New emergency directive outlines special conditions for Easter holidays

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Special conditions will be in place for the Easter holidays, according to Government’s Official Gazette issued on Saturday.

According to Directive No. 7, issued by the Government of Barbados, on Sunday, March 28, Friday, April 2, Sunday April 4, Monday, April 5 and Sunday April 11, only the following non-essential services shall be permitted to open in the manner specified:

• bakeries for the baking of bread only, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• cleaning services that clean for essential services and businesses to which this paragraph applies; farms, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

• fuel manufacturers, fuel storage facilities and fuel distributors, for the entire day

• gasolene stations, for the sale of products relating to motor vehicles, petroleum products, including liquefied petroleum gas, commonly referred to as “bottled gas”, and for the sale of top-ups for mobile telephones and pharmaceuticals, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

• hotels, villas and other rental accommodation, for the entire day, including restaurants

• pharmaceutical manufacturers, manufacturers of beverages and dairy products, food processors and food distributors, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

• pharmacies for the sale of pharmaceuticals and the filling of prescriptions, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

• sugar factories, for the entire day; and tyre shops, wrecker services and emergency personnel for vehicle response only, as needed.

Meanwhile, the curfew, which starts at 9 p.m. will now end one hour earlier at 5 a.m. 

Most of the existing conditions previously announced in the phased reopening – including the wearing of masks in public – remain in effect.

Churches must maintain six feet for worship, with no more than 75 in-house and 25 for funerals. Weddings are permitted up to 20 guests.

The beaches are open for exercise from 6 to 9 a.m. and again from 3 to 6 p.m. and parks from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but “no more than 2 persons shall exercise together, in which case there shall be a physical distance of at least 6 feet between them, unless they are members of the same household”.

Residents are reminded that: “Any person who contravenes this Directive or fails to comply with any condition specified by the Chief Medical Officer or the Unit is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $50 000 or to imprisonment for a term of one year or to both…”