 Welcome to NTIA Nightingale, I am General Norville, this edition's top stories. The reported critical COVID-19 patient has recovered amid increasing cases. The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports joins forces to assist young single mothers and St. Lucia to continue to experience heavy rains from the passage of tropical waves. The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the reported critical COVID-19 patient has recovered and has been transferred as of Monday 16th November 2020 to the Owen King EU Hospital for continued care. All of the remaining active cases are stable. However, on Tuesday November 17, the Ministry of Health received confirmation of five new cases of COVID-19. Case 174 is a one-year-old male from the Viewford District. Case 175 is a 13-year-old male from the Choselle District. Case 176 is a 31-year-old female from the Grosillais District. Case 177 is a 54-year-old male from the Castries District. Case 178 is a 44-year-old male from the Grosillais District. All of these individuals after being assessed and tested for COVID-19 were placed in quarantine by health practitioners while awaiting receipt of their results. Dr Sharon Belmar George is the Chief Medical Officer. Three of these cases were identified through the contact tracing process and an epidemiological link has been established for these three cases. Case number 174 is linked to cases 109 and 165. Case number 175 is linked to cases 109 and 163. Case number 176 is linked to case number 169. As a protocol, the arrangements have been made to place these individuals into care. The Ministry of Health and Wellness be once again remind everyone that we are all susceptible to the virus. However, there are persons who are at greater risk such as the elderly and those living with chronic and underlying medical conditions. Therefore, we all have to play our part to protect the health and safety of our families, our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors. Let us all continue to take personal responsibility and adhere to the protocols and guidelines for the prevention of the virus. Let us continue to practice the infection prevention and control guidelines that will help to reduce exposure to the virus. Wash and sanitize your hands often during the day and show a face mask is used whenever you are out in public and ensure that it covers your mouth and your nose. Sanitize frequently touched surfaces often using a bleed solution. Maintain the separation of six feet from others, which is about two arms length apart. And if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, keep away from others and seek medical care immediately at the closest respiratory clinic. Also avoid contact with other persons who have flu-like symptoms. Meanwhile, the Royal St. Lucia Police Force is in the process of hiring 200 individuals to boost the capacity of enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols from a remark report. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney announced that 200 wardens are being recruited to assist the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and the village and city councils with the enforcement of COVID-19 protocols. This is a part of new measures and acted to control the spread of COVID-19 in St. Lucia. We're looking to recruit approximately 200 new people that will be working with the police and also the village councils and city councils. But we know that enforcement is a critical component to this. We are working with the business communities who are also looking to make resources available, i.e. specifically with the bars to help in the enforcement of these protocols. Some of the areas of concern which require additional enforcement are the adherents to grabbing group services at local bars, the illegal entry of persons into the country and the compliance of organisers to the suspension of social gatherings. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney says while enforcement is a necessity, solutions also need to take responsibility by adhering to the protocols and exercising personal protection. We have to be disciplined. Persons must wear their face mask, must continue to practice social distancing and all forms of hand sanitisation and body hygiene. The Prime Minister made the announcement during an update to the nation on the 13th of November 2020. From the Government Information Service, I'm Huma De Mark. The Ministry of Youth Development and Sports has partnered with the Community branch of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and the Massey Stores to assist young single mothers. Brian O'Brien has more. Youth workers attached to the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports embarked on an initiative to provide care packages to young mothers within the areas of work. A total of 25 packages were prepared and presented recently. Director of Youth Mary Wilfred said this initiative was a collaboration between Massey Stores, Sergeant Alex Morgan of the Community Relations branch of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports. We always desired to respond during this COVID pandemic in meeting young people where they are and today the youth workers, along with the youth officer, they are preparing packages for young mothers in the community. Ms Wilfred said the youth workers sent in information regarding the young persons who needed that kind of assistance. We believe that young people have been unfavorably disadvantaged during the pandemic and you know, unemployment and other things like that is a great challenge. So in a little way we want to show that we care. Kezia St. Bryce is a youth worker assigned to the castries area. She lauded the initiative although admitting it was difficult to make a final choice of recipient. I believe that this is a grace initiative because as said earlier, COVID has impacted many families and we've given them such a package and that could go a long way, how much small that it may seem. This package can go a long way for a family. For me it was very difficult because there are many families who are in the privilege at the moment. So selecting one was quite a challenge but at the end of the day we can only do so much but once we can create an impact then that's what counts. The presentations were made as a commonwealth recognize young people for the work that they do in communities. From the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, I'm Ryan O'Brien. The Embassy of the United States of America has informed the government of St. Lucia that it has resumed services for issuance of