By Caribbean News Global 
LONDON, England – New policing powers worldwide are now in force to encourage people to stay at home protect to protect health and safety and save lives.
COVID-19 continues to ravage the major city of economic viability and overwhelm the best of health care facilities, a vaccine eludes the prognosis of a return to normalcy in the near future. Even in the face of death, governments are struggling to message people to #StayAtHome and stay safe, alongside the odds that government in ordinary times don’t listen to the people – now have to legislate action for compliance.
Under the coronavirus (COVID-19) new police regulations, in the UK, The government has bought in a new health protection bill which contains new powers for the police to help manage the spread of the coronavirus.
“These powers give all police officers the power to direct infected people to go and immediately receive treatment or self-isolate at home. They will also support officers in dealing with those who are not complying with the social-distancing restrictions. The government has been clear that it expects people to do the right thing in order to protect the National Health Services (NHS) and save lives.
“This applies to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) officers who work protecting nuclear sites across the country and the government has made it clear that compliance with these regulations is an absolute priority for the nation.”
The police force as a whole polices by consent and will continue to do so throughout this time of unprecedented national emergency.
“In the first instance, CNC officers will be engaging, explaining and encouraging members of the public to follow the restrictions. This will include asking whether an individual is aware of the government request; establish individual circumstances and how quickly someone can comply. Officers will also explain the risks to public health, and the NHS in line with government guidance and encourage voluntary compliance,” adding, “ Our officers will continue to carry out their nationally vital core Mission in keeping our civil nuclear sites safe and secure while ensuring the communities around the sites that we police are protected,” the COVID-19 new police regulations, said.
Trending in the Caribbean is the government of Grenada that has imposed a seven-day 24-hour curfew Monday, March 30 to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Health minister Nicholas Steele said in a broadcast Sunday: “Every time you break or ignore guidelines to quarantine when you have been exposed, you are potentially taking the life of one of our citizens. Maybe you are prepared to take the gamble, but unfortunately, it’s not only to your detriment. You are endangering the lives of each of us,” adding “everything else pales in comparison to the health and well-being of a nation. This is not about economics. It is about saving lives. It is about public health, public safety, and public order.”
Other islands are considering Grenada’s COVID-19 24-hour curfew to curbing the rise of this pandemic.
In a statement March 30, Saint Lucia’s prime minister “who did not listen early on” has admitted, “Two months ago, we did not have the capacity to deal with any kind of outbreak,” and even with COVID-19 force-opening of the Owen King European Union (OKEU hospital and the assignment of three hotels, “very quickly, we filled over 300 rooms.”
He continued: “Yet, there are many who continue to breach supervised quarantine. And the resources required from the police and the healthcare sector to ensure that we have more stringent methods of supervision added, an additional burden to the system—one which we were not anticipating. As of Monday, March 30, a curfew will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Second, the period of quarantine which was to end on April 5, will be extended to April 14. Third, we are going to suspend all liquor licenses in the country. So anyone operating a restaurant other than a drive-through or takeout will be in breach of the law. The police will be boosting their staff and lowering their levels of tolerance,” he said.
As of March 30, there are now 81, 137 confirmed cases in the region of the Americas. The affected region includes Dominican Republic (581), Haiti (15), Barbados (26), Jamaica (32), Cuba (119), Dominica (11), Grenada (7), Trinidad and Tobago (76), Guyana (5), Antigua and Barbuda (7), Bahamas (10), Saint Vincent and Grenadines (1), Guadeloupe (96), Martinique (105), St. Kitts and Nevis (4), Saint Barthelemy (5), Aruba (46), US Virgin Islands (22), Cayman Islands (8).
Meanwhile, “the department of health (in Saint Lucia) implores everyone to support the national scale down and curfew measures which have been put in place to protect the health and safety of every citizen,” chief medical officer, Dr Sharon Belmar-George, said in a statement, the “department of health asks you, the public, to boost your immune system by ensuring you are eating healthy while at home. That includes a diet made up of fruits and vegetables and also gets the necessary exercise at home and in your yard,” beach parties, river limes, etc continues.
While government, policymakers, security forces, and health institutions are besieged; more stringent measures are under consideration in keeping with Emergency Powers (Disasters) (COVID 19) Order.pdf
COVID-19 has affected the Caribbean and Latin America – Saint Lucia is expected to follow Grenada’s COVID-19 actions, albeit too little too late; #StayAtHome and stay safe, avoiding social and recreational activities – the potential of an outbreak of COVID-19 is significantly reduced. However, the lesson herein, when the prime minister says openly – “I don’t listen, I let the Jackasses bray,” the result is regrettably obvious.
