Emergency Management Covid-19 Curfew No. 16 Directive 2021

Aug 28, 2021 | Covid-19 Directives and Protocols

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

VOL. CLVI No. 100

Part A

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS, 28TH AUGUST, 2021

Content

S.I. 2021 No. 55: Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Curfew) (No. 16) Directive, 2021.

28th August, 2021

S.I. 2021 No. 55

Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order, 2021 S. I. 2021 No.19

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (COVID-19) (CURFEW) (NO. 16) DIRECTIVE, 2021

WHEREAS pursuant to paragraph 15 of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order, 2021 (S.I. 2021 No. 19) made under the Emergency Management Act, Cap. 160A, it is provided that the Prime Minister on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer may issue a directive requiring every person to observe such physical distancing and associated protocols in the interest of public health as may be specified;

AND WHEREAS a public health emergency exists in Barbados;

The Prime Minister, by virtue of the power and authority vested in her and on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer pursuant to paragraph 15 of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order, 2021, hereby issues the following Directive:

  1. This Directive may be cited as the Emergency Management(COVID-19) (Curfew) (No. 16) Directive, 2021.
  2. A curfew is hereby imposed throughout Barbados from the 29th day

of August, 2021 to the 12th day of September, 2021 between the hours of 11:00

p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

3.(1) No person shall leave his residence between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

as specified in paragraph 2, except

  1. the person is an employee or member of an essential service; or
  2. the person has an emergency.
  1. Every employee or member of an essential service shall have on his personat all times, evidence of his employment by, or membership of, as the case may be, such a service.
  2. Any person who gives false or misleading information to a member of thePolice Force, the Defence Force or a member of the COVID-19 Protocol Monitoring Unit, in this Directive referred to as “the Unit”, as to his reason for leaving his residence between the hours specified in subparagraph (1) contravenes this Directive.
  3. The Attorney General may, on request made to him through www.gov.bb,

grant an exemption to any person or business affected by subparagraph (1).

  1. All businesses, establishments, organizations and persons shallcomply with this Directive.
    5.(1) Subject to this Directive, all businesses, establishments andorganizations are permitted to open and operate daily.
    1. Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), night clubs shall be closed for theduration of this Directive.
    2. No person shall consume food or drink inside a bar or a rum shop but mayconsume such items outdoors.
    3. Gyms, dance and exercise studios shall only operate in accordance withprotocols issued by the Unit.
    4. The operators of businesses and establishments may permit their staff towork remotely where the operations can continue effectively if the staff work remotely.
    5. Subject to this subparagraph, meetings shall be held virtually wheneverthey can be efficiently and effectively conducted.
      6.(1)shall
      (a)The owner or operator of any business, establishment or organization
      ensure that
      1. the staff of the business, establishment or organization; and
      2. all persons who enter the business, establishment or organization,
    comply with the physical distancing protocols;
    1. provide hand sanitizing stations for staff and all persons who enter the business, establishment or organization;
    2. restrict the number of persons within and outside the business, establishment or organization at any one time in order to ensure that a physical distance of at least
      1. 6 feet, in the case of persons within a building; and
      2. 3 feet, in the case of persons in any outdoor space,is maintained between every person.
    3. ensure that persons do not assemble otherwise than for the purpose of transacting business; and
    4. comply with such other protocols as may be established by the Chief Medical Officer and the Unit.
    (2) The owner or operator of any business, establishment or organization inwhich there are 25 or more employees shall designate an employee as a COVID-19 compliance officer.
    7.(1) Subject to this Directive, pleasure craft and private boats are permittedto operate in the manner specified in this paragraph.(2) Pleasure craft and private boats may be chartered for private cruises butshall carry no more than 50 per cent of their authorized number of passengers.
    8.(1) Indoor cinemas are permitted to open and subject to a physicaldistance of at least 6 feet between patrons shall have no more than 100 patrons; and members of the same household may sit together.(2) Drive-in cinemas are permitted to open and shall comply with the protocolsspecified by the Chief Medical Officer and the Unit.
    9.(1) Any member of the Police Force or the Unit may enter any business,establishment or organization at any time during its hours of operation in order to ensure that the business, establishment or organization is in compliance with this Directive and for that purpose, may ask questions of the owner, operator, employees or patrons of the business, establishment or organization.
    1. An owner, operator or employee referred to in subparagraph (1) who
      1. denies entry to;
      2. fails to answer any question put to him by or gives a false or misleading answer to any such question to;
      3. assaults, insults, obstructs or uses threatening words or gestures to; or
      4. fails to comply with any instructions given to him byany member of the Police Force or the Unit contravenes this Directive.
        10.(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)

