State of Emergency revoked

by Linda Straker

• Governor-General Dame Cécile La Grenade has revoked State of Emergency
• Proclamation revoking State of Emergency Gazetted on 4 April 2022
• Covid-19 Emergency Powers Regulations have now been repealed

Approximately 1 month before the expiry of Grenada’s State of Emergency (SOE), as approved by the Houses of Parliament in November 2021, Governor-General Dame Cécile La Grenade has revoked the measure.

The SOE was among initiatives enforced by the Government to contain and control the spread of Covid-19 on the island.

“In relation to the Covid-19 regulations, the proclamation of the Governor-General revoking the State of Emergency was Gazetted on 4^th April 2022 in accordance with Section 17:3 of the Constitution. As such I am in a position to confirm that the state of Grenada is no longer operating under a state of emergency,” announced Dia Forrester, Attorney General during the weekly Tuesday post-cabinet briefing on 5 April 2022.

“In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we no longer have restrictions on the movement of people, the operations of businesses, the mandate to wear masks and maintain physical distancing. The mandate to demonstrate one’s vaccination status to access services, and all other features of the Covid-19 Emergency Powers Regulations as those have now been repealed,” she explained.

Speaking about the other public health measures, Forrester said that the Quarantine Covid Regulations where you find the travel restrictions and the mandates for testing prior to arrival and or on arrival in Grenada, have also been repealed.

“We are therefore operating without the need for testing prior to or on arrival to Grenada. Likewise, there is no need for individuals to be quarantined. This change in the Quarantine Covid-19 regulations thus needs the approval of Parliament to formally be removed from our laws, and the Government will shortly be proceeding to Parliament to guarantee that process, but at present, we are operating as if they are formally part of our law,” said the chief legal advisor to Government.

The Public Health Covid-19 regulations will continue to be in place but only to the extent needed for monitoring and screening to determine the status of Covid-19 in Grenada and to take measures if the need arises.

“At the moment, we are all trying to live life with Covid-19 and I encourage all individuals to take measures to protect themselves as their deem fit,” said Forrester who believes that the measure of sanitising is a positive public health practice.