At the press briefing of the Ministry of Health on Friday 6, November, the nation was informed that face masks or face coverings are mandatory in public places. The announcement was made by the Attorney General, Levi Peter, in light of increased cases of COVID-19 on island.
He said, “The first relevant provision will provide for the wearing of face masks or face coverings in public places, specifically (A) whilst using a bus or other public transportation, (B) in public buildings, for example the Government Headquarters, Financial Centre and also supermarkets, retail and wholesale, commercial establishments, (C) at bars or markets or similar businesses or places. (D) in other public spaces including parks, River Banks and beaches.”
Further, the Attorney General said that persons are required to remove or lower face coverings to allow the police or business owners to identify them.
In addition, with the exception of schools and churches, the new measures also prohibit any gathering of more than 200 hundred individuals and make provisions for persons to apply in writing to the Chief of Police for any gathering where more than 50 persons are expected to be in attendance.
The Attorney General said that persons need to “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”.
