PRESS RELEASE: (February 6, 2021) – The general public is hereby notified that the Elections Office along with the Ministry of Health through consultation with the political parties, independent candidates and public sector stakeholders have issued GENERAL ELECTIONS (COVID – 19) HEALTH PROTOCOLS – as guidelines under regulation 18 of the Public and Environmental Health (COVID-19)(Control Measures) Regulations 2021 to guide electors, candidates and poll workers during the upcoming General Election which is to be held on 19th February 2021.
Responses were
received from the People’s Democratic Movement, the Progressive National Party
and one independent candidate as well as the Human Rights Commission. A consensus emerged to split the Polling Day
into three time slots for categories of electors. There was also consensus on
extending the polling hours on Providenciales which was accepted as so the
following times emerged:
Group
|
Classification
|
Providenciales
|
All other islands
|
1.
|
The vulnerable
and other priority electors (excluding those in group 3)
|
7am to 9am
|
7am to 9am
|
2.
|
Electors who not
in quarantine/isolation nor Covid-19 positive
|
9am to 6pm
|
9am to 4pm
|
3.
|
Electors who are
in quarantined/isolation (whether Covid-19 Positive or not)
|
6pm to 9pm
|
4pm to 7pm
|
The protocols/guidelines have been released to the
voting public through members of the media and will be available on the government website www.gov.tc/elections/ under the “Latest News” tab.
I am happy that we
were able to complete this very important piece of work and get it out to the
general public so that all can be aware of the health and safety measures that
will be in place for the General Election. The success of this year’s General
Election will be based on how best we can follow the established
protocols/guidelines to mitigate the risk of spreading the Covid-19, and at the
same time operating effectively and efficiently at the polls. Strict adherence is expected.