Crisis manager Pieter Glerum.
- EUSTATIUS--Under the eighth emergency ordinance signed by Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij on Monday, a new protocol was put place with respect to people travelling into and out of St. Eustatius. Currently, there is a civil aviation ban over the airspace of the Caribbean Netherlands, while travel via Statia’s port is still banned at this stage, except for cargo.
Van Rij said the travel regulations were not changed, as first priority is given to persons returning from medical referrals, followed by essential workers for government and private companies, returning residents and returning students from abroad whose school year has ended.
Crisis manager Pieter Glerum stated that companies that do not have essential workers available on the island can make a request to the public entity St. Eustatius to obtain priority in having these essential workers flown to the island.
The new emergency protocol designates countries in low-, medium- and high-risk categories in accordance with the level of risk of COVID-19 infection.
Residents of countries in the medium- and high-risk categories are at the moment not allowed to enter Statia, but exemptions can be made based on humanitarian grounds, which would have to be submitted to and approved by the Government Commissioner.
Persons in low-risk countries do not have to go into quarantine before entering the island. Persons returning from countries where no new cases have been found for at least four weeks do not have to go into quarantine. All persons arriving in Statia will be screened on entry.
The category in which a country is placed has consequences for travellers. It determines whether a person arriving in Statia will go into quarantine or must be tested before travelling.
A country can shift to another category if the level of COVID-19 risk changes and new infections have occurred, Glerum said.
Saba, St. Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Kitts and Nevis are in the low-risk category. The medium-risk category includes the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. This category requires persons to go into quarantine on entry to the island where home-based quarantine is possible. Testing before entry is not required.
The high-risk category requires quarantine, and home-based quarantine is not possible. Persons are required to have a test carried out before entering Statia. The countries in the high-risk category are the United States, the Dominican Republic and most Central and South American countries.
The risk of each person who wants to enter Statia will be assessed based on the country of the highest risk where the traveller has been in the last 14 days.
Statia will “continuously” update these categories over time and inform the public about changes for countries that fall in the medium- and high-risk categories, said Glerum.
The Public Health Department has been mandated to screen any traveller on arrival and can place persons in a two-week quarantine in a hotel or at a private home. Only the cost for hotel-based quarantine for medical referrals and returning residents can be partly paid by the public entity. In all other cases the cost will have to be paid in full by the person in quarantine, or his/her family or employer.
The relaxation of travel restrictions means that travel for tourism purposes is possible, especially to low-risk countries. Glerum said residents have to keep in mind that if new cases occur while they are visiting a tourist destination, this may consequently shift this country to a higher risk category.
On Monday, June 22, the public entity will update the table of COVID-19 risk countries and the availability of flights. The Public Health Department will continuously monitor each country for category assessment.
Medical referrals to Bonaire and St. Maarten are possible in a safe way without the need for quarantine. Queen Beatrix Medical Centre, Health Insurance Office ZVK and St. Maarten Medical Center are working closely together to assure a quick restart of medical referrals for elective care in the coming days, said Glerum.
Persons with questions or requests can send an email to
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