Tobago cops on covid19 patrol for long weekend

Limers enjoy a relaxing day on Sunday at Mt Irvine Beach Bar, Tobago.  - DAVID REID
Limers enjoy a relaxing day on Sunday at Mt Irvine Beach Bar, Tobago. - DAVID REID

An influx of visitors from Trinidad is expected for the long Easter weekend, but police is warning the public to follow covid19 regulations or risk being ticketed or arrested.

At a press conference on Monday, acting inspector Alicia Piggott said police have adopted a zero-tolerance stance on covid19 regulations, just as it has on crime.

Piggott noted that additional resources have been deployed for the holidays, including the "tourism-oriented police, along with bicycle patrols and other officers placed strategically in identified areas where persons frequent over this particular period."

She noted beaches, bars and restaurants as some of the places in focus.

"(Police will be visiting) the beaches – especially the popular ones where there are beach facilities. This is to ensure persons are wearing their face masks when they are not bathing," she said, reminding the public that they must be worn properly to avoid the $1,000 fine and that groups must be limited to ten or fewer people.

People who visit beach front bars are expected to purchase their drinks and leave the bar.

"You also have the Crown Point strip that we sometimes call the St James stretch (Bago Avenue), and officers are also being deployed there during the night to ensure that bar owners and patrons comply with the law. You sometimes find that bar owners close their doors at 10 pm but they allow their patrons in the bar."

It is still an offence, she reminded the public, because the bar is a public place and not a private dwelling.

"I would like to ask residents (to call 211) when you hear loud music emanating. This will alert the police that there is a party going on and we want that information."

Occupancy in Tobago is experiencing a welcome boost this Easter season, said Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd chief executive officer (CEO) Louis Lewis.

But he made it clear during a virtual media conference that the last thing that's needed is "to have an increase in the spread as a result of increased momentum from the tourism perspective."

Lewis added, "We are experiencing, from a tourism perspective, a bit of an uptick. We are experiencing an increase in arrivals and we expect it to continue to do reasonably well up until a little after the Easter vacation.

"And with that increase in arrivals, we have recognised that the villas and private accommodations are experiencing a higher than normal level of occupancy – in the upper 90s (per cent). The hotels and smaller properties are doing better than normal and this is quite encouraging. There is a strong demand for Tobago coming out of the domestic market in Trinidad.

"It is a bit of a boost," he noted. "A welcome one, and we want to use this opportunity to send out a note of caution, a bit of a reminder to buff the potential visitors and also the various tourism operators that we are still in a state of a pandemic.

"There is still a virus on the outside and we have a responsibility on both sides of the visitor experience to continue to implement and practise the health protocols that we have been advised to follow.

"The last thing we want is to have an increase in the spread as a result of increased momentum from the tourism perspective."

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"Tobago cops on covid19 patrol for long weekend"

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