Statement by Attorney General, Dale Marshall – March 27, 2021. (PMO)

Attorney General Dale Marshall has reminded food establishments that while they are permitted to open until 9:00 p.m., they must make sure that their employees are off the roads by the 9:00 p.m. curfew.

Mr. Marshall gave the reminder as he stressed that the curfew would be “strictly enforced”.  

He made the comments today in a pre-recorded statement, as he updated the country on the Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Curfew) (No.7) Directive, 2021, which takes effect from March 28 to April 11.

The Attorney General said: “I want to make it quite clear that food establishments, no matter what kind … are permitted to open until 9:00 in the night. So if you are a snackette, … a fine dining restaurant, if you are what the old people would call a cook shop, [or] …a food van, you are allowed to operate from 7:00 in the morning until 9:00 in the night.

“Now, I want to take this opportunity as well to reiterate, this is not an excuse for an operator of a food establishment to close at nine; the curfew commences at nine. The reason that we have not stipulated a closing time for food businesses is because, in many instances, food business operators sometimes live on the premises.”

Mr. Marshall explained that those operators living on their premises could close at whatever time, which allowed them to be off the road by 9:00 p.m.  

He added that this reasoning also applied to fine dining, large restaurants, fast food restaurants and any kind of food establishment.

“You must have your people off the road by 9:00 p.m.  So close at a time, which allows you to satisfy that requirement, but that time is up to you. If you can close at quarter to nine and still get your people off the road by nine, then you are going to be fine.

“But please do not ask for mercy if at quarter past nine you are still on the road….  The curfew will be strictly enforced,” he insisted.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

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