On the 9th April, 2020, the Public Health [2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)] (No. 8) Regulations 2020 were revoked and replaced by the Public Health [2019] Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)] (No. 9) Regulations 2020 (“Regulation No. 9”. Regulation No. 9 serves to impose restrictions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
These Regulations have effect from 10th April 2020 to 30th April 2020. A breach of the provisions of Regulation No. 9 is punishable by a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) and imprisonment of up to six (6) months.
THE CHANGES TO THE LOCAL FRAMEWORK BY REGULATION NO. 9 ARE:
- Holders of spirit grocer licences are now mandated to close their operations for the prescribed period. Previously, only the operations of businesses under or pursuant to spirit retailer licences, wine retailer licences, restaurant licences, or wine merchant licences were expressly prohibited.
- Regulation No. 8 prohibited (amongst other things) all retail food services and expressly listed restaurants, in-house dining, delivery, and take-away services as being included as a “retail food service”. Regulation 9 has removed from “delivery services” from the list of prohibited food service suggesting that such delivery services may be permissible.
- The removal of paragraphs 7(1) and (2) which duplicated paragraphs 2(1) and (2) relating to the public transport.
A summary of all measures currently in force in Trinidad and Tobago to combat the Covid-19 pandemic are available in our Covid-19 Legal Update post.
