Antigua and Barbuda

Country: Antigua and Barbuda 

Calling code: 1268

Capital: St John’s

Population: 86,295 population census 2011

St. John’s, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 (MIC) -

Future Outlook for 2023 

Now in the third quarter of 2022, the threat of contracting COVID-19 is becoming less worrisome but the disruptive impact of the pandemic is still far from over.

Considered now in its endemic stages, at its peak in 2020/2021 the virus killed 145 people in Antigua and Barbuda, according to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard dated August 24, 2022. The most recent death occurred on August 20,2022.

With an estimated $3 million spent on vaccines in 2021, the government is reapipping the rewards of that investment, and having fully inoculated more than 60% of its population, it has started to remove COVID restrictions. On August 25, 2022 the Cabinet decided to lift quarantine and testing restrictions for both vaccinated and unvaccinated air travellers.

Covid cases have also slowed, stabilizing now at an average of 50 active cases per week. Of particular interest is that these numbers follow Antigua’s Carnival celebrations in July/August 2022 after mask wearing became optional. Social distancing requirements of 6 feet, although still mandated by law, has seemed to have died out.

In 2020, Antigua and Barbuda’s GDP contracted by 16% compared with 2019, according to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which approved a loan of USD$25 million to support economic recovery from the COVID fallout.  The money was used to strengthen health emergency preparedness and response capacities, to bolster social safety nets for vulnerable citizens, and to enhance economic and fiscal frameworks for recovery after the pandemic.

In 2022, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) projects that the twin-island state will grow its Gross Domestic Product by 4.71 per cent. The International Monetary Fund (IMF projected that Antigua and Barbuda’s economy will expand by 7 per cent in 2022, while the government expects an 8 per cent growth rate. The growth will be led by an increase in tourism numbers and the government’s ability to know precisely when to lift COVID measures.

For example, in May 2020, it implemented a policy to not hire new public sector workers and to grant wage increases. That freeze on wages will continue since revenue collection is just now recovering. According to the Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Officer, Lionel Hurst, “Too much is owed to providers of goods, services and landlords. A decision was taken to keep the payroll constant. That remains fixed in order to keep one expense from increasing.”

The Future of Antigua’s Energy Sector

Energy is a significant contributor to inflation, as demonstrated by the rising oil and gas prices in the Caribbean region. These increases are fueled by many global factors, chief among them is an ongoing Ukraine-Russian war.

For the first time in more than 5 years, in March 2022, gas prices rose from USD$4.6 to USD$5.8 and USD$4.5 to USD$5.7 for diesel, after Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the government was no longer able to subsidize the price of petroleum.  Subsidies would cost the government between USD$740,740.74 million to USD$925,925.92 million a month. At that time the government was receiving no consumption tax based on that level of subsidy while prices had increased to almost US$146 per barrel for gas and USD$163 for diesel per barrel. Local petroleum prices would surge again in June to USD$6.5 for gas and USD$6.4 for diesel, before reducing by USD$0.34 cents and USD$0.17 cents respectively.

The West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) headquartered in Antigua is responsible for storing and selling oil products and petroleum to countries in the Eastern Caribbean.  Its Chief Executive Officer Gregory Georges said an in-progress expansion of its services is what kept the company afloat during most of the pandemic – performing well enough to fulfil its goal of becoming the first energy company to list on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange in July 2022.

Between 2023-2025, WIOC anticipates a return to 2018-2019 levels of operating income between, in line with forecasted economic growth projections from authoritative regional and international institutions such as the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC).

While its medium-term plan is to invest in renewable energy, WIOC, in the short term, has to contend with the fluctuating oil prices on the global market which to date continue to decrease. That decrease has not yet been felt in Antigua and Georges projects that several factors will continue to influence future pricing.

Never-the-less the company is projecting an increase in forecast net earnings and dividend payouts for 2022 to 2025:

Tourism – What about LIAT?

The liquidation of LIAT 1974 after June 2020, left a significant gap in air transportation options for people travelling in and out of Antigua. Hundreds of workers were severed from the airline and are still waiting to receive compensation for their years of service.

While the Antigua government accepted no legal liability for the collapse of the airline, on December 20, 2022 it offered workers 50 per cent of the monies owed to them in severance in the form of cash, bonds and made XCD$2millionUSD$740,740.74 available. But to date more than half of those monies remain unclaimed by approximately 150 employees who worked for the airline in Antigua.

Looking to the future, the government of Antigua wants to establish a new entity dubbed LIAT 2020 which is anticipated to play a major role in increasing air arrival number.

Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said LIAT play a big role in helping to sell Antigua and Barbuda as a destination.

 Court-appointed administrator, Cleveland Seaforth said the airline is currently considering a draft offer which will be followed by discussion.  The recruitment of staff has also begun along with application of minimum revenue guarantees. According to the administrator, LIAT 2020 is currently examining a draft offer, which will be followed by discussions. In addition, establishing two hubs for the newly-formed version of LIAT has been suggested along with plans for a West African-operated airline dubbed ‘Antigua Airways’ to work with the airline to fly passengers coming from West Africa to destinations near Antigua.

According to Fernandez so far 2022 is recording approximately 83 per cent of the arrival figures which were recorded in 2019 even with several challenges.

Is the Banking Sector Prepared for another Pandemic?

Meanwhile, Ladessa James, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Bankers Association said the sector is as prepared as its clients to face another pandemic, saying “we hope that the lessons learnt during the last two2 years will not be wasted. We implore clients to ensure they have consistent savings habits in place.”

According to Ms. James, “Whether it’s $10 or $1000 it’s vital that the same amount is put aside every month in anticipation of the next big event.”

The banking association represents all Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) regulated financial institutions including the Antigua Commercial Bank (ACB) Caribbean, CIBC FirstCaribbean, Caribbean Union Bank (CUB), Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (ECAB), Finance & Development Corporation and most recently Bank of Montserrat.  

Banks and other financial institutions are “open for business,” she said and given their continued strong liquidity and strong rebound in the tourism industry; credit remains readily available to suitable applicants.

For its part, the local banks will continue to develop new products and services to meet client needs, improve cybersecurity in tandem with its digital journey as well as improve staff training. She noted that with less restrictions against COVID, the first area to rebound in 2022, was personal loans. Banks, she said, are seeing “strong appetite” for mortgage loans and home financing where clients opted to renovate their kitchens, bathrooms and home offices.

