BREAKING: Government announces sweeping mandatory vaccination measures in Antigua and Barbuda

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CABINET NOTES:

The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda recognizes the extreme hardship caused by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic along with the pain and anguish of families due to untimely and unnecessary loss of loved ones.

 

It has caused tremendous economic dislocations, social disruptions and psychological trauma.

 

The government acknowledges the enormous commitment and sacrifices made the nation’s healthcare professionals and by extension all workers who lock arms daily in a colossal effort and determination to defeat the Covid-19 virus and help to restore this country to some form of normalcy.

 

Covid-19 represents an existential threat and the government calls on entire nation, private sector and public sector and civil society to lend support in this endeavor by adopting polices and promoting policies to arrest the effects of this deadly virus.

Policy on the management of Covid-19

  • With effect from 20th September, 2021 Cabinet agreed that all unvaccinated government employees to include the Public Service, statutory corporations and companies in which the government owns majority shares shall be required to remain at home until proof of vaccination is provided.

 

With effect from 1st October, 2021 the following measures shall take effect:

 

  • All Unvaccinated Public Sector Employees, inclusive of Statutory Corporations and companies of which the government holds majority shares shall be required to remain at home until proof of Covid-19 vaccination.

 

  • As of 1st October, 2021, No Public Sector Employees, inclusive of Statutory Corporations and companies of which the government holds majority shares shall be paid a salary or wage for the period of non-compliance with the current policy;

 

  • All officers and support staff of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force are required to be vaccinated, effective 1st October 2021;

 

  • Trade Unions and Employee Associations shall be permitted to conduct educational awareness sessions via virtual and face-to-face engagements.

 

All Covid-19 protocols shall be strictly observed;

 

  • All eligible students and teachers shall be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to face to face classes;

 

  • All pre-school and primary school teachers shall be required to be fully vaccinated before returning to face-to-face classes;

 

  • All caregivers and support staff are required to be fully vaccinated to provide services at elderly care facilities;

 

  • All arriving passengers including returning nationals and residents are required to have received at least the first dose of a vaccine approved by the appropriate authorities in Antigua and Barbuda;

 

  • informal/public gatherings to be restricted to members of the same household;
  • beaches to be closed between 12 noon and 5:am daily commencing 20th September, 2021;
  • Bus drivers, conductors and taxi drivers are required to be vaccinated effective 1st October, 2021;

 

  • Failure to comply with the current policy will result in restrictions to operate;

 

  • All pleasure craft fetes, parties and entertainment events and excursions around the coastal waters and offshore islands are suspended with effect from 18th September until 29th September, 2021. Thereafter, only authorized excursion will permitted by the appropriate authorities;

 

  • All Vendors, merchants and service providers and staff operating at the ports of entry are required to be vaccinated;

The Appropriate Authority may exempt the following:

 

  • persons submitting a medical certificate approved by the Chief Medical Officer or Medical Board or a request approved on religious grounds

 

  • Authorized Remote Workers (Public Sector, Statutory Corporations and companies with majority government ownership) between 20th September and 1st October, 2021.
  • All persons exempted under this policy are required to produce a negative Covid-19 test twice monthly;

 

  • Minor children (below 18 years of age) arriving at a port of entry in Antigua and Barbuda;

Given the overwhelming epidemiological situation at this time employees of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre and Community Clinics are exempt from this policy for this period;

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60 COMMENTS

      • You are completely correct.. The natural minerals that are found in the sea can assist with the recovery of this flu/COVID.. I live 2mins walk to a private beach and When I was tested Positive, I went every morning before anyone and 4 days after I was tested again and I was Negative. The minerals in the salt water helped to drain the cold from my nostrils.

        Furthermore back in the days when you had the cold, flu or even body pains the beach was the place to be to combat it. Or you drink a Mouth full of salt water to help clean you out. Come on we are Caribbean people, we know these things.

        We all just need to follow the protocols while at the beach..

        • Boi me ah tell u ah u people to fackking dangerous talk beach ah fackking healing when ah u nah even go fackking beach. And dem neggar dat go beach espically pan weekend them nar swim them ah fackking party and say to da hell wid da protocols

      • You are and old miserable person who needs to be put down…crying down beach gatherings but all the big shots holding private pool parties unmasked and unvaccinated..shut the fuck up

    • Where is the research to support that going to the beach, or that sea water helps with anything, let alone Covid? This is just a Caribbean myth and folklore that sea water helps this and that. If it were actually the case, they would recommend ppl in America to go sea when they’re sick, having pains or virus infected and so forth. Furthermore, the reason beaches have restrictions on them is due to the fact that people tend to gather there and violate protocol

      • Nonsense. There are several studies that show that going to the beach is healthy for several reasons. As someone said, ‘the salt water washes out the cold’ and that is right. Salt water does destroy most viruses as do most mouth washes. The problem with this pandemic is that everyone has an opinion but no one is actually checking the science. The real science, not the one they making up as they go.

