Antigua and Barbuda

Action will be taken against officers for not wearing masks

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 11:10:01 +0000

Action will be taken against officers for not wearing masks admin Mon, 10/05/2020 - 11:10

Monday, October 5, 2020

Original Publisher

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Original Article

Action will be taken against officers for not wearing masks

Police officers who flout regulations regarding the wearing of face masks, could be penalised.

Police Commissioner Atlee Rodney hinted at this on Friday during a press conference when he said: “I hope it doesn’t reach the point where we will have to take action against our own officers, but that’s just the reality of it.”

There have been increasing reports from members of the public that some officers are not wearing masks while on duty – and those reports have led some to question if officers are exempt from the regulations.

In fact, images of uniformed officers without masks have been circulated on social media. One social media post claimed that one of the officers blatantly refused to put on a mask.

Rodney used the opportunity to urge officers to set an example.

“We will continue to adhere to the protocols that has been established by the Ministry of Health, and I will take this opportunity to, even in this forum, appeal to my officers to be an example,” he encouraged.

The top cop added that one positive test result could result in the shut down of the police force.

“We can see what this pandemic normally does, and if we have a situation where a police officer that worked in a very congested area tests positive it will affect our operation…we had an incident in the earlies where a member of the band was infected, and you could see the implications it had on members of the band,” he remarked.

The Commissioner therefore reiterated the force’s commitment to adhering to the protocols, given the continued threat posed by the virus both locally and worldwide.

“It is something that we are very much mindful of and we will continue to remind them because we know the seriousness of this pandemic, we can see the effect that it is having,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, in the same press conference, it was announced that members of the public who fail to wear masks, as well as those found participating in illegal social gatherings, will now be ticketed $500 by the police.

An amendment was made to the Official Gazette on August 27, 2020.

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Barbudan families facing eviction from temporary homes

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 13:00:02 +0000

Barbudan families facing eviction from temporary homes admin Mon, 08/31/2020 - 13:00

Monday, August 31, 2020

Original Publisher

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Original Article

Barbudan families facing eviction from temporary homes

By Theresa Goodwin

theresa.goodwin@antiguaobserver.com

Five Barbudan families, including young children, who have been living in refurbished shipping containers after Hurricane Irma destroyed their homes three years ago are facing eviction.

The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), in a letter dated August 26, said the containers have been reassigned to new owners – and the current occupants must discontinue their “unauthorised use” with immediate effect.

The letter said the new owners would be identifying their assigned containers shortly.

The affected residents, however, claim they were not directly notified and have been caught off guard.

NODS’ director Philmore Mullin confirmed that the containers had been assigned to homeless people and, as part of that arrangement, the beneficiaries must move them from their current spot adjacent to the community centre.

He also alleged that those currently occupying the containers had no authorisation to do so.

Mullin told Observer that the containers had been shipped to Barbuda shortly after the September 2017 disaster and were intended as temporary accommodation for workers, primarily those employed by APUA who were assisting with rehabilitation work.

He said that Barbuda Council members had been raising concerns about the unsanitary nature of the location they were placed in and, upon consultation with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, he was advised to assign them to persons in need.

“Immediately after things started stabilising some persons moved out and one family that occupied from Barbuda with my permission has since moved back to his home,” Mullin explained.

“My understanding, after the group of persons who were using them lawfully moved out, persons just up and decided they were going to occupy them. After a decision was made to give them out, then I heard people were occupying them without my permission. Those who were given letters were occupying and were not given permission to do so.”

APUA employee Kelvin Gordon is among those affected. He told Observer he had moved into a container legitimately but had now been ordered to leave via a text message which was shared with the mother of his child who occupies the temporary home with him.

“I find it very unprofessional; I don’t know what to say. We do not have anywhere else to go and they are putting us out,” Gordon said.

He said, prior to Hurricane Irma, he and his family had shared a home which lost its roof to the catastrophe.

