On Thursday, Acting Prime Minister, the Honourable Santia Bradshaw, MP and Attorney-General, the Honourable Dale Marshall, QC, MP, issued a statement following a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
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Emergency Management (COVID-19) Curfew (No. 2) Directive, 2020
Santia Bradshaw [00:00:00] Fellow Barbadians and members of the media.
Santia Bradshaw [00:00:03] With me, I have my colleagues, the Honourable Attorney-General, Mr. Dale Marshall and the Honourable Minister of Health and Wellness, the Honourable Jeffrey Bostic. We are definitely practising physical distancing as required at Stage 3 of our response to the COVID-19 virus.
Santia Bradshaw [00:00:15] Since last night’s press statement, which I made, the chief medical officer has confirmed the presence of one more case out of 33 persons who had been tested of COVID-19 in Barbados. This now brings our total number of cases to 46. Our observations thus far continue to be that there are large groups of persons congregating across the island, even in spite of the persistent warnings of the dangers of so doing.
Santia Bradshaw [00:00:54] As we continue our discussions with our stakeholders, the members of the Cabinet sub-committee who in respect of COVID-19, met this morning with the owners of a number of supermarkets, gas stations and bakeries across the island. Amongst the concerns expressed at that meeting unanimously by those present are that even up to this morning, a large number of persons continue to congregate in particular outside these supermarkets. I have discussed the matter with the Chief Medical Officer, as well as the Minister of Health and Wellness, and they’re both of the view that we cannot further delay the closure of supermarkets and mini-marts across the island based on current trends. To do otherwise will have deleterious effects on the well-being of our citizens.
Santia Bradshaw [00:01:48] Therefore, for the avoidance of any doubt, the curfew which we imposed on this country is a 24-hour curfew unless there is legitimate business which will require you to leave your home and to be on the road. You can only be on the road to go to the pharmacy to seek medical assistance, or if you are part of the essential services, or if you are doing business with any of the businesses which are exempted under this order. Therefore, as of 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, the 3rd of April, all supermarkets and mini marts shall remain closed until further notice.
Santia Bradshaw [00:02:33] We are in discussions with supermarket owners to see how we can certainly be able to provide through electronic commerce as well as perhaps a staggering of allowing persons across the country to be able to access these services, particularly the most vulnerable in that category, to allow them to be able to fulfill specific grocery orders. And those discussions are ongoing and we will continue to update the country as it relates to that.
Santia Bradshaw [00:02:58] There are thousands who buy their groceries every day from what in Barbados we consider the village shops and I want the public to appreciate that we have not placed the restriction on the village shops because we understand and appreciate that many persons will normally visit village shops in order to get basic groceries. That said, we have in the Order obviously indicated to the country that we can have no more than three persons congregating at the time and for also the purpose of the village shops that no alcoholic beverages will be able to be sold. So essentially we are asking the village shop owners to ensure that just simply provide the necessary dispatch of groceries to persons living in those communities, but to curtail and to ensure that there are clear restrictions on persons congregating for more than three and also that there are no alcoholic beverages which are sold.
Santia Bradshaw [00:04:02] I want to really reiterate that all restaurants shall remain closed until midnight on the 14th of April 2020. Again, the sale of alcoholic beverages will also be prohibited for the duration of this period. Automarts at gas stations will only be opened for the sale of top-ups, but I want to make the point that gas stations will remain open because we recognize that a number of essential service providers will obviously have to move around the country and they will obviously be at the center of being able to utilize the service. Obviously, if persons are going to be doctor or they’re making their way back home as a result of the top-up, obviously, that will be permissible at this point in time.
Santia Bradshaw [00:04:45] The sale of bread from bakeries and red depots will also remain in place in terms of them persons being able to purchase from those bakeries and bread depots. Again, culturally, we also recognize that there’s a large percentage of persons that from day to day will often visit the bread shops. They may not have the disposable income as some in the country to be able to stock up on large quantities of food. And we want at this point to be able to allow them to be able to maintain their presence purchasing those items.
Santia Bradshaw [00:05:17] I want to also reiterate that all Government Departments will remain closed unless otherwise specified by the Head of the Civil Service. The Head of the civil service will send out a memo to all Ministries indicating who will be required to come to work. And that relationship obviously will be further clarified with the Permanent Secretaries of the respective Government Departments.
Santia Bradshaw [00:05:40] I want to give the country the assurance that this government will continue to monitor the situation. As I would have said last night, this is a very fluid situation and we continue to be in discussions with our stakeholders, but there will be further COVID directives over the course, no doubt, in the next few days and certainly during this period as we continue as a Government to work with this respective stakeholders, to monitor the situation and to do right by the people of Barbados. I thank you.
Dale Marshall [00:00:00] Thank you, Prime Minister.
Dale Marshall [00:00:01] I believe that most Barbadians will be reflecting seriously on these additional restrictions that have been placed on them. But let me say that no restrictions are going to be effective unless they’re effectively policed, and I want to say the Barbadians that the police and all of our civil authorities are fully behind these measures and will not be leaving anything to chance.
Dale Marshall [00:00:30] It’s not just a question of heightened presence. I want to assure you that these restrictions are going to be taken very seriously and that individuals will be charged by the Royal Barbados Police Force if they continue to fly in the face of the law.
Dale Marshall [00:00:47] Over the last few days, even though we had said construction was to end, we’ve found that a number of people were continuing to work on houses and we’ve actually had to send out police officers to shut those projects down and we’ve warned them in very strong terms that if they continue to try to do any of that kind of work, they’re going to be arrested.
Dale Marshall [00:01:11] There’s too much at stake and it is important that Barbadians recognize that the time has now come when the Government has to not only impose strong strictures, but also to impose a strong enforcement mechanism. Already, you know that one person has been charged for breaking curfew. I understand that other individuals have been held by the Police and so I think you can expect that if reckless behaviour continues, the response of the Royal Barbados Police Force will be commensurate.