Prime Minister Gaston Brown says Antigua & Barbuda’s positive coronavirus cases is now at seven.
He told an address to the nation that after our first confirmed case two weeks ago, “two additional cases last week and unfortunately today, four new cases, bringing the total to seven.”
He said to date, the evidence is, all but one of the cases were imported, to include a returning national who contracted it from abroad.
All seven individuals are now in isolation and the necessary contact tracing is being done.
Browne told the nation that “as our COVID numbers increase, tracking every person with whom each of them was in contact, is close to impossible.
“That is why, throughout the world, all non-essential operations are closed, and personnel are working from home, where their jobs make that possible.”
The prime minister also defended his government’s decision to close the airport.
“We have tried, for as long, as we could to keep our borders opened, because we are acutely aware that many jobs and family livelihoods depend directly, and indirectly on tourism.
We instituted measures at the ports of entry to screen passengers for COVID-19 and we imposed measures to quarantine those persons with COVID type symptoms and isolated those who were detected as infected.”
He said given this reality, of the elevation in the spread of COVID, including one known community transmission; “we have decided to close our borders, effective from midnight tonight, to all international flights from North America & Europe, where the virus is spiraling out of control.
The only exceptions to this closure are LIAT and other sub-regional flights, which now are only moving between limited places within the region; and to private aircraft and cargo planes under a strict regime of health investigation and quarantine.
Given the highly contagious nature of the virus, and the pattern elsewhere in the world, I expect that we will experience further community spread and contagion. That too is inescapable.”
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So is their any other measures being put in place as of how the nation will go about doing the best to reasure our safety of children on a hold
Thank you PM for your work todate and for reminding us that we are all each others protector. I say that to say, today I went to ABTB’s office in Herberts apprx. 1:15-20pm. Everyone who entered was asked to santise their hands via the dispenser. Interestingly a male employee came in and one of the two ladies in the western cage asked the man to santise his hands. He refused and carried on which ended with all three of them having a laugh based on what he would have said in response to being asked to santise his hands!
Mad dog … yes the measures put in place are stay home like the government said and wash your hands. … no country in the world have anything in place for this except stay home and stay away from others and wash your hands … people in Antigua are still going to visit friends and carrying non essential activities …. be self responsible and follow the guidelines
This government move too slow. We follow America with everything they do except when it makes sense. We lost about 2 weeks in fighting COVID 19. I really hope we get our act together and take this virus seriously. This is a life and death issue right now.
Here in England we have Lockdown too late.. and we are about to soon see a surge in approximately 2-3 weeks time where many will be wiped.
Government here are building 4,000 bed hospitals and mortuarys…Clear to see what’s expected..
ANTIGUA ..Keep your distance…social diatance yourselves !!!!
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