 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Gen. Norvel. This edition, Stop Stories. Actile to advance in bridging the digital divide under the chairmanship of Hon. Stevenson King. 23% of St. Lucia's population is now vaccinated against COVID-19, as vaccination sites expand. And the Schwozell-Sultibus Constituency Council mandated to pursue development in conjunction with residents. Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority Actile on 28 October 2021 held its 42nd meeting of the Council of Ministers. The incoming chairmen is St. Lucia's senior minister and minister for infrastructure, ports, transport, physical development and urban renewal Hon. Stevenson King. Minister King on Thursday 4th November provided an overview of the major outcomes of the 42nd meeting of the Council of Ministers. They include the deliberation and approval of the budget to fund the work of Actile and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission's NTRCs in all five member states. Actile has recommended the new EC bill to member states and to date, the Federation of St. Kits and Nevis has passed the EC Act, though it is not yet enforced. In the other member states, the EC bill is under active consideration at the level of Cabinet of Ministers. In St. Lucia, the Department of Telecommunications in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development and Urban Renewal is in communication with the Attorney General's chambers to prepare the EC bill for a formal presentation to be made to the Cabinet of Ministers for Hon. Transmission to the Parliament of St. Lucia. Once the Cabinet of Ministers has given its approval, it is expected that the EC bill will be prepared for presentation. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world into a state of increased reliance on data, mobile devices and computers to facilitate remote work and online learning, among other tasks. The pandemic also exposed the inequity and accessibility to broadband services by consumers in the ECTEL member states. Something that ECTEL has taken note of and will be working to address. As schools moved to online classes learning, it became clear that there was a substantial digital divide among students across the ECTEL member states. For some students, broadband was not available where they lived, or broadband was not affordable, or the quality of service was not acceptable. In response, a number of Universal Service Fund projects have been implemented to provide broadband access to students affected by the pandemic. These include build out of a fiber network to serve customers with no access to fixed broadband service on the east coast in the Commonwealth of Dominica, providing devices and subsidized access to mobile broadband to 1,800 students, and fixed broadband to 700 households with students in St. Kitts and Nevis. 3. Providing access, rather, providing 4,000 electronic devices and 4,000 Mi-Fi's to students in St. Lucia. And finally, connecting more than 340 homes with broadband and providing 1,000 students with a tablet and internet access in St. Vincent and the Glenadines. The chairman noted that the revelations have made ECTEL's role as a regional regulatory body for electronic communications, even more significant as the 21-year-old Telecommunications Act and regulations are no longer fit for purpose in this new paradigm. He also highlighted the entity's achievements thus far. Over the past 21 years, sector regulation has delivered several wins to consumers, including increased fixed and mobile broadband penetration, significant reductions in calling rates, increased fixed broadband speeds, introduction of new technologies such as 4G, and more recently, increased customer choice with the introduction of mobile number portability in 2019. The electronic communications sector has also contributed significantly to economic growth in the five ECTEL member states. In the past five years, service providers have invested an average of $136 million annually across the ECTEL member states while providing full employment for more than 780 people. The chairmanship is rotated annually, offering each member state the opportunity to serve as ECTEL's head of the Council of Ministers. ECTEL is made up of three components, a Council of Ministers, a regional directorate, and a National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in each of its five member states, namely the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Neves, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Ministry, through its national vaccination program, has introduced a Pfizer booster dose, particularly for the most at-risk population group, that is people 65 years and older, those living with underlined medical conditions and frontline workers. Assistant Principal Nursing Officer and Immunization Manager, Tekha Shabatist, says the booster shot is critical with the advent of the Delta variant. St. Lucia has confirmed 31 cases of the Delta variant. What exactly is a booster and why is it highly recommended for at-risk groups? It is an additional dose administered to a vaccinated population that has completed a primary vaccination series. The purpose of the booster is to increase the body's immune response to COVID-19, especially in the wake of the Delta variant. The COVID-19 vaccine booster dose will help extend the protection you gained from your first two doses and give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19. People 65 years and older should get a booster. The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age and can also increase for adults of any age with underlying medical conditions. While the booster dose is recommended for the highest population, any person who had their two doses and require a booster dose can come forward for the booster dose. Vaccine uptake has been steady with the ministry, now facilitating greater public access to vaccination sites. As of Tuesday, November 2, 2021, administer the total of 51,539 first doses, 43,265 second doses and 336 booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 23.3% of the population being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccination uptake trend knows the highest uptake in the 24 to 49 years age group, followed by those 50 years and older. We continue to encourage younger persons to get vaccinated because COVID-19 can affect anyone regardless of age. As part of the review national plan, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs has undertaken a two-week accelerated COVID-19 vaccination drive, which commenced on Monday, October 25, 2021, making COVID-19 vaccines more available and accessible to the public. Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are available at wellness centers and vaccination sites. The Ministry of Health is urging also inclusions to take this personal responsibility to protect themselves and loved ones. Meanwhile, while downward trends in COVID-19 cases and deaths continue across much of the Americas for the eighth consecutive week, however Pan American Health Organization's Assistant Director Jabas Barbosa wants that progress in our region is not a reason to become complacent or discontinue the public health measures that keep us safe. The Assistant Director reported that thanks to strong immunization systems in the region, 1.