 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Jesse Layance. This edition stopped stories. St. Lucia's latest COVID-19 patient has been repatriated to his homeland. Education officials enhance early childhood learning to address literacy challenges. And the GEF Southeast Coast project takes shape in St. Lucia. The 27-year-old male visitor who arrived in St. Lucia on Sunday, September 6th, 2020 and was retested for COVID-19 in country has departed the island. On the evening of Wednesday, September 9th, 2020, the visitor was repatriated to the United States via private airline. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmont George says the Ministry of Health is continuing work on the case. Dr. Belmont George says investigations and contact tracing by the health team at the hotel on Wednesday, September 9th, has indicated that the transmission risk is low thus far. The adherence by the hotel management and staff to the recommended protocols has resulted in low exposure during the limited period of his stay. Some of the measures in place which assisted in the early identification and management of the case included the following. Retesting at the airport for all questionable test results received, early identification and isolation of visitors with pending tests or positive tests, the adherence with hotel protocols at all times, exhaustive contact tracing and testing by all possible contacts. The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue contact tracing today to ensure that all other contacts are screened and tested when necessary. We continue working closely with the hotel's management to ensure that all measures are in place for disinfection and sanitization, to reduce transmission to hotel workers and guests. More detailed information will be provided to the public as we progress with contact tracing, testing and investigations. The public is advised that protocols are still in place and these include the use of face masks in public and maintaining safe physical distance from others. That was Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George. In other COVID-related news, the St. Lucia Fire Service has informed that as a result of the continued threat of COVID-19, all non-essential visits to the fire stations are suspended until further notice. Due to the hazardous nature of the activities carried out at fire stations, combined with fire officers being first responders to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 calls, the Department is endeavoring to limit the possible risks of transmission between the public and officers and vice versa. Effectively immediately, no vending is allowed on the premises, nor non-working related visitations or tours of fire appliances, equipment or station compounds. Persons who walk into a fire station to request emergency medical assistance or to report an emergency should go directly to the control room window to make such a report. A face mask covering both the nose and mouth should be worn. Persons who come in to transact business in the administrative and fire prevention departments of the fire service are also required to wear a face mask covering both the mouth and nose. Everyone will be subjected to a temperature check before entry into the building, as well as a mandatory hand sanitization. Automatic sanitization dispensers are strategically placed within the buildings for ease of access and use. I'm in celebration of International Literacy Day and as a culminating event of the OECS-USAID Early Learners Program, the OECS Commission, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development USAID, hosted a webinar to showcase the achievements of the ELP, Anise Antoine reports. The United States Agency for International Development USAID and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, OECS, partnered to host a webinar to showcase the achievements of the Early Learners Program under the theme, The Future of Reading in the OECS. The Early Learners Program ELP addresses the essential aspects of policy and practice in order to improve the reading levels of all learners at the early primary levels, grade K to grade three. The webinar described the impact of the ELP on early grade readers' performance and shared best practices throughout the OECS. Lisa Sageson Terence, a reading specialist of the OECS, USAID Early Learners Program, highlighted the importance of implementing a system which is able to identify the needs of students and provide the necessary support. Every education system should have a comprehensive assessment program and a program that naturally captures diagnostic assessment on our learners and not just having the program which has all types of assessment tools, but making sure that we capture that information very early. From the pre-K years, from the early childhood years, it is important to know what our children are coming in with and not just information related to their academics and so forth, but behavioral information, information related to their psychomotor skills and so forth. And I can tell you some of that is already happening in our region because we do have some units in our ministries of education, our special needs unit, that actually undertake that type of screening of our children before they come in. I would go further to say that for us to really capture these bits of information and our children from very early, it has to be a collaborative endeavor with our other stakeholders, our ministries of health. Angel Caglin, Curriculum Officer at the Ministry of Education, stated that one of the main objectives of the project is to ensure that not only reading gains are achieved, but students enjoy reading. Want to situate our reading in the context of using language, not just function, but to enjoy it completely. And so as we keep being evidence based, we may look at new approaches from the balanced approach to let's say the science of reading, but the bottom line is we want students to not just be able to read, but to enjoy reading. The Curriculum Officer continues to urge parents to become more involved in the literary development of their students. Very importantly is to establish a connection with the teacher and with the school, participate in whatever activities that are available at the school, especially in the areas of literacy. That helps, that will help you to understand what your child or your children are doing at school. Keeping abreast also of what children are doing at every stage, whether it's every week or every two weeks or every month, it helps you to be able to find ways that you can reinforce those concepts that children are learning at school, not through homework, but through activities and experiences around the home that will help the child to reinforce those concepts. Whether it's as the parent mentioned, reading label, reading signs, reading posters, reading labels, all of these will help to reinforce. Reading to children and reading with children, these help. Having your child read to you also helps your child to practice his or her reading skills. The Early Learners program comes to an end in September 2020. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. And as part of activities marking International Literacy Day 2020, the St. Lucia National Commission made a presentation of US $20,000 to the Government of St. Lucia through the Curriculum and Materials Development Unit, CAMDU, of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development to fund the development or designing of an implementation planning for the application of the St. Lucia National Language Policy. Funding for the project has been secured under the UNESCO participation program request, 2020-2021 biennium, and is in keeping with UNESCO's efforts at advocating for inclusive education policies and programs. The St. Lucia National Commission for UNESCO encourages all those involved in education to redouble their investments and mobilize all their resources to unleash the potential of each individual in the service of a shared world. The Project Implementation Unit of the Global Environment Facility, GEF Six Southeast Coast Project on September 10, 2020, concluded a public relations and communications workshop for stakeholders. Lisa Joseph has the details. The Government of St. Lucia noting the vast biodiversity of the southeast coast of the island and the socioeconomic benefits that can be derived if the resources are carefully managed is implementing an integrated ecosystem management project funded by the Global Environment Facility, the GEF. The GEF Six Southeast Coast Project is designed to enable sustainable economic development of the southeast coast by maintaining healthy ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods, and securing global environmental benefits. A key component of the project is public education and participation. The Department of Sustainable Development held a two-day public relations and communications workshop with stakeholders to develop a communication strategy. In as much as the project was defined in a particular way, but who are we trying to reach? What message do we want to get there? And how do we craft the messages in a way that the people will actually want to listen to it? So over the next two days, we're working with persons, like I said, from civil society to develop that strategy. It is important to get the input of the people in the communities that you're trying to reach. They know so much more than the technocrats. They know what people listen to. They know the programs, you know, and you know what they like. So it is important for us to do that. So that is what it is that we'll be doing, engaging them over the next couple of days. Facilitator Aline Rages says discussions about ecosystems management, restoration, and rehabilitation of sites and sustainable livelihoods while technical impact to the residents of the southeast coast directly. But I think when you break it down, it is really getting persons to understand what natural resources that you have and how do you best use it to ensure that the future generations can benefit, but that also the people today can benefit without destroying, you know? And so the word sustainable, if we understand what that means, is very, very, very important in the process. So it's really looking at what it is that we have, ensuring that we don't lose more and what we have lost to try and restore and ensure that people can actually make a living from the environment. The Department of Sustainable Development says it is critical that residents are included in order for the communities to take ownership of the project. We have people who are parts of producer groups, farmers, fishermen, private sector people in the area. So we want to ensure that everybody is able to benefit from the project and that based on the input into the communication strategy that we can also reach, you know, not just themselves, but, you know, the participants, you know, in the communities. As stakeholders, one of the components of the project is to develop sustainable livelihoods. So we want to ensure that based on activities identified that the people generally in the communities are able to use the project funds to make use of the opportunities being provided for them. The workshop was held at the National Skills Development Centre in V4. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reports in. Up next, Primus Hutchinson with the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Cut them loose. The anxieties, the worries, open up to possibilities, accept the uncertainties and cut them loose. The bitterness, the hopelessness, plant a seed of hope in your mind. It will grow and flourish in time. Hold on a little longer. Life encourages you to grow. You have so much to offer. Look, tomorrow is waiting to say hello. Don't give up on yourself. Instead, reach out for help. Perhaps it's time to reach out to someone. Call the Health Helpline 203 toll-free anytime to speak to a professional. A message from the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Welcome back. We now join Primus Hutchinson for the NTIA Nouvelle Aquial. Monsieur Tadgesi, Monsieur Mdame Dupatemah, Kennevesque Sabilité, We Formation en Gouvernement Sétlicie, GIS et Télévision Nationale Pierre. NTIA Nouvelle Aquial, Prisator Primus Hutchinson. Moi, 8 âes Aquial, Caroussivouais, Ion Image Nouveau, La Nézala, Auzul Taddi, Maladi, Corona. Diwanyo Coffon, Sepi, Media, Pierre, Les Officiers, Place, Recherche, Fouclore, FRC, Assempilote, Agence, Explique, Woutla, Qui, Célébration, Capoeil, L'année ici. Selon Executive Director, FRC, Mamsel, Louis Victor, Célébration, Observers, Moi, Doudou, Sous-Frives, Si, Potexio, Cote Maladi, Corona. Mais, Mamsel Victor, Explique, l'année, la, l'année en l'activité qui touge, a TV. Qui, Sa, PAOÏS, away ki Khaipahouet, Asso, Télévisőek, Media, Social. Pexup, Nogom, Tulisimen, Asso, Mania, Pousavi, in the theater. We had a big audience with Mr Arthur Jacob who was in the theater of the Seatley City. The reason why the Seatley City is so important is because of the people who come to the Seatley City in the other countries. We have a good community of culture, food, education, social culture, traditional play, traditional dance, traditional culture, traditional food and everything that we do at the Seatley City is because of the different different ways. The executive director of the Seatley City in the television and in the public brought more education. Even if we come here, even if we have a place to live, a place where we have more education at the Seatley City and we can provide for TV, social media, Facebook, YouTube, that's it. The majority of the activities to celebrate the Seatley City in the front of the Seatley City began on the 27th and we were able to celebrate the Seatley City which was held on the 25th of October 2020. The two agencies that were able to support their activities, events, solutions and the development of the Seatley City are the ones that were able to support the Seatley City and the public. The majority of the activities to celebrate the Seatley City were able to support the Seatley City and the public. The people who were able to do this as the old-fashioned operations were carried out after six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the French people, the situation on the side of the students who were able to complete the Seatley City is always a problem for the public. And that's what it's all about at the moment. It's a very difficult situation for the public to live in the city. We have to work on this issue. We are all working on this issue. We have to work on the issue. 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