 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am General Norville. This edition, Stop Stories. 74 COVID-19 patients at the Baudelaire Correctional Facility make full recoveries. Public interest in the national vaccination program is heightening with thousands of inclusions registering. And the Ministry of Equity distributes 400-foot packages to the vulnerable in the month of February. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is continuing to provide support to the Baudelaire Correctional Facility in the management of COVID-19 cases at the institution. Several prevention and control recommendations have been implemented, including isolation measures, restriction to social gatherings and increased sanitization. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belmar George says there has already been a vast improvement in the situation at the prisons. Of the 105 COVID-19 patients, 74 have fully recovered. The Ministry of Health, we have been working with the Baudelaire Correctional Facility from quite early in the outbreak to ensure that there are measures in place to reduce the possibility because when you have so many persons living closely, the risk is higher. So with the first few cases, we did rapid testing to as many persons as possible so that we can get the results quickly and to start off the isolation. We have been working with the directors to ensure isolation of the positive cases and the suspects to reduce the impact and we are continuing to do that and to manage as fast as up to yesterday we've had 74 recoveries from there. So they are recovering well but our epidemiology team, they're working closely with the facility to reduce the transmission of more cases there. Currently, all of the remaining active cases are stable. Members of the public are assured that hands-on measures are being implemented to manage and contain the spread of the virus on compound. Director of the Baudelaire Correctional Facility, Hilary Herman, says individuals who tested positive are being accommodated away from the general population. The staff who man the repurposed cell blocks he clarified are fully equipped with personal protective gear. Mr. Herman explained that other safety measures and strict adherence to protocols are in full effect. In early February 2021, a donation of 10,000 face masks was made to the correctional facility through the generosity of the government and people of Taiwan. Additionally, the public is reminded that all visitation by family and friends are suspended until further notice as all safety and security measures are in full effect at this challenging time. Virtual visits are expected to recommence on March 15, 2021. Authorised item drop-offs for inmates are being accommodated daily by appointments 24 hours prior to the planned drop-off. The arrival here of 25,000 doses of the COVID-Shield AstraZeneca vaccine has significantly boosted St. Lucia's ability to manage and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Government continues efforts to procure enough vaccines to have every St. Lucia vaccinated. On Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Wellness hosted a vaccination exercise at the Finance Administrative Building. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belmar George explained that over 10,000 individuals will be vaccinated with the most recent shipments. As you're aware, we started with our healthcare workers and we're doing the critical ones. What we are doing now is looking at 10,000 and to ensure we have the second dose. But we are also working very closely with the COVAX facility because we are awaiting our first batch of doses from them and they indicated that we would get our first 74,000 before May. So we are hoping that by next week or the week after that we get our first shipment so that there is no break in our dissemination of the vaccine. The vaccine will not only help in reducing transmission of the virus, but it will also reduce severe COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation and death. The AstraZeneca vaccine will also help in reducing pressures of treatment and care on the healthcare system and limit the impact of COVID-19. Dr Belmar George highlighted the significance of the vaccination exercise. Today is extremely important because we have representatives from various services coming in. They are leaders in their own right and it's important for us to get as many persons from the various sectors immunised. So we think that they will definitely assist in influencing the rest of our population so we can get a level of herd immunity. And public interest in the national vaccination programme is heightening with thousands of St. Lucian's registering. Homo De Mark reports. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is progressing with the National Immunisation Drive for the coronavirus. In the second part of the first phase, the drive's current focus, is the vaccination of persons 65 years and older and those living with chronic diseases. Residents of Richfaw and Bexaw within this demographic have now received their first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Teclaja Baptist is the National Immunisation Manager. It is very important that these persons are vaccinated against COVID-19 infection against the virus because when these persons get infected or if they become infected with the virus, there's my nature of their age and their health condition. They are at a very high risk of developing the severe disease, the complications and even death. Jebaptis says with the global impact of COVID-19 and the rise of cases in country, the elderly population and persons living with chronic diseases in St. Lucia should take the opportunity to protect themselves from COVID-19. While phase one focuses on people most at risk, accommodation is made for other citizens. Of course, we know that thousands of persons who have registered for the COVID-19 vaccine who have indicated their desire to have the vaccine to get immunised against COVID-19 and as such, we have also opened up to those persons who have registered. The second and third phase of the immunisation drive focuses on persons at medium risk and the rest of the population. From the Government Information Service, Hermione Mark reporting. Meantime, health teams were stationed at the House of Assembly where parliamentarians and staff of parliament received their first job of the AstraZeneca vaccine. More from Jesse Laos. More parliamentarians got vaccinated this week as part of the