      7. No person shall host or attend a fete;a graduation;a private party;a private banquet, ball or dance; a prize giving ceremony;a reception;a social event known as “a bus crawl”;
    a karaoke event; ora bus or other vehicular excursion.
    1. For the avoidance of doubt, permission granted by the Unit under theEmergency Management Protocol Directive, 2021 (S.I. 2021 No. 40) to the owner or operator of a place of public entertainment within the meaning of the Public Entertainments Act, Cap. 85A, to host an event is suspended for the duration of this Directive.
      11.(1)(2)All indoor sports are prohibited.Subject to subparagraph (3), only non-contact outdoor sporting activitiesare permitted and there shall be no more than 20 participants.
    2. Where any sporting activity requires more than 20 persons to play the sportor to practice, the host or organizer of the sporting activity shall apply to the Unit for permission to host the sporting activity.
    3. Competitive sporting events, including horse racing, may be held only withthe prior permission of the Unit.
    4. Sporting bodies or organizations shall submit a draft of their intendedprotocols to the Unit for the approval of the Unit and no such body shall resume any sporting activity until the body or organization has received the written approval of the Unit.
    5. Spectators are not permitted to attend any sporting activity; but supportpersonnel essential for the conduct of the sporting activity may be present.

    12.(1)Contact sports are permitted for practice only.
    Notwithstanding paragraph 10, a meeting of a fraternal society, privateor social club or civic association or organization is permitted and may be attended by no more than 25 persons.
    1. Notwithstanding paragraph 10, the following outdoor events shall bepermitted and may be attended by no more than 20 persons:
      1. the social event known as “a lime”; and
      2. a picnic.
    2. The host or organizer of an event listed at subparagraphs (1) and (2), shall
    comply with paragraph 6.
    13.(1)(2)No person shall host a summer camp.For the avoidance of doubt, any permission to host a summer camp grantedby the Unit under the Emergency Management Protocol Directive, 2021(S.I. 2021 No. 40) is revoked.
    14.(1) Notwithstanding paragraph 10, subparagraphs (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6)shall apply to places of religious worship, funeral services, wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions, as the case requires.
    1. Places of religious worship are permitted to open for religious services andmeetings.
    2. Religious services and meetings may be attended by such number ofpersons as the place of religious worship can accommodate where at least 6 feet of space in every direction is maintained among all persons, but in no case shall more than 25 persons attend such services or meetings.
    3. Sacraments and rituals of faith may be administered at places of religiousworship and the following protocols shall be observed:
      1. communion shall be by individual servings of sacraments only; and
      2. officiants and participants in the sacrament of baptism, except the person who is being baptized, shall wear face masks and face shields.
    4. Funeral services shall be attended by no more than 25 mourners, who shallremain 6 feet apart in every direction, two officiants and the funeral director and necessary staff.
    5. Wedding ceremonies shall be attended by the bride and bridegroom, 2witnesses, the marriage officer and no more than 25 guests who shall, except the bride and bridegroom, remain 6 feet apart in every direction during the ceremony.
    6. Only seated dining may be provided at wedding receptions for the weddingparty and no more than 25 guests, with 6 feet of separation between table set- ups.
    7. Religious services, meetings, wedding ceremonies and funeral servicesshall not exceed 90 minutes.
    8. Dancing is prohibited at wedding receptions.
    9. Choir rehearsals are prohibited.
    10. Members of the same household may sit together at any event referred to
    in subparagraphs (3), (4), (5),(6), (7) and (8).
    1. Beaches and parks shall be open between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and7:00 p.m. daily.
      16.(1) Where persons exercise together outdoors, they shall maintain aphysical distance of at least 6 feet between every person, unless they are members of the same household.(2) No more than 100 persons shall attend a hike together and they shall notsocialize before the hike begins and after the hike they shall disperse and they shall not socialize.(3)
      17.Aerobic and dance exercise classes shall be conducted outdoors.
      A person who is in a public place shall
      1. wear a face mask as specified in paragraph 18;
      2. comply with the physical distancing protocols established by the Chief Medical Officer, unless they are members of the same household; and

18.(1)

(a)

(b)

comply with every condition specified by the Chief Medical Officer and the Unit.

No person shall, without reasonable explanation, be in a public building or public place; or

travel on a public service vehicle or other public transport, whether as a driver, conductor or passenger,

unless he wears a face mask, face shield or face-covering which covers his mouth, nose and chin.

