 Welcome to NTIA Nightly. I am General Norvel. This edition stops stories. St. Lucian's are assured that the prolonged use of masks is not hazardous to their health. Young entrepreneurs to benefit from critical support from export inclusion. And Reading Month closes a successful chapter. St. Lucian on Monday, June 15, 2020, moved into a new phase as the economy and country reopens. The curfew is now imposed from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Also, some social activities including parties, picnics and receptions are allowed with the established physical distancing and public health protocols. The relaxed position comes as the island continues to record negative test results. On the weekend, 44 negative test results were received, taking the number of COVID-19 tests conducted to date to 1,356. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George however cautions that the risk of new positive cases remain as the country opens. The Ministry of Health and Wellness alerts the public that as we open up the sectors the risk of transmission increases. We can reduce this by ensuring the public health and social measures are maintained. We also anticipate new cases however if we all comply by the guidelines and maintain them the possibility for transmission is minimized. One of the recommendations included the use of a face mask or scarf when going to public places such as the supermarkets. The face mask or scarf may be used for source control by reducing potential exposure risk from infected persons during the pre-symptomatic period. The mask is needed for use when someone is less than 6 feet from others as in the supermarket and other stores and in such situations. The CMO says the prolonged use of masks does not cause carbon dioxide intoxication nor oxygen deficiency. Face masks should not be used in the following situations that is driving a car especially if you're alone or with immediate family, riding a bicycle or motorcycle, walking on the street when alone with no one near, during exercise or gym or running, with family members or group of friends when seated at a restaurant. Also, students who are seated 6 feet apart can remove the mask during class time. Wearing a face mask is complementary. It does not replace the recommended preventative measures. So as usual we ask that everyone continues to sanitize their hands by either using hand washing or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the corporate world to re-engineer how it conducts business. Eco-Carib's Chief Executive Officer, Dinelle Floreos, who appeared on NTN's COVID-19 roadmap to recovery, youth economic empowerment, indicated that while his company had anticipated and prepared for an economic crash, the lack of financing remains a major hurdle in the survival of a business. We actually raised funding, funding round. So raising funding in the region is really, really hard, very extremely difficult, and you can go through incubators, you can go through accelerators. We've done all of this. Incubators and accelerators usually give you grants, which are assigned to a certain task for development in your business. Now, you'll still need a lot more cash to really get to the top of where you need to be to really get your product or service out there. It depends on the business that you have. I mean, I happen to choose one of the most difficult businesses in the world, which is energy. Floreos explained that a partnership with a strategic investor provided not only cash, but resources and expert and technical support. Export St. Lucia's Chief Executive Officer, Sunita Danielle, recognizing that access to financing for up-and-coming businesses can be challenging, informed that the agency has been exploring initiatives in that regard. That's one of the things that we have been really advocating for, is for a grant funding facility to be placed within Export St. Lucia for exactly that purpose. In the meantime, what we are doing is to really build those relationships with the St. Lucia Development Bank and with other commercial banks. Because one of the things we've realized is that for youth entrepreneurs, their biggest issue really is financing. It really is an issue in terms of getting any initial. Like Danielle said, a lot of them have to use their savings and that can only take them as far as possible. But then afterwards, they really need that initial injection. And what has been happening is that a lot of young entrepreneurs really use direct equity funding, which is not really the best for young entrepreneurs. Export St. Lucia's CEO also highlighted efforts to ensure that not only do entrepreneurs have access to financing, but that they are able to honor their loans. The St. Lucia Development Bank, Export St. Lucia recently signed an MOU with them, where we'd be sending young persons to get that kind of concessionary funding from St. Lucia Development Bank. But one of the conversations we've been having with them and with our commercial partners is to change the way in which young persons pay back their loans. For example, it should not be a schedule fixed repayment. These businesses really can't operate like that. What it should really be is something based on the revenues that they make on the cycle of how their revenues come in. For example, we have a lot of small... Export St. Lucia has a large clientele of small enterprises based on agriculture. And there is only the harvesting period has to come in. The planting period, then they harvest. During that time, it's not fixed on a monthly, every 28th day of the month. That's not happening. They're not getting revenues at that time, particularly when they're just beginning the businesses. And so that's a discussion we're having, that you kind of amend the terms of repayment for those young startups. That was Export St. Lucia's Chief Executive Officer, Sunita