 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am regional novel, this edition's top stories. St. Lucia receives donations of AstraZeneca vaccine from regional counterparts. St. Lucia announces cushioning quarantine of fees for returning nationals. And the Ministry of Health and Wellness introduces the rapid antigen test. The regional security system RSS Fairchild Metro 3 touched down at the George Charles Airport about four p.m. yesterday afternoon with Precious Cargo. In its hall were 2,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from the government of Dominica. On hand to receive the shipment will Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney and Minister for Health and Wellness, Senator Honourable Mary Isaac. Boxes of the vaccine were handed over to Prime Minister Alan Chastney and Health Minister Mary Isaac as the aircraft sat on the tarmac at VG. This donation will bolster the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign which will be launched soon by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. On Wednesday, February 10, 2021, St. Lucia also received 1,000 doses of the vaccine from the government of Barbados. These vaccines which have been received from regional counterparts will be used in the rollout of the first phase of vaccinations for 1,500 frontline workers including medical personnel, state security, including the police, fire service, correctional officers and paramedics. The government of St. Lucia has extended sincere gratitude to the government of Barbados and the Commonwealth of Dominica for their acts of generosity. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney announced Tuesday at the House of Parliament that 74,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive on Island before the end of February. St. Lucia will also purchase a further batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India as well as receive a donation. There are also ongoing discussions for vaccines from the African Union. In keeping with the Ministry of Health and Wellness's updated National COVID-19 Response Policy effective February 11, 2021, the government of St. Lucia is absorbing a greater part of the cost of state quarantine for returning nationals. Subsequent to routine reviews of the quarantine policy, noting infringements in the process, home quarantine has been reduced to special circumstances only and will now transition to state-based quarantine facilities as much needed vigilance is required in the management of all incoming nationals. Please note that the government of St. Lucia continues to cover the cost of locals and residents on Island who are placed in state quarantine and isolation. The daily fees announced in August by the government of St. Lucia indicated that single occupancy would have been 95 US per day, double occupancy 160 and triple occupancy 240 dollars and double and triple occupancy applies to families within the same unit. These fees have now been reduced to $25, $45 and $65 US respectively. The government in acknowledging the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to honor applications for financial exemptions and that includes students who have completed their studies within three months and are returning home and to persons who have traveled for medical care. The government is also considering dire socio-economic needs including the forced repatriation of nationals. Now during the quarantine period the policy still stands that returning nationals will be swapped on the seventh day and those receiving a negative PCR result and meet the criteria to thereafter quarantine at home will be given the permission to do so of course with the wearing of the amber solution watch and the biointellicent sticker. The biointellicent sticker is for one-time use and will also monitor vital signs. Being mindful that the state regulated quarantine period is 14 days those who do not meet the requirements to leave state quarantine will need to ensure that their payment for accommodation is made for the full 14 days. Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 will be immediately transferred into care at the cost of the state. Permission for home quarantine will be granted after application through the portal www.saintlusha.org and applies strictly to minors, persons with health conditions and those with specific conditions after careful review of all applications including site visits. Returning nationals from all international jurisdictions must note the following Check with the airlines for flight schedules Secure your reservation and facilitate payment for accommodation at a government operated public health facility by accessing the booking portal located on www.saintlusha.org slash COVID-19. All fees must be paid directly to the quarantine facility. If you have applied for a quarantine payment exemption please await confirmation of approval. A 7-day wait period is necessary to facilitate applications. Once the quarantine arrangements have been confirmed pre-fill the travel registration form located on www.saintlusha.org slash COVID-19. You must do so no less than 7 days prior to travel. Print and travel with the authorized travel registration. Obtain and upload a PCR negative COVID-19 test within 5 days of travel into St. Lucia. Please ensure that the result indicates PCR. You must travel with a copy of your result. On arrival in St. Lucia the wearing of a mask is mandatory. All arriving persons will be screened at the port of entry and assessed for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19. After advancing to immigration and customs you will be guided to the designated government operated transportation for the transfer to the state operated quarantine facility. At the public health facility you will be screened