Schools reopen Monday particularly for last-year students to sit their final exams. Other classes will continue digital learning at home for now, announced Education Minister Rodolphe Samuel.
Staff has been asked to take appropriate hygiene measures and use extra available classroom space to practice social distancing between the students. Parents are advised to ensure their children have hand sanitiser, tissues, a bottle of water and a face-mask or -shield.
That will not remove all the concern, because these are very scary times especially regarding the health of family members. Truth be told, one could never totally exclude any risk, but the important thing is to minimise such as much as possible.
COVID-19 will be a potential threat for a while, but life must also go on. Youngsters need to graduate so they can continue their studies or look for a job.
St. Maarten is fully reopening internally from June 15 and it should not be very long before the first vacationers are allowed in again. The coronavirus-related socioeconomic crisis is far from over, but the worst of the pandemic appears to have passed at least locally.
Of course, social distancing, cough and sneeze etiquette, protective gear and frequent washing of hands remain the order of the day, but that does not mean people can afford or even want to stay in their homes forever. While saving lives is obviously paramount, facilitating the protection and/or restoration of people’s livelihood will prove crucial to their wellbeing in the weeks and months to come.
