Cabinet has approved further amendments to the Environmental Health Services (COVID-19) Regulations SR&O 26 of 2021 to take effect from Friday, October 29, 2021.
Churches are allowed to accommodate congregants for services, weddings, and funerals based on the ability to maintain physical distancing of no less than six feet between congregants, up to a maximum of 100 persons. The maximum number of persons per building will be certified by the Environmental Health Department and all established COVID-19 protocols for churches as published by the Chief Medical Officer are to remain in place.
The approval of the Chief of Police is required for any other gathering of more than 50 persons. Restrictions on social activities remain in place, with the exception of meetings of fraternal societies, private or social clubs, civic associations or organizations. Physical distancing and other COVID-19 protocols are required for all gatherings.
All restrictions on opening hours for businesses shall be removed. Health and safety guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and New Health Investments for all businesses remain in place and should be strictly adhered to. Further, there shall be no loud music, congregating, or consumption of alcohol on the premises of bars, and nightclubs are to remain closed.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness & New Health Investment and the Environmental Health
Team will increase monitoring to ensure that all safety protocols are enforced to limit the spread of COVID-19. The public is encouraged to practice all safety measures to reduce the risk of infection and to get tested and vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
So Skerrit figured de best timing for pandering to the religious community…. Independence? Passport sales scandal? Grand Bay bi-election?
It’s like he looking to be pardoned!
I am convinced that if we can achieve the required 70% immunity via vaccination by the end of this year, we should be able to enjoy our carnival as normal next year. We just need more carnival lovers to come forward and take de vaccine ASAP. I want me jump-up wee!!!
Finally, they see the inequity of the previous protocol where you could have more people in a bus than in a church or other building which could easily accommodate a much larger crowd than was permitted. At the same time, that limited number of attendees was set aside for the state funerals. That was ok, but now almost everyone is on equal footing. We need to apply the same rules for other functions; no 50-person limit.
So no demonstrations you hear, no more than 50 people can gather but up to a hundred can sing hallelujah in church to their hearts content and the free masons free to gather, that is a brotherhood not so. What they should do instead is getting people vaccinated, enforce mask in public, not use this to restrict people to express their view. Go with placard, up to 50 people to the bayfront on cruise ship day You hear to let visitors know what you think of our regime. If you all get harass by police our visitors can see we have no freedom of expression in our country. I really getting pissed off with things in Dominica now.
We are not ready for this. Too many people do not know how to wear the mask. We are just setting up ourselves for another, this time, big wave.
Everything Skerrit does is politically motivated to curry favour with the electors. The by election is nigh and he wants favourable publicity.
Here we go with the commissioning of the MRI machine, the lifting of some Covid restrictions and more goodies to come. Perhaps the country will get the long anticipated stimulus package.
Sadly, because most Dominicans are so dispossessed they misconstrue Skerrit’s shenanigans as a monumental favour from the goodness of his heart. Truth be told, whatever pittance they get is state resources they are entitled to.
Only in Dominica one corrupt narcissistic despot can pauperise 99% of the population and get away with it. Dominicans, where is the revolutionary spirit of your forebearers?
Stay safe everyone
WHAT ABOUT DAY CARES?
What we need to do is stop wearing those homemade masks. Everyone is making masks but are they certified?
If your mask is not certified, does not filter properly then it is like wearing no masks at all.
This is ordinary news…i am happy for the church but…i expect then to say about the stimulus…he has money to travel to Dubai with a battalion but cannot give one…oh what a shame…only a few working people who ate actually paying taxes…but the none working and lazy are reaping rewards…oh shame on this place…no vision
Good move the country deserve it.
Thank you
Wow! What a well calculated announcement to prevent people from taking about how our passports are now on the shelves of supermarkets around the world, to any one including criminals on the run, without any questions asked! You have your damn money just go buy a Dominica passport just like you buy a packet of cigarettes! So Skerrit knows these videos are going viral so to change the conversation he decides to ease restrictions so people could go to church, drink their rum, smoke their weed and get their charge so nobody will talk about passports. I tell you Skerrit has studied the Dominican culture and knows just how to turn on the and off the switch
I always knew those restrictions had absolutely nothing to do with the restrictions Skerrit put on us when we only had 10 cases. The king of corruption had another agenda. Now we have over 400 known active cases and everyday a person seems to be dying from covid, the hypocrite and king of corruption easing restrictions? What does he have coming his way because just yesterday he said online classes will continue for the remainder of the term. So Mr hypocrite since my children can’t go to school due to covid can I now send them to Sunday school since up to 100 persons can now attend church?