Danielle. Meantime, the social and economic repercussions of youth unemployment in St. Lucia continues to be a major concern. To end in a battle against unemployment, the Sa'afal-Lewis Community College will be adopting a new program centered around entrepreneurship, as well as facilitating access to universities to encourage entrepreneurialism among young people. Principal of the Sa'afal-Lewis Community College, Dr Keith Nurse, appearing on the COVID-19 Road to Recovery panel series, explained that youth economic empowerment is key in creating a prosperous and sustainable economy. This happens both in training institutions like the Sa'afal-Lewis Community College. We can do more of that. If you look at our new programming, it is trending more towards an entrepreneurial approach to training and human resource development. And so that's why we have more things like incubators, accelerators, internships embedded in the new programming. So you can change that, but you then need to have a framework where once people graduate from the tertiary institution, so where do they go? Dr. Nurse added that a wider entrepreneurial culture is needed in order to increase opportunities available to the youth. What we need to do is create a framework by which people can find financing. But it's not just financing. You need business coaching to work in tandem with this funding and financing framework. And as well, you need to create a framework by which trade facilitation and market access is improved by giving these firms a leg up in new markets, both abroad as well as at home. So we cannot deny that even though all markets are small, we do need to ensure that we can increase our local value-added contribution. During St. Lucia's May Reading Month, educators saw an increase in reading amongst early-grade students. Teachers and students across the island were engaged in the creation of over 300 reading activity videos and photos, including storytime reading, reading comprehension competitions, reading dance videos and expositions throughout the month. Curriculum Officer for English Language at Camdou speaks on the success. Reading Month 2020 was celebrated under the theme readers as independent learners and critical thinkers. Let's play Magina without running around in the sun. I would say it impacted positively. I think this was a wonderful opportunity for Reading Month, for reading and its associated activities to really be where we wanted to be, which is at the go. The importance of reading is completely undeniable. It helps to expand your mind, keeping it healthy and sharp. Reading allows for creative thinking and exposes you to new vocabulary, new people, new things, new places, new ideas. The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become. Now boys and girls, what are your thoughts about reading? This is my favorite storybook. I love to read. Reading is fun. Help develop language skills. Reading is fun. What is magical? It makes me grow, grow and grow. Reading is the key to successful life. Reading helps me to learn. Reading helps me to understand, speak and write better. I think it was very successful. We have lost count of the number of videos that we've seen of young children reading. And really, I think, I don't know if teachers will agree, but really reading with a comfort level and a confidence that we don't normally see in the classroom setting. The Ministry of Health and Wellness ensures preparedness for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. More in this report from Fernand Neptune. As part of this year's hurricane preparedness efforts, Heads of Departments and Representatives in the Ministry of Health convened a meeting aimed at discussing the emergency response plans for the hurricane season. The hurricane season commenced on June 1 and will continue until November 40, 2020. Health disaster coordinator Dr. Glensford Joseph spoke on the objective of the meeting. Participants had the opportunity to review, revise and update their disaster plans with a multi-hazard approach while being reminded of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important that the Department of Health and Wellness be prepared at all times and at all levels for the management of emergencies and disasters. Dr. Joseph also alluded to inclusions to always being a state of readiness and ensured they have a family emergency plan and an emergency kit. The Ministry encourages persons to evaluate their family preparedness plan to ensure that persons who have certain medical conditions with need for long-term treatment to ensure that they have at least one month supply of their medication. It is important for family members to store their medication and medical records in waterproof containers. In addition, it is important while you prepare your emergency response bag to have in it a force aid kit, also to have hand sanitizers, face covers and mask as it relates to this COVID-19 pandemic. The hurricane season is anticipated to be busy with approximately 13 to 19 million storms with 6 to 9 likely becoming hurricanes and 3 to 6 becoming major hurricanes. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Fiddle Neptune. This is NTIA Nightly, up next to Primers-Hudgingson with the NTIA Nouvelle Aquil. COVID-19 is a new pandemic disease as declared by the World Health Organization. It is transmitted directly by respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes or indirectly through rubbing the face with contaminated hands. There is still no specific treatment of vaccine against COVID-19 and as such, the farming community should adhere to some special recommendations. Ensure that farm clothing and gear is clean. Wash hands thoroughly before harvesting crops. Use face masks and head ties whilst harvesting, cleaning and packaging crops. Use all safety precautions when transporting crops to the markets and depots such as handling crates and crops with only clean hands and covering sneezes and coughs with a tissue or the inner arm to ensure body fluids or droplets don't get on produce and washing hands or using hand sanitizer after using the tissue. More than ever before, your important role as gatekeepers of St. Lucia's nutritional, health and food security should be taken seriously. When you exercise these precautions, you not only safeguard your health but also continue to allow all St. Lucia's access to freshly grown fruits, vegetables and other local crops. Remember, it is our responsibility to ensure our nation eats fresh St. Lucia's best. Welcome back. We join Prime Minister Hutchinson for the NTIA Novel, a quay all. Mr. Otin Genel, Mr. Mdm, Dept. of Investability, I would like to inform you that the NTIA Government, G.I.S. and the National Television of India will present a new quay all. Prime Minister Hutchinson, Minister of Health, I would like to consider this to reinforce the legislation that has been passed to the public of the country For this reason, the J.A.C. and the Prisya Secretary of the Association and the Greek government are preparing to finalize the document. The NTIA's discussion will be given to the chief officer of the government to explain the necessary plan to reinforce the legislation that has already been passed for years. If the Ragnanon is to be implemented, the same public should take part in this operation who are in danger to save the world. It serves as an example of how the world can spread the word to the residents. We have to make sure that the action is to protect the public and also the people who are involved in these activities. It serves as an example of how the world can spread the word to the residents. Everything will be lost and lost, and the world will be inspired. We have to make sure that we have enough protection equipment to make it easier for the people. So that's what Ahmad Maga did. When we say that we can't do anything about it, we say that we can't do anything about it. And we have to continue doing this. And we all have to try our best to serve the people a lot. If that's not the case, we don't have a problem. We have to find a place where people can go to the audience. We have to start working, because we have to do everything we can. Because we have to do everything we can to make people more comfortable. We have to do everything we can to do a lot. That's what we do. The cultivators and farmers in the country, I talked about the big initiatives that the Prime Minister made here. We are going to go to Chastney Point to help people who are more liberal in their response to the corona situation. On the other hand, the pleasure of Chastney, the work of the people. Prime Minister Chastney, I started a project called Bois de Beaumanger, to make all these salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried salaried. Prime Minister Chastney, I talked about the big initiatives that Bois de Beaumanger made for all the farmers and the government. The farmers who participated in the program said they are happy with the global economy. I think they are happy because it's a very good initiative. It's very available for the marketing board and also for the people living in the country. I think it's a good initiative. I think they can continue to do this. They can do it all over again because they make products every day. And I think that with the market, we can make more products. The program for this is something that they can continue to do because if the market is a bit more consolidated, I think they will be very happy with this. And even if it is not public, if it is not the hotel, we can do everything. You just have to export it to the region. If the market doesn't do that because there is a good market in the region. Who can explain who is the leader? That's the farmers, the payers. They try to do as much as they can, as much as they can. So, the more opportunities you find, the more you need to save the economy. That's the goal. I don't want to sell my city, I don't want to sell my local market. But if I don't sell my city, I can't sell it anymore. So I'm going to start selling it. My name is Danouya, I'm from the Bois de Beaumanger. I live in Té, Figuebête, Banane, Zé, Pouesson and Polo. I'm from the cabinet of the Ministers. I've decided to place a protocol to address the situation that was done yesterday. That means the operation that was done yesterday, I've found a way to make it easier for me to organize my social activities. Under the rules of the election to address the corona virus, I've started the 15th of May. I've been editing to start the 9th of May for the next 8 days, for the next 2 days. And then, we have the F-SALA selection. And it's also possible for our parents, our own public, to assist in social activities. So we say, we celebrate, we have a wedding, we have a reception, we celebrate, we eat, but all of these are protocols that I have established to stay six months away. So there are a lot of different ways to support the public. But in terms of social activities, we are happy to have a supportive world. We have a lot of activities, we have a lot of coffee, we have a lot of kaiweste, we have a lot of kinoalysis, we have a lot of drinking, alcohol, we have a lot of drinking, we have a lot of drinking. So F-SALA has made a commitment to the government to settle down, to review and assess the situation in order to see whether the situation is better or worse. So, that's it. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you very much for watching. Thank you very much for your invitation. I would like to continue my life with a lot of new things. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Channel. Merci Apil Primus. And 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 General Norville.