Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne says that his administration will give illegal immigrants a four-month extension if they get vaccinated against COVID-19.
In making the announcement on Saturday, the Prime Minister said that people who fit the criteria would not be removed from the country if they come forward to get the vaccine.
“We want them to come above ground,” Browne said. “We do not want anyone to stay below the radar because they do not have any time in the country.”
Noting the importance of every resident being vaccinated, he said that people who fit the criteria would not be removed from the country if they come forward to get the vaccine.
The government has also launched a raffle- with the main prize being an 8000 square feet plot of land- to encourage people to take the vaccine.
Based on this announcement, anyone who gets their first dose of the COVID vaccine between June 7 and 30 would receive a ticket stub through which they will be entered into the raffle for the plot of land.
The competition is open to anyone in Antigua regardless of their nationality or residency status, however, parliamentarians and their relatives have been barred from participating in the raffle.
However, in response, the leader of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Jamale Pringle said the latest initiatives have not taken into consideration those persons who were previously vaccinated.
Speaking on local radio, the opposition leader said the government should also embark on a more robust vaccine education campaign.
CMC