Cabinet has agreed to make adjustments to public health regulations surrounding Covid-19, including extending the island’s public health emergency and changes to masking requirements.
In yesterday’s press conference, Minister of Health Kim Wilson said, “Cabinet has agreed to make the following adjustments to public health regulations:
“The current Covid Regulations, which were set to expire on 20th March 2022, will be extended until 30th April 2022;
“The public health emergency will be extended a further 60 days through 29th May 2022; and,
“After 31st March 2022, there will be a mandatory indoor mask mandate for the following settings:
“For those in healthcare or institutional settings, such as healthcare facilities, nursing homes, rest homes and corrections facilities;
“For those providing transportation for the public, which includes the indoor spaces of ferries, as well as on buses, taxis and minibuses; and,
inside at the Airport.
“Notwithstanding the limited situations where the law will require indoor masks, the Ministry of Health nonetheless strongly recommends businesses set mask requirements for entry and the provision of services which are appropriate for their establishments.
“Scientific evidence has shown that the major route of transmission of the Covid‐19 virus is via droplets and aerosols from speaking, singing, coughing or sneezing.
“As such, masks have been proven to be an effective form of personal protective equipment. They are effective because they both block exhalation of virus-containing droplets and form a barrier to inhalation by filtering out droplets and particles.
“We recognise there are many environments where people must be in contact with others outside their family group for long periods of time, such as at work, so we encourage businesses to think carefully about what mask policy is appropriate for their situation – both for their customers and clients, and for their staff.
“Having consulted with the Attorney-General, the Ministry can confirm all businesses have the right to implement this simple public health measure in a manner that they choose.”
