Arrival of the third and fourth batches of the COVID-19 vaccine. (DComm photo)
~ Community urged to register for the vaccine ~
PHILIPSBURG--Thirteen boxes containing 15,210 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country on a KLM flight from the Netherlands on Friday, April 9.
This amount can vaccinate 7,605 persons.
The Netherlands decided to combine the third and fourth Pfizer batches which would allow Collective Prevention Services (CPS) and the Vaccination Management Team (VMT) to scale up administering the COVID-19 vaccine to members of the community who have registered due to the serious public health situation in Curaçao.
CPS and VMT urged the public to register for a vaccination as soon as possible due to the current unprecedented outbreak that is taking place on the island of Curaçao.
St. Maarten has already received two other batches of the vaccine since February, amounting to 15,210 doses.
Curaçao is seeing on average more than 100 new positive COVID-19 cases each day. There were 4,768 active cases on Sunday; 129 persons are hospitalized, 44 of them are in the Intensive Care Unit.
The Curaçao community is being impacted by the United Kingdom (UK) variant of the COVID-19 virus. Viruses mutate all the time, and the UK variant is much more contagious, which means more persons in the community can be infected with the virus and this can have serious implications for the elderly as well as persons with underlying conditions who have not yet been vaccinated.
According to the release, the UK variant is already in circulation in St. Maarten. “The main threat for the country is that more persons will become ill and that means more people will end up in the hospital, putting pressure on the country’s public health facilities, and more people will die,” said the release.
Both CPS and the VMT said that an outbreak of the UK variant in the country would also have a negative impact on the national economy, which in turn will also impact the workforce where it concerns employment.
“Vaccines are a critical tool in the fight against the COVID-19 virus and there are clear public health and lifesaving benefits once you are vaccinated.”
Members of the community are reminded to register for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Registration can be done via the online registration form which is available in English, Spanish, and Creole, and can be found via
https://forms.sintmaartengov.org/form.aspx?v=OGtn05kNmb.
The Cole Bay and Dutch Quarter Community Help Desks are currently equipped to provide information and can assist with registration on the spot. They are open from 8:30am to 12:30pm, Monday to Friday. Persons must bring a form of identification when visiting the helpdesk.
The paper-based “COVID Vaccine Registration Form” can be picked up at several locations, including CPS at the Vineyard Office Park Building, the Department of Labor Affairs at the Simpson Bay Public Service Center Bay, doctors’ offices, the Government Administration Building and select pharmacies.
“If you have a friend, parent, neighbour, or relative that may need assistance with registration, transportation, or emotional support, please do your part,” said the release.
Persons who may need help with the registration process, their appointment, or wish for more information about the vaccination campaign, can call CPS at 914 or email
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Organisations that wish to inform their staff about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination programme via an information session can send an email to
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