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August 19, 20216

The Antigua-Barbuda Cabinet invited Dr. Terri-Ann Joseph, the Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO/Ag.), to meet with the executive body in order to provide further clarification of the numbers appearing on the latest dashboard, to lend her superior knowledge and expertise to explaining how the nation has moved to such high levels and to make recommendations. The CMO/Ag. revealed that there are:

• 119 active cases, 56 male and 63 female;
• 7 of the cases range from ages 1 to 11 years;
• 4 of the cases range from 12 to 17 years;
• 108 cases range from 18 years to 87 years;
• 11 cases are imported, 82 are residents/locals, 26 are indeterminate;
• 61 cases are of persons un-vaccinated, 9 are partially vaccinated, 25 are fully vaccinated;
• 9 are too young to be vaccinated;
• 15 others cannot be determined.

The good doctor made a number of recommendations to Cabinet which were discussed. The Cabinet decided on the following, in order to curb further spread of the dangerous virus known as Covid-19:

a.Contact-tracing is to be intensified so that those who are unknowingly infected can be identified quickly and isolated, in order to prevent further spread;

b.All meetings and gatherings are limited to 10 persons, except for churches, the public market, restaurants. Those who do not have to go out are encouraged to stay at home. Everyone is encouraged to go to work and to stop any chain of infection at work by obeying the protocols which require the wearing of face masks indoors, sanitizing hands frequently, and not gathering in clusters.

c.All beaches are to remain closed on August 26, the National Holiday declared for the burial of Sir Lester Bird, from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm on that Thursday.

d.Exceptions to the “gathering limitations” are made for the State Funeral of August 26, except that only fully vaccinated persons will be allowed entry to the Stadium and the Public Cemetery; all protocols established will be then engaged — the three to six feet social distancing rule, the proper wearing of face masks, and the sanitizing of hands with frequency.

e.Targeted vaccinating is to be increased, such that those who work in places that engage the public or visiting tourists, may ask the Ministry of Health to send a mobile unit to their place of employment such that vaccination is made more convenient. The object is to vaccinate sufficient to reach herd immunity.