No more weekend curfew – PM Mottley

Barbadians are to be rewarded for their good behaviour during the coronavirus lockdown as this weekend’s curfew is to be the last, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced Friday morning.

The change, to take effect from Wednesday, is to see the end of the Friday-to-Sunday 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew

The physical distancing requirement is to be reduced from six feet to three, she added.

Speaking to journalists at Ilaro Court, the Prime Minister said the time had come for Barbados to return to its pre-COVID-19 state.

Mottley said: “In light of the level of maturity and responsibility that I have seen you exhibit over the last three months we think as a Government that it is safe for us to get on with our lives as we did before COVID-19 reached our shores – cautiously, but get on.

“It is time to reward good behaviour but very carefully so, as we fully understand the consequences of being reckless and irresponsible.”

In disclosing further details of COVID-19 Directive #8, Attorney General Dale Marshall said there were very little things left to relax.

He said the training and preparedness for the reopening of daycare centres were now complete, allowing for the reopening of all nurseries from Monday.

Sporting events with spectators could now go ahead but for indoor sporting activities a density requirement had to be followed, he added.

Entertainment and public events which were previously limited to 250 people has been increased to 500, the AG announced.

From July 15, Government would consider the hosting of larger events with advice from a COVID monitoring unit, he said.

The time limit on church services has also been removed, he said.

But one restriction that will remain is one visitor per patient at hospitals and nursing homes.

And Marshall said the current restriction of allowing one person to visit at a time would remain in effect.

He explained: “We had hoped to be in a position to relax that but after thorough consultation with the medical facilities and the owners and interested parties, the recommendation has been made to us that we should maintain the status quo going forward until further notice.”

The State of Emergency has been extended until August 31 to allow Government to maintain physical distancing and sanitizing.

The Attorney General said: “It is the basis on which the COVID Monitoring Unit will work.

“They will work within the context of the State of Emergency caused by the pandemic and even though we have no cases at this point in time and we feel we are COVID-free from a point of governance, it is still going to be important for us to ensure that those protocols will remain in place.”
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb