Local businesses placed under curfew
Government has imposed a curfew on all businesses operating in the British Virgin Islands.
The curfew is aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the territory.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Carvin Malone said Cabinet made the decision to enact the curfew following a special meeting held on Sunday, March 22.
“We noted that all businesses and services, and all recreational facilities be ordered to close by 8 pm and remain closed until 6 am daily with effect from Sunday, March 22, 2020, and will continue until April 17, 2020, in accordance to Section 15 of the Public Health Ordinance (Cap.194), in the first instance.
Social gatherings now reduced to maximum 20 persons
As a further precautionary measure, Malone said Cabinet also decided to reduce the maximum number of persons allowed to gather at any given time.
“We have signed an order, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance (Cap.194) to prohibit all non-essential gatherings of 20 persons – this is down from 30 – or more with effect from Monday, March 23, 2020 until Friday, April 17, 2020, in the first instance,” he said.
The minister said the time periods will be reviewed, after the deadline dates, to determine whether they should be extended or discontinued in the territory.
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Mr. Health Minister, you are doing the right thing. Almost every businesses is closed down in the States. The ones that are still open is only allowing two customers at a time and have to be closed by or before 8:pm. Most of the banks are closed and they are only allowing 2 customers at a time to use the ATM. Restaurants are only doing take away services only no one is allowed to dine in. You have to order the food and pick it up at the drive thru window. Schools are offering Breakfast, lunch and dinner packages to students but you have to drive up to the schools and a cafeteria worker will pass you the food package and you keep it moving.
You and all had better cook your own food. Should not trust restaurants in a supramist country with ill-constructed minds.
I am one of those Island girls from the BVI that still cook and bake like my granny taught me. I always cook my own food. LOL, my American co workers is hooked on my Johnny cakes and coconut tart.
Do your homework STRUPE. FOOD isn’t a vector. Google vector if you need too. Smdh
@CW quite right, food itself isn’t a vector but the packaging which the food comes in is.
Sick of these Caribbean so call leaders following america and can’t think for their selves.for the businesses that open at nights i guess government going to help with the bills.
Gov’t is going to offer a package akin to the $2 trillion USA house to conclude on today. So, ?.
Why do you have to be such a simpleton. You are one of the greedy ones that is always chasing behind a dollar. That damn dollar that you are chasing behind over your health and the health of others can’t and will not save your dumb behind. You should be grateful and appreciate that the SO CALL CARIBBEAN LEADERS AS YOU CALL THEM, is looking out for your safety you dumb A**. They should shut the whole Island down and put everyone on curfew from 8 pm until 6am. Minister Malone, I stand behind you 100%.
What is the use for curfew when hundreds patrol the day.that make sense to you?
I’m sick of these bloggers who can’t write proper English (themselves not their selves) who continue to post..
We are all sick of something. it does not stop the world from spinning.
Step aside child, let the grown folks talk
U is so stupid, aslong u understand is wats important.English is not black people language and u for sure don’t speak properly.hope u understand dat.
Your business is NOT more important than human lives. GET OVER YOURSELF STRUPE
How long are taking the confirmation for the tests to come back?
That Rona probably here already, as far as we know
How many confirmed cases do we have. The new tests provide results in 45min. Why is our backward Territory taking days
How do we know how long COVID 19 virus lasts on food? So if the preparer has COVID 19 and talks or sneezes or coughs over your food, do you think you might catch COVID19?
I am not taking any chances with restaurant foods. I am preparing all my foods at home.
Will Bobby’s be closing at 8pm also?
That’s a good question ?
How likely is it that the bars and patrons will comply with those businesses being closed at 8? Unless there is enforcement, this law will be violated. I hope that the police department is ready to step up to the task. The government means well but it is all pointless if there is a lack of compliance.
We wish we could stay and enjoy the brilliant leadership of the Governor team. It’s an example to the world. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So smart!
Well I suppose not getting a late night chicken’n chips from the chicken bus is worth it if we can avoid the COVID-19 infection…..!!!
BTW the above is not serious – just a little humour!
For such a small population a gathering of 20 persons is TOO LARGE A CROWD!! Think about it. Countries with millions of people are limiting the crowds to. There are barely 28k or so people in the BVI.5 gatherings of 20 across the BVI on a Sunday has the potential of infecting 100 people etc. do the math.
I respect the 20 persons or less restriction in gatherings. However, the government should not impose any rules to shut down businesses for no specified time at this juncture. My reasons are of the following:-
There’s no confirmed case in the BVI.
People will lose monies (many live pay check to pay check, a drop in funds will create extra squeeze and burden on a mass scale).
If someone has the virus it might still spread during the non curfew hours. It’s either lockdown or not, cause curfew doesn’t make much sense. And lockdown at this time (in the BVI) is overkill.
It’s not about zero spread of virus. It’s about slow spread. Everybody should get Corona, just not at the same time (to avoid overburden health services).
It’s called crowd immunity, and happens probably around 50%.
Alternative is to wait for a vaccine, and that may take a year – economies will be ranked by then…
Not saying that they have the virus but there are lots of folks in here coughing sneezing and home sick with the flu who might not be getting themselves checked out because it probably feels normal to them. Think about it if they’re still mingling and most are by the time those results come back and if one is positive poor we because that one done spread to a few and those few to a few and boom BVI in trouble. We don’t need to wait for any case to be confirmed to take all precautions. Go and Stay your behind home, and follow the guidelines and policies issued because we don’t want to end up like Italy and that would be a thing. Lives more important than money and prevention is better than cure?
The necessary precautions have already been made such as gathering restrictions and closure of our ports from travellers. this is a good move. To demand closure of business for any specified time is OVERKILL at this juncture.