Non-essentials must stay home or face police, $50,000 fine

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young has outlined essential services which will be allowed to operate during Stay At Home orders from March 30-April 15.

Anyone found in breach could face a $50,000 fine.

“It is not business as usual.”

He was speaking on Friday at a media conference at the Health Ministry in Port of Spain.

The list of essential services is:

- Judiciary and legal services

- Cabinet

- Tobago House of Assembly

- Police

- Defence Force

- Immigration

- Strategic Services Agency

- Hospitals

- Water

- Electricity

- Telecommunications

- Funeral homes

- Sanitation

- Prisons

- Rehabilitation centres and other detention centres

- Children’s homes

- Differently-abled homes

- Elderly and geriatric homes

- Private security

- Social workers and NGOs that serve the less fortunate

- Banks

- Unit Trust Corporation

- Cooperative services,

- Service providers of safety and sanitation such as plumbers.

- Live-in domestic workers

- Convenience stores, corner shops, discount stores

- Supermarkets

- Groceries

- Pharmacies

- Hardwares

- All government services (minimum staff)

- Inland Revenue

- Customs and Excise

- Transportation and logistic services

- Port operations

- Manufacturers of food, beverages and pharmaceuticals

- Aviation and airport operations

- Services related to ports

- Warehouses

- Public transportation but at 50 per cent capacity

- Restaurants can have take away and delivery.

- Media

- Agriculture: food production

- Energy services:oil and gas

- UWI’s Seismic Research Unit

- Construction workers only in health-related work

Young stressed that even those essential services are asked to operate at minimum capacity.

“We are asking various business that you only deploy essential workers. Not because you are essential means everyone has to be out.”

He said the police, aided by the Defence Force, will enforce the restrictions and people who are part of the essential services are asked to walk with their ID or have a letter from their employer.

People going out to the grocery, hardware and other places are also asked to walk with ID and must inform the police where they are going.

"Go straight, get what you need and come back."

Young said the list could be expanded but there is no intention by the Government at this stage to do so.