Gov’t, Opposition differ on need to extend state of emergency

CASTRIES, (CMC):

Government and Opposition legislators Tuesday differed on the need for extending a state of emergency (SOE) by a further five months with at least one legislator noting that there should have been a general consensus “on the ground rules” regarding the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) here.

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, who tabled the resolution seeking the extension of the SOE until October 16, said it was necessary in light of the continued efforts to curb the spread of the virus that has infected 4,560 people and killed 74 others since the first case was detected in March last year.

“St Lucia, just like other countries in the Caribbean, and indeed the wider international community, has experienced various peaks and valleys with respect to its domestic COVID situation. We see a cycle of curfews, relaxation of restrictions as we seek to strike the best balance of protecting lives and safeguarding livelihoods,” Chastanet said.

He told legislators “the measures we are taking are not unique to St Lucia”, noting that some of the most developed countries, such as France, the United States and the United Kingdom, and within the Caribbean places like Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago have imposed stricter measures to curb the spread of the virus.

He said that “hope is on the horizon” based on the onset of the vaccination programme, but that St Lucia would need to ensure herd immunity by having at least 70 per cent of the population vaccinated.

However, Opposition Leader Phillip J. Pierre questioned the decision to extend the SOE by five months, and wondered whether or not the upcoming general election played a role in the government’s decision.

“Why are we going up to five months when we could have gone up to four weeks? The government is assuming that it is going to be necessary until October, and it is up to conjecture for why we need the state of emergency until the 16th of October. It is reasonable to assume that it is because constitutionally, the government can call elections by the middle of October.

“They are extending the state of emergency until October. This is the simple conjecture,” Pierre said, insisting that there is no reason “why you keep the country under that tension”.

Former prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony said that both the government and the opposition missed an opportunity to persuade the people of St Lucia that it is in their best interest to take the vaccine.

“And no matter what the differences between us, we should have a collective voice and a collective message to deal with the issue,” he said.