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered and 46% of the overall population are now fully vaccinated. At least 32 countries in the region have already reached the WHO's target of 40% vaccination coverage by the end of 2021 and several more are on track. However, many continue to face delays and coverage in Haiti, Nicaragua, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guatemala remains below 20%. Barbados continues to report its highest number of COVID-related infections and deaths since the start of the pandemic and there are concerning sources of hospital capacity in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. The progress in our region is not a reason to become complacent or discontinue the public health measures that help keep us safe. Quite the opposite. The declining cases and deaths shows that our approach is working and it is critical for all of us to stay the course until everyone is vaccinated and protected from the virus. To address vaccine inequity, allocations of vaccines from COVAX are expected to accelerate in the coming weeks. The COVAX facility, with the support of PAHO's Revolving Fund, has already delivered 64.3 million doses to the region. The Choiselle Salty Bus Constituency Council has been mandated to pursue development in conjunction with residents. The Choiselle Constituency Council saw the installment of new councillors to the local governing body. The council formally named the Choiselle Village Council, now holds the responsibility of governing and the development of the Choiselle Village and Salty Bus Community. Parliamentary representative for Choiselle Salty Bus addressing the new install councillors urged them to approach their positions on the council with due seriousness and preparedness by familiarizing themselves with the Constituency Council Act. It should never, never just be warming a seat, never be warming a seat at council meetings and collecting a stipend. You must have the passion to put your community first and to have an intimate awareness of where vulnerability exists. And when I speak of vulnerability, I do not only speak of residents, but I also speak of residents, T and C. A priority for all councillors and the council should always be to unite Choiselleians. Permanent secretary in the Department of Housing and Local Government, Dr. Kadeleine Ambrose, encouraged councillors to engage in consultation with the various sectors in the constituency as they work towards the development of Choiselle Salty Bus. Choiselle Salty Bus, a constituency renowned for its culture, heritage, resources, and in particular the outstanding and unique craft which is produced right here. Once tapped into, will fulfill its optimum potential. We urge you additionally to create opportunities that will unify the various communities. Embrace the farmers. Choiselle is known for its sweet potatoes, among other agricultural produce. Embrace the fishers. Embrace the crafters. They are all part of the network that will work collectively towards the success of this constituency. John Previl was installed as chairperson of the constituency council and Filomena Lafe as deputy chair. From the Government Information Service, Hilmadi Mark reporting. This is Ntia Knightley. Primus Hutchingson is up next. Stay with us. The Department of Finance has introduced the Electronic Government Procurement System, EGP. The EGP system has many benefits for stakeholders involved in government procurement. Government seeks to adopt a strategic approach to its purchasing process. Electronic Government Procurement improves efficiency of procurement and enhances data capture. The EGP is innovative and will automate the sequence from notification, receiving and evaluation of submissions to final contract award. Its improves communication between vendors and government agencies. Provides greater transparency and builds confidence in the vendor community through increased access to information. To participate, vendors, suppliers and contractors must register on the Electronic Government Procurement Platform. EGP. Improving efficiency and transparency in the acquisition of goods, works and services. Welcome back. We join Primus Hutchingson for the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole. Thank you very much, General. Thank you, Madam. The Department of Business, Business and Information. This is a government. This is GIS. This is the National Television of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole. This is Primus Hutchingson. The Ministry of Business, Business and Information has made a clear transformation. When the public informed me that the second phase of the construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole, I had started. The second phase of the construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole is to build the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole as a foundation. To do this, I have placed various needs and materials to finish the construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole. The construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole was completed in October 2020. The total finish was more than 40%. The project for the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole was to address the situation in Goudelou. I had devalued the country and particularly the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole. The financial agreement was made by the Japanese government and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. I have been working in the U.S. government for years to support the project and to consult companies that have led the construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole. I have been working in the construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole for more than 20 months to start the first mass construction of the Ntia Nouvelle Aquéole in 2021. on my official message is that the government should keep working to advise and maintain sure that the north-east of Germany additionally knows熊er, so that it can generate a better return, to improve the cost of construction, to discipline the south-east of Germany, so that the south-west of Germany Grow, I have found advice to preserve the forest in the country. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Development Committee on Alfred Prospect, have called for this. According to the Minister of Forestry, farmers are not able to understand how life is and the more you continue to destroy the forest, the more you can reduce the amount of water. They do this mainly because there is no need to pay attention to the climate change that the forest is. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have agreed to continue to destroy the forest and the next time it is destroyed, they will be destroyed. If we continue to do this, with the same advice as before, we are going to destroy it. Fisheries and Forestry are not allowed to be destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Forestry for us to develop the forest, to make it easier for us to live in the forest. We have to plant it on the other side of the river because we have to make climate change in the forest to make it easier for us to live in the forest to make it easier for us to live in the forest. So, I would like to say to all the black women and all the people here to protect the forest, protect the forest, because this is the future. If we continue and the Ministry of Forestry and make the largest citizens in the Zepartis region, we will have a new protocol for November 2020. I would like to say to the Minister, to start with these diverse men and women on the side of the Client Assembly to protect the forest. To protect the forest with a license to protect the forest, to protect the forest, as you said, to protect the forest, as you said, to protect the forest. But we have to encourage the people who are vaccinated to come to business. Because again, we don't want COVID-19 here if not for all of us in this community. Because we have to encourage the people who come down to vaccinate, and encourage them to invite the people who are vaccinated to come to the forest. If you go to a restaurant with a person who is vaccinated, people who are vaccinated will open the restaurant with food and drinks. If you don't have these conditions, you can grab and go. You can say, if you go to a restaurant with a person who is vaccinated, you can go to a restaurant with a person who is vaccinated to eat this. Also, we have a hotel with people who are vaccinated to come to the BNB. People who are vaccinated will leave the hotel or will leave the restaurant to be established. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This is the end of this news. Please continue to come to the program. Thank you so much for watching. I have a lot of invitations. But I don't want to continue. Because this is the end of this news. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Merci, uphill primers. That brings us to the end of NTN 9th Lee. 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 YouTube channel. I am Channel Novel.