Latest Covid case is six-year-old child

By Latrishka Thomas

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has disclosed that Antigua and Barbuda’s most recent confirmed case of the coronavirus is a six-year-old boy who was in the care of another Covid patient.

Browne explained that the development, “was not quite surprising” because the young boy and his entire family had been quarantined for some time.

“I believe that they are actually close to the period for quarantine or isolation and I believe they will be back into the domestic community very shortly with the exception of the youngster,” Browne said on his radio station, Pointe FM, on Saturday.

He further explained that the grandmother was the initial person who contracted the virus and “had very close touch with the grandson who is the youngest member of the family”.

The boy became the 25th confirmed case of the virus on Friday when 15 samples were returned from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad.

The remaining 14 tests were negative.

On Friday, 12 additional virus samples were sent to CARPHA. The Ministry of Health announced last night that all 12 – which included one repeat test for someone who had previously tested positive and 11 new suspected cases – had all returned negative results.

According to the most recent figures available up to press time, 128 people have so far been tested for the virus in Antigua and Barbuda, three have died from it and 16 have recovered.

The PM told Pointe FM that two people remained on ventilators in hospital to help them breathe.

The ministry urged people to continue to cooperate with state of emergency rules in place since late March.

“These measures, along with social distancing, proper cough and sneeze etiquette, hand washing and sanitising, are crucial in our nation’s fight against Covid-19,” it added.

To date, all confirmed virus cases have been in Antigua. There are still no known cases of Covid-19 in Barbuda.