The government of Antigua and Barbuda has decided to close the St. John's Public Cemetery to new burials, citing the site's exhausted capacity after decades of public service.
The decision was announced at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing. The closure takes effect at the end of March.
Director General of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, said the measure is intended to address space constraints while protecting the rights of families with existing burial plots at the site.
"Cabinet decided that the closure of the St. John's Cemetery will be in effect from the end of this month, where there will be no new burials," Merchant said.
Under the new arrangement, no new graves will be permitted at the public cemetery. Families who already hold tombs or burial plots at the site, however, will retain the right to inter relatives in those spaces.
"Family members whose existing tombs or burial plots are within the cemetery will continue to be allowed to inter their relatives in those family spots," Merchant said.
The cemetery has served the public for many years and, officials noted, has now reached its limits. "It has reached its capacity, as we all are familiar, after decades of serving the public," Merchant said.
Beyond the closure to new burials, the site is expected to transition toward a "tranquility park" concept as part of broader efforts to better manage the remaining space and improve the overall environment of the cemetery grounds.
