Mask-wearing to become law within 48 hours

The Prime Minister says he is in talks with Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi on legislation to make mask-wearing mandatory.

Rowley said, “The time for suasion is over.”

He said within the next 48 hours, they will announce the decision.

He was speaking at a media briefing on Saturday at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

He and the Chief Medical Officer announced that covid19 had now reached the final stage, community spread, in TT. It had previously been at the cluster stage. There were two deaths from the illness on Friday, the first since April.

“We are going to find a legislative arrangement which will allow action to be taken against those persons in the national population who insist on not wearing a face mask in public. Because we are now convinced that they are endangering the wider population.

“While we may not be able to pick up everybody or find everybody, the law will be put in place so that you will be at the discretion of law enforcement to face that.”

He added, “Of course, it can be avoided completely by simply doing what we’ve been asking you to do for three months.”