Dear Editor:
I would very much like you to print what I have to say about my and my husband’s visit here this week.
We are regular visitors to Anguilla normally 4 times per year. (we even came in November 2017, just after the hurricane to try and help in whichever way we could)
Since the outbreak of Covid our 4 trips per year have not been possible. We were unable to visit after our February 2019 trip but finally managed to come in July this year for 4 weeks. Whilst our permission to visit certificate was only received almost at the end of our deadline for flying, things went smoothly from then on KIND OF? On arrival we had to undergo another PCR test as some visitors from the previous day had been found to be positive for Covid. We arrived at approximately 12.30pm and were tested about one hour later. We did the usual – i.e. covid carriage to hotel, send out for food, stay in apartment until results of test (within 24 hours we were told) Our test results were emailed to us at approximately 3.00am that morning. (9.00am we were all ok to enjoy breakfast in the hotel and go).
This was an efficient service.
Imagine our horror NOW, we arrived at 10.00am Wednesday 1st December, knowing and fully aware that we had to have the pcr test yet again, this time the test which was carried out at 10.15am. was agonising and 2 nostrils instead of the 1 that happened in July. On leaving the test room/centre IMAGINE our further HORROR to find the arrival lounge flooded with water, we are both in our seventies and having to wade through an inch of water, workmen drilling, unable to hear anything, then trying to finally find some safe way to exit this horrendous mess. Neither I, my husband, or any visitor, should have to cope with this terrible danger.
Both the arrival nurse and administrator informed us that we would get our test results within 24 hours. That they would be sent to the email address on the ivisit anguilla application.
Obviously, stupidly expecting the results to arrive similar to those in our July visit, we had no news on thursday morning, so, checked the email all day long to no avail. We even had people trying to contact the ministry of health all day, only to be finally told that there was a backlog.
Spent all of Wednesday, then all of Thursday with no results (also no food or drink, and a car hire we had been paying for since Wednesday and could not use)
At 6.15pm Thursday night (32 hours after the test) the result for me came through -NEGATIVE but nothing for my husband. Later that evening he had a telephone call to say he was positive and would be tested again on Friday at the hotel. His test was taken at approximately 11.am Friday 3rd December, (along with 2 other visitors, who we now hear that their samples have been lost), on a rapid result test he was negative, but has to still await the PCR test result which should be in 24 hours.
6pm here now and still no result and still piling up costs on car, take-aways etc.etc.
SO YET AGAIN IT IS NOW 31 HOURS SINCE YESTERDAY’S TEST,
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE, IT IS NOT ONLY A DISGRACE IT IS ABSOLUTE CRUELTY
Both the Minister for Health and the Minister for Tourism should be replaced immediately, you do NOT entice visitors to the island knowing full well that you do not have the infrastructure to support those visitors and leaving them in Limbo for God knows how long and at their own expense.
We both put a lot of money into the community here but I am afraid to say as soon as we get a very, very, very late result we will leave and forgo our 5 week holiday and socialising with our friends here and immediately return home.
Please will you make visitors and your nationals aware of what I am saying, as this
must desperately be improved NOW, you will have probably lost $50,000 from us that would otherwise have gone into the economy.
We have always just loved Anguilla and the people, but time to say goodbye, maybe forever unless things improve.
Susan Ashley & Frank Ashley
