Public servants to return to work from Monday

The Prime Minister has said all public servants will be expected to return to work from March 7 as the government adjusts the public health regulations as covid19 is deemed to have moved from the pandemic to the endemic phase.

"Endemic" describes a disease that is prevalent but restricted to a particular location, region or population.

Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Dr Keith Rowley outlined further relaxations of the health protocols.

Rowley said mask0wearing in all public spaces will continue.

“In late 2021, the WHO re-emphasised recommendations of masks with the surge of the omicron variant of concern.”

He said, however, families in private vehicles will no longer be required to wear masks.

Public transport, which has been operating at 75 per cent, will now be allowed to return to 100 per cent occupancy. Passengers are still required to wear masks in all paid transport vehicles.

Rowley said the length of time that may be spent at places of worship will also be relaxed and the number of people allowed at gravesides is now unrestricted. Worshippers must continue to wear facemasks.

The quarantine for returning nationals has been reduced from 14 days to seven, with a negative PCR test required on the seventh day.

Quarantine for recovering patients at home will also be reduced from 14 days to ten.

He said the Ministry of Health has already reduced the isolation time of patients with low symptoms from 21 days to ten, and to 13 days for patients with moderate symptoms.

Public gatherings of 25 people will now be allowed, and team and contact sports can resume.

Safe zones, which have been operating at 50 per cent capacity, will be permitted to operate at 75 per cent capacity.

Rowley said all schoolchildren will be permitted to return to the physical classroom from the third term of the academic year, which begins in April.

Forms one-three secondary school students joined their upper-school classmates in the physical classroom in February, along with standard five students preparing for Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams in March.

“These initiatives will move us closer to the resumption of normal life,” Rowley explained.