From Sunday, July 17, members of the public can do away with masks as the country will officially end the mandate that was implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19.
This was announced by Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, who was speaking at the MoH weekly media conference on Wednesday.
The mandate still applies to visits to health care facilities which includes hospitals and clinics.
He said: “So all things being equal and barring any unforeseen circumstances, from Sunday, July 17, the masking mandate will be lifted. However, we are going to be doing a risk-based recommendation for various vulnerable groups and special populations where we recommend that you still be masked.”
Furthermore, Deyalsingh said the MoH will release recommendations on its website next Wednesday to suggest mask wearing for vulnerable groups.
This will be towards the unvaccinated (49 per cent of the population), the immunocompromised, the elderly, and the pregnant population.
Masks will also be recommended at geriatric homes, children’s homes, places of worship and generally indoor areas where it’s difficult to practice social distancing.
As for mask-wearing at schools, the Minister said: “We will cross that bridge with schools based on the data we have then. So hopefully once the data continues to be good and we see more and more people get vaccinated then we will make further recommendations.”
At a press conference at the Piarco International Airport on Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley declared that the government would lift the mandate by mid-July.
Trinidad and Tobago mandated the wearing of masks or face coverings in public on August 31, 2020. Failure to do so resulted in a $1,000 fine on the first offence, $2,000 on the second, and $3,000 on the third.