The Lower House of Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament voted unanimously yesterday to approve a resolution to end the State of Emergency (SoE) and its accompanying curfew.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne tabled the resolution to lift the curfew at 11:59 pm on December 23, which is four days earlier than it scheduled expiration.
The SoE was first implemented in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19 after the first infection was detected.
Browne stated his government was seeking to enter 2022 “boldly” while ensuring Antiguans and Barbudians, who have lost their source of income due to the pandemic, can return to some level of independence.
He urged islanders and visitors to Antigua and Barbuda to take personal responsibility and follow all of the safety measures, which include mask-wearing in public places, social distancing and frequent hand sanitisation.
“It cannot be seen now that it is the exclusive responsibility of the cabinet and those on the frontlines. We are saying now that we have entered a new dispensation in which each resident in the country has the responsibility to manage their COVID risk,” he said.
As a new omicron variant is spreading around the globe, Browne urged the more than 40 per cent of persons, who are eligible to be vaccinated, to do so since they are at greater risk of becoming infected.
Antigua and Barbuda has not confirmed a case of omicron but Browne noted that day will come sooner rather than later.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Senate will meet today to approve the resolution.
Data released last evening by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment revealed eight new infections in 245 samples processed.
This took the active infection figure to 33.
Hospitals in the country a free of COVID-19 patients.