The V.C. Bird International Airport will open to commercial traffic on June 1, 2020.
A number of international carriers are expected to begin service to Antigua within days of that date.
Certain protocols will apply, both at the time of embarkation of travelers at the source markets, and upon their arrival in Antigua.
All returning nationals who will go to homes continue to be compelled to spend 14 days in quarantine.
The coronavirus in Antigua came from two sources; one being returning nationals who unwittingly spread the disease to others.
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This is the worst decision ever made by this gov. They will bring covid back to the island. They are thinking wth their wallet, not their brain
Billy Bob i I imagine that you are working at the moment, how does it feel to have a salary? people need to work they need to open the Airport. Everyone will have to wear mask that’s all.
I see. Lock down Antigua for 5-10 years until Covid (or any other infectious disease) is no more and the world is completely sterilized. The country will obviously need money to survive so the haves will have to share their wealth with the have nots to prevent death from hunger. That is the meaning of putting health over wealth as you say or your money where your mouth is. Risking the death of 0.1% of the population (i.e 100 persons maximum) if we ever get over-run by Covid at twice the rate of the worst hit countries (i.e higher that Spain, Italy, France etc.) is obviously too high for the haves.
They will therefore happily contribute (via a tax) X% of their wealth to a national fund so that Govt can continue to provide services to all and support those who would obviously have no income for this period of isolation. Health before Wealth is the new mantra.
Billy bob, is that what your crystal ball revealed? Or was it the leaves?:The cards? Tell me great soothsayer, will anyone in Antigua soon win the Lotto?
T shirt mass atleast jack.
good news!
I truly believe that if we were to get rid of the Covid from the last few patients and reopen all businesses in the local economy we can generate enough revenue to keep the country going for another 2 months without reopening the airport and exposing our citizens to possible death. I gues this shows how independent we really are as a nation.
The spectrum of Comments here is astonishing. One would have thought that this Topic, if none other, would have garnered a unanimous consensus – that of, preservation of the Health and Lives of the Citizenery first, then, stimulation and restart of our Economic Machinery second.
This unilateral decision is unsafe, premature, ilill-conceived, conceipted, and misplaced to say the least. Many are quick to condemn those who would rather a properly planned and prepared state of reopening. “They must be non-supporters…”, once in disagreement with any Governmental decision – but CoVid-19 knows no colour, or Party preference. Therefore, let us all be sensible and realistic, before exposing our love ones working at the Airport unnecessarily.
The ‘Passing Grade’ (only 25 Confirmed Cases & 03 Deaths) that has been assigned to the Government’s response effort was mainly achieved on the factor of a ‘Closed Border’ and the same ‘Responsible Citizens’ playing their part each day, following implemented protocols.
…nough said!
Well said Pat A Cake!
We need to be able to sustain ourselves as a nation.. at least in times of emergencies and Pandemics like this … what if this happens again or something worse? Can Antigua not survivor on its own for 90 business days??? Are there no reserve funds???
We must not be the economic power house, we’ve been hearing so much about.
Whenever another island is mentioned doing better than Antigua in Anything, especially financially, our leaders denounce it, saying no no Antigua is #1 at this or that and dispels whatever data and statistics presented.
Now it’s time to put our “economic powerhouse money”, where our mouth is, I’m hearing silence.
I guess those flight will be filled with returning nationals and not tourist, because I don’t know anyone taking vacation to come and be quarantined for 14 days.
In response to Erica, no I am not employed any longer. I did own a small business that employed 8 people full time. It has been and is still closed by order of the gov since April 3rd. I agreed that we need to do what the country did. No issues with that. My issue is 1583 deaths, and 22464 new cases just in the last 24 hrs, these are the facts from the country that the first plane is coming from. And they all wear masks. So I pray we will all be safe for a few dollars. Here are 157 peanut m&n, representing a full plane, only 4 are poison, still want to eat them?
Precisely, Billy Bob!
“Move to the Head of the Class…”
You quite certainly are the most intelligent West Indian Redneck in these here parts!
No one has yet made the correlation between aircrafts landing and the economy taking off. Are these sky-camels and wise passengers arriving bearing gifts of gold and myrrh, in exchange for our safe haven and wonderful weather? Or, will we merely be facilitating the returning of stranded residents?
The next 5-8 weeks would be better spent formulating and activating new Airport Protocols, plus procuring and installing all of the equipment that will be required for the Safe Operation of passenger processing in/out of the Terminal.
The fairytale benefits pale in comparison to the imminent risk. There will be No Droves of Tourists disembarking to spread pent up wealth across our Nation, rather more likely, is the disbursement of new threads of infections that will send us straight back into our Curfew Castles, with a front row seat for all, as we watch in bewilderment, a crisis of unimaginable proportion unfold throughout our tiny, fragile State.
Again, no one is suggesting maintaining closure for closure sake – but merely executing the process according to a Plan, as opposed to the usual haphazard nature Antiguans have acclimated to.
…nough said!
Damn if you do damn if you don’t. The country can remain lock down for a year. No country in the world can remain lock down for a year. Some of you have it or are employed by the government so easy for you to say lock down but people frigging hungry have bills and kids to feed. You think APUA go hold off from disconneting electricity and water for a year? You think land lords going to allow people to live in houses or apartment with out laying rent for a year? Chups you keyboard gangsters sickening now.
So Antigua depends on visitors from the UK and USA which are their biggest markets both of which are still in the grip of this virus but will gladly open its doors to visitors from these countries. Classic! What good is having money in your pocket if you are not alive to spend it.
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