routine tourists, students and business visas in the B1 B2 category at the U.S. Embassy consular section in Barbados as of Monday 16th November 2020 with the next available open appointments starting the 1st December 2020. Appointments will be only available for applicants who reside within the Embassy's consular district that encompasses St. Lucia, countries within the territories of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the French and the United Kingdom jurisdictions in the Eastern Caribbean. Applicants residing outside of Barbados who wish to schedule an in-person interview must strictly adhere to all immigration restrictions imposed by the government of Barbados and are expected to strictly adhere to Barbadian Ministry of Health protocols. A visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy does not exempt applicants from required quarantine or isolation stipulations. All applicants must wear facial covering while inside the Embassy and adhere to posted instructions about health, safety including social distancing and the application of hand sanitizer. Any applicant experiencing flu-like symptoms including fever should not appear for the scheduled interview. United States entry bans from designated global hotspots of COVID-19 remain in effect. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of travelers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the European Union, Brazil, China and Iran, even with a valid non-immigrant visa will not be permitted to enter the United States if one has been to any of the listed geographic zones within 14 days. And this is NTN Nightly. Please stay with us. If you are in receipt of an abnormally high bill, it is highly possible that you have a leak. That leak may not always be visible. Before you contact WASCO, conduct a do-it-yourself test. 1. Record your meter reading. 2. Do not use water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 3. Take another meter reading. If the reading changes, you have a leak. Contact a plumber to identify and fix the leak at the earliest. A message brought to you by the Water and Sewage Company Incorporated, WASCO. Welcome back. St. Lucia is to continue to experience heavy rainfall as moisture and instability associated with a mid- to upper-level trough system together with a tropical wave will maintain cloudy conditions. Scattered showers and possible isolated thunderstorms will affect the island and the rest of the eastern Caribbean during the next 24 hours. A second tropical wave located over the eastern tropical Atlantic is also approaching. Director of Meteorological Services, Andrés Juárez says the coming rains present a precarious situation, given the flooding experience over the weekend in Denry, Mico and Labry. The climate projections for the region would have been one where we would expect above normal rainfall. So October, November, December would have been wetter than normal. The also, we are also expecting the hurricane season to be above average. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is nearing an official close come 30th November with 30 named storms having been formed. However, Juárez cautions against the public letting the guard down. It's crossed into the Caribbean Sea and has formed Ayota. So most of the systems which pass us as tropical waves eventually become tropical storms or hurricanes. Just to name a few, Zeta, Etta and Ayota. So we still have more tropical waves on its way. And those tropical waves are sometimes enhanced by upper level troughs. So we ask in persons in lowline and flood prone areas to be cautious, take the necessary precautions to guard against loss of property and loss of life. Director of Meteorological Services, Andres Juárez. Several Caribbean islands meantime are assessing damage caused by flooding due to the weather system. More from Michelle Nuss of Caricum News Time. Heavy rains across the Caribbean in the past weeks have caused extensive flooding in some countries. Heavy rainfall was reported in countries including Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. On the 4th of November, Guyana's Civil Defense Commission activated its National Emergency Operations Center after eight to 10 inches of water inundated roads and homes in parts of the country's coast land. The operations center immediately examined the possibility of shelters in regions that have been affected by the weather. In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said recent rainfall damage on the island was estimated at close to $2 billion but from what he has seen and what has been reported that estimate will certainly rise. The rains caused flooding, landslides and landslipages and made some roads impossible. Over in Trinidad and Tobago, persisted rains inundated several areas in the south of the country. There are reports that some homes were affected and there was a partial collapse of a roadway and drain wall. The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service had issued an adverse weather alert yellow level on the 2nd of November warning residents in South Trinidad of heavy showers and flash flooding. Barbados was also drenched by heavy rains over consecutive days as a tropical wave affected the island late last month. There are reports of nearly 10 inches of rain beating down on sections of the island, badly affecting the farming community and forcing the closure of at least one school. The upgrade and enhancement of the Derek Walker square is nearing completion. A project which moved into its first phase last month is funded by the World Bank under the OECS Regional Tourism Competitiveness project. The Derek Walker square upgrade is expected to reshape the city as a main recreation area accessible to all members of the public. So far the perimeter walls have been demolished, park benches have been resprayed, planters have been painted and landscaping and beautification works are being done. The temporary bordered fence is expected to be taken down within two weeks, well ahead of the schedule project completion time. The second phase of the project will see the placing of monuments at key locations for unobstructed viewing and the creation of a clear green space to facilitate performances and techniques. It will also include the relocation of the existing fountain, allowances for additional seating and diverse vending, and a strategic placement of a bust of Sir Derek Walker, the great visitors to the square. That brings us to the end of NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St. Glutier Government Facebook page or Youtube channel. I am Genelle Norville.