Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley's Media Conference On COVID-19 - Saturday November 7th 2020

Key Points From Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley’s Media Conference on COVID-19 – Saturday November 7th 2020: Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced the following adjustments: - In-house dining at restaurants to begin, but at 50% capacity and in groups of no more than ten people. NO ALCOHOL IS TO BE SERVED AT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS. - Food will now be served at cinemas but with strict guidelines for mask wearing. Patrons will ONLY take their masks off to consume food and must replace them after eating/drinking. - National Team sporting activities to resume, with support staff of no more than 10 people. - Caribbean Airlines to add more flights to the sea bridge but must maintain health protocols including mask wearing and social distancing. - Times for religious services extended to 90 minutes. - The Hunting Season is CLOSED. However, permission has been granted for hunters to exercise their dogs. - The current restrictions remain in place for bars. However, PM Rowley clarified that entertainment at bars has not been shut down but there is to be NO congregating. - Schools remain CLOSED at this time. Prime Minister Rowley stated: "It is not my intention, or the intention of the Government, or the health department, to risk the gains that we have made. In fact, I am looking at it differently. If we continue to progress in this way to have more and more activities, to have more and more people out with activities, I am hoping that we will be in a situation in January where we can get our children back to school. That is my next big hurdle." Prime Minister Rowley noted that citizens have been responsible, especially when it comes to visiting to the beaches since they were reopened two weeks ago. Rivers and ponds remain CLOSED at this time. As at Friday November 6th 2020, 13,042 individuals have applied to enter T&T, and 7,204 persons have been granted exemptions to enter. National Security Minister Stuart Young said Government is doing all it can to bring all Nationals home over the next few weeks. In addition to those who are stuck outside our borders, Government will be bringing home those citizens who recently left our country but want to return home, as well as students and TT Nationals who are accustomed to coming home for Christmas. National Security Minister Stuart Young announced new repatriation guidelines from November 15th: - Persons entering T&T must have a Negative PCR Test 72 hour before arrival into T&T. - Upon entry, persons will go into State/State-supervised quarantine for seven days and will be released to their homes on the 6th day if they get a Negative Test. Minister Young warned that some people may spend Christmas in quarantine if they arrive in T&T during the Christmas week. He urged them to work out their days to include seven days in quarantine. PM Rowley added that it is not possible for everyone to come home for Christmas. He explained, "We do not have the health cover." Kapok Hotel has been added to the list of quarantine facilities. The weekly flights from Barbados will continue. Epidemiologist Dr. Avery Hinds said there continues to be a plateau in COVID-19 cases with a slow decline noted over the last two weeks. Today marks the end of the two-week period since the lifting of some restrictions and officials will now be looking closely to see if the numbers increase .