Daily Archive: Monday, March 16, 2020

The recount of votes in the March 2 general elections will not begin today as a key document is still to be concluded.

(Jamaica Star) Track and field athletes Kemar Bailey-Cole and Ristananna Tracey have tied the knot.

(Ministry of Education) The Ministry of Education wishes to notify the general public that due to the current situation, careful thought has been given to the scheduled dates for the administration of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) 2020.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) today said that all arrangements are in place for a recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections under CARICOM’s supervision.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Canada closed its borders to all foreign nationals except U.S.

CARACAS/MARACAIBO, Venezuela,  (Reuters) – Venezuela entered the first day of a quarantine today, imposed by President Nicolas Maduro to prevent the spread of the coronavirus – but many across the country went out anyway, saying they could not afford to stay indoors and not work.

(Jamaica Star) A 42-year-old Jamaican man was charged with overstaying his spousal permit when he appeared in a court in Bahamas on Friday.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced that the country’s borders will be locked down to all outsiders for the next 14 days.

(Jamaica Star) Food and other necessities are reportedly running out in some of the households on Morales Drive in Seven Miles, Bull Bay, which is currently under quarantine.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland today welcomed the agreement on Saturday for a CARICOM-led recount of the ballots from the disputed March 2nd, 2020 general elections.

(Jamaica Observer) New York, USA  – The Jamaican community here is hunkering down and treating the coronavirus pandemic “with the utmost seriousness that the situation deserves”, according to several nationals interviewed by the Jamaica Observer .

(Jamaica Gleaner) An American woman who is expecting to get married in Kingston in a couple of days is feeling the impact of the novel coronavirus as she expressed dismay that none of her bridal party or invited guests would be coming to the wedding.

(Jamaica Gleaner) In quarantine now for 64 days in China, Jamaican teacher Ashley Thompson could now claim rights to being an expert on resiliency and the inner workings of the human spirit.

Starting with Region Four, the recounting of ballots from the hotly disputed March 2 general and regional elections should begin this afternoon under the supervision of a high-level CARICOM team.

Recognising the potential for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to disrupt operations, the court system has begun implementing precautionary measures including the further remand of prisoners being done via Skype.

APNU+AFC Campaign Co-chair Joseph Harmon says he is unaware of aggressive behaviour by coalition supporters towards media operatives and said that they do not encourage such conduct.

A South Ruimveldt businessman was last night arrested by police for indiscriminately firing gunshots from his home.

The Government of Guyana (GoG) on Saturday criticised the editorial in that day’s edition of Stabroek News on the general elections impasse and accused the newspaper of an agenda of “engendering destabilization”.

President David Granger yesterday said that he looked forward to the `total national recount’ of votes by a CARICOM high-level team being completed as quickly as possible under the auspices of GECOM and asked for the public to be patient.

The Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretariat yesterday welcomed the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) deployment of a high-level mission to supervise a recount of the ballots from the March 2 general and regional elections here.

By Dr Steve Surujbally Over the past month, I have been inundated with calls from pet owners asking me whether their pets can infect the owners.

(Jamaica Observer) Sunday Finance can confirm that recently listed company, First Rock Capital has made its first private equity investment by acquiring controlling interest in Montego Bay-based microfinance and cambio outfit Dolla Financial Services, which has operations across Jamaica and in Guyana.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran says GECOM can easily give approval for a recount of votes under the CARICOM Initiative announced on Saturday.

The rubber trees that line the Philbert Pierre Avenue roadway in Mabaruma, in Region One, are in no immediate danger of removal after the contractors who were working on the road expansion project departed, Mayor of Mabaruma, Chris Phang says.

Law enforcement officers are investigating a shooting which occurred early yesterday morning at Seeta’s Bar on Station Street, Kitty.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) yesterday welcomed the appointment of a ”high-level” CARICOM team to recount ballots from the March 2nd general elections and urged that it be done with alacrity.

A Leopold Street man was the apparent target of a gunman, who shot at him while driving through the area yesterday.

Despite the threat of the pandemic, COVID-19, the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) was able to successfully stage its ‘Early Season Classic’ at the National Track and Field Centre during the weekend.

Guyana Jaguars captain, Leon Johnson has described team’s performance with the bat in their most recent four-day match against the Barbados Pride as “woeful,” and not a reflection of their abilities.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an “existential” threat to all Guyanese and emphasis needs to be place on addressing the now global pandemic, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

Two persons are homeless after their wooden house was completed destroyed by a fire of unknown origin on Saturday afternoon at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) continued its Georgetown section of the Academy Training Center (ATC) Programme on Saturday at the Tucville Community Center ground.

The Department of Citizenship yesterday requested that citizens visiting its offices comply with the Ministry of Public Health’s guidelines in relation to infection prevention and control.

Cornelia Ida Cricket Club held its nerve to pull off a three-wicket win over McGill Super Stars in the final of the West Demerara Cricket Association/Beacon Café 50-over final at Wales Community Centre ground, yesterday.

