~ WYCCF to provide assistance to SMMC ~
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have increased by one pushing the total number of cases to 64 as of Friday, April 17.
Epidemiologist and Head of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) Eva Lista-de Weever said during a press conference on Friday evening that all 64 persons have been identified and are currently being monitored by CPS.
“To contain the epidemic, we continue to focus our resources and our efforts on the backbone of our response, which is isolating, testing and contact-tracing,” she said.
CPS has recently received the support of four additional staff members from the Netherlands to provide help and assistance to CPS in its efforts.
“We are also currently working with volunteers to actively canvas neighbourhoods to identify persons who are displaying any flu-like signs and symptoms. The reasons we’re doing this work and going into the community is to make the testing more accessible, to make the process more efficient and to reach as many people as we can. I encourage persons who are symptomatic to either alert volunteers when you see them in your neighbourhood, to call your doctor or 914,” Lista-de Weever added.
“Please do not hesitate to do so. We are there to find persons early on and the sooner we identify cases or suspected cases the sooner we can contain further transmission and ensure that persons receive proper care and follow-up.”
Emergency Services Function 6 (ESF 6) coordinator and Head of Public Health Fenna Arnell said in her update during the press conference that St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) has increased its admission capacity. She said the pavilion dedicated to providing medium care will be operational this weekend, as well as the hospitainer that will serve as an intensive care unit dedicated to COVID-19 positive patients.
White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) has also stepped up to assist SMMC by creating space within its facilities to admit persons no longer in need of hospital care, but still in need of nursing care. Arnell said that doing so allows SMMC to further deal with the increase of care that is expected due to COVID-19.
