Antigua to use high-tech bracelets to keep track of individuals in home quarantine

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Prime Minister Gaston Browne says people quarantining at home home will soon be strapped with a high-tech bracelet to track their movements.

Browne said the devices are expected to arrive in Antigua in three weeks.

“We’re now moving towards getting some bracelets and the necessary tracking technology so that we can trace individuals who are allowed to quarantine at home,” Browne said on Pointe FM.

“We’re probably maybe three weeks away from getting the bracelets and the supporting technology because we recognize that depending on these individuals to exercise personal responsibility … it’s very difficult to keep abreast of those individuals.”

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Absolute BS! People are not under arrest! Use the money and build desalination plants and provide the country with water! The PM needs to stop being like the Caribbean Donald trump and putting business on his radio show! He uses his radio show like how Donald Trump uses Twitter!

    Put the damn ankle bracelets on the tourist and leave hard working Antiguan black People alone..

    • Jane doe shut your bs f***ing mouth you piss of sh*t prime minister trying to protect the people of this country…

      • Why the profanity. That usually indicates an out of control mind, or somebody whose head isn’t too good. Who brought you up anyway

      • Oh my the real one… how is all of that needed for someone expressing their opinion… you response shows your intellect. Wow!

        Jane Doe, like many others, are tired of the discrimination and Mis leadership in this entire process ….

  2. I am not going to go into if this is a good move by the PM or not.
    All I am going to say is that the returning nationals are not being honest and taking the mandated quarantine for granted. I probably would have impose a $5000 fine for any breach.

  3. People must obey the protocols established by the Ministry of Health or we will be battling this Covid 19 in vain. Incoming travelers from known Covid Hotspots MUST be quarantined in order to prevent the local spread of the virus. These protocols must be followed by enforcements and sanctions in order for them to bear fruit. Unless and until there are sanctions for folks who violate the protocols, people will do as they please and when there is an increase in the Covid numbers, Government will get the rap.
    Government must do all in their power to get persons to adhere to the various Covid 19 protocols………wearing of masks, social distancing etc but they must also seek to enforce them. The wearing of the bracelet is meant to ensure that incoming travelers adhere to the quarantine regulations. I recently travelled from the United States to Jamaica, and I had download an APP on my cell phone which allows the local Ministry of Health to tract my movements as I was required to quarantine for 14 days once I get there. I received constant updates and calls during this 2 week period from the local Ministry of Health. At no time did I attempt to leave my hotel as this would have been a breach of my arrangements to land and stay there.
    Law abiding citizens and visitors should have no problem wearing the bracelet.

    • Utter nonsense…. covid will be around for many years… how is sending a person who is negative with no symptoms to quarantine making any sense… are we going to do this forever… you can tell when Antiguans are not cultured and have no education but just follow blindly, people in leadership who
      Have been there for donkey years! A bunch of no thinking fools who just blindly follow the government…

      Because if you think about it for a minute, and you read and research the new findings since covid has been around and more research has been done! People will see how to still travel and live and be safe.

      BE INFORMED PEOPLE! WAKE UP! BE EDUCATED CONSUMERS AND NOT JUST TAKW WHAT PEOPLE ARE SELLING BECAUSE THAT PERSON HAS A CERTAIN POSITION!

  4. People like the @ real one a dem kind ppl drink a tun a red koolaid till then a piss the same red koolaid such idiots.

  5. Just cut out home quaranteen, let everyone go to a government controled quaranteen. Ankle bracelets? Give me a freaking break.

  6. Well all I can say is that we should’ve learned from the other cases that people can’t be trusted to self quarantine. I say put them all in the government facility. If a returning national is staying at a hotel and the hotel can’t keep them on compound then the hotel must be held accountable and must pay a fine for endangering the rest of the island. If a visitor has no intention of abiding by the quarantine rules, then don’t come here….plain and simple.

  7. If a returning national has taken a covid testing and it is negative, and this test was taken 7 days before arrival, upon arrival the temperature is normal… WHY IS THAT PERSON FORCED TO DO MANDATORY QUARANTINE. If it is because you can be negative today and positive tomorrow. Then tat applies to everybody everywhere AND WE SHOULD ALL QUARANTINE !!!!

