The government says it has not abandoned plans to use rapid tests in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The plan earlier announced was to use rapid testing on all passengers arriving into Antigua & Barbuda and a PCR test if needs be.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said over the weekend that the government already paid thousands of dollars for the tests which were expected on Tuesday.
But speaking at a news conference yesterday, Information Minister Melford Nicholas said it has been a challenge throughout the pandemic to get supplies into the country.
“We have had a delay in the supply of those rapid tests,” he announced.
Nicholas said when the rapid tests arrive on island they will be used as planned.
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Am just sick and tired of this Government lies, they lie so much that they forget how to talk the truth.
So true ….The Prime Minister is the brother of Donald Trump
They made a grand announcement earlier this week that the test arrived! Oh what a tangled web we weave!
When government announced the tests arrived? May 25th OMG article stated it has been ordered and could be on island as early as the following week. You do realize they were cutting it close? Why? The only antigen test on the market was approved by the US FDA about three weeks ago. Google if your don’t believe see F.D.A. Approves First Antigen Test for Detecting the Coronavirus, May 9th 2020, NY Times
OK, let’s give you the fact, that the Government didn’t say, that the test had arrived, in the Country.
A…Today is what date?
B…Does this date, coincides with the re-opening, of the Country to International flights?
C…Did the Government state, flapping like a flounder out of its element, that arriving passengers, as of the date which you mentioned, would be subjected, to COVID-19 Rapid Testing?
No need to worry; the testing will not stop COVID-19 from entering the country, nor stop its spread. It’s the flu(mutated or manufactured)!
It’s time to separate, the two, as in the flu COVID-19, and the crisis(many of which are manufactured), from each other!
COVID-19 will remain a health concern just like, Ebola, typhoid, aids, herpes, syphilis, opioid addiction, obesity etc.
The CRISIS is now about, Money – Mo Money – Only Money!
How Trump doing with the one million daily covid tests? In 3 months time they aren’t able to do even half of that . Government here.is.simply asking.for.a few days and.have put a new protocol in place in.the mean time. Smood I doubt you can find a country within the past two months who has not hit snags getting testing equipment.you may recall your government huffing some?
Forget about Trump, deal with Antigua, Barbuda & Redonda. That should be the Government’s concern, not Donald Trump, not America but Antigua, Barbuda & Redonda.
I, know for many reasons, that the Government cannot divulge certain information, to the People who crave for, Instant news, Instant solutions etc., and it puts them, the Government in a very precarious position, however, this is when Great Warriors earn their keep. Time well tell how great Our present warriors are.
Just stop trying to pull the wool over the Peoples eyes; they can see through the rhetoric and the bullcrap.
Smood the messengers have often stated things are fluid. Our people can see what’s happening outside A&B. There is more demand than supply when it comes to test kits. Fortunately with time this situation is getting better. Even if we forget USA, similar has happened is most nations. You seem to suggest government is not being honest. Seems to me you have some specific message you wish to hear. Again take the time to listen to the actual press conference and not the limited statements reported via media. The clips are all available on the ABS Facebook page. Don’t get me wrong, the communication has to be bettered. However, no one is trying to hide anything
Listen Guys, we don’t need Donald Trump mentality in our Country. Honesty, integrity and compassion is vital to our countries progress and success. Time for concerned citizens to form a party. Am tired of the status quo. The politicians lining their pockets at our expense. Lies, Lies, Lies. The airport is open, what happens when Covid-positive people enter Antigua? Nobody coming to Antigua to sit idly for 2 weeks. Somebody please explain.
Jokers 🃏 them be.
This is part of he reason why they decided to open the airport this month, to ensure that come tourism season, all or most of the kinks will be worked out. Its not surprising they are yet to receive the rapid testing kits. Kudos to them for moving so quickly in trying to get this product that was FDA approved May 9th. Would be good to have this as part of our arsenal in the fight against Ovid, I expect in a few months, the antigen tests will become the gold standard not PCR based test which are cumbersome and expensive to administer The expectation will be that especially US and UK airports will start using them, hence persons can be tested at their port of embarkation
@Tenman you always trying to justify incompetence and make excuses for ineptitude, the lack of a cohesiveness is so gleaming in this matter.
On day an announcement say this protocol is in place another day, it’s change to something else and the saga continues. It’s just look like they don’t know what they are doing.
@Cool Ruler
That is his job , to tell us it’s raining whole they piss all over us.
and we know your self appointed role is to tell us the sky is falling. Best to stay far from people like who cause they tend to accident prone
Ruler I don’t need to come to ANR to state their short comings (though I.have done it before) They will tell you I do it directly. Fact is though, based on the situation, I can understand why some things are the way they are. One thing for sure, unlike the former administration, this one won’t throw the baby out, with the bathwater (eg Vivian Richards stadium getting banned due to bad prep, HMB mess , taking so long to institute the aceeeor tribunal that it ened up costing is some 40 million in interest, the APC contract mess than cost us over 200 million). Unfortunately people like you and Des. just like now are so busy focused on the ALP that they saw no value in telling the UPP they are naked
@tenman don’t try to pull any red herring across the trail by looking back to things that have no bearing on the subject at hand.
Your party have been in power for how long now? You are the same guys had an issue when the UPP mentioned the previous 28 years the ALP was in power
Kudos to the Government for trying to get the rapid tests? That is like saying kudos to my children who tried to get an A on their school test but ended up getting an F. Come on man!
