Antigua and Barbuda: Office of Prime Minister, Antigua and Barbuda shared Cabinet meeting highlights.
The Cabinet invited the Director of Education, the President of the ABUT (Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers) and the General-Secretary of the ABUT to its meeting to examine the experience of the restrictive student’s attendance implemented on April 12, 2021; and, to address the issue of Internet service at the schools and homes.
Following a proper discussion on both issues, and based on the CMO’s epidemiological status-report, the Cabinet determined that all schools will return to the September 2020 arrangements initially put in place. All students will have an opportunity for the face-to-face lessons. The switchover will start on Monday, April 19, 2021. All teachers and school personnels are encouraged to inoculate to ensure a lesser likelihood of infecting their charges.
The package resulted in a lesser tuition amount being paid for the Antigua and Barbuda contingent than the estimate of the amount owed. The talks about reconciling the differences have begun, and the settled amount will be quickly paid.
Besides this, the Minister responsible for Public-Safety that the prison population now stands at the 210, and that number will be prior reduced in the coming weeks by 43 would be discharged.
Each person placed on remand, or sentenced for a term, or is about to be discharged, is tested for coronavirus. Those entering are tested before being allowed to mix with the local population of prisoners. All prisoners and staff have been tried, and 177 have been prevented. The list of diseases for which a potential management employee is to be lawfully tested will now include the new Coronavirus disease.
Another highlight was The Cabinet explained the situation at the call centre on Old Parham Road that plans to close its doors and reduce approximately 150 jobs.
The intervention by the government has resulted in superior terms of severance for the workers, such that the severed workers will receive almost 100% of their annual salary, retain health insurance for the rest of 2021, and will become the partners of the computers which they once used as a tool at work. Discussions have already begun with another call centre to build a presence here in Antigua.
Cruise ship operators are considering the success of the government in reducing infections; the extent to which vaccinations have been administered to the community of taxi drivers, shop operators, vendors, restaurateurs—all these people with whom their cruise customers are likely to have contact when on-shore—will be taken into record when deciding which addresses they will serve, beginning June 2021.
Antigua will grow a home-porting venue in a few months. Several vessels that are now inundated with volcanic ash might utilize Antigua.
