United National Congress’s (UNC) shadow local government minister and MP for St Augustine Khadijah Ameen says the government is not allocating sufficient resources to the fight against dengue.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha) has recorded 229 lab-confirmed cases and two fatalities in Trinidad and Tobago as of July 9, a rise from 126 cases on June 21.

Speaking at a media briefing this morning, Ameen said she is aware of numerous instances of various regional corporations not being given the resources they need to tackle the spread of the virus.

The virus spreads from mosquitoes to people and is common in tropical and subtropical climates.

Symptoms include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash.

Ameen said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is burying his head in the sand and politicising the issue.

She accused the government of being reactive instead of proactive, saying there are numerous measures which can help fight the spread of the illness apart from issuing fines.

The ministry has said it will impose fines of up to $3,500 on people whose premises become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

“They used to call the UNC government a box-drain government, but box drains are one of the measures that work to improve drainage and stop the spread of dengue,” Ameen said.

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