Tracking bracelets legislation goes to Parliament this week

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Two hundred tracking bracelets have arrived in the country and the government will go to Parliament this week to pass legislation which will pave the way for their use.

On Thursday during the Post Cabinet Press Briefing, it was confirmed that next Tuesday legislation for the bracelets, which will be used to monitor the movement of people placed in quarantine, will be debated and passed.

According to the dashboard sent out by the Ministry of Health dated December 1st 2020, 247 persons are in self-quarantine.

The bracelets are intended to ensure that people in the fourteen day quarantine remain in the location they agree to be restricted to. This is part of the government’s effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

It is also possible that the Parliament will pass legislation to address people arriving in Antigua and Barbuda without a negative COVID-19 PCR Test. These people will be fined, tested at the airport and quarantined at their own expense.

Several Caribbean countries have also implemented this measure. Minister of Information, Melford Nicholas, reported that technicians are making some final adjustments which will ensure that the bracelets work as intended.

Health officials are also being trained in the use of the bracelets, interpreting the information collected and implementing regulations. The implementation of a Command Center is also in the cards.

“The training is taking place even as we speak and when I leave here this morning I will be working with the technology team to make sure that that support that we offered the Ministry of Health in terms of building a command center will take place,” he added.

Nicholas is confident that this new initiative will improve security in respect of the spread of the coronavirus and the control of people in self-quarantine.

“We do anticipate that not only will the bracelets act as a security mechanism for the Ministry of Health, but it does improve the surveillance and the monitoring of persons who would be isolated simply because the bracelets are able to give a report back to the Ministry of Health officials of not only the temperature but also of the heartbeat conditions and if these two things were to change they would be able to respond in a quicker manner than they are currently doing at the moment,” he said.

According to Nicholas, the bracelets could be put to use as early as next week. It was also disclosed that an additional 300 bracelets will be acquired

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14 COMMENTS

  1. “There is no ‘gold standard’ test for COVID19 and a vaccine would not be possible for a virus not yet quantifiable.”

    Specifically, Dr. Qureshi points out that the PCR tests routinely used to detect the virus actually detect proteins, not viruses. They DO NOT detect any specific virus at all, but merely identify a general sequence of RNA common to all coronaviruses and also found in all humans – whether they are sick or healthy – infected with coronavirus or not!

    As such, it is very much conceivable from the science that there is no actual COVID19 pandemic; the deaths accounted to the pandemic may be as likely a result of the ‘lockdown’ measures themselves, double counting by unethical bureaucrats and self-serving fear-mongering misrepresentation by politicians.
    https://principia-scientific.com/neither-us-nor-uk-have-any-excess-deaths-from-covid19/

  2. Dont belive everything you see on tv, i am not hoping to see things get worse in Antigua but a virus that suppose to be so deadly and i am not seeing the same thing here it doesnt add up. It is quite possible that 99.99999 percent of the people that died from the virus had serious health complications and covid get 100 percent of the blame. There is alot of conspiracy theory with population control, alot of things dont make sense with what i am seeing and the world leaders are pretending to care about the population

  3. We in this country need to go and protest the use of these bracelets….why are we going to enslave our black brothers and sisters while the tourist run around free! Why must the locals be put in jail! Everywhere else you stay home for three days take a test and it is over. I am tired of Gaston and his state of emergency, there is something behind of this……wake up my brother and sisters let us protest………..we don’t want to be enslaved by this government….we have family coming for Christmas and the have to be tagged like dogs!

  4. Fetching waste of money. Money govt don’t have. He should pay the pensioners instead.

    What is the story with Yida? Has he been stopped from destroying the mangroves and the LEGALLY protected area?

    Why has the Chinese embassy built such a fortress by Marble Hill? Why has no citizen been informed of what’s truly being built there? Govt coverup has got to go. Since the govt is not working for We the People, We the People have to stand up for our rights and for our country.

    We give in the a govt regime, we give up our country and our livelihood.

  5. A. 130 to 200 passengers disembark per airplane. Clearly the bracelets will be given to ‘profiled’ people. How will the legislation be written? This needs debate as it needs to meet international law regarding human rights or lawsuits aplenty.

    B. Min of Info please state clearly by name WHICH ISLANDS LEGALLY FINE passengers who arrive without a negative rt-pcr test? Important we know, as it seems counter- intuitive in a tourism driven economy, where cabinet appears in thrall of lock-down breaking instagram influencers.
    C. IF the fine is applied, is it just for specific, profiled nationals, diaspora & residents? Or tourists too? Again, the danger of profiling raises it’s head.

    D. Will any of the above be enforced to private jet /yacht crew & passengers? To diplomats, ministers of govt, ministers families, VIPs, connected people?
    Again the issue of profiling raises it’s head.

    PLEASE the most equitable & science-based solution is
    TEST EVERY ARRIVING PERSON FROM ANY MODE OF TRANSPORT
    follow with mandatory 3-n quarantine in covid secure hotel
    Test again on fourth day
    Negative released to enjoy their homes / holidays
    Positive taken to govt quarantine at old air force base & tested again up to 14-days

    WHY THE RESISTANCE BY CABINET TO TESTING EVERY ARRIVING PERSON?

    • they don’t have the money to test, simple! Money spent on bracelets instead. Some Syria get the contact, maybe Cool and Smooth……Molwyn buddies!

  6. Please explain this crap to me. How you want give incoming travelers trackers to wear, is the economy so desperate for money. Moreover I hope none of your ministers of parliament plan to travel to the states or any other G8 countries cause I assure you none of them doing this crap especially in the United States.

  7. The increase in Corona cases and deaths is to scare the ones into begging for the vaccine.

    Watch out for some tricky psychological language.

    To prevent push back the vaccine will not be mandatory. However

    The ones will not be able to function normally unless you have roof of taking the vaccine.

    Prepare to get uncomfortable if you decide the vaccine is not for you

  8. We need new legislation to prevent institutions from making the COVID19 vaccine mandatory in order to do business with that institution.

    For example children cannot be in school until they get their SHOTS.

  9. Just saying…….
    I see tourists who are not hotel based out in the public just after arrival.

    I SAY NO MORE!

  10. Be ready to be enslaved again my brother and sisters! Where are our lawyers on this,,,,,Mr Tabor [lease comment!

  11. Born Antiguan I am thinking about the Bracelets legislation that the government proposes to introduce to track covid 19 patients. This will be a consequence of the serious health crisis presented by the covid pandemic and the implementation will fall under the state of emergency that exists. Under a state of emergency the Constitution gives the government the right to suspend a citizens fundamental rights. Having said all that, I do not think that the constitutionality of the imposition of the wearing of the bracelets could be successfully challenged. However, the state of emergency is not required to facilitate the implementation of the covid protocols. Enough is clearly becoming too much and the people in 2021 will have to take a stand on this ongoing state of emergency.

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