Immediately after Irma, he returned with a few of his APUA colleagues to assist in the restoration of critical services.

The workers, he said, occupied the containers while on the sister island, based on indications from the authorities that their homes would be prioritised in the rebuilding process.

“I was supposed to be on the priority list and for some reason up to now nothing has been done to fix my home,” he claimed. “A lot of people who used to live in rent houses now have houses; I may have to return to the same house now which is not secure for my family,” the distraught man said.

Mullin said he would be reaching out to Gordon to speak to him about his individual case.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Barbuda Council said the containers should be relocated to a more suitable location where the occupants can be more comfortable.

Paul Nedd explained that Council members are concerned that they are in an area which is unsanitary, and had written to NODS and APUA offering their help in finding a more appropriate environment. However, both agencies would be responsible for installing water and electricity for the occupants.

He said he has received no reply to date and the containers remain where they are.

Nedd said the Council was doing all it could to safeguard the residents’ health and wellbeing.

“If you are going to ask people to move, they must have somewhere to move to. These families have nowhere else to go,” he added.
The post Barbudan families facing eviction from temporary homes appeared first on Antigua Observer Newspaper.

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Bank pushes procurement progress

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:30:01 +0000

Bank pushes procurement progress admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:30

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Original Publisher

Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Bank pushes procurement progress

As the latest step in the Caribbean Development Bank’s efforts to help Caribbean governments get better value for money, the bank has launched a new phase of its public procurement reform programme with a workshop in the Virgin Islands.

“Better expenditure management provides a foundation for building stronger and more inclusive economies,” CDB Head of Procurement Douglas Fraser said. “This can be achieved through robust public procurement that provides transparency and accountability by promoting civil society participation, stimulating private sector growth and investment, and encouraging wider improvements in governance.”

The CDB has held procurement workshops in the VI before, most recently in September and October of 2018. That session focused on educating public officers about general procurement principles, planning, red flags and ethics, and generally helping ensure that governments get good value for money, according to CDB representatives in the territory at the time.

That workshop came on the heels of two previous CDB opportunities in 2018: an August workshop for businesses interested in competing for public contracts and a procurement development session for public officers in April 2018.

This new stage of the procurement programme, launched this month and expected to last until mid-2024, will involve helping countries with completing outstanding legal and regulatory reforms, forming dedicated procurement institutions, developing standard procurement documents, and establishing electronic procurement systems, the bank stated.

According to a CDB spokeswoman, the phase kicked off with a six-day, 47-participant workshop in the VI from March 21-30. It focused on “training of procurement practitioners throughout the public service, including state-owned enterprises,” in concordance with the newly passed Public Procurement Act, she added.

Separate tailored sessions were provided to Cabinet, suppliers, the deputy governor and senior managers including permanent secretaries, and others, with a total of 150 people trained across all of the sessions, according to the spokeswoman.

Before the procurement reform started in 2018, CDB as sessments found that few countries had dedicated procurement, legal or regulatory frameworks, the press release stated. In addition, the bank added, existing systems relied on “outdated” financial and administration acts.

“Often appropriate institutional structures were not in place to undertake and oversee procurement and almost none of the public servants were dedicated to procurement, whilst those involved in procurement lacked suitable qualifications,” the bank wrote.

The bank has reason to be invested in procurement in the VI: It launched a $65.3 million reconstruction and rehabilitation loan project in the territory in April 2018, which is designed to fund various infrastructure efforts and capital projects, including the reconstruction of the new West End ferry terminal; the construction of a new Department of Disaster Management building; and the rehabilitation of schools.

Also in the past four years, the bank embarked on legal and regulatory reform in Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Dominica, Montserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Typically, public procurement can account for more than 10 to 15 percent of a country’s gross domestic product, but the amount can be considerably higher for small island developing states such as those in the Caribbean, where $8 to $11 billion is spent every year on public procurement,” the bank wrote. “Consequently, there is significant need for CDB to support its borrowing member countries’ development objectives in this area.”

