The United States Embassy is assuring individuals that they do not need to get the Covid-19 vaccine before travelling to the US.
However, travellers must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which should be taken within 72 hours of arrival into the US.
The information was provided by US Embassy consular chief Cindy Diouf during an information session on social media last week.
The session was held to respond to the many questions from the public regarding travel to the US at this time.
Diouf said one of the common questions was whether people travelling to the US could access the vaccine there.
“The answer to that is what I have heard from Trinbagonians who have travelled recently is that they were able to go to the US and get a vaccine. You would want to consult your family and friends that are living there,” she responded.
Asked if the US Embassy will be making arrangements for US citizens here to be vaccinated, she clarified that the Embassy did not provide private medical care to US citizens anywhere in the world.
Responding to another question about whether a specific brand of vaccine is required for entry into the US, Diouf again stressed that, unlike other countries, the US did not have a vaccine entry requirement.
Asked if a fully vaccinated person still required a negative PCR test to enter the US, Diouf said: “Yes! Even me! I got vaccinated, my kids got vaccinated but we still had to take the PCR test here in Trinidad and Tobago to be able to travel. That test has to be taken within 72 hours of arrival into the United States. So yes, everyone needs that.”
Visa queries
Diouf said the easiest way to obtain a US visa at this time was via the interview waiver process.
“And the reason for that is due to social distancing requirements, due to Government of Trinidad and Tobago regulations. We are only able to see a small number of applicants every day. Keep in mind that we have been open continuously since the beginning of the Covid pandemic,” she said.
She advised that people with US passports that expired after January 2020 are able to return to the US on that expired passport.
“We spoke with Caribbean Airlines about a month ago and they confirmed that they were allowing American citizens to travel into the US with those expired passports,” she said.
One person wanted to find out whether a visa would still be valid if it expired on August 22 but they wanted to travel from August 20 to August 30.
Diouf said the visa must be valid the day a person presents themselves at the airport.
She noted that emergency visa appointments were evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“Keep in mind that the number of requests for emergency appointments far exceeds the capacity. So if you have an appointment, hold on to it. What you would need to send us are the particulars of the situation...fully lay out what is your circumstance, what is going on with your life that you need to get immediately into the US.
“So you don’t want to put in there something along the lines of having heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota because when you show up at your interview I’m going to ask you for the documentation from Mayo Clinic indicating you’re having surgery soon. So whatever you say, always be honest. The US government knows everything...most things anyway, with regard to travel and entry into our country.”
Source:  Daily Express, July 13, 2021

For this month, up to Tuesday, the country recorded over 10,000 new covid19 cases according to statistics derived from the Ministry of Health’s daily 4 pm update.
The country saw 10,055 new cases and 239 deaths in the past 25 days. With 408 deaths overall, since the virus hit TT in March of 2020, the deaths in May alone, is more than double the overall total.
The ministry recorded 612 new cases and 18 more deaths on Tuesday. The total number of covid19 cases is now 20,879. Of this, 12,027 people have recovered.
Active cases have increased to 8,444 with 7,195 patients in home self-isolation, 443 in hospitals receiving medical care, and 194 patients in step-down facilities waiting to be discharged. There are also 170 people in state quarantine.
A total of 72,120 people have received their first dose of the covid19 vaccine and 1,179 people have been fully vaccinated. The ministry also reported that 173,912 samples have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Tobago Regional Health Authority, UWI, and other local testing sites.  Source: Newsday, May 25, 2021

TRINIDAD EXPRESS – Calypsonian, Sergio Francisco, son of music icon Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco), has died.
FRANCISCO, 40, passed away suddenly on Monday. It was not immediately clear what caused the singer’s death. Those close to him said he tested negative for COVID-19 last week.