Ministry of Health's mission to build public trust early on in its national campaign. On Thursday 4th March, a vaccination centre was set up at parliament building to accommodate. Shortly after taking his injection at that location, leader of the parliamentary opposition, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, reaffirmed his support of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is always my intention to take it and I want to encourage all solutions to take it because in the fight against COVID, we have to follow the science and the science says that the vaccination is a means where we can protect ourselves and mitigate the effects of this dreaded virus. I encourage all solutions to follow and to see to the people who are most vulnerable to ensure that they follow the science and get vaccinated. Speaker of the House of Assembly Hon. Andy Daniel was also vaccinated at parliament building on Thursday. As Speaker of the House of Assembly, as one of the leaders in Saint-Lausia, we must all lead by example, we must take the first step so that the people, the nation will follow. And it is very important that us, the leaders of Saint-Lausia, take that step to show Saint-Lausia that it is in the best interest to be vaccinated. The Ministry of Health this week intensified its vaccination drive with a 13-venue schedule island-wide for senior citizens and persons with chronic health conditions. The feedback on the ground has been very good thus far. The clinics have been very heavy with a full flow throughout the day and we anticipate tomorrow as we have six clinic sites available that we will get increases in numbers. That was Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmont George. Dr. George adds that plans are underway to offer vaccination to the island's teachers and the tourism sector workforce in the coming weeks. The public, meanwhile, is encouraged to register urgently with their nearest Community Wellness Centre or online at hmi.govt.lc. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leigh-Anne's reporting. Vaccination continues in the communities on Saturday, March 6, 2021 at the Grossly Resource Centre under Philip Masler Grounds in Viewfort. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shatney spent this week visiting the vaccination sites around the island. Look, I'm very excited. Obviously you can see the relationship that the health centres have with the communities. We've had almost 100 people and we have not even gotten into the afternoon as yet. So the response has been very positive in taking the vaccine and the level of enthusiasm and certainly everybody has commented on how great the nurses have been. So look, the war against COVID has begun and for the first time we really have something in which we now can be much more aggressive in dealing with COVID and I'm really hoping that all solutions will follow suit of what we've seen today and coming out and becoming vaccinated. One other note on the vaccines, the procurement process. Caricum governments have been engaged in discussions with manufacturing companies and agencies to source approved COVID-19 vaccines for their populations. Securing the vaccines is not an easy process though as we hear in this report by Tucson King English Francis of Caricum News Time. Heads of governments have reiterated their concerns about COVID-19 vaccine access and have once again called for equity in the supply chains to inoculate citizens and bolster their economies. Chairman of Caricum, Prime Minister Keith Rowley shared with the regional media the grave situation Caricum faces trying to obtain vaccines against COVID-19. What has happened is that once the vaccines became approved, they then became in demand and in short supply because there isn't enough vaccine to go around for everybody who needs it. Countries with deep pockets and great influence have contracted the early production of this vaccine and similar ones in some of the bigger countries so that the vaccine that is made in India is transported out of India to other countries who have paid or contracted for it at this time. So what we have been experiencing as small countries with small pockets, when we make contact with those companies like the one that is doing it in India, you are being told, as we are being told, we are unable to take an order from you. However, there are other companies who have got approvals but they too are contracted by the countries that had the influence to pay and to contract the original supplies. Some of those countries have been saying to us, okay, we can give you a small amount, we can sell you a small amount but only if your order is up to a certain size. And one of the conditions under which they are attempting to sell us is that it has to be in a confidential arrangement meaning that we are not going to expose what we have been charged for it. What we have discovered in that arrangement is that different people can be charged hugely different prices and required by contract to keep those prices confidential. Chairman of Carrickham Prime Minister Honourable Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago ending that report by Tucson King English Francis of Carrickham News Time. Government continues to provide social protection to the poor and vulnerable particularly amid the impact of COVID-19. In February 2021 the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment distributed 400 food packages to beneficiaries of the Child Disability Grant and Persons Living with HIV AIDS. This initiative constitutes part of the government's recovery and resilience strategies that form part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry is grateful for the level of collaboration with its corporate private sector partners to date and is particularly appreciative of the generous donations received. A check of 45,630 Eastern Caribbean dollars from the National Community Foundation went towards the purchasing of food items for distribution to these 400 vulnerable households island-wide. Protecting the poor marginalized and most vulnerable of the population remains a priority for the Government of St. Lucia and while the challenges are beyond small developing states like St. Lucia it remains resolute in its efforts as it continues to implement programs such as these. This is NTIA Nightly. Up next, Primers Hutchinson with the NTIA Novell. Welcome back. We join Primers Hutchinson for the NTIA Novell at Quaiol. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub. You take a pub.