COVID-19 risk now at its highest in Antigua & Barbuda: PM Browne

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The risk of COVID-19 transmission in Antigua and Barbuda is now at its highest since the country recorded its first case of the disease in March 2020.

 

That was the warning from Prime Minister Gaston Browne while speaking on Pointe Fm on Saturday.

 

He said the country’s risk was even higher than when 39 new cases were recorded in June 2020 as “those individuals were readily quarantined.”

 

“The situation now with 27 cases is far more precarious than when we had the 39 cases. It is the highest level of COVID risk that we have seen so far which requires heightened vigilance by all Antiguans and Barbudans”, he said.

 

The Prime Minister called on residents to practice the health protocols that were put in place to curb the spread of the virus.

 

“I’m asking our people to continue to respect the protocols to make sure you socially distance as appropriate to wear the mask and to continue to practice good hygiene”, he said.

 

He added that people should “assume that every single person who comes within the circumference of your personal space, let’s say that six feet circumference, that they could be a carrier of  COVID and that you ought to ensure that they are wearing the necessary mask and that they do not violate your personal space.”

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27 COMMENTS

  1. We told you from the start, if you open the floodgates to toiurists from hotspots this was going to happen. Those businesses that were pushing the govt to open the country will now have to close again if we have to go into lockdown. It is also interesting why the PM is saying this now. Does he know smething we dont? If this gets out of hand it will not be good enough for the governemnt to say “we warned you”, you will have to be removed from office

    • @Arnold understand your comments and the PM’s subliminal messaging.
      Let us not now talk lockdown prematurely… UK & Canada flights are currently minimal
      IF govt.enforced a set period of self-isolation and a covid test on day 4 or 5, after that negative test, the tourist/national could move freely.
      This equity for ALL travelers would really assist.
      A large part of our challenge is since July tourists continue able to move freely upon leaving the airport.
      The other big challenge is EVERY PERSON being responsible & respectful to each other by consistently wearing their mask, distancing & sanitizing.

      • Just like Barbados did and now look at the almost 600 cases plus the testing back log. Guy, what ANU is doing is working. We are staying on a path that works

        • Are you brain dead?

          If Barbados has 600 cases you better believe Antigua has many more than that.

          Just because Antigua is under testing and under counting active cases that doesn’t make those cases go away.

    • Speak for your self sir. There are some people who nah fortunate fu hab on government job. There are people who nah work for almoat one year. The government woulda be pissing drunk fu lock down again.

      • What would you do if the two alternatives are lock down or die? We need to stop letting sick people into the country to spread their virus. Things are tough all over the world. The problem with Antigua is that the government does not have the money, or is not prepared to provide financial assistance to the people.

        • which has 2 American medical schools, several world-class resorts, some gambling businesses, and various other things

          How come the government doesnt have enough money in the treasury to withstand 18 months of sensible protocols in order to keep this disease off island?

          By sensible protocols I mean making everyone who enters quarantine 2 weeks in a government or other secure facility and be tested 3 or 4 times before being allowed to roam freely.

          This is what New Zealand is able to do with a much larger population.

          How is it possible that this country is so poor with all the businesses located here? Are they not taxing these businesses appropriately?

          Or is it that each successive government robs the country blind? So that there’s no money to actually govern for the good of the people and PM and the ministers accept bribes and enrich themselves while selling off the island.

          This pandemic has exposed much. I hope Antiguans are ready to demand real leaders who will work for the good of the country instead of treating you all like 2nd class citizens in your own country.

          • Tourists come for only one or two weeks and would not want to spend their vacation in quarantine. So they are better not come for a while. Couldn’t help noticing the large number of private planes that came in for the holidays. Where these wealthy people tested?
            Things may get worse, but Antiguans can survive once there is food..

    • People have been warning them about their illogical and lax protocols.

      I’m going to guess there’s hundreds of not thousands of people on the island with COVID as a result of the government’s negligence.

      The island was packed with tourists over the holidays who were not tested out quarantined.

      • Are you a fool? If there were hundreds or thousands of people here with covid-19 alot more deaths would be associated with covid-19…… Antigua is one of the worst countries when it comes to high blood pressure and sugar(diabetes) in the Caribbean so our numbers in death would be high if we had lots of unconfirmed infections……. but most y’all that come to post here are just plain Political… most y’all remind me of the Trump Mob… not for country at all
        When y’all are asked to wear mask and obey the curfew, y’all talk about the government restricting their freedom…. just check the similarities with UPP supports and trump Supporter are very similar in every way

        • @Free Antigua
          Are you paid to write crap about UPP. Ask your leader where all the people’s money Gawn. I guess in some investments that the public doesn’t know about.

        • most of those people will be either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Those people will recover without medical care. They will assume they have the flu or a cold. They will never be tested. And they will never be counted among the COVID positive cases. But they will spread the disease to others. And unfortunately, many of these people may have long-standing cardiovascular and respiratory problems as a result of the infection.

          Some small minority of people will become gravely ill and will seek medical care or more likely will die alone at home. Those who die will never be tested for COVID and will never be counted amongst the positive cases.

          We saw this happen for months. Sudden death after sudden death just swept under the rug.

          Some people will get medical care privately and be tested privately and will recover and once again never be OFFICIALLY counted in the COVID tally for Antigua.

          Some small number of people will be treated at MSJMC or the super secret infectious disease center. And some of these people MAY be officially tested and officially recorded as an active COVID case. Which is exactly what we have seen – one or two or three people being treated at MSJMC for COVID at a time.

          We are not told and have no idea who is being treated at the super secret infectious disease center or how many are being treated.

          So, yes, this is exactly how cases have been allowed to grow exponentially in Antigua without officially recording them in the tally.

