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Meanwhile some uncertainty today over the status of Police Commissioner Griffith.

The top cop’s contract expires today.

There is no official word yet as to whether he will act in the post until the parliament approves the recommended nominee.

Mr. Griffith took office on August 18^th 2018.            

The Police Service Commission has been screening candidates for the position.

Commissioner Griffith has said he would seek another 3-year term.

The process says when the PSC completes its screening it will send to the President of the Republic, a merit list of the candidates who scored the highest in the evaluation.

The President will then send a notification to the parliament naming the choice of the PSC.

Parliament resumes in September after the August recess.

The Head of the Legal Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Christian Chandler has gone on leave.

In a release Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, says Mr. Chandler, proceeded on leave pending the determination of an investigation into the report of an incident on August 5^th.

The Commissioner says investigations into an incident at sea are currently being carried out by officers of the Western Division.

The matter arose following a report in which a woman claims that she was held against her will onboard the vessel belonging to Mr. Chandler.

The woman reportedly told police she was terrified for her life and of being sexually assaulted.

She is said to have telephoned the wife of a coast guard captain who quickly responded to the distress call and intercepted the 45-foot vessel.

After a brief standoff, officers of the coast guard are said to have boarded the vessel and detained 14 people.

The coast guard says its officers confiscated several firearms and searched the vessel but nothing illegal was found.

There is a 3^rd case of the COVID-19 Delta Variant in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Ministry of Health says the patient is a recently returned national to Trinidad and Tobago from the Turks and Caicos Island, transiting through Florida.

The Ministry says the patient provided a negative PCR test, which was taken 72 hours before arrival.

As per the health protocols for unvaccinated adults, the patient was put into quarantine upon arrival.

Later the passenger tested positive for the Delta Variant of the virus.

The patient has been isolated in a State run step down facility.

The Health Ministry says the presence of the variant was confirmed by gene sequencing done at the University of the West Indies.

Last week there were 2 cases of the variant recorded.

The discovery was made upon their arrival in Trinidad and Tobago.

The home construction sector re- opens today along with the retail industry.

According to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh risk and reward must be taken into consideration.

Speaking on the Morning Edition program today, he said after much deliberation the Prime Minister decided it was in the best interest of all to restart the sector.

The Minister said vaccination is very important to getting the economy back on track.

He again warned the public against listening to self-proclaimed experts.

Minister Deyalsingh stressed that COVID-19 is a matter of life and death.

A group of pastors says the politicians like the Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley are trying to divide the church.

One pastor, Apostle Mark Mohammed of TT Response says the church should not be in this position but they must stand united.

At a virtual news conference on Saturday the group of pastors made their position clear.

Apostle Mohammed said the politicians are attempting to divide and conquer.

And Bishop Dr. Victor Gill also said the vaccines are a blatant untruth.

The pastors were responding specifically to Dr. Rowley’s condemnation religious leaders urging their members to refuse the jab.

Conflicting opinions from religious leaders on the Prime Minister’s call for clerics to desist from advising their followers against taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

 Dr. Keith Rowley said it was unfair to the population.

However yesterday Head of the Redemption Worship Centre Bishop Keith Ramdass tells Newscenter 5 it was up to the individual.

He says no pastor can tell persons whether or not to take the jab…

He says the church is neither for nor against inoculation.

However he tells us, the severity of the COVID variants must be taken into consideration.