“We noted during the pandemic a reduction in credit card usage with clients opting to use their debit cards and while consumer loans have rebounded vehicle financing remains below 2019 results. This however we believe is a function of low supply, noting the supply chain issues facing the vehicle dealers,” she further explained.

Even as the players move forward with optimism, Ms. James acknowledged that the pandemic significantly impacted revenue collection. When the financial institutions and the ECCB agreed on instituting a moratorium on principal and interest payments to clients who has cash flow issues, banks were unable to collect payments for loans for majority of its clients. However, that measure prevented client loans from falling into arrears and non-performing status. “Profits would have been significantly reduced during the pandemic and our provision for potential bad debts increased but our main focus was ensuring the survival of both our retail and corporate clients during the height of the crisis.”

“We were able to agree on an approach in record time and showed that monumental decisions did not require months to make,” she added. 

At the peak of the pandemic, Ms. James noted that banks witnessed a significant reduction in business applications, mainly the larger corporate clients with tourist and tourist related industries. But their first priority was ensuring the safety of staff and clients which necessitated changes to its branches and physical networks, increasing operating costs at the same time revenues were at an all-time low.

According to the association’s president, banks that had strong technological capabilities saw minimum impact on their operations, while those institutions which were not quite ready, accelerated their digital transformation and implemented technological changes years ahead of their strategic plans at significant costs. But the impact of investing in digital technology was appreciated, when client quickly began to accept those digital channels, justifying the investment with a significant number of clients moving to banking fully online. “Clients now bank in the comfort of their homes and over the counter transactions have decreased tremendously,” she noted.

“We believe that if we continue to focus on our client needs and provide the solutions to their current and future needs, we will remain viable and relevant. We will continue to invest in technology to ensure clients have the ability to perform all their banking transactions online from account opening, loan processing, money transfers, bill payments etc. We know that for some consumers especially our elderly that we will need to hold their hands and financial education and engagement are a key priority for us.”

 As it relates to the country’s ability to withstand yet another health crisis, Prime Minister and Finance Minister for Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne told MIC, “We are better prepared based on the improvements in the health infrastructure. We have the Infectious Disease Centre (IDC), the main hospital, a facility on Nugent Avenue, two field hospitals and over 200 back up storage”.

He also pointed out that there is also stem cell therapy and other medicines and vaccines to control pathogens.

Browne said there is a great management infrastructure in place to include increased expertise in the management of a pandemic.

“We have a large cadre of healthcare professionals trained in contract tracing, greater confidence in administering therapies professionally. Greater compliance with masks wearing and adhering to health protocols and a greater compliance to vaccination,” the prime minister.

Several improvements have also been pegged for the Health and Education sectors.

While most of the measures are now relaxed a concerted effort is being made to maintain handwashing hygiene and the use of facemasks in specific places as we brace for the effects of the monkeypox virus and other health emergencies.

Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph told MIC that the pandemic has undoubtedly placed a huge strain on the country’s health infrastructure, adding that going forward there will be a multi-pronged approach to addressing the healthcare needs of residents.

 The aim is to promote preventative measures while at the same time responding to routine emergencies.

Public Health Specialist Arvel Grant told MIC that he was deeply concerned that services for the elderly and others requiring continuous specialized care, at Community Health Centre or the lone hospital, had to be suspended.

 In some cases, services had to be suspended to accommodate the influx of COVID-19 patients needing treatment while some were just simply afraid to venture out of their homes to seek care.  Private healthcare was the order of the day for those who could have afforded this.

 Grant is also hopeful that facilities that were either retrofitted or constructed to accommodate patients affected by the virus, could be utilized to expand the country’s health offering.

On the financial side of things, he acknowledged that while some governments were able to provide resources to the vulnerable other critical expenditure was impacted.

He said this points to the need for the Caribbean to continue to strengthen their social safety nets to ensure they have stronger and more reliable welfare systems in place for the vulnerable and the capacity to implement strategic programs to address unemployment and insurance.

Children were also hard hit by school closures and the switch to remote learning. Many would have been placed at a disadvantage because of no or limited access to an electronic device to facilitate the e-learning platform despite the best efforts of education officials and others.

To make up for that shortfall remedial classes were held for students whom educators felt needed that extra assistance.

And, with two more weeks to go before the start of the 2022/2023 academic year Director of Education Clare Browne believes giving the logistics that are already in place to manage the pandemic his team is a bit more prepared.

As far as teachers are concerned the Education Director explained they are engaged in continuous training in how to administer lessons through the Google Classroom, hence they will be better prepared for the upcoming term to integrate technology into education.

 “We have recognized that education delivery has to take on a different form. Education delivery cannot be just solely a teacher in a classroom with a student. So, we have to approach education in a hybrid kind of way. We must be able to teach people remotely as well as in an in-person way and so the education system must take on that appearance,” Browne said.

The Agriculture Sector and COVID

 At the height of the pandemic, there was a concerted effort by government officials and members of the private sector to promote a buy local, eat local campaign that has been pushed by the Ministry of Agriculture for several years.

This along with the further promotion of backyard farmers was essential in the wake of a decline in imports from Dominica and other neighboring islands due to border closures.

Today that same level of interest has dwindled somewhat as the threat of the pandemic wanes.

Efforts to contact Agriculture Minister Samantha Marshall to get an in-depth overview about the future of the sector was unsuccessful.

However, two key officials within the sector are pointing out that millions more will have to be invested if Antigua and Barbuda intend to reduce its food import bill and improve the state of food security.

 Bradbury Browne, Head Technician and Irrigation Specialist with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute told local media in August that monies are needed to contend with several factors that stunt growth in the sector.

National Specialist for the InterAmerican Institute for  Cooperation on Agriculture Crag Thomas also agreed that private-public-private partnerships are key in raising those funds and developing the industry.

St. John’s, June 7, 2022 (MIC) -

As the local COVID-19 numbers continue to fluctuate Antigua and Barbuda has no immediate plans to return to the strict protocols that were implemented close to three years ago to curb the spread of the virus.

As the island prepares for the much-anticipated return of Antigua’s Carnival dubbed the Caribbean’s Greatest Summer Festival, health officials are instead preaching caution, citing that the pandemic is something the entire nation will have to learn to live with.

