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The Elections and Boundaries Commission assures that there can be no transmission of the COVID-19 by the use of electoral ink.

Chief Elections Officer Fern Narcis Scope says that consultation has been had with the Ministry of Health and proper procedures have been put in place.

She says electors must sanitize hands before dipping their fingers.

And Mrs. Narcis Scope says planning an election during the pandemic was challenging.

The Chief Elections Officer was speaking on The Morning Show with Tony and Dale on i95.5fm last week.

Polling stations remain open as hundreds of people cast their ballots in the General Election today.

The polls were opened at 6am and will close at 6pm today.

There have been reports of long lines in several parts of the country.

Some 19 political parties and 4 independents are today making bids for a seat in the 41 member House of Representatives.

A total of 1 million 134 thousand 136 people are eligible to vote today.

One hundred and 50 candidates are in the race today.

There are 2,210 polling stations in all 41 constituencies.

In terms of numbers of candidates, the Trinidad Humanity Campaign has put forward 7.

The New National Vision has 6 candidates, while the Movement for Social Justice has 5.

The Congress of the People, 4 and the Movement for National Development is contesting the 3 Diego Martin seats, northeast, central and west.

The other parties contesting the election include the Progressive Democratic Patriots, which has put up candidates in Tobago east and Tobago west.

The National Coalition for Transformation has 2 candidates and The Progressive Party has 1.

The Independent Liberal Party has 1 candidate in the race, while the Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago also has 1.

There is an infection in the fire service as well.

It has led to a shutdown of an entire department at the Fire Service Headquarters on Wrightson Road in Port of Spain.

The infected officer’s colleagues are now in self-quarantine.

Reports are saying that 5 officers have been infected, but yesterday President of the Fire Service Association Leo Ramkissoon denied the claim.

When contacted yesterday, Fire Chief Marlon Smith said steps have been taken to sanitize the building and ensure the health and well being of officers.

Yesterday afternoon the Ministry of Health said 3 more people tested positive for the virus bring the tally to 210

Eight police officers have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The positive results came over a 2-week period.

But the latest 2 cases are attached to the St. Clair and Besson Street Police Stations.

Reports today are saying the 2 officers are constables and they are now receiving treatment.

Contact tracing is also reportedly being conducted.

An estimated 300 officers, administration staff, prisoners and members of the public are said to be part of efforts to find the origins of the infections.

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith has declined commenting on the details of the story.

A release from the police service yesterday said due to several primary, secondary and tertiary contacts reported within the service some stations are temporarily closed.

Concern from the National Parent Teachers Association over the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam being staged as scheduled on August 20^th.

Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Shamila Raheem says children gathering in the same space again are potential high risk.

She says while she is pleased with the Prime Minister’s decision to shut down schools today due to the spread of COVID-19 among students, it should not have taken this long.

On Wednesday the Prime Minister expressed his disapproval of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association call for teachers to remain at home due to risk of exposure.

Yesterday Mrs. Raheem said her association is in support of TTUTA’s position.

The Prime Minister has said out of an abundance of caution the preparations classes for the SEA should be stopped.

A suspicious candidate of the Peoples National Movement is casting a shadow of doubt over reports of water problems in Arima and some parts of the east.

Penelope Beckles Robinson last night said wherever she goes in the constituency of Arima she has been hearing of a scarce water supply.

She is confused by the complaints.

Speaking on the PNM platform in Sangre Grande, Mrs. Beckles Robinson also slammed reported attempts by the United National Congress to buy the votes of people in La Horquetta/Talparo.

The UNC candidate in La Horquetta/Talparo Jerlean John yesterday denied the gifts of household items are about buying votes.

She explained the source of the funds being used.

The Prime Minister has called the gifts as bribery and a breach of the electoral process in this country.

Former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine is punching holes in the claims of the government that incentives he presided over in the Energy Sector were not good.

Mr. Ramnarine says he has listened to the accusations of the Keith Rowley government and he stands by the necessity of the incentives.

The former Minister referred to graphs presented by the government, which he insisted last night, are inaccurate.

Mr. Ramnarine was at a political meeting last evening giving support to the candidate of the United National Congress in San Fernando west, Sean Sobers.

He said despite the utterances of Energy Minister Franklyn Khan and his Prime Minister, the key sector in this country is facing extinction.

According to Mr. Ramnarine this reality cannot be laid at the doorsteps of the government he served.

Mr. Ramnarine said now the government has the audacity to criticise the incentives and the decisions taken by the last administration.

UNC candidate for Princes Town Barry Padarath says he cannot recall issuing $135,800 to then Prime Minister Kamkla Persad Bissessar.

He was at the time the Prime Minister’s special adviser.

The money is part of evidence collected by the police service in a case involving Mr. Padarath and a female relative.

Reports quote Mr. Padarath as saying he can’t remember what the money was for.

But Mrs. Persad Bissessar is reported as saying the monies were reimbursements to her personal VISA credit card for expenses properly incurred on travel out of the country.

The so-called cartel claim brought by the Estate Management Business Development Company against 5 companies and several persons, including Dr. Roodal Moonilal, will go trial.

Justice James Aboud delivered the judgment yesterday.

He dismissed application by the five companies, which sought to have the court strike out the EMBD’s claim on the basis that the facts were improperly pleaded.

But the judge said someone has to explain how it is that these unusual patterns, oddities and inconsistencies can exist other than by collusion involving contractors.

Dr. Moonilal was the Minister of Housing, which was responsible for the EMBD.

The judge said the companies, which have countersued the EMBD for breach of contract, have not yet filed defenses in the substantive claim.

He said they are therefore unable to prove that the EMBD’s action against them was unwarranted.

The companies now have 14 days to appeal.

Last night, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said the wheels of justice are turning.

At a political meeting in Sangre Grande Dr. Rowley again slammed the letter sent to the judge requesting he held his hand on delivering the judgment.

Dr. Rowley called on the people to reject the United National Congress.