(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says in the coming days, he will meet with this country’s Ministry of Health officials to discuss the full reopening of T&T’s operations, as there has been no-post Carnival spike in COVID-19 cases.
Speaking at a People’s National Movement (PNM) virtual public meeting in San Fernando last night, the Prime Minister said he has kept a close eye on the number of COVID cases reported since the Taste of Carnival events.
“And I will be minded to tell the country that I see no reason now not to open the country completely,” Rowley said.
“So within the next few days, I will meet with our health team and we will take decisions commiserate with the circumstances in Trinidad and Tobago and compare it to what is happening elsewhere,” he added.
However, Rowley said T&T must be cautious, as he said a number of countries have reported massive outbreaks of the virus in the recent weeks.
“We have to be mindful but we can be a whole lot more operational, our economy has come through a very difficult period but we expect there will be some growth in our economy, those who are requiring Government assistance will get that assistance, those who can help themselves will be encouraged so to do, and we will strengthen our position going forward,” he said.
He urged citizens to ignore any detractors or those with “cocoa in the sun”, saying the country must be grateful for the success that has been coming its way.
He also expressed relief that students will be back in school in April.
The Prime Minister said during a recent visit to Qatar, he was told schools were never fully closed during the pandemic.
He said in that country, however, its citizens followed instructions and did as they were told during the pandemic.
“We are at the stage now where our children will be coming out to school in April and we trust that when that happens, I will be the first person to exhale when we get back to that situation where our children can go back to school. I find that so painful that they had not been able to go back to school for two years.”
The PM also addressed the March 16 Cabinet reshuffle, where Faris Al-Rawi was removed from his position as Attorney General and appointed as the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government.
Former agriculture minister Clarence Rambharat resigned earlier that day, prompting the reshuffle and bringing questions from the Opposition and citizens.
But the Prime Minister said Rambharat’s resignation was purely personal.
“The only reason why Senator Rambharat is not with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago today is because I stand with him and he stands with his family, that is the only reason and I tell them all, he hasn’t gone very far, because he still has time for Trinidad and Tobago and he still has time for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
“When I realised, having been told what he was dealing with, that he was leaving the Cabinet, I realised that was a blow to the administration of Trinidad and Tobago, but family called and family comes first, as mine does,” he added.
He thanked Rambharat for his service to the country.
