Trinidad and Tobago's Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi assured that the government had offered "full transparency" over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. His statements come after a petition by the United National Congress (UNC) opposition party to form an inquiry commission to examine the matter.
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UNC opposition leader Persad-Bissessar held that Prime Minister Keith Rowley's administration failed to control the movement of people during the Easter vacation and ensure border security, thus causing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
She also decried the lack of adequate COVID-19 vaccines, noting that the government appears to be relying on donations and the COVAX facility solely.
Last month, however, Rowley accused UNC of not taking the pandemic seriously and condemned that the party’s rhetoric undermined the vaccination plan.
“All I see from the opposition is an attempt to find opportunities to score political points, and they are the source of a lot of misinformation... Its behavior is downright scandalous,” Rowley said.
Al-Rawi noted that litigation against the government has cost US$14.5 million since 2020. The UNC commission seeks to examine the collection, organization, and dissemination of information regarding the pandemic's tallies on the island.
Last month, the Parliament extended the state of emergency for three months to curb the spread of the virus, which has infected over 27,000 people so far.