The trial continues today at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court of a woman charged that she breached quarantine.
The trial has provided some brow-raising insights into communications and oversight as it relates to persons under COVID-19 quarantine in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Jeyandra Jackson, 24, of Long Piece, Lowmans Windward, is being tried on a charge that on Oct. 27, she contravened an order made by Dr. Roger Duncan, health officer, under section 27(a) of the Public Health Act, requiring her to quarantine herself from other persons.
However, with most of the main witnesses having testified in the case, the Crown is yet to produce any evidence that the woman was served with a court order to quarantine herself from others, as the prosecution is alleging.
Further, the last message that the woman received when she was allowed to leave her in-hotel quarantine, was from the receptionist, saying that a nurse had messaged to say that Jackson was COVID-19 negative, and could go home.
The case continued last week, for a second consecutive Tuesday, with defence counsel Israel Bruce, who joined the matter late, recalling the main witness, Daynia Clarke.
Clarke, a staff nurse, had told the court one week earlier that she was on duty at the Argyle International Airport on Oct. 22, when Jackson arrived aboard an Air Canada flight from Canada.
The prosecution had tendered into evidence a court order, which did not have Jackson’s name inserted in it.
Last week, Bruce asked, if, based on the exhibit, the court order was directed at Jackson.
Clarke said that was the case when she inserted Jackson’s name and gave it to her.
But Jackson, who had initially pleaded guilty to the charge but changed her plea after hearing the facts, has maintained that no court order was given to her.
Bruce, noting he entered the matter after the trial began, asked the court if there was another exhibit tendered by the Crown with Jackson’s name inserted.
Senior Magistrate, Rickie Burnett, said that the exhibit was the first one tendered by the Crown.
Clarke told the court that the court order is not done in duplicate form and the only one is the one that is given to the passenger who is ordered to be quarantined.
Bruce asked the nurse if she was seriously saying that the head of the Ministry of Health does not keep a copy of the court order.
Clarke said this is what she was saying.
The defence lawyer commented that the trial was “to fill gaps”.
Bruce asked the nurse if she agreed that the state had no proof that it gave a court order to Jackson.
“I have no proof, but it is routine,” the senior nurse replied.
Bruce repeated the question and the prosecutor, Crown Counsel Shakelle Bobb, told the court that the witness had already answered the questions.
The defence counsel then said he had no further question for the witness, and Bobb declined re-examination.
Although, IN MY OPINION, most of the hype about Covid-19 we now know is false, we still have to obey these quarantine laws. We have to obey these laws because the virus does exist and IS DEADLY to various people! Since the virus came out the world has learned much more about it. It is no where near as deadly to young and healthy people as they first told us. Generally, as the REAL scientic facts indicate, “IN MY OPINION” unless you have health immune problems, are obese, or are very elderly, very few people ever die from this virus. According to the CDC the number of children under 17 that have died world-wide, is about ZERO. The data I read said that 96% that have died are over 80 years of age. Many doctors have come out on Youtube, (and been very quickly deleted) saying that health institutions are encouraged ($$$) to say deaths are from Covid-19 even if facts prove they are not. How many of them actually are virus-related? Is there, in the UK, a new strain of the virus that spreads faster? Is it deadly? Or is this more scare tactics to get us to accept the “Great Reset” of Economic Poverty for the middle-class resulting from all the lock-downs and closure of small business? Obviously there is an agenda at play here. Some people are becoming incredibly wealthy and powerful. We are undeniably seeing the biggest Global Revolution in history. When and where will it end? We can look at the silver lining and know that presently it is not so bad in SVG.
Can SVG have its own “reset”? Maybe the government should do some “quick thinking” and use these conditions to our economic advantage. So far they have not been seeing what they should be seeing and have therefore been missing the boat completely.
Profound
Are there any written laws related to this Corona virus and quarantine. How can you arrest and charge someone for breaking a law that’s not written and pass by parliament. The government and the judges are now acting like a dictatorship.