ROSEAU – Dominica has announced a lifting of the mandatory curfew in some areas, but has kept the measure in place in the capital.
According to an official statement issued here, the decision to lift the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew in some areas was taken after a national security assessment was conducted by the Chief of Police.
“While Roseau and some of its immediate environs were still not at the stage where it was deemed advisable to lift the curfew provisions, the town of Portsmouth and elsewhere in the countryside received positive review.
“As a result, the curfew shall be lifted in the town of Portsmouth and all other communities in Dominica, with effect from Monday, 16 October, 2017,” the statement noted.
The authorities had imposed the curfew soon after Hurricane Maria swept through the island on September 18, killing at least 28 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
In the aftermath of the Category 5 storm hitting the island, the authorities imposed a 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew in a bid to deal with the looting of several businesses, but relaxed the measure several days ago.
The statement noted that while the curfew had been lifted in some parts of the island, it shall however remain enforced in the city of Roseau, as well as to areas south of the capital “in order to maintain and enhance security”.
“The main reasons for lifting the curfew in the town of Portsmouth and other communities across Dominica are to allow for economic activities to be undertaken, such as fishing, farming and retailing of goods and also to facilitate those students who will be returning to school,” the statement noted. (CMC)
