Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced a national curfew, which he says will be “strictly enforced,” as the country implements measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The curfew hours are between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for a period on two weeks starting, starting on Saturday.
Browne said that all non-essential services including bars, nightclubs and restaurants should also be closed from Saturday.
All social gatherings are also banned, he said.
Browne said the additional measures became necessary after residents failed to adhere to voluntary quarantine and physical distancing.
Browne warns that failure to comply will result in either a $5,000 fine or six months imprisonment.
He said there was anecdotal evidence of community spread of COVID-19, but that Antigua will be guided by the science.
The prime minister also clarified his statement yesterday that there were seven confirmed cases.
He said while it is true that there are four new cases, one of the earlier cases was a re-test bringing the number of positive cases to six and not seven.
