PM to UNC: Do the right thing – wear a mask

THE Prime Minister has called on UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and former health minister Dr Fuad Khan not to use covid19 as a political tool to undermine goverment's efforts to combat the virus.

Dr Rowley said there are far-reaching consequences of that action,

As the country identified four new covid19 cases on Monday, Rowley warned that the country is still in grave danger.

Rowley appealed to the population, which he said is beginning to forget the world is in a pandemic, cautioning that if people are careless, they could get very sick or die.

“We are still exposed to gave danger. It would be a very serious mistake to believe because we have been able to protect ourselves so far, we are protected and we are now invincible.”

Rowley addressed a virtual meeting from the San Fernando City Auditorium in support of four People’s National Movement (PNM) candidates for San Fernando East and West, Pointe-a-Pierre and Fyzabad, on Monday night.

Before an audience of approximately 100 people, Rowley said when he left Port of Spain on Monday morning bound for Moruga, the Ministry of Health and its team were still dealing with news of new additions.

“By the time I got home tonight, there were four more. Three that came in in traffic, and one we are trying to find the location.”

Rowley called on Persad-Bissessar and Khan to do the right thing and stop undermining government’s advice to the population to be responsible and wear their masks.

He chastised Persad-Bissessar for not wearing a mask while campaigning among people with open faces.

He said as a leader she should be setting the example instead of encouraging people to copy the behaviour of countries which have failed in the treatment of the virus. He singled out the USA, where wearing or not wearing a mask has not become symbolic of identifying as a Democrat or Republican.

He said Khan, as a medical practitioner, should know better than to walk in front of crowds declaring there is no covid19 in TT and accusing the government of oppressing the country.

“They have no problem undermining this country, damaging this country’s image,” Rowley charged.

He said on recent visits to south Trinidad he was amazed to see people not wearing masks.

“I tell you, south people, you are not immune to the threats of the East-West Corridor and of covid19.”

He said should the United National Congress (UNC) win the general election, “by the end of August we will be in deep doo-doo,” because of the foolish behaviour of leaders who are dismissing the science and putting politics in front of common sense.

“I appeal to the people of TT, covid 19 is no respecter of political persuasion and if it gets the better of us in this country, it’s going to deal with all of us with equal injustice.”