As public health authorities across the Caribbean ramp up vigilance amid growing Ebola concerns in several regions of Africa, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has enacted a series of enhanced safety protocols for travelers arriving on the newly launched Air Peace direct service from Nigeria, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed. Even with these heightened precautions, approximately 25 passengers bound for the twin-island nation will still complete their journey, though their route will be adjusted to accommodate public health screening requirements.
In an interview aired on local outlet Pointe FM this past Saturday, Browne outlined the modified travel arrangement: the incoming Air Peace flight from Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, will divert from its original planned landing at Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport and instead touch down first in neighboring Barbados. From there, passengers with final destinations in Antigua and Barbuda will be transported onward to Antigua via regional carrier LIAT.
“Even though they’re landing in Barbados, about 25 of them will come here,” Browne confirmed, clarifying that the routing change is a purely precautionary measure designed to streamline public health checks rather than a full ban on entry. To mitigate any potential risk of imported Ebola cases, national health authorities will conduct rigorous screening for all passengers upon their arrival in Antigua, building on protocols that were first widely deployed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Browne noted that the government has already reinstated the full enhanced public health framework used during the global COVID crisis, including the return of infrared thermal scanners that enable rapid, non-contact temperature checks to identify potential fever, a common early symptom of Ebola. As an additional layer of precaution, the nation’s Infectious Disease Centre has been reactivated to stand ready for any potential cases.
“If any of them were to take ill while they’re here, we can easily isolate them and of course do the necessary contact tracing,” Browne explained, emphasizing that the reactivated facility gives authorities the infrastructure to respond quickly and contain any potential outbreak before it can spread to local communities.
The prime minister added that this unusually cautious approach stems not only from the current Ebola outbreak concerns in parts of Africa but also from a challenging past experience involving migrant arrivals on flights operated by Antigua Airways from Cameroon via Nigeria in 2022 and 2023. “We got burnt there, so we’ve been a little cautious,” he said, noting that the prior incident left the government determined to avoid repeating missteps in border health management.