The message of government to the public is loud and clear: While Collective Preventive Services (CPS) advised curtailing nightlife, a curfew and ban on gatherings of more than five outside of the household in Wednesday’s paper due to rising COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs would prefer not to go that route (see related story) but remains fully prepared to do so if necessary.
The latter depends on the behaviour of both residents and visitors to the island. CPS head Eva Lista-de Weever had spoken of “a tipping point” from an epidemiological perspective.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de Weever, who happens to be her sister, acknowledged that businesses are breaking the rules. She went as far as calling on people to become “whistle-blowers” in such cases.
That may seem a bit extreme, but it is really in the best general interest. Stayover tourism is just now resuming in earnest, and any additional restrictions are probably going to have a negative impact on the already-hard-hit hospitality industry as well as the vacation experience of guests.
Lack of adherence can lead to forced closures and/or fines but – more importantly – also hurt the still frail recovery process on which the livelihood of the entire population depends.
Those who choose not to comply with measures intended to protect the community against a deadly virus endanger not only their own health, but also that of loved ones and others. Moreover, they are jeopardising the very return to relative normalcy that the country so desperately needs.