Information Minister Melford Nicholas alluded to this during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday 26th May 2022. 

Nicholas said collectively the Cabinet of Ministers are satisfied with the low hospitalization rate and therefore sees no need to reimplement any stringent measures at this time. 

Revelers may however have to prove their vaccination status in order to participate in Carnival activities this year. A decision has not yet been made regarding this.

Omicron and Delta remain the prevalent strain of COVID in Antigua and Barbuda. Towards the ending of April, COVID cases began to rise after months of single digit cases.

Every aspect of the island’s economy was impacted by the pandemic with the tourism economy receiving the hardest hit. Residents of the twin-island nation are also feeling the squeeze as the price of basic food commodities and fuel continues to increase.

Price Inflation – largest recorded since 2012

While the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages saw gradual increases after March 2020, the increase in energy prices is more recent. 

In March 2022, the price of gas and other fuel increased by 11.0 per cent and has maintained this percentage into May 2022.  A gallon diesel is $15.50 while gasoline is $15.70. All other components remained constant (20 lb. LPG cooking, and fuel variation rate).

It was the first increase since October 2020. This rise was due to the increase of fuel at the pumps.

The government stepped in to add taxi operators and fishermen to the list of workers that receive fuel subsidy of 25 per cent. Previously, only bus drivers received a discount on fuel. The move is to prevent the increase in oil prices from adversely affecting commuters.

For the years 2020 and 2021, the government discounted fuel variation charge by 10 per cent, accounting for $15.4 million each year. For the period April to December 2020, it subsidized the cost of utility for customers to the tune of $6.4 million.

The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) offered 10% discount to commercial customers for the period. For households, 10% for April and May, and 15% for June to December. This ended in December 2020.

As for food prices, in February 2022 the country’s All Items Food Index, rose 4.5%, representing the largest increase since February 2012, according to the Statistic Division’s Consumer Price Index. 

“The Food index rose 8.9% over the year with all nine food group indexes increasing. The index for Fruit increased 26.3% over the last year as both the indexes for Fresh and Chilled, and the index for Frozen, Preserved, or Processed Fruits increased 26.0% and 28.0% respectively.”

“The index for Meat and Meat Products rose 15.1% as all of its components increased except for Lamb, Mutton, and Goat which fell 4.4%. The index for Fish and Seafood increased by 7.8%. Other major food groups also rose over the year with increases ranging from 3.3% (Milk, Cheese, and Eggs) to 19.9% (Oils and Fats). “

 The Index for Alcoholic Beverage, Tobacco, and Narcotics also increased 10.1%

Since then, prices continue to increase steadily. The latest consumer price index dated 26, May, 2022 indicates that inflation rate increased by 7.2 per cent for April 2022 compared to the same time in April 2021.

“The Food and Non–Alcoholic Beverages Index increased 8.9%, representing a 22% share of the overall increase in the Consumer Price Index. The index for Food rose 9.0% with all nine sub-categories recording increases over the period.”

The Statistics Division reported that the indexes for Vegetables, Meats and Meats Products and Food Products N.E.C were the most impactful on the consumers’ food expenditure, rising 10.0%, 10.3%, and 11.8 respectively.

According to the document, the collective increases and decreases is attributed to the magnitude and direction of the inflation rate. 

Education and other critical sectors 

The cost of the COVID-19 pandemic is in the millions for Antigua and Barbuda.

Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Whitfield Harris Jr. estimates that the government used XCD$21 million of its own money, supporting COVID recovery in 2020. 

This includes about $11 million for an Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC) and work to remodel the National Technical Training Centre (NTTC) for use as a medical facility. The medical facility has yet to be utilized since the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) and the Infectious Disease Centre have shown its capacity to handle the number of covid patients who have been hospitalized and/or isolated since the first case was identified in March 2020. 

About $5 million was used as an allowance to remunerate nurses, frontline workers, and substitute teachers who were engaged full-time during 2021. An additional 100 teachers were engaged full-time from 2022 at a cost of $4 million. 

Another $3 million was spent purchasing vaccines in 2021.

The government had the task of finding financing internally all while continuing its social programmes, which according to the Financial Secretary totalled $80 million between 2020 and 2021.

In addition, persons negatively impacted by COVID-19 had access to the government's Emergency Food Assistance Programme which started in April 2020 and food vouchers provided under the Government Assistance Programme (GAP) which was launched in the third quarter of 2020.

"There were 52,700 food packages distributed in 2020 and 23,700 in 2021; 7,600 persons received food vouchers in 2020 and 5,500 in 2021," Harris Jr explained. 

"Other social programmes such as the Peoples Benefit Programme and the Senior Citizens Utilities Subsidy Programme both executed at an average annual cost of $13 million by the government-owned company PDVCAB which existed prior to 2020.

He said the programmes will continue in 2022.

Outside of vaccines donated by friendly governments like the United States, United Kingdom, China and India, no outside agencies provided monetary support for COVID care. 

So, the government reallocated funds from other sectors to finance the health, education and social sectors which are said to have received the most funding during the pandemic period. 

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) were the primary sources of funding for the government during the pandemic. The government accessed US$25 million policy-based loan from the CDB in September 2021. 

The IDB provided a US $4.7 million facility to support economic activity post-COVID and a $1 million to support the Ministry of Education. 

Some of the monies secured from the IDB will be used to close the digital divide among students, who, for the better part of two years have been learning remotely. 

The Entertainment Sector:

For the first time in three years, Antigua and Barbuda will host its Carnival dubbed the Greatest Summer Festival.

On May 12th, the opening of Carnival was launched under the theme “Experience Greatness – Again!”. It was followed by an official launch on May 19th. 

The scaled-down event excludes many staple events like the Queen Show and Soca Monarch.

While road bands are expected to form part of the festivities, already at least one of the major bands has pulled out.

Myst announced in the third week of May that it would be unable to participate in Carnival Monday and Tuesday and would be limiting its offerings to participation in the T-Shirt Mas.

The mas band cited a shortage of materials, huge price increases and uncertainty in shipping and delivery times due to the COVID pandemic.

The National Panorama Competition was also placed back on the lineup in late May after members of the pan fraternity indicated that it will be axed from the festival.  The government has intervened and has committed to providing whatever resources that will be needed to Steelband members.

