Leader of the Opposition Bishop Joseph Atherley has told the Government not to use the highly contagious novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a cover to sneak certain measures on Barbadians.
Neither, said Atherley, should the Barbados Labour Party use its large parliamentary numbers to “achieve such nefarious ends” as putting strictures in place that would not normally find favour with the population.
He was speaking today as Parliament met and extended the public health emergency proclamation until June 30 in relation to COVID-19, a pandemic that has claimed 194 994 worldwide.
Under the public health emergency there is a 24-hour curfew until May 3 with movement during this period limited to essential workers and those given exemptions to carry on business. There have been 77 positive tests for COVID-19 here and six deaths.
Bishop said he was supporting the lengthening of the public health emergency, recognising that Government could have gone for a longer period since the situation is fluid and the virus not fully understood. He said that some other international governments used the cover of various forms of emergencies to extend its life or implement measures that would not find the approval of the public or the consent of parliaments.
“I would just want to advise and encourage this government not to be so disposed as to use the cover of COVID-19 as to attempt to be the type of administration that in the darkness of this hour implement measures or put in place strictures which would not under normal circumstances find concordance from the public of Barbados.
“So I advise very strongly that Government does not use this COVID-19 threat as cover for any such enterprise. This Government is also in a position to use the power of numbers if it so disposed to achieve such nefarious ends and I would want to counsel against that. I want to be very clear I am not charging the Government with that. I want to make it clear that I am supporting the measure before us,” he stated.
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