Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Curfew)
WHEREAS by paragraph 15 of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) (No. 3) Order, 2020 (S.I. 2020 No. 71) 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;
NOW THEREFORE by virtue of the power and the authority in me vested and on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer aforesaid I do hereby issue the following Directive for Monday the 1st day of February, 2021 and Tuesday the 2nd day of February, 2021.
- (1) A curfew is hereby imposed throughout Barbados on Monday the 1st day of February, 2021 and Tuesday the 2nd day of February, 2021 from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on each succeeding day.
(2) No person shall leave his residence between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. as specified in sub-paragraph (1), except
(a) the person is an employee or member of an essential service; or
(b) the person has an emergency.
(3) Every employee or member of an essential service shall have on his person at all times, evidence of his employment or membership, as the case may be, of such a service.
(4) The Attorney-General may, on request made to him through www.gov.bb, grant an exemption to any person or business affected by sub-paragraph (2).
2. The owner or operator of any business or establishment shall
(a) ensure that there is strict compliance with the physical distancing protocols by staff and all persons who enter the business or establishment;
(b) provide hand sanitizing stations for staff and all persons who enter the business or establishment;
(c) restrict the number of persons within and outside the business or establishment at any one time in order to ensure that a distance of at least 6 feet is maintained between every person;
(d) ensure that persons do not assemble otherwise than for the purpose of transacting business; and
(e) follow such other protocols as may be established by the Chief Medical Officer and the Covid-19 Monitoring Protocol Unit, in this Directive referred to as the “Unit”.
3. During the curfew period specified in paragraph 1(1), the following businesses may remain open:
(a) fuel manufacturers, fuel storage facilities and fuel distributors and other manufacturing companies;
(b) gasoline stations; and
(c) hotels, villas and other rental accommodation.
4. (1) Places of religious worship shall be opened only
(a) for religious services at which no more than 10 persons shall be present for the conduct or streaming of such
services;
(b) for the conduct of funeral services which, subject to sub-paragraph (2), shall be attended by no more than 20 mourners, no more than 5 officiants and the funeral director and necessary staff; and
(c) for the conduct of wedding ceremonies, which shall be attended by the bride and bridegroom, 2 witnesses, the
marriage officer, no more than 3 officiants and no more than 15 guests.
(2) Any person in charge of a funeral who wishes to have more than 20 mourners present at the service shall first obtain the permission of the Unit which, in exercise of its discretion, may, subject to sub-paragraph (3), grant permission in exceptional circumstances to exceed 20 mourners.
(3) Where the Unit grants permission pursuant to sub-paragraph (2) to exceed 20 mourners, the Unit shall assign a member thereof to attend the funeral service in order to ensure that all protocols are complied with.
5. No person shall host or attend
(a) a party;
(b) a recreational or competitive sporting event;
(c) a banquet, ball, dance or reception;
(d) a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club or civic association or organisation;
(e) a social event known as
(i) “a bus crawl”; or
(ii) “a lime”;
(f) a karaoke event;
(g) a picnic; or
(h) a bus or other vehicular excursion.
6. A person who wishes to charter a private boat must first obtain the permission of the Unit; and the person shall comply with the conditions and protocols stipulated by the Unit.
7. (1) A person may visit a beach or a park.
(2) Where 2 or more persons visit a beach or a park as a group, those persons shall comply with the physical distancing protocols, unless they are members of the same household, in which case, the members of the household shall not exceed 10 persons.
8. All persons who assemble in public places shall comply with
(a) the physical distancing protocols, unless they are members of the same household; and
(b) every condition specified by the Chief Medical Officer and the Unit.
9. (1) No person shall, without reasonable explanation,
(a) be in a public building; or
(b) travel on public transport whether as driver, conductor or passenger,
unless he wears a face mask, face shield or face-covering which covers his mouth, nose and chin
(2) Where the person referred to in sub-paragraph (1) is a child who is accompanied 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 sub-paragraph (1).
(3) The owner or operator of any business or establishment, which provides goods or services to the public, shall ensure that no member of the public is permitted to enter or remain within any enclosed space of the business or establishment unless,
(a) the person is wearing a face mask, face shield or face covering which covers his mouth, nose and chin; or
(b) there is strict compliance with physical distancing protocols by all persons.
(4) Sub-paragraph (3) binds the Crown.
(5) Sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) shall not apply to children under 5 years of age.
(6) Notwithstanding sub-paragraph (1)(a), a person may, if he is required to speak and is physically distanced from other persons present, remove his mask only for the duration of the speech.
(7) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), a person has a reasonable explanation
(a) 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;
(b) 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;
(c) where the person is eating, drinking or taking medication;
(d) where a request is made of the person to remove his face mask, face shield or face covering temporarily for security and identification purposes, if necessary, for the purpose of receiving services; or
(e) in such other circumstances as may be provided for in such protocols as the Chief Medical Officer may determine.
10. No person shall visit any place of quarantine or an isolation station.
11. No person shall visit a prisoner or a ward of a Government Industrial School but, for the avoidance of doubt, may visit such a facility to transact business.
12. No more than one person at a time shall visit a patient in a hospital, nursing home, senior citizens’ home or a facility for the treatment of persons with an addiction to or a dependency on a drug or a narcotic substance.
13. No person shall
(a) transmit a video recording or an audio recording of any person; or
(b) in any way make known to the public the identity of any person
who is in quarantine or in an isolation station.
14. (1) Every public service vehicle is permitted to carry its authorized number of sitting passengers and half of its authorized number of standing passengers.
(2) The windows of public service vehicles shall remain open throughout the journey, except during inclement weather.
(3) The owner or driver of a public service vehicle shall ensure that the vehicle is sanitized after putting down
passengers and before taking up new passengers at the following motor omnibus terminals:
(a) Princess Alice;
(b) Fairchild Street;
(c) Constitution Road; and
(d) Speightstown.
15. Every traveller to Barbados shall comply with
(a) this Directive; and
(b) 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.
16. A person who is placed in quarantine
(a) shall not leave the room in which he is quarantined;
(b) shall not receive guests; and
(c) shall obey the directions of the Chief Medical Officer.
17. Any person who gives false or misleading information on arrival in Barbados to the Chief Immigration Officer or the Chief Medical Officer concerning his accommodation in Barbados contravenes this Directive.
18. The owner or operator of any business, establishment or event who fails to comply with this Directive is, in addition to the penalty provided by paragraph 20, liable to be ordered to cease to operate for the duration of this Directive.
19. Notwithstanding any provision of this Directive, the Prime Minister or Attorney General, acting on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, may direct the owner or operator of any business or establishment to cease to operate for the duration of this Directive.
20. Any person who contravenes this Directive or fails to comply with any condition specified by the Chief Medical Officer or the Unit 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) (No. 3) Order, 2020 (S.I. 2020 No. 71).
21. This Directive shall come into effect on the 1st day of February, 2021 and shall cease to have effect on the 2nd day of February, 2021.
Made by the Prime Minister this 29th day of January, 2021.
MIA AMOR MOTTLEY
Prime Minister
