Hanover getting tougher on COVID-19 breaches

Western Bureau:

With the number of positive COVID-19 cases steadily rising, moves are afoot to establish a task force in Hanover to assist in enforcing the provisions of the Disaster Risk Management Act, which stipulates the compulsory wearing of face mask, among other measures.

While Hanover was the last of the nation’s 14 parishes to register a case of COVID-19, recent figures from the Ministry of Health and Wellness have shown that, as of September 10, the current situation in the parish emerged as an issue of concern during the September monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), where the matter of establishing a task force to look at the situation and advise the authorities about how to deal with the matter going forward was discussed.

ENFORCING HEALTH PROTOCOLS

“Persons are not paying much attention to the (health) protocol itself, so we need to enforce it. But how are we going to do it? Can we put a team together for us to check on these things to find the persons who are in breach?” asked Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels as councillors debated how the matter should be handled.

The mayor’s question came after several business places in Lucea, where the protocols are being breached, were named during the meeting.

“We need to do some policing of this thing so that we can get it (adherence to the health protocols) done,” Samuels emphasised, adding that a meeting with all the stakeholders within the parish to have a discussion on the pandemic is needed.

Samuels reminded the meeting that prior to the first case of COVID-19 in the parish, there was a successful meeting with stakeholders. He said that based on the current situation, he believes another meeting is necessary.

Subsequent to the mayor’s comment, a vote was taken on whether or not the meeting was necessary. All the councillors voted in favour of the HMC meeting with agencies such as the Social Development Commission, the Hanover Health Department, the police and other stakeholders to formulate plans for the task force.

“It is our responsibility to ensure we protect the people of this parish, and we have to protect the people and protect the corporation. We have to do what we have to do. Some of the things might be unpopular, but we have to do them,” explained Samuels.

The mayor also expressed the view that prosecuting offenders for breaches of the health protocols should help, as he knows for a fact that the fines being charged in the courts are punitive.