New COVID restrictions that were approved at last Cabinet meeting held on 25 August are set to come into effect officially tomorrow, 1 September.
The measures include the following:
• No person shall host an event consisting of 50 persons or more without approval from the Chief Medical Officer or Chief Environmental Health Officer. (Definition of Event: Something that happens at a given time and place including Hotels, Bars, and Restaurants – e.g. show, party, karaoke, music festival, house party, private banquet, ball, dance, etc.),
• Work permits/temporary work permits should not be granted to performers for the purposes of hosting or performing at social events,
• All night clubs and bars should reduce occupancy to 50%,
• Patrons at night clubs and bars must provide proof of being fully vaccinated,
• Bars/clubs to be responsible for verifying the identification and vaccination status of all participants and a logbook kept with the same, and shared with the Ministry of Health and the Environmental Health Department every Monday
The government also approved a requirement for the introduction of a customer tracking system (manual or electronic) be implemented for all events going forward from 14 September 2021.
These restrictions follow on top of the government’s vaccine mandate for all tourist 16 and over.
Despite Health Minister, Honourable Jamell Robinson, seeking to calm public concern and some backlash, many residents remain upset about the new measures saying that it shows a lack of care or concern on the part of the government for the people. However, the government has continued to insist that such measures are necessary to protect the people of the TCI as the country is in its own third wave of the virus.
The matter remains a contentious one but the real results of the government’s new policy will only be seen in the coming days once they have taken effect.
At that same 25 August meeting, Cabinet also approved several planning applications, in particular one application in relation to the development of a Farmers Market on Providenciales.
Cabinet approved a COVID works Program Policy under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development to come into effect on 1 September.
There were also discussions and approvals in relation to several ordinances; and approval of appointments of members to several boards.
