Antigua News Room- Arriving passengers that are deemed high-risk for transmitting COVID-19 in Antigua & Barbuda will choose between wearing a quarantine bracelet or a stay at a government quarantine facility.
The new procedures are found in the Quarantine Electronic Monitoring Guidelines, 2020, which is a Statutory Instrument that was published in the Extraordinary Gazette on December 22, 2020.
Under the guidelines, which went into effect last Wednesday, the Quarantine Authority ordered that “arriving persons who are assessed as posing a high level of risks for the transmission of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, in Antigua and Barbuda may be fitted with an electronic monitoring device.”
Once the Quarantine Authority determines that a person poses a high risk of transmitting the disease, the person will be asked to indicate on a form if they consent to wear the monitoring device.
According to the form, “Failure to give consent will result in you being quarantined at a Government Quarantine Facility.”
People, who consent to wear the device must also “provide accurate information on the location of the house where you intend to stay for the quarantine period.”
The form noted that this information is important “for the monitoring to be effective.”
It added, “Once the monitoring bracelet has been applied to your wrist, you are required to observe the attached operational guidelines.”
The operational guidelines provide information on how users can check their temperature and heart rate and monitor their blood pressure with the device.
The guidelines also specify that the “devices are to be worn at all times during the quarantine period”, and will only be removed by the Health Authorities after the quarantine period or as deemed appropriate.
The users are warned not to “attempt to remove, tamper with or disable the device otherwise you will be liable to penalties outlined in the regulations.”
According to the guidelines, violations are “punishable on summary conviction to a fine of $5,000.00 or to imprisonment for six (6) months or to both”.
It said the devices “must remain on and charge must be maintained throughout your quarantine period”.
The users are also advised that while the bracelets are waterproof, they should not be submerged in water for any prolonged time.
However, the guidelines noted “regular hand washing and shower activities” are acceptable.
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You’ll be wearing chains around your necks soon, and chanting ‘Yes massa’!
There is one scenario which the electronic device does not address: how will the health authorities ensure that no one visits the quarantined person? A neighbor who just returned from the USA was advised to self-isolate for a period of time. However, while she has not left her premises, she has been entertaining family and friends. Every day, they can be seen sitting on her gallery. Now even if she were outfitted with an electronic device, it would register that she hasn’t left home, but there is no way to account for other persons entering the quarantine space. She could be a super-spreader for all we know
So then does it mean that our people are silly ones and not those in power as many people are trying to make it?
Each person has to be responsible for each other. Why visit someone that you know is supposed to be in quarantine?
Back to slavery days for the locals, but we are being enslaved by our own people! What a shame. Gaston enslaving us! Time to get rid of our slave masters again. Rise up people……take to the streets! It is the only way to get rid of the State of emergency or State of Slavery! Gaston got to go!
” My Island ” it’s already happening. Caribbean Trump got Stinking rich in record time and impedes on rights repetitively . I guess he’s listening to the one the only Mr Knighthood Minister of health . They cancelled flights from DR to protect Àntigua (that’s ok) but not England where I guess Covid and the new variant strain should I say is more ÀNTIGUA FRIENDLY !
I know I know I have to be careful the little Trumpees could come out swinging .
When the time comes I will vote for the best idea and ideals . Make your case I listen I vote . Not doing anymore party line voting.
So what DOES min of health deem ‘high risk’?
The public and all travelers( nationals, residents AND tourists) need this disclosure.
The article clearly states, once tagged you must give specific whereabouts of the HOUSE you will be staying in… NOT HOTEL, GUEST HOUSE, YACHT, AIRBNB
therefore the Govt under the PM’s leadership, are being utterly discriminatory and NOT basing their decision in medical FACTS…
How could they as still no testing for all arrivals, still no hold for all for 3n in approved facility, still no second test for all on day 4.
SMDH indeed.
This is B.S.
N.B. heard from a business person in English Harbour…”high end private yacht/jet visitors tell me Antigua is the best place to visit as no quarantine & no testing, its like a normal vacation”
Nuff said.
” Stay Alert ” Great comments Great ideas !
I notice there was no mention of the $100 daily fee for quarantine. Has the government dropped that idea? I know they need money but the imposition of the fee is unlawful. The fee cannot be imposed unless it is provided for in the Quarantine Act. At the moment the Quarantine Act does not speak to the payment of any fee.
The wearing of the bracelet is bull crap in my opinion.People if they put them on you.Take a hammer and dismantle them.Then tell them you fell down and it got damage.Why do they want to track you like criminals.
So what exactly is ur opposition to the wearing of the electronic devices? I can understand if u say that all visitors should be subjected to the devices. I can understand if u say the concept of hotels being characterised as ‘bio-secure facilities’. In reality, there is nothing special about those hotels that warrant the classification. But what’s the harm associated with wearing the electronic device? IMHO, if the devices prevent even 1 case, then they r worth the inconvenience
Ha ha TUNA I second that it’s how we Àntiguans just lày down and play dead .
Antigua is currently daily advertised on uk tv and by travel agents as the best place to escape uk lockdown as there is NO quarantine for torists. So where does this short term gain for hotel industry leave long suffering locals who wearing masks etc etc for last 9 months.
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