PHILIPSBURG--Dutch St. Maarten recorded its twelfth coronavirus COVID-19 death with the recent passing of a man who was tested post-mortem as having had the highly infectious illness. An additional positive case has also been recorded, pushing the total number of positive cases to 73.
Prime Minister and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Chairperson Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that the COVID-19 test had been conducted on the person post-mortem as a cause of death was uncertain. She called this “a very sad development” and said all efforts were being made to get the public to seek medical attention as soon as possible and at least to seek the intervention of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) if they have flu-like symptoms.
She extended condolences to the families and friends of the persons who passed away with COVID-19-related illnesses as well as those whose deaths were not COVID-19-related.
As of Wednesday, a total of 130 persons were in self-quarantine; 95 in self-isolation; 266 tested; 73 are positive; 169 negative and 23 tests pending. One case is still inconclusive, while 22 persons have recovered and there are 39 active cases. The number of positive cases includes 51 men and 22 women. Eight persons are hospitalised at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).
Jacobs said the jump in the number of persons in quarantine is due to the additional positive cases that have been discovered recently. She stressed that persons who are in self-isolation and quarantine are not authorised to leave their homes or the designated room in their home so as to not infect any of their family members or persons in the community.
She said in a press statement late last night that the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Outbreak Management Team had updated on April 22 that the work on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) tent has been completed and that the tent is ready for its first patients. Moving forward, any COVID-19 suspected or confirmed patient requiring ICU care will be admitted to the tent, which will be manned by medical and nursing personnel provided by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport via AMI Healthcare.