OECS states

The CDB added that it has also advocated for all of the Organisation for Eastern Caribbean States members to join and participate in the Inter-American Government Procurement Network to share technical knowledge and best practices, with the result that “for the first time all the OECS procurement leads had a venue to meet and build technical relationships,” the bank stated.

The post Bank pushes procurement progress first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

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US hopes to seize VI-linked jets

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:00:01 +0000

US hopes to seize VI-linked jets

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:00

Monday, June 13, 2022

Original Publisher

Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

US hopes to seize VI-linked jets

A federal court in New York has authorised the United States government to seize two private jets collectively worth $410 million that are allegedly owned by a Russian oligarch and registered via “shell companies” in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere, according to an affidavit filed for a seizure warrant in court on Monday.

The planes — a $350 million customised Boeing 787-8 and a $60 million Gulfstream G650ER — are allegedly owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich through companies registered in the VI, Cyprus and Jersey.

The planes are currently located in the United Arab Emirates and Russia, respectively, according to the affidavit, signed by Special Agent Alan Fowler of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The application — which was filed under seal before being approved and unsealed on Monday — requested the seizure warrant for the airplanes for alleged violations of the Export Control Reform Act and the recent sanctions issued against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr. Abramovich is one of several oligarchs targeted by the West in recent months as part of attempts to isolate and weaken Russian President Vladimir Putin in return for the invasion.

The affidavit claimed Mr. Abramovich owned both airplanes through “a series of shell companies” — two registered in Cyprus, two in Jersey, and one in the VI.

The VI firm, Wenham Overseas Limited, was alleged to be the owner of the Boeing — “one of the world’s most expensive private airplanes,” according to the affidavit.

Luxury jets

The US alleged that in 2017, the Boeing was sold to Wenham for approximately $93,650,000 as a “green” aircraft, meaning without a finished interior. In 2018, it was allegedly flown from the US to Europe and customised into a luxury jet.

“In connection with the purchase transaction, Mr. Abramovich’s representatives disclosed during meetings that Mr. Abramovich was the ultimate beneficial owner of Wenham,” according to the application.

The application alleged that Clear Skies Flights Limited, owner of the Gulfstream, and Wenham are both wholly owned subsidiaries of Jersey-based Wotton Overseas Holdings, and that in turn, all of the shares of Wotton are owned by Cyprus-based Finservus (Trustees) Limited, a nominee for the Cyprus-based Europa Settlement Trust.

“I believe that Mr. Abramovich was the beneficiary of the Europa Trust,” Mr. Fowler wrote in the application.

On Monday, OffshoreAlert reported that Jersey’s corporate registry showed that both Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited and Clear Skies Flights Limited also originated in the VI, before being continued to Jersey in June 2017.

VI-linked yachts

The affidavit is not the first time that vessels linked to the VI-registered Wenham have been identified in recent months.

In April, the Financial Times reported that two luxury yachts worth a combined $60 million — Halo and Garcon — allegedly registered to Wenham had been located in Antigua and Barbuda. The Caribbean country announced at the time that it was willing to help the United Kingdom seize the yachts, but only if the UK sought such assistance via an international treaty.

Last week, however, the Antigua Observer reported that both yachts — which would normally depart the island well before hurricane season — were both still moored in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour.

Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US, told the Observer that the UK would have to make a mutual legal assistance treaty request in order for any action to be taken.

“We have heard nothing further from the UK authorities concerning an MLAT request,” Sir Ronald said in the June 1 Observer report.

He added that since all ports and harbours in the country have been forbidden from doing business with sanctioned entities, the yachts will remain in place for now.

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TALKING BUSINESS WITH US DELEGATION

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 11:00:02 +0000

TALKING BUSINESS WITH US DELEGATION

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 11:00

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Original Publisher

Barbados Advocate - News

Original Article

TALKING BUSINESS WITH US DELEGATION

Academy for Women Entrepreneurs implementers and graduates join Chairwoman Maxine Waters and members of the U.S. Congressional Delegation following the entrepreneurship roundtable discussion.

