Monthly arrival statistics.
WILLEMSTAD--The 51 new coronavirus infections reported in Curaçao on Wednesday set a new single-day record. Nevertheless, the island is currently extra popular with Dutch holidaymakers because the Caribbean parts of the kingdom are the only destinations without a negative travel advice from the Netherlands.
Local authorities said they were investigating whether there had been a specific event where many persons may have become infected. More than 30 of these cases could not be linked to existing ones.
Where Europeans stay on the island.
The island is under a curfew since September 14, while dance and most musical activities have been prohibited since August. Furthermore, people must keep their distance as much as possible.
After the recent press conference of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in which a negative travel advice was given for all foreign destinations with the exception of the Caribbean parts of the kingdom, there was a boom in bookings to Curaçao, tour operators Corendon and TUI noted. Hundreds of travellers reserved a trip to the island in a short time.
However, the bookings of TUI airline are currently only half of the number during the Christmas period last year. KLM is also well below the 2019 bookings.
At this moment TUI flies six times a week to Curaçao and during the holiday season this will be expanded to ten. KLM currently operates daily in Curaçao, which will be also increased for the year-end celebrations.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations in The Hague, there is currently no talk of tightening up the advisory. This can only happen if the Ministry of Health sees reason to do so.
“Today we will first contact authorities in Curaçao to understand what is going on,” said a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. “We are not going to anticipate anything before we get the facts in focus.”
Meanwhile, another 33 infections were reported on Thursday after 243 people had been tested. Eight of these cases are linked to known ones and the other 25 were being investigated by the epidemiology team through contact-tracing efforts.
Thirty-four persons also recovered, bringing the total number of active cases to 314.
Currently there are eight patients at the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms, one of them in intensive care.
