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It was 1918 and among the tragedy of tragedies facing the world’s living and dying, was the deadly influenza pandemic. For this was no run-of-the mill pandemic rather it was the real deal, the numero uno, starring none other than H1N1 that boast an avian pedigree.
For this uninvited lethal enigma of unascertained aetiology surely caused humongous tidal-waves incertitude within the scientific community. But aetiology was the least of their worries, for inconsequential it must have been on whether genesis was in a Chinese lab or African jungle, since it’s efficiency at arresting hearts was the masses’ nightmarish fear. In fact, by 1920 this incontestable fiend had gatecrashed the bodies of 500 million, with 50 million made permanently deaf to their final au revoir,“Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.”
But thankfully, pandemics are as rare as hen’s teeth, which provides the love longing living procreation time to replenish the virus deplenished earth, as scientists and leaders plan for the next devilish agent. And this preparedness is informed by prior pandemic failures and successes which underpins today’s Public Health Practices, saving millions of lives.
The fact is, leaders lack the skills required to predict the date, time and origin of the next infectious agent driven pandemic. Further, most are without the aptitude to predict the number after a chronological count to six. But having said that, the volume of information readily available would make unnecessary deaths unpardonable. For the last pandemic has left us not only bodies but also a body of information on the mandated uniform approach in managing this pandemic, guided by WHO. And this uniformity speaks to coordinated singing from the same pandemic hymn book, recognising that we are as strong as our weakest link. For truth be told, if one amongst us fails to abide by International Best Practices, we are all at risk.
Trinidad like the rest of the world is grappling with the Covid for which the Government of Dr. Rowley, a volcanologist, having recognised the threat posed undertook mitigating steps. Firstly, Dr. Rowley introduced and enforced Public Health Practices. Face-mask. Social distancing. Restricted social gatherings. Quarantining. Isolating. Among others. And these costless unsophisticated practices, contrary to PPP hallow argument, is accessible to both first and third-world countries. But Dr. Rowley is no one trick pony, evident in laws enacted to legalise penalties for Covid rule breakers. Moreover, Dr. Rowley took vaccination seriously by placing hand in coffer, to procure quality Covid vaccines. Certainly, Dr. Rowley wasn’t playing Russian Roulette with the lives of the citizenry by begging for untested vaccines. And to erase any doubts of his resolve to avoid a Jada Pinkett type entanglement with Covid, Dr. Rowley made her persona non grata by closing all airports since mid-2020 as he instituted lockdowns. Surely, Dr. Rowley wasn’t playing dolly house with this femme fatale.
However, despite Dr. Rowley’s herculean efforts, deaths recently increased due to variants. But Dr. Rowley was prepared for this unrequited lover in Covid, shielding the entire twin island in a State of Emergency (SoE) from 15th May, 9pm-5am, restricting Covid lovers to their beds. Undisputed was Dr. Rowley exemplary leadership, as he prepared his people for the worse while praying for the best, in informing them of Covid getting worse before getting better. Then Dr. Rowley’s human-side was illuminated as he reassured the concerned masses that the SoE was the necessary last resort.
But Dr. Rowley is surely of Einsteinian wisdom, evident in his response when questioned on the likely duration of the SoE. For expertly he avoided the elephant trap by stating, as long as a piece of string, being aware of the unpredictable nature of humans and rules. Then his trump card was unveiled in asserting that the anticipated May 23rd lifting of some restrictions will be dependent on Epidemiologist, Dr. Hinds’ data. But two key points must be highlighted at this juncture. Firstly, Dr. Rowley recognised no lockdown duration should be rigidly pre-determine rather they are guided by data. The second, Dr. Rowley is surely surrounded by competent professionals in, Epidemiologist, Chief Medical Officer, Principal Medical Officer and National Security Minister, who are all guided by the science and not politics. Certainly, this must be the reason Dr. Rowley comes across as a Covid tsar since he is surrounded by the best brains in the islands.
PPP Covid pappyshow
PPP, a 23yr failure from all credible matrix, was provided the opportunity to test their leadership and management skills with Covid the heart stopping examiner.
But on ascending the throne that Mr. Granger inexplicable abdicated, evident it was that PPP was focused on making dollars despite having no sense. And to this end, everything was lifted faster than a miniskirt on a windy day. Airports accesses lifted. Ports door, lifted. Businesses shutters, lifted. Hotels and brothels entrances, lifted. Partial lockdown, lifted. Isolation units “we are open sign” lifted. Quarantine units “welcome sign” lifted. For PPP was doing more lifting than Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his prime. And expectedly, the masses misguided by PPP, did some lifting of their own. Face-mask, lifted to their foreheads. The result was exponentially increasing deaths/cases and without a Dr. Rowley in their ranks, the high-tides overcame our Covid walls.
So without the likes of Dr. Rowley in their camp of confusion, PPP turned to Dr. Rouge, an anti-science, anti-commonsense and anti-International Best Practice, halfwit. And Dr. Rouge given job description was to expectorate excuses after excuses on demand, coughing more uncontrollably than that of a bronchitic smoker. More testing means more deaths, was the most comically contagious expectorate. Lax populace must be held responsible for the deaths, was from a cough of unknown aetiology. APNU+AFC poorly managed Covid turned out to be from a chronic seizure inducing foolhardy cough. And surely, with such incessant coughing in the vicinity of Freedom House, the masses kept their distance, fearful of the deadly contagion; cough induced cretinism.
But PPP incompetence went unabated like a runaway train, as they with begging bowl went on an Asian tour and was duly rewarded with the now cremated Covaxin. And clearly, not one to learn from prior mistakes, they continued to manufacture more problems than that of a calamitous Humpty Dumpty. First calamity was absent Dr. Rowley type press conferences. Second, no epidemiologists. Third, no lockdowns. Fourth, no enforcement of public health practices. Fifth, no supervised quarantining. Six, no supervised isolation. Seven, no contact tracing. Eight, airports and ports remained opened, providing us regular Covid variants updates, like a high-tech iPhone, to maintain their lethality.
Cheese to chalk
Certainly, comparing Dr. Rowley’s Covid management to that of PPP would certainly be not dissimilar to a fatuously attempted comparison of the world renown Noble Laureate and Professor, Toni Morrison to the High School dropout and academic virgin, Freddie Kissoon. For Trinidad with twice our population counts less deaths, yet Dr. Rowley remains concern and proactive, in taking actions to save lives. In contrast, with our spiralling deaths and cases, PPP remain unbothered as they celebrate their failed vaccine programme. And through this PPP farce, Dr. Rowley, a minimalistic linguist, is likely to recycle his words, “this is not going to end nice.”