“I don’t know exactly what he died from and we don’t want to speculate. We sure it wasn’t COVID because he had a negative test up till last week,” Calypsonian, Shirlane Hendrickson told the Express via phone on Monday afternoon. Francisco, a former National Action Cultural Committee Young Kings Monarch finalist and 20 Stars of Tomorrow honouree, was described by colleagues as a young, bright talent in the genre. Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) president Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba) said the performer was “a brilliant composer” with a “positive future”. “It’s a great loss, especially among our youth who have chosen to go in the direction of our indigenous artform. Sergio to us would have been one of those young bright artistes.
He was a brilliant composer, a man that coulda write all different styles. Certainly, he would have had a real positive future in this artform,” Resistance told the Express during a phone interview. Resistance said Francisco, a regular at the annual Klassic Russo Calypso Tent at City Hall, Port of Spain, always had his support since his emergence on the local music scene at the spoken word showcase Rapso Explosion. “We were always there for him. He was in the Klassic Russo but he was also involved in the rapso movement. He did a Rapso Explosion, I can’t remember the exact year, but he was also talented in that direction,” Resistance said.
Hendrickson, who managed Francisco’s nightly appearances at Klassic Russo, described him as “our big baby”.
“He was our big baby. He was a loving child. He had his challenges but we worked with him. He was a loving baby, he was our Sergio,” Hendrickson said.
STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO HIS FATHER
She said Francisco bore a “striking resemblance” to his famous father on stage and even had some of his legendary vocal inflections.
“What is so striking is his resemblance to his daddy. It was wow. When he sing those notes and intonations it was like a reincarnation. They really say goat doh make sheep,” Hendrickson said.
Sergio’s older brother, Sancho Francisco, said he wasn’t able to comment on Monday.
“Right now wouldn’t be a good time. I trying to handle some stuff here. So, I gotta go,” Sancho said.
Hendrickson recalled a joke she made with Francisco the last time she saw him a month ago.
“He had grown even bigger and taller. I joked and said ‘boy you getting big like Godzilla’.”

​Trinidad-born scientist Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted was awarded the World Food Prize 2021 on Tuesday 11 May, 2021.
The announcement was made by US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken and Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture.
The World Food Prize is the most prominent global award recognizing an individual who has enhanced human development and confronted global hunger through improving the quality, quantity or availability of food for all.
Thilsted, who was born in Reform Village, attended Naparima Girls’ High School before going on to earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Tropical Agriculture in 1971, from the University of West Indies, St Augustine.
After graduating, she worked as the first female agricultural officer at the Ministry of Agriculture in Tobago. While in Tobago she met her husband Finn Thilsted, a Danish citizen, and would migrate to Denmark with him.
In 1980 she received her Ph.D. in Physiology of Nutrition from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, where she worked for many years.
Her research focused on food and nutrition security in many developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa.
Since 2010, she has been a researcher at WorldFish, headquartered in Penang, Malaysia.
WorldFish is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
Thilsted's husband Finn is a former Danish ambassador to Bangladesh, Kenya and Nepal.
Source: World Food Prize Foundation

THIS country’s first and only aquatic veterinarian, Dr Ayanna Phillips Savage, has received a regional award for her professional contributions.
She said she was honoured and that it was as a result of “years of dedicated, unwavering hard work in a still little recognised field in our region.”
She is a lecturer in marine mammal medicine/aquatic animal health and co-ordinator of the aqua health/aquatic animal health unit and the aquatic animal health diagnostic laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UWI, St Augustine.
She recently received the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Excellence Award for science and technology.
In a release, UWI said in her senior year at the institution, she presented an aquatic animal-based research project which earned the highest score in that year group.
But despite this, it said, it was “met with some scepticism as the field of aquatic animal medicine was not yet recognised across the Caribbean."
Now, however, “aquatic animal medicine is well recognised globally, having been introduced to the curricula of several of the top veterinary programmes in North America and Europe.
“The aquatic animal medicine unit seeks to sensitise and educate the Caribbean region about the importance of the health, management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems, and the impact of aquatic ecosystem health on human health.”
