Post Cabinet Media Briefing – Thursday May 20th 2021

Education Minister Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly announced that as a result of the rising COVID-19 cases across the country, the SEA Exam will now be held on Thursday July 1st 2021. The SEA results will be released in the second week of September to facilitate the placement of students into Secondary Schools by the third week of September. Minister Gadbsy-Dolly said 178 SEA candidates from 88 Primary Schools have asked to defer their exams, while 402 CXC candidates have asked for deferrals to 2022. Trinidad and Tobago has indicated support for the deferral of the commencement of CXC examinations of no longer than three weeks. Minister Gadsby-Dolly said discussions are ongoing to identify the most critical categories of school personnel for COVID-19 vaccination. Those categories should be submitted to the Ministry of Health by next week. The Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Dr. Amery Browne, announced that St. Vincent and the Grenadines donated 16,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago today. The vaccines, which arrived this afternoon, will expire at the end of June but the Ministry of Health has indicated that they will be utilised well before that time. Minister Browne also confirmed that Bermuda will be donating 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to T&T. Details on the shipment are being finalised but the vaccines are expected in T&T some time next week. Minister Browne noted that there has been vaccine hesitancy in some smaller Caribbean nations. He said MOH officials do not anticipate any wastage here at home. T&T is also working assiduously to get COVID-19 vaccines from the US after President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that 20 million more vaccines will be sent to various countries. Minister Browne said the feedback from the US has been positive for the "CARICOM as a while and Trinidad and Tobago in particular." Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat gave an update on the food basket initiative to help families affected by the pandemic. The programme was expanded this year and has been well-received. Minister Rambharat thanked farmers and Namdevco for being part of the initiative. He also denied allegations of bias and unfairness made by the Opposition, noting that Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram collected more than 400 food packages based on a list of 400 names he originally submitted to NAMDEVCO. He said Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein received 200 packages because he presented a list with that number of names.