Beaches close @ midnight; Curfew remains the same – Premier
Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said the Cabinet made the decision on July 1, 2020.
He revealed via a statement that the Cabinet met and advised the National Security Council to instruct the Attorney General to draft a new Curfew Order No. 23 of 2020.
He said the curfew is to: “maintain the curfew hours from midnight to 5:00 am for a period of 14 days; increase the hours of access to the Territory’s beaches from 5:01 am to 11:59 pm; allow private vessels to continue to use Territorial waters during full daylight hours from 5:01 am to 7:00 pm and allow ferries to operate in Territorial waters between 5:00 am and midnight.”
Persons were previously allowed to access the Territory's beaches from 5:00 am – 7:00 pm.
COVID-19 is serious
The Premier then urged all to understand that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is serious.
“It is important for the public to understand that although we are making step-by-step changes, there is still no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19. So we must continue to move forward in a controlled way. Many countries are experiencing a spike or second wave of coronavirus, and with God’s help I pray that this will never be our reality. However, it is up to each of us to make sure that this does not become our reality. We cannot afford to let our guards down.”
He said residents must continue to social distance, standing six feet apart from each other, respecting that the persons next to them have a right to live a healthy life.
“We all must continue to wash our hands for 20 seconds so that we are not spreading what we cannot see. We must continue to wear our masks, specifically those that cover from our nose to our chin. Each day that we, as businesses and customers, ignore these important steps as COVID-19 continues, we are putting our lives and establishments at risk. Let us all continue to encourage each other to not get weary in well-doing. We are in this together. Together we will defeat COVID-19 as we move collectively forward to reawaken and strengthen our economy as we work in protecting our Virgin Islands for present and future generations to come.”
Hon Fahie said it must be understood that “we are not playing around with COVID-19 because COVID-19 is not playing around it us.”
Guidelines for religious organisations
The Premier also said Cabinet endorsed the COVID-19 guidance for Churches and other Faith-based organisations, subject to review on a weekly basis.
“There seemed to have been misconceptions following a stakeholder consultation meeting as the Ministry of Health and religious leaders were working together to develop the guidelines for Cabinet’s consideration. There seemed to have been some discussions in those stakeholder meetings regarding the length of time that religious institutions would meet for services,” he pointed out.
He said he wished to place on record that for the first time the Cabinet was able to see and review the guidance document that will support the safe conduct of religious proceedings and services in this ‘New Regular’ of living with COVID-19.
“I wish to assure the public that the Government of the Virgin Islands will never try to put constraints on the work of the Lord, but will ensure that all is being done by all establishments in the Territory to keep people safe and healthy. The Ministry of Health will make the guidelines available to the churches and other faith-based organisations in short order,” he stated.
As it is mass gatherings for faith-based organisations, graduations, weddings and funerals require one person per 64 square feet, up to a maximum of 100 people.
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