Prime Minister Gaston Browne has given more details about the 39 new coronavirus cases announced today.
In a statement, Browne said he was addressing fears that may have arisen from the information, provided by the Ministry of Health, that 39 new cases of imported COVID-19 have been detected and managed.
He stresses that” none of these cases is a threat to the community at this time, and that, through our identification, tracing and quarantining process, the Ministry of Health is containing and treating affected persons.”
The prime minister revealed that the 39 new cases are persons, in which in excess of half are returning nationals – who entered Antigua by air over the last few days.
These nationals are now quarantined and isolated at the Government facility at Hawksbill hotel and will not be released into the community until they test negative, he said.
“It is important that you know that none of these persons have been hospitalized.
“Presently, there is no one hospitalized in Antigua & Barbuda with COVID, and none of the new cases require hospitalization.
“The remaining individuals, are in hotel properties which are equipped with facilities to isolate, monitor and treat these individuals who tested positive for COVID,” he revealed.
The country’s leader told a national address that the staff at these hotels are also fully trained to deal with such guests, who will not be allowed to venture outside of the hotels’ compound, and who will also be under constant medical surveillance.
He said, “the well-being and good health of our population remains the principal consideration of our government and health authorities who will address you later.”
“The detection and quarantining of these 39 new cases, demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedures that have been established and are being scrupulously implemented at our ports of entry,” Browne added.
He also said that going forward no one is exempt from them now, nor will they be at any time in the future.
“That includes me, every Government Minister, the Governor-General – simply put, everyone who enters the country from abroad will be tested and quarantined or isolated as appropriate while this pandemic continues.”
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What about mongoose? Was he put to risk today ?
Yep, and those women should be charged. Cbh & police say they are going to get tough , Let’s see. I bet $50 nothing happens to them
What about the 20 that arrived on AA inquiring minds would like to know
So, all baggage people, custom people, all airport people that had contact, taxi and bus personnel, people provided test, all of them Gaston trump, are good to go into our island life. Just like all the tourists who r supposed to be only on the resort. Not off. R u kidding me.? U said u would bring covid back, and u did in a big way! Congrats!
Any way you twist and turn covid would have come back here. We cannot remaind closed forever and even if we did there are Antiguans all over the world who want to come home. Why the hell you people love to see all negative things all for the sake of politics gosh man this is not an ablp problem this is a world wide problem.
Sorry to say while COVID is all over the world..the ABLP government is playing Russian Roulette with the citizens here. Why not test everyone that enters, why preference is given to some. Dont you see from the chief health, the minister of health, the tourism minister , that the information they are giving is rather confusing and non of their stories synchronize. Yes we must open but they dropped the ball
No casual contacts are not at risk. Keep in mind persons would have been taking precautions like washing hands, wearing masks
The truth always rises to the top,always. Gastom Browne,you have lost all credibility in this Covid-19 matter.No one should be listening to you and or Molwyn Joseph.Antigua is Covid free.Those were the words echoed by you a few weeks ago.Then 2 days ago your Health Minister.The high and mighty one,Molwyn Joseph, did say Antigua is Covid free.I would like to know if both of you found and or discovered a vaccine for Covid-19.If not,why did you guys made such a declaration.Stupidity is an earthly gift.Some of us got more of it than most of us.
You must be so happy huh tuna fish. You must have been dancing in your underwear when you heard the news. This must have made your day. Big freaking deal the pm has always said covid would have been back.
Time to sack this administration. Putting everyone’s health and lives at risk so they and their rich backers can continue to profit.
Guess u well off so u can say that shit. But a lot of us are out of work and all the savings used up. Can keeping the island closed is not going to pay bills and feed hungry kids.
@Arnold. Nice try but you FLAP! “Putting everyone’s health at risk”??? I think not. They remain in QUARANTINE. But it will take more than your little wishful thinking to get Harold Lovell elected. Nice try though. Weak lame attempt, but you tried though.
All a load of hogwash. PM and his cohorts are not revealing that those persons at Hawksbill Hotel are sharing room!!!!!
Controlling a contagious virus without a foolproof plan is like picking up sand with your bare hands…some of it will slip through your fingers. So you found some people who were carrying the virus on flights? That’s great. Now what about the people who might have been negative when boarding the plane but got exposed to the aerosolized virus during the flight with multiple infected people around them? These exposed people would have tested negative at this time because the virus is still incubating inside them. You’re not going to get a positive test from someone who just inhaled the virus. If we’re not quarantining everyone who tested negative for at least 14 days and then retesting them, then we will absolutely find ourselves doomed with community spread. If things are so bad that we can get 39 imported in just two days, imagine the number of cases possible by the end of August. We may not have enough hotels! You might be able to control a teaspoon of sand in your hand, but are you prepared for the truckload?
One last thing. People need to be aware of how this virus is really spreading. The virus is being spread by aerosolized water that we are breathing out, droplets so small that it comes out invisible with each breath. You can see it condense when you breathe on glass. That’s why one infected person can infect a room full of dozens of people so easily. Aerosolized water stays in the air for several hours so you can get infected if you walk into a poorly ventilated location where infected people have spent time breathing the air. Beware of anyone wearing a mask but not covering their noses, as these persons are likely to get infected and also spread the SARS-CoV-2 if they contract it.
Bottom line: stay away from other people’s breath. Observe the little things like wind direction and wind strength when social distancing. Don’t be downwind of anyone and the stronger the breeze the safer you are. Sounds drastic and frightening, yes, but that’s the true nature of what we’re dealing with. The more the virus infects people, the more opportunities it gets to mutate and potentially cause even more trouble for us down the road.
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