The country’s latest COVID-19 case may have been infected with the new coronavirus since early last month.
That was revealed by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rhonda Sealy-Thomas who confirmed that results for a male patient returned positive for the virus on Saturday evening.
On Sunday night, the CMO told state media following “preliminary investigations with my team, I’ve learnt that this individual might have been showing symptoms since the first week of May”.
“You could recall that prior to this, our last laboratory confirmed case was the end of April. We were approaching 30 days with no new cases, so preliminary, I think that this individual might have contracted the disease earlier up in May but he’s still showing some symptoms and is still positive as we’ve seen with some of our cases”, she revealed.
“The contact tracing team, the epidemiology team they have been out all of today [Sunday] doing contact tracing, doing investigation”, she said.
The CMO said the new case emphasizes the need for the country to remain vigilant.
“We need to continue the social and physical distancing we need to continue to wear our personal protective equipment, that is facemask, continue to have good hand hygiene, wash and sanitize our hands regularly and practice good cough and sneeze etiquette. It’s very, very critical that we continue to do these things because I believe that the vigilance of the public has helped us to remain COVID free for 30 days and we really should not become complacent and we need to continue those practices if we want to stop the spread of COVID or curtail the spread of COVID in Antigua & Barbuda”, she said.
“There’s need for concern and I’m certainly concerned that we still continue to see an increase in the number of cases and I want the public to be vigilant, to be aware that COVID is still around, we still have COVID in many countries with transmission and we have to be aware and know we have to continue the practices”, the CMO cautioned.
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“…I believe that the vigilance of the public has helped us to remain COVID free for 30 days…”
Is ‘COVID-free’ the same as ‘no new positive cases’? If our ports are closed, thereby eliminating the importation of any new cases, how then could we be ‘COVID-free’ and have a new case? It simply means that there are infected persons in our midst who may be unwittingly passing on the virus to others.
Why are the authorities so resistant to wide-spread testing? Is it because there’s a race to the bottom between these Caribbean governments to see which one can gain an advantage by opening their. economies first?
Why is she still saying “Covid free for 30 days”? We were never Covid free. We are not testing. It’s 3 months now and still no testing..smdh
According to Dr Lester Simon local testing has begun over 2 weeks ago at MSJMC. Now from what I understand this person has been to the doctor not once but twice! Given the condition he was in and the times we live in would it not have been wise for his doctor to send him to do a test for coronavirus? Why did he not call the hotline and report his symptoms? Oh yeah I forgot y’all love to play politics and play the blame game. Well y’all better accpet this CORONAVIRUS IS HERE TO STAY!
She needs to shut up and say nothing if they’re not doing widespread testing. The truth is no country is covid free until the virus is no more in existence.
All other Caribbean island says they have no active cases and reiterated that that does not mean the island is covid free, but here in Antigua we are pushing the message of being covid free. That’s very misleading. If we are indeed covid free we do not need to follow the protocols laid out. Isn’t this true Ms CMO?
A through investigation as to how this case slipped under the radar is needed . This will help with our future fight against this virus. Someone may have been responsible and mistakes can sometimes cost lives .
We need to do testing , is it so difficult to understand?
Let us not be fooled. A location CANNOT be Covid-19 free when there is not universal testing being done. So I wish the health professionals would simply revert to the basic knowledge that they were taught in med school.
The virus will be with us for a long time……so in fact, there will not be anything such things as “Covid-19 free”.
The fact that our borders are opened again means that we will be more exposed to greater importation.
Certainly, the economy must survive, but at the same time all the necessary and crucial facilities MUST be in place to deal with the issue at hand.
I want to remind all our leaders that EACH AND EVERYONE one of us will (must) give an account our stewardship. It is appointed unto man once to die…..then after this the “judgement”. Take heed of what we do now. Do not allow politrickians to control your minds. You have to account for your actions. We cannot the Creator that: ” He or she made me say it or do it”. No way ! Between Birth (B) and Death (D)….there is just ( C )…Choices. We make them and we deal with the consequences.
Heed the warning, my people. The end is soon at hand. Do NOT follow man. Corruption only breeds corruption.
God is watching. He made us free moral agents and NO WAY is He going to force us to follow His way. It is a choice we have to make. This whole world is in a SERIOUS MESS ! No man ….. no not one can solve our problems.
