Health The Week-in-Review - February 21st to 27th

CARICOM ‘deeply concerned’ at COVID vaccine shutout: CARICOM is “deeply concerned” and dissatisfied with the way that the Community has been squeezed out of access to COVID-19 vaccines. “We know that there is a world shortage of vaccines but mechanisms put in place to allow countries like us to have access to vaccines have not been working…the end results is at the time we have only had one gift [from India] of 170,000 vaccines within our region,” Trinidadian Prime Minister Keith Rowley told the closing Press Conference last Thursday of the virtual ThirtySecond Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads. Rowley, who currently chairs CARICOM further told the press conference that CARICOM efforts to secure vaccines through donations or purchase have been mostly unsuccessful with the only commitment coming from India, which has agreed to supplement doses already supplied for some territories. CARICOM commended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his generosity, which it is understood, will be continued. It also thanked Barbados and Dominica for having shared the initial supplies they received from India. Guyana received 3,000 shots from Barbados out of the allotment donated by India.

Guyana set to receive 80,000 COVID vaccines from India: Guyana is expected to receive a donation of 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID19 from the Government of India this week. According to Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony, the logistics for the arrival of the vaccines are currently being worked out. The announcement of the donation was made on Friday. Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr. K. J. Srinivasa stated that the donation by the government of India will be the same AstraZeneca vaccines produced by the Serum Institute which has recently been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). “You would all recall that Barbados sent 3,000 vaccines from its quota, which was actually sent by India again. Out of the 100,000 sent to Barbados, they then sent 3000 across to Guyana but now Guyana will have its own 80,000,” the high commissioner said.

COVID death toll rises to 195: The Ministry of Health last Wednesday said that three more men who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID19) have died. As of Wednesday Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll was 193 after a 65-year-old man died. According to the Ministry of Health, the man died while receiving care at a medical facility. Earlier in the day, the ministry had reported two other fatalities: a 48-yearold from Region Four and a 63-year-old from Region Three. On Thursday, the ministry confirmed two more deaths—that of a 38-year-old man from Region Seven, and a 79-year-old woman from Region Four.

Oil & Gas

Opposition offers support to gov’t in facing down ExxonMobil: Admitting that it blundered on critical aspects of the petroleum sector, the opposition on Friday offered support to the government for a united stand in dealing with ExxonMobil to correct deficiencies and it also launched a scorching attack on plans for a gas to shore project at Wales. “While we in the opposition maintain our claim, that the 2016 (production sharing) agreement was a vastly improved contract on the 1999 agreement signed by the PPP/C, we are willing to offer the government the opportunity never afforded to the APNU+AFC. We are willing to offer our support on presenting a united position so that jointly we can address the alleged inadequacies in the contract and any other documents including the Environmental Permits,”

Shadow Minister of Natural Resources David Patterson said. “The lack of a unified front has allowed various parties to exploit the divisions which is not to the benefit of our country and its citizens. It is our position, that once we present a unified position to our international partners, the harder it will be for them to continue ignoring our concerns,” he added. Patterson underscored that “moving forward, this issue is squarely in the hands of the government” as he emphasised that “the time for grandstanding and blame is over, and it’s time to act in the best interest of the citizens of our country.”

Adams says cut of 15,000 barrels can bring Exxon into compliance: Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Vincent Adams recently said ExxonMobil only needs to cut back oil production by 15,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) from its last given figures of 120,000 bpd in order to bring flaring into compliance with the Liza-1 permit. On January 29, Exxon issued a brief statement announcing a gas compression problem on its offshore platform, resulting in it having to temporarily increase flaring above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations. A few days later, President of ExxonMobil Guyana Alistair Routledge said that oil production had been pared to 120,000 bpd – its previously stated maximum capacity – while gas flaring has increased to 16 million cubic feet per day. With the announcement of the recent compressor issue, Adams has criticised the company for continuing its maximum production.

