Published 16 April 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
COVID-19 fight: State of Emergency to be extended; schools will not reopen on April 20
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 16, 2020 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — With two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded on Tuesday April 14, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris has announced that the Cabinet of Ministers has determined it is necessary to extend the State of Emergency currently in place and to extend Regulations made under the Emergency Powers Act in order to continue the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
“Yesterday (Tuesday April 14) the Cabinet of Ministers met for an extended period of time and received presentations and recommendations from key members of the National Working Group on COVID-19, including our leading health professionals,” said Prime Minister Harris on Wednesday April 15 in a national address on ZIZ Radio and TV, and other media outlets.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws, and the Medical Chief of Staff at the JNF General Hospital Dr Cameroon Wilkinson, made an extensive presentation to the Cabinet on the health issues confronting the country in which they reported on the spread of COVID-19 and the implications for the way in which people live in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The medical team is satisfied that there has been no community spread and has advised us that we must continue to be vigilant,” observed the Prime Minister. “They recommend that we keep in place Regulations for the immediate future to reduce the risk of transmission and that we must still be mindful to practice social distancing in everything we do.”
The St. Kitts and Nevis Constitution provides that a declaration of emergency shall lapse after twenty-one days unless it is approved by a Resolution of the National Assembly. Saturday April 18 will be 21 days since the State of Emergency was proclaimed on March 28.
“As a result, there will be an Emergency Sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, April the 17th at 10:00 am,” announced the Prime Minister. “This sitting has been called to debate and pass a Resolution to extend the State of Emergency.”
He noted that further Regulations would be made to come into force once the current Regulations expire on Saturday April 18.
“My Government is deeply concerned about the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Federation as it has done in other countries throughout the world and which would cause significant harm to the health and wellbeing of our people and could even result in deaths among our population,” observed Dr Harris.
The new Regulations that will come into force this weekend will extend from Saturday April 18 morning at 6:00 am to the following Saturday April 25 at 6:00 am. They will provide for a 24-hour lockdown, a total curfew, from 6:00 am Saturday April 18 until Monday April 20 at 6:00 am.
“The Team has recommend that there be a gradual relaxation of the limited or restricted curfews on Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st and on Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th between the hours of 6:00 am and 7:00 pm each day,” advised Dr Harris. “There will be nightly curfews from 7:00 pm each evening to 6:00 am the following day. Please note that in the middle of the week, from Tuesday 7:00 pm to Thursday 6:00 am, there will be a further 24-hour lockdown or total curfew.”
In the meantime, the Prime Minister advised that the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has a task force which will examine and advise on how other entities not now deemed essential can operate with minimal risk.
“We expect by next Monday (April 20) to get their report and to advise the Country on how we will proceed,” said the Prime Minister. He also added: “Based on the advice of our Health Professionals, schools will not reopen on Monday, April the 20th, 2020. A further announcement will be made by the Ministry of Education on this matter.”
