KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says he has asked the Commissioner of Police to investigate and take the necessary actions against the operators of the Reggae Mill Restaurant and Bar for continued breaches of the Disaster Risk Management Orders.

Reggae Mill, located at Devon House in St Andrew, was earlier this month ordered closed for a period of two weeks, after it was found to be in violation of several protocols put in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

McKenzie shared that at the end of the two-week period, only the restaurant was allowed to reopen, but the entity continued to disobey the protocols by staging activities that require a Places of Amusement Licence without having such a permit.

“Since Monday, Reggae Mill has been operating a happy hour on a daily basis by using various media platforms to advertise these.

“I believe that the operators of Reggae Mill have been disrespectful of the protocols that have been laid out by the Government of Jamaica and I am prepared to take the strongest possible actions against the operators of Reggae Mill,” he noted.

McKenzie was speaking at a virtual town hall yesterday to look at the ministry’s COVID-19 response as the Government gradually reopens the economy.

He also had a strong warning for members of the public who partake in the prohibited activities.

“I would like to advise the public that anybody that goes to that venue and is caught participating in any activity that is not permitted under the order, could find themselves in problems with the law.

 “We cannot have two standards and we are enforcing right across the country, and the operator of Reggae Mill is no different from any other Jamaican [business]. I would urge the management to cease and desist immediately or face the consequences of [flouting] the Disaster Risk Management Order,” warned McKenzie.