Haiti imposes state of health emergency as COVID cases soar
Published:Tuesday | May 25, 2021 | 1:10 PM
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Haiti, rocked by 933 new cases and 38 deaths from the coronavirus (COVID-19) since the start of this month, has issued a state of health emergency throughout the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
The measure will run for eight days.
The Ministry of Public Health is also reporting the presence of the contagious English and Brazilian variants of the virus.
It said that President Jovenel Moïse, during an extraordinary virtual Council of Ministers meeting, issued the decree, which was later published in the Official Journal Le Moniteur declaring the state of health emergency throughout the country.
According to the decree, wearing a mask is compulsory in all places frequented by the population, including public transport.
It also calls for the compulsory installation of handwashing points in all public and private buildings.
“Temperature taking is compulsory in all private and public institutions, in particular financial institutions, places of worship, schools, universities, hospitals, health centres, offices, and in all embarkation and disembarkation points of passengers,” according to the decree, adding that people must observe social distancing and that staff working in public and private institutions are reduced to 50 per cent of their normal capacity and home work is encouraged.
It said that a curfew will be in effect from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
According to the latest figures, Haiti has recorded 14,037 confirmed cases and 292 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March last year.
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