Calypsonians, Soca Artiste and others are also busy releasing new music and new materials ahead of the start of Carnival which will run from July 27th to August 2nd, 2022.

Meanwhile, a number of gyms and entertainment businesses like bars and clubs have closed while a few have opened since March 2020

The owner of Jolly Harbour Gym Donny Roseau, which is located on the southern side of the island, told MIC while membership levels have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, he has managed to stay open.

He said in order to increase membership the company has introduced special packages inclusive of a personal trainer.

“We have a three-month special where we charge EC$150 or US for the first month, $150 for the second month and the third month completely free. After that, you pay $100 per month. What that does, it encourages people to get the benefit after three months and if they stay in the gym consistently for three months they get in shape,” Roseau said.

Other facilities on the island have increased the cost of membership to benefit from the influx of people who are usually looking to train ahead of carnival.

Of the 29 Active Fitness Centres registered with the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB), 1 was opened after March 2020.

There were 2 reported and confirmed Fitness Centres’ closures after March 2020.

A similar situation is occurring in the restaurant and hospitality sectors where officials are working to increase business activity following the lifting of the mandates.

Alex Grimley of Catherine’s Café and Sheer Rocks said business has been good so far in terms of patrons as people are becoming more comfortable.

As it relates to the hotel sector, Executive Chair of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association Vernon Jeffers Snr explained while things have opened up hotels in Antigua and Barbuda continue to enforce strict protocols for the safety of guests and staff alike.

“We are still adhering to the handwashing protocols, social distancing and other measures, while things have opened up we have not taken our eyes off the ball,” Jeffers Snr said.

Entertainment Businesses

A total of 184 entities have registered with the ABSSB under the category of Art, Entertainment and Recreation.  Of that total, social security reports that only 52 are currently active, 5 of which were opened after March 2020.

There were 5 reported and confirmed closures of Entertainment Businesses after March 2020.

Bars

There is a recorded 86 Active Bars currently operational in the country, of which 10 opened after March 2020.

For the same period, the database registered a total of 10 bar closures.

As the country continues to rebound and return to a state of normalcy, the government is hopeful that hospitalization will remain low and that residents will take personal responsibility for their health by practising similar measures.

St. John’s, February 21, 2022 (MIC) -

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the healthcare system in Antigua and Barbuda and other parts of the world magnifying weakness which should be addressed to prepare for other health emergencies. 

The first case was recorded on March 10, 2020, sending the entire country into a tailspin. Two years on, health authorities are still struggling to balance caring for patients who are affected by the virus while dealing with the regular demands on the healthcare system.

The level of care offered to patients with diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases were also compromised due to the stress that was placed on the fragile system. The country’s lone hospital was also forced to restrict services and visitation to handle the demands and maintain the safety of its staff.

Health Minister Sir Molywn Joseph admitted that the challenges were compounded but the greatest one came when doctors and nurses, who are caring for patients were also falling ill.

The shortage of manpower remains a challenge now that health authorities are looking to reinstitute certain critical services at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre. 

Pressures on the hospital….

At different intervals, the hospital facility operated almost at full capacity with limited bed space to care for people who are suffering from other ailments.

The Pediatric Department

How has covid affected child mortality rate?

The year 2021 saw an increase in children becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Covid-19 cases among children in Antigua and Barbuda rose from nine in 2020 to fourteen in 2021.

The child mortality rate directly related to the virus also increased from a low of zero per cent in 2020 to 14.3 per cent in 2021 

The Pediatric Department at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre is the unit responsible for the care of children from birth to the age of 16-years-old. Dr Shivon Belle-Jarvis is a Consultant Paediatrician and the Head of that Department recapped the first deaths of an infant and adolescent.

She said that both children were admitted to the hospital when their cases were severe which meant that they required “mechanical ventilators for respiratory support”. 

Meanwhile, yearly admissions were halved during the year 2020 and 2021 when compared to pre-Covid figures. In 2019 there was a dengue outbreak which accounted for the number of cases recorded.

How does the Paediatric Unit handle Covid care?

According to Bell-Jarvis, Children shocked were shocked upon receiving news that they had contracted the coronavirus, fearing that they may die as a result

“What we found is that when they came [to the hospital], some of them were very careful especially if we did make a diagnosis of Covid-19 it was as though some children were shell shocked. They’re thinking more of a death sentence because of what they see on TV, because of what they hear in society so we had to really console many patients and parents when we formally confirmed COVID-19”. 

So, in addition to attending to the emotional needs of their patients, the hospital was all the while taking informed steps to reduce the number of infected persons that could possibly enter the facility.

Hand washing and sanitization stations are setup at the entrance of the hospital and strategic locations within the building. 

Before being admitted, all patients are to be tested for covid and appropriate isolation has to be identified to keep them if their results returned positive.

As a means of additional protection, all children infected last year, were moved to either the fourth floor of the hospital, or to either one of two isolation rooms inside the Paediatric Ward or they were transported to the Infectious Disease Centre (IDCF), which is about three minutes away from the hospital by motor vehicle. 

Children who presented mild to moderate symptoms were admitted to the Paediatric Ward or the 4th floor for more direct contact while patients with more severe symptoms would be kept on the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

Asymptomatic patients, including incidental cases i.e., a child who came in with a broken leg but was identified as covid positive following the admissions test, or patients who were unable to isolate at home, are kept at the IDC. A parent or guardian would have to monitor that child at all times.

In other instances, if a baby was covid-positive (inclusive of premature infants), the infant would be placed with their mother on the Maternity Ward once the mother was well. She would be provided with the necessary support and equipment to help care for her baby. 

On the other hand, parents who were placed in the adult ICU were unable to visit their infants. 

In an attempt to remedy this challenge, the department introduced video chats from patient to parent and would call parents to give regular updates on their child’s condition. 

“We had to become creative and sort out strategize,” she replied, when asked about lack of resources to care for patients in the midst of the pandemic. 

Keeping up with this initiative however had its challenges given the limited nurses on staff at any given time.

During the waves of Covid, the department also had to curtail certain out-patient services, meaning that patients with chronic illnesses like hypertension and asthma were unable to have their usual appointments since these kinds of services were repetitively being reduced as covid cases peaked.

Information obtained for this report, shows that some outpatient clinics and lab services were suspended roughly every quarter.

