 Welcome to NTIA Nightly, I am General Norville, this edition's top story. The Prime Minister shows that the state of emergency does not hinder upcoming general elections. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports Energy and Labour is mobilising its response mechanism as the hurricane season approaches. And the spotlight is placed on football as the football task force is soon to be re-established. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney has made it categorically clear that the state of emergency extension to October 16, 2021 will not hinder the nation's general election. During a sitting of parliament on May 4, 2021, the House of Assembly approved a five-month extension beginning 17 May, running into the final quarter of the year. With elections constitutionally due by October, the Prime Minister maintained that the state of emergency does not impede processes for this national exercise. He says, however, that he looks forward to the national exercise being conducted safely with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. How is the state of emergency going to stop the election from taking place, Mr Speaker? Since when a state of emergency affects it? When instant kids, they had a state of emergency. Did it affect them in having an election? When Jamaica had a state of emergency, did it affect them having an election? When Trinidad and Tobago had elections with a state of emergency, did it affect them having an election, Mr Speaker? The answer is no. Categorically. Okay, Mr Speaker, it does not impede the ability to have an election. One of the critical decisions that has been, and I have been saying it repeatedly, to bring some relief to the members on the opposite side. That is going to guide the decision as to when we're going to have elections is certainly, Mr Speaker, when we believe that we can have elections in the safest way possible. But, I have said repeatedly, we are not in any way going to go contrary to the Constitution of Solution. According to the Constitution of St. Lucia, the state of emergency may be revoked during the five-month period and the discretion of the Governor-General that could allow for a general election. The government intends to come to an agreement with the opposition on COVID-19 protocols for the impending national exercise. It's certainly my government's intention to make sure that we will work with the members on the opposite side, with arbitrary, independent people, to make sure that we can have a very clear idea that once we are going to have elections, what the protocols would be and that hopefully both sides will fulfill their obligation and commitment to adhering to them. Prime Minister, the Honourable Alan Chastney is speaking during a sitting of the House of Assembly on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. During a sitting of the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Growth, Job Creation, External Affairs and the Public Service Honourable Alan Chastney explained that the COVID-19 situation in St. Lucia remains fluid and managing the virus continues to prove challenging. Adding to the challenges are the increasing variants of the virus and other changes locally, regionally and internationally. This he noted contributes to the complexity in the management of the virus. Honourable Chastney added that with this reality, the country cannot become complacent and the necessary steps must be taken to ensure health and safety. As part of efforts to combat the spread of the virus, the Prime Minister sought the extension of the state of emergency for an additional period of five months from 17 May 2021 to 16 October 2021. Speaker, you remember that I've often made reference to a dimmer switch rather than to an on-off switch and that practice continues. As we see COVID numbers decreasing, then we can increase the activities. As we see the COVID cases reducing, then we can increase the number of activities. I want to remember that we passed the COVID Act, Mr. Speaker, in order to incorporate most of the protocols that we are using under legislation. The only aspect of the COVID protocols that cannot be done under the COVID Act, Mr. Speaker, is in fact the curfew. Curfew can only be instituted through a state of emergency. Those that I said, vaccination offers great hope and I am optimistic that we will effectively turn the corner and the page on the pandemic this year. We cannot yet let our guard down, not until Salusha and indeed most other countries from which we receive tourists are much closer to achieving herd immunity. Through the contact tracing process, we know that the transmission of COVID-19 is greater during social activities. The state of emergency facilitates the imposition of the curfew, which curbs the nighttime socialization documented to effectively control COVID-19 escalation. Undoubtedly, the current situation in Anguilla and India serve as a stark reminder of how quickly the situation can change and become dire. Honourable Shasni explained that while the vaccine brings some level of hope to the grim reality of COVID-19, the country remains at risk to the virus and its negative effects. That is until herd immunity can be achieved. It is therefore necessary that individuals get vaccinated and all precautions are taken to protect the citizenry. In an effort to ensure the safety of the citizenry, the state of emergency needs to be extended to allow for and to provide for any change in the dynamics of the spread of the virus. Mr. Speaker, until we reach herd immunity, we will remain exposed to an outbreak. It does not take much to turn the corner. There remains a continuing threat to the health of the population. This will allow action to be taken with immediate dispatch on the advice of the chief medical officer where there is a need to take essential and urgent measures. The Prime Minister added that the state of emergency has thus far proven effective as the island recorded a significant reduction in active COVID-19 cases. While I am sure that many persons have grown somewhat fatigued, just as I have, with the curb that this state of affairs brought by the pandemic has imposed on regular social life and movement, I am pleased to note that we have over the past two months seen a gradual decline in the number of active cases. As a consequence, we have begun the phase relaxation of restrictions. Further, I have on many occasions reiterated the importance of St. Lucia reopening our economy and getting our people back to work. Indeed, the interconnected nature of our economy with the international trade and travel makes this not only inevitable, but vital. Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Chastney is speaking there at Tuesday's sitting of the House of Assembly. The Ministry of Health and Wellness encourages members of the public to get vaccinated and its vaccination campaign continues. The public is informed that during the week of Monday, May 3, 2021 to Saturday, May 8, 2021, the COVID-19 vaccination drive will cater to the general population for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as those receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Individuals who received the first dose of the vaccine during the week of March 8, 2021 to March 13, 2021 are encouraged to visit the vaccination site nearest to them during the upcoming week to receive the second dose. Individuals receiving the second dose of the vaccine should also walk with the vaccination card which was given when the first dose of the vaccine was administered. People are asked to walk with a form of identification to facilitate the registration process. It is also recommended to come with a light snack and water given the possibility of awaiting time to get vaccinated. The vaccination sites will be operational from 9am to 4pm. The vaccination sites for the week are as follows. First day, May 6, 2021, Miku Multipurpose Center, Darren-Sami Cricket Grounds, Entrypo Human Resource Center, Ansari Parish Center. Friday, May 7, 2021, Philip Masler Grounds, Darren-Sami Cricket Grounds, VG Sports Complex, Barbano Multipurpose Center, Canrys Wellness Center, Souffray Hospital Grounds, Jack Melweller Center. Saturday, May 8, 2021, VG Sports Complex. For more information, please contact the Community Nursing Service at 468-5321 or 468-5381. With the Atlantic hurricane season approaching, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Port Energy and Labor is mobilizing its response mechanism. The hurricane season is the period from June to November, during which hurricanes are usually forming the Atlantic Ocean. Shannon Labone is the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Quartz, Energy and Labor. So our various zonal engineers, they have been doing various studies of river courses. And the disilting program should be engaged very soon. We've begun to do some overhanging. That is our responsibility annually. We have engaged that plan. What we want to do is appeal to members of the public who also have a very important responsibility as well. You are residents, owner, you own a piece of property. Please be appealing to you right now ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. To do the necessary in preparing your property for the showers which will come. So now is the perfect time to begin clearing of your dreams, cutting off the overhangs and doing the necessary preparations for the Atlantic hurricane season. On our end, we are doing our part, but the shared responsibility that we want citizens to be very conscious of as we move very closer to the start of the hurricane season. That was Communications Officer in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Quartz, Energy and Labor, Shannon Labone. The Government of St. Lucia has announced the re-establishment of a football task force to aid with the development of the sport. The announcement was made by Minister for Youth Development and Sports, Hon. Edmund Estefan and the City of the House of Assembly on Tuesday. The decision was made after fruitful discussions with the St. Lucia Football Association Inc. SLFA through the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports. Hon. Estefan noted that the Government is aware that FIFA's statutes of operations restrict third-party influence and does not want to contravene. However, the Minister indicated that the Government understands that it plays a pivotal role in creating an enabling environment for the sport. It was agreed that the relationship between the Government of St. Lucia through the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports and the SNFA Inc. will be strengthened through the re-establishment of the football task force which was organised a couple of years ago. Comprising the Government, the Ministry of Sports, the SNFA Inc., business partners, private sector and independent individuals, the task force will be chaired with the responsibility of suggesting ways in which the relationship between the SNFA Inc., the footballers and the general public can be strengthened through the ultimate goal of restoring confidence and making football a more exciting and beautiful game. The focus of the task force will be to implement more football matches using a two-tier system including the relegation and promotion of teams. It is anticipated that with this new shift football in St. Lucia can move towards a semi-professional league system in accordance with international norms. The Government of St. Lucia fully embraces this global idea and has pledged to continue its infrastructure development programme on some of our playing fields around the island. This would create the conducive environment to host local, regional and international games on world-class facilities. Honourable Estefan expressed confidence that the improvement of playing facilities will solidify St. Lucia as a lucrative sports tourism destination. A prize-giving ceremony was held last week at Alias Process to reward participants of the Francophonie poetry and poster competitions. The competitions form part of activities held to commemorate Francophonie Month, held in March annually to celebrate the shared linguistic heritage based on the French language. Honourable Marc has the details. St. Lucia's linguistic heritage based on the French language is celebrated annually during Francophonie Month. Students are encouraged to not only learn the French language but also participate in Francophonie competitions to help sharpen and display their linguistic abilities. 