More relaxed curfew for the BVI soon

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) might soon be seeing a more relaxed curfew since there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the islands.

BVI Deputy Premier and Health Minister Carvin Malone said on a radio show that easing of the current curfew is among the items to be discussed by the Cabinet today.

“There are other curfew provisions we are going to be looking at and determining what are the other areas that will be even more relaxed.”

Malone’s statement, in the meantime, follows Opposition Leader Marlon Penn’s criticism that the Fahie administration is “hinder[ing] local businesses from doing business and making profits”.

Penn had called for the government to further relax the current curfew so businesses such as restaurants can operate late-night hours that run closer to midnight.

He said if restaurants could operate until 10 or 11 pm, they would be able to implement a strict reservation policy in efforts to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The Opposition Leader said such a move only serves to create more employment for the territory.

“Restaurants not only require reassurance from government, but they also need a fighting chance to survive the COVID-19 crisis. The severe impact of restaurants in the territory not being able to open for dinner has resulted in servers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders and supervisors/managers finding themselves without a job,” Penn stated.

The Opposition Leader further argued that the disruption in business due to the decline in traffic to restaurants has caused irreparable harm, leaving businesses saddled with debt.

Just recently, members of the Opposition proposed their own version of a COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.

Premier Andrew Fahie, however, contends that his government already has a coronavirus economic stimulus response which it is rolling out in phases to not cause any new or further outbreak of COVID-19.

In other news:

The United Kingdom contributes USD $3.8-M to PAHO to help eight countries of the Caribbean