The state of emergency in Dominica is over, and the island returns to the “new normal” as from today, June 30, 2020. This declaration was made PM Roosevelt Skerrit who stated that the government is not eager to extend the emergency powers activated on the country as from today given that the island has not witnessed another COVID-19 case in nearly two months.
He said the country will return to a “new normal” as from July 1 and that the country’s borders may reopen sometime in July. Health Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre confirmed the reopening of the national borders in July and said everyone must continue to observe health protocols set forth by the Ministry of Health for coronavirus prevention.
McIntyre said reopening the nation’s borders may cause coronavirus-infected people to slip into the country, and this is the more reason people should not let down their guards in protecting themselves.
You have to appreciate the fact that the chance of importing a case is real. It’s happened all over the world, Dominica is no exception. If we open the borders, the chances that someone is going to slide in is real, so to mitigate that, is where we have to continue practicing all the public health and social measures that we have been discussing all along.
Dr. Irving McIntyre: Minister of Health
Many businesses across the island had been reopened and beaches and rivers are now open for leisure visits, while religious centres of worship are also reopened. However, the government warns that people should continue to wear face masks, maintain physical distancing, and wash their hands regularly. Meanwhile, the health minister had revealed that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 in Dominica.
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