CASTRIES – Saint Lucia Police have announced a ban on religious gatherings of more than 10 persons.
Acting Police Commissioner Milton Desir indicated Wednesday that in connection with the current global Coronavirus pandemic, the designation ‘mass crowd’ is now being applied to an assembly of 10.
“The decision taken by the Christian Community – they have been informed of that, in fact they were in discussion and that is what they agree to,” the police official explained.
He explained that if there are a few persons in church, that is permitted.
But Desir told St Lucia Times that after Friday all religious activities with more than 10 present will not be allowed.
Earlier during a news conference at the GIS studios, Desir, said that generally for mass crowd events the number would be 50.
“But for the purpose of COVID-19 we are saying that 50 is still a lot, especially since some events are taking place in small places, so we have decided that at least ten persons would be considered a mass crowd,” he stated.
He noted that funerals, weddings and other such religious gatherings featuring larger crowds would be cancelled from Friday at 6:00PM.
Desir also disclosed that the police would assist in returning persons who escape quarantine.
“At most of those exercises there would be representatives of the Ministry of Health so we would assist them in returning those persons back to the place of quarantine,” the Acting Police Commissioner told reporters.
Desir explained that the officers have received training and continue to receive training, especially in using personal protective equipment including body suits.
“Also the lab is assisting us with that because you know they use it during their work, so we are getting the assistance,” he told Wednesday’s news conference.
