By Prior Beharry
A State of Emergency has been instituted in Trinidad and Tobago from midnight Saturday.
This was announced by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at a press conference at his official residence on Saturday.
He said a curfew will be in effect from 9pm to 5am everyday with exemptions for essential services.
The prime minister said the state of emergency will be for 90 days in the first instance but it could be less depending on how the Covid-19 is spreading.
“If you don’t have to be out for expected reasons, you stay home under force of law,” Dr Rowley said.
The measures have been put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has accounted 265 deaths in T&T since the pandemic started last year.
Dr Rowley said National Security, Ministry of Health, the utilities, ports and airports will be exempted.
He said the supply chain for food will continue and groceries, pharmacies and gas stations will be allowed to open.
Dr Rowley thanked the leadership of the business community in taking the lead to call for addition measures. The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce had called for a curfew to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Some businesses have even decided to close until May 23 when the last measures that were announced would have expired.
Principal Medical Officer of Institutions Maryam Abdool-Richards said the parallel healthcare system was running out of bed space.
She said the rolling seven-day average was now at 380 people testing positive per day.
