 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Janelle Norville, this edition's top stories. St. Lucia at 100% recovery of all COVID-19 cases. Eight St. Lucia Nationals are repatriated and the Labour Minister waisting on the National Insurance Corporation Amendment Bill. Hello and thank you for joining us at the Information Command Centre for the national response to COVID-19 as we bring you the latest developments. St. Lucia as of April 22, 2020, recorded a total of 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Some 13 individuals had recovered, leaving St. Lucia with two active cases. The Department of Health and Wellness indicates that these two cases have since recovered, placing St. Lucia at 100% recovery of all COVID-19 cases. More in this report. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of St. Lucia under the advice of the Department of Health and Wellness has had to institute several measures with the aim of combating the virus. Some of the measures that have been instituted include school closure, national zoning to manage population movement, the closure of non-essential businesses, travel restrictions, the partial national shutdown and instituting a 24-hour curfew. The measures recommended to guide individual risks include the use of face masks, the testing, isolation, treatment and care of sick persons, and the adoption of hygiene and other infection prevention measures. Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health and Wellness, Dr. Sharon Belmont George, explained that these measures are paramount in ensuring the protection of the citizenry and has proven effective as St. Lucia now has 100% recovery of all COVID-19 cases. As of April 22, 2020, St. Lucia has a total of 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19. To date, all of the positive cases of COVID-19 in St. Lucia have recovered with the remaining two cases who were in isolation receiving negative COVID-19 results and have since been discharged from the hospital. This now places St. Lucia at the 100% recovery rate of all COVID-19 cases. Among the 15 cases St. Lucia recorded were individuals who fell within the category of high risk by virtue of some of them being elderly as well as living with chronic illness, there to recovered well with no complications or needed critical care. Laboratory testing for COVID-19 continues to be conducted both locally and with the support of the Caribbean Public Health Agency Laboratory. St. Lucia has modified its testing strategy by increasing the testing on the number of samples from the community respiratory clinics. This would assist us in the assessment of COVID-19 locally. As seen in the more developed countries, even with the apparent decrease in the number of cases and the flattening of the curve, there have been periods of resurgence in their cases. When measures are relaxed and persons become more socially engaged, this provides an opportunity for smaller epidemic waves which are characterized by low-level transmission. The Chief Medical Officer explained that with this information, the Department of Health and Wellness notes the necessity of conducting a risk assessment to arrive at evidence-based approach in relaxing measures while ensuring the capacity to detect and manage a possible resurgence in cases moving forward. As such, St. Lucia continues on the partial shutdown and on a 10-hour curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. The country remains at a very critical position in the implementation of the national response to the COVID-19 threat. The public must know that many of the measures instituted must be sustained in an effort to achieve low COVID levels in the country. Everyone is asked to note that as essential services are made available to the public, the guidelines for social distancing need to be adhered to at all times in the interest of the health and safety of the public. In the context of this, we all need to be reminded that the threat of COVID-19 still exists and will continue to be with us for a while. Some of the national protocols include stay at home as much as possible unless it is for food or medical purposes, avoid mass crowd events and social gatherings, practice social distancing and good personal hygiene. The public is also advised against going to public places with flu-like symptoms including fever, coughing, and sneezing. When visiting the supermarket or public places, refrain from touching items unless you intend to purchase them. Augments of health and wellness reminds that the country is still on a national scale down. As such, individuals should only leave their houses for essential goods. Individuals are also urged to use face masks or scarves when going to public places such as the supermarkets. The face mask or scarf may be used for source control by reducing potential exposure risk from infected persons during the pre-symptomatic period. The department also reminds the public to continue to focus on the maintenance of standard recommendations to prevent the spread of infection. These measures will support current efforts to protect the health and safety of all citizens. The Ministry of Commerce, International Trade, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs wishes to advise that in addition to hardware stores, manufacturers and owners of home and convenience stores who produce and sell essential items, permission has been granted for retailers and distributors of computers and office supplies to accept furniture to commence operation from Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The Ministry of Commerce urges businesses to visit our website www.commerce.gov.lc for the application form and other relevant documents to seek permission for business operation. All businesses must adhere to the administrative and in-store operational protocols issued by the Ministry of Health. A