The unit has ongoing studies in the areas of diseases of marine and freshwater fish and shellfish, sea turtles and marine mammals and the potential impact of these on public health.
The release said, “Her dedication continues with her work in the rehabilitation of endangered and protected sea turtles.
“Dr Savage is responsible for the work of the TT Marine Mammal Stranding Network, a network of 100-plus volunteers from many varying professional spheres who work together to respond to marine mammal stranding when they occur in TT…(She) described some of her current work as being focused on identifying, documenting and educating on diseases of economic and public health significance in aquatic species across TT.”
Savage said receiving the award was a “tremendous honour” for which she is “immensely grateful.”
The school’s director, Dr Karla Georges, believes the award shows there is a “wealth of talent” at the school and the work it does is relevant and has an impact.
“Our school, though very small, is making a giant contribution to the region, and this recognition by our Caribbean peers is an immense booster for the morale of the school, staff and students, faculty and the UWI family.”
The release said Savage promotes and advocates for her field’s inclusion by means of regulatory guidelines in the local aquaculture business.
It said she intends to continue “promoting aquatic diseases that have economic and/or public health implications in an attempt to safeguard the livelihoods of those who interact with the aquatic ecosystems and championing the cause of Caribbean aquatic ecosystem conservation so that our protected and endangered aquatic wildlife are preserved for generations to come.” Source: Newsday, March 31, 2021

Touchstone Exploration has announced that tests on its Cascadura Deep-1 well have confirmed the presence of liquids rich natural gas.
Touchstone has an 80 per cent operating working interest in the well, which is located on the Ortoire block onshore Trinidad.
The company said it perforated the top 199 feet of the 449 feet identified as potential pay in sheet four of the over thrust Herrera formation on April 8, 2021.
The average flowback rate during the extended 24-hour test period was approximately 4,262 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), including 22.9 MMcf/d of natural gas and 449 bbls/d of NGLs.
Peak flowback rate of approximately 4,567 boe/d was observed, comprised of 24.5 MMcf/d of natural gas and 477 bbls/d of NGLs.
Approximately 48.8 MMcf of natural gas (8,138 boe) and 1,081 barrels of NGLs were produced during the testing period.
Field analysis indicated liquids rich gas with no hydrogen sulphide and no produced water.
The well is currently shut-in for a minimum four-week pressure build-up test.
In a statement, Paul Baay, Touchstone’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The positive test results from Cascadura Deep-1 further expands the opportunity on the Ortoire block as we now expect to have two distinct and separate sheets producing from two wells in the Cascadura structure.”
“We will accelerate operations required to bring the two Cascadura wells onto production as the test results allow us to properly size surface facilities for reservoir management. We are also moving forward with the required applications to establish a second Cascadura surface location, designed for up to four development wells. The test results demonstrate the clear future production opportunities for the Company."
James Shipka, Chief Operating Officer, said: "The exceptional performance noted during Cascadura Deep-1 well testing reinforces the geological concept of multiple stacked, independent hydrocarbon charged horizons in the Herrera turbidite fairway.”
“We will not be conducting any up-hole testing in the well as we do not want to interrupt this interval at the risk of damaging the reservoir with water-based fluids. The data collected in this flow test indicates that sheet four is separate from sheet three, where production is expected from the Cascadura-1ST1 well. There remains an additional 558 feet of potential pay above the tested zone in sheet three which can be evaluated in future development wells."
Extension of Lease Operatorship Agreements between Touchstone and Trinidad and Tobago’s Heritage Petroleum for the Coora-1, Coora-2, WD-4 and WD-8 blocks has been extended to April 30, 2021.
The LOAs were originally set to expire on December 31, 2020 and were previously extended to March 31, 2021.  Source: Newsday April 2021

BUSINESS student Karisha Rajkumar feels humbled and grateful for having brought Vessigny Secondary School its first scholarship in 11 years. The aspiring accountant said she still cannot believe it.
