Prime Minister: Beaches, only, reopen from Monday

Beaches will reopen from 5 am to noon starting from Monday, but rivers, ponds and waterfalls remain closed, the Prime Minister announced on Saturday.

Dr Rowley called on the population to be responsible and urged to refrain from gatherings during a media conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

“We did say a while back that we will consider the therapeutic nature of beach visits. I want to keep that promise to you and I know it is mainly the elderly people who tend to get up early in the morning and have that dip in the sea," he said.

“We will allow access to waterfronts, and we will do it from 5 am to 12 noon and it will be done without the presence of alcohol. There is to be no consumption of alcohol on a public beach during this period, no loud music and there is to be no partying.”

Rowley said if the reopening worked well, the Government would consider expanding the periods to eventually get to a point where it can become a normal environment again.

“If it turns out that everybody rushes to the beach, we will just have to stop it because that was our fear all along, that the beach by nature of what goes on there was an encourager of gathering.

“That is why we have allowed it in the morning because we don’t expect to get the same kind of response and congregation and party perfects in the morning hours.”