 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Jesse Layance. This edition's top story, St. Lucia's Prime Minister calls on global stakeholders to ignite consumer confidence and boosterism. Schools in Castry Southeast adapt to the new normal as the first term commences and 15 Caribbean entrepreneurs prepare for their ultimate challenge. The global economic impact of COVID-19 continues to deepen with millions of people unemployed and thousands of companies folding. The stark reality of the situation has not escaped the Caribbean, which is heavily dependent on the travel and tourism sector. For St. Lucia, that reliance accounts for 65% of gross domestic product GDP. It is against that backdrop that Prime Minister Hon. Alan Shastney continues to call on airlines and countries to move the meter forward on pre-testing to help consumer confidence and boost tourism. Prime Minister Shastney was a guest on BBC World News Discussion Program Global on Monday 7 September 2020, discussing how the Caribbean and leaders of today are navigating the pandemic. We have the details in this report. Prime Minister Hon. Alan Shastney is optimistic that the Caribbean tourism industry will emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hon. Shastney, who led the drafting of protocols for tourism for Caricom, is resolute that pre-testing is the ace card for the travel and tourism industry across the world. Noting St. Lucia's own success with insisting that all visitors present negative COVID test results for entering the country, Hon. Shastney says this model will bring back confidence to all stakeholders, including the economies of the source markets. Causing persons to be pre-tested a certain number appeared before getting on the plate and I think brings confidence back to the tourists themselves as well as protecting the state. And I also heard the idea of people being pre-tested before they go back in order not to have to do the quarantine. I want to say that St. Lucia supports that policy strongly. We've shown that we have implemented that successfully in this country. We think it's just crazy that the airline industry has not adopted pre-testing as a prerequisite before getting on a plane. St. Lucia's long haul of vacationing is actually an industry in itself. I mean, two-thirds of the money that a British tourist spends in St. Lucia comes back to the UK. It's your airline. It's your tour operators. It's your travel agency. It's your insurance companies. And so there's a win-win situation here when we can now see the confidence in traveling and returning. St. Lucia has welcomed some 6,000 visitors since reopening the borders, representing a decline in arrivals of more than 80% over 2019. Government revenue is also down between 50% to 60%. And government's efforts are reducing the unemployment rate from 25% to 16% has regressed with the thousands of workers that have been forced on the bread line by COVID-19. The Caribbean in absolute terms, the amount of tourists that we get is a small portion of the global tourism. And so even though we're seeing a global contraction in the industry, given the success that the Caribbean has had in large, St. Lucia and some of the islands in particular, we think that we're going to see a rebound in that sector. More than 30 million people visited the Caribbean in 2019, contributing nearly $60 billion to the region's GDP. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting. In the meantime, Caribbean neighbours who are facing a rise in COVID-19 cases are saddled with the financial burden of ramping up efforts to combat the novel coronavirus. We get the details from Michelle Nurse of Caricom News Time, who also shares the back-to-school experience for the islands. The government of Guyana has allocated $4.5 billion to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as confirmed cases and deaths in the country continue to rise. There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 30 deaths in the country. President Irr Panali announced that funds are being mobilised from the World Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank totaling $60 million. The government also received a grant from the Government of India to the tune of $2 million. Guyana's Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony indicated that some of the money will be allocated for the procurement of items to be used in the infectious diseases hospital, which will serve as an isolation facility. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause serious disruptions in the education systems across the Caribbean community. While school-leaving examinations have been completed, the education sector is grappling with a range of challenges, including the uncertainties related to the safe reopening of schools and how to bridge the gap of uneven access by students to online educational opportunities. Early childhood education centres in Antigone, Barbuda have had to shut their doors because of mounting expenses resulting from the pandemic. Education officer with responsibility for early childhood education, Ms. Embler Spencer, says there are now less than 90 operating early childhood facilities in Antigone and Barbuda, three of which are government-owned. In Barbados, the Ministry of Education is holding consultations with teachers and other stakeholders to get their input on the safe reopening of schools in September. And here at home, Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation and Parliamentary Representative for Cass Street Southeast Honourable Guy Joseph has been assessing the readiness of schools in the constituency. The Minister toured the schools, meeting with students and teachers as they adapt to COVID-19 protocols. Schools in Cass Street Southeast constituency are being commended for the innovative measures they have taken to ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols on the compounds. Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation and Parliamentary Representative for the area Honourable Guy Joseph was impressed when he toured these schools as they reopened on Monday 7th of September. Just viewing the protocols and everything that is in place is just amazing to see what has happened, the new procedures, the guidelines to go into the sink and into the washrooms. I mean going to the forestry school, I saw some creativity there where the teacher had created a separate screen between the blackboard and the students where she could stand in between the blackboard and the screen and be able to speak without a mask because a lot of the sounds of the letters, there's the mouth movement that is required. So while it is a difficult time for us with COVID, it is indeed a time for innovation, for new challenges and to be able to adapt to some of the new protocols and procedures. After months of restriction in the education sector due to the pandemic, most schools on Ireland reopened at the start of this week, working up until the last minute to welcome their student populations. A lot of the Forestry Methodist Combined School, Alfie Ernest, says much has been accomplished in the lead up to Monday. So we have taken a number of measures to ensure that the students are safe and that school can reopen today Monday. We have gotten the assistance to get the place power washed. We have done some deep cleaning. We have put up the signs to ensure that parents follow the necessary protocols. This morning, we made sure we took the students' temperature when they came in. We sanitized everybody who came in to the compound. Also we, you know, we're thankful we have been able to get a plumber this morning, assistance to get a plumber to check on the plumbing, the toilets and so that needed repairs. So we are more or less well on the way to function as normal. The Forestry Methodist Combined School will be open four days weekly, Monday to Thursday for instruction and Fridays, school will be closed for teachers to plan and prepare for the new week. This is one measure of the Department of Education in the COVID-19 environment. Honourable Joseph encourages parents to cooperate with schools at this time. I really applaud all that I have seen today and I appeal to our teachers and our parents more so to help the teachers in observing the protocols, in training the children properly at home, helping them to maintain proper protocols at home so that at the end of the day we would do what is necessary. Honourable Joseph also visited the Bexar Infant and Primary, Tirusha Combined, Otsa Combined, Labe-e-Sda Primary and Laquamego Combined Schools on Monday. 300 backpacks with notebooks and other school supplies were also donated to students in need in the constituency. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. Fifteen young entrepreneurs from the Caribbean have made it through to the semi-final round of the business model competition. They are vying for an unprecedented opportunity to pitch their business ideas to global investors. So we have now come to the close of two days of intense presentations. The names of the 15 semi-finalists were announced after a tough quarter-final pitching contest involving 30 of the region's most promising entrepreneurs. The business model competition, organized by the OECS Commission, is part of the Sustainable Development Movement. It is a movement that we are seeking to ignite and its ultimate objective is to light fires of innovation, to inspire creativity, to stimulate thinking beyond the problems to the possibilities. Dr. Jules informed his global audience that the business model competition is making a growing club of business coaches and investors available to help increase the competitiveness of regional entrepreneurs. To mentor and assist in the shaping of business plans, to adjudicate on the viability and business viability of the ideas, and ultimately to invest in and scale up these innovations. The presenting sponsor, Republic Bank, celebrated the young entrepreneurs participating in business model competition. We believe in your ability to be wealth generators, job providers, community builders, and engines for economic growth. The lucky 15 to participate in the semi-finals on September 9th are from Trinidad and Tobago, Jody White, Sean De Freitas and Hezma Tyson. From Antigua and Barbuda, Jermaine Rudd and Trevor Solomon. From Montserrat, Linda Diaz. From Jamaica, Kadeen Smith, Daniel Tate, Janet Henry, and Adrian Burton. From Barbados, Michael Husbands, and Ibrahim Hines. From St. Lucia, Leandra Peter. From St. Kitson Nevis, Alex Tron, and from Martinique, Steve Bursey. The semi-finalists will undergo further training in preparation for the semi-final round on September 9th. The finalists will participate in a pit room to be hosted by Mr. Damon John, star of ABC's Shark Tank and president of the Shark Group. Winners will receive up to US $20,000 in prize money and the possibility of securing the attention of global investors. From the Government Information Service, Rajvarra Lawrence reporting. In more news art reach, the National Arts Festival has