(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Keith Rowley wasn’t in Parliament yesterday afternoon, after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the morning.
At around 12.30 pm yesterday, the Office of the Prime Minister stated that Rowley had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier, after experiencing mild flu-like symptoms.
It is the Prime Minister’s third bout with the virus. He first had COVID in April 2021. The second time he tested positive was four months ago, in July.
The OPM stated that Rowley, 73, will remain in isolation in keeping with the current COVID-19 protocols.
On Monday, Rowley and the National Security Council met with the T&T Police Service. He also addressed a People’s National Movement meeting in Chaguanas on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Rowley also addressed another PNM meeting in Belmont, this time to launch the Leaders in Service candidates for the party’s November 26-27 and December 4 internal elections. He’s listed as contesting political leader among the LIS.
It was announced that a LIS meeting would be held in Diego Martin tomorrow (Sunday) to present the candidates to the Diego Martin constituencies. But since Rowley, the Diego Martin West MP, is in isolation, PNM officials said yesterday, “Based on COVID protocols, he’ll be in isolation for the next 10 days or so. So the Diego Martin meeting will now be in Couva. We’ll return to Diego Martin at a later date.”
Rowley was first diagnosed with COVID in April 2021, just before he was scheduled to obtain a COVID vaccine. He experienced mild symptoms then. After recovery, he was vaccinated, plus he had two booster shots.
In July, Rowley had a second bout with very mild symptoms. He subsequently continued to fit in work, monitoring issues, speaking to members of his team and posting messages on his Facebook page.
Yesterday, UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh, noting the PM’s absence from Parliament, told the T&T Guardian, “I think the Prime Minister must qualify for having created a world record for having contracted the virus so many times in spite of being fully vaccinated and boosted.”
Rowley had a full check-up in Los Angeles in July, when he had a medical procedure done for his cardiac condition, and also had checks for issues relating to his prostate.
The Health Ministry’s latest weekly statement on COVID cases issued on Tuesday listed 141 new cases with six deaths in the week under review. The rolling seven-day average was 20 cases.
Many world leaders, including Caricom leaders, have had COVID-19 since the pandemic started, some more than once.
