PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Chairperson Silveria Jacobs confirmed in a national address on Saturday that this week’s shopping days have been changed to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Jacobs also announced a further relaxation of the lockdown measures, as several additional businesses and/or services will be allowed to operate as of this week.
“The relaxed measures will ensure that some economic activity will still take place while maintaining the necessary safety measures to continue to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19,” said Jacobs.
This week’s change to the shopping days was necessary because today, Monday, and Friday, May 1, are national holidays. “This one-week deviation [from the normal lockdown schedule – Ed.] was to be able to ensure that our public still had three days to make use of necessities,” said Jacobs.
As of next week, the shopping days will be returned to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, said Jacobs.
She also announced that package couriers and shipping companies can make deliveries to their clients as of this week. Government had already given this opportunity to baby and maternity stores, hardware stores and electronics stores last week. These businesses will be allowed to continue making deliveries, said Jacobs.
As of this week, persons will be allowed to pay their bills at the offices of utilities company GEBE, as well as telecommunications companies TelEm and United Telecommunications Services (UTS) on the shopping days. Additionally, persons will be allowed to pay their rent at St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation’s (SMHDF’s) office. Last week, SMHDF had requested that government allow its office to reopen so its tenants could pay their rent in person.
“Persons may make arrangements by appointment to have maintenance and repair personnel come to their homes to make necessary repairs and maintenance [on shopping days],” said Jacobs.
Persons may also now visit opticians, insurance companies, veterinary services and notarial and legal services on the shopping days, by appointment only.
Medical practitioners, dental clinics and laboratories had already been allowed to serve persons on shopping days by appointment only. This is to continue, said Jacobs.
“You do not need a personal travel waiver for these matters as you just need some form of proof that you have an appointment with your doctor. Once your doctor issues you a letter to go to the lab or to the pharmacy then that would serve as your proof in case you are stopped [by law enforcement],” she said.
Businesses that are allowed to open or make deliveries must have proper health and social distancing protocols in place, said Jacobs, who warned that if these protocols are not followed, then the establishments will be shut down.
However, restaurants and construction companies have been excluded in the new relaxed measures.
Restaurants that have arrangements with essential and emergency services will continue to operate. However, there will be no restaurants open to the public, said Jacobs.
“Construction projects are still only allowed for the COVID-19-related projects, as well as the police station, as these are emergency services in need of dire repair for their proper functioning,” she said.
Jacobs requested persons to stay within their districts as much as possible on the shopping days and to avoid “sightseeing.”
“Respect the zones as have been determined by our National Decree, namely, east of the Cole Bay Hill and west of the Cole Bay Hill … We have asked all of the banks and GEBE, TelEm, et cetera, to ensure branches on either side of the hill are open to minimise the amount of movement,” she said.