2021 was no exception. During the month of March, l'agronisation internationale de la Francophonie, OIF, hosted a calendar of activities including the Francophonie poetry competition. The Francophonie awards ceremony was held on April 30 at the Alias Francaise to reward participants of the Francophonie poetry and poster competitions. Marcia Synthurian-Laurent, national correspondent to the OIF, spoke on the theme under which this year's celebrations were held. As you know, the theme chosen for this year's observance was femme francophone, femme résiliente. And this theme was chosen in order to highlight the challenges faced by women and to celebrate their strength and resilience in the face of crisis. The theme is quite fitting for today's activity because you two students have demonstrated great resilience in the face of the pandemic. You have had to deal with the impact of COVID-19 on your education, you have had to transition to online learning, physical school, back to online learning, back to physical school, and you have done all of this with so much grace. And in the midst of all of this turmoil, you took up the challenge to participate in the Francophonie competitions that were held this year. Christelle Autrément, regional councillor of cooperation at the French Embassy, stressed on the importance of Francophonie celebrations. But Francophonie is just not one day, it's not just one week, it's not just one month, it's every day. It's learning a new language, becoming better in the language, and also learning about another culture and the values associated with this language. So today, I want to give a special thanks to all the teachers and also the teachers association who are on board every day to have the young Saint Lucien, the young Caribbean, learn a modern language and learn French in particular. A certificate of participation was given to each student who participated in the competitions. The winners of the poetry competitions were as followers. Fourth place, teacher Dovel. Third place was awarded to Maya Fossois. In second place, Kiana Charles. And the winner of the Francophonie competition was Carnegie Paul of the Leonheves Comprehensive Secondary School. Participants of the 2020 poster competition were also awarded, given the OIF's inability to do so last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the Government Information Service, I'm Humedy Mark. This is NTN Nightly. Up next, Primers-Hudgingston with the NTN Nouvelle. If you are in receipt of an abnormally high bill, it is highly possible that you have a leak. That leak may not always be visible. Before you contact WASCO, conduct a do-it-yourself test. One, record your meter reading. Two, do not use water for 30 minutes to one hour. Three, take another meter reading. If the reading changes, you have a leak. Contact a plumber to identify and fix the leak at the earliest. A message brought to you by the Water and Sewage Company Incorporated, WASCO. Welcome back. We join Primers-Hudgingston for the NTN Nouvelle. Thank you so much, General. Mr. Madam, the Department of Investorability, information, a government like this, G.I.S., a national television channel for NTN, and for the Nouvelle in Cuyol, for Primers-Hudgingston. The Government has considered to establish a system to publicize tax and property, which is most likely to address various necessities. Property, from the US, a budgetary budget from 2021 to 2021, for the Minister of Finance, Mr. Alain Chastney. We know that a new tax system that has been implemented will enable us to encourage more significant suppliers and help them benefit the Government by reducing the debt that has been divided for the Pepe. Minister Chastney declared that when the Government is concerned, The government is very concerned about the implementation of this new system. With all of this, the situation here is very serious. It has been done for three years. I have done it for three years. The government has added another year to this new system. The government has been working on this since 2017 or 2021. This is a consideration of the government that has been working on this for three years. The government has proposed to send a new tax system to the first employees of 2020. For the government to provide public information to the journalists in the United Nations that provide training for the journalists who have the capacity to engage in public information to connect more to equity, security, and justice, particularly under the coronavirus situation. For the government to help the journalists to use the information that is available to the world that is very important, that the media can play a role in the ways that the government has been working on. This has been done for several reasons. For example, the new information that has come out has been made public so that it can increase the number of people. Among other problems, it is a very difficult number of people that are generally involved because it is so technical. Therefore, I have come to train for the journalists who want to provide training that can be placed in their own positions to pass this information in a way that is easier for the public to understand. For this reason, a lot of people who serve the social media in a way that is very important, and also that has brought a lot of opportunities for the journalists to be able to serve information that should have a great capacity to pass information that is more difficult to understand with the suffering of the pandemic that I have caused so much damage to this public. The United Nations is very concerned that it is not good with the criminals in these countries that do not have the advantage of having a bad salary to try to destroy the government and to replace the citizens with a whistle. Among other problems, it is not good to learn how to use the criminal salary that is being made in a way that can be used to protect the public. Among other problems, it is also not good to learn how to serve information effectively so that people can protect the information that has come out. So, the United Nations is looking for criminal justice for the citizens that have a bad salary. Before the fourth day of May 2020, the Ministry of Health registered 12 cases of COVID-19, including the total of 475 cases, which were made at the end of May 2020. To solve this problem, you have to examine a new clinic. You will see it at your quarantine for the results. First, I would like to place the Champakoyo Yon to help the officials and ministers who are looking for a way to contact them. The Ministry of Health has also confirmed that there are 8 cases of COVID-19 that I have found that support COVID-19 that are active for your health. Especially, the Yon who is critical of the treatment at the hospital, supports the number of COVID-19 patients here for 4,646. Since the third day of May 2020, a total of 24,412 people have received the vaccine due to COVID-19, and 4,942 people have received the vaccine. To help the vaccine continue to be a very complex sport, also a wellness center in Belvie, also a wellness center in the Etenger, and also at Denry Medical School to help the people, to receive the second dose of the vaccine. As a resident, the Ministry of Health has encouraged everyone to always wash their hands and to serve as a health care service to keep them safe. We are very grateful that we have received the vaccine, and we are very happy that we have received the vaccine. I would like to thank the Ministry of Health for the invitation. I am very happy that we have received the vaccine. Thank you so much. Thank you very much.