Under pressure mostly from the island’s influential private sector, the Jamaica government last week announced that it was discontinuing the weekly ‘no-movement’ days and adjusting its curfew measures even as the erratic behaviour of the seemingly worsening COVID-19 pandemic keeps countries in the region guessing as to how to respond to the mounting numbers of casualties being claimed by the novel coronavirus.
Last week’s announcement by the island’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness of the removal of the weekly no-movement days and relaxation of curfew measures by one hour came just days after some of the ‘heavy hitters’ in the private sector had made public pronouncements that the no-movement days were seriously disrupting social and economic life while having no discernable positive effect in terms of pushing back the pandemic.
While Holness reportedly told the island’s Parliament that the adjustment in the strictures should not be viewed as a loosening of the overall restraints, observers of the decision noted the coincidence between the concerns publicly expressed by the private sector and the timing of the government’s move.
