This week's two public holidays will see 10am-5 am curfew

COMMISSIONER of Police (CoP) Gary Griffith announced on Sunday that the usual curfew hours of 9 pm-5 am have been adjusted specifically for the two public holidays this week – Monday (for Indian Arrival Day) and the Corpus Christi holiday on Thursday, with curfew hours for those two days being
10 am-5 am.

He further advisedthat only essential activity will be allowed during the public holiday curfew hours.

His straightforward announcement came hours after President Paula-Mae Weekes signed off on new public health regulations whose very wording was so confusing as to compel Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to hastily schedule a 1 pm virtual media press conference on Sunday to try and clear the air.

The top cop told Newsday that based on Government's advice and drawing from the state of emergency (SoE) regulations, which empower him to vary the curfew times, "the holiday curfew hours for Monday May 31, and Thursday June 3, shall be 10 am to 5am the following day. Those being the public holidays of Indian Arrival Day and Corpus Christi respectively."

These times were approved by Griffith in the Emergency Powers (Variation of Curfew Times) Order 2021.

He said the police "will be out in full force during the public holidays" to ensure compliance with public health and SoE regulations.

On the adjusted curfew hours, Griffith said, "Only critical essential workers either on their way to or on their way back from work will be allowed on the roads during this period.

"Such workers include (though are not necessarily limited to) the media, private security officers, healthcare workers, sea and airport workers and energy sector workers."

Griffith said these people "must possess their work ID card."

He added, "Persons seeking urgent medical treatment or with critical care appointments such as dialysis treatment or those attending already scheduled funerals should explain to officers where they are going. Officers have been advised to accommodate these persons in such cases."

Griffith also said he has restricted the curfew permits to 13,000 out of 380,000 requested, "based solely on those who needed to be on the roads between the normal 9 pm-5 am curfew." But for the purposes of the two public holidays, Griffith said, these curfew permits will apply to the adjusted curfew hours as well.

He said he has briefed police who will be holding road exercises on Monday and Thursday between 10 am-5 am,"to issue tickets, charge, or clear people on a case-by-case basis."

Griffith recognised there will be some essential workers going to or returning from shift duty without curfew permits.

"In those circumstances the employee simply needs to produce the company identification card and explain to the officer where he or she is going to or coming from."

But, he added, "Employers are also encouraged to provide letters, if possible, to these employees. These letters will be acceptable even if they are via electronic means."

Should provision of this additional support document not be possible for Monday, Griffith said he has asked police officers to exercise their discretion and as far as possible, to ensure essential workers are allowed to go to and return from work.

Griffith said he has also received several calls and messages from people, including owners of livestock, people who have to feed the elderly, and those with emergencies.

He asked these people, along with those who have to go to the airport for an early-morning flight, or any other persons with a legitimate emergency, to contact the Operational Command Centre at 480-2000 or 612-3876 for the necessary clearance.

Griffith also said while commercial fishing can continue, "movement of pleasure crafts during the holiday curfew hours is strictly prohibited." He said if boats are anchored at homes "down the islands" by 10 am on Monday, they will have to remain there until 5 am on Tuesday and likewise for Thursday into Friday.

Griffith said people who do not fall into the categories that he referred to, "have no right to be on the streets or waterways during the curfew period." He asked people with no legitimate business during this period to remain at home.

At a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's on Saturday, the Prime Minister announced adjustments to the daily curfew hours with respect to the two public holidays to be observed this week.

He said Attorney General Al-Rawi "will be asked make whatever adjustment that is required so we will have further restrictions...some daytime curfew (during) those two holidays."

In Legal Notice 176, issued by the Office of the AG and Legal Affairs, 5 am-10 am were identified as the period during which essential services permitted under the public health and SoE regulations would be allowed to operate.

The period of the curfews for Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday respectively were later clarified in the Emergency Powers (Variation of Curfew Times) Order 2021.