COVID-19: ‘I rather be criticised for overdoing it, than underdoing it’ - CoP Matthews
On the Wednesday, April 1, 2020, edition of the Honestly Speaking show, it was noted by moderator Claude O. Skelton-Cline that many have now regarded the response of the RVIPF in light of the government-mandated extended curfew to be somewhat excessive and that of a 'police state', given the low number of confirmed imported COVID-19 infections.
Some jurisdictions acted too late - Mr Matthews
According to CoP Matthews, “In other jurisdictions, there are far more cases and what is clear, if you look across the world and even in different countries and different approaches… some jurisdictions acted too late and it’s gone out of control before they put measures in.”
He said that in the case of the Virgin Islands (VI), the Government along with the Governor, Mr Augustus J. U. Jaspert is working to ensure that the territory does not get in the position where they are ‘playing catch-up.’
Mr Matthews noted that it would be expected that people would say too much is happening, with regards to the measures the authorities make to restrict movement.
“I join the Government and the Governor by saying this, I would rather be criticized for overdoing it now, that underdoing it later on and finding out that things got out of control,” the Commissioner of Police said.
Health sector would be under pressure
As part of the reasoning, Mr Matthews noted that the territory's healthcare system simply cannot handle a huge influx of cases.
“The pressures that would be on our small health capability here would just be super enormous and if people get a severe dose of this virus, we have got to try and look after them within our medical facilities here,” he said.
CoP Matthews also noted that the lessons being learnt from around the world show that the quicker you act, the faster you will contain the spread of the virus, which results in more lives being saved.
He said when that happens in the Virgin Islands, the territory will coming out of the perceived draconian measures sooner.
“The other side if that is if we don’t really lock down properly now, if people breach the curfews or ignore the social distancing advice, if people spread this virus, we could find ourselves in lockdown for weeks and months,” he said.
The territory is going into a 14-day round-the-clock extended lockdown from this evening Saturday, April 4, 2020.
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36 Responses to “COVID-19: ‘I rather be criticised for overdoing it, than underdoing it’ - CoP Matthews”
This country needs critical thinkers !! Else we all going down
Please offer a solution/suggestion.
If y’all don’t let the unemployed go back out to work !!! Quit with this nonsense this ain’t no damn pandemic this is y’all pushing fear to lock us in doors for control !! Come on now
Also going on a ventilator only gives you a 13% chance or survival these are the figures they don't mention in the news but come from a report from a doctor on the front lines.
-Love Bill
wen everything is over you can blame whoever
stop with ur 5G shit for now and support wat is being done.
if we survive, we have years to say who was right and who was wrong.
now is not that time.
please i beg u
On the other hand, the VI must avoid becoming a police state. Yes, the curfew should be enforced. But is not the purpose and intent to attain compliance. IMO if police encounter a curfew breaker and if it is a first offense, he or she should be given a written warning and told to go home. And if it were a second offense, charging is appropriate. Look like the Comish is adopting the “broken window” theory.
Generally,people do not know how to protect themselves.
If you look at society on a whole,more people commit crimes against each other,and more people go to prison for crimes against each other,is more others come out the next day,and do the same thing with the same result and the same fate..
No one wants to seen as the coward,who will walk away and don't fight.
Everyone wants to be seen as the badman who pull the trigger..
Mr. Commissioner,they who want to be out,have bad intentions,because,I cannot understand how people do not want the government to protect them from an infectious and highly contagious disease that is prevalent in the BVI.
People love money and other material things more than people and more than themselves.
The whole world should be lockdown for 3 months,including the BVI and other Caribbean countries..
For now, Lockdown the BVI for 14 days,