ST GEORGE’S – All Magistrate’s Courts in Grenada will be closed for a two-week period, from Friday, according to a notice from the Office of the Chief Magistrate, which did not provide a reason for the closure although it is believed to be connected to a surge in COVID-19 cases locally.
Announcing that all matters are adjourned, the public notice advises that “new dates for hearing will be communicated to all stakeholders at a later date”.
Although the courts are closed, the offices of the courts will continue to remain functional.
“Please note that all Magistrate’s Court offices in all Magistrate’s Courts will remain open for all other court-related transactions between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday,” the notice stated.
One of the main functions of the offices is to collect court-ordered child support payments from fathers and pass them on to mothers.
It is believed the September 3-17 closure of the courts is related to COVID-19 outbreaks that have resulted in several workers in both the private and public sector either being diagnosed with, or exposed to the virus.
Health authorities recently declared community spread of COVID-19, with hundreds of active cases and hundreds more people awaiting the results of tests conducted.
The positivity rate moved from 3 per cent in mid-August to 11 per cent by the end of the month. (CMC)
