More Hours For Businesses

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says the opening hours for businesses have been extended.

The Minister was addressing the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, in Savanna-la-Mar, recently.

“We have always maintained the 7:00 p.m. closing of businesses like community bars and other things. We are now going to move that from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, it goes until 1:00 a.m.,” the Minister informed.

This comes on the heels of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, announcing new curfew hours on December 7.

Speaking in the House of Representatives, Mr. Holness noted that the curfew hours would be from 10:00 p.m. nightly until 5:00 a.m. the following morning, effective December 10 and ending on January 14, 2022.  However, the curfew hours would begin at 1:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The 9:00 p.m. closure of businesses also took effect on December 10.

The Minster said that the closing time for gyms, barber shops and other entities will also be extended to 9:00 p.m., while the opening hours for beaches that are controlled by authorised entities will be from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mr. McKenzie’s address was part of a working visit to the parish where he also officially reopened the recently rehabilitated Tivoli Road in the Bath community and toured the parish’s infirmary and the Savanna-la-Mar market.