IMPLEMENTERS and graduates of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Antigua and Barbuda shared their business success and challenges with U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters and members of the U.S. Congressional Delegation both in- person and virtually at the Barbados Hilton on Thursday, April 21.
AWE Barbados implementer Cardell Fergusson of the Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT) explained, “AWE matches very well with what we do at BYBT. Year after year, we’ve taken lessons learned from training cohorts of about 30 women to provide them both in-class and personal development support to help them build out their ideas, to move from paper to implementation.”
Chairwoman Waters shared her own observations from her work in public service and business.
She said, “Of course, we encounter some of the same problems in the United States that women encounter all over the world – and that is lack of access to capital. When I became Chair of the Financial Services Committee, I created a Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to establishing the subcommittee, I led the effort to establish Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion at the Treasury Department and our financial regulators, and it was about what we do to create equal opportunity for women and minorities. And so I’m so very pleased to be here, as there is nothing better than a woman who has experienced success, and they’ve learned an awful lot, and then they’re able to share it with other women.”
AWE implementers Michelle Samuel in Saint Lucia and Janese Henderson in Antigua and Barbuda explained how their par- ticipation in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) entre- preneurship fellowship was a springboard to their own business success and their mentorship of others. Delegation Repre- sentative Joyce Beatty applauded Janese Henderson’s mention of her partnership with the ECDI Women’s Business Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Beatty’s home state.
Rhanda Williams, 2021 AWE valedictorian and founder of Momo’s Coco Loco Coconut Punch, ex- plained candidly, “We al- ways talk about women stepping up and women going places, but many of us still need the informa- tion that it takes to run a business. That’s why programmes like this are important. We won’t have sustainable businesses unless we have entrepre- neurship training.”
The group discussed identifying sources of funding, constructing sound financial plans, and selecting talented men- tors to move businesses forward during the hour- long exchange.
AWE participants Kimberley King, founder of Soul Fire Wellness Center, and Alisha Headley, owner of Suga x Li, also shared their experiences. King said, “Everyone has that self- doubt of ‘Can I really do this?’ I say, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’.”
The AWE programme is an initiative of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs which supports the growth of women entre- preneurs in more than 80 countries around the world, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, and Saint Lucia. The programme includes in person mentorship as well as an online training program with Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Management titled DreamBuilder.
Through AWE, the U.S. Embassy remains com- mitted to addressing the inequalities faced by fe- male entrepreneurs and empowering women to improve their entrepre- neurship skills and grow their businesses.

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CDB’s public procurement reform programme enters second phase

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 10:50:01 +0000

CDB’s public procurement reform programme enters second phase

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 10:50

Monday, April 18, 2022

Original Publisher

Barbados Advocate - Business

Original Article

CDB’s public procurement reform programme enters second phase

CDB’s Head of Procurement, Douglas Fraser.