Fire

Nineteen lose homes after La Grange fire guts three buildings: Arson is suspected in a fire last Tuesday morning at La Grange, West Bank Demerara which left three buildings gutted and two others damaged. The fire, which started just after 2 am in one of the houses, quickly caught on to the neighbouring buildings, leaving some 19 persons without their homes. In an interview with Stabroek News, Acting Fire Chief, Kalamodeen Edoo, reported that the Guyana Fire Service received a call at around 2:27 am and responded with one fire tender from La Grange and another from West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Edoo stated that according to their initial investigations, the owner of the property where the fire originated, reported that his neighbour had alerted him to a fire that was in his yard which he investigated and extinguished. However, after the owner went back to bed, about 15 to 20 minutes later his neighbour called out again and alerted him to another fire, this time in his kitchen area. As the buildings were close together, the Fire Chief explained, the heat from the building of origin quickly spread to the neighbouring building which housed two businesses; the Sip and Chat Chill Spot, and a wholesale establishment. Rajmatie Anantram, who resides at the property where the fire originated and was home with her husband at the time of the fire, told Stabroek News that she believes the fire to be an act of arson as she and her husband previously had an issue with a young man some time ago. Anantram stated that around 1.30 am her neighbour alerted her and her husband that there was a fire in their yard, which her husband was able to put out. “We out that fire and then go back upstairs, I sleep in one of my son room and like 15 to 20 minutes after that me hear like shattering of glass and me ask wah happen and he say fire gyal, fire, because the back room where he sleeping he could have feel it more,” she stated. She noted that the fire service arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later when just a section of the building was engulfed and that she had hopes that they would be able to save some items. “When they come I say oh God meh money go save but when the fire reel came – no water, we didn’t get to save nothing,” Anantram lamented.

Crime

Gunfire at massive Lodge fete leaves man dead: An early morning Republic Day party left one man dead with three persons currently in custody as investigations continue into the event that was a clear breach of COVID-19 rules. The Guyana Police Force in a press release stated that it was investigating the murder of 27year-old Dale Christopher of Rosemary Lane, Cummingsburg. The incident occurred at Hill Street, Lodge, Georgetown. According to the initial investigations, Christopher left his home around 1.15 am in the company of a friend to attend a party. The police said that at around 6am while a popular DJ and Selector were performing, approximately two to three explosions were heard which were suspected to be gunshots. This caused the approximately 500-strong crowd to scatter and disperse, the release added.

In the courts

Bartica man remanded after charged with aiding prison escapees: Ralph Jones, the father of one of the prisoners who recently escaped from the Mazaruni Prison, was last week remanded to prison after he was charged with providing assistance to them, including a change of clothing after the incident. Sixty-year-old Jones, a boat captain of Fourth Avenue, Bartica appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court and was charged with four counts of being an accessory after the fact to escaping from lawful custody. Jones was not required to plead to the charges and was remanded to prison. The case was adjourned until March 5th for statements. Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia and Ryan Jones escaped from the solitary division of the Mazaruni Prison Complex, Cuyuni-Mazaruni on the morning of February 16th.

Would-be cocaine mule gets four years, fine after Ogle airport bust: A woman was last week sentenced to four years in jail and fined $798,750 after admitting to swallowing 73 cocaine pellets as well as hiding cocaine wrapped in condoms in her vagina. Tamera Melville, 23, who was held at the Eugene F Correia International Airport where she planned on boarding a flight to Barbados, entered a guilty plea to a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when she appeared before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. Melville accepted that on February 20th, while at the Ogle airport, she had 755 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in her possession. The police had said that she passed out a quantity of the narcotics, which was in a bulky package wrapped in condoms and in her vagina. Melville was questioned and subsequently admitted to swallowing 73 narcotics pellets.

Travel

Ferry travel resumes between Guyana and Suriname: Ferry travel between Guyana and Suriname resumed last Sunday after an almost year-long hiatus due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. A total of eight passengers departed Guyana on the MB Sandaka at approximately 9am and eight others returned over the Corentyne River at 1pm. All passengers required a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCR test) before they were allowed to travel. At the moment, travel is only permitted for nationals of the two countries, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill recently emphasised. He stated that within the coming days, they are expecting to see an increase in persons travelling between the two countries.