Minister: Covid19 kills youngsters

COVID19 has now been found to kill young people by forming blood clots in their veins and arteries, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh warned the House of Representatives on Monday.

He was replying to an urgent question from Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan, as to whether the Government might allow food delivery services to operate to help that sector during the lockdown.

Deyalsingh retorted that very recently young adults in their twenties and thirties, in other countries, have been found to have died from blood clots in their body after covid19 infection. He chided Khan for his question.

Earlier, Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe asked if any private labs had been approved to do covid19 testing. Deyalsingh said five had applied but none had been approved.

When Bodoe asked if this meant the labs had been considered and then not been approved, Deyalsingh gave a one-word reply, barely audible under his face mask, that sounded like “yes.”

Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee asked if food cards have been given to pupils registered for school meals.

Minister of Social Development Camille Robinson-Regis said each MP has been given a batch of 50 and a batch of 47 cards. “I’m very, very surprised the Member could ask that question,” she said.

Lee retorted that his constituency has 3,000 pupils registered but so far only 500 cards have been received for them. Robinson-Regis replied that pupils not getting would be only a minuscule number.

Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial asked about the Government’s promised distribution of face masks. Deyalsingh said the Government has given them to the NGO, FEEL, to distribute, namely 6,000 masks in Trinidad and 2,000 in Tobago. He said 15,000 to 20,000 more will be given to FEEL this weekend.

Nipdec received bids for its tender to make masks which will be evaluated this week, based on small, medium or large manufacturers. He promised these will then be distributed “by the thousands,” thereby keeping the Government’s promise made three weeks ago. He said the masks are being donated by the private sector.

“There is no thieving. There is no corruption. Mamoo not making masks.”

Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim tried to adjourn the sitting to debate schooling during the lockdown as a definite matter of urgent public importance, but this was disallowed by Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George. She said should a matter must meet a high threshold, of arising suddenly, there being no other opportunity to debate it and there being no government policy or statement on the subject.

“I am not satisfied this matter qualifies.”

A similar fate befell Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who sought to adjourn to debate alleged clandestine shipments of gasoline from TT to Aruba to prop up the Venezuelan Government, which possibly exposed TT to US sanctions. The Speaker advised him to try under a different standing order.

The sitting was marked by all members including the Speaker wearing black masks.

She began by stating the measures she voiced last month to curb any spread of covid19 including seats spaced out for social distancing and a reduced number of MPs, reporters and staff in the chamber.

New steps included black face masks supplied to each MP by Parliament and mandatory temperature screening of everyone entering the Red House.

Also: “No visitor shall be permitted entry to the public gallery except five media personnel.”

Later the House voted on and agreed to Robinson-Regis’s call to reduce speaking time to 20 minutes with no extensions for all MPs in all debates for the duration of the covid19 pandemic, down from a current level of 30 minutes plus an optional 15 minute extension. A mover of a motion and the first responder will have 30 minutes to speak, down from a current time of 45 minutes. The House paused for three minutes to let all MPs returned to the chamber fom where they had been scattered in line with social distancing. As the speaker read the proposed motion, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar recalled a statement read at length by the Finance Minister by mumbling under her breath, "And Imbert talking for one hour!" The Speaker put the vote, producing a mixed result of ayes and then nos, leading her to then take a division, each Government MP agreeing and each Opposition MP opposing.

In rejecting the motion, Persad-Bissessar said, "No, this is very unfair." Next Naparima MP Rodney Charles said, "I agree, this is very unfair." The Speaker cautioned members to merely say yes, no or abstain. Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in his vote declared, "No-o-o-o-o."

The motion was passed by a split House, of 21 government MPs voting for and 15 opposition MPs against.

MPs then debated a bill on electronic tagging of ex-prisoners.