Community welcomes easing of restrictions

After nearly two months of restrictions to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the CNMI community heaved a sigh of relief yesterday after the government eased those restrictions, starting with the reopening of dine-in services in restaurants, resumption of church services, and even allowing health buffs to go back to the gym, among others. As part of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ new directive, curfew was also pushed back an hour and will now be from 11pm to 5am.

Christian Aldan of Gualo Rai said it’s easier for consumers now that businesses and establishments are able to open up to the public for longer hours. “It’s been hard for most people to catch the store at 6pm with them coming back from work and now with the [new] curfew, it is much easier for all of us. And with dine-in, I think it is alright to have that, as long as we maintain social distancing,” he said.

For 19-year-old Grace (last name withheld upon request) of Koblerville, the new curfew hours and businesses allowed to open for dine-in brings a sense of normalcy, which the islands haven’t felt in a while. She said it shows the CNMI is slowly getting back to its feet and the economy is finally starting some movement. “As businesses extend their business hours, more jobs will be available such as restaurant servers and cashiers, etc. People can work for longer hours, which gives them more money to provide their necessities. However, it is still not safe to be exposed to many people but I hope all businesses will take extra precautions to ensure our safety and health are in good hands.”

Josh (last name withheld upon request), another 19-year-old from San Antonio, believes that, while it’s a step in the right direction, it is still a tad premature. “I feel that it came earlier than I expected. I think Gov. Torres should have locked us down for a week again, and just focused on more testing before moving us to [Code] Yellow. For the businesses that are allowing dine-ins, I’m glad that jobs are coming back, but I personally would not see myself dining in as an option for a while.”

For 23-year-old Diane (last name withheld upon request) of Chalan Kiya, she said the enhanced curfew and business dine-ins should all be welcome but with precautions. “As we make our way into a new normal here in the CNMI, my only hope is that we continue to be cautious. Stay safe and resilient, CNMI,” she said.

Marielle (last name withheld upon request), 19, of Dandan shared that the change of curfew hours doesn’t matter to her because it has only been extended for an hour. “The extension of curfew…doesn’t change my way of living right now. I still will not be going out much. As for businesses that are now allowing their customers to dine-in, that is probably what I look forward to. I probably won’t be eating inside in the restaurants routinely, but it is certainly reassuring knowing that I have that option.” (Chevy Alipio)