By Sue-Ann Wayow
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley is expected to address the nation tonight (Thursday).
His address is expected to take place at 8 pm and will be broadcast on all major television and radio stations.
The information was issued in a statement by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to all media houses on Wednesday and it was also posted on social media. AZP News will also carry it on our Facebook page.
His address comes one week after the State of Emergency (SoE) has ended, as the country battles with its third wave of the deadly Covid-19 virus and approximately two weeks before the Tobago House of Assembly THA general election.
Since the SoE, which was implemented to combat the spread of Covid-19, ended there have been at least 14 murders committed.
Additionally, more than 4,000 Covid-19 cases in an eight-day period have been reported with the death toll due to the coronavirus crossing 2,000.
On May 15, Dr Rowley first announced the SoE that would have been effective from midnight, in the government’s response to deal with the increasing cases of Covid-19.
President Paula-Mae Weekes, in accordance with the Constitution, subsequently issued the relevant proclamation to give effect to the SoE and for the matter to be dealt with in Parliament.
Members of Parliament met on May 24 and extended the SoE to August 29.
At another Parliamentary sitting to discuss the SoE on August 25, the SoE was extended until November 29.
And at a news conference on November 13, Dr Rowley announced the SoE would be lifted on November 17 almost two weeks before it was scheduled to have ended.
He said then that the SoE had served its purpose to curb the spread of Covid-19 by limiting movement especially during the night and the population was beginning to get accustomed to the new manner of conducting activities, adding that there were sufficient members of the vaccinated public to lift the SoE.
However, the Opposition had claimed that Government only lifted the SoE because it could not get its parliamentary support for any further extensions.
Dr Rowley in Parliament admitted that he was aware that his Government will get no support from the Opposition for any further extension.
