Prime Minister Gaston Browne has appealed to residents to accept the closure of beaches today and tomorrow as an imperative to controlling the coroanavirus.
Browne warns that “we have 21 active COVID cases.”
“Our focus is to reduce the number of active cases. Considering the propensity for crowding on public holidays, the beach restriction is an imperative,” he said in a post on his personal Facebook page.
“We must as loyal and patriotic citizens guard against complacency, ignorance and obstinacy which could place our entire society at risk,” Browne added.
The government announced on Saturday that beaches will be closed today and tomorrow despite both days being holidays.
Under normal circumstances, residents and visitors would be enjoying the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival. However, carnival was cancelled in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, Dr James Knight warned of a significantly increased risk of community spread of Covid-19 at the moment, but not because of the tourist industry.
He said the increased risk comes as a result of Antiguans and Barbudans arriving from the USA in recent days, for what would normally have been the carnival season.
“The tourists come to stay at accommodations which have been certified as bio-safe, and they are subject to a certain level of monitoring and control. The accommodations have protocols to follow, and the management of these establishments have a responsibility to ensure that their guests follow protocols also.
On the other hand, returning nationals are mainly in self-quarantine, at residences which they describe to Health authorities, but which may not be inspected, because it would be very difficult to carry out such inspections,” Dr Knight warned.
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Please ask the PM to walk around St Johns during the week to see what craziness is going on there.
This beach thing is silly because cops can and should be able to monitor them the same way they should be able to monitor St Johns.
Yes the beaches can be closed but it is closed to all and sundry i.e., tourists and residents alike. Any tourists seen on the beaches carnival Monday or Tuesday should be arrested for breaking our laws.
😂😂🎼🎼🎶🍹🍹the sweet sounds of breaking waves! Ahhhh! Da Beach is just the beginning!
…”Any tourists seen on the beaches….should be arrested!
Tabor, start de jumping up, it’s Last Lap….
🎶🎶🎼🎼🍹🍹La La…la la lay, la la, lah, lah!
Please note: the following is taking place in the Virtual Matrix World. Where everything is #Real but not necessarily #True!
Arrest tourists, pan wan beach! U mussa no want, Tourism lack dung!
It does apply to them. Always a good idea to have a clue what you are talking about before making a complete ass of yourself.
we have 21 active mostly imported cases so tell me why the citizens have to suffer for the negligence causes by the personal in charge who didn’t seem to out proper protocols in place before opening the airport.
21 cases we are told.
Yet people living in Antigua are testing positive upon arrival elsewhere.
I doubt anyone knows the real number, but let us hope that the official number is only 1/2, rather than the 1/3rd that Iran reports
This was a downright poor decision by the government. As Eli Fuller said, why couldn’t the beaches been opened and have the police monitor them so that all necessary protocols are adhered to?? Yes there are a few irresponsible individuals but they could have been easily kept in check by the police and other concerned beach goers. The majority of us are still responsible patriots and this action by the PM sends a message of distrust to his own people.
Eli Fuller????? Why are you referring to him? What makes him a credible expert on covid-19 or common sense???
Eli Fuller just like attention. He uses it to promote his business.
There are surely hundreds of cases walking around Antigua if not more.
Cuba, a country that has been handling the crisis effectively has opened its borders ONLY to returning citizens and they have 200 active cases.
Antigua has let in thousands of tourists traveling from Florida – a COVID hotspot. Antigua has refused to test those in the community. Antigua has failed to admit many of the sudden deaths were COVID related. And lies about no community spread and being COVID free.
And we’re supposed to believe there are only 21 active cases?
The Beaches on Antigua are closed on Monday and Tuesday.They are all opened to those Tourists only,staying at Beach front Hotels.So why are they closed to BLACK PEOPLE? There are 365 Beaches in Antigua.With a Population of 90,000 those Beaches should be able to accommodate the entire population of Antigua.WELCOME TO APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA.OH NO,IT IS ANTIGUA IN AUGUST,2020.
The beaches are only open to the tourists so they can only; nfwct each other and not us, in theory.
Unfortunately, I was in Epicurean at Jolly Harbour Sunday morning, and there were a lot of people who had obviously arrived on Saturdays flight. Just guessing, but I’d say the majority were young Black people.
Guess they booked their tickets for carnival early
The PM is being guideD by dumb and irrationally people and this will be his down fall! He is playing right into the hands of UPP! Beware some of the ones guiding you are work with them! The beaches have fresh air and sea, it would be less crowded than St. John’s on a normal day! You are making too many mistakes for a sensible person! First the close down for a unnamed storm now this closure of the beach! Wake up Gaston…..before it is to late!
It’s really amazing how you so call perceive intelligent individuals always find it fit to oppose everything. Is it by design or what . A government has been put in place let them govern. Many of you have your own business and no one can tell you how to run it . Please be subjective . What sense it makes to cancel Carnival and jouvert and last lap and then open the beaches . What you think will happen, really guys. Come on . Well done MR. BROWNE. The best decisions are not always the most popular one. God bless
BE REAL are you real? Yes, a government has been put in place to govern but that does not mean that as citizens (the governed) that we do not have the right to criticize and call out the government if we are not satisfied with its performance. In the case of the present government, it has given us much to be critical about. Even its handling of the covid 19 pandemic from a legislative perspective has been a major failure.
So we are completely banned from the beaches for two days. We can’t even go for health and fitness. However, the tourists are free to leave their hotels and go to any beach. Do you really think the police are going to arrest any tourist when the ministry of tourism is telling the world we are open? Think of the potential negative media backlash if they arrested tourists. It seems like the government will do ANYTHING to get a few crumbs from the few tourists that are coming.
lf laws were put in place to prevent us from going to the beach it should not be applicable just to residents or returning Antiguans and Barbudans but to the visitors who grace us with their presence. This is a low blow considering there was no Carnival: some of us needed an outlet. These very visitors are enjoying our beaches while we are stuck at home. I guess these decisions they make apply to some while the others do as they please.
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