PM Holness Revises DRMA Measures for Two Weeks
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced revised Covid-19 protocols under the Disaster Risk Management Act. The recrafted measures will expire in two weeks.
The tightened measures begin today, July 27, 2021, and end August 10, 2021; this as the country faces what the Prime Minister has described as potentially the early stages of the third wave of Covid-19.
Speaking at a press conference last evening (July 26, 2021) to update the nation, the Prime Minister said, “Our focus in crafting these measures will be on trying to control the spread sufficiently to allow us to reopen schools, to facilitate structured face-to-face learning in September. This is imperative for the government and indeed for all the parents and children who have had a very difficult time during this pandemic.”
The adjusted measures are as follows.
Curfew Hours
- From Monday to Saturday, the curfew hours will be from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the following morning.
- On Sundays and Public Holidays, the curfew hours will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the following morning.
- Therefore, the curfew will commence at 3 p.m. on; Emancipation Day, Sunday, August 1, Monday, August 2 (observed holiday), Friday, August 6, and Sunday, August 8.
- Closing hours for establishments will generally be one hour before curfew begins.
- The operating hours for beaches and rivers are Mondays to Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays and Public Holidays from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Reduced Capacity Limits
- A 50% capacity limit will apply to establishments such as
- Places of worship
- Gyms
- Bars that operate under a club licence and the Spirit Licence Act
- Dining Establishments
- Zoos, Amusement parks, water parks, and water attractions
- Small events are to be limited to 100 persons or 50% of capacity, whichever is lower.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister encouraged all citizens to comply with the measures and get vaccinated once vaccines become available to them.
In closing, Prime Minister Holness said, “The reality is that the unvaccinated population could become the foundation on which the third wave is carried. Therefore, I think every single Jamaican should get vaccinated. When the opportunity comes, when your time comes, you should do what is in your best interest, what is in your parents’ and grandparents’ best interest, and what is in the interest of the country. In the interest of your children returning to school, take the vaccine.”
The Prime Minister also noted that the measures taken are a preliminary step in averting a potential spike, based on available data.
“I have been giving notice for the past two weeks, that some tighter measures will come. We may have to implement even tighter measures in the new set of orders that are due after the 11th of August,” said Prime Minister Holness.
In that regard, he said Jamaicans should exercise understanding, compliance, and caution as the nation pulls through the pandemic.