24-HOUR LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED FOR ST KITTS; STATE OF EMERGENCY TO BE EXTENDED

St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr Timothy Harris has announced stricter COVID-19 lockdown measures for St Kitts, with a 24-hour lockdown in intervals beginning 6pm, Sunday, June 27 to 5am Thursday, July 1. There will be limited operations for essential business on Thursday, July 1 and Friday, July 2 between 6am and 6pm, before the 24-lockdown resumes as at 6pm on Friday July 2 to Thursday, July 8. There will be another period of limited movement for essentials on Thursday, July 8and Friday, July 9, before another 24-hour lockdown on Saturday July 10 and 11. There will also be a strict shelter in place order in place for St Kitts; beaches remain closed and liquor licences are suspended. The strict measures will not extend to the island of Nevis which will continue with the milder restrictions that are presently in place. Parliament will also convene for an emergency sitting on Monday as the Harris administration moves to extend the state of emergency. The Prime Minster says this “is necessary in our fight against the COVID pandemic because of the current spread of the virus here in our country.”

Dr Harris used an address to the nation to announce that the measures were necessary because the reduction in cases intended over the last 14 days has not happened. There have also been three deaths over the past week, the first fatalities from the virus in the Federation. He also says 30 per cent of the population remain unvaccinated.