Your pastors are not telling you the truth because they themselves are deceived. Your politrickians are led by evil spirits…so they cannot help you.
Turn to the Creator. Our only Hope !
…Earth crisis; yet, neither the end, nor the beginning cares, as to who’re first; since, where the beginning ends, the end begins and, vice-versa.
While, the virus is real and the crisis too, it’s time to separate the two(2), yes I know it’s hard to do, but for forward and progressive thinkers, they have to separate the two(2).
The “crisis” is now the fuel behind many New Norms, as it pertains to conducting business.
The virus will easily be pushed, to the side, as is the case now with the rioting in America.
Crisis sells…Crisis Sells….Crisis is A Business, hence, the reason for promotion($), and top priority by the Media and governments.
Management of this crisis, is in itself developing a new industry.
On The USA: believe it or not….what is happening in the United States of America shows history repeating itself because mankind just do not learn from past experiences.
The USA is slowly …maybe faster than we had anticipated; becoming a DICTATORSHIP NATION. There is no turning back now. The stage has already been set. You would not have imagined that the so called ” Free Democratic” nation would suddenly change. The fundamentals of its constitution are being thrown through the windows. Congress is rapidly relinquishing its powers to the presidency. The supreme court is almost already party dominated and it is getting worse.
No one in their clear senses can deny the fact that what we see happening in the USA is certainly leading to a presidency that will be allowed to issue executive orders one after the other…until total power is vested in his/her hands.
When civil rights are suspended and martial laws are in place….this is where we are heading. With chaos and anarchy…. there can only be one mighty cry and that is for “unity”. However, at what cost will such unity be achieved ? Will it be a unity in truth and justice? I beg to say that it will not be so.
The world needs a Savior ! The people are looking at the racial divide, the covid-19 disease, global climatic changes, economic struggles and other devastating events. All these issues are going to push the people who are suffering to give up their civil rights for what seemingly will be true peace. But it is a deception. This is the final push. I did not believe that I would still be alive to experience all what are happening now. But it is unfolding right before our eyes. SERIOUS TIMES ! WAKE UP MY PEOPLE !
WATCH THE USA: A DICTATORSHIP IS RISING IN THE WEST.
Still no local testing btw… and he has infected how many people? Even when u have they covid symptoms they don’t check u… they keep calling you and checking up on you and tell you take aspirin …
But all is well .. let’s reopen the borders ! Yep sounds about right !
Local testing has began. Or did you not hear Dr Lester Simon interview on ABS two weeks ago. On another not why did the doctor not send the him to do a test instead of give him sick leave twice? Why did he not call the hotline? But y’all ready to blame the cmo cause of a carless doctor.
@here to stay
I like the fact that you are stating what you believe is a fact, that the virus is here to stay. I dont think that it is here to stay. I think that it is here. I know that a vaccine can help. The virus mutating to a less pathogenic form can also help.
So here are some other facts, based on feedback and my own experience. The hotline has proven dysfunctional. The hotline needs to wheel and come again. The doctors talk about local testing but where’s the proof that testing here is functional. It may very well be as dysfunctional as the hotline. The officials talk about covidfree. Last time I checked, the word free had a different meaning to how we see it being used. Covid free for one month but at the same time we know that covid is here, and according to you, its here to stay. Nine tests sent overseas for verification is proof of testing, sure, but c’mon anyone who did math can conclude 9 isn’t much in a country of 90000.
I am no predictor of the future so I can’t say what is here to stay, but the past and the present tell me one thing, some one or some thing needs to go.
For economic viability the ports need to be open… However, the health authorities need to be extremly vigilant at the ports….
Ensure each person coming inland is thourouly checked and quarantined at a govt facility and not at their private homes… Persons cannot be relied on to be honest and responsible…. Some also are living in denial that they cannot contract the disease…… Base on what’s happening in America, many may want to come home to use here as a safe haven…… It these persons the authorities need to be on the look out for…… We definitely can’t let down our guard
Just think of the potential disaster this could be. The patient has been visiting a Dr for more than a month; the patient has been mingling with family, friends and unknowns for the same time period; and those persons have been mingling in their circles. Additionally, how many patients has this Dr seen over this time?
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