begun in virtual format. On Sunday 6th September 2020, the first shill in a series dubbed Poetic Justice, Voices of the Underground, was an elevated production featuring the literary arts. We have the highlights in this report. Enter hosts Hanson Nassis and Tracy Pilgrim George on location, Cadet Street Castries, for the first episode of Poetry Live, Voices from the Underground. In the first National Arts Festival virtual showcase, the presenters took the viewership on a historical and literary adventure. They rolled back the years on Cadet Street, giving a brief history on the man it is named after, as well as the Barum Enterprise that was located in the area. It's Barum. Barum? Yes. You see this building over here once was the Barum Factory, we started in 1972. Ah, that's way before I was born. I thought he was going to tell me that this street was named after Cadet, who was a town counsellor who served on the Castries Town Board and he was also grandfather to the iconic musician Charles Cadet. You didn't always know that, did you? For their Tragedy and Triumph segment, they featured Elizabeth Barrett Browning, an English poet of the Victorian era, who campaigned for the abolition of slavery and child labour reform. The production made a pit stop in Dennery to highlight the literary devices that are used in Dennery segment music. Most of us do not realize that the songs and music we listen to are laced with literary devices. For instance, the popular song The Unfame of Dennery by Omba, this entire song is a parody. This is 760's national anthem, Dennery North, Dennery South, one Dennery. Gina McPhee took the virtual spotlight on Sunday night for the cultural development foundation's first ArtReach 2020 showcase, with three spoken word performances, with pieces titled The Mask, Society and Political Division. I see my parents cry on sidelines, worried when my children are, and then suddenly, so deep in thought, they nod, like a candle, all washed out and burnt profound. And then they remember it was their sweat and soil that made mine, and my children's words go round, how they laughed to keep from crying, how they shuffled their dreams. They wore the mask to hide sorrowful screams. Society really has a lot of things that you can write about, but in the series and the pieces that I'm performing, it's really about issues that you see come alive. For instance, in writing about the mask, it speaks about a Saint Lucia that has to show herself as so beautiful and as so significant, but the world has not realized that even inside Saint Lucia, she has people who has to allow her to look that way, but they themselves are wearing a mask. These people are making themselves look like we're so happy and we're so hospitable. Yes, they are, but there are greater issues than that. The New Year 30-Minute Production is the first in a series forming the National Arts Festival to air over the next eight months. From the Government Information Service, Rojvara Lawrence reporting. Up next, we have Primers-Hudgensen with the NTN-Nouvelle-Aquillon. Cut them loose, the anxieties, the worries, open up to possibilities, accept the uncertainties and cut them loose. The bitterness, the hopelessness, plant a seed of hope in your mind. It will grow and flourish in time. Hold on a little longer, life encourages you to grow. You have so much to offer. Look, tomorrow is waiting to say hello. Don't give up on yourself, instead reach out for help. Perhaps it's time to reach out to someone. Call the Health Helpline 203 toll free anytime to speak to a professional, a message from the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Welcome back. We now join Primers-Hudgensen for the NTN-Nouvelle-Aquillon. Thank you so much, Jesse. Mr. Madame, Department of Investability for Information and Government Services, GIS, and National Television, the NTN, Capacito-Nouvelle-Aquillon, Visitor Primers-Hudgensen. Prime Minister, we have Alain Chassny. He is the head of the BBC World, Ladybomartie, and then he is the head of the Education Professor. Prime Minister Chassny, Causé, and then President Nouvelle-Mondial, Matthew Amrally-Wallop. Prime Minister Chassny, Diskitté, et qu'expliquer manier, cette liste, j'ai aménagé, situation, pandémie, corona, cette liste est principalement effort pour aussi espérer les étrangers pour payer à vue et ouvrir les barrailles. Aussi, plein qui j'en place pour avions et les passagers. Je vais tester avant de voyager pour cette liste. A sa question, Causé-Nouvelle-Mondial, malade, corona, j'ai dévalisé l'économie cette liste. Prime Minister Chassny, avoue qu'il y a 60% de l'économie paye qui n'est pas associé aux sectaires touristiques. Et moi, auquel hôtel-là, j'en paye à tout cas. A moi, c'est des 100% pour 15% d'excesses pour 100%. Situation, tu avais commencé pour un moment encore, comme à d'un hôtel paye, j'avais ouvert l'opération, après yauté fermée depuis un mois d'avoué, et je me l'enais ici. Alors, l'ennemi de la différence en l'immobilisation des étrangers qui commençaient à cartouiller cette liste posèdement. Prime Minister Chassny, je vais comprendre qu'au fermé paye, il y a, nettement, c'est pas un option, pièce de bonheur, excepto pour les citoyens à prendre pour vivre et puis présence malade et salare. Prime Minister a expliqué pour BBC qu'il y a un gouvernement qui a une action très bonne pour développer WEG et protocol qui, bien-ouïde, poutait aider, contrôler malade et corona. Il a ajouté qu'il s'assaité approchement cet épée comparable à ça. Ça, c'est ça, au point, et