Last night Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced to the nation that the curfew provisions associated with the current State of Emergency have been lifted. Take a deep breath Trinidad and Tobago but be aware that the State of Emergency is still in effect ("under continuous review"). That means no more lock-down from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am but the police will continue to patrol with the State of Emergency laws in effect!
Well, it had to come at some time and this is a really good time taking into consideration that the business community was hurting financially. The music and entertainment industry can now plan to take advantage of the new situation and with all these new songs being released with no venue to flex, relax and lime - Trinidadians are celebrating tonight! The lime is on and it will be a mad rush to get the fetes going.
The curfew is over but that does not mean that the government and police will tolerate any lawlessness! New measures will be in place to ensure that during this festive period that the people can conduct their business without fear but that does not mean that the criminals will be resting. The government intends to “We will expand CCTV across cities, malls and vulnerable areas and increase the number of mobile patrols. “We will introduce a range of specifically targeted social and cultural initiatives to strengthen community life. “An employment creation intervention to generate 20,000 jobs in low income communities will begin shortly.”
Now the business of Carnival can start with renewed fervor, the Parang Association can now schedule their competitions to the normal times and put an end to the "Daytime Parang" festivities. Hopefully the nation can take a deep breath and begin anew. It is hoped that the crime rate will be kept in check during this period. The government has stated that they reserve the right to implement limited curfew to areas that they consider to be a problem.
We should remain optimistic that the government will continue its push against the criminal elements in the society and ensure that there is peace in the land. People need to know that they can, once again, leave their homes and go out and 'take a lime' and return home safely. Let us 'keep our fingers crossed' that this is the start of renewed hope and prosperity for the country.
Link to the Guardian Newspaper article here: The curfew is over...but state of emergency remains.