As a result, children and adults were not properly being cared for medically.

According to Belle-Jarvis, the fear of becoming infected with Covid-19, may have deterred parents from taking their children to the district clinics for medical attention.

Strict guidelines were also setup for visitation at the hospital which meant that visitors would be screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms through temperature /sanitizer stations located at every entrance and exit of the building, and they would not be able to stay if they didn’t. all visitors have to access the hospital through the main entrance to ensure that these rules were adhered to.

At the turn of the new year, from January 10, 2022, ALL elective and non-essential services at the hospital were suspended. That suspension was only lifted on February 11, 2022.

At one point during the ongoing pandemic, the hospital stopped visitation altogether which meant that only one parent could visit their infant child at the Paediatric Unit. The duration of visitation was reduced from 12 hours pre-Covid to only half an hour to one hour. 

And because healthcare workers themselves became infected with the coronavirus, it meant that there were less hands on deck to give the kind of attention that would have eased the minds of parents and children.

It also meant that the department would have to come up with ways to ensure that children not admitted to the hospital but needed attention, had access to the medication they needed.

To prevent non-emergency out-patients from going without their medication, the department would contact parents to inform them of when a refill became due and would leave the medication at the front desk in an envelope for pick up.

"In that way even though they may not have had that one-on-one contact that we may desire, at least they would not be without medication," Belle-Jarvis remarked.

And perhaps something just as important as medication is nutrition. In some cases, there was little to no healthy foods to eat and in other cases there was too much. It is an area that has fallen behind in the wake of the pandemic. 

How has staff been coping?

For nurses, doctors and other healthcare practitioners, performing those extra duties led to exhaustion - having to stretch their effort between emergencies, Covid-care and patients who required around the clock care.

Because covid in children remained low in 2020, the Paediatric Department had not been overwhelmed, according to Belle-Jarvis, “however, 2021 told a different story”. 

Now, in the face of the delta variant and more recently omicron, the lead doctor said some staff members have become ill because of “covid and non-covid related illnesses” which causes the department to become short staffed from time to time.

“Of course, because other areas also would have been impacted by covid, we would have had staff members who would have had to be shifted to other areas. So, there was a lot of burn out so we had to optimize the services delivered utilizing the staff that was available”.

The government wanted to remedy the shortage of nurses early on. They have partnered with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to train a cohort of local nurses and also sought assistance from Cuba to provide more healthcare professionals.

President of the Antigua and Barbuda Nurses Association (ABNA), Soria Dupie-Winston told Antigua Observer that many nurses were also migrating to find better opportunities outside the twin island state.

Many nurses feel that their work and sacrifice during the pandemic is not being appreciated or properly compensated. 

So, around this time last year, (in February) some of them were refusing to take the AstraZeneca vaccine because its efficacy rate was lower than another vaccine. 

That same month they threatened to take industrial action over inadequate staffing, a perceived lack of concern for their welfare and insufficient remuneration based on a promise of $1,000 honorarium to care for covid patients – a promise that was made by the government.

In addition to working to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus, the government also had to dig deep to come up with resources to cover the cost of vaccines to provide added protection against the highly contagious disease.

According to the Health Minister Antigua and Barbuda is consisted a high-income country and therefore does not qualify for certain grants.

Moving forward.

The minister acknowledged that the virus has truly exposed the vulnerabilities within the healthcare systems, not only in Antigua and Barbuda but, the entire world.

He said moving forward will require strategic thinking and planning to strengthen the capacity of the healthcare system to respond swiftly and effectively to COVID-19 and any other contagion that could possibly emerge in the future.

The includes the development of added facilities outside of the main hospital to improve infrastructure and also a heightened level of awareness as the ministry intensifies its campaign to promote health and wellness. 

Going forward health authorities will be leading an aggressive public awareness campaign to promote preventative care in a bid to get nationals to take their health serious and do their best to maintain a better lifestyle.

St. John’s, December 15, 2021 (MIC) -

Pandemic Magnifies Inequities in Antigua & Barbuda

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to magnify many inequities within the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda. The status of education and its impact on children has been highlighted most recently as its societal effects are becoming evident.

Educators, from pre-school to tertiary are now raising the alarm about the “huge learning loss” brought on by the frequent disruptions in the school year and the long-term impact it will have on school students.

With a few more weeks left before the end of the second term of the academic year educators and the Ministry of Education, officials are trying to work to find strategies to mitigate the problem.

An educator at the pre-school level told MIC that her graduating classes over the past year and a half include students who were not fully prepared to take on Kindergarten as missed out on a lot that was not covered in the curriculum.

Some of the 2- to 4-year-old who are now returning to school are also crying for the simplest of things which leaves her to wonder about some of the environments “these gentle souls were placed in while their parents had to work.

The educator was supported by the Education Officer in charge of Early Childhood Education in Antigua and Barbuda Embler Spencer.

She opined that most preschoolers are now graduating with very little exposure to Early Childhood Education and most and moving from kindergarten to Grade 1 without the necessary skill sets that other were exposed to before the pandemic.

It is for this reason that within recent months, the department pushed for preschoolers and children in the Daycare setting to be allowed to return to their usually familiar environment.

Similar observations have been made at the primary school level. According to one headmaster “children from Grades 1 to 3 have seemingly forgotten how to hold a pencil, and some are unable to interact with teachers, and have forgotten how to interact with their peers and are not speaking up.”

Over the last year, students were forced to transition from in-person learning to sitting around a computer, tablet or other electronic devices; or collecting prepared packages and submitting them at the end of each week. Children in Antigua Barbuda and other parts of the world have been forced to adopt to the new normal in order to continue their education.

When the number of cases dropped in late October and a number of rules were relaxed, parents were also forced to make the hard choice of either keeping children 12 years and older at home or allowing them to get inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine, allowing them the opportunity to return to face-to-face lessons.

The government backpedaled on that decision by mid-November when the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda announced that both vaccinated and unvaccinated students in public and private schools will be allowed to return to face-to-face learning as of Monday 22nd November 2021.

Cabinet Spokesperson Melford Nicholas explained that more than 80 per cent of students that are eligible had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“So far, we are tracking that, of an approximate population of about 7,200 eligible students in the secondary school system, more than 6,200 of them have already been vaccinated or have at least taken their first dose,” the Minister said.

