Former People’s National Congress Leader Robert Corbin is currently hospitalised with COVID-19 and his party is pleading with the public for strict adherence to the COVID measures while urging for greater enforcement of the regulations.
The 72-year-old Corbin is currently a patient at the new Infectious Disease Hospital, located in the former Ocean View Hotel compound, Liliendaal, where this newspaper understands he is “recovering well and resting.”
“When I learned of it I was very worried because he was very cognizant of the dangers and ensured he kept all the protocols. Hearing about him flashed back to when he was ill and taken abroad. I know for somebody like him… COVID could be very serious and I am very worried but I know he is also a strong man,” APNU+AFC Chief Whip and PNC Executive Christopher Jones told the Stabroek News yesterday.
“I want him to know that the parliamentary opposition will keep him [in our thoughts] as we wish him a speedy recovery. He understood the importance of the adherence to the guidelines, in the sense that very early when COVID was present, I made contact that I wanted to do an interview and he had indicated that no, he could not do it. He said that he was at his farm in Linden and will be there for quite a while. So when I learned today, I was shocked,” he added.
Jones said that for the 72-year-old former party leader who adhered to all the prevention guidelines to still contract the virus shows that this nation has to be more serious about how it operates at this time.
“Once again, this reiterates the seriousness that anyone is susceptible, anyone. As a nation we have to take it serious [by] following the outlined protocols; your wearing face masks, social distancing and only if necessary come out,” he said.
Jones is calling for this nation’s leaders to impress upon their constituents, the clear and present dangers of the disease and that they should follow the guidelines.
He believes that the country should have stricter enforcement now but should not have even been opened up the way it is.
“Leadership too has to be critical. Adjusting the curfew it gives that false impression that COVID-19 is under control and the country is relaxed. Persons get that impression that all is well and they go out and interact and party as normal. We know the people will contract [the virus] but the fact that a small nation is getting two and three deaths per day, it is most worrying. Not to make it political, but leaders have to play their parts,” he said.
“You have about 70 deaths, almost two deaths per day, in two months. I fear that it will get worse. I see the administration leaning towards the business sector. You are opening up the country for business to thrive. Yet the very people you are opening to spend are going out to spend but they are getting sick and they are dying. We should have had one month complete lockdown and then you gradually open up back, region by region. Region 5 is an example of where relaxing could start but we are not doing that. Where is the enforcement by law? We saw persons being prosecuted but now I don’t see [prosecutions]. We have to get it under control,” he warned.
