BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Government of Antigua and Barbuda has decried reports published by several media houses in the UK and within the Caribbean, which suggested that an Antigua and Barbuda Variant of the COVID-19 virus was found in the UK after travels to the territory by two persons.
Public Health England (PHE) raised alarm at the alleged discovery of a variant in the two individuals, pointing out that it was a new one.
The UK agency issued a statement earlier in the week, which has since been scrubbed from the official UK Government website.
In doubling down on the announcement from PHE, the British High Commission in St. John’s expressed concerns about the “inaccurate media reporting following the announcement by Public Health England (PHE) that two people in South East England who had recently returned from Antigua and Barbuda had tested positive for a new variant of COVID-19”.
It further stated that the British High Commission would like “to confirm there is no scientific evidence to determine where this variant first emerged”.
Reports out of Antigua and Barbuda confirms that the Government is expecting Public Health England to retract the report and has called for an apology.
The British High Commission in its statement said: “Giving variants a country’s name is inaccurate, unhelpful, and can generate prejudices and misunderstanding.”
“All viruses mutate over time and, since the start of the pandemic, many thousands of variants have been identified in the UK and across the world. The majority of variants emerge and subsequently become extinct as they stop being passed on. This is assisted by testing, contact tracing, and isolation,” the statement added.
ABS Antigua and Barbuda reported that Prime Minister Gaston Browne wrote to several media entities within the region and in the UK about the errors in their stories.
Meanwhile, the British High Commission said, “We regret any misunderstanding that may have arisen over this matter. The UK government will continue to work closely with Antigua and Barbuda health officials in our common goal to overcome the ongoing threat to lives and livelihoods posed by this virus”.
