“IT’S NOT IF, IT’S WHEN THE NUMBERS INCREASE” – HEALTH MINISTRY CONCERNED ABOUT “SECRET POOL PARTIES”

“IT’S NOT IF, IT’S WHEN THE NUMBERS INCREASE” – HEALTH MINISTRY CONCERNED ABOUT “SECRET POOL PARTIES”

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Teri-Ann Joseph reports Antigua and Barbuda recorded the highest weekly total for COVID-19 infections last week with 174 new cases. The figures were revealed during an ASB exclusive interview on Monday night, in which Dr Joseph indicated the country could be on course to surpassing this weekly record. Dr Joseph says the Ministry’s epidemiology unit has found a co-relation between the rising number of COVID-19 cases and beach activities on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. She also indicates the Ministry has received reports of “secret pool parties” over the last weekend and is concerned these could be super-spreader events. She says: “We know where, we are not going to talk about it now, we are just going to wait until when the numbers increase…if we could trace it back to that event.”

Meanwhile, Dr Joseph indicates eleven police officers recently contracted COVID-19, nine of them having been unvaccinated. One of the nine has been hospitalised with the viral infection. The other two were fully-vaccinated and asymptomatic. All had been on duty on Market Street earlier this month during a protest staged by a group of self-proclaimed ‘Freedom Fighters’.