Prime Minister Gaston Browne has just reported six more confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Antigua and Barbuda.
Writing on his personal Facebook page, the PM said the six new cases were from 14 more tests recently carried out. Three of them are said to be imported and the remaining three appear to be from community spread.
“Our community spread seems to be emanating primarily from returning nationals, including those who visited Montserrat for St Patrick’s Day,” he wrote.
“This is to caution our people to continue to respect the protocols of personal hygiene etiquette, social distancing, quarantining and isolation as appropriate,” Browne said.
The new cases take the country’s total confirmed cases to 15.
Earlier today, the PM warned the nation had not reached its peak regarding infections and warned that the current curfew “will continue for a longer period to protect lives”.
He said, “We must therefore develop a healthy routine of social distancing, to facilitate sustained limited routine business operations.
“The efficacy of this policy requires the continued cooperation of all, to avert a disruptive ‘close and shut’ policy and the instability that comes with it.”
He added, “Social distancing, curtailed movement and limited business operations for food, fuel, medicines, other critical supplies and services, will remain in place for several weeks, until it is safe to return to normalcy.”
To date, 40 people have been tested for Covid-19 in Antigua and Barbuda. Twenty of the tests were negative; the remaining five are pending.