Prime Minister Gaston Browne says returning nationals will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine on return to Antigua & Barbuda.
A number of citizens who have not been able to return home due to the closure of the country’s borders are expected to return home when international flights resume from June 4, 2020.
Browne told his radio programme over the weekend that “the returning nationals, they will be required to quarantine on a mandatory basis.”
He said this decision is based on the level on interaction that returnees will have with the local community.
“Because the risk of transmission to the domestic population is far greater and certainly the risk of community spread is greater with returning nationals because they are coming among us here to live,” the prime minister said.
He also confirmed that visitors to the country will not be required for quarantine for 14 days.
“For the guests if ideally we could have quarantine them for 14 days we would have, but if a guest is coming for 7 days it would be impossible to quarantine that guest for 14 days, that is not a practicable solution,” Browne told Pointe FM.
He also confirmed that a requirement to have tourist test negative for COVID-19 before boarding their flight to Antigua has been scrapped.
Instead Browne said thousands of rapid testing kits will be purchased for test on arrival.
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Does anyone know the name of the maker of the rapid test kits that will be purchased?
Fu__cry
So they can bring it and we must quarantine?
Nacional will quarantine at there home?
That’s what I want to know as well I have a Bby and going home in July so I don’t want me or my newborn to be exposed. I rather stay at home where am comfortable😫
Nationals vs visitors: who has COVID? We don’t know…suppose I’m a visiting national then what..I get a rapid test? Truth be told, only the hand of God can save us after we begin to reimport this virus. It’s also good to know visitors won’t mix with locals..what?! If visitor comes for 3 weeks then what? Are we prepared to handle a possible outbreak of the Kawasaki like symptoms in our children? Please rethink your decision in detail…the nationals will return and most likely very little tourist for a very long time. Good luck contact tracing
If the tourists will not be quarantined why should the nationals be quarantined the tourist will pass the disease just as the national will, that makes no sense
If I am born Antiguan with an Antiguan passport but residing in Florida for 12 years, with a green card, return to Antigua for a visit for a week. Will I be quarantined? Will I be considered a foreign national returning home? Because I do not live there but will just be planning a visit for a week?
I had a trip planned in August but do not want to come if I will be quarantined because of my Antiguan passport, when I no longer reside in Antigua and will only be visiting.
Also I will be staying with family. So are you quarantining people if they are not staying in a hotel. Please be very clear so people can make their decisions to visit.
No one can be caught up under quarantine when they have to return to work.
I need to know so I can make proper decisions with respect to my job.
There are major critics to the country opening up and the possible outbreak of more cases vs the continual “Close Borders”……..the authorities have a very touch job/decisions to make. On one hand the country needs to get back to some normalcy of revenue and at the same time protect the citizens from the outspread of any diseases. Let NOT politics and those abroad who run off their mouths with nothing to offer dictate for Our Bit Of Paradise. There has to be some level of balancing decisions and we as Antiguans & Barbudans should be working closely with authorities to move OUR country forward. First the authorities need to find out if there are tests available that can accurately deliver results in minutes and determine if a person is carrying/expose to the virus? Persons should be checked for the virus before boarding and not when one disembark same as global practice required persons traveling going through strict security before boarding after 911. There should be one standardized test for all whether you are returning from an extended trip abroad or a tourist/visitor. One of the easiest think that humans do great is criticize. Lets put our great minds together and help pull this country out of these dark days.
Basically these policies wipe out business trips which are usually for maximum 5 days. How can someone domicile in a hotel interact with banks and lawyers? The average Tourist interacts with far more persons than a single resident. Can you calculate the interactions say for Sandals? Receptionist, Bartenders, Waiters, Room Attendants…the threat of community spread is far greater because of the diversification.
If you come as a tourist living in one of the approved tourism enclaves, that’s fine. But returning nationals coming back to live with friends and relatives must be quarantined.
What if you live alone?
If u are an Antiguan who lives overseas but are coming to Antigua on vacation, staying with family, will you be quarantined?
So does the quarantine depends on where u are staying oppose to if you are visiting or returning to living in Antigua?
It sounds to me as if it’s where you are staying more than the purpose of your visit because if an American comes to Antigua but stays with family, it sounds like they will be quarantined ???
Doesn’t sound like this has been thought out well. As usual
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