que le résultat est très bon. Cette liste ouvert par les 4 chevres a éclocationné 6,000 touristes au hôtel. Écoutement, c'est ce qu'il y a, ce hôtel paye a vieux ouvert. Prime Minister Chassny, c'est ce qui a porté bon succès pour cette liste. C'est initiative pour établir bien bonnet, obligement pour tout le monde qui a visité cette liste, pour tout détester avant de voyager et pour cette liste, cette liste-cien qui a vieux ouvert entre les quarantaines. Prime Minister Chassny a déclaré pour BBC qu'il n'y a pas de pièce touriste qui a exposé nation pour malade et corona. Presentement, avec tous ces 26 mônes qui étaient tout détestées pour malade et corona, c'est ça qui est négatif et que c'est ce qui nous a retrouvé à cette liste et que c'est malade et corona. A ce qu'est-ce qui se passe à l'industrie agricole, et particulièrement à l'industrie figue, Prime Minister Chassny n'est-ce qu'il y a une industrie qui a vieux à saupir les compétences et qui a continué pour vendre les figues et qui a vieux vendre beaucoup de produits et beaucoup de pays. Et aussi, il y a des géants qui ont continué à manger les figues. Prime Minister Chassny, by asking us lucky, the great importance of force with the implementation of these protocols and services to risk kicker a visit a hodlomeric including malade and corona who appeal to affect the situation of malade and corona in the country. But one of the Prime Ministers who are forcing this appointment as to the decision as to the discussion as to the PBC concerning these avions that are obligated to pass the test before you go out. There is also Timur Distui who the Greeks have made a political information work in English to understand that the citizens have to go on vacations. This is an industry. Why? Because they have a good life and the people who have passed have lived in English themselves. Prime Minister Diki, it was done by these travel agencies who have organized to take a visit to all these places such as Eritage, Eqbelte, CPEA and these agencies as well. So, if Prime Minister Chastney is in a situation where all these countries such as CETLICI have found benefits to do this. There are 30 million tourists who have visited Karebla every year. Chief Office of Education and Ministry of Education CETLICI, Dr. Fiona Mayer. I have declared that the first July that the country has opened the operation on Monday, September 7 was a great success. In the last discussion of the new accrual, Dr. Mayer said that he had a good cooperation and all the others who were involved. The teachers, the parents, the officers. Finally, it was a pleasure to work with the others to come together to do the first July that the country has succeeded. According to Dr. Mayer, the year of the school that has opened but I had to start the operation. For example, there is a lot of situation that needs assistance from the Ministry of Education to prepare to address you. But everything is not for June. It's not for you, it's for the children, it's for the school, it's for the teachers, it's for the parents. It's not for the children, it's for the children. It's for the first day. It's not for the uniform, it's for the parents who brought you to the school. So, for me too, I just wanted to look at myself and say thank you. Thank you and I had a good time. We had a good time and we all had a good time but we kept saying you go on. It's for the children. It's for the children. It's for the children. But for the children it's for the children. It's for the children to go to school with the children. It's for the children to go to school with the children to go to school with the children and to go to school in a good way. So, what do you think the parents are doing? Is it the children who are taking care of themselves to protect themselves from the corona virus? Do you think it's the children who deserve the power? Sometimes, I don't want to change. I don't want to change. I don't want to change what I did. Someone came and took care of this. Someone came and changed the situation that I want it to change. With us, we don't have persecution to choose. To say something to take care of others. But we do have a chance to play it, to trust in the way that weاص об mermaid care of others that others protect. That's why I say once Pam, send United I don't want to be affected because it's my mother's voice. Speaking of this, Prime Minister Alain Chastney visited institutions at the Academy of Sports like Vendredi, where the school lives across Portugal. He visited the school and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister It was a surprise for his students to be able to visit the school. This is the only educational institution I have established in the country, with Prime Minister Alain Chastney and his students. Prime Minister Alain Chastney served the opportunity to visit each school. He advised me to pay more attention to his work and to understand his vision for his future. He also told his students to spend the opportunity to attend the school. But to pay more attention to his lessons, he did everything possible for his students and he was able to succeed in his education. Prime Minister Alain Chastney and his students visited the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to attend the school. He was able to continue his work on his own. That brings us to the end of the NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St Lucia Government Facebook page or the YouTube channel. I am Jesse Leon, signing off for now. Do stay tuned for more NTN program.