AZP News gives you a summary of the main stories for the past week with links to view each in detail below:
Monday
Safe Zones Open
THE TT Safe Zone policy came into effect on Monday but many business owners are still playing it safe by not opening.
For those who did open, they saw little traffic and are hoping that by the end of the week, there will be more activity.
T&T to Buy 60,000 Sinopharm Vaccines
GOVERNMENT will soon be purchasing an additional 60,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from the COVAX facility at a cost of almost US$400,000.
This was disclosed by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh on Monday during the Standing Finance Committee meeting in Parliament.
After Protests, MOWT says $375K in Repairs at Barrackpore
THE Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) notes that it will cost $375,000 to repair roads damaged by protests in Barrackpore on Monday.
The protests by residents were for water and better roads in the area. Resident say they had gone weeks without a pipe-borne supply of water.
AZP News columnist Alicia Chamely commented on the above issue on Saturday.
More Delta Cases
ON Monday, the Ministry of Health reported 49 people who had been detected with the Delta variant of Covid-19 in T&T.
Dr Hinds said that five of these new cases had no travel history.
Tuesday
Digital Immunization Card Coming
YOUR Covid-19 Immunization Card will soon be digital.
This according to Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram at the virtual media conference of the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
Pfizer Vaccines Now Expire in Feburary
THE shelf life of the Pfizer vaccines scheduled to expire at the end of November is now extended to February 2022. Click here for full story…
Social Development Ministry Owes T&TEC $500,000
THE Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) is being owed close to $500,000 in arrears from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.
This was revealed by Social Development Minister Donna Cox on Tuesday during the Standing Finance Committee in Parliament.
Kamal Calls on President to Resign
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling on President Paula-Mae Weekes to immediately resign following the recommendation of attorney Ernest Koylass to the Police Service Commission (PolSC).
In a statement on Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar said Koylass’s strong People’s National Movement (PNM) ties did not earn him enough merit to be appointed to an independent body.
Wednesday
How Diabetes, Hypertension affect the Covid-19 Patient
TRINIDAD and Tobago has a very high prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s).
The most common being diabetes, hypertension, asthma, obesity, cancer and heart disease as the most common.
Birdboy in Court for Murder
AKIEL ALEXANDER aka Birdboy is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate today.
Police received advice from Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Tricia Huddlin-Cooper on Tuesday to charge the 21-year-old man from Santa Cruz with murder, possession of firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of firearm to endanger life and ammunition to endanger life.
T&T Gets Indian Pathologist
THE Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre in St James is operating at half its pathologist staffing capacity and is soon to get a pathologist of Indian nationality.
Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds made the announcement to the Standing Finance Committee in Parliament on Wednesday revealed that the pathologist was a “man of high record” and is expected to start work almost immediately.
Defence Force Owes NIB Million$
FOR fiscal 2021, millions in arrears would have been paid to the National Insurance Board for members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.
The arrears would have accumulated over a period of time.
Thursday
Judge says Griffith Acting CoP Appointment Void
THE appointment of Gary Griffith to act as Police Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago is void and unconstitutional.
This was the ruling by Justice Nadia Kangaloo in a 58-page judgment on Thursday.
Click here for story on the judgement…
Kamla says President, PM, AG have Questions to Answer
THE judgement of Justice Nadia Kangaloo on Thursday has plunged Trinidad and Tobago into a constitutional crisis where three high office holders could be involved in misconduct in public office.
This was the claim made by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar who held a press conference at Charles Street in Port-of-Spain minutes after Justice Kangaloo ruled that the acting appointment of Gary Griffith as police commissioner is void and unconstitutional.
Click here for full story as AZP News was at the press conference…
Search Continued for Kidnapped Felicity Businessman
THE search continues for the Chaguanas businessman who was kidnapped on Wednesday at around 2.30pm at his business place.
Police reports are that Kartikey Ramsundar, the owner and operator of Riverside Marina along Cacandee Road in Felicity, Chaguanas, was at work when three masked men entered the establishment.
Alexander Calls for General Elections
POLITICAL leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Alexander is calling for a general election to be held immediately due to the failure of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) to effectively run the country.
In a statement on Thursday, Alexander said, “Every decision they have made have been wrong, from the handling of the pandemic, the economy and just about everything else.”
Friday
Kamla Files Motion to Remove President from Office
THE Opposition United National Congress (UNC) has filed a motion in the Parliament to remove President Paula-Mae Weekes from office.
This was revealed by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a press conference at her Charles Street, Port-of-Spain office on Friday.
75 Delta Cases Confirmed
TO date, there are 75 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant of concern in Trinidad and Tobago with 26 new cases being reported on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health in its daily update also gave a breakdown of its cases.
$10 Million for Tobago Healthcare
TOBAGO’s healthcare sector will benefit from $10 million to aide in the purchases and installation of “sophisticated equipment.”
This according to Finance Minister Colm Imbert during the second session of the Standing Finance Committee in Parliament on Friday.
Beharry Missing
A 62-year-old El Socorro man is missing.
Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in release on Friday stated that Manohar Beharry, of El Socorro Extension, El Socorro, was last seen at, around 7am on Wednesday.
Saturday
Full Service for Bars, Restaurants, Cinemas come Nov 1
FROM November 1, restaurants and bars, cinemas and theatres will be able to operate at full service only for those vaccinated against Covid-19.
And public servants will be again called out to work in an organised manner and further discussions will be made regarding their vaccination status.
PM Loses Confidence in Griffith
ONE year ago, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley wrote a letter to the Police Service Commission (PolSC) stating that he has lost confidence in the abilities of then Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to effectively do his job.
Griffith Responds
FORMER police commissioner Gary Griffith in an immediate response to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says he sees no reason to comment.
At a press conference on Saturday Dr Rowley said he lost confidence a year ago in Griffith as police commissioner.
9 More Covid-19 Deaths
NINE persons have died due to Covid-19 in Trinidad and Tobago .
In its latest update (#879) on Saturday, the Ministry of Health reported 198 new Covid-19 cases taken from samples during the period October 12 to October 15.
