Anguilla Introduces New Preventive Measures to Safeguard Local Resident and Visitor Populations

H.E. The Governor and The Hon. Premier issued a Joint Statement regarding Covid-19, emphasizing the Government’s unwavering commitment to protect the safety and well-being of all residents.

There have been no cases of the COVID-19 (Novel Corona virus) in Anguilla to date.  However, in light of the most recent global developments, the following additional and new preventive measures at the ports of entry were approved at a special meeting of the Executive Council to guard against the threat of an imported case.

• The closure of all Anguilla’s ports – sea and air – for 14 days for all passenger movements.
  This will come in to force from 11:59 pm on Friday, March 20 (Anguilla time). This does not include the movement of goods.
• All persons arriving in Anguilla who have traveled outside of the Caribbean Region within the last 14 days, will be quarantined for 14 days on their arrival. A judgement will be made on arrival by health professionals if this can be self-quarantine or in a government run health facility.
• All non-essential travel for public servants has been suspended for 30 days. In addition, residents of Anguilla are encouraged to avoid all unnecessary travel overseas at this time.
• Schools, which are already closed this week, will remain closed until and including Friday, April 3, 2020.
• Persons are encouraged not to congregate, this includes in church, at sports leagues, political meetings, youth gatherings, and at any sporting activities.
• Anguilla has an isolation area at the hospital to deal with suspected cases and additional infrastructural improvements are being finalized this week.  Plans are underway for a small isolation unit in the medium to longer term.
• A 24-hour emergency hotline has been established for the general public seeking information on COVID-19 and for persons who feel they have been exposed to COVID-19. The number is 1-264-476-7627 or 1-264-476 SOAP.

Anguilla’s Ministry of Health is conducting an aggressive and expanded national campaign on respiratory hygiene as the main preventive/containment with a strategic focus on the tourism sector and children in addition to the general public, utilizing radio, jingles and PSA’s and social media. 

The Ministry emphasizes that regardless of the evolution of the current situation the following basic principles reduce the risk of transmission of several respiratory infections including coronavirus:

• Frequent handwashing, especially after contact with ill persons and their environments.
• Covering of coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or in the crook of a flexed
  elbow.
• Avoiding contact with persons suffering from or exhibiting symptoms of acute respiratory infections such as the flu, coughs, and colds.
• Ensuring that shared spaces and work surfaces are cleaned and disinfected
  frequently.
• Limiting physical contact with others, including no handshakes or physical greeting and
  to avoid crowds.

For more general information and updates please visit the official websites of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and CARPHA:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• http://carpha.org/What-We-Do/Public-Health/Novel-Coronavirus

For information specific to Anguilla please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/SocialDevelopmentAnguilla/.

About Anguilla

Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world. A fantastic culinary scene, a wide variety of quality accommodations at varying price points, a host of attractions and exciting calendar of festivals make Anguilla an alluring and entrancing destination.

Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and appeal. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from two major gateways: Puerto Rico and St. Martin, and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away.

Romance? Barefoot elegance? Unfussy chic? And untrammeled bliss?   Anguilla is Beyond Extraordinary.

Media Contact:  Jameel Rochester, Manager, Corporate Affairs (Ag.), Anguilla Tourist Board, The Valley, Anguilla, BWI, E: [email protected]