 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Anisia Antoine, this edition's top stories. The fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the revision of St Lucia's travel bubble. The St Lucia tourism authority is laser focused on maintaining the island's competitive edge and preparations are ongoing for the opening of the new academic year. The fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the revision of St Lucia's travel bubble. Two Caribbean countries have been removed from the bubble, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, due to the increase in cases of COVID-19. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belma George says the revision is aimed at keeping St Lucia's safe. The travel bubble she noted must consist of countries with low to zero cases of COVID. More now from Jesse Laos. After two more COVID-19 related deaths in Trinidad and Tobago and a steady increase in cases this past week, the Twin Island state has been struck off St Lucia's list of designated travel bubble countries in the Caribbean. Daily, Trinidad and Tobago has recorded new patients by double digits. This week alone, officials there recorded over 200 new cases. An update to the nation on Wednesday 19 August 2020, officials in St Lucia made the announcement. The revised list also excludes Guyana. Guyanese health officials reported 14 new cases and four COVID-19 related deaths as of Wednesday. Travelers from bubble countries are currently the only arrivals exempt from quarantine in St Lucia once they present a negative COVID-19 test result. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belma George explains the vetting of bubble countries. We are monitoring all of the islands and we look at the last seven days. We use three indicators when we assess the bubble islands. We look at the number of cases, the number of new cases of COVID-19 within the last seven days. We look at the incidence of COVID-19 that is number of new cases per 100,000 in the population and we also look at the trajectory. They're increasing if they're decreasing or if they're stable. And it gives us an idea of the level of risk to our island of them coming in because the bubble countries, they need to come in if a negative test but they're exempt from the quarantine. So we have to ensure that the level of risk is low enough to allow that possibility. After the latest review, the Government of St Lucia has identified the following countries that present a low risk of transmission of COVID-19 as a designated travel bubble. Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Kurosawa, Dominica, Grenada, Montstrat, Saint Bartholomew, St Kittson-Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines. In this week's update, health officials also re-emphasized the importance of the 14-day quarantine for travelers outside this bubble as demonstrated by the latest case of COVID-19 in St Lucia. Patient 26, a 32-year-old female, arrived in country on 9th August with a negative test result from New York City. As per our protocol, she was placed in institutional quarantine at one of our public health facilities and we have instituted a measure where after seven days we do the PCR testing again. On the 16th, she was tested positive. We got that result on the 17th, tested positive for COVID-19. So that being said, it gives the importance of persons who are either in institutional quarantine or in home quarantine, the importance of ensuring you adhere to that protocol where you stay in. What if this was somebody on home quarantine who after seven days decided to go out? It means that there would be a possibility of community spread at that point. Another measure to minimize the risk of possible COVID-19 transmission to local communities is the restriction of local guests at hotels. Locals are not permitted at hotels where visitors from international markets are allowed to stay. They must utilize properties certified for the travel bubble. It is to reduce the contact of persons coming in who are still within that 14-day period and causing some level of transmission within the communities. So it is extremely important they are certified. There are other villas and guest houses that can be used for for staycations and for persons within the bubble. It is important that we maintain that level of separation at this point because the level of risk for introduction is still there. The public is also reminded that permission must be obtained from the relevant authorities for mass crowd events. While permitted, such activities are restricted to 200 persons who are encouraged to keep a safe distance. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leance reporting. The St. Lucia Tourism Authority's response to COVID-19 is being driven by the important need to ensure that the local tourism sector does not collapse under the strain of the pandemic. The Chief Executive Officer spoke on the efforts during a panel discussion on NTN Wednesday evening. The impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector has been devastating with some 14,000 St. Lucia to earn their livelihood from the travel and hospitality sectors on the bread line. Since the decision was taken to open the borders on July 9, the tourism hospitality sector has been slowly coming to life. To date, 2,000 tourism employees have returned to work. The agency responsible for marketing St. Lucia as a tourism destination has ramped up efforts to ensure that the island maintains its competitive edge despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Beverly Nicholson-Dotty is the Chief Executive Officer of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority. We really have had to be laser focused during this period in ensuring that we did two things. Making sure that St. Lucia remained top of mind in all of our core markets, the UK, Canada, the US and the Caribbean. But in addition to that, we've had to be implement those messages that tell about the fact that we want to be responsible in our reopening process. And so it has been twofold, making sure that St. Lucia is still the number one destination to visit but also conveying just how important it is for us to have health and safety procedures. With the drastic revenue loss for central government, the tourism authority, as with all other departments, has had to review its budget. As the CEO says, the SLTA has been creative in using all social media platforms. Starting with Seven Minutes in St. Lucia, which was widely popular, moving on to our featuring of St. Lucia. St. Lucia offers, looking at how we use limited digital marketing dollars to get the most bang for our buck. And we've also been just really out there in terms of public relations. We've had