 Welcome to NTN Nightly, I am Janelle Norville, this edition's top stories. Government curtail all non-essential expenditure as COVID-19 cuts into the local economy. The Ministry of Health warns against the laser-fired attitude in the public following the recovery of COVID-19 patients and the retail price of petroleum products continues to fall. Hello and thank you for joining us at the Information Command Center for the national response to COVID-19 as we bring you the latest developments. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney on Sunday April 26, 2020 addressed the nation providing some insight into the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that the government has to fast-track a number of projects, including the opening of Owen King EU Hospital, so as to ensure that St Lucia was able to respond to COVID-19 once it breached St Lucia's shores. The measures implemented globally and pre-emptive actions locally have had the dual impact of decimating the economy, especially the tourism sector, which in turn has had wider spillover effects in other sectors. To survive the impact of COVID-19 over the next few months, more stringent cash flow management is required in addition to fiscal prudence, including a reduction of all non-essential expenditure. Once we get through this phase, we can begin the next, which is stabilization. This will see the phase reopening of our economy, which has already started and later the gradual opening of our borders to global travel. This phase is expected to be between June and September of 2020. Once we don't expect to earn pre-COVID revenues, we will need to continue to meet salary and debt commitments, and hopefully to allow for additional spending in high-priority areas. An assessment of the situation will be conducted ahead of this phase to gauge the impact of the changes in the global economy on our local economy. It's only at this point that a short and medium-term strategy will be developed. An input from all major sectors of the economy will be sought on economic stimulus. An economic recovery committee has already been put in place, which comprises of the private sector council, the unions, and the opposition, and all parties have already been advised. The prime minister said that given the economic strains currently confronting the country, tough but necessary decisions must be made. He explained that the offer made to civil servants is that part of the salary will be paid in cash and part will be paid in an interest-bearing bond, but this applies only to staff in grades 7 to 21 who are the higher-income earners. Everyone else at grades 1 to 6 including pensioners will be paid in cash and allowances as usual. This represents more than half of the civil servants. Those at grades 7 to 21 have been offered part cash and part interest-bearing wage bonds for a period of three months. However, everyone will be paid in full. A wage bond is similar to a fixed deposit, redeemable after a year at a fixed interest rate of 3%, which by the way is 1% above the current savings rate. This offer, if accepted, will allow us to keep some cash on hand to pay debt and to cover other emergency expenses. The end of March represents the end of government's financial year, and when we were expecting a windfall from income tax payments, not only we've not been able to receive these, but we've had a massive unexpected expenditure due to COVID. We can't afford to default on our own obligations because the repercussions for our country will be severe on all of us. COVID has dealt us a difficult hand, and we're doing the best that we can to get through this. All we're asking for is a little time, three months to be precise. That was Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney. And Chief Economist in the Ministry of Finance, Jenai Leos, has indicated that government revenue has experienced a dramatic drop with the ECCB and IMF projecting contraction of the economy of up to 18%. Leos made the comments Sunday as he participated in a live panel discussion on the economy amidst COVID-19 on NTN. Typically in the month of April, the government would have earned just over $100 million in revenues. For the month of April, as at Friday there about we are seeing that we have collected just under $37 million. We had estimated that we may get in the region of $33 million and we have collected $37 million. So if you were to compare that to where we were in 2019, which was $112 million, we have seen a 60% decline in our revenues. We are expecting something similar in the month of May, and we may see something similar thereafter as well. So in an environment where you're seeing your revenues fall by 60, almost 70% in some instances, there are definitely going to be challenges going ahead. But notwithstanding that, the government has worked with development partners to try to as much as possible to reiterate some of these revenue issues. Chief Economist, Jenai Leos. Meantime in keeping with the published paydates for 2020, the Department of Finance has informed that public service salaries were posted and paid as scheduled on Thursday, April 23, 2020. Due to the partial shutdown of business and social distancing protocols issued by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Accountant General's Department has been operating at reduced capacity. Recognizing the limitations and stress on the system in processing of the payroll, ministries and departments were notified in advance via email on March 30 of 2020 that new salary assignments would not be processed except new employees, hours for daily paid workers, terminations, no pay and end of contract. Although the Accountant General's Department operated a rigorous work from home schedule, it was recognized that the processing of overtime and other allowances that require on-site manual intervention and data input would not have allowed for a timely completion of the payroll. The Department of Finance assures that there was no intention to short pay the hard work in public offices, nor was it a covert effort on the part of the government of St. Lucia to cut entitlements. Additionally, the situation is in no way related to the ongoing discussions between the government and the public sector trade unions. The Accountant General's Department has given the assurance that the allowances will coincide with the May 2020 payroll. This isn't your nightly stay with us. Welcome back. The construction sector on Monday 27 April 2020 reopened after weeks of closure due to COVID-19. The decision approved by the Ministry of Health was guided by the 100% recovery of COVID-19 patients' hair. However, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George says St. Lucia is not out of the woods and everyone must adhere to the protocols. From testing carried out during the period April 21 to the 24, 2020, of 60 samples are all negative. We note that this is a result of our collective efforts of our health professionals working collaboratively to manage our cases and the sacrifices made by the public during the period of shutdown. Though this 100% recovery rate provides us with a milestone worth recognizing, we at the Ministry of Health continue to caution the public that any signs attained should not be understood as a reason to let down our guard or to show caution to the wind. We are implementing our national response to COVID-19 epidemic and as such we should collectively remain focused and committed to reducing the spread of the virus. