Chief Health Inspector says businesses could be closed indefinitely for breaching new protocols

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Martin (File Photo)

Chief Health Inspector Sharon Martin warned establishments that failed to follow new health requirements risked having their businesses closed down for an unspecified period.

 

To address the rising cases of coronavirus in the country, the government said the maximum number of people allowed at certain establishments including bars and restaurants must now be posted at the facility for patrons to see.

 

Martin said her team visited several establishments on Friday to explain the new requirements.

 

“We checked them and we sat down with them, telling them the new norm, what we expect of them”, Martin told state media.

 

“The certificate that we have issued to them, there is a space for what you call a number; how many persons at any given time they can accommodate in the establishment.”

 

Martin said going forward, when police officers go out “they’ll be looking on the certificate for this number to be displayed.”

 

In the past, “we would go to make sure that they have handwashing facilities installed, in place for use, they use signages to inform people; wash your hands before entering, wear facemask before entering, social distancing.”

 

“We’re now saying, we say all those things to them but we never told them before, how many persons they should allow in the establishment at any given time. So, we are doing that now to avoid overcrowding, and once the officer goes and finds more than what the certificate is showing then that’s a breach.”

 

The Chief Health Inspector warned if an establishment breaches the protocol, it will be closed down by the police and the owner will be charged.

 

She urged businesses to “cooperate because what we don’t want is a further outbreak of COVID virus, people coming down with it.”

 

“Be strict with them. If persons want to enter without wearing masks or washing their hands, ask them to leave and once we can do that we can improve in the business sector”, she advised business owners.

 

“We don’t plan to close anybody down because we all need to make money, we have families to feed but if they want to display defiant behavior, we are going to close them down”, Martin added.

 

“If we give them the number to work with and they are not working with it, the closing could be indefinite so cooperate, understand, work along with us because at the end of the day we have families to feed, we have ourselves to feed and we don’t want to disrupt that”, she cautioned.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. I read through the news articles yesterday and this morning and this article wasn’t here, then this afternoon 23rd, pops up dated 22nd. Weird, noticed before articles being inserted after publication date

  2. Could you imagine a health inspector came to a place of business and utter ther words from his mouth that the bigger heads are not telling the people of Antigua and Barbuda the facts of whats really going on and hiding information from us? Theres something really suspicious. Why now they saying that they have a vaxination everything gone out of control. In my estimation they doing all kinds of things to force people to take this vaccination. I read an article that says 23 persons died from this same vaccination within a short space of time. Our deatj total is way less that. Someone give me a reason why we need to be vaccinated? Give me some logics. Convince me that we need to take it.0

  3. Is Ms. Martin the person in charge of the St. John’s Heath Centre? That place, where our very sick people have to go to is in an atrocious state. They may have Covid protocols which has so far killed almost 0.005% of our population and is soooo deadly but what about all the other truly deadly diseases that are being harbored in that place?

    Who is holding her accountable? I understand Covid is deadly for Europe, US and a few other parts of the world and our important public officials don’t want to feel left out so they try to create fear and hysteria in our population to be in on the latest craze, but who is focusing on Antigua’s health issues that are actually affecting Antiguan’s health?

  4. POLICE CLOSING BUSINESSES; CHARGING OWNERS; STUPIDITY IN THE HIGHEST

    This is capable of being described as ‘…Stupidity In the Highest.’

    Would wish to see which ‘Idiotic Police Officers’ would take over the responsibilities of; (i) ‘…Minister of Health; (ii) …Ministry of Health; (iii) …Chief Medical officer; (iv) …Eustace ‘Tiko’ Lake-led CBH Board; and (v) …The Chief Health Inspector.’

    For the ‘Threat of Closure,’ seems they are mixing up; (a) ‘…Issues of public sanitation; with (b) …Consumption of food unfit for human consumption; and (c) …Covid protocols.’

    Have seen ‘…sheer stupidity exhibited before,’ but ‘…let Police put their noses in people’s businesses and play stupid.

    • Well said RAWLSTON POMPEY but as you should be aware when it comes to the covid protocols it is not just the Police that is guilty of STUPIDITY but the GOVERNMENT as well.

  5. Trial & Error does work in solving a problem when these are no known prescribed methods.

    Carry on folks. Puppets do play a significant role in the #VirtualWorld of the Oligarchs/Medium’s as well.
    What the hell, it’s the #Spirit of da ROARING 20’s rearing its ugly head, and raising the dead.

  6. Go ahead and close them down. They will be paying less taxes and let’s see how govt deals with that then.

  7. Close down is like picking low fruits. Close down my ass. Persons would be out of work. Then you people would still be getting paid monthly. While poor ass Antiguans are on the corners begging bread out of work. Meet with the individual businesses and come up tailored plans. Because all of those businesses are not of the same sizes.

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