over 600 article stories placed about St. Lucia in the last five months. If we have to pay for that coverage, it would be almost US $5 million. So we've become even more creative in terms of getting our messaging out. A critical component to sustaining a successful opening of the tourism sector is airlift. Mrs. Dotty says the airlines are increasingly returning to the local skies. Based on the maintaining of our relationships with the airlines, we're pleased to say that on a weekly basis, we have two flights from the UK, British Airways. We have 11 flights a week out of the US. And out of the Caribbean, we have over 700 seats per week. So in total, we're looking at 2,500 seats a week right now coming into St. Lucia. And we are gearing up our marketing efforts, understanding that as more hotels open come this fall that, you know, airlift is a priority and making sure that we maintain and grow that airlift throughout the season. Chief Executive Officer of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority, Beverly Nicholson Dotty from the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting. Meantime, operations at the Urinary International Airport have been adjusted to comprehensively respond to COVID-19. Airport Manager Edgar Steven says the established protocols have been incorporated into all aspects including customs and immigration, port health, port police and airline staff. This has included structural implementation of checkpoints, the health facility. It has also meant new rules on where our PPE is and also how we facilitate how we move people through the space. So overall, we've had to change how we do things at UNR. COVID has taught us collaboration. We've had to collaborate both outside of course Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health, the CMO. We've also had to work with events in Lucia so for SLASPA working with other agencies on the outside it has been a really learning process in terms of working outside. But also within the airport, we've had to realign or rework the way we do things. Usually it had become a norm for different agencies to work in more or less a bunker sort of mindset. Immigration does what immigration does. Customs does what customs does. But COVID-19 has made us come together a lot more in terms of facilitating. So from the landing and positioning of a plane and moving the client across to when we actually put them on a taxi we've had to work a lot closer. As I like to say, one various unit but one operation. So we've definitely had to work a lot closer with each other. The health facility set up at HIA, Mr Steven says, augurs well with the management of travellers as well as the safety of staff. This has added another facet to what we do and another component to how we would usually facilitate. It has meant that the client would take more time moving through the space. Also it would have meant that we need to communicate more. The operation would have to be more, it has become more complex. You have various people coming to St Lucia to do various things and they would be placed in different categories in the health facility. Also the nurses, the frontline people would have various challenges as the operation goes. So the health facility has added more complexity to how we do things. Airport manager at the Euronora International Airport, Edgar Steven. Preparations are ongoing for the opening of the new academic year beginning September 7th. Lisa Joseph reports. The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations has been intently laying the groundwork for the commencement of the new academic year in September. The efforts have been more deliberate given the impact of COVID-19. Several meetings were held with various stakeholders including the St Lucia Teachers Union, the National Principles Association, the National Youth Council, the National Students Council, school boards, teachers and principals to decide upon the best path to the reopening. Dr Fiona Phillip Meyer is the Chief Education Officer. The reopening of school is nothing that we take lightly and so the first course of action was to get confirmation through the Department of Health and in particular from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer saying to us that a proposed reopening as of the 7th of September for children and the 31st of August for teachers is a possibility that we've been working towards and we continue to engage our stakeholders hopefully with the best possible program for our children who've been out of school since March for the most part except our grade 6 and our form 5s. Dr Meyer says the Department notes the public concern about the health and safety of students amid the threat of COVID-19. However, the Chief Education Officer says the Ministry of Health has been directing education officials with establishing the protocols needed to protect students, teachers and ancillary staff at all schools. The phased reopening in June for the common entrance and CSEC examinations, she said, tested the system. That system, Dr Meyer added, has been reviewed and fine-tuned. Through the Environmental Health Unit, we've had the team at our schools, going through our schools to make sure that the proposals that we've looked at is up to standard and that we have gotten feedback from them as fast as possible way forward. As a proposed date for the reopening of school draws near, Dr Meyer is employing parents and guardians to ensure that they take advantage of all avenues of assistance available to them through the Department of Education, including the bolstery for students entering secondary schools. As we speak, District 3 has been subsidized now and it's been rolled out in all of the districts and it will be rolled out in the ones that haven't gone through it. We appreciate that every little bit counts and that this support to families, to parents, will go towards helping our children transition from Grade 6 into Form 1. On Monday 24th August 2020, a comprehensive discussion on the new academic year will be broadcast live on the National Television Network and partner stations. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting. The Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to receive donations from various organizations to assist frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19. More in this report from Fanelle Neptune. The Ministry of Health recently received the donation of personal protective equipment, PPEs and medical supplies from the Coca-Cola Foundation through the St. Lucia Red Cross. President of the St. Lucia Red Cross, Yuba PSS, as part of its mandate, his organization felt it was necessary to assist in St. Lucia's response to COVID-19 and hence the need to source support from outside agencies. The Coca-Cola Foundation did make some money available to us so that we could purchase some things or a few materials in the fight against COVID. And today I am extremely happy that through the efforts of the Coca-Cola Foundation and that of the Red Cross, we will be given to the Ministry of Health 30 gallons of hand sanitizer, 200 gallons of bleach, 1,000 face masks and 15,000 gloves to enable them in the fight against the COVID. Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Glensford Joseph, expressed gratitude to the St. Lucia Red Cross for the efforts in providing supplies which will assist St. Lucia's response and management of COVID-19. The St. Lucia Red Cross sought fit to contribute again to this COVID-19 response through the donation of personal protective equipment that are going to be very vital to ensure our frontline workers are able to face the continuous and evolving threat of COVID-19. Moreover, as pointed out, we need a very clean environment in which we conduct our activities. And with this, the cleaning agent provided by the St. Lucia Red Cross is going to go a very long way in ensuring that our cleaners are able to provide us with the environment in which we can conduct our business of managing COVID-19. The Ministry of Health received the donation of hand sanitizers, face masks, gloves and bleach. Reporting from the communications unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Fennel Neptune. This is NTN Nightly. Up next, Primers Hutchinson with the NTN novella Quey All. The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment wishes to notify all clients of the Public Assistance Program from Castries, Babuno, Grosile, and Sousimi-led regions that payment for the month of July has commenced. On Thursday, August 20th, to Friday, August 21st, 2020, payments will be made at the various locations from 9 a.m. daily. For further information, please contact the Ministry at telephone number 468-5108, Castries, or 454-6478, the AFU. Welcome back. We now join Primers Hutchinson for the NTN novella Quey All. Thank you so much for being here. Ladies and gentlemen, the University Department for the formation of this government, G.I.S., and the NTN National Television for the new Quey All. Thank you, Primers Hutchinson. A special arrangement for the poor residents to travel, to make connections and for the family, for the exam, and for the people who are also on vacation here. For the publication, I found eight visits by the tourist authorities here. There are some who have visited these countries who have designated the arrangement and who also have the history of traveling to give 21 days to go to quarantine, but it is necessary to test those who are negative not more than 7 days before you go to travel. You can go to pass the examination after you fight in a country. Well, to make sure that you stay as a destination, it is not a response to the corona disease. On the way to travel, I found eight visits again and again since it was made. I saw the public relations of the tourist authorities here during George's note that after the examination was done by the Ministry of Health, it was decided to choose those countries for Grumbubble. According to the medical officer, Dr. Glenford Joseph, he declared that it could be Bahamas, Jamaica, Rubber, Semathe, and Bermuda. Dr. Joseph added that the Ministry of Health has decided to determine if a country deserves to Grumbubble. The tourist authorities have said that health and protection of citizens here and the community is the most important thing for you. The New Appell Health Organization of the Pan-American Health Organization has decided to place more importance in the health service of the corona disease for people who suffer from corona disease. According to Dr. Aitien, the corona disease is a bad situation for the health care workers who have never been treated before. It is a very important country to place the health care service of your own needs. The health care director is a very important country for the health care workers who are in some domestic violence. I have been so critical about the pandemic. Dr. Aitien noted that the corona disease has affected almost 11 million and almost 400,000 people who have also affected the health care workers who have placed the health care worker in WIS. I am very happy that the health care service has affected the health care workers and the health care workers who have not been treated for the health care workers who are no longer personal or professional to continue the health care work for the corona disease and to address the health care workers as well. Dr. Aitien noted that the health care workers have assisted the WIS to strengthen the WIS to assist the health care workers and also to stop the WIS and to stop it because it is current in many countries and to support WIS to improve the health care workers to support the WIS. If the health care worker has to learn a better and better way We have to be careful with the situation. Especially, when it comes to the health problems. If we are to test positive health problems, we have to be careful. If we are to find a good solution, we have to be careful. That's not a big problem. The health department, the public health department, they have to do it because they have to do it because they have to do it. That's the same thing. the authority to force dissidently a current in a facility government. That is why you have to follow and obey your way to stay a current in Akayumem. And because of this, the family has to accept it. And you have to understand that the way to stay a current in Akayumem is to accept the laws that everyone who wants to go out of the country has to respect it. In this discussion, I would like to point out that the authority to force a current in Akayumem is to follow all protocols and to respect the restrictions not to remove the authority to visit the facility. In this way, I would like to point out that the authority to force a current in Akayumem is to follow the laws that are in place. So, immediately, the authority has placed four more ways to prevent a current in Akayumem. So, the person who wants to go out of the country immediately will have to go to the facility government and the police will have to force the compliers. So, that's why I would like to point out that the authority to force a current in Akayumem is to follow all protocols and to respect the restrictions not to remove the authority to visit the facility government. We can't go outside of Anissa. Messy-appealed primus. That brings us to the end of NTN Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the Saint Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Anissa Antoine.