Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar says her party intends to move a motion of contempt against Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, also calling for him to be referred to the Parliament’s Privileges Committee.

It follows Dr. Rowley’s statement in the House of Representatives on Monday, in which he attributed the spike in Covid-19 cases to vigils organized by the Opposition.

At a UNC press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Persad Bissessar said the PM must be held accountable for allegedly attempting to mislead the Parliament. 

Pointing fingers back at the government, the Opposition Leader noted that heightened movement around the Easter vacation also contributed to a spike in cases, including in Tobago. 

“The government also put on extra flights, extra ferry sailings for people to go to Tobago. They wanted people, in mass numbers, to go… and in retrospect now that would have been reckless. And should the PM believe that the vigils caused the spike, then why did you open up Tobago for business?” she asked.

How did we get here- What did the PM say, exactly?

As he wrapped up a motion in the House of Representatives on Monday, Dr. Rowley mentioned the spike in Covid-19 cases. “The only country, in the Caribbean, where in the middle of a pandemic, the Opposition organize gatherings of people called vigils. Thousands of people for a month trying to exploit the death of Andrea Bharatt and you asking me how we got here. “What other gatherings took place?” he told the Parliament. 

What do the health professional say?

The uptick in Covid-19 cases started around Mid-March- before the Easter vacation- and continued to surge upwards as a result of several factors, including vigils and the Easter vacation. This is according to Epidemiologist, Dr. Avery Hinds, who addressed the concern during Wednesday morning’s Covid-19 briefing.