News from the OPM

Nightly Islandwide Curfew Extended

Posted on by OPM Communications
Nightly Islandwide Curfew Extended
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced an extension of the nightly islandwide curfew for a further seven (7) days as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The extension of the nightly islandwide curfew takes effect at 6:00 PM Wednesday, May 6 and expires at 6:00 AM on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement last night (Monday, May 4) during a virtual press conference at the OPM Media Centre.

Further to the announced extension, Prime Minister Holness said the Disaster Risk Management Order No. 4 will be extended until May 31st. Those enforcement measures include;

  • The duty of employers to provide transportation for exempt workers within curfew time.
  •  Persons 70 and over are to stay home
  •  Gatherings in public places should not exceed 10 persons
  •  Social distancing of 6ft apart
  •  Mandatory wearing of masks in public
  •  Operating hours for markets, supermarkets and corner shops, gas station and public transportation
  •  Restrictions for hairdressers and barbershops
  •  Work from home
  •  Closure of bars, nightclubs, places of amusement and beaches
 Regarding bars, Prime Minister Holness said they will remain closed however Cabinet will continue discussions and will give an update on the operations of bars during the next update to the nation.

In the meantime, physical schools will not resume until September 7, 2020 at the start of the new school year however the Ministry of Education said that online learning will continue up to July 3, 2020.

Finally, the Prime Minister underscored that the strict measures enacted for the Business Processing Outsourcing industry will also continue until May 31, 2020. In that regard, he noted that the Government has been carefully managing the industry through a Task Force led by the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz.

Prime Minister Holness expressed that the crisis has provided an opportunity to make the economy stronger and more robust. He also said the Government will manage the gradual reopening of the economy.