Today’s newspaper reflects how St. Maarten is working on restoring its tourism economy while simultaneously trying to limit the spread of COVID-19. The latter is still highly necessary because the COVID-numbers keep fluctuating and there was a 26th fatality just days ago, so it continues to be a balancing act as seen in many destinations.
Even within the Dutch Caribbean, Curaçao was forced to announce stricter measures to stem the tide of infections there and Aruba has now followed suit. Preventing a new major outbreak that could overburden medical capacity was obviously top priority in both decisions.
The same may be said locally and today’s report on the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) using means from the Dutch-sponsored Trust Fund managed by the World Bank to purchase seven isolation units for the Ambulance Department is encouraging. These can serve to protect not only the patient but frontline health workers too.
Such investments are also important because of efforts being made to attract guests not only out of the traditional North American market but from Europe. Having been switched from travel code orange to yellow by Dutch authorities offers an opportunity, especially because the Caribbean part of the kingdom is just about the only place people in the Netherlands are not strongly discouraged to go this winter.
In addition, Copa Airlines increasing its flights resumed last month from one to four per week indicates belief in that connection via Panama City. Although several resorts returning to average occupancy levels of around 40 per cent and hoping to pass the 50 per cent mark soon is good news, there – quite literally – remains room for improvement, while Central and South America have great potential to help put more “heads in beds.”
All this must be done as safely as possible, of course, with the necessary testing, face-mask wearing, hand sanitation and social distancing by passengers. Four rapid antigen test types have been approved up to 48 hours prior to departure for convenience’s sake, along with the “gold standard” PCR test within five days.
Of course, the more visitors on whom the people’s livelihood depends, the bigger the incoming threat in terms of the pandemic. However, experience has already shown that the greatest risk comes not from them, but from residents disregarding the rules at their own and others’ peril.
