 Welcome to NTI Nightly. I am General Norville. This edition stops stories. The Government of St. Lucia undertakes a zoning exercise. The world pauses to recognize nurses and midwives. And the Department of Health and Wellness urges the public to adhere to the social distancing protocol. Hello and thank you for joining us at the Information Command Centre for the National Response to COVID-19 as we bring you the latest developments. The Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation on Monday 6 April 2020 announced that the island had been divided into zones that is the northern and southern zone as part of measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Anise Antoine begins the broadcast. The confirmation of the local transmission of COVID-19 has pushed the government and health officials into a new direction. Decisions now must be made to curb the spread of the virus and by extension to protect the people of St. Lucia. Consequently, a number of new measures have been put in place in that vein. One such measure is the division of the island into two zones, a northern and southern zone. Individuals are not allowed to venture outside the zone where they reside. Instead, all transactions should be conducted within the zone of residence. Members of the public are also required to wear a face mask when venturing out of their homes. Minister for Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation Honourable Guy Joseph added that as part of the social distancing protocol, no more than two individuals are to occupy a private vehicle at any point in time. Everybody between countries and probably will do business between souffle and viewfort as the centre of commercial activity for them. These persons are not permitted to come up to castries during that period of time. And the reason for this is because we still want to maintain the social distancing as much as possible. So, everybody now in the north, so from Ancelare up to Capestit and from January Village in to Capestit, that entire belt will be the other zone. The minister encouraged the public to limit their movement and activity and remain within their zone to prevent community spread. For essential workers who may be coming from one zone, these essential people would be allowed to cross from one zone to another. And those farmers, for example, who have their farms, they live in one area but their farm is in another area, they would have by now collected the letter from the extension officers or they would have had a pass from NIMU that would allow them to move from one area to another. So, we want the people to understand the reason for the zone is because we still want to limit movement and activity. And if we manage this very well, then we can go back to normal in a much quicker time than if we are going to have further community spread. Acting Commissioner of Police, Milton Daisy assured the public that the Royal St. Lucia Police Force will be actively enforcing all the measures put in place by the government of St. Lucia. Persons would need to have something to show, especially if the vehicle has a pass, it is no issue. However, if you do not carry the pass, you would need to have an ID indicating that you are from that area. Probably also what we can use is a bill indicating that because some persons, your ID may have, you are from castries. However, you have changed location and is living in the south. The acting commissioner of police expressed gratitude to the public for their cooperation during the national scale down. From the government information service, I am Anicia Antoine reporting. St. Lucia joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Health Day celebrated annually on the 7th of April. This year's celebrations are being held under the theme support nurses and midwives. This platform is being utilized to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives and remind the public of the critical role that they play in keeping the world healthy, especially as the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic. Details in this report. The day is geared towards honoring nurses and midwives as they continue to push on despite the odds. The World Health Organization prior to the COVID-19 pandemic had designated the year 2020 as the year of the nurse and midwife. The region of the Americas has about 9 million nurses, 87% of them women. Nurses and midwives account for more than 50% of the health workforce and are essential to the delivery of health services at the first level of care. The profession is described by the chief nursing officer in the Department of Health and Wellness, Kofni Shalman Suraj, as one of the most valuable resources in St. Lucia. Three months ago, if someone had asked me what the year of the nurse meant to me, I would have answered then, it means a year to celebrate the achievements and transformation of the profession over the last 200 years. But COVID-19 has brought a new meaning to this year. It now signifies survival, unity, teamwork and strength. And it seems our medical vocabularies have been reduced to through like symptoms, tribal history, personal protective equipment, isolation, quarantine and contact tracing. The high rate of infections and death among nurses and other healthcare providers globally is a serious concern. However, our nurses continue to sacrifice their health in the battle to combat COVID-19. Nurses and other health workers are at the frontline of the COVID-19 response, providing care, treatment, contact tracing and leading community dialogue to address fears and questions. The chief nursing officer explained that nurses and midwives have a special relationship with their patients which has been built on trust. They also know the culture of their communities making them indispensable during an outbreak or emergency such as in this case. Charlemagne Chirage stated that nurses when called to service have an obligation to administer care to those in need even during an outbreak. She noted however that in the last two months she has witnessed more teamwork and collaboration than ever in her career. In recent weeks, nurses led the move from the Victoria Hospital to the Owen King EU Hospital and transformed three hotels into quarantine sites in one day with 24-hour operations. Simultaneously, Victoria Hospital was being transformed into a respiratory clinic and yet nurses were also in the communities trying to get every possible contact of positive cases to protect the public. I watched co-workers, colleagues and teammates demonstrate more compassion and dedication than I'd ever seen in my professional life. But most importantly, I observed the ultimate commitment and bravery to face the unknown, risking their own lives to save others, putting aside their own fears and insecurities. They inspire all of us with their heroic dedication and sacrifice. And so today, and moving forward, I call on all Saint Lucians to show some appreciation and gratitude to those who continue to fight this COVID war on the frontline. There are nurses that you know perhaps they are caring for you now or perhaps they may have cared for you in the past. Let us applaud them, pray for them, encourage them, give them some words of motivation. The chief nursing officer urged the public to show some sort of appreciation and thank nurses and midwives in whatever way possible with the hope that this sincere gratitude will translate into the tangible support they require and deserve. She also called on the public to protect nurses by protecting themselves and adhering to all the guidelines that have been shared from the Department of Health and Wellness, including practicing good hand hygiene, maintaining social distancing and remaining indoors. She is certain that nurses are depending on the public to do what is expected so that together victory can be attained in the war against COVID-19. Can I get a round of applause for nurses and midwives? The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt around the world and even more so in small island developing states like Saint Lucia with limited resources and a narrow tax