Rowley: 'Masks now part of your clothing'

If all goes according to plan, from Monday, if your nose and mouth are not covered while in a public space, you are breaking the law.

The Prime Minister said legislation to make mask-wearing mandatory was passed in the House of Representatives on Friday and was being debated in the Senate, at the time of his media conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on Saturday. The Senate passed the bill, which must be assented to by the President to be made law.

Once it is proclaimed, a person found in public without a mask will be fined $1,000 on the first offence with increases of $1,000 for second and third offences. Breaches of other restrictions under the Public Health (Amendment) Act may result in penalties up to a maximum of $250,000

“We have come to the point now where we have to be masked once we are interacting with people whether indoors or not. The Asians learnt that in the very beginning. Those of us in the western world, at the time they were doing it, did not do that here. We waited until it was confirmed to us that it was playing a significant role.”

He said the Government did not find the public’s response to mask-wearing was satisfactory and suasion had to make way for law. Unfortunately, he said, it had to turn to legislation as people were not doing their part in fighting the virus, which saw an exponential increase in cases from the beginning of August.

“It is part of your clothing now. From Monday, it will be a matter for the police. Without the law people were taking the position that 'I don’t have to do that. 'Well ,we are saying to you, yes, you have to. It is not just about protecting you, but protecting us.”

He added: “We are living with the virus until there is a vaccine. We have to get on with our livelihoods and lives. But the exposure will always be here because the virus will be here with us. This is the measures we came up with to suppress and coexist with the microbe.”

Also commenting on the issue was National Security Minister Stuart Young, who said a person in a vehicle alone will not have to wear a mask. As for families travelling, he said they should all be masked, as police may not be able to tell a travelling family apart from a PH taxi with passengers.

Regarding the socially displaced being policed into wearing masks, Rowley said that will require special attention.

“We don’t want to be traipsing to the court because of people who don’t want to wear a mask. If some people are not doing it, it makes the whole thing ineffective. If you not doing it, for whatever reason, you are putting the whole country under stress.

"It has worked elsewhere. Don’t get yourself charged for deliberately not doing it.”

Rowley said that TT responded to the virus since January and has been continuously adapting and responding since then.

“Our systems are working,” he said, adding that the country should not listen to naysayers and town criers who peddle misinformation to create panic which will not allow the country to be able to coexist with a virus that is becoming better known.

“In the actual treating with the virus, it is you, the individual, (who) have to play a part. It was always a joint effort.”