ALL businesses around this island have been given the green light to
restart operations come Monday, under strict health protocols.
Meanwhile, day-care centres are to reopen on June 22.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made these announcements last night
while lifting several restrictions that had been implemented in March
to reduce the spread of COVID-19. With the island recording no new
cases for over two weeks and the latest being four new cases imported
from the United States, she declared there was no reason to keep
citizens from their workplaces.
These include: the allowance of Public Service Vehicles and buses to
operate at full seating and half the stipulated standing capacities
with all passengers required to wear masks, and with the exception of
inclement weather, the windows on these vehicles kept open; no
restrictions on the use of parks and beaches; sporting activities to
be conducted as normal with limited spectators, which will be
specified at a later date; the allowance of up to 250 persons at
social events, with higher numbers requiring guidance from the Health
Ministry; a special unit to be set up to facilitate requests for
bigger events; and the reopening of gyms, which must have the capacity
to facilitate social distancing.
Several restrictions remain in place however, including those on
visits at hospitals, senior citizens’ homes and prisons.
n addition, curfew times have changed on weekends – now being in
place from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Fridays to Sundays and discontinued
during the week.
“Common sense must prevail and do not drop your guard,” asserted PM
Mottley, who reminded citizens to avoid handshaking and hugging.
“I want to remind people that just as a car has an accelerator and a
brake, these measures have accelerators and brakes. So we are opening
back up, but we are conscious that it is the management of risk that
is going to guide our behaviour, and therefore if people are going to
allow us to continue to function as close to normal, then we need
everyone to be each other’s first own guard and as a reminder to their
brothers and sisters that we are not out of danger, but we have to be
able to allow people to live and in so doing there are strict
protocols that we would like each other to share, because we are going
to literally not only have to take care of ourselves, but those in our
immediate circle,” she stated.
Speaking specifically on day-care centres, PM Mottley said the week’s
delay in reopening was to allow child care professionals to be made
aware of the health protocols and to “do any fine-tuning and training
as is required and would be signed off by the EOC”.
The PM said over the next few days, health officials would give draft
directives to ensure greater clarity for those seeking to plan events
and urged those businesses yet to be consulted or in doubt on what
protocols had to be followed, to contact relevant authorities or her
office pmbarbados@barbados.gov.bb to gain information.