Young: Beckles-Robinson will be quarantined

Pennelope Beckles-Robinson. -
Pennelope Beckles-Robinson. -

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young said on Wednesday TT's Permanent Representative to the UN Pennelope Beckles-Robinson will be quarantined for 14 days whenever she returns home, in keeping with covid19 protocols.

Beckles-Robinson will  pay for her own quarantine.

A report in another daily newspaper said Beckles-Robinson will return to TT from New York, where she is based, on Sunday. The PNM is scheduled to screen prospective candidates for the Arima constituency on that day. Beckles-Robinson, who was Arima MP from 2000-2010, and incumbent MP Anthony Garcia are among the nominees for that seat.

In 2014 she unsuccessfully challenged PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley for leadership of the party.

At the Ministry of Health covid19 briefing on Wednesday, Young said Beckles-Robinson will undergo "state-supervised quarantine" when she returns in keeping with the mandatory requirement for all returning nationals.

He confirmed she was granted an exemption to return home.

"She is in the process of making her arrangements to get here." But Young said there are still no commercial flights being permitted into TT.

PNM vice-chairman Robert Le Hunte said he did not know whether Beckles-Robinson's quarantine will affect the screening of nominees for Arima. General secretary Foster Cummings said the party will screen the nominees who are available. He added, the screening committee will discuss how to treat with Beckles-Robinson's situation.

PNM officials said apart from Arima, nominees for Toco/Sangre Grande and Lopinot/Bon Air West, will also be screened on Sunday. The party will screen for the constituencies of La Brea, Mayaro and Naparima on Saturday. All screenings are scheduled to be held at the party's Balisier House headquarters in Port of Spain.

Le Hunte, who was rejected as a nominee for La Brea, said he would recuse himself from the committee when it screens for that constituency. He resigned from the Cabinet on May 16, citing "professional conflict on policy positions."

Incumbent La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre was the other nominee for the constituency. The committee has asked for more nominees.

The party rejected incumbent Toco/Sangre Grande MP Glenda Jennings-Smith as its candidate and picked former TT cricketer Meryvn Dillon. After concerns were raised about Dillon's suitability by Toco/Sangre Grande party group members, his selection was put on hold and the screening committee asked for other nominees.

In the case of Lopinot/ Bon Air West, incumbent MP Cherrie-Ann Critchlow-Cockburn is not standing for re-election. Former Arouca/Maloney MP Alicia Hospedales and party PRO Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing are among the nominees for the constituency. The screening committee has also asked for additional nominees to be sourced for Lopinot/Bon Air West.

Comments

"Young: Beckles-Robinson will be quarantined"

More in this section