    • That is to ensure that no one gets their daily dose of vitamin d which will end the pandemic at once. All the ‘health’ protocols especially staying indoors are designed to make the problem worse. You cannot contract a respiratory virus like SARS outdoors. Most transmission occurs indoors among families told to stay home

  2. Why are minors (under 18) arriving at port not required to be vaccinated? Hasn’t it been mandated for children above 12 to be vaccinated?

    • Not every country has the required vaccine for under 18’s. AstraZeneca, for example, is still only approved for 18+

  3. What a thing, then Antigua will close down then. You insist that people must put foreign substance in their bodies if they don’t want too. Even Christ gave a choice to us to accept or reject him as Lord and Saviour. He did not say YOU MUST, it’s up to us. What next to come if you are not vaccinated?
    What’s to big deal, vaccinated or not you can still get Covid.
    A what a go happen now ya.

  4. Why Mass Vaccinations Prolong And Make Epidemics Deadlier: Real Vaccine Expert Calls Out Flawed Government Pandemic Strategy

    “Conclusively, mass vaccination campaigns during a pandemic of highly infectious variants fail to control viral transmission. Instead of contributing to building HI, they dramatically delay natural establishment of HI (Vanden Bossche, August 2021). This is why the ongoing universal vaccination campaigns are absolutely detrimental to public and global health.”

    Geert Vanden Bossche. (MVD, PhD)

    https://nulluslocussinegenio.com/2021/09/13/why-mass-vaccinations-prolong-and-make-epidemics-deadlier-real-vaccine-expert-calls-out-flawed-government-pandemic-strategy/

  5. Congratulations and well done to Gaston Browne and the Cabinet. Bold move towards taking the country out of covid. I expect the unions and government workers to now call for industrial action. Do not give in to them as these are the anti-vaxxers who will keep us mired in covid for the next 10 years. Stick to your guns and we will pull through. Any strikers should be fired!

  6. If UPP dares to now state that this is a bad move and the country needs more consultation, I promise you I will never vote for them again. I have vote both blue and red in the past but this is too important an issue to mess around. This is what the country needs! More talk is a waste of time. The UPP need to support this so we can recover from covid.

  7. Religious exemption is ridiculous and senseless. What about café and restaurant dining for the fully vaccinated? Seven hours of beach time? 5am to midday? Is that it? What about mandatory vaccinations for hairdressers, barbers, nail tech, masseuses, spa workers, manicurist, pedicurists and cosmetologists?

    • Well said Night and Shining Armour.

      Hitler has spoken, or to the gas chamber we shall be marshed just like he did to the browned hairs browned eyes Jews.

      Thank God for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins, that although His Saints will be tried and tested by The Wicked Babylon System, our ultimate reward is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savour.

      Mark well Modern Day Judases, blood money do not last very long, nor does human or animal sacrifical offerings by men; the only thing that will last is the Word of God, and It will not return into Him null or void of fulfillment.

      Judgement awaits all.

  9. I guess the dictator got up on the wrong side of his mother bed. The CULT leader has spoken like Jim Jones, let me see what the people do. This will make a good movie. Give a dictator an inch he will for sure take a yard

    • While you TOOK the VACCINE in the USA….. anyways you always said some people needed to die around here…. guess this was what you meant…..
      HYPOCRITES

  10. Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel Chapter 3, made a decree that whoso falleth not down and worship the image shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Thank God for President Trump who is calling on God and endorsing the need for 21 days of prayer and fasting for God’s divine help for America.
    Father, in the name of Jesus, I’m calling on You as Daniel did, knowing that You are the Creator of this whole world. Blessed be Your name for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are Yours. Lord, You changeth the times and the seasons; You removeth kings, and setteth up kings: You giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. You revealeth the deep and secret things: You know what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with You. I thank You and praise You Oh God cause I know You are well able to deliver Your people from the mouths of the lions.

      • Ive never seen a set of of people so ready to throw away the body and freedom god provided them with. Whether you have the vaccine or not you are still able to receive and transmit it. Its been shown that both vaccinated and unvaccinated going to the hospital. Vaccinated and unvaccinated ppl dying..

