 Welcome to NTIA Nightly, I am Genelle Norville, this edition's top stories. The Island's Chief Medical Officer advises compliance with COVID-19 protocols has revised measures coming to effect. Once we move into the second phase of works at the John Compton Dam and the Bankers Association's Good Tidings at Cornerstone, amended COVID-19 measures which take effect today, November 16, 2020, have been reinforced to target areas of high transmission, as recommended by health officials. The stricter measures come on the heels of rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19. Over the weekend, 15 new cases were recorded. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belmar George says that epidemiological links between COVID-19 patients indicate a lack of compliance with protocols. Jesse Leos reports on these observations and tightened protocols to limit social interaction. St. Lucia has updated its COVID-19 classification to clusters of cases. As recent as this past weekend, epidemiological links are being established between most of the diagnosed. On Sunday, 15th November, five of the nine cases registered were connected to earlier patients. Three of the four cases registered on Friday are confirmed links to earlier patients also. The Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belmar George notes that the virus's reproductive rate has increased in the second wave on the island. She attributes non-adherence to the protocols as a prime cause. Our contact tracing team, they've noted the increases in transmission in our positive cases. How do they know the level of risk from our positive cases indicating the lack of compliance to the various protocols and policies that have been put in place to date? So that's given we know the lack of compliance. It puts us at this stage in a very critical position where if we don't work to break the chain of transmission with immediate effect, it would lead to our forecasting and our projections over the next 14 days to almost tripling the numbers that we are noting to date. While authorities are generally satisfied with the performance of the business sector in its compliance to the protocols, they remain concerned with what transpires during social activities. According to Commissioner of Police Milton Daisy says the force has had to deal with protocol offenders in this regard. We realize that the protocols that had been established, especially that was two weeks ago, persons were not fully compliant. I must say that at this point we realize that the wearing of masks, there was a vast improvement in the city where persons were wearing their masks. I must admit, however, there were certain protocols not being followed, for example, at the various bars and places of public entertainment. We saw that the persons were supposed to have bought their drinks and leave the bar, but that was not happening. Also we are still getting complaints on the buses where persons are not compliant with especially the drivers, the total number of persons that they need to carry. We are getting the complaints, we are getting videos of persons who I must at this point thank some of the members of the public who see it fit in to report these incidents. In the update to the nation on Friday 13th November, Prime Minister Hon. Alan Chastney announced amended protocols targeting social events. Mass gatherings and social activities are strictly prohibited. No provisions are to be made for celebrations of any kind including birthdays, retirements, wedding and funeral receptions, wakes, boat rides or picnics. All sporting activities are also prohibited including gyms. All daily church and religious services are limited to 25 individuals within the church compound. Bars must adopt the grab and go policy as consumption of alcohol at establishments is not allowed. Bars must also close daily at 4pm. Similarly, all food establishments must offer only takeaway services as dining in is prohibited. We have reached a tipping point. We can change our projection and maintain for the most part the economy and the health of our society. But we have to be disciplined. This is the only thing that we can do. Feeling which that we will have to strengthen those protocols even further. It's sad that persons continue to go to bars and hang out outside. It's sad that persons were continuing to have beach parties. We need to take this thing seriously, Sen. Lucia and Sen. Lucians. We're the only ones who are going to suffer. If we fail to rise to this challenge. And these protocols are to be guidelines for you and by strengthening those guidelines to help the enforcement officers to implement these guidelines. The amended protocols take effect Monday 16th November and will be subject to review in a week. Between Friday 13th November to Sunday 15th, the island registered 15 new cases of COVID-19. In this same period, 13 patients recovered, were released from care and reintegrated into their communities. From the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Layance reporting. The Water and Sewage Company has officially launched phase two of the disiliting works of the John Condon Dam more in this report. Throughout the years, the John Condon Dam has retained over 1.7 million cubic metres of silt which has displaced over 400 million gallons of storage water. This phase will see the dredging of the dam to increase the total water reserve capacity of the plant. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Francis Denbo, explains the complex undertaking will see the transfer of silt to the sediment disposal area through both onshore and offshore pipes. The reservoir's full capacity has been reduced from 700 million gallons of water storage to 300 million gallons. The challenge then was to bring the reservoir back to its original capacity. As future storms could result in the reservoir being completely filled with silt, bearing in mind that with each rainfall within the forest, there is a continuous leakage of silt into the reservoir on a daily basis from exposed landslides on hundreds of mountain terrain surfaces that are impossible to access or rehabilitate. Assumptions are that it will take eight to ten years of dredging works to fully disail the reservoir. Speaking at the ceremony held in Millet on Thursday, the Minister with responsibility for the island's natural resources, honourable Ezekiel Joseph, explains that a supporting project to facilitate it through the forestry division to stabilise the soil around the dam will prove to augment WASCO's efforts to bring about a more improved water quality and infrastructure. This is another major accomplishment for us as a team. It's another major accomplishment for us as a government and you heard from the chairman all the work that we have done for the past four and a half years. That's not been easy but I can stand up and say I have a team that I believe in. I have a government and a cabinet that's very supportive of what we are doing with WASCO and I'm sure like the pastor prayed for us a while ago that we would see the completion of phase two without any major accidents. Prime Minister Hon. Alan Shasne commented the work of the Natural Resources Minister and his team for their continuous efforts to build a more resilient Saint Lucia. But it's so good to see that a group of men and women have come together and put their minds to it to progress. And this is why we keep on saying that we need to build a new Saint Lucia. Not just a better Saint Lucia but a world-class Saint Lucia. And it starts with water. We need to have secure clean water being distributed to the length and breadth of this country to allow development to take place. The deciliting of the John Compton Dam is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, the Government of Saint Lucia and the Water and Sewage Company, WASCO. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. Preparations for the hosting of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers continue here as officials create an environment of safety against the coronavirus. Hema De Mark reports. The events company of Saint Lucia ECSL and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, SLTA, held a check presentation ceremony for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, ARC. This event is being scaled down from 250 to 100 participating vessels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In attendance at the ceremony were key stakeholders and sponsors of the event, which is held annually in Saint Lucia for the past 30 years. The IGY Rodney B. Marina is the event partner for the ARC and was represented by the General Manager Sean DeVaux. Also present was the Chairperson for the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Chris Gustave and CEO of ECSL, Lorraine Sidoni. The events manager for the Caribbean for the World Cruising Club, Peter Cosier was also in attendance. The stakeholders expressed their appreciation to sponsors for their support, especially during a challenging year. Lorraine Sidoni is the Chief Executive Officer for the events company of Saint Lucia. We do have 30 years of data to work with, so we have a list of sponsors that have supported us. I'm not sure if any has supported us since the start of ARC and ARC Plus, but we do have a list of sponsors that have been with us for a number of years. So in terms of targeting companies to be a sponsor, we normally start with that list and then we extend it. We decide and we try to figure out which companies can get any sort of investment or a return on investment in terms of the sponsorship and we would try to attract new companies as well. The Atlantic Rally for Cruises will run under strict protocols for the protection of participants and the public against the coronavirus. The General Manager of the IGY Rodney Bay Marina, Sean Devoe, explains the protocols that are in place. For the ARC, the participants will undergo one week of voluntary isolation on board. After that they will conduct their negative, well, a COVID test which hopefully will be negative and they will be approved to sail across the Atlantic. Crossing the Atlantic on average takes about 16 to 21 days. So if we add those days up on the sea and the isolation in Las Palmas, the average participant will get to Sindusia having been in isolation for 21 or more days along with a negative COVID test in hand. In addition to that, daily temperature checks will be conducted and recorded by the captain on board for everybody on board. Those documents along with others will be provided to the Port Health 48 hours before arriving to Sindusia. And if they are deemed through the CMO's office, if they are deemed to see anything irregular or there could be a potential threat, the vessel is dealt with on anchor and not on the shores of Sindusia. Though organisers for the Atlantic Rally for Cruises are working with the Department of Health to ensure the event is executed safely from the Government Information Service for MediMark reporting. The Bankers Association of Sindusia donates to its fifth home for the Financial Information Month. The collective group of financial institutions visited the staff and residents of the Cornerstone Humanitarian House in Castries once again bearing gifts of essential food items and supplies. Five homes across the island are now the recipients of months of essential food and grocery items thanks to the donations of the Bankers Association of Sindusia. During the month of October, representatives from 11 competing financial institutions journeyed to the Villa St. Joseph Home for the Elderly in Dennery, the Sindusia Rainbow Children Home, the New Beginnings Transit Home, the Morgush Club 60 and Adeldae Kessenta in Truazelle, and lastly the Cornerstone Humanitarian House with a lot more than just warm smiles. We are so pleased that Financial Information Month has afforded us the opportunity not only to impact financial literacy as part of our strategy, but also to meet with people in the community, those who are more in need and to share with them some of the items we can purchase as an association. Financial Information Month is an annual educational campaign created by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the ECCB in 2002. According to local representatives of the ECCB, these donations really highlight the humanitarian side of the banking sector. As you know, Financial Information Month is a time where we seek to educate and empower our people, and this year we are so elated to be a part of it with the Bankers Association of Sindusia as they contribute to the well-being of the less fortunate in our society. Representative of the Division of Human Services, Andrea Alsid, says the Cornerstone Humanitarian House has been open to persons who are homeless and destitute for approximately 23 years. The sole purpose of this institution is really to house persons who are destitute who don't have family and nowhere to go. We see now the influx of the persons getting older, so we really have a lot of older persons here and we are very grateful for this beautiful gesture of food items and we know it's going to go a long way for us, particularly now in the current situation that we are facing. The Cornerstone Humanitarian House currently accommodates 28 residents. The Bankers Association of Sindusia made food donations to a total of five homes, two homes for children and three for the elderly. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reports in. The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment wishes to notify all clients of the Public Assistance Program of Barbano, Castries, Grosile and Soussi Millet regions that payment for the month of October will commence from Monday 16 November to Friday 20 November 2020 at the Castries City Hall from 9am to 2pm daily. This is NTIA 9thly, up next, Primers Hutchinson with the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. If you are in receipt of an abnormally high bill, it is highly possible that you have a leak. The 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. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial. Welcome back to Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Aquial.