~ Six nurses and one physician ~
PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA will add seven staff members to its Collective Prevention Services (CPS) to screen persons entering the island at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).
VSA Minister Richard Panneflek said during Wednesday’s press briefing that the ministry is working diligently towards the safe reopening of PJIA through effective screening and response to all incoming residents and visitors to the country.
He said the ministry is in the final stages of the hiring process for the additional staff members. This will all be completed under the supervision of CPS.
The additional staff will consist of six nurses and a physician. The roles of the new CPS members will include conducting observational screening of all incoming passengers at the airport, conducting health screenings at the airport, which will include temperature checks. They will perform COVID-19 tests, source- and contact-tracing for quarantined and isolated persons.
Panneflek said the new staff will be given six-month contracts, to give the ministry the time needed to assess what will be required in the long term as the COVID-19 pandemic develops.
“While seven persons are still far from what is required, the ministry intends to work with what they have,” he said.
