WHY?

It is almost impossible to accept that our country is grinding to a halt and that there is absolutely no end in sight to this pandemic. Almost everything is shut or shutting down and people are slowly running out of money. Oh! Some people still have jobs and are still getting paid, but I would guess that at least three quarters of the working population just ain't working any more and are sitting at home twiddling their thumbs.

This might not be so bad if we had some idea as to what exactly was going on and how well we were doing in this 'war' against this terrible virus. The problem is that we simply don't know what is really happening and the mainstream media either have been bought out by the Government and its suppporters or are simply so incompetent that they simply don't ask the right questions and allow the Government ministers at the innumerable press conferences to"gallery", talk rubbish and tell us, the citizenry, nothing useful. For example, does anybody know why the Venezuelan Vice President came over here two days after her boss, President Maburro, was indicted for drug dealing? And, please; we all know it wasn't to discuss the corona virus. If it was, then why wasn't there a joint press release immediately after the meeting and the media given a chance to ask questions? (Questions such as why go through the expense of a plane ride to discuss the virus when a virtual conference could have sufficed? I thought Venezuela was strapped for cash?) And while we're at it, why was Independence Square near to the Central Bank swarming with armed police the Saturday after her arrival? Is there any truth to the rumour that she brought with her some Venezuelan gold and that was the reason for the police presence? But the mainstream media just will not ask these or any other questions. Why?

Let me give you another very serious question: what exactly is happening with testing for the corona virus? How many people have been tested since the beginning of March? How many have been found to be positive? How many test kits are in the country? Where are they? How many ventilators are in teh country? How many are actually working?

I could go on, but you should be getting the point by now. It is impossible to say whether or not the Government is really doing a good job because we simply don't have enough information. Why? Why, for example, was there  this business of a mix-up with Ian Alleyne? Was he really tested positive again? What exactly is going on in these quarantine centres? Is it true that when you go into quarantine that you are put in a room with four or five other people? If not, are you placed in a room by yourself? If not, why not and how can this be a good thing to be locked up with strangers?

Now, I don't exactly admire Mr. Alleyne, but after hearing his story, how many of you would be willing to submit yourself to the medical authorities and trust them to do the right thing by you? Or would you prefer to take your chances and stay at home? And if you would prefer to stay at home, do you think that you are in a minority or a majority who feel that way?

And that's my point. Frankly, I don't trust the erstwhile Minister of Health. I am not convinced that he has told us the either the truth nor the whole truth about what's going on. Maybe he has and simply has a most unfortunate manner about him that leads one to believe that he is covering up something, but if he is then what is he covering up and why?

And I haven't seen ANY journalist grill him about testing? Why? And by the way, if ... according to official reports ... there are so relatively few cases with approximately half of them coming from a single source ... the cruise ship ... then can we safely assume that we have dodged a bullet and that the Government has done a great job and that the country can re-open within the next two weeks? And if not, why not?

P.S. About the Venezuelan V.P., why could we let her and her entourage in, but we cannot let in our citizens stranded in Barbados?