Trinidad & Tobago to drop mask mandates

Trinidad & Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley says that come mid-July, the public will no longer be required to wear masks.

The Prime Minister made the announcement about the end of the mandate (that has been in place since the pandemic began in March 2020), ahead of his departure for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government meeting in Suriname.

On Friday, Rowley said he would meet with public health officials to discuss the removal of mandatory mask-wearing.

Speaking then at the opening of a restaurant, Rowley said he noticed that there were people not wearing masks in large groups and became worried, however, after noticing there was no spike in cases, he conceded that the time might be right to do away with mask-wearing.

Last Wednesday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said partygoers were not mandated to wear masks.

On August 31, 2020, it became mandatory to wear a face-covering in public. -(CMC)