CALL US AT:

Acting Commissioner of Police Mac Donald Jacob presents statistics showing the number of violent incidents in the country is high.

Acting Commissioner Jacob also said there is a problem in this country as it relates to violent crime and all institutions have a part to play in its reduction.

Mr. Jacob said the country needs to get to the root cause of the crime problem and work collectively to solve it.

The police are now investigating the killings of a wholesale shop-owner and a Venezuelan national.

They both occurred in Arima and Curepe.

In the latest incident the victim has been identified as Luke Dalipsingh.

He was at his business place on Quesnel Street in Arima when he was shot at around 10:45am yesterday.

Thirty-eight year old Mr. Dalipsingh collapsed and died at the scene.

And Curepe was the scene of the early morning killing of Venezuelan national Mayerlin Cerrano.

She was 23-years-old.

Ms. Cerrano and 3 friends were walking along Evans Street when they were approached by a group of men.

All 4 were shot.

Police were called to the scene and the 4 wounded friends were taken to hospital where Ms. Cerrano died while undergoing treatment.

Eight persons including 2 minors are now in custody.

A statement from the police service says officers were on mobile patrol along Caratal Road, Gasparillo, around 12:30pm, on Sunday when they stopped a white Kia Rio motor vehicle with 3 male occupants.

A search of the vehicle resulted in officers finding 1 pistol between the 2 front seats.

A 17-year-old and 15-year-old, both of San Juan, were taken into custody.  

On Saturday officers of the Southern Division, conducted an exercise between 3pm and 9pm, in the Tableland, Princes Town district.

They executed several search warrants and arrested 5 persons.

Among those detained were a 50-year-old man of New Grant for possession of 1 pistol loaded with a magazine containing 16 rounds of ammunition, a 22-year-old man of Williamsville for possession of a quantity of marijuana and 15 marijuana plants, a 45-year-old man of Piparo for possession of apparatus and 25-year-old and a 54-year-old, both also of Piparo for possession of cocaine.  

The North Coast Road damaged by heavy rains and landslides should be re-opened to traffic this morning.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says the 2 lanes of the road will be functioning.

He says it is a temporary fix.

Yesterday Minister Sinanan said after an assessment was done, a decision was made not to construct a Bailey bridge in the area.

He said it would have been on a bend and that would have been a challenge.

The damage occurred between the Maracas Lookout and the Maracas Bay.

The Archbishop of Port of Spain calls on members of the public to continue using masks in the interest of preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

The mask mandate has come to an end.

But during mass yesterday Archbishop Jason Gordon made an appeal.

Archbishop Gordon also urged people to do the right thing.

On the first day of the lifting of the mask mandate, there were no deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Health recorded 43 new positive cases of the virus.

The overall infections since the start of the pandemic are now 169,180.

The death toll is 4,038.

The number of active cases in the country is 6,101.

One hundred and two patients are hospitalised and 5,999 are in home isolation.

Meanwhile health authorities are urging people to take personal responsibility now that the mask mandate has ended.

The State mandated the wearing of masks or face coverings in public on August 31^st, 2020.

The measure was implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19. 

The public health measure was lifted at midnight on Sunday.

Earlier, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the country’s epidemiological profile looks good enough to remove the mandate.

However he said the measure remains in effect for all health facilities.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is advising members of the public to engage in self-preservation, as the country draws nearer to ending its mask mandate.

Sunday July 17^th is last day for mandatory mask wearing.

However, Minister Deyalsingh says persons visiting health institutions will need to cover their faces.

Addressing the COVID -19 media briefing yesterday Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roshan Parasram outlined the areas where mask wearing will be encouraged.

He cautioned vulnerable groups to consider continued use of facemasks.

The CMO noted that wearing masks in these settings is voluntary. 

Trinidad and Tobago records at least 2 cases of the Omicron sub variants BA-4 and BA-5

They are said to be very potent and fight against immunity.

The country’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram yesterday said the confirmed cases were found within a week of each other.

Nevertheless Dr. Parasram is insisting the plan to scrap the mask mandate this coming weekend remains.

He sees no need to withdraw the plan.

The CMO told a news conference after Sunday people have to take full responsibility for preventing infection.

The man believed to be involved in the fatal hit-and-run accident, which claimed the life of Guardian Media Photographer Anthony Harris, has been found.

Reports say officers were able to identify the number of the vehicle and the name owner it was registered to from the licensing authority.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 this morning, Public Information Officer of the TTPS Inspector Sheridan Hill said the owner is in custody.

Reports say while officers received new footage of the incident, since the original CCTV footage was very poor, they were, in fact, able to use the testimony of eyewitnesses to identify the vehicle number and the suspect.

Mr. Harris was cycling around the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain last Saturday when the driver of a white car ploughed into him and fled the scene.

He died on Sunday morning at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.