Attorney General Levi Peter has revealed that the use of face masks may be mandated across the country in the coming days. The chief law officer also reeled out other measures that are to be implemented to forestall the spread of COVID-19 in Dominica. According to him, Cabinet has signed off on relevant laws that provide for mandatory use of face covering in public places such as buses, government buildings, commercial establishments, markets, parks and beaches among others.
AG Peter urged members of the public to fully cooperate with the government in the use of face masks and observance of other health and safety protocols.
“People recognize the need to wear face masks or face coverings for their own personal safety, but also to assist in ensuring or to the extent, [of] reducing the opportunities for spread to other members of the public and protecting our wider community and society and country as a whole,” he stated.
The attorney general went on to disclose that by the new legal provisions, a police officer of owner of a premises may require an individual to remove their face masks for identification, and the individual must comply to be granted access to the property or in pursuit of what the law enforcement officer demands.
He went on to say that public gatherings are now prohibited except churches and schools. He defined a large public gathering as a gathering of 200 or more people. Peter stated that anyone desiring to hold a public gathering of more than 50 people must obtain authoritization from the Chief of Police after a written application.
“That person have to indicate in their written application for permission from the Chief of Police, they will have to indicate the purpose for the request, the application, they obviously have to state their full name, they will have to state their home address, they will have to state their telephone numbers, personal and if appropriate, business and should the Chief of Police require any other information, they would have to provide that information to the Chief of Police to have any of the opportunity to be granted permission,” he explained.
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