Prior to this, educators were utilizing a blended approach of limited in-person and remote learning which many of them from the primary to tertiary level have identified as a major challenge.

Director of Education Clare Browne made this point clear when he told MIC that the greatest challenge continues to be ensuring that officials are able to deliver consistent quality education in a pandemic.

To make up for the shortfall and fill some of the gaps in learning, the ministry implemented a summer school program for students within the primary setting. The Director of Education said this will be continued through the holiday period.

Ministry of Education officials have also worked to provide tablets and other devices for children who are without and are therefore disadvantaged in a remote learning environment. Despite the frequent closures the National School Meals programme, a social programme, has continued to function providing daily meals for students who do not have the means.

At present, primary school children are back into schools, albeit on a rotation basis, while secondary school students and those at the tertiary level have returned to full face-to-face classes depending on the capacity of the respective education facilities to accommodate them while still maintaining the necessary protocols.

As the government looks to end the current State of Emergency (SOE) which will result in a relaxation of some the rules, education officials are hoping this will lead to a full return to school for children of all ages to have a better grasp of the challenges which confronts them. 

Clinical and child psychologist,Regina Aparici, acknowledged that while regression tends to happen among children of all ages and is considered normal, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic parents should seek intervention if it is prolonged to the point where it is affecting the child’s ability to function normally.

“Regression can come about due to emotional distress of some kind or trauma which causes the children to revert to an earlier stage in their development.”

Aparicio advises parents who may be experiencing this, to speak to the child about their concern in a language they would be able to understand and explain to get them to open up about how they feel.

For children who may be overly anxious, parents should speak to them in a calm and reassuring manner to counter to the anxiety they are showing.

Another tip for parents is to allow children to engage in activities they enjoy, incorporating what they may be missing outside the school environment into their normal routine.

She explained that if the child is not improving at home the next step would be for the  parent to contact a professional who may be able to outline a tailored approach for that child.

St. John’s, October 21, 2021 (MIC) -

An August 23, 2021 article posted by the World Bank stated than an increasing number of countries are facing growing levels of acute food security, reversing years of development gains.

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic there was a reduction in incomes and disruption in the supply chain due to natural hazards and other contributing factors.

For Antigua and Barbuda, a twin island state with a population size of 100,000 which largely depends on imports, things are no different. 

Information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Barbuda Affairs suggests that the country’s food import bill is over EC$300,000,000 or US$110,280,000 and the consumption of meat and meat products accounts for over EC$30,000,000 or US$ 11,028.00 of which poultry has the highest share where imports average 10,000,000 pounds per year at costs of over EC$21,000,000 or US$ 7,719.60.

IMPORTS

Antigua and Barbuda, as some other islands, are dependent on the shipping of vital supplies and is considered a net importer of goods and services. The primary exports include petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals, machinery and chemicals and oil. Its main trading partners include the US, the UK, Canada and Other CARICOM countries.

Food and Nutrition Security

In reviewing the available governments reports and policy, the only available data was in the  2012 Food and Nutrition Security Policy for Antigua and Barbuda which revealed that while food is available to meet the demand of the population, the country faces an under supply of staples, vegetables and legume and an over supply of energy from food from animals, oils/fats and sweeteners.

It was also noted that that the constraints to food availability include low productivity, short term land tenures, inadequate water supply, difficulty for farmers to access credit, loss of lands to housing and construction, lack of storage facilities, high labour and energy cost and persistent praedial larceny.

With respect to food accessibility this is affected by high food prices, the level of poverty constrains in households.

The increase in food prices is evident in the Consumer Price Index which is released on a monthly basis. The report ending August 2021 showed a 3 percent increase in all major food items.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the sector.

For years successive Ministers of Agriculture have spearheaded and sought funding for several projects to increase local food production to ensure farmers are able to meet the local demand. They have also appealed to residents to support the local farmers as much as possible to drive down the cost of imported items.

Farmers have also complained that while the country is self-sufficient in a number of food items, the major supermarket chains are allowed to import container loads of items thus reducing the options to market what they have.

Agriculture Minister  for Antigua and Barbuda, Samantha Marshall, told the Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) that the pandemic has given the ministry the ability to have a different look on the sector to see where the weaknesses lie and which areas which needs to be strengthened.

She said the first issue was looking at alternatives methods of farming to make up for key ingredients that were not available locally because of lockdowns worldwide and the impact of imports.

Another issue was wastage due to the lack of proper storage.

“The downside, because this happened so suddenly, and with the closure of the hotels, our sector was not prepared to ensure that we could had proper storage or added value to some of the produce,” Marshall said.

Chief Extension Officer Owalabi Elabanjo agreed with some of the points put forward by the minister. He also pointed out that most farmers do not consider the industry as a business and therefore refuse to make the necessary investments to improve their businesses.

With the various challenges faced over the past two years the Ministry of Agriculture has since partnered with the Ministries of Environment and Trade to work to implement certain measures to ensure that farmers are able to access raw materials need for production thus reducing the impact on consumers who are now paying more for basic food items. MIC will continue to report on the development of the intended initiatives. 

St. John’s, July 31, 2021 (MIC) -

Some members of the public sector see the implementation of rigid measures as designed to hit public sector workers and others in the pocket and say that this is what the government of Antigua and Barbuda has resorted to in order to combat a slow response to the national vaccination programme that was rolled out in February.

Forcing unvaccinated frontline public sector workers to pay twice monthly to test for the COVID-19 virus or stay home unpaid is the last move that was announced on July 22nd, 2021. The new get-tough stance affects a wide cross section of workers from immigration and custom to port health staff including, medics, police, defence force staff and emergency personnel.

The policy for public servants followed a similar mandate that was implemented for people who work within the cruise tourism sector, they too, were warned they would be required to take regular test at their own expense in lieu of getting vaccinated.

All this follows an earlier warning by Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the local media on Saturday July 17th, 2021 that the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda was planning to make a decision on the matter.

The warning by the Prime Minister preceded a similar statement by Information Minister Melford Nicholas who outrightly called out members of the public for their “stubbornness”, following the work the government did to secure a significant number of vaccines to protect the population.

Despite the availability of the Oxford AstraZeneca, the Sputnik V and the Sinopharm from China, Nicholas warned that this stubbornness could be regretted, with one of the most dangerous variants of the virus looming.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Health on July 23rd shows that 37,555 people have received a first vaccine dose while 30,292 have received a second.

