NEWS
Women's health director: Pregnant women can take Pfizer vaccine
Women in the first trimester of their pregnancy can take the Pfizer covid19 vaccine. Director of women's health at the Health Ministry Dr Adesh Sirjusingh made this statement at the virtual health news conference on Monday. Sirjusingh said, "As of Wednesday (August) 25, we will be rolling this out, at all of our sites currently administering Pfizer (to children 12-18). Read more here
POLITICS
Abdulah slams PM’s diversification comments
Political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah is chastising the Prime Minister for recent comments about the diversification of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy. On August 17, while giving a feature address at the sod-turning ceremony for the new Desperadoes pan theatre on Nelson Street, Port of Spain, the PM lamented that some efforts at diversification by past PNM governments had failed after a change of government. The PM was referring to projects like the $44 million Labidco Estate, aluminium smelters and the eTeck park at Tamana. Read more here
PM hints at more hardline approach to get children vaccinated
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is taking a hard line against unvaccinated adolescents as the new school term nears and has warned that the Government may make vaccines mandatory for a return to school. “The Government will have no difficulty intervening on the children’s behalf, as we’ve done with measles, with mumps, with other aspects of health care, where the children cannot make the decision themselves,” Rowley said yesterday. The Prime Minister was speaking at the handover ceremony of the San Juan Government Primary School. He said that by mid-September, if vaccinations numbers were still too low for herd immunity among the 12 to 18 age group, then the Government would act. Read more here
BUSINESS
Sagicor CEO: Another quarter of solid profitability, growth
Sagicor Financial Company Ltd has recorded total net revenue of US$516.3 million for the second quarter of this year. This was an increase of 13 per cent when compared the to the same period, last year. “Sagicor is pleased to announce another quarter of solid profitability and growth. Sagicor Life USA posted a strong quarter reflecting progress in our US strategy as that business grows towards scale,” Sagicor’s group president and chief executive officer Dodridge Miller stated. “Our businesses in the Caribbean also grew compared to a challenging period in Q2 2020, and they remain profitable in the face of continued economic headwinds,” Miller stated. Read more here
REGIONAL
Children going back to school should be fully vaccinated
With the Ministry of Education moving forward with having schools reopen for face-to-face learning, the Ministry of Health has advised that all students, ages 12 to 18, should be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before returning to the classrooms. Government has already procured 100,000 doses of the US-made Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine which have been set aside for children ages 12 to 18. The Pfizer vaccine, on Monday, became the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive the US Food and Drug Administration approval. In addition to the advice on vaccination, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has also indicated that students are expected to remain masked during the day to minimise chances of contracting the virus. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
How Afghanistan rattled Asia and emboldened China
Like many across the world, millions in Asia have been shocked by the scenes of desperation coming out of Afghanistan - with some asking if America can still be trusted.
On Sunday evening - just a week after the Afghan capital Kabul fell to the Taliban - US vice-president Kamala Harris landed in Singapore for the start of a whirlwind Asian tour. She has since sought to smooth ruffled feathers by saying the region is a "top priority" for the US. But is it enough to reassure those concerned in Asia? And can America fend off China's attempts to seize on what some say is a golden opportunity for anti-US propaganda? Read more here
Fauci's new 2022 timeline for Covid fight could be a political disaster for Biden and Democrats
President Joe Biden just got some deeply unwelcome news: The pandemic that he was elected to end could drag on deep into a midterm election year, with all the political and economic destruction that could bring. The warning by the government's top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, that the crisis won't be under control until spring of next year -- and even then, it will need most American vaccine skeptics to change their minds -- came as a severe jolt to a weary nation. It also meant that Biden's best-laid plans of triumphing over the pandemic and riding an economic wave into the campaign for congressional election results in November next year now look at risk. Read more here
24th August 2021