Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley and the Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edgehill will jointly lead the press conference. They are announcing the new protocols for the upcoming Emergency COVID-19 Directive.
Today’s host is David Ellis.
Head of Isolation Facilities, The Most Honourable
Dr Corey Forde
- The number of people in the Intensive Care Units have dropped
- There are 22 people in the two Intensive Care Units.
- There are two people on ventilators.
Minister of Health and Wellness Ian Gooding-Edghill
- The positivity rate is at 17.5 per cent, down from 26 per cent in the previous two weeks.
- Over the last four days, the positivity rate has been 17 per cent.
- The COVID-19 situation is under control and getting better.
Changes to the new directive that comes into effect on February 28:
- Wedding receptions permitted in accordance with protocols.
- Dancing at weddings will be allowed.
- No restrictions to the number of people attending weddings subject to physical distancing requirements.
- Provision that no person should consume food or drink in a bar or rum shop will be removed.
- Work from home requirement removed.
- Standing passengers will be allowed as specified to vehicle carrying capacity.
- Business, churches and retail shop no longer required to record contact information of patrons but hand sanitisation and temperature checks must continue.
- The approach for a full return to sports will be a risk-based one, taking into consideration indoor vs outdoor activities and contact vs non-contact sports.
- The Ministry of Health has submitted to Ministry of Sports a risk-based matrix.
- The bodies for sporting organisations that do not have protocols will urgently develop and submit their protocols.
- We are working towards a purposeful re-introduction of sports within two weeks in a risk-based manner.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley
- There shall be a return to work in the public service from Tuesday March 1.
- For the most part of last year, people worked remotely
- It is our judgement that people can return to work fully
- There will still be elements of flexible work.
- While permission for entertainment events must still be channelled through the National Cultural Foundation and the Covid-19 Monitoring Unit for now, the number of patrons attending the event is dependent on the size of the venue.
- The minimum requirement for attendance will continue to be people who are fully vaccinated to who show a negative rapid test taken at least 24 hours prior to the event.
- We are satisfied that we can have the season of Emancipation and a modified Crop Over.
- The staging and execution of Grand Kadooment and Foreday Morning – which are the two events that would give the Ministry of Health the greatest concern – will be decentralised.
- We will have at least eight venues that will accommodate people wanting to play mas for Foreday Morning and for Grand Kadooment.
- Those people who attend the decentralized venues will have to adhere to the same rules as for those attending fetes over the next few months.