The 19-year-old student wrote the CAPE examination last year and got grade ones in both units for management of business, accounting, economics, communication studies and Caribbean studies. She earned an open scholarship.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Education announced the 100 scholarships.
She recalled initially hoping she could earn a scholarship, but after the Education Ministry announced they were being reduced from 400 annually to 100, she didn't think it was possible.
"I didn't have much hope again after that," she told Newsday.
Several friends and relatives learnt of her achievement even before she did.
"My mom (Marsha) is self-employed, so I was helping her out (selling pholourie) and I didn't even know, because I didn't have internet at the time. Then my uncle called and I went home to see, and then I got the call from the principal, my friends, my family. I was so excited that I didn't know what to do."
She said her mother and her father, Ken, have been hugging and kissing her nonstop, as they are very excited for her.
The last person to earn a scholarship at the school was Jochelle Fortune, who earned a national scholarship in 2010.
Asked what it was like doing exams during a global pandemic was, Rajkumar said, "My anxiety was really bad, but it had this teacher online called Mr Sammy: he was giving free Zoom classes and he was really good."
Unlike most students who used a tablet, laptop or desktop computer for online classes, she used her cellphone.
She said had it not been for this scholarship, she could not have afforded tertiary education.
She lives in Icacos and did not have direct transport to and from school. She'd get "a drop" to Fullarton in a maxi, then wait at least 45 minutes for another one. But she was never late. She said she'd reach school around 7.50 am.
In form three, she chose science as the field she would venture into for forms four and five. But after just a week, she said, she realised she had preferred business.
"Then, my teacher, Miss Ross, helped me get out that class and then I had to get new books and everything.
"It's because in form three, we were introduced to POA (principles of accounts) and I really liked it."
She said her Vessigny experience was great and praised teachers including: "Miss Emanis, Mr Thackoor, Mr Shah, Miss Ragoonath, Miss Bissoon, Miss Ramsaran and Miss Nedd."
Marlene Emanis, the school's acting vice-principal, said she was elated at the news and described Rajkumar as a "model student."
"We are super excited for her. We are really proud as a school. The entire staff and even our stakeholders are excited.
"When I taught her in form four and five, she topped the class in all her subjects. Her scores in all her subjects were always over 80 (out of 100). She was always an excellent student, she was a school prefect, she was involved in the school's co-operative society…she is very humble, participated in competitions on behalf of the school sometimes. And she was even our valedictorian."
Rajkumar said she hasn't decided on a university yet, but looks forward to doing so.  
Source: Newsday, March 12, 2021

A street-sign unveiling in honour of veteran calypsonian Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste created a mini Carnival-like atmosphere in San Fernando on Carnival Tuesday.
The 79-year-old five-time Calypso Monarch did not attend, for health reasons.
But despite this year’s cancellation of Carnival, Dr Leroy Calliste Street came alive with Carnival characters like moko jumbies and blue devils dancing to live drumming and music from a portable radio.
The renamed street (formerly Lord Street) runs from the corner of Coffee Street to Paradise Street.
Members of the San Fernando City Corporation hosted the ceremony in a nearby car park. Police blocked off part of the street, near the corner of Mucurapo Street, and redirected traffic.


San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello said Calliste was born on Lord Street on September 24, 1941, epitomising the phrase "Born in the heart of San Fernando."
He said Calliste began his illustrious career as a limbo dancer and pan player before joining Southern Brigade Calypso Tent in 1959. He moved to the calypso tents in Port of Spain, where Lord Blakie christened him The Mighty Stalin, for his fearless style.
Regrello listed several of Calliste’s songs, among them Beat My Tune, The Caribbean Man, Better Days are Coming, Black Man Feeling to Party and Sufferers.
"His work will remain etched in the archives for our scholars, educators and students to research," Regrello said. "His appreciation of the art form, the people, his country and the Caribbean have connected him in such a way that he is loved both by his and the current generation. His music has and is simply timeless."
