Police to enforce ‘COVID-19 protocols’

The following is a statement by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force RSVGPF:

As St. Vincent and the Grenadines grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave effects,  

The RSVGPF wishes to advise members of the public to continue to be responsible citizens by adhering to the various measures and protocols that have been implemented by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG); to protect its citizens and visitors and; to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus.  

These protocols include the Recommendations for the Managed Conduct of Mass Gatherings with or without Amplified Music  issued by the Health Services Subcommittee of the National Emergency Committee/COVID 19 Task Force; Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment. When you adhere to these protocols, you are protecting yourself and the people around you.

The Government of SVG has declared Friday Jan. 22 and Monday Jan. 25, 2021 as public holidays.

It is customary for Vincentians to engage in different social events/acitivities on public holidays.

However, inlight of the current rise in COVID -19 cases in SVG and the need for physical distancing and social hygiene; the RSVGPF encourages citizens to exercise restraint and stay at home as far as possible over the long extended weekend of Jan. 22 to 25, 2021.

The RSVGPF informs that existing pieces of legislation among others, are highly relevant in the circumstances for enforcement:-

• Public Health Act
• Public Health (Amendment) Act 2020
• The Noise Control Act
• The Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic  Act – particularly in relation to the public transportation transportation
• The Litter Act
• National Parks Act
• Beach Protection Act
• Section 291 Chapter 171 of the Revised Edition of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2009. Section 291 states “Any person who unlawfully or negligently does any act which he knows, or has reason to believe, to be likely to cause the spread of any infectious or contagious disease, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for one year.”

Accordingly, the RSVGPF would be conducting strategic and targeted patrols to ensure the following:

1. No playing of amplified music in public or private places
2. No mass gatherings of persons on beaches, or other social events including;  river cooks, picnics, etc.
3. Social and physical distancing are being practiced
4. Motorists and commuters are adhering to the protocols with regards to public transportation and; the number of passengers riding in omnibuses
5. No boat rides and or; excursions
6. Quarantined persons remain at their designated places of confinement at all times.

The RSVGPF would like to thank the general public for their cooperation and support during this unprecendented period, as we work hand in hand towards the maintainence of the health, safety and security of our blessed land.