Staff at Caribbean Cinemas vaccine administering location.
PHILIPSBURG--The Vaccine Management Team (VMT) says Caribbean Cinemas in Cole Bay remains in use as COVID-19 vaccination location until July 2.
This was announced in a press release on Wednesday.
This location is open for walk-ins from Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 2:00pm. “Since the start of last week, almost 300 persons got their vaccination at this location, which is smaller than Belair Community Center, but cosy with upcoming movie trailers on several screens and an abundance of parking,” said the VMT.
Caribbean Cinemas in Cole Bay opened as a temporary replacement of Belair Community Center on June 15.
According to the release, the location has already become popular in a few days, with a 12.5 per cent increase in vaccinations compared to the first day; some “75 per cent of the people also came for their first dose,” said the VMT.
The VMT expressed its gratitude to Caribbean Cinemas for the use of this location, and because of their generous offer, the VMT said it can continue this life-saving community service during the period that Belair Community Center is not available. “The owner mentioned he thought it was part of their corporate social responsibility to assist wherever they can to fight this pandemic,” the VMT added.
This location will remain open for all persons 18 years and up, or 12 years and up with underlying conditions, until July 2. On July 1, both vaccination locations will be closed due to the official holiday Emancipation Day. Belair Community Center will reopen on Monday, July 5, from Monday to Thursday.
The VMT encourages everyone who has not received their vaccine against COVID-19 to make use of the opportunity while it is still easily accessible and free of charge. “You have until July 9 to come for your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, so that you can receive your second dose before the end of July,” the VMT said.
The VMT said the Pfizer vaccine is the very best on the market and unlike in many other countries worldwide, it is available to the population for free.
“It is scientifically proven safe and effective against the so-called British variant (Alpha), which we know is now dominant on St. Maarten,” the VMT added. “The efficacy is also clear as daylight, as countries with higher vaccination levels see their active COVID-19 cases drop steeply. The VMT sees the same happening closer to home, where the active cases, hospitalisations and COVID-19-related deaths on St. Maarten are almost 100 per cent unvaccinated persons.
The VMT strongly encourages everyone who has not received their vaccination to get vaccinated as soon as possible. “Vaccination will always be a personal decision as it can never be made mandatory, but every decision has consequences, and by choosing not to vaccinate, you endanger not only your own life, but also the lives of others.
“It’s your choice to take the vaccine; you reduce the chance of being infected with COVID-19 by 95 per cent, which means that the chances of infecting others are reduced by 95 per cent, but even more important, in the slight case (five per cent) that you are infected, the vaccine protects you against the virus’s severe and possibly deadly symptoms, so you don’t end up in the hospital.
“Come for your vaccine and encourage others to do so as well. St. Maarten protected together,” the VMT concluded.
