PJIA Acting Manager of Quality Assurance Deshawn York using one of the newly-installed hand-sanitizer dispensers.
AIRPORT--Authorities at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) said on Monday that the airport is rolling out its pandemic plan in response to the recent coronavirus outbreak. However, airport officials emphasise that these are precautionary measures and the threat to St. Maarten is minimal, given current information about the outbreak.
Government and PJIA officials had a meeting on Friday, January 24, to discuss the airport’s preparedness for this new strain of the coronavirus, which is dubbed 2019-nCoV by scientists.
This meeting was followed by a meeting on Monday morning which was attended by interim Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA Pamela Gordon-Carty, PJIA chief executive officer (CEO) Brian Mingo, PJIA chief operating officer (COO) Michel Hyman, and members of PJIA’s safety team.
Mingo told The Daily Herald on Monday evening that there is currently no need to declare an emergency as St. Maarten does not have any direct flights to China. Moreover, the airports that do have direct flights to both St. Maarten and China – thereby creating opportunities for connections – have already implemented their own strict screening procedures, he said.
However, Mingo said PJIA will be implementing its pandemic plan as a precautionary measure. This plan will focus primarily on information and awareness about the disease.
The plan will be implemented by PJIA’s Rescue and Firefighting (RFF) Department and Safety and Quality Assurance Department, as well as its first-aid team.
In the coming days, posters will be placed in the departure and arrival areas which will encourage travellers to frequently clean their hands using an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water, and to avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough. The posters will also tell travellers to cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing and to throw away the tissue immediately and wash hands.
Additional hand-sanitiser dispensers will be added inside the terminal building, particularly in restroom facilities. These will be installed by PJIA’s Facilities and Maintenance Department.
According to airport officials, PJIA will also prioritise public awareness to “ensure that uniform information from the WHO [World Health Organization – Ed.] is seen on the airport’s media outlets.”
The airport said it is also in the process of operationalising its isolation room. This room can serve to quarantine passengers suspected of being infected with the virus. The room was implemented in 2014 during the West African Ebola virus epidemic, but will now be restocked with equipment in the event it must be used to isolate a potential coronavirus carrier.
According to PJIA’s RFF Manager Manilo Penijn, the isolation room is to be stocked with N95 respirator masks, goggles, and biohazard bins and bags. PJIA’s company doctor will be on call to evaluate the symptoms of passengers, and staff will be given information to identify potential coronavirus carriers, he said.
Considering the virus’ novelty, the airport’s pandemic plan will be updated as new information about the disease becomes available, said Penijn.
