By Caribbean News Global contributor
ST JOHNS, Antigua – The attached (signed PDF letter) sent today to Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley from Antigua and Barbuda prime minister Gaston Browne, drawing to her attention the wrongful classification of Antigua and Barbuda by Barbados as a ‘medium risk’ jurisdiction for COVID-19.
Prime minister Browne recalls the CARPHA standard to which all CARICOM heads of government agreed of 20 active cases per population of 100,000 as presenting a high risk.
In Antigua and Barbuda’s case, it has only four active cases, meriting a classification no higher than “low risk”. Prime minister Browne reminds that Barbados has recently been classified by the European Union as a ‘high risk” jurisdiction for money laundering to which Barbados protested.
Antigua and Barbuda had supported Barbados against the EU arbitrary classification of Barbados. He calls on prime minister Mottley in the interest of fairness right and the facts, to intervene so that the correct classification of Antigua and Barbuda as ‘low risk’ is implemented by the Barbados authorities.
“In today’s interconnected world, this unilateral classification of Antigua and Barbuda by Barbados receives international attention. It has led to anxiety in our struggling tourism industry and has adversely affected the employment and wellbeing of our people,” said prime minister Browne, towards “an early and favourable response.”
