March 22nd Update from H.E. The Governor and The Hon. Premier

Things are moving tragically fast with COVID-19 across the world. Consistent with our commitment to give you the facts we want to update you as follows.

Confirmed cases/suspected cases – there continues to be NO confirmed case of COVID-19 in Anguilla. To date, three samples have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Laboratory in Trinidad for testing. All three have come back negative. Samples from three further suspected cases are en-route to Trinidad. We will advise you promptly of those results.

Testing in Anguilla – we will soon have the capability to test for COVID- 19 on island. Given the newness of this virus and the equipment we have, these results will need to be verified by CARPHA but this is a huge step forward.

Quarantine – 60 people are on quarantine orders. Of these 56 are on self-quarantine. Those on self-quarantine are followed up regularly to ensure they comply with the requirements. However, we urge them to act responsibly and to comply with the rules. We need to be clear – failure to comply will result in transgressing individuals being placed in the government run quarantine facility.

Health preparations – as we noted previously anyone suspected of having contracted COVID-19 will go to the dedicated isolation unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital. The additional temporary isolation capacity is now ready to receive patients, should the need arise.

Travel restrictions – air and sea ports closed to passenger movements for 14 days from 11.59pm on Friday 20 March. There will be no exceptions other than declared medical emergencies.

Border control – The Royal Anguilla Police Force, the Department of Immigration and the Customs Department have stepped up patrols by land, sea and air to curtail any illegal entry.

Food and other supplies – the movement of cargo into Anguilla remains unrestricted. Supermarkets and merchants assure us that supply lines are open and will remain so. There is no need to hoard or to panic buy. The same applies for petrol, diesel and cooking gas. Supplies have not been interrupted.

Price gouging – regulations will shortly come into force fixing the maximum price for a number of key commodities. Shops and merchants charging more than these prices will face legal penalty.

Managing the economic consequences – the Government of Anguilla is very much concerned about the economic consequences of this pandemic which includes the layoffs and reduction of hourly wages for workers. We will outline our programme of support in the coming days.

What happens if we get a confirmed case – the Ministry of Health has agreed with Executive Council the next steps should we have a confirmed case of COVID-19 on island. This includes measures to restrict people’s movements and interactions. For example, but not limited to, a ban on all public gatherings, including churches, the closure of all non-essential work places including bars, and limited hours for certain essential works places that are still open. This will be published tomorrow, so everybody knows what to expect.

Playing your part – we are all on the front line in the battle against this virus. We cannot guarantee to remain free from it – so we urge you to take simple actions which will save lives:

• avoid crowds – practice safe social distancing by staying 3 – 6 feet apart from one another
• wash your hands frequently and practice good hygiene
• cover coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue or in the crook of a flexed elbow
• frequently clean and disinfect shared spaces and work surfaces
• avoid contact with persons suffering from or exhibiting symptoms of acute respiratory infections such as the flu, coughs, and colds.

Once again let us remind you of the Ministry of Health hotline on COVID- 19. The number is 1-264- 476-7627 (476 SOAP) or 1-264-584-4263 (584-HAND)

You can also access the most recent guidance and information at www.beatcovid19.ai