Only Dr Parasram can take a bow

THE EDITOR: With the slow rise of covid19 among the population, whether imported or otherwise, I would like to salute the efforts of Chief Medical Officer, Dr Roshan Parasram. He has been the epitome of knowledge and patience in dissemination of information to an ever growing anxious public during the daily news conferences.

I strongly trust his judgment and decision making to navigate us through this dangerous medical pandemic. Sadly however, this is where the salutations stop. Although government has been patting themselves on the back, the reality is government has just been implementing measures laid out to them by the technocrats.

If government had been, "a step ahead of the World Health Organization" they should have known the virus would eventually reach our shores. Therefore, there should have been a better plan to mitigate the economic fallout and the effect on the population. Instead we have been thrown into more chaos with this pandemic leave and financial aspects of it.

While it is commendable for government to offer any assistance at all, there seems to still be more questions than answers. What about small businesses' loss of income? What about businesses that have temporarily shut down, are owners and staff entitled to these payments? There are a lot more questions but space will not permit.

Another questionable decision the government has taken was to continue with the carnival festivities. A proactive country would have protected its citizens pending this imminent danger. Prevention is always better than cure.

Finally why shut our borders to some fellow countrymen just a few days after the authorities brought home known infected patients from a cruise? Why not bring home all our nationals who want to come back and put them in quarantine?

We as Trinbagonians owe the Barbados Government a debt of gratitude for accommodating our stranded citizens. To our government, right now self praise is no praise and remember this is a new virus which requires new methods of defence and attack, not just mimicking the response of other countries.

WASIM ALI

Curepe