Kamla Calls for Removal of Covid-19 Management Team

By Sue-Ann Wayow

TRINIDAD and Tobago has one of the highest death rates due to Covid-19 in the world.

So stated Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar who also repeated her call for a Commission of Enquiry (COE)  into the Government’s handling of the pandemic.

Speaking at the United National Congress (UNC) virtual meeting on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said the country’s death rate and cases due to Covid-19 have been too high and there was no sign of immediate improvement.

She said, “People need answers, the country demands accountability, $18 billion spent and we are overwhelmed with infections and deaths. The Ministry of Health team appears to continuously be justifying themselves and praising their own efforts, ignoring that we now have among the highest Covid death rates in the world. The same team have been in charge for 16 months and over 700 deaths, 100 plus more people have died since I last called for changes to be made seven days ago.  How many more must die before changes are made in this pandemic?”

Stating figures from the Ministry of Health’s reports, Persad-Bissessar said the facts were between  May 16 – June 19, there were 14,614 cases and 456 deaths  and between April 15 – May 15 there were  7,303 cases and 128 deaths.

“During this lockdown of seven weeks more people have died or been infected than before it started,” she said.

She also read from a Facebook post by some-one who lost his father as a result of Covid-19 and the challenges the individual faced.

The UNC leader also extended condolences to that individual as well as the families of all who have passed on.