PM schedules 2.30 pm news conference

THE Prime Minister will host a media conference on Friday at 2.30 pm at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, said a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

This will be the third news briefing held by Dr Rowley within the past eight days.

At his last news conference on Monday, Rowley said all non-essential retail outlets (including itinerant/street food vending) should stay shut until May 23, while essential outlets like pharmacies, supermarkets and bakeries would open from only 6 am to 8 pm. This was owing to health officials saying the parallel health care system would be overrun within seven to ten days, without an intervention against the spread of covid19.

Last Thursday he had announced the closure of all bars and restaurants, yet the numbers of daily covid19 infections and deaths continued to increase.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday approved the use of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine, of which the Chinese Government had promised Trinidad and Tobago some 100,000 doses.