Guy in situations as fluid as this persons get high marks for effort. Fact is there are some leaders who have busied them self hiding from the reality which confronts us. This current admin has worked on ensuring we make it though this crisis. Is it that you would prefer leadership who would tell you covid is a non issue, hence take no precautions? What about the former leadership who would engage in always waiting for the right moment which surprisingly never came? Clearly action is being taken and though some battles will be lost, we will win this war
Lies, lies and more lies.
SMH
Oh my god what a mess! You paid money upfront and now have not received the goods?! And you are talking about PCR tests at the hospital, but the hospital has not gotten those tests working yet. And tourists from the world’s hotspots for the virus begin arriving on the island tonight. Time to sack this administration I think
You’ve got to be kidding me!!!!
So basically you put the horse before the cart. Honest;y, how the hell do you say tat you’re going to have the tests, and didn’t ensure that by hook or by crook the tests are at the ports of entry? You guys MUST be retarded.
Would it not make more sense to ensure that the tests are on the island, then open the ports?
Mr. PM, you are the head of the ELECTED government. ONE of the FUNDAMENTAL responsibilities given to you and your government, was the KEEP THE POPULATION SAFE!
I honestly believe that at times, your quest to remain in power blocks your vision of that responsibility. There are times when you give the firm impression that you are more interested in the dollar that the population. That you are not taking this pandemic seriously, the t you are not considering the health of our people seriously.
Would it have killed you to wait until you have the kits on the ground here in Antigua and Barbuda?
NO!!!!! It would not have killed you, but you sure as hell would have placed one more barrier to help in protecting the populace.
You dropped the ball, and I will state there that when more people are infected due to your ignorance, I sure as hell will remember you and your government, as you fumble though this with no firm plans to keep our nation safe from this pandemic.
I’m extremely disappointed with this development.
You people are horrible with your disgusting unwarranted criticism of the Government even in these times of unprecedented circumstances.. The rate of deaths from Covid-19 that your dark minds were Praying into being for the nation failed to materialize and so will your hopes for a collapsed Economy-Why? because your hearts are as dark as those to whom you were praying for those things to happen to us and darkness can never cover Light.. The people you want to govern this nation are just like you guys – wicked and care nothing for the people but for themselves.. They will stay in opposition until them days done..
Thank you my dear. Some of these Negative Nancies only look live for the negative. Their mind are so wrapped up in politics and want to see the government fail they will glorify in all ugliness.
The government already fail. Even outside of the COVID pandemic. You playing politics too. You know the government messed up?
Messed up how? This is a world pandemic, we’re competing with the world for these equipment…… I just wonder if we know this?
So what were they training the lab technicians with if we didn’t have any test kit? I am if they ever had the equipment do perform the test with?
OK, let’s give you the fact, that the Government didn’t say, that the test had arrived, in the Country.
A…Today is what date?
B…Does this date, coincides with the re-opening, of the Country to International flights?
C…Did the Government state, flapping like a flounder out of its element, that arriving passengers, as of the date which you mentioned, would be subjected, to COVID-19 Rapid Testing?
No need to worry; the testing will not stop COVID-19 from entering the country, nor stop its spread. It’s the flu(mutated or manufactured)!
It’s time to separate, the two, as in the flu COVID-19, and the crisis(many of which are manufactured), from each other!
COVID-19 will remain a health concern just like, Ebola, typhoid, aids, herpes, syphilis, opioid addiction, obesity etc.
The CRISIS is now about, Money – Mo Money – Only Money!
Test, or no test; the Nation have no choice but to be reopened to International travel.
We can cry about, “spilled milk,” such as, no monies in the treasury, etc, etcetera, etc. These should be handled, at a later date with proper investigations(wishful thinking, I know;) however, the fact and truth of the matter is, the Nation cannot stop COVID-19, nor any other such flu from entering the Nation, unless it creates it’s own Universe, by building, a domed bubble around it.(Not possible);
so, the best thing for now, is deal with COVID-19 like a health concern, as in aids, Ebola, obesity, etc, separate from the Crisis which is all about MONEY – mo MONEY – only MONEY!
It may be a blessing in disguise that the arrival of the rapid antigen tests has been delayed. Tourists will now be tested with the more reliable PCR test, for the time being. This should be the policy going forward, at least until there is a technological breakthrough in rapid testing technology. (The rapid test is said to be only 87 per cent reliable, and that is not good enough.) We need to invest in increasing our PCR testing capacity, including securing more PCR machines, more kits and more trained laboratory staff. As well, it is known that some people are completely asymptomatic despite being infected, and that a small number of people will develop symptoms after 14 days. Given this, it seems wise to test all of the returning nationals and residents, and not simply release them after 14 days. They should use the PCR test for this too. We shouldn’t use unreliable rapid testing.
it is true the PCR test is the gold standard, but they wont be using it for arrivals. It requires an invasive swab be done and is impractical for airport and boat arrivals. That is, if the hospital could actually get it to work, which they can’t as of now. So, we have hundreds of people arriving from the US and no way of testing them. This is a disaster waiting to happen. But then, the PM has already tried to soften us up for the inevitable, by saying a while ago he knows there will likely be a spike once the borders open. He believes this will somehow mean it’s all ok
The Rapid Covid-19 Tests that the government paid for, Will they ever arrive on the island? I hope the government did not pay an agent as if the test don’t arrive, will the government get a refund? Antiguans will soon stop asking questions and the money will probably have disappeared.
Sick and tired of them lies. The staff at mount St.johns medical center front line workers need there salary . And also need protection nothing to perform duties
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