COVID-19: 'This is the new regular'- Premier Andrew A. Fahie
The Territory has registered 6 confirmed cases, with 3 persons recovered, 1 death and 2 actives cases.
Issuing new mandates to businesses he said, "May I remind us all that if we had not implemented preventative measures, the then scientific data that was projected over this Territory to have just over 3,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 would have now been our reality."
COVID-19 measures paying off
Premier Fahie made the announcement under the theme 'The New Regular' during a COVID-19 update to the Territory on April 24, 2020, alongside Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) and Governor of the Virgin Islands (VI) His Excellency Mr Augustus J. U. Jaspert.
"Thanks be to God today this is not our reality. Why you may ask? Well for the simple reason that as a people we have been obeying the measures that are being communicated to us daily for all of our safety," the Premier said.
Earlier projections by the Epidemiology Unit in the Virgin Islands had said that some 89.8% of VI could be infected 'if COVID-19 goes unchecked," according to Health Minister Malone.
Premier Fahie affirmed that for the Territory to escape any projected realities, more will have to be done for the Virgin Islands to survive COVID-19, even as global economies are suffering an onslaught from the virus.
Businesses given new mandate
Delving into his new COVID-19 manifesto, Hon Fahie said the 'The New Regular' is one where life will no longer be the same and said that if citizens are unwilling to follow the new rules to be part of society, then they must stay at home.
"This is a term that came in my spirit... and when we go out, we must be mindful that if we do not practice the new regular such as putting on a mask, standing 6 feet apart, we may take this virus back home to our loved ones."
For businesses, however, "The New Regular' will mean adhering to strict government guidelines to be able to serve customers. "They must be inspected, approved and certified in order to open on Monday. Regulations are being worked on to be approved and implemented," he said.
According to the Premier, Businesses will now also be obligated to keep the staff and customers safe as much as possible by providing handwashing stations, hand sanitisers on the entrance, and cash passing must be sanitised (sprayed with Alcohol or similar agent) to ensure the health and safety of all.
"Business will not be the same unless we get a vaccine or cure. Simply put, this is the new regular," Premier Fahie noted.
Economy boosting businesses only will operate
He said over the next 14 days, only business activities that support the internal rebooting of our Territory’s economy will be allowed to operate and assured the public that the Government is not implementing such measures to make business activity difficult.
"We are doing these things to make it possible for necessary businesses to be able to operate in the new regular. Without these precautions, if we try to do things the old way, the risks will be very high."
As the Territory recorded yet another case of the dreaded COVID-19; marking 6 total infections to date, Premier Fahie said that the 'The New Regular' is one where strict measures will allow the Territory to mitigate and manage virus risks while allowing persons to conduct business in a safe environment.
He said, "businesses will operate between the hours of 6:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. daily...This also means that businesses should ensure that their opening hours give allowance for their staff to report and leave work within the hours of the imposed curfew."
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46 Responses to “COVID-19: 'This is the new regular'- Premier Andrew A. Fahie”
Well they’ve achieved it, it’s just the first phase gonna get worst
1. supermarkets which shall be open for the sole purpose of serving deliveries;
2. pharmacies for the purpose of deliveries as approved;
3. water production and delivery services as approved;
4. gas stations, as may be authorised by the Governor, which shall be opened between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 12 noon, for the sole purpose of serving persons or class of persons specified in the Schedule to this Order, who are traveling to or from duty;
5. persons employed as freight, courier and cargo distribution, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
6. persons engaged to provide apostille and related statutory services, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
7. persons employed in laundry services, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
8. persons employed as media and broadcast providers, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
9. persons engaged in bona fide farming agriculture or fisheries with urgent need to care for animals and persons offering veterinary services who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
10. persons engaged in commercial fishing between the hours of 6:00a.m and 12 noon, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
11. persons employed in transportation services (providing transportation for essential and critical operations), who are on duty, when driving to or from duty;
12. persons employed in supermarkets providing services to and for essential and critical operations, who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
13. persons employed at the health and emergency operations centre who are on duty, when traveling to or from duty;
14. persons employed in the legal and financial services sector approved by the Governor to undertake specific and urgent legal and financial services transactions that cannot be carried out remotely or by electronic means, who are on duty, when travelling to or from duty; and
15. persons who are traveling en route to a port or airport as approved by Cabinet under the Immigration and Passport(Authorised Ports of Entry) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020, (without a detour) for the purpose of leaving the Territory.
-Thomas Jefferson
I will not abide by your new world order tactics
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“Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they rebel they cannot become conscious” - George Orwell
Having scraped our cupboards clean, and now hearing that we will be let out from Monday to shop, will the shopping be rolled out in a controlled and orderly manner? The essential workers have already been allowed three days to shop; the needy and the greedy have already received plenty of food and basic supplies from multiple sources. Now, will we have to be like a pack of crazy ants crawling out of an angry anthill, having to face the multitude to stock up?
If not properly addressed, even with face masks, this will be an invitation for mass infection. I ask the authorities to please look into this concern urgently. Thank you.