Stage 3 of the COVID-19 National Preparedness Plan
- A public health emergency has been declared
- A curfew from Saturday, March 28, to Tuesday, April 14, 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This may be extended.
- Persons are confined to their places of residence during curfew hours
- Limited movement during the day
- Continue to practise physical distancing of six feet between persons
- The plan is being implemented in a phased manner based on the intensity of spread.
Essential Services during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
- Royal Barbados Police Force
- Barbados Defence Force
- Barbados Fire Service
- Barbados Prison Service
- CareGivers e.g. nurses, home helpers but NOT domestic workers
- Collection, storage, purification and distribution of water for public use
- Customs Department
- Disaster Management Services
- Hospitals, Clinics and Pharmacies
- Media and Broadcasting Services
- Medical and Paramedical Professions
- Operation of airport and seaports
- Removal, handling or burial of deceased persons or disposal of dead animals
- Sanitation Service Authority for the collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of sewage, garbage or refuse
- Security Services (Private)
- Staff of pharmaceutical agencies
- Telecommunications providers
- Transport Services – aircraft, ship, motor vehicle and PSVs
- Utility companies (water, electricity)
Businesses in the private sector are to be CLOSED from 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. However, select businesses will be allowed to operate from March 28 to April 14, between the recommended hours ONLY:
| BUSINESS | HOURS |
| Abattoirs, butcher shops and fish markets | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Bakeries | 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Farms | 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Pharmaceutical manufacturers; manufacturers of juices, soft drinks and dairy products; food processors and food distributors | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Banks, Credit Unions, and other financial institutions excluding insurance companies | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Cleaning Services | 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Restaurants for drive-through or take away services ONLY; NO DINING ON PREMISES | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Fuel manufacturers, fuel storage facilities and fuel distributors | 7:00 a.m. – 5: 00 p.m. |
| Wholesale and retail grocery stores, mini-marts and village shops | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Gas Stations | 7:00 a.m. – 7: 00 p.m. |
| Delivery services for meals, groceries, and medical supplies | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| Hotels, villas and other rental accommodations can operate, but are NOT allowed to provide ancillary and recreational activities, such as gaming rooms, discos, salons, spas, restaurants (except for take away and room service), golf courses, and lawn tennis. | 24 hours |
| Portvale Sugar Factory is excluded from the curfew | 24 hours |
| Private veterinary services | As needed |
All construction companies must cease to operate EXCEPT for work taking place at Harrison’s Point Quarantine & Isolation Facility. Therefore, construction work on residential and commercial properties is not allowed during this period. Hardware stores must be closed except for the limited purpose of supplying goods to the Harrison’s Point Quarantine & Isolation Facility ONLY.
The Public Service
Selected ministries, departments and statutory corporations will be operated by a skeleton staff. They will open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation
- Barbados Agricultural Management Company
- Barbados Immigration Department
- Barbados Licensing Authority
- Barbados Meteorological Services
- Barbados Postal Service
- Barbados Revenue Authority
- Barbados Statistical Department
- Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
- Cabinet Office
- Central Bank of Barbados
- Central Purchasing
- Child Care Board
- Civil Aviation Department
- Commerce Department in the Ministry of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce
- Government Health Laboratories
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
- Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Public Affairs
- Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology
- Ministry of the Public Service
- National Assistance Board
- National Disabilities Unit
- National Insurance Department
- Office of the Attorney General, Registrar of the Supreme Court, and Department of Public Prosecutions
- Ministry of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine and Veterinary Services (work as needed)
- Prime Minister’s Office
- Rural Development Commission
- The Treasury
- Urban Development Commission
- Welfare Department
All courts will be closed EXCEPT for matters before the Duty Judge.
Additional Advice To The Public On Restrictions
- Subject to the provisions of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order 2020, everyone must remain in the confines of his/her place of residence and property
- Except for funeral services and weddings ALL churches and places of religious worship, including mosques and synagogues, shall be closed
- Weddings are LIMITED to bride, bridegroom, the official witnesses and marriage officer
- Funerals will be LIMITED to no more than 10 mourners, one officiant, the funeral director and necessary staff
- No person shall host or attend a private party, a recreational or competitive sporting event, a banquet, a ball, reception, any social events, a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club, civic association or organization
- Restricted visitation to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Visits to all public geriatric hospitals and the Psychiatric Hospital have been suspended
- No visits are allowed to any quarantine or isolation centres
- No visits to the HMP Dodds Prisons and to the Government Industrial Schools
- No more than one person will be allowed to visit private senior citizen homes, nursing homes, and facilities for the treatment of persons with addiction, or a dependency on drugs or narcotic substances.
Penalties
- If any person contravenes the Emergency Management (COVID-19) Order 2020 without reasonable explanation, that person is guilty of an offence, and is liable to a fine of $50,000, imprisonment for a term of one year, or both.
Business owners are required to restrict the number of persons within and outside their establishments to ensure that a physical distance of at least six feet is maintained between each person.
Private businesses and offices may continue to operate where employees can work exclusively from their homes.
For more information or to submit queries, email attorney.general@barbados.gov.bb