No Lockdown’ of St. John’s for CHOGM, Greene Assures Businesses and Commuters
Temporary security restrictions will affect selected areas, with East Bus Station disruptions expected to end by 1:30 p.m. on November 3.
Foreign Minister E. P. Chet Greene has dismissed concerns that St. John’s will be locked down during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, assuring businesses and commuters that security restrictions will be limited to specific areas and periods.
Greene, chairman of the national CHOGM Task Force, said commercial activity must continue while Antigua and Barbuda hosts the meeting from November 1 to 4.
“We understand that businesses must proceed even while we accept that there will be some disruptions to normal operations and these we will try to keep as short as possible,” he told a recent Task Force meeting.
The main restrictions in the city centre will accompany the opening ceremony on Tuesday, November 3, when selected areas will fall within a security perimeter.
However, Greene said businesses west of Corn Alley are expected to continue operating, including those serving cruise passengers.
“Operations can continue west of Corn Alley as a cruise ship is due in port on that day, and we must expect taxi operators, vendors, Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay to operate as normal,” he explained.
The opening ceremony is the only event scheduled for the city centre. Barriers and restrictions on pedestrian and vehicular movement are expected to be removed after it concludes.
The East Bus Station will be affected from early morning on November 3 until approximately 1:30 p.m., when all restrictions associated with the ceremony are expected to be lifted.
Greene said major supermarkets, the public market and the West Bus Station are expected to operate normally throughout CHOGM.
A separate security operation will accompany the interfaith service on Sunday, November 1, at the St. John’s Pentecostal House of Restoration.
Restrictions for that event will be confined to the northern portion of the city, including Friar’s Hill Road, and are expected to be removed promptly after the service.
The Task Force plans to explain these arrangements and address other CHOGM matters at at least two town hall meetings this week.
The first is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Sir John E. St. Luce Conference Centre.
A second meeting will take place in St. Paul, with the time and venue to be announced.
This story was first published by Antigua News on : antigua.news/2026/10/19/no-lockdown-of-st-john-s-for-chogm-greene-assures-businesses-and-commuters. © 2026 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.
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