NEWS
Business – almost – as usual in San Fernando
Businesses were in full swing on Tuesday morning, as High Street, San Fernando resumed normal activity, but the difference was that people were wearing masks. On Monday retail outlets and malls reopened and public servants were allowed back to work, with conditionalities, after the PM announced on Saturday phase three of the reopening of the economy in light of covid19 restrictions. Almost all the stores on High Street enforced a “No Mask, No Entry” policy. Additionally, hand sanitiser stations were set up, and some stores positionedan employee by entrances to ensure customers complied with the health and safety rules. Manager at JD’s Exclusive Gary Harrilal said the store was making sure people complied with the mandate laid down by the government. He said, “We are not letting anyone in who is not wearing a mask. That was a condition that the government insisted on, in order for businesses to reopen. Read more here
Stores closing down in South
Shoppers continued to stay away from main shopping areas in the South City on Tuesday as the reopening of phase three of the COVID-19 lockdown took effect. Many agreed that Tuesday was much less busy than Monday. Business owners in San Fernando said while they were eagerly anticipating the reopening of their trade, they were very disappointed that shoppers stayed away. At the Gulf City Mall, the car parks were filled with vehicles but inside the mall was dismal. "I think people parked their cars in the mall car park and travelled to work. This is the only explanation I could think to explain why the car park is full but the mall is empty," said Jaime Birbal, who took her niece and nephew for an evening of shopping. Birbal said she was astonished to see several stores permanently closed. Read more here
POLITICS
Khan: Govt looking to renegotiate upstream gas price
ENERGY Minister Franklin Khan said Government will be looking at renegotiating the upstream gas price. Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked in Senate Tuesday if the upstream cost of natural gas being sold to the National Gas Company (NGC) was being looked at by the Government for some degree of renegotiation with upstream producers. Khan replied: "The answer to that is an affirmative yes. Mark had posed a question on what steps were being taken to resolve the issue of increased gas prices between the NGC and Methanex Trinidad Ltd. Read more here
PM confirms Parliament’s life ends in Sept
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley may have inadvertently given the period when the forthcoming general elections will be held yesterday after he inadvertently revealed that the current term of the Parliament will be dissolved in July. In what appeared to be an unintentional slip of the tongue during a morning talk show on Tobago’s lone television station Tobago Channel 5, Rowley made the statement while answering questions about greater autonomy for the island. “We in the PNM are the only political party that by resolution in our congress ... said that we are committed to further Tobago’s self-government ... What we need to do is try and accelerate it through the Parliament ... the committee reports to the Parliament off and on and there’ll probably be a report before the Parliament dissolves in July,” Rowley said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Tobago’s wastage of taxpayers money happening for a long time
The Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber, Martin George has revealed that wastage in Tobago has been occurring for years. Speaking in an interview on CNC3’s the Morning Brew, George said: “They have a long history, a rich history of doing these kinds of things.” George was speaking in light of an article published in the Sunday Business Guardian, which highlighted the years of wastage by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), particularly the Division of Tourism during 2012 to 2016. During that time present political leader of the Tobago Council of the PNM was the Secretary of Tourism and Transportation. It also comes on the heels of confusion surrounding the $50 million grant to hoteliers, as many are calling on the THA officials to say how they intend to utilise the funds. Read more here
Nestle takes Covid in stride
While Nestle saw an increase in demand for its products by households, there was a major decline in products that were sold to hotels and restaurants, which were ordered to be closed amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more here
REGIONAL
Teen suicide shocks family - 17-y-o emotionally scarred after tragic fall left her limping in pain
MATERNAL INSTINCT jolted Joan Watson into realising that something was wrong when her 17-year-old daughter Chrisey-Ann Davis had not returned from her room some time after eating a meal on Monday evening. Little did Watson know that the desperate search for her daughter would end with her chubby figure hanging by a telephone cord from a pear tree in their backyard. It is unclear what drove the teenager to end her life but there are theories that she might have been troubled by psychological trauma from a nagging back injury and the life changes caused by her limping gait. “I never know my child was planning to kill herself,” Watson said tearfully as she sat under a tree looking at a graduation picture of Chrisey-Ann, from New Providence Primary, and a Valentine’s Day card signed by her daughter. Read more here
Social distancing, surveillance keys to controlling COVID-19 Pandemic
THE Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, said maintaining social distancing measures, improving surveillance, and strengthening health systems are the three keys to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas. Just in the past week there were 732,000 new cases globally, and of these, more than 250,000 new cases were in Latin American countries, “a serious concern that should serve as a clarion call to redouble our efforts,” Dr. Etienne said at a press briefing. “The situation we face is dire, but not hopeless – as long as our approach to defeating the virus is based on solidarity. We must work together, share resources and apply the proven strategies we have learned along the way.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Cyclone Nisarga lashes areas near Mumbai
A cyclone is lashing areas on India's west coast after making landfall near the densely populated city of Mumbai. The eye of Cyclone Nisarga narrowly missed the megacity as it slammed into Maharashtra state. There are warnings it may trigger big storm surges. Officials moved tens of thousands of people along the coast to higher ground as the storm approached. India's most populous city has 20 million residents and has also been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Mobile phone footage of the storm in Raigad showed huge waves crashing into the shore, with trees being whipped into a frenzy by the strong winds. Images showed the storm ripped tin roofs off buildings. Read more here
Philippines says it won't end US military access agreement amid South China Sea tensions
The Philippines has reversed its decision to end an important military agreement with the United States as territorial tensions with China heat up in the South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte had decided to retain the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) "in light of the political and other developments in the region," said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. in a social media post Tuesday. The agreement, signed in 1988, gives US military aircraft and vessels free entry into the Philippines and relaxes visa restrictions for US military personnel. Read more here
3rd June 2020