Gov’t considering lifting curfews indefinitely
With the COVID-19 vaccination programme now underway in the BVI, local health authorities are currently exploring the possibility of lifting curfew orders indefinitely.
Health Minister Carvin Malone made this revelation on the April 6 airing of the governing Virgin Islands Party’s (VIP) Let’s Talk radio show.
“We are going to accentuate the positives. We are going to look at how quickly we can lift the curfews. In fact, that curfew order expires next week, I don’t think we’ll have need for any more curfews but we must keep pushing in terms of what is going to be best to keep us safe,” Minister Malone explained.
The current daily curfew runs from 2:01 am to 4:59 am. There are also earlier curfews in place for maritime vessels.
But Malone said as more people continue to take the AstraZeneca jabs, health officials will continue to look at best practice around the world to see which protocols can be relaxed to restore normalcy in the BVI.
“We’ve asked the team here to go and look at the elimination of quarantine time, whether we can require one PCR test and look at whether we can get all curfews removed,” Minister Malone explained.
So far, more than 8,000 persons have taken the COVID-19 vaccinations in the BVI.
The government continues to encourage persons to take the available vaccines, as it continues to link vaccination to the successful reopening of the BVI’ economy.
During an April 5 national broadcast, Minister Malone said although children will be prioritized later this year, they only make up 20 percent of the BVI’s population and have a smaller role to play in achieving herd immunity and revitalizing the economy.
The greater responsibility is therefore placed on the adults who make up 80 percent of the BVI’s population and who are at a greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
“We are going to accentuate the positives. We are going to look at how quickly we can lift the curfews. In fact, that curfew order expires next week, I don’t think we’ll have need for any more curfews but we must keep pushing in terms of what is going to be best to keep us safe,” Minister Malone explained.
The current daily curfew runs from 2:01 am to 4:59 am. There are also earlier curfews in place for maritime vessels.
But Malone said as more people continue to take the AstraZeneca jabs, health officials will continue to look at best practice around the world to see which protocols can be relaxed to restore normalcy in the BVI.
“We’ve asked the team here to go and look at the elimination of quarantine time, whether we can require one PCR test and look at whether we can get all curfews removed,” Minister Malone explained.
So far, more than 8,000 persons have taken the COVID-19 vaccinations in the BVI.
The government continues to encourage persons to take the available vaccines, as it continues to link vaccination to the successful reopening of the BVI’ economy.
During an April 5 national broadcast, Minister Malone said although children will be prioritized later this year, they only make up 20 percent of the BVI’s population and have a smaller role to play in achieving herd immunity and revitalizing the economy.
The greater responsibility is therefore placed on the adults who make up 80 percent of the BVI’s population and who are at a greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
