Deyalsingh to clarify ‘Brazilian COVID spreader’ entered Trinidad illegally?

Trinidad and Tobago: It is suspected that Venezuelan migrant who first caused the more contagious Brazilian strain of COVID-19 entered Trinidad illegally. This question was asked to Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at Wednesday’s Health Briefing. However, Deyalsingh refused to answer the media’s questions which is unacceptable for UNC and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

UNC stated, “Keith Rowley-regime owes an answer to the citizens.”

UNC’s further statement:

Given the cramped living sections of illegal migrants, the lack of apprehension by authorities, and their free expanse throughout the local population, this issue deserves particular attention.

Yet it needed weeks for Minister Deyalsingh to admit in the Senate that a Venezuelan national was the first case of the Brazilian mutant, after spending previous weeks diverging and shifting blame to Trinidadians.

Deyalsingh, however, still won’t tell the nation the legal status of the migrant.

At the same time, the virus has been circulating for weeks before it was picked up. The Ministry’s sampling was accidental, and the cases picked up were isolated, i.e. NOT CONNECTED.

This indicates that the Brazilian strain has been here for at least one or two cycles and has likely given the point of community spread. Yet, Minister Deyalsingh is still avoiding questions.

This negligence of duty may be deadly. Today 223 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. This is very concerning. This wave appears that it is going to be worse than our last big one in September 2020, with over 2,600 cases.

Yet, the Ministry of Health is not attempting to forewarn and prepare the population but instead seek to downplay the dangers and avoid answering questions.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley is to blame for this.

For over a year, first with the fired Minister Stuart Young, and now with the current failure Fitzgerald Hinds, Keith Rowley’s regime has refused to deploy the nation’s Coast Guard and air assets to systematically patrol our borders and the 81 identified points of illegal entry.

Keith Rowley has turned our border into a free for, putting all of our lives at risk. This is concerning new, more deadly COVID-19 strains and increased drugs, arms, and munitions smuggling.

It is no wonder that the US Department of Homeland Security has identified Trinidad & Tobago as a central trans-shipment point and is now reported to be setting up an office here.

Keith Rowley and the PNM have failed us, displaying open disdain for the population of Trinidad & Tobago, both at home and abroad.

The community must ask the question as to whether this is mere PNM inadequacy or whether there is something more threatening by this Government that we are as yet unaware of?

As the Official Opposition, the UNC will be investigating these questions in Parliament and force the Administration to respond.