Montserrat COVID-19 curfew imposed round the clock

Montserrat COVID-19 curfew has been imposed around the clock, as in a 24-hour curfew, that began on March 28, 2020. That means you don’t have to be in by a certain time, because you just simply have to stay in. Here’s the details.

WHAT TIME IS THE CURFEW?

24 Hours Daily from March 28 at 6:00 p.m. until April 14, 2020 at 12 am.

WHO DOES THE CURFEW APPLY TO?

Every person on Montserrat

DURING THE MONTSERRAT COVID-19 CURFEW WHAT IS A PERSON EXPECTED TO DO?

A Person is expected to remain at home, this includes the yard, or garden etc. of your place of Residence/Occupancy.

DURING THE CURFEW IS A PERSON ALLOWED TO LEAVE THEIR HOME?

Yes, BUT ONLY to:

• Work as essential service worker (this includes travelling to and from work)
• Work as an essential business (this includes travelling to and from work)
• assist, transport or provide an ancillary service for an essential worker
• seek medical care
• – shop for necessities to include food, medicine, fuel or other necessity, BUT only one person from each household may be in the public place for this purpose, and the person shall not be in the public place more than once daily for this purpose,
• go to the bank or conduct a money transfer at western union or MoneyGram
• care for a family, vulnerable person or pet,
• engage in an activity to include walking, biking, hiking or swimming either alone or in a gathering that is not a large gathering; from 5 am to 8 am or 3 pm to 6 pm, BUT these activities must not be done with a person from another household so as to prevent cross-infection between different households (community transmission).
• arrive into Montserrat by ferry or airplane, BUT you must get home within 2 hours of arriving in Montserrat
• to transport someone who has arrived into Montserrat by ferry or airplane, BUT you must get residence/place of occupancy within two hours of transporting the person
• to leave Montserrat, BUT you must not leave your place of residence/home or occupancy before 4 am
• to transport a person who is leaving Montserrat, BUT you must not leave your place of residence or occupancy/home before 4 am.
• The members of the public are required to stay at home during the Montserrat COVID-19 curfew.

WHAT SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL SERVICES?

1. air traffic (including meteorological, telecommunication, security, fire and crash services connected with airports) services;
2. fire, prison, defence force or police services;
3. medical, health, hospital, infirmary or nursing home services;
4. telecommunications or broadcasting services;
5. water, electricity (MUL) or sanitation services;
6. immigration, customs or postal services;
7. services connected with sittings of the Legislative Assembly and meetings of Cabinet;
8. services connected with the loading and unloading of ships and with the storage and delivery of goods at, or from a dock, wharf or warehouse operated in connection with the dock or wharf, NB. This does not include services such as sand mining;
9. public services connected with the payment of salaries, pensions and other benefits, in government departments, agencies; statutory bodies and arms-length bodies;
10. services connected with the Judiciary;
11. services connected with essential government functions as determined by the Deputy Governor;
12. airport, seaport, civil aviation or ferry services;
13. a service that is granted permission to offer an essential service (By Minister of Health)

WHAT BUSINESSES ARE PERMITTED TO OPERATE?

1. a banking business – which allowed to open 8 am to 12 pm
2. a doctor’s office – which is allowed to open 8 am to 6 pm
3. a grocery store, an agricultural produce business or a pharmacy- which is allowed to open 8 am to 6 pm. BUT only one person from each household is allowed to be out for the purpose of going to the grocery store, pharmacy or market.
4. a gas station- which is allowed to open 8 am to 6 pm
5. a bakery- which is allowed to open 8 am to 6 pm
6. a business connected with fisheries 2 am to 7 pm
7. as an undertaker – for 24 hours
8. a money transfer business, from 8 am to 6 pm.
9. a business or organisation that is granted permission (by the Minister of Health) to operate

*For the avoidance of doubt a bar, nightclub, restaurant, cook-shop (or any similar shop) barber shop, hair salon; insurance business or similar business is not an essential business during the Montserrat COVID-19 curfew.

NOTE

Most of the essential services are Governmental services and services provided by statutory bodies – Water and Electricity services means (MUL)

An essential business supplier is a business place whose main business is to provide one of the essential business outlined.

Eg. Grocery – if your main business is to sell groceries retail or wholesale then your business is an essential service.

Telecommunications – The telecommunications service providers – i.e. Flow and DIGICEL not a store that sells or repairs phones.

Fisheries – Fishermen

Agricultural services – would relate to the Farmers and individuals who sell agricultural produce

Banking Business – Commercial Bank, Credit Union, Building Society

Money Transfer Business – Money Gram and Western Union 

Bakery – this is clear.

