi: State of emergency can end at any time
Days after the House of Representatives agreed to a three-month extension of the state of emergency (SoE) on Wednesday last week, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says it need not run for that full period but could be ended at "any point in time" before. On the TTT programme In Depth on Monday night, he told host Dike Noel the aim of the SoE was to help the vaccination drive and to assist in crowd control. He said the first three months of the SoE had shown that it had worked. Read more here
Kamla against classes for vaccinated students alone
Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she does not support mandatory vaccinations, nor does she support a return to school for only vaccinated students. Speaking during the United National Congress’ Monday night forum Persad-Bissessar said she has advised parents to get their children vaccinated but does not agree with the Government’s stance to only allow vaccinated students to attend physical classes. During a COVID-19 media conference last weekend, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that physical classes for students in Forms Four and Five would resume on October 1 but only for vaccinated students. Read more here
BUSINESS
EHL revenue hit by MovieTowne departure
Endeavour Holdings Limited suffered a $14M dip in revenue following MovieTowne’s decision to leave Price Plaza, but has still managed to turn a profit for the financial year 2021. Chairman John Aboud confirmed in the company’s annual report that EHL recorded net profit after tax of $4.4M compared to $6.4M in 2020. He said company experienced the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with the government’s restrictions affecting business operations of their tenants. Read more here
CBTT sees recovery by year-end
The Central Bank said yesterday that the domestic economy could experience a “meaningful recovery” by the end of this year if the Government continues the reopening of the economy. In the July Economic Bulletin, which was published yesterday, the Central Bank said: “The short-term economic outlook for Trinidad and Tobago will be directly impacted by the virus’ path and the domestic response. Read more here
REGIONAL
COVID-19 vaccinations crucial, as Guyana experiences ‘Delta surge’
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said that getting the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines is crucial, since Guyana is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations and deaths. “The numbers are climbing, we are seeing more people getting infected and it is also very worrying because if we don’t manage this carefully, our hospitals can easily be overwhelmed,” the minister lamented during his daily COVID-19 update, on Tuesday. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Texas passes law banning abortion after six weeks
A law banning abortion from as early as six weeks into pregnancy has come into effect in the US state of Texas. It bans abortions after the detection of what anti-abortion campaigners call a foetal heartbeat, something medical authorities say is misleading. The law, one of the most restrictive in the country, took effect after the Supreme Court did not respond to an emergency appeal by abortion providers. Doctors and women's rights groups have heavily criticised the law. It gives any individual the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week point. Read more here
1st September 2021