copy is available on our website. The Ministry takes this opportunity to thank the business community for its cooperation and support over the past months and looks forward to continue working with stakeholders as we endeavor to mitigate the impact of this COVID-19 pandemic and return to normal operations in the near future. The Government of St. Lucia is working assiduously to repatriate St. Lucia Nationals stuck abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, 21 April 2020, some eight cruise employees were brought home after several days off the coast of Barbados. Details in this report. Eight St. Lucia Nationals were on Tuesday, April 21, repatriated to St. Lucia. The Nationals are employees of Norwegian Cruise Line, who were anchored off the coast of Barbados from April 9 of this year. With the help of the Government of Barbados, a chartered flight touched down at the George F. L. Charles Airport at approximately 11.30 a.m. Eight cruise workers from the Norwegian spirit were repatriated into St. Lucia. They were received by our team and this was coordinated through the cruise line, through the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of External Affairs. They were received as per our protocols and they were screened and they were taken to the Ronnie Bay Public Health Facility where they'll be quarantined for a period of 14 days. The Department of Health and Wellness is working in tandem with key agencies, including the Ministries of External Affairs and Tourism and the St. Lucia Tourism Authority in undertaking the repatriation of citizens. Our report today suggests that there are over 500 of our Nationals who are stuck abroad with the cruise industry being shut down. The difficulties we have been experiencing is that as we try to repatriate them, the Center for Disease Control has said that cruise lines cannot allow anyone to get off the various ships because of the tremendous concern that they have had with coronavirus. I want our families to know that we're doing everything at a diplomatic level, at a level of discussing with the airlines, discussions with the Florida Cruise and Caribbean Association, the cruise industry's representative body to bring our Nationals home. With such a vast number of Solution Nationals, desirous of returning home at a time when there are travel restrictions globally, the Minister with Responsibility for External Affairs, the Honorable Sarah Floodbobra says, this must be done with the observation of health and safety protocols. Regarding as a matter of high priority, is to see how we can continue to collaborate to bring more of the St. Lucia's home and to assure you as well that our government will work with the agencies to ensure that as soon as it is practically possible and safe to do so, we will ensure that all of our St. Lucia's are brought home safely. The government is working to repatriate more Nationals in the days and weeks ahead. From the Government Information Service, I am Rog Varo Lawrence reporting. Washing motions with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 70% alcohol. Wash your hands, wash them right. This message brought to you courtesy of the Bureau of Health Education of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Welcome back. The Government of St. Lucia recently announced a social stabilization program get towards providing immediate relief to individuals who had lost their jobs and income earning opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the relief effort encompasses the provision of funds to these individuals through the National Insurance Corporation. However, the current Act does not make provision for payments under these circumstances. Thus, the bill was laid in the House of Assembly for the appropriate amendment. The Minister for Labour and Parliamentary Representative for Casteries North during the sitting of Parliament on Tuesday weighed in on the National Insurance Cooperation Amendment Bill. He explained that no effort is being spent to ensure that those affected are provided the necessary aid. We get the details in this report. Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour and Parliamentary Representative for Casteries North, Hon. Stephen St. King indicated that the Labour Department, once it realized that a large number of individuals was soon to become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic immediately prepared to address the situation. The Labour Minister noted that a number of entities were engaged by the department including the Central Statistical Office of St. Lucia so as to decide the way forward. Minister Hon. King explained that this is where the National Insurance Cooperation came in. However, before it could act, changes in the legislation were required. The NIC consists of some 83,977 contributors and as per the amendment, some 30% must be affected to activate the economic relief program among other stipulations. This amendment, Mr Speaker, provides for that because if tonight this legislation, this amendment to the legislation is not passed the NIC has no authority under the existing legislation to make any payments to anybody. So what the NIC did, Mr Speaker? The way out was to get the amendment done and the amendment provides for doing a number of things. First, it provides for the establishment of the economic relief program. And it says, Mr Speaker, the Board may establish, may establish an economic relief program where 30% or more of insured persons have suffered a loss of income as a result of a pandemic decreed by the World Health Organization. So this economic relief fund, Mr Speaker, as far as I interpret this here and the lawyers can help me better than I can help myself is that it qualifies the economic relief fund as being one established to provide relief where 30%, 30%. So an economic relief fund will not be established for a