    Once someone has tested negative and has no symptoms! We cannot restrict that person’s freedom for NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON!

  8. It’s so funny to me. We are a Powerhouse! Economic Power house! So much that If there are any statistics about other Caribbean islands doing well, or having tremendous growth! Our Prime Minister Jump and says… that’s not accurate! Antigua is number one! Antigua has highest growth! Antigua has more this, Antigua has more that!

    But Antigua was among the first! If not the first to open it’s borders, stating we are poor and we need money from tourism. Up to date other islands, smaller, SMALLER than Antigua, who also rely on tourism are still closed on their borders or have only reopened in August. Antigua opened since 1st week in June!

    Peace of mind is very important, and had this country been ran with more financial responsibility, instead of spoon feeding us a simple line of … ‘we are an economic powerhouse’ then maybe we could be where St Kitts is today!

    Since the start of this pandemic, I have observed leadership and guidance in St Kitts.

    When Antigua had lines out the doors at Supermarkets and waits for hours, St Kitts had a strict schedule by constituency. IT WORKED!

    Antigua could not assist with funds to those unemployed.. or continue to pay workers … St Kitts provided stimulus package. IT WORKED!

    Antigua said we needed foreign currency to run the countries so the borders were opened 1st week in June! St Kitts was able to keep their borders closed to protect their citizens. IT WORKED!

    St Kitts has been reporting no covid cases and has still been under curfew!

    St Kitts over the past month has been able to have all inclusive events with strict covid 19 protocols .. it’s been 15 days since some of these events/ small fetes and no covid cases reported! IT WORKED!

    Antigua had a little drive in movie nights, where people STAYED IN THEIR OWN CARS. I went to one and it was a nice get away with the kids in the car, we had our snacks and watched the movie….That was CANCELLED BY THE AUTHORITIES!

    Now St Kitts has completely dropped any curfew hours. Still having strict covid protocols in place. Wearing masks etc!
    IT WORKS !!!

    Antigua had yet to have regular banking hours.

    Little St Kitts! The Non Powerhouse St Kitts.

    Big Antigua… Powerhouse Antigua!
    – Still Under Curfew!
    – Cannot Provide Any Stumulus packages
    – stopped ANY and all events or any little thing that would bring comfort to their citizens like the drive in.
    – shut down the beaches to local blacks while whites had free run of our treasures during holidays.
    – Still has covid cases up to a week ago.. although now they are reporting 0 cases!
    – Still harassing the locals when they return home and letting the white tourist! Because black tourist as in Antiguans with American passports coming to visit are harassed and forced into Self quarantine like they forced the blacks into slavery
    – still cannot lift the curfew
    – now threatening to monitor people’s movements with electronic devices.
    NO COUNTRY HAS DONE THIS BY THE WAY!
    Big Powerhouse Antigua
    – Will the curfew hours and state of emergency continue after October 31st
    – Will the beaches only be accessible to while people for the independence holidays
    – Will we be spending Christmas which at that time will only be 5 weeks away under curfew hours Mr Prime Minister?? Mr Economic Power House Leader??
    – Yes you need to protect the country during a pandemic. But something. So does every island. I guess some islands so it better than others! St Kitts certainly did!

    This is Just my opinion and just my observation!

    • Good job mason! You hit the nail. Antigua is one mess with this covid thing. Quarantining Black people who are negative, no symptoms, while white have at our beaches Ana supermarkets with no mask and nothing said

  9. Wow! MASON well said.. I am right there with you.. especially seeing that whites are treated different when they enter and are also seen in the public without masks.

    You brought up a good point in just a few months it’s Christmas?? What will be happening then?

  10. The government has clearly lost control of the situation. This is completely absurd. What an over-step and waste of tax payers money.

  11. We have been asking for these ankle bracelets for years to use in our crime fighting. All of a sudden COVID hit and here they’re.

  12. Is that even legal . No one should ever allow themselves the INDIGNITY not as an Antiguan but as a HUMAN BEING with wearing a bracelet WERE YOU COMMITTED OF A CRIME ?

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