Regional Briefs

J’can latest COVID-positive case in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN (CMC):

A 34-year-old Jamaican woman has tested positive for the coronavirus after landing in Barbados on Sunday. The Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS) yesterday said that the woman was the only positive case result among 123 tests done by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory.

Up to yesterday, Barbados had recorded 174 cases of the virus, 21 of which were active. One hundred and forty-six people have recovered. The island has recorded seven deaths.

Last Friday, the authorities said that a 24-year-old Bahamian female student, who arrived on a Caribbean Airlines flight from The Bahamas via Jamaica, had also tested positive for the virus.

T&T leaders address race as country marks independence

PORT-OF-SPAIN (CMC):

Trinidad & Tobago’s political leaders yesterday reiterated the need to end racism as the country celebrated its 58th anniversary of political independence from Britain.

President Paula Mae Weeks, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar all underscored the need for racial unity in their respective messages to mark the occasion.

Following the August 10 general elections, the head of the Roman Catholic Church warned that “code words” used during the Rwanda genocide were being used in Trinidad & Tobago and urged the country to step back from this “very destructive” path.

There have been racial outbursts on social media following the defeat of the main opposition United National Congress in the general election earlier this month as the People’s National Movement won 22 of the 41 seats.

Coalition files petitions, wants court to order fresh Guyana elections

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

The former ruling coalition A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change yesterday filed election petitions challenging the results of the disputed March 2 regional and general elections.

The Guyana Elections Commission had declared the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic victorious in the polls based on the national recount of the ballots that was supervised by a three-member observer team from CARICOM.

The coalition wants the High Court to cancel the polls and order fresh elections within 90 days, asking for a quick and expedited hearing.

“We are set out here today to establish the invalidity of the declaration … . We have documented anomalies in all 10 regions … If these anomalies and irregularities are taken into consideration, we will prove that the results will be different,” former President David Granger told reporters.