The Islandwide nightly curfew that was implemented as one of the measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been extended until November 16.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement late Wednesday as he addressed a digital press conference.
According to Holness, curfew hours will remain at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (local time).
“After the spike in August and September, our growth in new cases has been slowing down and our recoveries increasing, which has resulted in the number of active cases showing a moderate and modest decline,” he noted.
The prime minister said that the measure for motor car operators with public passenger vehicle (PPV) licenses to carry one less passenger than stipulated by their license will remain in place until November 16.
Also, as currently obtains, public transport operators will be allowed one hour before and one hour after the curfew to get to and from base or home.
No passengers are allowed during this one-hour period before and after the curfew hours.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton also announced that two nursing homes had been ordered closed by the Ministry of Health for not adhering to COVID-19 prevention measures.Just last week, Tufton warned of strong action against group care facilities, which continue to flout the measures. The closure orders were issued following the inspection of 236 facilities.