ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) – The Grenada Government has expressed growing concerns about the continued disregard for the novel coronavirus regulations and protocols after several videos of mass gatherings have surfaced in recent days.

“If people are genuinely concerned about their well-being, they will follow the protocols. We should not have to be told repeatedly that it is in our best interest to wear a mask, to maintain physical distance, or to refrain from mass gatherings. There is only so much that the Government or the police can do; beyond that, this fight requires an attitudinal change,” said Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell.

He said citizens should not be lulled into complacency with the lifting of the curfew, adding “the COVID-19 regulations remain in place and we must continue to be guided by these as long as the global pandemic continues and a vaccine is not yet developed.

“The lifting of the curfew grants freedom of movement, but we must still be responsible as a people. We must continue to adhere to the established protocols, particularly as the country prepares to reopen its borders,” he said.

The authorities have said that people had adopted a nonchalant attitude, even as there have been calls for them to demonstrate greater responsibility for their own health and safety and that of their fellow citizens.

Mitchell said he was urging young people in particular, not to feel invincible, adding, “Although some infected persons remain asymptomatic, COVID-19 affects both the young and the old.

“Here in Grenada we have been relatively successful in the fight against the disease, and while we may be inclined to bask in the glory of what that success means, the fact is we are still in the midst of a global pandemic and we cannot become complacent.

“I hear the cry of the people – Grenada has no active COVID-19 cases, so relax the protocols. To that I say, the recommended guidelines provide the only way to limit the spread of COVID-19; therefore, as long as the disease remains a global threat, we must continue to safeguard ourselves, our families, and our friends. If ever the saying, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, was applicable, it is now. Let us play our respective roles in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Mitchell added.

Grenada has recorded 23 cases of the virus that was first detected in China last December and linked to 578,000 deaths and the infection of 13.3 million others worldwide.