THE Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has started a new phase of its public procurement reform programme, which is helping Eastern Caribbean countries to increase efficiency and effectiveness in govern- ment procurement.
The second stage of the programme, which will include finalising legal reforms and establishing electronic systems, kicked off with a 47-participant workshop, held recently in the Virgin Islands.
“Better expenditure management provides a foundation for building stronger and more inclusive economies. This can be achieved through ro- bust public procurement that provides transparency and accountability by promoting civil soci- ety participation, stimulating private sector growth and investment, and encouraging wider improvements in governance,” said CDB Head of Procurement, Douglas Fraser.
Before the procurement reform started in 2018, CDB-financed assessments showed that few countries had dedicated procurement legal or reg- ulatory frameworks. In ad- dition, existing systems re- lied on outdated financial and administration Acts. Often appropriate institu- tional structures were not in place to undertake and oversee procurement and almost none of the public servants were dedicated to procurement whilst those involved in procurement lacked suitable qualifica- tions.
Typically, public pro- curement can account for more than 10-15% of a country’s gross domestic product, but the amount can be considerably higher for small island developing states such as those in the Caribbean where US$8-11 billion is spent every year on public pro- curement. Consequently, there is significant need for CDB to support its Borrowing Member Countries’ development objectives in this area.
In the past four years, with support from the Bank, legal and regulatory reform took place in Antigua and Barbuda and the Virgin Islands, and is at an advanced stage in Anguilla, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Across the Member Countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), chief procurement officers and other senior procurement officials were appointed, often in newly created posts. Some 20 senior officials from across Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent received Diplomas in Procurement and Supply, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), through the Caribbean Procurement Training Programme, after long-term study.
CDB also actively advo- cated for all of the OECS countries to join and participate in the Inter- American Government Procurement Network to share technical knowledge and best practice, with the result that for first time all the OECS procurement leads had a venue to meet and build technical relationships.
The second phase of the procurement reform, estimated to last until mid- 2024, will involve the completion of the outstanding legal and regulatory reforms, the formation of dedicated procurement institutions in the countries, the development of stan- dard procurement documents and support for the introduction of electronic procurement to provide for greater transparency and efficiency.

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Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 01:00:01 +0000

Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 01:00

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Original Publisher

Community | NOW Grenada

Original Article

Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops

CVC is looking to build the capacity of CBOs in Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Grenada in CBT over the course of a 2-day workshop. Therefore, we are looking for 3 facilitators with experience in Community Based Tourism in each of the 3 pilot Islands able to stage the workshop. Please apply by Friday, 3 June 2022.

View the full post Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops on NOW Grenada.

Caribbean

Hector Drafted By Knight Riders Ahead Of Inaugural Women’s CPL

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:30:01 +0000

Hector Drafted By Knight Riders Ahead Of Inaugural Women’s CPL

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 07:30

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Original Article

Hector Drafted By Knight Riders Ahead Of Inaugural Women’s CPL

By Neto Baptiste

Antigua and Barbuda’s lone professional women’s cricketer, Shawnisha Hector, has been drafted by the Trinbago Knight Riders in the inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) later this year.

The all-rounder is part of an 11-member squad that will take part in the three-team competition that will be played during the men’s event inside the 2022 Hero CPL tournament window which will run from August 30 to September 30.

Hector, who is captain of the Leeward Islands Women’s Team taking part in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s 50 overs competition, is joined in the Knight Riders squad by Deandra Dottin (Captain), Anisa Mohammed, Lee Ann Kirby, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Sheneta Grimmond, Caneisha Isaac, Jannilla Glasgow and Steffie Soofrim.

The teams were drafted from a pool of players put together by CWI’s selection committee and the 33 cricketers picked represent the best talent from across the region with the squads full of experienced internationals as well as the next generation of female players.

Each team will also sign three overseas players bringing the total squad size to 14 and further bolstering the quality of cricketers on show in the new event.

Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews (C), Shakera Selman, Reniece Boyce, Mandy Mangru, Britney Cooper, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Japhina Joseph and Chinelle Henry.

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor (C), Shemaine Campbelle, Rashada Williams, Rachael Williams, Kaysia Schultz, Chedean Nation, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shamilia Connell, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi and Zaida James.

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International body dubs Privy Council ruling ‘devastating’ for Barbuda

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:30:01 +0000

International body dubs Privy Council ruling ‘devastating’ for Barbuda

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 07:30

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Original Article

International body dubs Privy Council ruling ‘devastating’ for Barbuda

By Kadeem Joseph

Kadeem.joseph@antiguaobserver.com

A human rights group is warning of “disastrous” consequences if there is a departure from the centuries-old system of communal land ownership on Barbuda, despite a recent Privy Council ruling paving the way for such.

The entity speaking out is the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which describes itself as a non-profit organisation striving for innovative legal actions across borders to challenge powerful actors involved in human rights violations and systemic injustice by working with affected communities.

