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Trinidad and Tobago will get a total of 140,000 doses of 2 different types of COVID-19 vaccines donated by India and China.

The government of India yesterday officially informed Port of Spain that thousands of doses of the World Health Organization-approved AstraZeneca vaccine would be sent to this country.

A statement issued by the office of the Prime Minister added that China has also offered thousands of another vaccine, Sinopharm, “to support and safeguard the health of the people of Trinidad and Tobago”.

In the Senate yesterday Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh confirmed the pending arrival of vaccines.

The announcement came 2 days after Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Senator Dr. Amery Browne and Indian High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu agreed to work together on the vaccine issue.

That came out of a meeting on Monday, amid tensions between Sahu and Rowley over whether India’s vaccine facility was made available to CARICOM member states.

High Commissioner Sahu issued a statement the previous day, seeking to clarify the timeline of events surrounding the offer of the donations and his role in communicating it, after saying that he felt personally attacked by statements Prime Minister Rowley had made on the issue.

The High Commissioner had said although Trinidad and Tobago’s request for a vaccine donation may have been too late, efforts would still be made to assist.

However no time frame could be given for when that would happen.

Member of Parliament for Point Fortin Kennedy Richards describes as brutal the murder of Martin Pattan.

Thirty-four-year-old Mr. Pattan was chopped to death at his Egypt Village home at around 3:30am yesterday.

Reports say armed men stormed his house demanding cash and drugs.

Mr. Pattan’s girlfriend and 4-year-old son were held captive in another room while he was tortured and killed.

Yesterday Mr. Richards said his heart goes out to his children who are now fatherless.

Mr. Richards told us the brazen and cruel behavior of criminals is worrisome.

There were reports indicating that Mr. Pattan was a scrap iron dealer.

However President of the representing association Allan Ferguson said that was incorrect.

Reports say the killers demanded cash and drugs before chopping the 34-year-old man.

A freak accident on a jobsite has led to the death of Sunil Sookoo.

Mr. Sookoo was hit and killed by an excavator in central yesterday afternoon.

Initial reports are saying Mr. Sookoo was sitting on the ground at the job site while an excavator was clearing dirt.

It is said the heavy equipment rolled over him unknown to the driver.

Mr. Sookoo was later found lying face down in the dirt.

He was already dead.

Police are said to be probing the matter.

Government denies any contradiction in its statements regarding the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines by the Private Sector.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says the matter arose after many reached out to him offering assistance.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark raised the issue during the questions for oral answer in the Senate yesterday.

Minister Deyalsingh then read parts of the letter received from ANSA MCAL.

The Minister said there has been Private Sector support since the start of the pandemic.

One more COVID-19 death is recorded locally.

The latest update from the Ministry of Health shows that the number increased from 140 to 141.

The Ministry’s update indicates that the victim was an elderly male.

The last COVID-19 death was recorded on March 8th.

Meanwhile, 4 more persons have contracted the virus.

the Ministry says there are now 151 active cases in the country, 13 are at hospital.

It also says 277 persons are in state quarantine facilities, while 134 are in home isolation.

The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha is threatening legal action against the government over its decision to cut the number of national scholarships.

The Ministry of Education has announced a new bursary system and reduced scholarships.

The threat was contained in a pre-action protocol letter from the Maha Sabha to the government yesterday.

A team of attorneys, including Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj is representing the Maha Sabha.

The Maha Sabha says the new system gives no guidance on how a pupil could qualify.

The team of lawyers has asked for clarification by Friday.

The lawyers say if there is no response from the cabinet by Friday they would be seeking declarations from the court that the policy is unlawful, unfair, and deprived pupils of a legitimate expectation to be assessed for scholarships on academic performance.

The team says the policy should be deemed harsh, oppressive and an unjust dispensation of executive power.

A woman is detained after a cargo barrel containing 4 guns and a quantity of ammunition is discovered at the Port of Port of Spain.

The find was made on at around 8.45 am Monday. A Customs and Excise Officer examined the contents of a cargo barrel addressed to a female consignee of La Horquetta, Arima.

Masked men who stormed his Point Fortin home demanding cash and drugs have chopped Martin Pattan to death.

Thirty-four-year-old Mr. Pattan was pulled out of his bed and made to kneel in the living room of his Walker Street, Egypt Village home where he was then chopped about the body.

Reports say his girlfriend and 4-year-old son were locked in another room of the house while one of the men stood guard.

The incident is reported to have occurred yesterday at 3:30 am.

Mr. Pattan was a scrap iron dealer.

It is said 4 men carried out the attack at Mr. Pattan’s home.

According to police it appears Mr. Pattan’s throat was also slit.

The teenage girlfriend told police she and the child were threatened by the man standing guard outside the room.

She said later when there was silence she ran to a neighbour’s house and contacted the police.

The house was found ransacked and some items were missing.

The 4-year-old was taken to hospital for a blow to his head.

The 17-year-old girl also suffered a bruise to one of her shoulders.

The ANSA MCAL group of companies and Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh tell different stories regarding access to COVID vaccines.

Group CEO Anthony Sabga III says officials from the Ministry of Health met with business leaders on February 17^th seeking funding for 351,000 doses of the vaccine from Pfizer for $8.4 million US.

However, he says Minister Deyalsingh asked ANSA MCAL for financial help and the group offered to fund acquisition of the vaccine.

Mr. Sabga says the group asked for foreign exchange to be made available for the purchase.

He confirms that the suggestion was that the money spent by the companies be put against their taxes.

But Minister Deyalsingh has reportedly denied requesting funding from the company to purchase vaccines.

He is today reported as saying he reached out to the private sector, which included ANSA MCAL.

He admits he had a conference call with 2 of the company’s representatives to clarify the issues.

He says he then sent a letter to the Minister of Finance regarding the request for tax credits.

Minister Deyalsingh says a tax credit is not a gift and he never went forward with the offer.

He says he never approached ANSA MCAL at any time.

The Minister also says the State is still engaged in talks with Pfizer regarding the 351,000 vaccines.