National Park reopens from today

Following the announcement by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) on the reopening of the country in phases, the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) on Thursday stated that the National Park would be reopened to the general public as of today.
According to PAC, the Park will be opened from 06:30h to 17:00h from Monday to Friday, with it remaining closed on weekends.
In order to keep the public and staff safe, visitors will only be allowed through the Thomas Road and Carifesta Avenue gates – the Albert Street entrance will remain closed to the public.
Further, admission to the Park will depend on the number of persons already in the facility so as to ensure that social distancing is adhered to and maintained at all times. Additionally, walking and jogging will be done in an anti-clockwise direction.
Also, no contact sport, cycling, or special events will be allowed during this phase. The athletic/sports fields, tarmac, and PlayLand will remain closed. Primary school-age children and those below must be accompanied and supervised by adults at all times.
Moreover, all dogs must be kept on a leash while no gathering of more than five persons at any time in any area of the Park will be permitted. As such, the Park encourages patrons to avoid unnecessary loitering or lingering.
PAC also noted that parking will be free as a measure to reduce human-t- human contact. Additional sanitisation measures will be in place – two sanitised washrooms will be available to the public, and all staff will continue to follow sanitisation protocols.
The Commission concluded by encouraging patrons to use the Park wisely, to adhere to the guidelines while remaining mindful of each other, and to complete one’s exercise routine within a reasonable time to ensure others could benefit from the use of the Park.
The Botanical Gardens, Zoo, and Joe Vieira Park will remain closed to the public until further notice.
The PAC had closed these public spaces on April 1, in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.