NOTE ALSO

The public buses and taxis are not permitted to run during the Montserrat COVID-19 curfew – It is recognized that this may pose a challenge to some persons and options to address this are being explored. The concern is that a person is at great risk of contracting the virus if they travel in public transportation when one considers the medical evidence on the length of time the virus can live on surfaces.  Also the difficulty to practice physical distancing.

WHAT IS A BUSINESS THAT IS NOT AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE OR ESSENTIAL BUSINESS EXPECTED TO DO AS OF MARCH 28 AT 6 PM

Close. Stop operating at 6 pm March 28 at 6 pm until April 14, 2020.

DO THE RESTRICTIONS LIMITING GATHERS TO 4 PERSONS APPLY TO ESSENTIAL BUSINESS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS?

No, it does not, put these service providers are required to ensure that their employees and customers are able to maintain a physical distance of at least six feet from another person.

WHAT STEPS SHOULD SERVICE PROVIDERS TAKE TO ENSURE THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED PHYSICAL DISTANCE?

1. Assess the size of their premises and determine the number of people that may be permitted in the premises allowing for one person ever 30 sq feet.
2. Limit the number of persons permitted to enter your establishment to ensure that persons can maintain a distance of 6 feet between themselves and the next person.
3. Place markings at the checkout point to ensure that customers remain 6ft apart from the customers in front of them.
4. Place markers outside your store to ensure that the customers who are waiting to enter your premises can maintain a distance of 6 feet between themselves and the next person.

Note: these marking etc. must be put in place by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, 2020

NB – In order to enable the service Providers to put the markings etc., in place, the Hardware stores will be permitted to open today March 28, 2020 between the hours of 8: 00 a.m to 1:00 p.m.

• The service providers are expected to put the necessary systems in place to control the numbers coming into their premises.
• The Public is also asked to comply with the measures that have been put in place by the Service Providers and to ensure that they comply with the requirement to stay at least 6 feet away from the next person.

WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR BREACHING THE CURFEW?

• a fine of $500 or to imprisonment for three months OR
• both a fine and imprisonment AND

in the case of a second or subsequent offence to a fine of $1,000 or to imprisonment ADDITIONAL

PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION ORDER – NEW MEASURES

By way of additional information about the impact of the new order.

• Please note that although MUL, DIGICEL, FLOW etc. are permitted to be open, this is only for the purposes of ensuring that the provision of those services continue. They are not opened for the purposes of enabling people to pay bills.  These service providers I understand have given the GOM the commitment that they will not during this period they will not disconnect customers for non-payment of bills.
• Persons are now mandated to stay home (including the yard or garden). Full 24 hour a day curfew. This takes effect today March 28, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
• Only One person from the household is permitted and, only once a day, to leave their home for the purpose of
  • shopping for necessities – Groceries, medicine etc.
  • To conduct a banking or money transfer transaction
  • or to look after a Family member, a vulnerable person (E.g. an elderly friend or neighbor) or a pet.
• Physical activity is permitted, but only with members of your household, provided that you are not in group larger than three persons. This exercise must take place during the prescribed hours which are 5 am – 8 am and 3 pm – 6 pm.
• Essential service and essential business providers are permitted to be out of their place of residence for the purposes associated with their business or service.
• No one else is supposed to be out:
  • No yard workers. (Householders can cut their own yard if they wish)
  • No construction work
  • No other activity or work other than those provided for as essential business or service providers.
• Fishermen and Farmers are permitted to be out.
• Only business permitted to have customers:
  • Grocery stores – whether wholesale or retail (selling groceries must be the primary business of the establishment)
  • Pharmacy
  • Banks
  • Gas station
  • Bakery
  • Doctor’s office
  • Money transfer business
  • Agricultural produce vendors

Number of People Allowed

These persons and business places may have more than 4 persons in their business places, but they must put measures in place to ensure that their customers and staff can practice the required physical distancing.

They must

• ensure that not too many people are in the premises at one time given the size of the business place.
• Put markers six feet part inside the business to indicate where customers must stand at the checkout point or in the queue
• Put markers outside the premises, which are six feet part to indicate where customers must stand while waiting to enter the business place.
• The public is being asked to abide with the measures that the business places have put in place to protect you as their customers and to protect themselves and their staff.

Hours of business

The Order outlines – hours during which service can be provided: But business owners can determine that they will provide service for a period shorter that the time frame allowed for a term of six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.