The public will enjoy an extra day of relaxation during the Christmas season as Monday 28th December will be named later today as a public holiday.
Information Minister Melford Nicholas explained the reasoning behind the decision today, at the Post Cabinet Press briefing.
“Boxing Day falls this year on a Saturday and there is a lacoon in the law that had Boxing Day falled on the Sunday, the law was very specific that the subsequent two days which would be Monday and Tuesday, would be observed as the holidays.
However, the law is not certain on the whole question of Saturday and accordingly, the Cabinet has made a decision and later today, Monday the 28th will be declared as a publix holiday as a declaration by the Governor General. It is still in keeping with the law and so there will be a dual observance of Boxing Day on the Saturday and certainly on the Monday,” Nicholas explained.
He noted that with this additonal holiday it will impact businesses.
Consideration is also being given to expanding the hours for the public to access the beaches on Christmas Day-December 25th, Boxing Day-December 26th and New Years Day-Janaury 1st respectively, from its initial time frame of 5am-1pm.
Cabinet also sought to remind business owners that all commercial activity on Christmas eve at 8:00 pm. Only essential services may continue past that hour. Gasoline stations and pharmacies are the essential services that may go beyond 8:00 pm.
Churches are allowed to continue their worship services past midnight on these two nights but must end in-time to allow worshipers to return home by 1:00 am, on both Christmas eve and Old Year’s Night/New Year’s Day.
Private parties are limited to 10 persons only and are to end before 11:00 pm, when the regular curfew hours begin.