          Please focus on the word EXPONENTIALLY. At some point, the number of sick people will be so great that they won’t be able to be hidden any longer. We are rapidly approaching that point.

          Hence the little mustache man admitting that there is a high risk of getting COVID on this island.

          All of this could have been avoided had this government and this leader actually done their jobs and protected the country in the first place. But lining their pockets and pleasing their rich benefactors was more important than saving lives.

  2. The Ball is in your court Antigua….The numbers are going up and you know who is to blame.. 🙂 Yeah we the people the tards who are not social distancing and following proper protocols…You all better start behaving and do the right thing because God forbid the country collapse the government gonna say it was who’s fault?……THE PEOPLE…..

    • He made the decision early on to put tourist $$$ and resort owner wants over the health and safety of Antiguan citizens and residents.

      • Clown, mojority of the people of Antigua and Barbuda directly depend on Tourism to eat and provide for their families…..should The Government ignor that? All the other countries of the Caribbean has reopened except Trinidad and Tobago(not dependant on tourism), so what’s the justification for keeping our borders close while the rest of the Caribbean open? Another trump-like supporter for the UPP…. willing to see the place burn to the ground to get your political way

        • I don’t support your corrupt current government, and I strongly suspect your opposition party is just as corrupt.

          The people of Antigua are not really benefiting from minimum wage/slave wage tourism jobs.

          The people of Antigua are not benefitting from the government selling off the best lands to foreign investors (and pocketing bribes and finders fees for doing so).

          The people of Antigua are not benefitting by the government not adequately taxing all of these foreign owned businesses like Sandals and Epicurean which once again pay slave wages to local Antiguans.

          Letting a deadly virus rage through a small island is going to do much more damage than if the government would have tightened it’s belt, cut out the grift and provided for the people of Antigua during the pandemic.

          Because at this point, many people are still out of work or working reduced hours making slave wages while their lives are being risked by a reckless government that lets in any and all potential disease carriers without testing or quarantining them.

  3. Can somebody HAND THAT MAN A MIRROR who the hell does he see in it. He has tourist coming in with no qurantine and now talking about local transmission what a idiot . There’s no other way to discribe him anyone that would authorize such a protocol and the Antiguan people that LAY DOWN AND PLAY DEAD and allow him to implement such a self distructive policy which ENDANGERS THEIR VERY LIVES . UNBELIEVABLE ! OH AND BEFORE I START READING GASTON THIS AND GASTON THAT I VOTED FOR THE DAMN MAN SHIT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT WE WILL SEE ABOUT THE NEXT .

    • The protocols for tourists are just plain insane.

      They literally get off a plane and go anywhere they want. They are not tested or quarantined.

      They must have let in hundreds of covid positive tourists that they let roam the island freely

      Now we have to pay for their mistakes and greed

  4. Does any one has s copy of the various risk levels and the recommended actions for each risk level please share it thanks.

  5. Many third world countries are depending on COVAX Facility to supply us with the vaccines (through the WHO). As it is now, the rich countries are hoarding all the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines for themselves. The WHO boss has been complaining about this practice. It was highly anticipated that this would have been the situation and such it is now.
    We will be left to the mercy of the BIG countries. It is either, we will crawl on all fours and beg Biden for vaccines or we will just resort to obtaining the vaccines from China, Russia and India. These vaccines have not completely been vetted to ensure their efficacy.

    What we are witnessing is just another way of how the BIG boys will dominate the world. Much worse of this is yet to come. They hold the handle and the keys. We have to wait for them to throw us the crumbs from their tables.
    It is time for our Caribbean scientists and governments to use the resources of UWI and other regional medical institutions to develop our own center for disease control…instead of completely depending on PAHO and the WHO. That is a very tall hope though knowing how insularity still dominates the region. CARI has long gone instead of CARICOM.

    So they told us that the vaccines may be with us by the first quarter of 2021. However, if circumstances continue as is now…. we may be looking at the end of 2021 for Pfizer or Oxford.

    WORLD “CRYSIS”: END SOON COME !

    • Cuba was suppose to be manufacturing vaccines. Why are some of the brightest minds in the Caribbean(if we have any), not working with Cuba to develop our own vaccines instead of waiting on other countries to provide us with vaccines that we can’t vouch for the content.

      • That is exactly who Antigua should be buying vaccines from for one.

        For two, Antigua should be administering COVID prophylaxis to all of its citizens just like India is doing. This is ivermectin, vitamin D, Zinc, vitamin C.

  6. Who is the one to blame?
    When things are going good them want the praise and worship.
    When things are going bad they blame the people and they are the one putting policies and having special dispensation from the cabinet. Total hypocrisy !

  7. If Covid 19 risk now at it’s highest in Antigua and Barbuda why are the churches schools still open? Why are the buses still packed? Why is it business as usual are we waiting for things to worsen? Like what is going on now in Barbados?

  8. Avatar photo We've reached the stage of the pandemic where the mustache is almost as ridiculous as the nonsensical protocols PM Clown's government has instituted.

    At least he’s giving us something to laugh at along with the coming COVID nightmare that could have been avoided if sensible protocols were enacted months ago.

  9. Covid is on the rise all over the world and not just in the Caribbean.. Britain is on lock down and police are on the highways stopping people from leaving London. California is also on lockdown because they are running out of hospital beds. Now we hear the virus is mutating. This virus was manufactured for a purpose. Is this suppose yo be germ warfare that escaped from the labs. Only saving grace is that it currently kills less than 2% of the people infected. It will run its course and disappear back into the lab from whence it came. Only problem is, it keeps mutating. A big philanthropist, not calling his name, said there are too many people in the world. And he is heavily involved in vaccines. Another one said that old people serve no purpose and cost governments money for pensions and health care.

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