PHILIPSBURG--The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley informed the public on Tuesday evening that in accordance with his COVID-19 phased approach for the night life; business hours will be scaled back to 11 pm starting Wednesday.
“The phased approach is based on the hospital's occupancy rate and capacity, to avoid a possible collapse of our health care system, while maintaining a balance in our economic activity on the island,” Ottley explained in a press release.
“For clarity, the Ministerial Regulation goes into effect on Wednesday January 12th, with the understanding that all nightlife establishments must be closed by 11 pm,” he added.
He once again reminded the general public of government’s two-phased approach to nightlife opening hours during the pandemic:
Phase 1:
4 - 7 hospitalizations (20%), scale back to 1 am. If hospitalization should later decrease to less than 4, for a period of two weeks, then the time would be reverted.
Phase 2:
8 or more hospitalizations (40%), scale back to 11 pm. If hospitalizations should decrease to less than 8, for a period of two weeks, then the time would be adjusted accordingly.
