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WORLD NEWS Friday 19 august 2022

Puerto Rico governor denounces power company amid outages

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) 10,000 streetlights that had
— Puerto Rico’s governor remained dark since Maria
on Thursday denounced and launched 209 post-hur-
the private company his ricane projects with federal
administration contracted funds, 14 of which are un-
to take over the island’s der construction. Luma of-
power transmission and dis- ficials also said there have
tribution system amid a re- been 30% fewer power
cent spike in electricity out- outages this year than last
ages that have outraged year.
many in the U.S. territory. But fires at substations have
It is the first time Gov. Pedro become increasingly com-
Pierluisi has publicly criti- mon, and Puerto Ricans
cized Luma Energy a con- have posted social media
sortium made up of Cal- videos of crackling and siz-
gary, Alberta-based Atco zling equipment, as well as
and Quanta Services Inc. pictures of what they say
of Houston despite street are absurdly high power
protests and calls on social bills. Seven electricity rate
media for Pierluisi to cancel increases requested by
Luma’s 15-year contract Luma have been approved
that began in June 2021. Puerto Rico’s Gov. Pedro Pierluisi speaks during a press conference at La Fortaleza in San Juan, by Puerto Rico’s Energy Bu-
“I am not satisfied with the Puerto Rico, Aug. 6, 2019. reau this year alone.
performance of Luma,” Associated Press “There is no governmen-
said Pierluisi, who previously tal action to address these
had defended and praised not going to be fixed in a they cannot afford to run now being rebuilt after Hur- problems,” said José Luis
the company. “It is obvi- year. generators on expensive ricane Maria razed the U.S. Dalmau, president of Puer-
ous to me that you have to “We recognize and ac- fuel. One of Puerto Rico’s territory’s power grid in Sep- to Rico’s Senate and a
make changes to your ex- knowledge that there are largest hospitals was left tember 2017. member of the main op-
ecution plan to significantly significant challenges that without power last week Pierluisi said that was not an position party. “It’s unac-
improve the service you remain to be addressed,” when one of its generators excuse. ceptable that in the face
are offering our people.” said CEO Wayne Stensby. failed in the middle of an “Although I recognize that of this chaos, the governor
Hours later, Luma officials “I know that the people outage. the electrical network we is alienated from the reality
held a press conference of Puerto Rico are tired of Luma and Puerto Rico’s have is fragile and obso- that people are experienc-
where they said progress excuses and the constant Electric Power Authority lete, it is Luma’s responsibil- ing.”
has been made and said blaming of someone else.” have blamed aging infra- ity to operate it under the Puerto Rico’s Energy Bu-
the neglect and misman- Luma’s roughly 1.5 million structure, lack of main- critical and emergency reau announced an investi-
agement that occurred clients have been hit by tenance, bad weather, state in which it finds itself,” gation into a power outage
under Puerto Rico’s Electric power outages that have sargassum and even an he said. Wednesday that affected
Power Authority, which is worsened in recent months iguana for the blackouts. Stensby said his company some 250,000 clients and
trying to restructure more and have forced some Officials also stress they’re has repaired some 3,800 led to a 25% loss in overall
than $9 billion in debt, are businesses to close since working with a system just electric posts, replaced energy generated.q

WHO: World coronavirus cases fall 24%; deaths rise in Asia

LONDON (AP) — New coro- day, WHO Director-Gener- cine advisory group rec-
navirus cases reported al Tedros Adhanom Ghe- ommended for the first time
globally dropped nearly breyesus said reported that people most vulnera-
a quarter in the last week coronavirus deaths over the ble to COVID-19, including
while deaths fell 6% but past month have surged older people, those with
were still higher in parts of 35%, and noted there had underlying health condi-
Asia, according to a report been 15,000 deaths in the tions and health workers,
Thursday on the pandemic past week. get a second booster shot.
by the World Health Orga- “15,000 deaths a week is Numerous other health
nization. completely unacceptable, agencies and countries
The U.N. health agency when we have all the tools made the same recom-
said there were 5.4 million to prevent infections and mendation months ago.
new COVID-19 cases re- save lives,” Tedros said. He The expert group also said
ported last week, a decline said the number of virus it had evaluated data
of 24% from the previous sequences shared every from the Pfizer-BioNTech
week. Infections fell every- week has plummeted 90%, and Moderna vaccines Residents wearing face masks wait in line to get their routine
where in the world, includ- making it extremely difficult for younger people and COVID-19 throat swabs at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing,
ing by nearly 40% in Africa for scientists to monitor how said children and teenag- Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022.
and Europe and by a third COVID-19 might be mutat- ers were in the lowest prior- Associated Press
in the Middle East. COVID ing. ity group for vaccination,
deaths rose in the Western “But none of us is helpless,” since they are far less likely perts would endorse wide- data will tell us and we
Pacific and Southeast Asia Tedros said. “Please get to get severe disease. spread boosters for the need to see actually (what)
by 31% and 12% respec- vaccinated if you are not, Joachim Hombach, who general population or new will be the advantage of
tively, but fell or remained and if you need a booster, sits on WHO’s vaccine ex- combination vaccines that these vaccines that com-
stable everywhere else. get one.” pert group, said it was also target the omicron variant. prise an (omicron) strain,”
At a press briefing Wednes- On Thursday, WHO’s vac- uncertain whether the ex- “We need to see what the he said.q