PM: Time might be right to end mask mandate

ONE day after returning from the US, the Prime Minister said he will be meeting with his health team to discuss the removal of mandatory mask wearing.

Speaking at the opening of the Fish Fry at Carenage on Friday evening, Dr Rowley said he noticed that there were people not wearing masks in large groups and became worried, however, after noticing there was no spike in cases, he conceded that the time might be right to do away with mandatory mask wearing.

“Hopefully, in the not too distant future, we will want to take the masks off and allow you to be. I am expecting to have a discussion with the Minister of Health soon to see whether we can allow you to have a mask as a voluntary action as against having it dictated to you by law. Because it appears to me, I was out in the country, and it seems as though your nervousness of covid19 has disappeared.”

Last Wednesday Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said partygoers were not mandated to wear masks.

Deyalsingh said then: "Because we feel at this time that the wearing of masks in public schools is the correct thing to do to stop spread (of covid19). Whilst the wearing of masks in other situations is optional, we still give the advice for people to exercise their personal responsibility."

On August 31, 2020 it became mandatory to wear a face covering in public or be fined $1,000 on first offence, $2,000 for the second, and $3,000 for the third offence.

Police issued over $9 million worth in fines in the first eight months of the law being passed.

Rowley added: “I have seen so many gatherings without a mask being present. And you had me very, very concerned and I counted the days and I looked at the outcome. It appears as though we can be a whole lot more interactive without being irresponsible.

"So it may be that the mask may come off very soon.

"And we would, while not declaring covid19 over, we would be able to say that we have gone through a significant challenge of the covid19. But during that period, we were able to build a facility like this (Fish Fry) and opening now as part of our recovery.”