Following the end of the 3-day curfew imposed on the island to arrest the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit outlined new measures that might be implemented over the coming days. He said the pandemic must be fought to a standstill to be eliminated in Dominica, and this may require stricter measures to be achieved.
One of the proposed measures is the suspension of liquor licenses in Dominica. Skerrit said hundreds of people have been seen in rum shops in direct contravention of government’s order for social distancing and the ban on public gatherings. He said an outright suspension of liquor licenses would be effective at keeping people in their homes.
“And so, to protect these people from any harm, we are seeking to suspend the licenses across the country,” he remarked.
Another proposed measure is restricting mini-buses to carry only one passenger per row. Shuttle buses in Dominica carry an average of 4 or 5 passengers per row and a total of 16 or 17 passengers at a time, a situation where passengers are squeezed together for a ride.
“When we are on these buses, we are squeezing,” Skerrit said. “But the recommendation here is – that we should have one passenger per row on these mini-buses to allow for the social distancing we are talking about.”
The prime minister also added that grocery stores and supermarkets might be allowed to remain open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. to enable people to stock up on needed items. But the stores will remain closed after the stipulated time and on weekends throughout the country.
He noted that these stricter measures would reduce the incidence of COVID-19 infections on the island and they could be implemented in a few days time.
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