THE Prime Minister has declared that Government will do all it can to protect Trinidad and Tobago from the ravages of the covid19 pandemic.

Dr Rowley also declared it is "clear as day" that Government has been proactive in this since the pandemic started last January.

He made these declarations as he opened debate in the House of Representatives on Monday on a motion to acknowledge the declaration of a state of emergency (SoE) on May 15 to bolster public health regulations already in place to combat covid19.

"This is not something that we have an option (over). We have committed ourselves and our financial resources to do what has to be done to fight this fight. We have committed ourselves to defend every citizen of TT...young, old or medium...male or female...boy or girl. We have committed ourselves to defend each and everyone one of us from this coronavirus."

Rowley said Govermment has been "holding the line until we are able to vaccinate our country to a level where this virus becomes, as it has a potential to be, a normal part of our human existence, but not threatening us on a daily basis with death and destruction."

He explained the SoE was declared on May 15 "because after the year and with the coming of vaccines, we as a population found that we relaxed a bit, we were not as diligent as we could have been.

"Even in the most diligent area of the world," he added, "we are seeing tremendous outbreaks requiring firmer and more responses."

He said while TT experienced a spike in covid19 cases last August-September because of the general election, "We very quickly suppressed that." By September-October 2020, Rowley said the number of covid19 cases had declined, and they declined further with Government's decision to cancel Carnival in February.

"We understood the danger that we were facing was a mixing of the population and movement of people around, in a population where the virus existed. If we did have that kind of thing going on, you have greater numbers of people infected and by extension, greater numbers of deaths."

He attributed the high level of public compliance in February to the ban on Carnival.

But Rowley said there was a subsequent rise in cases which demanded immediate intervention. Had that not been done, he said, "We would certainlty have the kinds of traumatic results of large numbers of dead people, larger numbers of sick people and none of it would have been to the benefit of TT."

While the responses to the virus have been disruptive to people's social lives and the economy, Rowley said it was better to endure these inconveniences for a short time until the pandemic can be brought under control.

He told Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George the Government would not use its full speaking time for debate on this motion, as it wanted to place priority on a second motion to extend the SoE by three months.

At the start of the sitting, Annisette-George said the House must adjourn by 6.30 pm, in order to ensure compliance with the SoE regulations and the associated 9 pm-5 am cur

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