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George In keeping with changes in the international oil prices and government application of the modified market pass through petroleum pricing mechanism, the retail price of gasoline, diesel, LPG 20, 22 and 100 pound cylinders has changed. The retail price of kerosene remains unchanged. The price changes take effect from Monday April 27, 2020. Gasoline decreased from $13.09 to $11.50 per gallon. Kerosene remains unchanged at $7.15 per gallon. Diesel decreased from $12.91 to $11.92 per gallon. The 20 pound LPG cylinder decreased from $28.44 to $27.24. The 22 pound cylinder is now $29.96. The 100 pound cylinder is $158.51, down from $170.24. The next adjustment of the retail price of fuel products will be on Monday, May 18, 2020. Up next, Prima's Hutchinson is here with the Auntie Annoufelle of We All. Coronavirus? I am worried Gaza is only old people dying from that. Hold up. Being young does not mean being safe. Yes, it's true that the elderly are at higher risk but anyone can get the virus. The effect is even worse if you have a chronic condition like hypotension, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes or weakness in your immune system. If you are living with these conditions, be extra careful. Wash your hands with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when hand washing is not possible. Avoid touching your face. Take steps to boost your immunity through proper nutrition, exercise, rest and take your medication as prescribed. Limit being around people who have flu symptoms, even close family members. Our health is in our hands. Together through simple actions, we can stop the spread of Coronavirus. This message was brought to you by the Bureau of Health Education of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Welcome back. We join Prima's Hutchinson for the Auntie Annoufelle of We All. As you may be television national player NDN, come visit our novel and quay all. Visit Prima's Hutchinson. Ossie de Posse à l'Hôpital Victoria. Gov. Ketemem t'aimit pour Vite-Main, placer leur operation pour quitter l'Hôpital Victoria-Servis pour l'Institution Santé pour adresser moune qui peut tomber malade à résultat des Coronas. Prima Ministre-la, déclare qu'il y a partout de pesse-salat. Sois-ce 10 million dollars pour continuer au Pouet, au Minkink et 35 millions dollars pour Victoria pour continuer sa continuation de la production? Selon Prima Ministre-la, Gov. Ketemem t'aimit pour placer 28 million dollars en BGI pour adresser ses nécessités salaires. Prima Ministre-la, déclare qu'il y a partout de pesse-salare. Travaille à son Hôpital Saint-Jude. J'ai bien avancé. Et puis Assistance Gov. Taiwan. Et une espoir. Ça c'est à cause de l'Asie Nationale pour aider la facilité moune qui m'a l'air pour servir l'hôpital au Minkink. T'ai déjà appelé pour venir à l'Ontario, à moi d'y aller ici. Et Prima Ministre-la, déclare qu'il y a partout de pesse-salat. Laissez-vous venir à l'Hôpital Saint-Jude tout cet lycée qui est à une position pour trouver un premier service Santé. Au regement j'ai fait aussi. Pour Wellness Centre et Polyclinique, on pourrait en façon pour assister à Bahamina ce baladé corona. Prima Ministre-la, déclare qu'il y a partout de pesse-salare. Corona j'ai affecté industries touristiques payables. Sérieusement, c'est qu'il déployait force finance payables en toute l'autre secteur. Pour les autres salaires, pour l'autre c'est moi à venir. Gouvernement n'est pour prendre des marches pour stabiliser l'économie cet lycée. Et qu'il y a du tout service avec des penses qui ne sont pas nécessaires. Depuis sa fête, et puis des grés succès qui gouvernement cagadais, il y a commencé à préparer. Pour deuxième phase pour gamelan, pour essayer de déplacer l'économie cet lycée, pour vier le déplacer l'économie cet lycée à ce piére-co. Et moi à vite, monsieur madame, pour coûter pour continuation de votre salaire à ce qu'adresse le premier ministre à ce que l'on foregoie. Du recteur des affaires, éplémentation à bureau, le premier ministre, QC, Seyon, et ses officiers QSXSAR, pour cert, QSXSAR pour commoder des opérations à votre mandat de Corona madame Nancy Charles, expliquer que cette salaire the pleasure of the technical and professional office of the operation. The reason I discussed with you, Mrs. Charles Dickey, the pleasure of the government office, when the security department and the finance director among the sector and the public formed a set of COVID-19s. As a director of implementation, there is no responsibility to ensure that everything is done before action. Therefore, if you come to operate your business, if your institution wants to conduct operations, in the end, do not hesitate to pay or find the benefit of this salary before you even take the decision to do it. Mrs. Charles served for example in a hardware store, selling tools for work. Do not take a lot of business. This is not possible. Everything has to be done before. Social services and the amount of money that can be used in the first place in the business is also good. The situation is good to take care of the water and the preparation for this cycle in the future with the salary. This is not possible. This is not possible. This is not possible. After this, this is not possible. This is not possible before this sector has started operating. We have to take all these decisions vis-à-vis the flow. This is very critical because to prevent COVID-19 we have to take the flow so that we don't have to wash our hands. We have to take these decisions so that we can do what we want and if we don't do what we want then we have to make recommendations and then we make recommendations what we can do to buy the water so now it's good to go to the water plug. Now I ask that you take the decisions so that we can do the same with all the services that you finger right now. And to make it more difficult to forget the services of different investment so that we can continue to take So, let me say this decision, it's a decision not to look at the world as a business, but a decision not to look at the impact of the real business that we have in the country. So, let me say this decision, it's a decision not to look at the world as a business, but a decision not to look at the impact of the real business that we have in the country. So, let me say this decision, it's a decision not to look at the world as a business, but a decision not to look at the real business that we have in the country. So, let me say this decision, it's a decision not to look at the world as a business, but a decision not to look at the real business that we have in the country. So, let me say this decision, it's a decision not to look at the real business that we have in the country.