On June 13, the Privy Council – the country’s final court of appeal – dismissed a challenge to the Paradise Found Act 2015, which sought to circumvent traditional communal land rights on the island to allow the eponymous resort development to go ahead.

GLAN contends that the Privy Council failed to address a legally recognised land tenure system that had existed since slavery and instead found that Barbudans’ land rights are limited to a right to apply for a grant of exclusive occupation or for grazing animals; whereas only exclusive proprietary rights and the rights of the Crown are protected under the constitution.

“Despite the recognition of ancestral and communal relationships with the land, the Privy Council adopted a Western-centric understanding of property that does not reflect the historical, social and cultural specificity of the island.

“The decision reinforces the idea that colonialism has never really ended on Barbuda, and that Barbudans are merely guests on the Crown’s land,” GLAN legal advisor on land rights Dr Tomaso Ferrando said.

Meanwhile, legal officer with GLAN Jasmine Rayée described the Privy Council’s ruling as “devastating” for Barbudans, with “potentially disastrous consequences” for the ecology of the sister isle.

“The Privy Council failed to recognise the importance of Barbudans collectively acting as stewards for their island, prioritising instead the interests of the central government in Antigua and foreign luxury tourism developers,” she said.

“This endangers the fragile ecology of this low-lying island in times of a heightened global climate crisis; US-based developers are already destroying mangrove vegetation and natural dunes on the coast within an internationally listed wetland,” she claimed, referring to areas protected under global treaty the Ramsar Convention.

In a press statement yesterday, GLAN said the Privy Council ruling opens the door for “further exploitation” of Barbuda by luxury developers.

The GLAN release came the same day that Cabinet spokesperson and Information Minister Melford Nicholas reassured Barbudans that there would be “no capricious selling off of the land in Barbuda”.

He explained that there will be a process of survey, mapping and demarcation of land on the sister isle that will form a composite land registry.

Nicholas said the government will adopt parts of a plan that was submitted at least five years ago and seeks to partition the island into six distinct areas to include housing, tourism, agriculture and a national park.

He also expressed the government’s happiness that the legal proceedings concerning the land matter have come to an end.

The minister also chided leader of the United Progressive Party Harold Lovell and Barbuda Member of Parliament Trevor Walker for giving the people of the sister island what he claimed was “false hope” that there are further avenues to be explored in the long-running land battle, instead of moving forward “in harmony”.

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No plans to remove Covid entry tests for unvaccinated visitors

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 06:40:01 +0000

No plans to remove Covid entry tests for unvaccinated visitors

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 06:40

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Original Article

No plans to remove Covid entry tests for unvaccinated visitors

By Carlena Knight

Carlena.knight@antiguaobserver.com

Unvaccinated people travelling to Antigua and Barbuda will continue to have to present a negative Covid-19 test result upon entry.

Information Minister Melford Nicholas reiterated the Cabinet’s stance on Thursday in response to a question at the post-Cabinet press briefing regarding whether government intended to follow the lead of the UK and US who have both removed Covid entry tests.

“We have not. We still maintain that if you are unvaccinated, you will still be required to be tested,” Nicholas said.

He went on to say that the high rate of tourists still coming into the country, and the current low number of hospitalisations, is proof that the policy is working and thus there is no need to change it.

“I think our policy is one that is holding up and there has certainly been no negative impact of the number of tourists arrived here.

“Even yesterday, the Minister of Tourism did indicate that the tourism season has been very lengthy this year. We have monitored our policies and kept our border entry policies in relation to Covid, we have kept an eye on our major industry, tourism. We think we have managed that and have the results to show,” Nicholas added.

Effective April 13 this year, all persons entering Antigua and Barbuda have been allowed to do so without showing proof of vaccination – a policy that was already in place for returning nationals.

However, unjabbed persons are required to show a negative Covid test, taken no more than four days before boarding their flight to Antigua.