handful of people getting the flu and falling sick. But in this case, it calls on the qualification, qualification by the World Health Organization, which will declare a pandemic. The hardest hit sector was the hospitality sector. This, of course, according to the minister has a multiplying effect as majority of those who have lost their jobs have dependents relying on them for support. The minister reassured that the economic relief program while seeking to help those in need would not be abused. He explained that there are certain conditions that individuals must meet to be eligible to benefit from the program. He or she is under the pensionable age on the date that he or she makes the claim on the section 65BD. B, he or she is engaged in insurable employment on the prescribed date. C, he or she has paid not less than the prescribed contributions and he or she has paid contributions for the prescribed contribution period. So, Mr. Speaker, what it says is that in order to qualify under this program, you cannot just walk off the sidewalk or walk off the streets and say, I worked, I lost my job, I need a contribution. It is saying that there are certain standards you must meet. You have contributed up to a period of time demonstrating that you employed at the time because you cannot claim if you laid off or if you lost your job before the pandemic was declared. So it protects the institution. It reinforces the institution and makes sure that it is not a scandal where anybody can walk in and make a claim. The bill during the sitting went through all its stages and was adopted by the committee without amendments. The Ministry of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries notifies all holders of tourism taxi registration plates that effective Tuesday, April 27, 2020, applications for renewal or registration of vehicle licenses will be received only on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 9am and 12 noon. Kindly note that all documentation should be dropped off at the reception desk for processing. However, we have strict adherence to the following protocols. Wearing of appropriate protective face masks, sanitizing of hands before handing over documents and maintaining social distancing within and outside of the reception area and environments. A maximum of three persons will be allowed to conduct transactions in the reception area. Please be reminded to remain at home if you are sick. The Ministry of Tourism can be contacted at the following numbers for any inquiries regarding your request. 720-6758-727-010 or 720-1585. We now join Primers-Hudgingson for today's Nouvelle, Au Quai All. Monsieur Tain, M.Departement qui n'est plus possible pour la formation en gouvernement cet lycée, à ce G.I.S., à ce Web TV, National Peuille, N.T.N., Caposito, Nouvelle, Au Quai All, Posito, Primers-Hudgingson. Il y a beaucoup de people who want to work to find a good solution for the government of Peuille. The Prime Minister, Alain Chassner, will present his motion to the M.D. Council for the National Peuille, NIC, and his co-finance assistant to try to save the economy for the next three or six months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four or four million dollars for the next three or six months to work to solve the corona crisis. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the M.D. Council for the National Peuille, NIC, and his co-finance assistant to try to save the economy for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion to the government for the next three or four months. Prime Minister Chassner, will present his motion I'm going to show you how I'm going to help you find an assistant for the government. The Prime Minister said, as he was a national, as I said, NIC, he said, if you are the assistant for one year, we treat you financially, and if you are the one who is more advanced than the Prime Minister, We have more than $2 billion worth of property and $3 million in large accounts. Speaking of that, I would like to give a presentation to Prime Minister Ankaya Konsitmadi. I would like to make a brief introduction to the public. It was a decision that was very hard to make, but it had to be done to protect the people of this country. I approached Konsitmadi, Kabawe, Kifeme, Kamadei, Trapi-Souplé, to consider and see the sales for Vann Boasson. Prime Minister Konsitmadi declared that it was a decision that was very difficult, but it was necessary to control the social distance to preserve the public. Prime Minister Ankaya Konsitmadi said that there was a plan that could quickly be seen in the public, so that the people of Kamadei would be able to accept the sales to make the people of Kamadei normal. Prime Minister Ankaya Konsitmadi said that it was a decision that was very difficult, but it was necessary to control the social distance to preserve the public. Prime Minister Ankaya Konsitmadi said that it was a decision that was very difficult, but it was necessary to make the public that it was necessary to do that as well. The next step is to work with a futuristic plant in the Spirit garden. The development of this plant came with the intention of procuring the plant and the government went out, the development started with the plants that were needed for the development of this plant for the future. The Department of Health has authorized the transfer of the eight health services to the country to be launched by the Department of Health. The operation was carried out in March 2020, but all eight of them were in the hot-battles of the Quay quarantine for 14 days. These two are the new Chief Officer, Medical Assistant Dr Sharon Belma George, It's very difficult because it's not possible for people to navigate and for the government to assist. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare knows that the government has made a very diplomatic discussion.