In a daring, desperate attempt to beat the crowd to be first in line for the Sinopharm vaccine, some people risked possible imprisonment, leaving home to head to vaccination sites during curfew hours on Friday morning.

When Newsday visited sites in north Trinidad, several seniors, who preferred not to be named, admitted to leaving home before 5 am to get to the centres early.

Curfew hours are 9 pm-5 am from Monday-Thursday and 7 pm-5 am on weekends.

Though operations were smoother, after chaotic scenes over the previous two days, and there was a significant reduction in the crowds, many still wanted to secure an early spot, even if it meant running into police patrols. For them, the risk of a fine of up to $250,000 and imprisonment for six months for breaching the curfew was worth getting a vaccine to have a fighting chance against covid19.

Friday was the second day of the vaccination system by alphabetical order of surname for people over 60 and those under 60 with non-communicable diseases.

One off-duty police officer at Barataria, who escorted his parents to get their shot, said this was his third attempt to get them vaccinated. Asked what time they left home, he hesitantly admitted to breaking the curfew.

He told Newsday, "We had to be wary about the fact police will ask why we breaking the curfew. But either way, it was a risk…At the first attempt, I got vaccinated because I’m frontline, the second time my brothers got through – and on both occasions, my parents were turned away.

“They’re becoming desperate.

"There must be a better way to do this. I know the government doing its best, but this not working for seniors. The same way they go from house to house for election, they should do that to vaccinate seniors.”

Two other people said they weren’t too concerned about being stopped by police, since they live close to the centre.

One Greenvale resident said she left home around 4.30 am and walked to the health centre, which is 15 minutes away and a stone's throw away from the La Horquetta Police Station.

[caption id="attachment_894748" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Police patrol Seventh Street in Barataria outside the health centre where several people showed up on Friday hoping to be vaccinated. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]

“I was so scared I would see police. I was even worried about someone doing me something. So what I did was walk close to people gate, so if anything happens I could run into their yard screaming.

“I think the government should use those same cars they used for election to bring seniors to the polling station to transport those who want to get there early.”

Confident that she would be the first one there, she found 19 people in the line already waiting before 5 am.

At the La Horquetta Health Centre, there were mostly people over 60.

A woman sitting at the front of the line told Newsday she left home before 4 am and walked to the centre, half an hour away.

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