PM: Vaccine hesitancy prevents Tobago from being 'safe zone'

The Prime Minister said Tobago has the vaccine capacity to be a "safe zone" against covid19.

But instead, he said the island has been uncooperative in its response to the campaign to control the covid19 threat. On Thursday, County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Tobago Dr Tiffany Hoyte said owing to the increasing numbers of people who will become seriously ill with the virus, the island's ICU was over capacity with six patients.

"We have in Tobago currently five ICU beds, so what that says is that we're actually over capacity with persons actually being housed at an isolation unit in A&E," she said at Thursday's THA health briefing.

"At this point in time we are at the crossroads where we have this situation – so what happens to persons who come in severely ill and need an ICU bed?"

Last week, the division's line secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine revealed that 60 per cent of the island's adult population was still unvaccinated, despite the availability of four brands of vaccines.

At a news conference on Friday at his official residence in Blenheim, Tobago, Dr Rowley said the Government was very concerned about Tobago's response to the vaccination drive.

"I am concerned from the standpoint that Tobago does not have the infrastructure and large number of doctors, nurses, hospitals and beds to cope with a dangerously heavy outbreak," he said.

"When you look at the exposure in Tobago and the lack of interest with using the protection of the vaccines, I think Tobago people need to pay attention to their safety, and I am asking that you co-operate with the vaccination programme."

Rowley said he is very aware of leaders in Tobago encouraging people in Tobago not to co-operate.

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) and PSA leader Watson Duke has been heavily critical of the covid19 vaccines. Claiming the vaccines are "killing people," Duke said he would not take the covid19 vaccine until it is "legitimised,approved or licensed."

As of Friday, covid19 had killed 1,318 people in TT.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed no person in TT has died from taking the vaccine.

Rowley said, "It is your right to listen to these leaders. It is your right to make your decision. But it is also my duty to alert you that if those rights lead you to a place where there is not sufficient healthcare available – basically what you are doing is playing with your life. After all, it is only your life."

Rowley also scoffed at the argument among some people in Tobago that the beaches should be reopened.

He said at one point the idea was possible.

"If when the virus came to us it was feasible as a government to isolate Tobago from Trinidad so as to protect the Tobago population, I was prepared to do that."

Rowley continued, "It turned out that was not a prudent act. We would have gone ahead with some mixing, reduced as it was."

He said Tobago, which accounts for almost ten per cent of the national covid19 cases, could have easily been vaccinated.

"Tobago always had all of the vaccines that were available.

"Tobago has a much smaller number of people. It is easy to vaccinate the population. We could have had all of the people vaccinated and made it safe zone. But the population is saying, 'We are not interested in that.'

"But let it not be said that that was not part of the thought process."