The owners of Happiness Supermarket in Barataria were arrested on the Corpus Christi holiday for operating their business without permission, as laid out in the regulations for yesterday’s no movement day.

Shumin Zhou and Xiao Zheng were detained as members of the North Eastern Division Task Force were on patrol at around 7:45am on Thursday, when they noticed that Happiness Supermarket at 162 Eastern Main Road, Barataria, was open for business.

On checking the police officers found out that the owners/operators were not persons exempted under Regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers (No 2) Regulations 2021.

Regulations 14 states: “Notwithstanding regulation 3(10) for the purposes of the public holidays on Monday 31st May, 2021 and Thursday 3rd June, 2021 during the hours of 5:01 a.m. to 10:01 a.m. on each day, only the activities and services permitted by: (a) regulations 3(5), 3(6) and 3(7); (b) regulation 4(5); and (c) pharmacies, shall be authorised to operate.”

The two will appear virtually before a Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court this morning.