New curfew hours in effect

With 161 COVID-19 cases linked to the HMP Dodds following a Boxing Day bus crawl, a new curfew directive takes effect from today until January 14, from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

According to Attorney General Dale Marshall, all manufacturing companies, gas stations, hotels, villas and rental accommodations are allowed to open 24/7, while there will be no banquets, social gatherings, limes, fetes, picnics, bus crawls , karaoke, or excursions, amongst any other social events.

He said beaches will be opened to the public for exercise and swimming, while parks will also remain opened at this time.

Churches and other faith based organizations have suspended face-to-face services, and will only open for funeral services including 10 mourners, one officiant and the funeral director. Only the bride and bridegroom, two witnesses and the marriage officer would be permitted to attend weddings.

Marshall made it clear that during the curfew hours, individuals should not be on the road unless they are members of an essential service or in the case of an emergency, as was the case during last year’s shutdown arrangements.

“Finally, I indicated to you that we are putting the brakes on bus crawls. I indicated to you too that this special curfew directive is only for the next two weeks, I believe that you would have seen the kinds of ads that were out there encouraging people to come to bus crawls.

“These bus crawls are obviously a clear and present danger in terms of the closeness and the interaction of the individuals participating in them. So while this directive is banning bus crawls for the next two weeks until the 14th, I can say to you with absolute certainty that when the 14th comes that we are going to be extending the ban on bus crawls beyond this current period. We are in this dreaded position simply because of the intrinsic nature of this kind of event and we simply cannot permit them to continue at this time,” Marshall said. (AH)