THE EDITOR: Congratulations to the authorities for their carefully planned and well-run response to covid19. Well done.

But did I really hear the Prime Minister say on the Saturday evening news that we can now go back to playing loud music in public? For some citizens that is grief.

Many of us found the period of the pandemic to be a welcome respite from the epidemic of loud music (or some of it) enveloping our country. Cars, maxis, bars, private homes, store fronts, beach parties…all free to batter our senses with unregulated noise, at any time of day or night. No civilised society allows this.

Loud music is a health issue, Minister Deyalsingh, and we would be grateful if you could apply some of your admirable management skills to freeing us from this scourge.

It was very disappointing, however, to learn, some weeks ago, that you, the Minister of Health, had declared yourself unable to do anything about a specific problem of loud noise that plagued your own community.

If our country does not already have legislation that adequately addresses this problem, I implore you to make public what relevant laws exist, strengthen them, add to them as necessary, and have them enforced.

Again, loud music is a health issue, and no government has shown any real concern or urgency about tackling this. The Government could make some more good history for itself by turning to it with half the thoughtfulness it applied to covid19.

MERLE HODGE

St Augustine

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