Several calypsonians attended, among them Brian London, Weston "Cro Cro" Rawlins, Steve "Ras Commanda" Pascal, Winston "Gypsy" Peters, Roy Cape, TUCO head Lutalo "Brother Resistance" Masimba and Terri Lyons.
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein and former culture minister Joan Yuille-Williams also attended.
Calliste’s wife Patsy, 74, sang and danced to his music. She recalled that they first met at Harris Promenade and often hung out at Lord Street. Back then, he was called the Mighty Stalin.
"We used to hide here and hold hands. So this street was marked a very long time. I am very proud.
"Our families never knew about our dating days on Lord Street. This was our hiding space when we were young. Our love really started on Lord Street," she said.
On the renaming of the street, Patsy said it was long overdue.
As for Stalin's health, Patsy said,"He is doing good. He is at home right watching it live (on social media).
Veteran calypsonian Peters commended the organisers for honouring Calliste, saying the event was of great significance for the pan and calypso fraternities. These fraternities, Peters said, have undergone a lot of stress and deprivation.
"Both went through the same type of situation, a situation where today in this country some people still scorn some calypsonians. To this very day, some people do not want their sons and daughter to have anything to do with people who play pan," Peters said.
"Many years ago, if we were unveiling a plaque, that plaque would have said: 'No calypsonian or dog allowed.'"
Peters recalled first meeting and performing for Calliste in 1962 at the age of ten in Mayaro. Peters, who wrote his first song at four, said he sang an original composition.
Peters, the chairman of the National Carnival Commission, commended the universities for awarding honorary doctorates to cultural icons, among them Calliste, Cape, Slinger "Mighty Sparrow" Francisco and Len "Boogsie" Sharpe.
Cape recalled meeting Calliste in 1977, adding, "Leroy trusted me with his music, his career, taking bookings and handling his money. To his family, I feel as if I am family. Up to today, I am amazed at the work he has done, not for self but for the country."
Kazim said Calliste would go down in history as one of the best calypsonians in south Trinidad and said he would like to see other icons honoured similarly. He promised to speak with the corporations on the proposal.  Source: Newsday Feb 16, 2021

Laura Roberts-Nkrumah grew up in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, a community rich with plant life.
“There were many fruit trees,” she says.
It was this proximity to nature’s bounty that fostered her early attraction to flora and food, an interest that would eventually lead to her outstanding career as a scientist, agriculturalist, educator and Caribbean pioneer in the study and cultivation of breadfruit.
Professor Roberts-Nkrumah is Professor of Crop Science and Production within the Department of Food Production at UWI St Augustine’s Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA). During her more than 30-year career she has trained many students in the science and production of various crops.
“My primary career goal as a member of academic staff, and former student of this faculty, was to make a difference, in at least in some small way, to the food and agriculture sector in the Caribbean. I have shared this goal with my students; their training at the FFA was about much more than certification; it was about capacity building for the development of our countries and region”, she says.
Professor Roberts-Nkrumah is most well-known for her work in breadfruit. She has raised the stature of this neglected and underutilised crop, which was traditionally important for food security in the Caribbean but stigmatised as ‘slave food’ and largely ignored by research. Her work includes expanding the range of cultivars (different varieties) in the region through importation, and establishing a germplasm collection at UWI St. Augustine Campus. The collection has been evaluated for growth, development, seasonality, yield, disease resistance, nutritional content and, more recently, there has been DNA characterisation. Studies have been conducted on propagation, orchard management, as well as on consumer acceptance, contribution to food security and farm income.
“Most persons are unaware that there are different types of breadfruit. This collection is an educational and research resource that is critical if the commercial potential of breadfruit for human nutrition, and for other methods of utilization, for example, medicine is to developed beyond its current level in T&T and the wider Caribbean”.
