Antigua to close St. John’s Public Cemetery to new burials after reaching capacity

Antigua and Barbuda: The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced that new burials will be prohibited at St. John’s Public Cemetery due to the burial ground reaching maximum capacity. The Government has revealed that the cemetery will be officially closed at the end of this month.

Earlier today, the Office of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda took to Facebook to announce that St. John’s Public Cemetery will be formally closed to new burials, with the closure date effective at the end of March 2026.

This decision was approved by members of the Cabinet and announced during the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing. According to the reasons shared by the Prime Minister's Office, the public cemetery has reached capacity, and this move will help manage the space and improve the environment at the burial grounds.

Director General of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, stated that the St. John’s Public Cemetery's closure was needed as it has been serving the public for decades now.

“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. It has reached its capacity, as we all are familiar, after decades of serving the public,” stated the Director General of Communications.

Maurice Merchant added that this new arrangement will not allow for new graves to be established after March 2026. He went on to announce that for those whose families already have tombs or reserved burial spaces, they can still use the cemetery to bury family members in the future.

“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,” announced Maurice Merchant.

Sources reveal that the cemetery will be transitioned into a ‘tranquillity park’ concept as the Government continues in its efforts to manage space constraints.