New curfew announced – residents get more hours

Less than 24 hours after a new Curfew Act was rushed through the House of Assembly, Governor Augustus Jaspert announced that the new law has facilitated a brand new curfew, which is now in effect from 10pm to 6am daily.

That effectively means residents now have two more hours daily without curfew restrictions.

The curfew that was in existence up to when the new Curfew Act was passed yesterday ran from 8pm to 6am daily.

Governor Jaspert, in a statement this afternoon, disclosed: “I am putting in place today, under the new Curfew Act, a revised  curfew. My and Cabinet’s aim is to make sure we support people, communities, and businesses to return to normal as quickly as possible, but also that people feel secure when large areas of the territory are still without electricity. Therefore, the Cabinet has agreed that the curfew will now be in place from 10pm to 6am daily.”

The governor further stated that all passes issued under the old curfew are no longer valid.

“All previous passes issued for access during the [previous] curfew period are no longer valid. Essential workers will be able to obtain a new pass via the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, who will issue further details later.”

The governor made it clear that, although the State of Emergency fully ended last night, he will continue to support the recovery efforts under Premier Dr D Orlando Smith.

“I continue to support the premier and his ministers as we move towards fully implementing the recovery plan. This vision is one which will see the Virgin Islands become even better than it was before,” he said.

Governor Jaspert, in the meantime, noted that the Curfew Act passed in the House yesterday allows a curfew to be in place without him having to first declare a State of Emergency.

“In light of this, the State of Emergency ended yesterday. This is an important step as we move forward,” he added.

The state of emergency, which also included the old curfew, was imposed to counter looting and other social disorders after category 5 hurricane Irma hit the territory exactly a month ago, causing death and widespread destruction.

There will be a special observation of the one-month period during an event being held today, October 6, Governor Jaspert said.

“To mark the month from Irma, the Cabinet and I would like to invite you to a one-hour gathering to be held this afternoon at the Queen Elizabeth II Park. This will start at 4:30 and end at 5:30 to recognise those persons we sadly lost; to reflect on the suffering we face; and to also give thanks for spared lives. For those who cannot make it, I hope that we can still join in hearts and minds later today.”