Summary of the Regulations announced by the Attorney General at today’s (3) press conference.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH
(PREVENTION, CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION OF COVID-19) AMENDMENT
REGULATIONS, 2020

Amendments
to the Public Health (Prevention, Control and Suppression of
COVID-19) Regulations, and new regulations to ensure compliance with
the Shelter in Place requirements were approved by Cabinet today, 3
April 2020.

Turning
firstly, to the amendments to the Public Health (Prevention, Control
and Suppression of COVID-19) Regulations, the key changes are as
follows:

Visits
to residential home care facilities

No
person shall, except with the written permission of the Medical
Officer of Health visit or be permitted to visit, a residential home
care facility.

Fulfilling
legal obligations

We
have added a new category of essential travel. This relates to
persons undertaking travel required:

-
by a custody agreement by consent or
custody order of the Court

(This
would therefore allow for parents in relation to children who do not
live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents,
to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between
parents and children);

-
any other court order, or

-
by law enforcement.

Further
restriction on certain essential travel

As
the public is aware, arrangements had been put in place for
supermarkets whereby only certain persons are allowed to visit them
on certain days of the week.

Government
has sought to formalize this arrangement by including it in the
Regulations, and also extending it to the following public places:

-
convenience stores and mini-marts;

-
retail banks, building societies and credit unions; and

-
gas or refilling stations.

I
would remind the public that the arrangements are as follows:

-
persons whose last names begin with the letters A-K shall only
undertake essential travel to the aforementioned places on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays; and

-
persons whose last names begin with the letters L-Z shall only
undertake essential travel to the aforementioned places on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays.

This,
of course, does not apply to essential workers of these businesses.
It only applies to customers or patrons.

For
clarity, this arrangement also does NOT apply to:

-
pharmacies;

-
health-care facilities; and

-
persons who undertake travel to restaurants which provide
drive-thru or curbside collection of food or provide for the take-out
of food.

I
turn now to the:

PUBLIC
HEALTH (PREVENTION, CONTROL AND SUPPRESSION OF COVID-19) (TICKET)
REGULATIONS, 2020

Where
an offence appears to have been committed contrary to the Public
Health (Prevention, Control and Suppression of COVID-19) Regulations,
a police officer may serve on the alleged offender a ticket
specifying the offence and amount payable in relation thereto.

The
fines range from $250 - $750.

I
will give an overview of the offences and the fines attached thereto:

1.
Not restricting the number of customers in a place of business so
that each customer complies with social distancing requirements

$250

2.
Not maintaining a distance of at least six feet or two meters from
another person

$250

3.
Holding a public meeting, procession or festive ceremony

$750

4.
Opening an establishment, institution, business, organisation or
office which is not exempt

$750

5.
Being a convenience store or mini-mart which has more than 6
customers at any one time

$750

7.
Carrying out any activity or operation set out in regulation 6(1) of
the Regulations (such as hosting a private party, visiting or
permitting entry to a private strata pool or gym, or performing works
of construction)

$500

8.
Permitting the visit of, or visiting, the following places i.e.- (a)
a place or facility of quarantine or isolation; (b) a detainee in a
prison or place of detention; or (c) a patient in a health care
facility.

$500

9.
Permitting a visit to, or visiting a residential home-care facility
without the written permission of the Medical Officer of Health.

$500

10.
Without lawful authority, remaining in a place other than the
confines of the person’s place of residence, inclusive of the
person’s yard space.

$500

11.
Undertaking essential travel to any of the public places such as
supermarkets, convenience stores, mini-marts, retail banks, building
societies, credit unions or gas stations on days other than those
permitted according to persons’ last names

$500

Upon
being served a ticket, a person may:

-
pay the total amount set out in the ticket; or

-
enter into a ‘not guilty’ plea; or

-
attend the Summary Court on the date set out in the ticket and
enter a plea.

A
person served with a ticket who wishes to enter a ‘not guilty’
plea, may request a trial within 28 days of being served with a
ticket.

A
person served with a ticket who has NOT:

-
paid the total amount set out in the ticket within 28 days
from being served with the ticket; or

-
entered a ‘not guilty’ plea,

will
have to attend the Court on the day specified in the ticket.

Persons
are not obligated to pay these fines – instead, you can opt to go
to Court. It is your right to do so.

The
public is reminded that if convicted by a court, a person may face
the maximum fine of KY$1,000 and a term of imprisonment of 6 months.