daily by healthcare professionals. Individuals are permitted to receive items from friends and family. However, they are not permitted to deliver items to anyone until the full 14-day quarantine period has come to an end. The government of St. Lucia wishes to remind nationals and residents that only essential travel is encouraged at this time. For more information about St. Lucia's COVID-19 response entry protocols and travel registration forms can be accessed at www.saintlusha.org slash COVID-19. In an effort to scale up national testing for COVID-19 the Ministry of Health and Wellness has introduced the rapid antigen test at specific points of care. The testing option will commence through a two-faced approach. The first phase will focus on the validation of the test which is a standard activity prior to the full-scale introduction of any diagnostic test. In this validation phase individuals who come in for COVID-19 testing at the Victoria Hospital or when King European Union Hospital the St. Jude Hospital and the VG Sports Complex testing outpost will be offered antigen tests. Dr. Dana Dacosta Gomez is the active national epidemiologist. The validation phase covers a one-week period and is expected to be completed by February 13, 2021. Due to the high prevalence of COVID-19 in St. Lucia any individual with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 who tests positive on an antigen test is considered a confirmed COVID-19 case. However, while the validation phase is being undertaken anyone presenting for testing at the clinics which were previously mentioned receives both an antigen and a COVID-19 PCR test. It is important to note that a negative antigen result does not necessarily mean the absence of COVID-19 infection particularly as it is possible to get a negative test result despite having symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or being a contact of a confirmed case. In such instances the antigen test must be confirmed with the DNA PCR test. Individuals who receive a negative result on an antigen test should confirm that diagnosis with a PCR test and continue to quarantine at home until receipt of the DNA PCR results. The antigen test detects the presence of a specific protein of the COVID-19 virus. A positive test in someone with symptoms indicates that they presently have the virus. Like the sampling procedure for the COVID-19 PCR test the antigen test requires a swab sample to be taken from the nose. Antigen tests offer some advantages for both the individual and the healthcare system. They are fairly inexpensive. The tests can be used within non-health settings as well as within clinical settings where individuals seek care such as respiratory clinics or hospital emergency rooms. They provide results in approximately 20 minutes. There is no need for highly technical staff to perform the antigen test. The antigen test allows for rapid detection and isolation of cases particularly those people presenting with symptoms. The quick turnaround time of test results allow for faster identification of high-risk contacts of confirmed cases. The validation phase is required to ensure the reliability of the antigen test as a diagnostic tool. On completion of this validation and the confirmation of its reliability the second phase will be implemented. During this phase select respiratory clinics will become dedicated antigen testing sites on Ireland. In the lead-up to this second phase of point-of-care antigen testing the public will be provided with more information. Saint Lucia has amended its arrival protocols. All arrivals must now obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test five days before arrival. The COVID-19 prevention and control amendment bill which was passed in Parliament at the last sitting amended the COVID-19 prevention and control act number 9 of 2020 which was enacted on the 2nd of October 2020. The act regulates the containment of the spread of COVID-19 in the interest of public safety, public order and public health. Prime Minister Saint Lucia the Honourable Alan Chastney highlighted the significance of the amendments. There are pre-travel requirements under section 36 of the act and one of the requirements is for taking of a test for COVID-19 about seven days or less before a person arrives in Saint Lucia. A person is also required under section 36 of the act to upload the negative result of the test for COVID-19 and keeping with the act of polymers chain reaction PCR test is the test approved for COVID-19 and therefore the bill amends the pre-travel requirements to stipulate that a negative result of PCR test for COVID-19 must be taken five days before a person arrives in Saint Lucia. Speaker, this five days is the standard now in the industry and has a lot to do with the access of the test. Prime Minister Honourable Chastney explained that it is not possible at this time to implement any timeframe less than five days. If we were going to go to 72 hours, Mr. Speaker, it wouldn't require us to accept a rapid test and sadly the CMO is advised not to accept a rapid test at this point and therefore we are amending it to now reduce it to five days as part of the new protocols that we're putting in place. But I want to say Mr. Speaker that we have been very satisfied so far as to how this protocol has worked for Saint Lucia and we think that reducing it to five days will significantly strengthen the existing protocols and the bubble that we currently have that went through all its stages and was passed. Support systems remain in place for the business community on island impacted by the pandemic. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs has been engaging such private sector agencies who are experiencing difficulty with their operations. Permanent Secretary Sofia Henry says the Ministry's wrap call with the business community has been further strengthened as they have been exploring solutions to stay afloat. Finance is available through the Saint Lucia Development Bank. Again, it's a matter of having the collateral to take advantage and also persons to guarantee these loans. So they are coming to us and we are trying. We are sitting there and we are putting together the business plans and that is essential. So a lot of our support is by way of helping them with their financial statements, helping them with their business plans together, contacting the financial institutions, connecting them, letting them know what is available and that is key because sometimes you have the measures available that support and maybe they are not aware. So we have been having sessions with the business associations and with even those that are registered with us and that are not part of the association to let them know what is available. Ms Henry explains the process for businesses to access its support services from the ministry. Chetan has a lot of big businesses but they also have small businesses. But we have other small associations so quite a few of our businesses are members of the smaller associations. We have for example the Central Coalition of Services and we have the Biggers Association and that's a newly formed association. We have the Fashion Council we have the Southern Business Association. There are quite a few associations that then support these small businesses and that are very much connected to the ministry. But even some of the other small businesses are not members of the association. Once they come to the ministry for support, we register them and we have their details and we assign a business development officer to every business and that business development officer will contact them and keep in touch with them and then the businesses support to them. Businesses interested in accessing support from the ministry of commerce, industry, enterprise development and consumer affairs can call 468-4223 to register. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also received a shipment of the vaccine from Dominica on Thursday afternoon. The minister of health, Honorable Saint Clair Jimmy Prince and the Permanent Secretary, Cuthbert Knight received 5,000 doses. Officials say the doses are enough. The Government of India will be providing to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines about 40,000 doses of the vaccine. Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalez on Thursday said that priority would go to frontline workers in the first instance. And 5,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines also arrived in Antigua and Barbuda on a regional security system aircraft. The vials of the vaccine were donated by Dominica who received 70,000 doses from the Government of India. Prime Minister Gastor Brown's office said that the doses will be given to 2,500 frontline workers. Antigua and Barbuda is expected to receive another 40,000 doses from the Indian Government shortly and Brown has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to purchase a further 5,000 doses. Let's take a look now at how fellow regional countries are coping with the impact of COVID-19. The Barbados economy is expected to be hit by more than $50 million in losses during the two-week COVID-19 lockdown announced by Prime Minister Honourable Mia Mortley in giving an overview of the economic impact of the lockdown last year and the potential fallout from the current shutdown in an interview with Barbados today. Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Strong said his forecast is based on the average spend per week across the economy which he hopes does not decline any further. However, Strong expressed some fears that the economic impact could turn out to be even worse when one considers that unlike in the earlier lockdown supermarkets are closed on weekends and public markets are also out of business during the national pause. He said it is estimated that the Barbados economy lost just under $1.5 billion in 2020 which he linked to the shutdown in tourism business with its obvious effect on the economy. Strong issued a plea to Barbados to comply with the health protocols so that whatever economic activity the country could muster would help to keep it afloat through the end of the year. The Government of Montserrat has announced that during the current lockdown measures following the confirmation of a 5th COVID-19 case a student at the Montserrat Secondary School. The Ministry also disclosed that 30 persons have been tested since the first new case was confirmed on February 6, 2021. In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and to allow for the testing of 40 primary contacts of active cases the list of essential government and private services has been reduced. The list of businesses that must remain closed has increased and now includes supermarkets. The list of mandatory closures also includes bars and night clubs restaurants to include takeaway or delivery service, barbershops hair salons, spas, jeans retail stores, churches and other religious establishments banks, gas stations, bakeries a business connected with farming fisheries and all utility providers. This is NTN Nightly up next Primers Hutchinson with the NTN Nobel of Loyal. Do you know we can limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus? The Ministry of Health is your partner in achieving this solution. Introducing the AMBER wristwatch. The AMBER wristwatch is designed for monitoring daily movements while in quarantine. It provides an accurate location and a precise heart rate. The device is also waterproof and can be worn during all daily functions like washing the dishes or taking a shower. It's worn like a typical timepiece. The Ministry of Health can now better monitor people in home quarantine and receive alerts of those who do not stay in the confines of their home. A 14 day rental of the AMBER wristwatch is just 75 US dollars. Let us stop the breaches of home quarantine. Welcome back. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTN Nobel of Loyal. Monsieur Ta jeanelle, Monsieur Madame, Department of State and University of Switzerland to inform the Government of the National magazine of NTN to present the Declare qu'il s'agit de ses netteurs, mais d'il y en s'agit de ses nettes, c'est même pas s'il y a, qui a fait un monde caporté attaque, attoué, appuisant, bordelé, sans permission, les autorités prisonaires, c'est une qui compte l'agislation et les autorités qui a adressé situation à la très sérieuse. Ministre Francis Dickey, les autorités très concernées pour savoir qui, les prisonnaires qui n'aient téléphone mobile et que l'autre attaque pour servir, sans permission. Ministre Théa Vettiquy, les officiers prisonaires bordelés, qui a commencé pour un bon démarche, mais fort démarche, une action qui toussoie que ce n'est situation à la. Wezoki Ministre l'a adressé situation à la démonstration ses nettes-là. C'est parce qu'il y a une décie même qu'il y a des prisonnaires bordelés qui n'aient téléphone mobile, qu'a servi media social pour faire pleins de maladies coronaires prisonaires. Ministre Théa, ma vraie situation, c'est la vie normale, c'est avec affaire à calmer. Les autorités, j'apprends démarche pour protiver les prisonnaires et puis, c'est nécessité regarder maladies coronaires, en particulier sanitiser et massuprofidiaire. Ministre Théa fait comprendre que même quand tout l'autre secteur a trouvé affecté par corona, c'est même pas ce qui s'actuel, j'ai trouvé affecté aussi. On a humongous dit qu'il y a un bordel trois prisonnaires qui a saut remand, j'ai trouvé séquestion. Mais malheureusement, il pourquoi possible pour y opéer et présenter ce qu'il nécessit pour sortir barrimane. Mais Ministre Francis n'y espère qu'en gouvernement, j'ai apporté des juges en place pour aider à adresser ces cas-là, ça c'est qu'à isoler et coéglir les opérations de l'audience à payer-là. Ministre Francis déclare qu'il y a chef-juges-là, j'ai apporté 11 juges pour adresser ces sessions de l'audience par Zoom, ça veut dire qu'à sa vie media-social et que ce sont ces cas des affaires criminales-là qu'il a aussi trouvé adressés tout de suite. Selon Ministre Francis, demain j'ai en place un comité qui a mis plusieurs officiers qui a engagé des affaires à payer-là et qui a trouvé établis. J'ai trouvé établis pour discuter et conseiller premier ministre-là et qu'il a conseillé Asoumaire Wood pour adresser à Félogias avec toutes ces cas qui pourront paraître devant M. J. Jacques Magestrois. L'Agenie pleine a place aussi pour considérer toutes ces prisonniers qui fermaient pour un pile de temps, à présent, casuer pour tant de nouvelles Asoukayo pour ces cas-là qui ont été considérés par les autorités et Gouvenet-Général-là. Il y a aussi un spatial arrangement qui a place pour les prisonniers qui ont compagnie Asoukayo assez bien et qui a construit ces programmes-là qui ont place à bordeler pour trouver une considération pour vivre en société à bas cette condition. Ça veut dire parole. M. De Santé a continué pour mettre un pile d'efforts qui ont construit et qui ont abattu des guets maladeux corona, mais qu'à s'y manger et qu'assez aux autorités qui a menagé ainsi que les ces. Par conséquence, M. Aja a organisé une façon pour menager ces cas-là dans ces cas-corona qui par guave ainsi comme il n'a même ça qui a fait par un groupe médical qu'à ce que ce soit. Qu'a-tu fait pour sa moune qui a trouvé maladeux à panier et des guets qui tuaient sérieux. Et ça a gongatité ainsi qu'à y rester, qu'à y poursuivre treatment. Mais, les officiers ministères à poursuivre qui a pile moune qui a qu'à y poursuivre treatment l'immua qui a augmenté et qui a l'intention de panier assez la à dans ces cas-corona. Et aussi, à dans moune par cas-corona. Alors pour risquer ça, pour placer moune à d'ailleurs facilité à pas. En résultat de ça, c'est car qu'il n'a pas de guave qu'à y rester à d'ailleurs facilité aux hôtels et que c'est ça qui plus guave qu'à l'hôpital victoire. Initiative-là c'est pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement pour protéger principalement plus facilement. wishes-you-wé treatment multi-fac chcembla There's a lot of inflammation that is very bad. During the exercise, a person who visited the clinic received a lot of tests. This means that the test results are very good. The Ministry of Health said that the test results will be good for the antigen, and it will be a good advantage for anyone who has a point. There's also an ex-officer who doesn't share his life so that he doesn't have to go to the clinic. He doesn't have to go to the clinic. The Ministry of Health said that it will continue to play with the people, to continue to cooperate with them, so that all of us together, will be able to move forward with the example that will affect the patient. Everyone needs to work together to make this possible. This is a very good news for everyone. I would like to thank you for your time. I would like to invite you to join us. When you live, you can get a lot of good news. I wish you all a good financial week, and I hope that the Ministry of Health will be able to understand that everything has to do with the coronavirus, to protect our health, to sanitize and protect the group and to assist the people who are waiting for the vaccine. Thank you very much. It's been a very nice time. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. book page or YouTube channel. I am Channel Nobel.