The Minister with responsibility for Civil Contingencies has today published an amendment to the lockdown regulations where travel by car will no longer be permitted as a exception to the rules. Travel by car will only be permitted for the purposes of travel to work or for essential matters such as shopping for food.

This change is as a result of reports to the Minister from the Commissioner of Police of the number of people who were out in vehicles over the weekend during the lockdown period, which stretched the limits of policing the lockdown.

Children’s parks have also been closed.

Minister with responsibility for Civil Contingencies and also Minister for Health and Justice, Samantha Sacramento, said: “It is important for people to realize that Gibraltar is in lockdown and they should only leave home if absolutely necessary to do so for essential purposes. Reports of behavior over the weekend suggests that people are not taking the restrictions seriously. If this is the case then the lockdown will not achieve the desired effect.

“The intention for this lockdown is to stop the continued spread of the virus and the spike of cases in the community and in turn in hospital, but if people are intent on not recognizing the lockdown rules and continue to leave home for non essential purposes, the lockdown will not have the intended effect and society will suffer as a consequence.

“It will also mean that unnecessary burdens will be placed on our essential frontline services, which are already stretched, and would also be avoided if, as a community, we respected the rules and remained at home.

“Our frontline essential workers are also human and they have made and are making huge personal sacrifices to be there for all of us. It is unfair that the behavior of some who are not respecting the rules are adding additional burden on them which could be totally avoided.

“Please respect the lockdown rules. Please stay at home.”