Jamaican News

Hon. Andrew Holness Announce New Curfew Measures To Combat The Spread of COVID-19.

March 23, 2021 | Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

Photo of Hon. Andrew Holness (JIS)

After careful consideration and the need to restrict movement even further, except for essential activities, the following changes will be effected:

From Tuesday, March 23 to Friday, March 26, the nightly curfew hours will remain at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning ending at 5 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

 

On Saturday, March 27, 2021, the curfew will begin at 12 noon and continue through the rest of Saturday and the entire day on Sunday and end at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 29, 2021.

 

Please note that on Friday, March 26, 2021, workplaces will be required to close at 12 noon (except for essential services, medical establishments, supermarkets, wholesale stores, pharmacies, restaurants and other food establishments which will remain open noting that the curfew will begin at 8pm).  This is to facilitate persons to conduct their shopping to prepare for the tighter weekend curfew.

 

From Monday, March 29, 2021 to Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the curfew will commence at 8 p.m. nightly to 5 a.m. the following morning ending at 5 a.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2021.

 

On Holy Thursday, April 1, 2021, workplaces will be required to close at 12 noon (except for essential services, medical establishments, supermarkets, wholesale stores, pharmacies, restaurants and other food establishments which will remain open noting that curfew will begin at 8 p.m.). Thereafter it will continue through the entire day on Good Friday and end at 5 a.m on Saturday, April 3, 2021.

 

On Saturday, April 3, 2021, the curfew will begin at 12 noon and continue through the rest of Saturday, the entire day on Easter Sunday, the entire day on Easter Monday and end at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, the curfew will commence at 8 p.m. nightly to 5 a.m. the following morning ending at 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021.

 

On Saturday, April 10, 2021, the curfew will begin at 12 noon and continue through the rest of Saturday and the entire day on Sunday and end at 5 a.m. on Monday, April 12, 2021.

On Friday, April 9, 2021, workplaces will be required to close at 12 noon to facilitate persons to conduct their shopping to prepare for the tighter weekend curfew.

 

Despite the extended curfew hours, we want the vaccination programme to continue. Certain vaccination sites will remain open during curfew hours and on no movement days. Persons with appointments to receive a vaccine will be allowed to do so during curfew hours. Persons will be required to present evidence of the appointment (text message or email) to the police.

 

To be clear, on no movement days, persons will be allowed to seek urgent medical care and those who have overseas travel plans can make their way to or from the airport.  Essential services will still be operational (and in this group I include our fisherfolk, farmers and the media) but I remind those persons employed to essential services who must move on the no movement days to ensure you have your work ID to present to the police.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie listened to his presentation in Parliament and filed these excerpts. He is a veteran journalist with international exposure.

Hopeton Dennie

Hopeton O'Connor-Dennie is a poet, elegist, author, and senior international journalist who writes for Vision newspaper.

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