by Linda Straker
- Parliament agreed to extend State of Emergency for a 6-month period
- Current State of Emergency will expire on 20 April
- Limited State of Emergency was declared to reduce community transmission of Covid-19
Members in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament on Friday agreed to extend the State of Emergency for a 6-month period, with the option to terminate or revoke it before the conclusion of the agreed time.
On 25 March, a limited State of Emergency was declared as part of measures to restrict the movement of citizens as Grenada put in place measures to combat and reduce the spread of Grenada experiencing community transmission or spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Grenada’s Constitution provides for an initial period of 21 days without parliamentary approval but the State of Emergency declaration will only be valid for 21 days. The Houses of Parliament must give approval for it to continue. According to the constitution all members had to give unanimous support for the resolution to be legal.
“A resolution of a House of Parliament for the purposes of subsection (2) of this section and a resolution of a House extending any such resolution shall not be passed unless it is supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the House,” says Section 17 subsection 6 of the constitution.
During the voting process all members of the House of Representatives including newly appointed Leader of the Opposition, Tobias Clement, as well as all members in the Senate, supported the continuation of the measure.
The current State of Emergency which comes with a number of regulations including a 24-hour curfew with exception for essential services workers, will expire on 20 April 2020. The regulations of the State of Emergency are done in accordance with the Emergency Powers Act and it is expected that before the end of business day on 20 April, government will gazette a new set of regulations for a continuation of the State of Emergency.
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What about our churches? Can’t the same measures that are practiced in the banks, stores, supermarkets etc be practiced in the house of God? Or is that deemed non essential? Yet pray for the country.
Great move, saving lives should be priority, however sustaiming jobs must be part of the plan as well. We will survive and come out stronger after this….
Opening the local economy without opening the borders will help, but minimally at best. The vast majority of Grenada’s economy relies on foreign trade. The economy hemorrhages each day we remain locked off from the outside….
I run a sewing shop and can make mask, any hospital requirements etc, why can’t I open even just for half a day? I work alone and do not need to walk through any busy roads..
Let all shops reopen, maybe the small ones first where distancing can be easier managed but don’t let the island economy collapse beyond repair when there’s no need. People know how to self distance now, couple that with more on island testing to check we are thankfully free of this & allow people to breath a bit. Hard choice when to free the reigns but a bit at a time will cheer everyone up
Good idea
Exactly, there’s zero evidence to support an extension. It’s like these parliamentarians are on an agenda to actively ruin the country’s already terribly developed economy. What are the reasons they can give us for such a decision? It’s just terrible running.
Like really ? you all in government only thinking about self and the rich ask yourself how many people in the island could sustain themselves for six months without working , I could understand keeping the borders closed but not the entire country for six months G you guys must be mad
Blimey. No new community spread and a further 6 months. Seems a bit extreme? Great job so far. Keep borders closed and work on the procedures and processes for when ports and the airport are eventually reopened. This will be the real danger phase. Everything internally to reopen in a phased manner but quickly if there are no new cases? Get the inernal economy up and running asap. Tourism can wait a long while until safe. Gives time for the government to implement their plan to develop farming and support to farmers too.
Blimey. No new community spread and a further 6 months. Seems a bit extreme? Great job so far. Keep borders closed and work on the procedures and processes for when ports and the airport are eventually reopened. This will be the real danger phase. Everything internally to reopen in a phased manner but quickly if there are no new cases? Get the inernal economy up and running asap. Tourism can wait a long while until safe. Gives time for the government to implement their plan to develop farming and support to farmers too.
6 months??
Like really?
Borders need to stay closed until safe to re-open them internationally but Grenada residents/ people currently here could resume normality after April 20th please.
There is zero evidence to support the curfew past that date.