TWO food vendors in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) were, on Wednesday, ordered to do one month of community service each after pleading guilty to breaching COVID-19 emergency measures.

Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh made the ruling at the Fort Wellington Magistrates’ Court yesterday when the duo, who are two of six persons charged with the offence, pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor Inspector, Phillip Sheriff, told the court that the two females were selling food at their respective roadside stands around which several persons, some of whom were consuming alcoholic beverages, had congregated.

“This act was in breach of restriction on social activities due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. They should have been providing takeaways but failed to do so,” the prosecutor said.
The women were ordered to do one hour community service per week for the next four weeks.

They were assigned to do miscellaneous duties in the compound of the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court which, according to the magistrate, will include tending the garden, sweeping, cleaning up, washing walls etc.

Magistrate Singh warned them to show up because if they fail to do so they would be liable to one week in prison as an alternative.

Meanwhile, four other persons charged with similar offences failed to show in court.
Those cases will be called up next week, Wednesday, May 27.