base. The government's revenue collection is expected to decline with contractions in all major economic sectors while expenditure is projected to rise significantly in response to urgent healthcare needs associated with the management and control of the novel coronavirus. Moreover, with numerous requests for relief by the government, the fiscal deficit and funding gap are expected to be much larger than previously anticipated. Given the fiscal pressures the Department of Finance wishes to inform the public that the excise tax rates on gasoline and diesel have been allowed to move with changes in the oil price movements, this policy decision may lead to excise tax rates above the previously targeted $4 per gallon. However, no increases in retail prices are expected at the pumps for the consuming public given forecasts of relatively low crude oil prices in the near term. Whilst the government is mindful of the economic strain on the general population, the government has the onerous responsibility of minimizing the spread of the coronavirus by augmenting the medical systems to provide the requisite facilities, equipment and supplies. These include expenditures related to the Victoria Hospital, which is now a designated respiratory hospital, polyclinics and centers for quarantine and isolation. The excise tax collected in excess of $4 will be used for the COVID-19 healthcare response. Whilst this is not expected to meet the healthcare-related expenditures for COVID-19, it is hoped that it will provide some measure of assistance. The Department of Finance will provide quarterly reports on the additional amounts earned and assigned to COVID-19 health-related expenses. Under section 20 of the excise tax act CAP 15.07, the minister responsible for finance may by order amend the rates in the schedule to this act, including fuel products. These excise tax rates as determined by the Minister of Finance are published via statutory instrument in the Gazette in all instances, while there are rate changes for any three-week period. The government will continue to monitor developments in the world oil prices very closely and announce any further policy changes with respect to fuel prices. This is Entian Knightley. Stay with the broadcast. We'll be right back. To reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 while you're grocery shopping. On your way into the supermarket or shop, remember to wash or sanitize your hands. You may want to think about sanitizing your trolley too. When you're shopping, don't touch the produce unless you're buying it. And please, do not touch your face. Try your utmost to keep your distance from other shoppers and staff. Six feet is best. Let's go through who should be doing the shopping. If you're not feeling well, you should not be there. If you're elderly or have a compromised immune system, please proceed with caution. And if you're healthy enough to shop, maybe think about picking up a few items for those you know who can't. As for when to shop, where possible, avoid peak hours in order to avoid overcrowding. In addition to food, it's a good idea to have enough cleansers and other supplies to last a few weeks. Stock up on over-the-counter or prescription medication you may need. And don't forget, on your way out of the shop or supermarket, wash or sanitize your hands again. Remember, keep your trips to the supermarket or shop to an absolute minimum. And when you do get home, you might want to give your fruit and vegetables an extra good scrum. Explore options for online shopping and consider using delivery, order online and just pick up. Together, we can mitigate against the spread of COVID-19. Welcome back. Chief medical officer in the Department of Health and Wellness, Dr. Sharon Belmar George, providing an update on St. Lucia's COVID-19 patients, indicating that the island has not recorded any COVID-19 deaths. Of the 14, two of our positive cases have been repatriated to the United Kingdom. The other 12 patients are all clinically stable and are doing well at the Victoria Hospital. None of our patients have developed any complications and we have had no deaths to date. We have zero COVID-19 deaths to date. All of the patients that we have are clinically stable and they are doing well. That was Dr. Sharon Belmar George, Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health and Wellness. As St. Lucia continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Wellness urges the public to adhere to the social distancing protocol. Social distancing has proven a challenge for many members of the public, despite the very real threat of contracting a deadly virus. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the declared state of emergency, many joined cramped queues at banks, crowded supermarkets and continued to socialize in public spaces. The Environmental Health Department is admonishing the public to obey the law and practice social distancing at this time. Physical distancing protocols of the Emergency Powers Act order services, government agencies and essential services to ensure that all customers and staff maintain physical distancing of no less than six feet in the business or office or outside the business or office. It also orders such entities to, if required, determine the number of persons that may be permitted in the office at any one time by permitting one person for every 30 square feet of space. We have observed that in practice, the recommended six feet distance is not being maintained, especially when persons queue for service at institutions and business places such as supermarkets, banks, etc. To this end, we wish to implore the public to adhere to those measures. By maintaining the recommended six feet distance, you reduce the likelihood of getting infected or spreading the virus when people around you make cough, sneeze or make physical contact. She further advises that persons make limited trips to the supermarket and other places of business and avoid getting together in groups. Instances have breached containment efforts in the public domain, forced the hand of the Prime Minister to announce tighter restrictions on Sunday. He chided offenders during the press conference. We have not done a good job of making sure that we're all doing the right things. The government has made the resources, has put all of the laws in place, has increased the number of policemen out in the field, but many of us have just refused to adhere. There are still examples of people going to bars. There are still examples of people going in crowds to the beaches. There are many operations that have continued to operate flaunting what was required by the government. So, this afternoon I have to announce that we're going to have to put more stringent regulations in place. In the briefing to announce the five new cases of COVID-19, Prime Minister Shasne announced an extension of the partial scale down of non-essential economic and social activities to April 14th, an extension of the curfew now from 8pm to 5am and the suspension of liquor licenses island-wide. For the Government Information Service, I am Jesse Leance. On Wednesday, April 8th, 2020, Prime Minister the Honourable Alan Shasne will present the social stabilisation programme for St Lucia in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of St Lucia has been focused on containing the health pandemic locally while at the same time coping with and planning for the economic and social impacts. Over the past few weeks, the Government of St Lucia has been meeting with representatives from various sectors to get their input on the first phase of the COVID-19 social stabilisation programme. The Prime Minister explains that the first phase of the programme aims to bring immediate relief to those who have lost their jobs and income earning opportunities due to the effects of COVID-19. The plan will be presented on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020 via NTN and other local radio and television stations from 8pm. 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 St Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Janelle Norvel.