  1. Where the person referred to in subparagraph (1) is a child who isaccompanied by an individual who has responsibility for the child, the individual shall provide and ensure that the child has and wears a face mask, face shield or face covering as required by subparagraph (1).
  2. The owner or operator of any business, establishment or organization,which provides goods or services to the public, shall ensure that no member of the public is permitted to enter, or, having entered, to remain within any enclosed space of the business, establishment or organization unless the person is wearing a face mask, face shield or face covering which covers his mouth, nose and chin.
  3. Subparagraph (3) binds the Crown.
  4. Subparagraphs (1) to (3) shall not apply to children under 5 years of age.
  5. Subparagraph (1) does not apply to persons travelling in a privatevehicle.
  6. Notwithstanding subparagraph (1)(a), a person may, if he is required tospeak and is physically distanced from other persons present, remove his mask only for the duration of the speech.
  7. For the purposes of subparagraph (1), a person has a reasonable explanation
    1. where the person cannot put on, wear or remove a face mask, face shield or face covering by reason of any medical, physical or mental illness or disability;
    2. where the person is travelling with or providing assistance to another person and the other person relies on lip-reading to communicate with the first person;
    3. where the person is eating, drinking, taking medication or exercising;
    4. where a request is made of the person to remove his face mask, face shield or face covering temporarily for security and identification purposes; or
    5. in such other circumstances as may be provided for in such protocols as the Chief Medical Officer may determine.
  8. For the purposes of this Directive, “public building” or “public place”

includes a building or a place to which members of the public have a general or conditional right of access.

19.

20.(1)

School.

No person shall visit any place of quarantine or an isolation station. No person shall visit a prisoner or a ward of a Government Industrial

(2) A person may visit a prison or a Government Industrial School to transact

business.

21.(1)

No more than one person at a time shall visit a patient in a hospital,

or a facility for the treatment of persons with an addiction to, or a dependency on, a drug or a narcotic substance.

  1. No person may visit a patient in a nursing home, senior citizens’ home, ageriatric hospital or a district hospital but may visit such an institution to deliver care packages and transact business.
    22.(1) No person shall transmit a video recording or an audio recording ofany person or in any way make known to the public the identity of any person
    1. who has been tested for COVID-19 or the result of any such test; or
    2. who is in quarantine or in an isolation station.

(2) It is a defence for the person who is charged with an offence under

subparagraph (1) if he proves that he had obtained the prior consent of the person who is the subject of the act.

23.(1) A public service vehicle shall carry no more than 75 per cent of its

authorized number of sitting passengers and shall carry no standing passengers.

  1. The windows of public service vehicles shall remain open throughout thejourney, except during inclement weather.
  2. Subparagraph (2) does not apply to those public service vehicles whosewindows are sealed by the manufacturer.
  3. The owner or driver of a public service vehicle shall ensure that the vehicleis sanitized after setting down passengers and before picking up new passengers at the following motor omnibus depots and terminals:
    1. Mangrove Bus Depot;
    2. Oistins Bus Depot;
    3. Constitution Road Terminal;
    4. Fairchild Street Terminal;
    5. Princess Alice Terminal; and
    6. Speightstown Terminal.
  4. An owner or driver of a public service vehicle who fails to comply with

any provision of this paragraph is, in addition to the penalty provided by paragraph 28, liable to have his licence or permit suspended.

24.

25.

(a)

(b)

(c)

A traveller to Barbados shall

give details of his accommodation in Barbados to the Chief Immigration Officer and to the Chief Medical Officer;

comply with this Directive; and

comply with the Travel Protocols for entry into Barbados and the Health and Safety Protocols for the Tourism Sector established by the Chief Medical Officer for the Ministry of Tourism.

A traveller to Barbados who gives false or misleading information or

submits a false document on arrival in Barbados to the Chief Immigration Officer or the Chief Medical Officer concerning

  1. his accommodation in Barbados;
  2. whether he has been tested for COVID-19 and the result of such test; or
  3. whether he has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19,

contravenes this Directive.

26.

27.

(a)

(b)

(c)

A person who is placed in quarantine

shall not leave the room in which he is quarantined without the consent of the Chief Medical Officer;

shall not receive guests; and

shall obey the directions of the Chief Medical Officer.

The owner or operator of any business, establishment or organization

who fails to comply with this Directive is, in addition to the penalty provided by paragraph 28, liable to be ordered by the Prime Minister or Attorney General, acting on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer or the Unit, to cease to operate for the duration of this Directive.

28.

(a)

(b)

Any person who contravenes

this Directive or fails to comply with any protocol specified by the Chief Medical Officer or the Unit; or

any protocol approved by the Unit under paragraph 11(5),

is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $50 000 or to imprisonment for a term of one year or to both pursuant to paragraph 15(1) of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order, 2021 (S.I. 2021 No. 19).

  1. The Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Curfew) (No. 15)Directive, 2021 (S.I. 2021 No. 54) is revoked.
  2. This Directive shall come into effect on the 29th day of August, 2021

and shall cease to have effect on the 12th day of September, 2021.

Made by the Prime Minister this 28th day of August, 2021.

MIA AMOR MOTTLEY

Prime Minister

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