The get-tough stance comes as the government balances the health of the nation against the recent gains of the tourism section and the economy coupled with the confirmation about the presence of the variant strains of the virus, the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants.

Despite the slow pace of vaccination and the closure of some of the public vaccination sites, Antigua and Barbuda’s Health Minister, Molwyn Joseph, is optimistic that a significant amount of the population will be vaccinated by the end of August.

Online References:

1. Antigua and Barbuda received the first 24,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility on 8th April. https://www.paho.org/en/news/8-4-2021-antigua-and-barbuda-receives-first-covid-19-vaccines-through-covax-facility

2. 24,000 doses first shipment of vaccines through the COVAX facility April 8th. https://www.paho.org/en/news/8-4-2021-antigua-and-barbuda-receives-first-covid-19-vaccines-through-covax-facility.

3. 5,000 doses of AZ vaccine as part of goodwill from Dominica.

4. 40,000 doses of AstraZeneca or COVID shield from the Serum Institute of India February 12th, 2021. https://antiguaobserver.com/indias-gift-of-covid-vaccines-could-reach-ab-within-a-fortnight/

5. UK donates 12,000 vaccines to Antigua and Barbuda July 29th, 2021. https://antiguaobserver.com/uk-to-donate-12000-vaccines-to-antigua-and-barbuda/

6. One thousand doses of the Sputnik V from the Russian Federation April 10th, 2021. https://abstvradio.com/1000-doses-of-sputnik-v-vaccines-arrive-in-antigua/

Twenty thousand doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine arrived on Thursday July 15th, 2021.https://dev.antiguaobserver.com/country-receives-20k-doses-of-chinese-sinopharm-vaccine/

St. John’s, MAY 31, 2021 (MIC) -

A $50 gas and food vouchers from select local businesses are some of the incentives the government of Antigua and Barbuda has adopted, over the past few months, in order to encourage young people and others who are yet to receive the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine that is currently being administered on the island.

 Prime Minister Gaston Browne has also used every occasion at the mic to warn of the possibility of imposing a mandatory vaccination programme in response to a growing list of anti-vaxxers who have been encouraging nationals not to take the vaccine. He has also warned that if herd immunity is not achieved it would result in dire consequences for twin island states. However, many within the population have been voicing their opposition to that position insisting on their right to choose.

 The loudest resistance has come from Naturopathic Doctors who continue to promote a healthy way of life and the Rastafarian community who are exempted due to what the Prime Minister has described as their known objection to any forms of vaccines.

 “It’s not right in the name of God. There are so many different vaccines out there from so many different companies and they want to just shove it down our throats like if we don’t have no say about our own lives; they making decisions for us. We are saying it is not right … we are in disagreement with the whole principle of the vaccine situation. Tell the World Health Organization me say we not taking none. I am against it. We are not for it and not for them trying to force us to do things,” Ras Osagyefo shared with the local media.

 While the government is yet to state clearly whether or not vaccination will be mandated it appears that some sectors in the country, particularly the hospitality sector, have already made that decision for workers who are preparing for the rebound of the tourism sector.

 Earlier this month, Executive Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association Vernon A Jeffers Snr made it clear that people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be considered if they apply for employment at some hotels.

 He told local media that was among a series of difficult decisions which have had to be taken to set the industry back on track.

 The increase in vaccine hesitancy has also affected the national inoculation programme. The last report filed by the Ministry of Health showed. As of Sunday, 30th May a total, 33,229 persons have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 15,531 have received the second dose.

 The numbers picked up somewhat by mid-April following the launch of a mobile vaccination unit which has set up in different communities to give people, who are unable to travel to established sites, an opportunity to access the vaccine.

 Health Minister for Antigua and Barbuda Sir Molwyn Joseph have also warned, during a stated media interview on May 27, that the month of June would be very crucial for the national programme indicating that about 20,000 doses of the vaccines that are in stock will have to be utilised before the end of the month  as they are set to expire by June 27th

 He stressed that if there is spoilage the government would have a very hard time convincing the international community to donate more vaccines.

 “All the doses we have on hand on hand now will expire between the 27th and 30th of June. So, next month is a critical month for us and it is important for people to go to the centres to get either their first or second doses”, the Health Minister said.

The health minister also explained that within the first weeks of June Antigua and Barbuda will receive a few doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine in addition to 16,600 doses of the Astra Zeneca through the COVAX facility.

Antigua and Barbuda’s vaccination schedule for the next few days:

St. John’s, March 31, 2021 (MIC) -

March 13th 2021 marked a year since Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne used a televised address to announce the country’s first case of the  coronavirus sending shockwaves throughout the country.

At that time, the scientific community was still making new discoveries about the virus which was spreading rapidly across the globe.

 The fight against pandemic has also proven to be a marathon rather than a sprint and the fatigue brought on by a year of physical distancing and limited social interactions has perhaps made residents who are used to fun and frolic and the warmth of being a close-knit society weary.

 It has also left its fingerprints on education and every other sectors of the economy. A year later thankfully, despite the anxieties surrounding the virus, Antigua and Barbuda fared relatively favourably with only a handful of deaths initially associated with Covid-19.

 The rollout of the government’s Covid-19 vaccine campaign, though not without its own share of issues, has provided a glimmer of hope yet that the twin island nation and its neighbours worldwide, will one day be brought under control.

 Visit Antigua and Barbuda's vaccination website here.

As of March 29th, 26,424 people have taken the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, a move that is seen as a key step in the fight against this deadly pandemic. The first batch of vaccines were secured through two separate donations from the government of India and the Commonwealth of Dominica.

 In a recent interview the Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph explained that another 100 thousand doses of the vaccine will be distributed in the second phase of the inoculation process. The country is expected to receive 14, 800 doses of the vaccine through the COVAX.

 Government officials are also exploring the possibility of acquiring vaccines from China and Russia, however, this must by first approved by the Antigua and Barbuda Pharmacy Council.

Donations.

 More and more private organisations as well as bilateral partners continues to offer financial support to the government to mostly support the national vaccination programme.

 March 1, 2021: The government of India donated 40,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured by Serum Institute of India.

