Facts about hosting CPL

THE EDITOR: People appear to be losing sight of several facts that are at the heart of the decision to host CPL 2020 here in TT. There have been a lot of emotional responses so far. I take the opportunity to inject logic into the argument. Here are some important facts to keep in mind:

1. The Government is not taking away seats on planes or beds in hospitals and quarantine facilities to accommodate the 200 plus players and staff for the CPL that starts on August 18.

2. The Government is also not diverting much needed funding from the covid19 fight to accommodate the CPL players and staff. The CPL is paying the full cost of accommodation and any other care that may be required.

3. The Hilton Trinidad is not being converted into a quarantine centre or a step-down facility. This is a one-time occurrence. The Hilton will swiftly revert to a hotel and will double as the home base of all the players and staff for the five weeks of the tournament.

4. There are currently over 3,000 applications pending for exemptions for re-entry into TT. The return of these people is being managed on a phased basis in accordance with the capacity of all facilities that form part of the parallel healthcare system.

5. To date, 4,515 nationals have been repatriated and quarantined.

The Government has repeatedly said that all citizens wishing to return will be accommodated in time.

I have absolutely no reason to believe otherwise.

B THOMAS

Diego Martin