          • Actually it’s vaccinated people because their immune system goes to shit that’s why they can catch it over and over whereas unvaccinated will catch it and half or more than half of the time they cant catch that specific variant again. Vaccinated people are the manufacturers of covid and they mutate the virus that’s why all these strains came out after VACCINATION started taking place but the media will NEVER tell the people the truth. Do your research before spreading bullshit next time

  13. The last clause was incorporated because if the health care workers who are well aware that this is all political and not in relation to health decides to down tools then what would become of our already failing health system. A sweep through the healthcare system and monitoring what’s been happening has shown that our reputable health care workers have been laughing at all this.
    Covid is so dangerous and you get positive results and all you’re told is go home and isolate. Not even a prescription now show me the truth to this not being the flu. The beach helps to get rid of the flu and when you close it and keep the masses inside then if they are not aware of old medicine practices then they seal their fate…

    To anyone who feels my post is because I’m a non vaxxer then so be it.

  14. I love to see it!!! Who nah want get vaxxed can tap home and sell dem front or back. Aryu ah talk bout foreign substances and act as if aryu care about wha aryu put inna aryu body when aryu overweight and nyam more processed crap dan john can read bout. But aryu want fu know wha inna vaccine. When aryu libba ah tek all kinda tablet for high blood pressure, headache and wha ever aryu tek… aryu nuh just trust the experts and dem? Gimme one break. Tek di jab!!!!!

    • U think u would be safe in ur house if people have to stay home and cant go earn an honest living? Sometimes we speak and dont think of the consequences that may arrive from some decisions. Time alone will tell.

  15. Amongst my people I have found that there has been a lot of COVID misinformation spreading around. This COVID misinformation causes confusion and sometimes leads to people making decisions based and speculation, untruths and information from sources not based in science. Conspiracies are rampant and only serve to further muddle the waters through which people are trying to navigate to come to their own personal decision on whether to vaccinate or not. I respect all person’s religious views or right to chose what we do with our bodies. What also I think should be respected are FACTS, or act least these facts be taken into consideration when we make our decisions. We jump into planes without question made by engineers and scientists having confidence that they have done their due diligence using science and scientific FACTS to ensure that the product they have produced is safe and serves the purpose it was built to do. We don’t sit on the plane and question it’s aerodynamics, the man hours of wind tunnel testing, the thousands of meters of wiring nor millions of lines of code programed in the computers that control these modern marvels. Yet everyday planes crash globally, yet it doesn’t stop us from travelling, we reinvest our confidence in the scientists who made the craft and the pilots who are experts trained to fly them and jump on the next plane. I say this to express that we need to trust people who are trained and have invested serveral years (in the field of medicine and biotechnology sometimes decades) to their craft and stop thinking we know more than them or be so quick to be distrusting after a few google searches. A lot of people who are buying into these conspiracies or pretending to be experts in fields that are way out of their depth have never even read the Terms & Agreement of a lot of apps and subscriptions they use, things that track them and collect all sorts of data and meta-data about them. Yet these people claim to have a “third eye” and pedal foolishness about population control and “The government is out to get us.”

    Below is the link to a YouTube channel of a board certified pulmonologist. Dr. Mike Hansen. His videos are very informative and explain very well to the professional and to the layman about the COVID pandemic and it’s evolution. He also has content covering a lot of different topics. He has also to this day seen and treated 100s of COVID patients.

    https://youtube.com/c/DoctorMikeHansen

  16. Well, now we can join the countries club with Covid vaccine mandatory:
    _Turkmenistan
    _Tajikistan
    _Indonesia
    _Micronesia

  17. Only thing mandatory is death and second coming of christ!! Me still nah tek no vaccine man shall not live by bread alone but by the words of God …. fast and pray

  18. The Beach is not only the beginning but it is the Golden Goose of our Country!! Not only this but our beaches are the healthiest place to be! The reason why tourists come here are because of our beaches! This beach curfew needs to be revised immediately as it is severely flawed! There are tourists here now that this new beach curfew will impact, they are expecting to use the beach every day!! This sudden decision makes for bad reviews and vlogs on booking websites and social media and is very bad for future business!! This is how to definitely kill our Tourism product for the remainder of the season if not for the remainder of the COVID-19 story! Tourists will simply go elsewhere! Especially now before our busy high season months when Tourists are still choosing their winter getaway vacations!! Already all and every tourist is tested negative and vaccinated anyway prior entering the country!! Do you think tourists will want to come here with all the expensive testing requirements, additional tourism taxes being implemented from October 1st, zero choice of open restaurants with seated dining and a in addition a 8pm curfew as well??!! There are lots of other Caribbean Islands tourists can choose to visit, there is no need for tourists to choose this Island for their winter vacation where is it becoming common place that Government is beginning to make seemingly irrational and sporadic decisions!! The fact that people were caught on beaches/ party vessels and or on their way to or on off shore Islands has nothing to do with the rest of our Tourism Product overall, that is for the police/coast guard to manage fine them and even lock the relevant operators down if necessary! If you want to keep our Tourism a much better solution must be found or tourists will most certainly go elsewhere!! It’s as simple as Keep the beaches Open during the day at least!!! Delta is already here it’s not going anywhere it’s already too late we can’t let that destroy our Tourism we just have to ride the wave and keep going just like every other country. The Minister on the radio this morning mentions we may be facing moving to the UK Amber list does the honorable Minister realize this system is being scrapped within weeks?!!

