Daily Brief- Thursday 5th November, 2020

NEWS

Parasram: Don't be lulled into complacency

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram says health officials are waiting to see if there will be a spike in the number of covid19 cases over the weekend after the restricted reopening of the economy two weeks ago. At Wednesday’s covid19 media briefing, he said even though measures had been put into place to prevent gatherings where people are not wearing masks and cannot social distance, increased movement could cause an increase in cases. Read more here

Rising Star hits black hole with COVID cutbacks

For many in and around San Fernando, Rising Star was one of the go-to options to eat out and have social drinks. But with no option to dine in, the popular restaurant has become a ghost town. “People don’t want to buy and go home and eat. If you have to buy and go home and eat, better you cook home,” said the restaurant’s owner Chadraka Persad yesterday. Manager Joel Lakatoo said at best a handful of people would come to buy food, on a good day. Read more here

 

POLITICS

Housing Minister tours HDC work sites for 1,500 homes

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Pennelope Beckles visited several Housing Development Corporation (HDC) sites on Monday which are expected to yield approximately 1,445 residential lots for construction. Beckles was accompanied by Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Adrian Leonce and later joined by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in his San Fernando West constituency. Read more here

International relations expert: Biden win could be good for Venezuela

The economic, social and political crisis which has resulted in thousands of Venezuelans seeking refugee and asylum status in T&T can come to an end. Former director of the Institute of International Relations at the University of the West Indies’ St Augustine campus, Prof Andy Knight, believes the solution to this problem hinges on Democratic candidate Joe Biden winning the United States presidency. Read more here

 

BUSINESS

Digicel TT keeps focus on consumer service

For Digicel TT’s newly appointed CEO Abraham Smith, the importance of telecommunications has special significance as it keeps him close to his family every day. The 42-year-old Oklahoma native has lived most of his life outside the US since 1998 and has a special appreciation for the importance of quality broadband service that has helped millions of families like his stay in touch half a world away. Read more here

What is game for children is death for crapaud

Last Saturday Energy Minister Franklin Khan announced the government had rejected the counter-proposal of Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company Limited for the acquisition of the Petrotrin refinery. Patriotic Energies and Technologies Company Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oilfield’s Workers Trade Union and was selected as the preferred bidder for the mothballed refinery. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

High water levels threaten capacity of pumps

High levels of water from heavy rainfall can place a threat to local City pumps, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, has reported. Mustapha, during a visit to several pumps on Wednesday morning, in Georgetown, said that some 120.3 millimeters, which is equivalent to five inches of rainfall, fell during the previous night which resulted in high water levels in some parts of the City. Read more here

PM Defends Government's Approach To Tablet For Students Programme

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has responded to criticisms that the Government was slow in responding to the crisis in education brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Holness, the lack of inadequate electronic learning devices was the result of the massive disruption in their manufacturing and supply because of the pandemic. "I want us to acknowledge and to appreciate the point that Jamaica is not the only country that is facing this deficit of technological devices to enable remote learning," said Holness in his St Andrew West Central constituency on Wednesdays. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

US Election 2020: Democrats' hopes of gaining control of Senate fade

Democrats are rapidly losing hope of gaining control of the US Senate after underperforming in key states. Controlling the Senate would have allowed them to either obstruct or push through the next president's agenda. The party had high hopes of gaining the four necessary seats in Congress's upper chamber, but many Republican incumbents held their seats. The Democrats are projected to retain their majority in the lower chamber, the House, but with some key losses. With many votes still to be counted, the final outcome for both houses may not be known for some time. Read more here

Denmark plans to cull up to 17 million mink to stop mutated coronavirus

Denmark, the world's largest producer of mink furs, plans to cull all mink in the country to contain a mutated form of novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday the decision had been made with a "heavy heart," but it was necessary based on the recommendation of health authorities. "The virus has mutated in mink. The mutated virus has spread to humans," Frederiksen said. Read more here

5th November 2020

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