President declares state of emergency

PORT-AU-PRINCE (CMC):

THE PRESIDENT of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, on Thursday, declared a state of health emergency, following the confirmation of two cases of COVID19 in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state.

Speaking during a news conference late on Thursday, Moise said the country’s ports, airports, and borders would be closed to people from midnight on Thursday, although they would remain open for goods traffic.

Schools, universities, places of worship, and industrial parks would be closed, and a curfew would be in force from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. (local time), as of Friday.

During the state of emergency, the president said schools, voodoo temples, churches, and all other places of worship, will remain closed until further notice.

He said the government will also make the appropriate arrangements to provide hospitals with masks, gloves, medicines, fluids, and all other necessary medical supplies.

In addition, citizens are asked to stay home or limit their trips only to what is necessary, and Individuals coming from risk areas will be automatically placed in quarantine for a period of 14 days.

Haiti was one of the last Caribbean nations to remain free of COVID-19, and had suspended flights from Europe, Latin America, and Canada and imposed major restrictions on the border with the neighbouring Dominican Republic earlier this week, in a bid to prevent the disease’s entry.