Nine-year-old Jasmine Billingy is one of Guyana’s most promising prospects and her personal coach Colin France is calling on all relevant stakeholders, including the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), to invest in her promising career. 

The Georgetown City Council has indicated its intention to seek a meeting with the Local Government Commission (LGC) after receiving a letter instructing the Town Clerk to send the council’s treasurer on administrative leave.

The sport of boxing locally and abroad is down for the count following the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 better known as the coronavirus.

A father of three was jailed last week after he told a court that he stole an iPhone 11 Pro and sold it for $8,000.

Dear Editor, I recently had the opportunity to read the written Elections 2020 judgment of Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, and a number of issues became readily apparent, the most serious of which has already materialized (GECOM and Mr.

The behaviour of the Police Tactical Services Unit (TSU) on March 5th at the Office of the Returning Officer-Region Four in removing party agents has continued to attract comment and condemnation.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies says it will continue to liaise with its counterparts, the England and Wales Cricket Board, over the upcoming Test tour as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the United Kingdom’s sporting calendar.

Dear Editor, Last Monday (SN March 09) you carried my letter which outlined the instruction given to me by what’s left of my conscience.

A man, who is currently serving an 18-month sentence for one of two robbery-under-arms charges, last week changed his plea to guilty on the second charge.

(BBC) Sri Lanka has closed its border to travellers from the UK, affecting England fans who were still planning to visit the country despite the postponement of the two-Test series.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – With panic buying on Main Street and fear-driven sell-offs on Wall Street, the U.S.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Bahamas has confirmed its first case of COVID-19.

Dear Editor, Over the past few days as the post-elections shenanigans played out with Gecom officials  ostensibly in collusion or with the tacit approval of APNU+AFC officials in a blatant attempt to “rig” or falsify  elections results, the thought that pervaded my thinking was why is it that no one from the APNU+AFC coalition was willing to stand up and say what was playing out is wrong and illegal.

A father of three was last week brought before the court on a simple larceny charge.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Seamer Derval Green notched his first five-wicket haul of the Regional Four-Day Championship as Jamaica Scorpions crushed Leeward Islands Hurricanes by an innings and 118 runs.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Businessman Roger Chang has been found murdered in Windsor Castle on the border of Portland and St Mary.

Dear Editor, There is a grave threat to the legacy of universal suffrage in Guyana.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders blasted President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak during yesterday’s Democratic debate, and offered competing visions for how they would lead in a time of crisis that has upended the daily lives of Americans.

LONDON, CMC – Jamaican midfielder Omar Holness netted his sixth goal of the season for Darlington but the strike went unrewarded as the home side tumbled to a 4-2 defeat to English play-off rivals Farley Celtic in the National League North on Saturday.

An inmate of the Camp Street jail was on Friday charged for allegedly having narcotics in his possession and was granted bail.

(Barbados Nation) The mothers of two sons who died just over half-hour apart are perplexed about their deaths.

JERUSALEM,  (Reuters) – Opposition leader Benny Gantz will be asked to form a new government, Israel’s president said yesterday, boosting his chances of ousting veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dear Editor, Friday, March 13th, is often marked as a dark day on the calendar and what happened in Guyana last Friday delivered in spades.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain will isolate older people “within weeks” and force into quarantine anyone diagnosed with coronavirus, the government said as it stepped up measures that have so far been less stringent than elsewhere in Europe.

Even though a statute puts power in the hands of a Returning Officer, that Returning Officer will understand that he holds in his hands the future and stability of Guyana as we go forward, because every vote must be made to count.

NFL players approved the proposed collective bargaining agreement, which will give the league labor peace through the 2030 season.

(Trinidad Guardian) The country’s largest natural gas producer BPTT has decided to close its offices for a month as it response to the COVID-19 threat.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A European qualifying event for this year’s Tokyo Olympic boxing tournament will be closed to spectators from today due to the coronavirus outbreak, organisers said.

By Moses Bhagwan If our statement that called for the establishment of a Government of National Unity, carries the implication that we stand in the way of the democratic process, then we may be guilty of misrepresenting ourselves.

(Trinidad Express) The Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago, yesterday advised the population of two more confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

Dear Editor, I must applaud both  President Granger and Mr Jagdeo for their step towards a peaceful resolution of the current electoral controversy.

On Wednesday the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. From that point onward every country ought to have focused on what epidemiologists call “flattening the curve” of infection rates – to prevent a surge of cases overwhelming hospitals as has happened in Italy and Iran.

GUATEMALA CITY/BUENOS AIRES/LIMA,  (Reuters) – Guatemala logged its first fatality from coronavirus yesterday as nations in South and Central America ramped up measures to contain the infection, with Panama banning entry of non-resident foreigners and Honduras closing its borders to passenger traffic for a week.

Dear Editor, My Guyana, let’s put things in perspective and not get mass hysteria as in some places.