Curfew adjustment coming ahead of Independence, Christmas season

FROM Monday, November 15, there will be extended opening hours in Barbados, as the nightly curfew moves from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.
Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, made the announcement yesterday, during a COVID-19 Update and Press Conference. Speaking after Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, had earlier pointed out that the country was seeing an average of 300 COVID cases daily and about 2,000 cases weekly and that health officials were managing as best they could by increasing capacity in areas where needed, Mottley stressed that the good news is that Barbadians have been generally responsive to calls for them to take a COVID- 19 vaccine.
“The good news is that Barbadians, as I have said, have generally been responsive and when we look at it, 66.3% or just about two out of every three people who are over the age of 12 years old, have taken
the vaccine in this country. And I really do want to salute Barbadians for putting us in that position, because 152,000 people is not 152,” she indicated.

Acknowledging that there is still some way to go where management of the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned, Mottley however stressed that the move to adjust the curfew was in direct response to many requests from busi- ness persons and citizens on a whole across the country, who wish to do a bit more to enhance their lives and livelihoods, even as the Independence and Christmas seasons approach.
“While we are at a stage where we accept the seri- ousness of the pandemic, we also agree that we are not a one-issue country and therefore, there are other critical issues that have to be addressed, if people are to live and to support their families and to continue to keep their businesses afloat,” Mottley remarked. “It is against that back-drop that after consulta- tion, we have agreed that we will now shorten the curfew hours and as of Monday the 15th of November, I believe that the curfew will move from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. That midnight will re- main in place for the next four weeks, but we will review at that time to see where we are, recognising that we are continuing to encourage persons to in- crease the vaccination rate, recognising that we are continuing to encour- age persons to maintain the protocols,” the Prime Minister added. She meanwhile stressed, “The easing of the curfew is no excuse for people to abandon the protocols and to abandon in particular mask wear- ing or the other things that are necessary to keep us safe.”
Mottley meanwhile cautioned that if the situ- ation gets out of hand, Government will move to apply the brakes to get things back under control and as such, she urged Barbadians on the whole to do their part to keep COVID-19 cases at bay.
For those who may want to see the removal of all restrictions, the Prime Minister however stressed that the country is still a long way off from
this process, even as she encouraged more Barbadians to get vacci- nated and to know their status.

Safe zones still on the cards

Prime Minister Mottley meanwhile built on a point made by Minister Bostic and later wel- comed by President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr. Lynda Williams, that the Safe Zones, which were to be previously rolled out, were not intended in any way to affect patients, in terms of their access to health care, but rather to ensure a safe space for staff as well as clients. Mottley pointed out that parallel to what is taking place, with the adjustment to the curfew and the further efforts to have more Barbadians vaccinated as well as tested, that Government will build upon and roll out its safety zones after further consultations, so that persons can feel much more comfortable with the process.