Flags in St. Maarten, both the Dutch and St. Maarten ones, have been flying at half-mast for more than a week now as a symbol of sympathy and solidarity in the face of the deadly corona virus COVID-19. Not every place is adhering to government’s call to fly flags at half-mast. The flags at the Cole Bay border crossing were still at full-mast, unlike the flags at the Simpson Bay side of the causeway roundabout and at the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard base in Simpson Bay.
~ Death toll remains at 13 ~
PHILIPSBURG--Collective Prevention Services (CPS) will continue testing for COVID-19 in the district of Cul de Sac, Prime Minister (PM) Silveria Jacobs said in her national address on Monday afternoon, April 27.
Stating that St. Maarten has become “weak due to its health system,” the PM said that CPS will not only be carrying out testing for several days but will be focusing on other health issues as well. Educational videos – in English, Spanish and Creole – on social-distancing, hand washing, the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and how to properly use a face mask will be released this week.
The PM said that baby clinics will be opening this week to resume immunisations by appointment only.
Based on the latest available data, she said that the number of deceased persons due to coronavirus remains at 13, stating that prayers keep going out to “those who have been dealt this terrible blow.”
According to CPS, 12 of these 13 persons have died due to underlying medical conditions: such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart or lung diseases or compromised immune systems.
The number of recovered cases is still at 33 and there are 29 active cases, with one new case added, yesterday, Monday. “We wish all persons still struggling with the COVID-19 much strength and we continue to work together with our doctors, CPS and all our other front liners to ensure that the numbers will flatten and will go down,” the PM said.
Jacobs said the number of persons in self-quarantine has gone down by 29 and is now 98. There are 137 persons in self-isolation, with 34 persons added to this list.
As St. Maarten Medical Center did not provide an update about persons hospitalised for COVID-19, the PM said that there are still seven coronavirus patients in this facility.
There are 302 persons tested for the virus, seven more than Sunday’s count. The number of positive cases has gone up by one to 75, which account for 28.4 per cent of persons tested. Of those tested, 53 are men and 22 women.
The number of persons who have tested negative has also increased by nine to 220 cases, which is 72.8 per cent of those tested. Six tests are still pending, with one test which remains inconclusive.
Jacobs said the government will continue to fly the flags at half-mast “in remembrance of each single life lost,” and wished each person dealing with coronavirus deaths and any other deaths “much strength.”
