The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE emergency order restrictions banning social gatherings, police in New Providence continue to crack down and fine offenders who breach the law.

In separate incidents recently, police cited a business and a host of an event at a home for breaches of the emergency order.

Officer-in-charge of the COVID Enforcement Unit, Chief Superintendent Zhivago Dames confirmed yesterday that a co-owner of a hookah lounge was cited, meaning they will have to pay fines—about $4,000 in total—or go to court.

Meanwhile, video circulated on social media showing an event that occurred on Saturday at a person's home. The video showed guests sitting at decorated tables with food on display. Police were filmed telling the guests they will be fined as well as the host.

“So you’ll be ticketed $300 and the owner will be cited $2,000 plus $300 for every person we ticket here today," an officer says in the recording. "Now who’s the owner of the property?"

CSP Dames said the fines for social gatherings start at $2,000. The person hosting the social gathering is also fined $300 for every attendee at the gathering. Persons attending will be fined $300.

According to the latest emergency order, for second schedule islands, which includes New Providence, people cannot host nor attend a gathering in a private residence or facility except for a wedding in accordance with order 50.

CSP Dames said the officers visited the home on Saturday after being contacted by "concerned members of the public”.

“Persons who live in the area and seeing what’s going on would’ve called and based on that officers went to the location,” CSP Dames said.

“The officer went there based on information that they would’ve received... When they got there, they found that a breach was being conducted. Again, they asked for the person who were hosting the event because he wanted to make sure that the person who was hosting the event was cited.

“We have not only went to that location, over the weeks and months that has passed, we went to a number of places. Bars, private residence where persons were having functions, persons having parties, beaches and persons who would’ve had parties and they were all cited for breaches of the COVID-19 orders.”

In the case of the lounge, CSP Dames noted police cited the business on two occasions on Sunday.

“On one occasion, they were cited for operating a prohibited business and then the other occasion, which was that day, they were cited for hosting a social gathering.”

He was not able to say the number of persons police saw at the lounge.

To report social gatherings or breaches of the emergency order, call police at 702-9967, 702-9968 and 702-9969.