Staff Editor

The Guyana Elections Commission this morning formally agreed that a recount of votes for the March 2 general elections will proceed for all regions.

TOKYO,  (Reuters) – Fujifilm Holdings Corp said it has developed a new, faster test for the novel coronavirus that that causes the COVID-19 disease, reducing the time of results delivery to about two hours.

BEIJING/NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Global cases of the new coronavirus have shot past 1 million with more than 53,000 fatalities, a Reuters tally showed today, as death tolls kept soaring in the United States and western Europe while the world economy spiralled disastrously.

PARIS,  (Reuters) – French high-school school students will not sit the traditional ‘baccalaureat’ (bac) exam this summer due to the coronavirus, the education minister said on Friday, an unprecedented move that highlights the scale of disruption caused by the pandemic.

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch today issued a statement defending the input by her and US government officials on the need for a fair result from the March 2nd general elections here.

President David Granger today announced that public gathering at places of entertainment  including bars and restaurants will be prohibited from 6 pm to 6 am with effect from midnight tomorrow.

As of today, the number of confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Guyana remains at 19 while the number of persons who have been tested thus far has increased from 70 to 75.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) set up by the Commonwealth to deal with persistent and serious violators of its shared principles today called on GECOM “to immediately fulfil its constitutional mandate and ensure the sovereign right of the people of Guyana to duly elect their Government is respected through a transparent and credible counting and tabulation process”.

 (Reuters) – The coronavirus has been a far deadlier threat in New Orleans than the rest of the United States, with a per-capita death rate much higher than in New York City.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to ramp up coronavirus testing after his government faced criticism for being slower than some European peers to roll out mass checks for front-line health workers and the population.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Spain’s death toll from the coronavirus rose above 10,000 today after a record 950 people died overnight, but health officials saw a glimmer of hope with the epidemic slowing in terms of proportional daily increases in infections and deaths.

The Ministry of the Presidency says it wishes to inform the public that President David Granger is not afflicted with the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and is enjoying good health.

The authorities tonight confirmed that a fourth person has died after being infected by the COVID-19 virus.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence today announced that seven additional coronavirus cases have been recorded in Guyana overnight, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 19 inclusive of 2 deaths.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – The Wimbledon championships were cancelled for the first time since World War Two today as the coronavirus pandemic struck another blue-riband sports event off the calendar and wiped out the entire tennis grasscourt season.

The three opposition-appointed members of GECOM have condemned the delay of a meeting today of the commission on the recount of votes following a request by the three government-appointed members to “study” the decision yesterday of the Full Court.

Attorney Anil Nandlall has condemned an apparent GECOM decision that the Full Court’s ruling yesterday clearing the way for a recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections will be studied today and a meeting which was to be held at 10 this morning will now be held tomorrow.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Losing your sense of smell and taste may be the best way to tell if you have COVID-19, according to a study of data collected via a symptom tracker app developed by scientists in Britain and the United States to help monitor the coronavirus pandemic.

(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Stuart Young has announced that gatherings of more than five persons will not be allowed, as the Government moves to implemented stricter measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus.

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri this evening said that it will be closed until May 1st as part of measures against the coronavirus.