Police authorities said that they are happy that Dominicans are obeying the curfew orders by staying in their homes. CID Chief, Superintendent Davidson Valerie, said the Easter celebrations were particularly quiet since people generally remained indoors as per the current curfew. He said the curfew will remain in place till May 11 and thanked all island residents for their cooperation.
Superintendent Valerie tasked everyone to continue in their houses until the curfew is called off or Coronavirus is defeated in Dominica. He said no one must be found on the streets from six in the morning to six in the evening – except those on essential services and those with valid authorization from the commissioner of police. He said no one will be allowed outside on the streets on weekends as well.
“All essential workers, at all times, carry personal identification,” Valerie advised. “All non-essential workers are required to seek permission from the Commissioner of Police to be in a public place during the curfew.”
According to the police boss, anyone found flouting these regulations will be penalized with a EC$500 fine or imprisonment for 12 months. The relevant section of the law pertaining to the restriction of movement during the COVID-19 pandemic is the Statutory Rules and Order No. 15 of 2020 which states that:
“A person who contravenes or fails to comply with these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and, on summary conviction, liable to a fine of five hundred dollars and to imprisonment for twelve months and to forfeiture of any goods or money in respect of which the offence has been committed.”Anyone who is not on essential services and who must go out must obtain valid authorization from the commissioner of police. Individuals can visit ecurfewpass.dominica.gov.dm to fill out the necessary form which will be considered by the police commissioner before approval. Persons seeking clearance for movement during the curfew must fill out their personal details, upload proof of identification, include reasons for the movement, and number of hours to be granted for the movement.
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
