By Sue-Ann Wayow
MEMBER of Parliament for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal is curious about the origins of the Brazilian variant of Covid-19 in Trinidad and Tobago especially since the borders are closed.
Speaking at an Opposition press conference on Sunday, Dr Moonilal while not stating definitely a particular cause said there was concern about illegal immigration.
He described the new variant as a “ticking bomb” waiting to explode.
“There is a greater risk that migrants can come in with the virus. The vulnerability is higher. Therefore the fear is higher,” Dr Moonilal said.
Not enough was being done to protect the borders from a national security perspective since illegal immigrants would not be undergoing the health safety measures put in place at the designated ports of entry, he said.
The Government was not confronting this issue and National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds should now focus on a comprehensive border-security plan.
Dr Moonilal said, “They (Venezuelans) are coming to T&T. The only thing they fear is the water. It can’t be that they fear the Coast Guard or the police.”
Since the first local case of the P1 variant was reported on April 19, the Ministry of Health has been advising citizens to take extra caution especially since three other patients also tested positive for the South American variant.
About the vaccination process that the country is undergoing, Dr Moonilal said not enough citizens were being vaccinated at a reasonable rate.
He said so far just over 4% of the adult population has been vaccinated.
Dr Moonilal said, “This is a terrible position to be in now. The only way the world will conquer this pandemic is by mass vaccination. It is not sustainable that the human population will continue to wear masks, social distance and wash hands.”
“These are serious issues that have arrived and the Government has not been transparent,” he added.
