By Lisa Hamilton

GUYANESE will now be permitted 90 minutes of exercise from Monday to Friday only, in parks, on roads, at the seawall, on beaches and at rivers and creeks as the country slightly relaxes its COVID-19 emergency measures.

Even so, the majority of all the other measures remain and have been extended to July 2, 2020.

In a media release on Wednesday, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) stated that the Order was updated pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2)(b) of the Directive by the President, given under the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145.

The existing curfew remains between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am and, unless otherwise provided for in the Order, every person shall remain in the confines of his or her home and its yard space.

The changes noticed by the Guyana Chronicle, which coincide with the 90 minutes of exercised allowed, can be found under the list of restricted activities.

Areas no longer on this list include pools, creeks, beach or rivers. Even so, the Order does list “any other social activity” as being prohibited and notes too that “no water sports or recreational activities shall be allowed on any river, creek, beach and internal waters.”

Meanwhile, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority has been added to the list of essential services as the country is already well into the May-June rainy season.

Beauty salons and barbershops have been added to the list of services which may be open between 6:00 am to 5:00 pm each day.

They join banks and other financial institutions; food stores, services and markets; funeral homes; gas stations; postal and shipping services; operation, inspection, repair and maintenance of essential services including vehicles, vessels and aircraft and traffic signal maintenance and more.

Previously, while operators of services not on this list were ordered to close their operations unless their employees can work exclusively from home, the option of operating through delivery or curbside pick-up has been added.

Previous measures pertaining to preferential treatment for healthcare workers, social-distancing and physical-distancing protocols, religious worship, domestic travel, international air travel and testing for COVID-19, remain.

Any person who fails to comply with any of these measures commits an offence under section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance and is liable on summary conviction to the penalty provided under that section.