Trinidad and Tobago: As Prime Minister found positive from COVID-19, it took everybody in tension. UNC wrote to speaker seeking protocols to safeguard all the respective members.
UNC statement:
Opposition Members of Parliament have abstained from yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives as our coronavirus safety concerns are yet to be written after raising them almost a week ago.
Upon the prime minister’s announcement positive for coronavirus, the Opposition wrote to the Speaker seeking administration and assurances that measures were being executed to protect all members. Days later, it concerns that we have got no response or advice on a concern that frightens everyone within the Parliament.
One needs to ask the serious question if Trinidad and Tobago is now a one-party country, where conflicting voices are being stifled in our Parliament.
Opposition Members take their Parliamentary obligations very seriously; however, as we have seen it published in the media, thirty-five residents have worked into quarantine due to the prime minister’s primary and secondary contacts.
As it stands, we are still uncertain how many House of Representatives members have been primary or secondary connections of the Prime Minister.
Earlier, as the Government publishes new lockdown steps to try and stem the spike in favourable cases, one has to wonder why the Administration refuses to subject Parliament to the same standards as the rest of the nation. Why is the administration applying one rule for citizens and another rule for themselves?
The Opposition continues concerned about the Government’s complete mishandling of the health emergency, and we will proceed to seek citizens’ engagements on this critical matter.
People’s reaction:
A resident commented, “Probably Rowley doesn’t have covid (only crying wolf) it’s alleged, that’s why they don’t have to sanitize the place. People need to be brave now & sue the government, all who had to closed their businesses to sanitized after a covid case was detected.”