  19. So many on the same page, vis 20th September.
    “We’re (They’re) All In This Together”.

    Restrictions starting Monday, Sept. 20
    https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/alberta-covid-19-fourth-wave-update-sept-15-2021

    As of September 20, 2021, dancing will be prohibited at weddings, except for the marital couple. Greeting and receiving lines will also be prohibited.
    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-essex-health-unit-covid-19-1.6163748

    Submit proof of vaccination status or apply for an exemption by September 20.
    https://www.ryerson.ca/covid-19/health-safety-on-campus/vaccinations/

    Restrictions coming Sept. 20
    https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/09/15/alberta-adopts-proof-of-vaccination-program/

    The Haryana government extended the ongoing lockdown restrictions in the state till September 20
    https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/gurugram-news/covid19-lockdown-restrictions-extended-till-sep-20-101630864662557.html

    Auckland is at Alert Level 4, and the rest of New Zealand remains at Alert Level 2. These settings will be reviewed on Monday 20 September.
    https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/alert-level-2/

    Sikkim Government To Extend COVID-19 Guidelines Till September 20
    https://www.northeasttoday.in/2021/09/11/sikkim-government-to-extend-covid-19-guidelines-till-september-20/

    From 20 September; Up to 100 people can attend indoor group activities, where everyone has been fully vaccinated or has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months.
    https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/covid19/public_health_measures_for_covid19.html

    Event, Gatherings & Meetings policy is currently under review and policy changes effective as of September 20 will be posted soon.
    https://covid19.yale.edu/campus-life/events-gatherings-meetings

  21. It’s not a vaccine mandate. It’s a retrenchment program disguised as a mandate. This is how they’re moving to reduce government payroll. These government fools don’t realize how many gov workers are supporting others currently out of work because of the pandemic. They’re playing with gasoline and don’t know it.

  23. AJ you’re on to something nefarious by the political pimp! 90 plus days ago. The IMF was a slip of the tongue! Then he had to expand and explain that slip up. One size does not fit all. We have to develop our own home grown plan that fits our objectives. Exploring our options. As it is was put.

    Whatever needs to be done to control the deadly and debilitating effects of COVID-19 must be done. Any sensible individual would agree to that. It is not wise to rule by fear, bullying and threats! The Taliban has landed in Antigua and Barbuda.

    Let the brain drain begin.

  24. Antigua news room is also a cover up for this government I’m convinced cause these people post EVERYTHING yet I can’t seem to find any reports on the little girl that dropped down after taking the vaccine and another child that has been sick since taking the vaccine in Antigua. Where are you guys report on those things that will contradict the vaccine? This is a very bias platform. Another person went in for the vaccine in Barbuda and when they came out they dropped dead. But THOSE ARE NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. not even hearingggggg about it. This is just sickening. It’s one thing to want to give it to adults…fine. take it at your own risk but CHILDREN? YOURE PUTTING THAT POISON IN CHILDREN? WHO KNOWS NOT WHATS INSIDE? they are minors leave the children alone. CHILDREN wasn’t getting covid before then allllllllllll of a sudden. But as GASTON said he wants “70-80 THOUSAND SOULS.” not 70-80 thousand vaccinated individuals….”SOULS.” The words of your prime minister GASTON BROWNE. This is more than just covid and vaccine my people. This is soooooooo much deeper than a lot of you realize but only a certain amount are capable of seeing through the lies. Antiguans and people all over the world really need to wake up. ABS, Antigua newsroom, the government, doctors approved by the government to give the jab, most of these politicians all of these sources you can no longer trust because they are working together to hide the agenda. They are not looking out for the best interest of the people at all. First they wanted the older folks to get vaccinated, then young adults, giving vouchers to coerce individuals to get vaccinated. I have never seen people go all out in these ways, giving tv, etc AND moneyyyy in order to get more people to take it,. Anywaysssss keep it CLEAN, NO VACCINE!😏

  25. They will tell you that they do not test fully vaccinated people in the clinic in Antigua and Barbuda. Two senior citizens waiting on social security had to find money to get tested and they tested positive. So how Antigua and the world moving now it’s seems like the benefit of getting VACCINATED is only not to get tested ALTHOUGH IT IS A PROVEN FACT THAT THEY CAN STILL HAVE AMD SPREAD TYE VIRUS.

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