ABS EXCLUSIVE: LOCAL TESTING FOR COVID-19 HAS BEGUN

Local testing for COVID-19 has begun.

The revelation was made Thursday evening by head of the laboratory at the Mount St John’s Medical Center and Consultant Pathologist Dr Lester Simon.

He said about 7 tests have so far been completed and all the results have been shown to be accurate by the Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARPHA.

Dr Simon explains the Pan American Health Organization has indicated the decision rests with Antigua and Barbuda when to begin issuing test results independently of CARPHA.

While PAHO has indicated this can begin as early as next week, Dr Simon is taking a more conservative approach and says he wants to see a fine-tuning of some areas before results are issued independently.