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Twenty-two Venezuelans have been held during police operations in Palo Seco.

The operation last Sunday afternoon was led by Senior Superintendent John and ASP Ramdeen.

Officers of the Southwestern Division Task Force went to the Palo Seco Beach after receiving information about the arrival of a boatload of illegal Venezuelan nationals.

When officers got to the scene they are reported to have noticed the group of migrants walking in the James Street area.

Officers were able to detain 22 of them.

They were taken to the Siparia Health Facility where they were medically examined.

The group was then taken to the Erin Police Station.

Police say they were to be taken to the Coast Guard base at the Heliport in Chaguaramas.

The Supermarkets Association president stands behind its decision to call for the boycott of Ramsaran products.

However, Rajiv Diptee is also saying the lifting of the boycott by the association was correct.

Mr. Diptee yesterday responded to criticisms of the association’s boycott after the posting of racist comments by employee and member of the Ramsaran family, Naila Ramsaran.

The criticisms came from former association member, Dr. Rolph Balgobin, who said the boycott took the form of a lynch mob.

Mr. Diptee is surprised by the utterances of the former Senator.

Two days after urging its members to pull the products from their shelves, the association relented.

Mr. Diptee said that decision was not taken lightly and was done after the company and the individual apologised.

Dr. Balgobin has said the association has never done such a thing before and it was wrong.

Principals are assuring primary schools will be ready for Thursday’s Secondary Entrance Assessment.

The association representing the principals says while there were earlier concerns about conducting the examination in this time of COVID -19, it is preparing to make sure all is in place.

President of the National Primary Schools Principals Association, Lance Mottley says the responsibility of his members is to keep children safe while they are writing the exam.

Mr. Mottley says among the measures for which there will be no compromise is the wearing of masks.

Over 19,000 primary school students will write the examination on Thursday.

Amidst the growing number of cases in the country, there is concern that too many panic buttons are being pressed.

Urologist and former Member of Parliament, Dr. Fuad Khan says the deaths are unfortunate, but may not be linked to the COVID-19 virus.

He feels the government and the medical experts are doing an injustice to fighting the pandemic.

On The Morning Show on i95.5fm yesterday, Dr. Khan held his view that locking down the country is not the way to go.

He said there are many examples in Europe where the authorities did not choose to shut down the country and there are successes.

Relatives of the man who became the 11^th COVID linked death are asking questions.

They feel if he had been treated in a timely manner, he would have lived.

The 45-year-old man died at the Couva Hospital last Saturday hours after he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

But relatives say the system failed to treat with the father of 3 in a timely manner.

They say it began with him having to wait 7 days before he received his positive results.

The Marabella man also had pre-existing conditions such as heart disease and hypertension.

Relatives say he started experiencing breathing problems and the ambulance arrived on Saturday and he was taken to the Couva Hospital.

He died on Saturday night.

Relatives say they were told, on his way to the Couva Hospital, he went into cardiac arrest 3 times.

The 12^th death occurred yesterday morning.

The Ministry of Health says the male patient had pre-existing health conditions as well.

A COVID-19 carrier who travelled to Tobago from Trinidad may have infected scores of people.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram said yesterday contact tracing on the positive case, shows that there were 222 primary, secondary and tertiary interactions.

The traveller was tested in Trinidad and did not go into quarantine.

She travelled to Tobago before the results were known.

And Head of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Dr. Naresh Nandram says the spike in the number of cases came from effective contact tracing.

Yesterday at the COVID-19 news conference, Dr. Nandram explained the infections did not occur in a one-day period.

Dr. Nandram noted that over the weekend a fewer number of persons get tested so their status is later revealed.

The closure of schools while the Secondary Entrance Assessment remains on schedule is not sitting well with the National Parent Teachers Association.

Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Shamila Raheem told Newscenter 5, teaching institutions should have been shutdown earlier.

However she said while she is worried about safety mechanisms for the SEA, come Thursday, she hopes all will be well.

On Saturday Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced the changes due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Mrs. Raheem noted that parents and teachers have called expressing their fears.

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association also expressed concerns over the exam earlier.

As restrictions go into effect, the head of the Belmont Taxi Drivers Association Richard Vaughn tells Newscenter 5 he supports the moves but hopes the public and drivers adhere to the rules.

Mr. Vaughn says he also wants the police to step up their enforcement.

The association president says refusing to wear masks should become as grave an offence as using cell phones while driving.