Nightly Church Services Can Resume In St. Kitts-Nevis As Curfew Hours Are Reduced

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 13, 2020 (SKNIS): Curfew hours in St. Kitts and Nevis are being reduced and will now run from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. as limitations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be rolled back.

The rollback means that restaurants and bars can resume nightly operations allowing greater socializing by the population. The previous regulation saw the curfew start at 8 p.m.

Prime Minister Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris added that houses of worship would also benefit from this new measure.

“Our churches are critically important to our quality of life and spiritual well-being. The relaxation of the curfew hours commencing at midnight will also facilitate nightly religious services with the same protocols already agreed for daytime services,” Dr Harris stated during a televised national address on Friday, June 12, 2020.

The twin-island Federation is preparing for what is expected to be an above-normal Atlantic Hurricane Season amid the global pandemic. The prime minister expressed that “at this time, our country needs more prayer, not less. And I am happy that we can advance the spiritual growth and corporate fellowship that means so much to me personally and to our people in general.”

Corporate worship resumed on May 23, 2020. COVID-19 regulations require worshippers to sanitize their hands before entering and when leaving church services. They must also wear a facemask while in the sanctuary and stay six feet apart from others.

The new curfew hours are outlined in Statutory Rules and Orders (SR&O No. 25 of 2020. It runs from June 13 – 27, 2020.