San Fernando mayor blames lawlessness for covid19 spike

San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello has described the increase in the number of covid19 cases as reckless because citizens refuse to acknowledge the severity of the virus.

Regrello who received the first shot of the covid19 AstraZeneca vaccine at the Marabella Health Centre on Saturday told Newsday that the situation continues to be worrisome since people are violating the covid19 regulations for selfish reasons.

People continue to gather in large numbers, he said, lime by bars and engage in activities that act as super-spreaders of the virus, when they should be observing proper safety practices.

“In San Fernando we are working with the municipal police and the TTPS on trying to eradicate lawlessness. The health ministry has appealed time and time again to the people but for some strange reason we just cannot stay indoors.

“This is a very critical issue. Some fail to realise that this is a matter of life and death. People go to bars and hide on a side street or the back of building and have their limes.”

Regrello believed that the bars were not unfairly targeted as per the covid19 protocols, but rather the bars encourage the unscrupulous behaviour.

“There are other businesses that are paying the price for the lawlessness by carried out by a few. We all have to make a sacrifice to get through this. There must be a collective approach in dealing with covid19.”

Bars have not allowed to fully operate since the first lockdown in March last year and partial concessions have allowed for a “grab and go” system, which allows the purchase of alcoholic beverages but no consumption on the premises.

The Bar Owners Association of Trinidad and Tobago have been pleading with the government to fully re-instate their operations, but this has not yet been done.

A steady increase in covid19 cases after the Easter weekend has forced government to re-implement some restrictions in hope that the virus can be managed.