Antigua and Barbuda also received US$1.5 million from the India government for the purchase of medical supplies and equipment 5 Ventilators, PPEs, 115,000 face masks, 2000 Full Cover Goggles, 10,000 Disposable Impervious Gowns, 2000 Face Shields, 200,000 Examination gloves, Disposable.

 March 9th 2021: CIBC First Caribbean International Bank donated EC$9,000 for the purchase of vaccines. Donation was made through the Banks Charitable arm- the First Caribbean International ComTrust Foundation.

The trust will be supporting the purchase of vaccines in Antigua and other countries. CIBC FirstCaribbean is a large banking group that operates across the Caribbean. It is based in Barbados but the ultimate parent company is the Canadian bank Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. In Antigua & Barbuda the financial institution has two branches and eight ATMs. See social profile here.

March 10th, 2021: The government of Antigua and Barbuda receives US$100,000 from the Hadeed Group of companies for the purchase of COVID19 vaccines. The Hadeed group is one of the country’s largest private sector entities, the companies include Hadeed Motors, Hadeed Apartments and Hadeed Construction Limited.

Up to March 10 the government revealed that more than EC$1.5 million dollars have been contributed by the private sector for the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines for the population. 

March 19th, 2021: ACB Caribbean donates EC$100,000 to national vaccination effort. Antigua Commercial Bank Ltd., now trading, as ACB Caribbean as at March 2021, is the largest indigenous commercial bank in Antigua & Barbuda, with an asset base of over one billion Eastern Caribbean Dollars.

March 25th, 2021: Falmouth Harbour Donation Antigua Investment Group (AIG), and Falmouth Harbour Marina made a donation of EC$75,000.00 towards the Government's Vaccine Program.

 Antigua Investment Group Limited operates Falmouth Harbour Marina, an Antiguan and Barbuda company operating for 25 years. According to the shareholders, it is the first locally owned company that operates a marina in Antigua and Barbuda.

St. John’s, February 28, 2021 (MIC) -

COVID-19 a microscopic enemy made its unwelcomed stop in Antigua and Barbuda on March 13th with the confirmation of the first case- a female who travelled to Antigua on March 10 from the United Kingdom on a British Airways Flight.

It has upended our lives on every front, the closure of all educational institutions, jobs and business and more importantly the tourism sector which accounts for nearly 60 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 40 percent of Investment.

The pandemic struck at a time when the government was in the process of completing a fifth cruise berth to attract larger Oasis Class vessels, and as efforts continued on the rebuilding process of the twin island state of Barbuda that was totally decimated by the passage of Hurricane Irma.

Barbuda, the smaller of the two islands, has not fully rebounded from the natural disaster as most people are still living in tents and are awaiting the completion of their homes, 80 percent of which were destroyed during the hurricane.

While Antigua recorded its first case in March 2020, Barbuda recorded its first case on January 7th, 2021.

Weeks after the confirmation of the first case of the virus, and the addition of more infections, the government declared a state of emergency for three months and the institution of a 12-hour curfew for all citizens with the exception of essential workers.

The government is now facing a balancing act of stabilizing the public health situation, which is now dealing with a second wave of the virus, while trying to avoid a total collapse of the economy and maintain its obligation to pensioners and public sector workers.

And, with active cases in the country nearing 400 it is anticipated that the situation may worsen.

Very early in the pandemic Prime Minister Gaston Browne along with other leaders expressed concerns at the highly vulnerable economic situation that countries within the subregion were facing and urged ECLAC’s support in engaging the international community for better access to grants and concessional financing, given their inability to service debt payments.

He said then the economic burden for the countries has been unsustainable because of the high levels of debt and what is required at this point is some level of support from international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

During that same period, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), noted that countries like Antigua and Barbuda were considered as middle- or high-income countries and could face challenges accessing funding.

Despite this grim reality, the twin-nation state has benefited directly and indirectly from international and regional partners that have provided development assistance, technical support and donations of equipment and supplies to aid in the fight against the coronavirus.

Cuba

In late March 2020, Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 31 Cuban medics to assist local medical professionals with the fight to contain the virus. 

The People's Republic of China.

Earlier in February the government also revealed that over $60 million from China is being made available in the form of a loan. The government has a longstanding relationship with the People's Republic of China 

India government 

The United Nations Development Programme.

In June 2020, this organization partnered with the India-UN Partnership fund on a US$1 million fund designed to strengthen the country’s response to the pandemic. As part of the project 5 ventilators were purchased for the Infections Disease and Isolation Centre to assist COVID patients.

August 7, 2020 handing over of Personal Protective Equipment / medical supplies from the government of India to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

 July 3, 2020 India UN Fund donation of equipment to the Mount St John’s Medical Center.

 • Antigua and Barbuda and India have enjoyed a long-standing and cordial relationship since 1981, based on shared Commonwealth heritage, trade and people. 

 Calvin Ayre Foundation. The Calvin Foundation was founded by billionaire and Economic Envoy for Antigua and Barbuda Calvin Ayrshire. The foundation, located in the twin island state, works closely with the government and local community groups on community led projects and has also provided financial support to private citizens and schools which may require such assistance for varying reasons.

 June 13, 200 donation EC$594,000.00 to the Ministry of Social Transformation to support its food distribution drive for the unemployed and the vulnerable. 

 April 21, 2020. EC$4 million worth of Personal Protective Equipment sourced from China.

 Jumby Bay Fund. The Jumby Bay Fund was eastablished in Antigua and Barbuda in April 2014 and has been working to support charitable projects within the country. Over the past year, the organisation has specifically worked with a number of service organisations to provide food packages for hundreds of citizens who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 31 US$1.5million in food package distribution 

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture 

September 21, 2020 donation of EC$3,00 to assist Livestock Farmers in Antigua and Barbuda.

December 3, 2020 IICA crowdfunding project US$1,200 for Drip irrigation and Seedling Nursery for Barbuda.

Indirect support

• The Inter-American Development Bank approving US$50 million to support COVID response with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

• The Inter-American Development Bank has also made available US$5.2 million dollars to Antigua and Barbuda to fight this virus; it is to be used-up by August 2021. The Cabinet has authorized the money’s use to acquire more equipment and more medicines to achieve the end. Information sourced from the Cabinet noted issued to the media on Wednesday February, 17th, 2021.

• The United Kingdom contributing $3.8 m for COVID-19 response in the Caribbean including Antigua.