29 July

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Most Tobago hotels to remain closed in August

in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

CLOSE to 75 per cent of the hotels, guest houses and villas in Tobago are expected to remain closed for the usually bumper August vacation. Tourism interests on the island say the the closure of most of the accommodations in Tobago is due to the existing state of emergency and curfew restrictions, which are still in force to slow down the spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus. Restrictions on the country’s domestic air and sea bridge also continue. So said Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association vice-president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James who noted that many potential visitors to Tobago from Trinidad have said that the...

28 July

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PCA recommends criminal proceedings against Tobago SRP

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in Newspaper Articles

THE POLICE Complaints Authority (PCA) has recommended disciplinary and criminal proceedings be invoked against a special reserve police officer involved in a shooting incident in Charlotteville, Tobago, last year. On Thursday, the PCA wrote to attorney Martin George, who represents Charlotteville resident Zauvaughn Benjamin, who made the initial complaint, informing him of the authority’s recommendations. Last year, attorney Janelle Ramsaroop, of Martin George and Co, wrote a letter of complaint to then Minister of National Security Stuart Young questioning if the ministry, or the police, had a “shoot on sight” policy for anyone allegedly caught breaching covid19 stay-at-home regulations. Benjamin, of Belle Aire...

27 July

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Experts concerned about COVID cases and future of tourism in Tobago

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Former Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan says while there should be some concern, the COVID-19 statistics for Tobago is not anything to be worried about. This comes after the island recorded 52 positive cases in just 24 hours last week, the highest since the start of the pandemic. There had also been some worry about a cluster of COVID-19 cases at various departments of the Scarborough General Hospital. According to Dr Khan, while the island has a record of high incidences of obesity and comorbidities, “Tobago still has a low mortality rate and residents are resilient.” He said the focus should be placed...

26 July

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Tobago’s business chamber head wants flights returned to full capacity

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George is calling upon Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and by extension, the Government to return all flights between Trinidad and Tobago to full capacity and to take steps to rectify the situation as soon as possible. In keeping with the government’s new COVID regulations, Caribbean Airlines was mandated to reduce the number of domestic air bridge flights between Trinidad and Tobago to three from April 30. "The Tobago Business Chamber wishes to express its strongest disappointment and disapproval with the continued scenario and imbroglio of only three flights operating per day between Trinidad and...

16 July

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Lawyer faces jail for failing to pay money to client

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in Newspaper Articles

A senior attorney is facing the prospect of potentially being jailed for contempt of court after she failed to abide by a court order to repay a little over $200,000 to a former client. On Tuesday, lawyers representing Charlene Roberts filed a contempt of court application against attorney Dawn Seecharan-Nancoo. According to the court filings, obtained by Guardian Media, in November 2016, Roberts retained Seecharan-Nancoo to obtain a grant of probate in relation to the estate of a deceased relative. Seecharan-Nancoo allegedly instructed Roberts to pay her legal fees and place the estate’s $292,243.49 in an escrow account to be managed by her...

16 July

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Tobago stakeholders express mixed views about opening of borders

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in Newspaper Articles, Tobago Business Chamber

Tobago stakeholders have expressed mixed views about the reopening of the country’s borders on Saturday. While some members of the business community are adopting a wait-and-see approach, others said it makes no sense for the borders to be reopened if the beaches and bars are still closed. The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) said it is cautiously optimistic about the TT travel pass system, which will manage entry into the country. On Wednesday, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young described the travel pass as a robust platform. He said those who meet the requirements to enter the country must...

14 July

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Lawyer warns employers: Not rostering unvaccinated workers can land you in court

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in Newspaper Articles

While employers can encourage their employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine, attorney Martin George says not rostering them to work could land them in the courthouse. He was speaking on the controversial topic on CNC3’s The Morning Brew programme yesterday. This comes as food businesses such as Prestige Holdings and Mario’s took a position that workers must be vaccinated to return to work. While the Government has been sending messages and signals, George said it has not made a clear decision on whether they are going to make vaccination mandatory because it is not an easy decision. He said, “And they know it is...

29 June

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Tobago Chamber: Outline covid19 protocols for foreigners

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in Newspaper Articles

The Tobago Business Chamber has called for more specifics from the Prime Minister on covid19-related guidelines for foreigners wishing to visit Trinidad and Tobago when borders reopen on July 17. At a news conference on Saturday, Dr Rowley said TT citizens or legal residents abroad who are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organization-approved vaccine, and who present a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before arrival, will be allowed to enter TT without hindrance. Citizens abroad who are unvaccinated must present a negative PCR test – not older than 72 hours – before entery and undergo mandatory state-supervised quarantine...

23 June

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Former PSC member concerned about proposals for a new top cop selection process

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in Newspaper Articles

Former member of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Martin George, is agreeing with the Opposition Leader that changes to the process for selecting a Commissioner of Police being proposed by Government, may need some revision, especially to ensure the independence of the PSC, itself. One of the new amendments has the PSC recruiting candidates and creating a merit list, which is then submitted to the President, instead of having the names of the highest-ranked candidates brought before the Parliament for debate. Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, notes that the 2021 Order does not give the President the discretion to determine which candidate’s name...

22 June

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Tribunal into doctor’s ‘racist rant’ set for July 2

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in Newspaper Articles

The first hearing of the Medical Board's tribunal into the alleged racist conduct of Philippine-based physician Dr Avinash Sawh is on July 2.In a letter sent to Sawh and his attorney Martin George, the Board's attorney, Rajiv Persad of Allum Chambers, indicated that the hearing would be virtual and requested an email address for Sawh and his representatives to facilitate the hearing. The tribunal does not propose to begin the hearing of the substantive matter on July 2. However, it will use the occasion to explain the procedure and give directions for the filing of any preliminary issues for the...