Based on her work in breadfruit, Professor Roberts-Nkrumah was commissioned to prepare a strategic plan for the development of a breadfruit and breadnut industry in St Kitts and Nevis. She initiated, secured external funding for, and co-convened the first International Breadfruit Conference, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015. She was also invited to contributeto a review chapter on breadfruit production for the prestigious publication, Horticultural Reviews.
“A number of new breadfruit products, as diverse as chips, wines and beauty products are already being produced on a commercial scale elsewhere. My greatest satisfaction would be the emergence of a sustainable breadfruit industry in the region based on innovative products, which is entirely possible with our people’s creativity. Support for multi-disciplinary research and consumer education will be two key requirements” 
Apart from her work in this area, Professor Roberts-Nkrumah is a pioneering woman in science, who for many years has operated at the highest level of her field. Data from UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics shows that less than 30 percent of the world’s researchers are women, and only around 30 percent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Recognising the importance of women in the sciences, the UN General Assembly made February 11 the annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Professor Roberts-Nkrumah says many women inspired her own journey into the sciences, starting with her grandmother:
“She was recognised as a champion farmer in Tobago. My grandmother was an independent and strong woman who continued to farm even in her 70’s. I have fond memories of the delicious fruits, cocoa tea, and high quality cassava, sweet potatoes and pigeon peas that she grew and our family enjoyed.” 
She admires scientists such as Professor Margaret Sedley, a botanist, whose work was closely linked with the development of the avocado industry in Australia and Professor Ruth Oniang’o, a pioneer in food science and nutrition studies on indigenous crops in Kenya. She was most inspired in her career, however, by Professor Lawrence Wilson, a leader in research on tropical root crops at The UWI, who taught her at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
“I admired his insight and creativity as a scientist,” she says. “He instilled in me the significance of basic scientific knowledge for understanding crop physiology and addressing crop production issues.” 
Professor Roberts-Nkrumah’s legacy of work also includes outreach activities with crop producers and nurseries, and the general public throughout the Caribbean. Apart from providing hands-on training, several manuals and fact sheets have been made available, including manuals on breadfruit propagation and orchard management, which were commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and are available online. Her work has produced 117 publications, among which is a book titled The Breadfruit Germplasm Collection at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, a reference text for stakeholders in the breadfruit sector, from scientists, to growers, sellers and consumers. 
When asked about her career success, she credits her family life:
“I consider myself to have been blessed by my family background, which provided stability, focus, a high value on education, strong work ethic and strong Christian values. All of these and the commitment to service were reinforced at school.” 
As a wife, mother, and daughter, she has had to balance work with family life and responsibilities. This was not always a simple matter but unconditional support from her husband and children helped to make it possible.
“They have accompanied me in the field on many occasions,” she says. “As much as possible I limited my travelling for field research in the Caribbean to the school vacation period, when the family could also travel with me. This has paid dividends as I now see the children’s own gardening initiatives and hear them offering ‘on target’ advice to their peers.” 
Even though she is a scientist, as a young student Professor Roberts-Nkrumah loved English Literature as well. However, her desire for the outdoors pushed her towards science and agriculture. And though she has experienced numerous challenges during her career -- from the very limited scientific literature on breadfruit, to the difficulties of data collection in the field, to having to balance research with her heavy teaching load -- her work has revolutionised the breadfruit sector and has the potential to make a major impact on regional food security. Perhaps more importantly, she followed her passion, found her mission and built a career. 
“The application of science to food and agriculture is a most worthwhile endeavor. It’s about knowing what you were born to do. Focus, faith and willingness to work for the benefit of others, even with obstacles, will always be rewarding – “Non sine pulvere palmam” (Not without the dust the victory). Source:  UWI Campus News, Feb 15, 2021

Miss Palmiste - Jeanine Brandt is the new Miss Trinidad and Tobago 2021 and will now represent our nation at the Miss World 2021 Pageant. ​